《The False Warlock》


 Arc 1: Lucifer, Part One

    I stand in silence at the bridge. A long stone bridge between one section of the city and the other. The city around me is massive, towering stone buildings built with gray bricks and thatched roofs. The twin red suns bask me and the buildings in red light. I raise my hood closer, covering the upper part of my face, making sure that no-one can see me. There are a few demons who pass me, most of them are ivory skinned with large wings and short horns growing out of their foreheads. They pay me no mind as they pass. There is someone who draws their gaze though. An approaching ten-foot tall specter, a man with magnificent wings and massive horns. A circlet sits on his brow, clashing with a well-tailored black suit, an inspiration he took from the Mortal Plane. My brother, Lucifer. He approaches me, stopping by my side. ¡°Elmira,¡± he whispers. ¡°We must leave before Father discovers my deception.¡± He places a hand on my shoulder and I take a moment to take in my surroundings before exhaling. ¡°You can¡¯t stay here.¡± He raises his head, looking at those watching us. He grimaces then raises his hand. ¡°Leave us!¡± He roars. His form shines with harsh white light and the demons scream as the flee as fast as they can, leaving only my brother and me.


    I place a hand on my neck, the heat from yesterday is still there, tingling along my spine, laughter ringing in my ears. I shiver and my brother kneels down next to me, meeting my eyes. He has solid gold eyes, just like me, just like my other brothers. It¡¯s something all Demon Lords share, something we got from our Father. ¡°He¡¯ll discover your deception eventually,¡± I whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be hurt for my sake, brother. Not after you have done so much for me."


    ¡°I¡¯m honored, sister, but I can handle the pain Father will bring to me, you cannot. Once you¡¯ve completeled your metamorphosis, you¡¯ll be his queen. Nothing more than his sex slave.¡± He leans in closer until his lips are right next to my ear. ¡°My wonderful sister, my only sister, the only woman within hell will be treated no better than an object to be used. To bring children to my Father, and I can¡¯t bear to see that happen. I would sooner be destroyed than to watch you be condemned to a life of servitude.¡± He lowers my hood, touching my hair with a long hand, letting my black hair fall through his fingers before placing his hands on my shoulder. ¡°If you want to do something for me. Then continue forward with what I wanted you to do in the beginning.¡± He raises a hand toward the side of the bridge, drawing a long claw across the palm of his hand. He flicks his hand, flinging a few globules of blood into the air and a large red portal bursts open. ¡°I''ll stay here to placate Father. Stay safe, okay sis. Don¡¯t let anyone catch you. Find someone to help you.¡±


    I nod a few times, feeling tears fill my eyes, my chest feels like it¡¯s closing up and this hurts more than the pain of being tortured by having the septagram on my back filled with more power, power that I can never handle. This hurts more than ever and I don¡¯t want to leave my brother, but at the same time, I know he wants what¡¯s best for me. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be okay?¡± I whisper, my voice warped with emotion.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll be better than fine. I¡¯m the best demon lord across Hell and Earth. I¡¯m the best fucking fighter ever. I am a god among godless little shits. I am Lord Lucifer, lord of light, the sin of pride. Trust me, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He prods me in the chest. ¡°But you won¡¯t.¡± He kisses me on the forehead and wraps me in a tight hug. ¡°I love you, little sis, go and live a good life. I¡¯ll join you soon. Promise.¡±


    I swallow and take a step toward the red portal, I turn back to him and bow my head. My hood falls free, revealing the small horns on my forehead and my pale, human-like skin. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you brother. I love you.¡± I can¡¯t stop the tears from flowing and he waves me off with his right hand. ¡°Bye,¡± I croak.¡± I step into the portal and there¡¯s a loud explosion followed by screaming, I look back to see Lucifer looking into the sky. He waves at me again and the portal closes.


    There¡¯s another loud bang and I¡¯m bathed in harsh white light, I raise my hand to my head, blocking the sunlight. I¡¯m here, in the Mortal Plane. There¡¯s another loud scream and I look around. I¡¯m surrounded by large monoliths of steel and glass, with concrete stone blocks at my feet and glass overhead in a clear semi-circular roof. There are plants held within rectangular plant pots and openings to building with awnings of different colors and goods of every shape and type. <en and by their shape what I assume to be women, surround me. They''re all staring at me, eyes wide in surprise. I touch my shoulders feeling for my hood, then pulling it up over my head.


    I¡¯ve never been to the Human realm, I¡¯ve only heard stories, most of them are awe-inspiring and others are terrifying, but I didn¡¯t know humans didn¡¯t have horns. I duck my head in embarrassment and wipe away my tears with the back of my hand. I immediately start walking, the further away I get from here the better. I start walking at a fast pace but it doesn¡¯t quite make things easier with people watching me run away from the scene of the portal. I break into a run, moving out of the small street onto a larger area. There are large metal carts that move on their own without any beast pulling them. I slide to a halt as one speeds past, nearly cutting off my escape route. I then run out onto the street, the small block-like pebbles scatter beneath my boots.


    Suddenly I¡¯m airborne, my legs hurt a little and I fly over the side of the metal cart, slamming into the ground on the other side. I immediately stand up, rubbing my side, it aches, but I need to keep moving. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Someone screams. ¡°Why the hell did you step out in front of the car?¡± He yells. How does he know I¡¯m from Hell? What¡¯s a car? Why is he mad? I was just running across the street. I break into a run again. Fleeing toward an alley where there are large metal cans lining the wall. ¡°Hey, come back here!¡± The guy yells. He¡¯s chasing me with a box to his ear.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t take me back!¡± I yell. ¡°You can¡¯t make me go back!¡± He¡¯s mumbling something now. I can¡¯t hear him, but there''re loud explosions coming from behind me. They¡¯ve likely discovered my disappearance by now and tracked me to Lucifer. His betrayal has been discovered and now they''re chasing after me. My brother made sure that he did this before my other brothers could chase after me, so now I¡¯ll only be fighting soldiers, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact I¡¯m not confident in my abilities. The other guy turns his head then he trips over his own feet, slamming into the ground, yelling out in pain. I turn back to see his black hair slick with sweat, blood pumping out his nose. There¡¯s a demon standing over him, with red skin and massive red horns, flames flickering on the tips. One of Sathanus¡¯ servant. I turn away, then turn back, grinding my teeth together. I raise my right hand, showing him my palm. ¡°Release him. I command that you release him!¡±


    Sathanus¡¯ servant grins and he steps off the man, approaching me. His hair blows in a small breeze and his grin widens. ¡°Come with me, Lady Elmira. Your Father is furious.¡± His voice is grating, annoying, he reminds me of Sathanus. Anger disguised as attempted charm. I level my right hand with him. Don¡¯t miss, don¡¯t miss. ¡°So? I¡¯m waiting,¡± he growls. He¡¯s getting more irate. I feel my back twinge and white light burns its way down my arm before it settles in my right palm. The demon¡¯s eyes widen and he spins around, trying to escape, but he doesn¡¯t. He screams as his head explodes in a blast of white light. The sound of the scream echoes through the alley and I wince as I hear growling in the other street. I continue running, out of the alleyway and onto the next street.


    I need to find a place to hide, somewhere that isn¡¯t in full view of everyone. Maybe in one of the carts. No, I don¡¯t know how they work, maybe one of the buildings. I spot a brick building with a green and white awning with a few dark windows. There¡¯s a large red door with a bell over the door. I burst into the building, the bell ringing as I enter.


    The room is large with wooden flooring and circular wooden tables and chairs. There¡¯s a large wooden counter with a glass display with food. A man with gray and black hair stands at the counter, cleaning a mug with a white cloth and he looks at me as I enter. ¡°Welcome-¡± He stops, seeing my clear distress. ¡°Are you okay miss?¡± He asks.


    ¡°You must hide me,¡± I whisper. ¡°They¡¯re chasing after me. I can¡¯t go back, I can¡¯t,¡± I gasp. He looks behind me then he beckons to me with his right hand. I approach him and he grabs my shoulder pointing at where his legs are, there¡¯s a small open space beneath the counter, hidden from view. I kneel down to the ground, pushing myself into the spot. It¡¯s tight, but it¡¯s something. The man presses a red button next to me, then he looks at the door, placing his hand on a strange metal and wood shaft. He then looks down at me, his eyes widen in shock, he opens his mouth to say something then the door dings and I hear low growling. I squeeze myself deeper into the hideaway, my breath catching in my throat.


    The man¡¯s jaw drops and he wraps his hand around the shaft. ¡°What the f-¡± He stops. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± He growls. Does he know I¡¯m from Hell too, or is it just a saying? I¡¯m thoroughly confused. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve come here to pay for coffee.¡± There¡¯s a loud creaking over my head and a head moves passed the threshold of where I¡¯m hiding. I cover my mouth, stopping myself from breathing.


    A dark skinned demon with almost a wispy, shadowy figure. A forked tail drops down next to my face and I start shivering. One of Beelzebub¡¯s ilk. ¡°Where is she,¡± he growls. ¡°I know she¡¯s hiding somewhere. I can smell her,¡± he growls.


    The man¡¯s forehead creases as if annoyed. Then he pulls the shaft up. Sticking it in the demon¡¯s face. I catch my breath, nearly causing me to cry out. Then there¡¯s a loud explosion causing me to smash my head against the counter. My ears ring and I wrap my arms around my head. Blood soaks down the side of the counter splattering into the ground at my feet, soaking into the sides of my robes. I whimper, fear taking hold. I want to bolt, I want to start running again, but I¡¯m frozen to one spot, constantly shivering. There¡¯s a loud shriek as the demon¡¯s notice the situation and the door rings once more. ¡°Heel demons of Asmodeus and Beelzebub! The gate calls for you once again! Hearken my words and do not return! This place is not your home! Begone!¡± A woman yells, her voice booms through the room and I cover my ears and I feel my back burn in agony, I groan wordlessly, there are a few explosions and then the room goes silent. There¡¯s a long silence like the entire world has been silenced with the woman¡¯s voice, then she starts speaking again. ¡°They¡¯ve been cleared. They were looking for something or someone.¡± She stops, almost as if she¡¯s listening to someone speak the floor creaks as she paces. ¡°I suspect it¡¯s someone, but I can¡¯t be sure why they have to be incredibly important. Convene on my position. We¡¯ll talk more in a face to face.¡±


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    The floorboards creak and then the footsteps stop on the other side of the counter. ¡°Gates,¡± the man whispers. ¡°In the midst of greatness,¡± the man seems to mutter sarcastically. ¡°I had it handled, I didn¡¯t need your help.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you did,¡± a woman says sarcastically. ¡°But then again, you would have ruined your wonderful store. Your countertop is already covered in demon blood.¡± A thin hand clutches the edge of the counter, her fingernails are painted red and her hand seems quite youthful, she raises her hand away and she looks toward the door. ¡°Can you brew three cups of coffee? We¡¯ll pay you well.¡± The man places the shaft on the counter with a large bang, causing me to jump. I hit my head on the counter once again and clutched my head with my right hand. ¡°What was that?¡±


    ¡°The gun,¡± the man growls. He turns around and then there¡¯s some loud clinking of mugs. He moves over to a metal box and it starts humming. The door swings open and the bell rings again. ¡°Great¡­ Powers,¡± the man groans.


    ¡°Gates,¡± A man yells. ¡°What the fuck is going on? Why the hell were demons crawling through downtown?¡± It is a figure of speech it seems. ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡±


    ¡°I know that they were here for a purpose. It wasn¡¯t some random teleporting, though I lack the information required to answer just what that purpose is.¡±


    ¡°Dennis knows. The barista here. They were looking for a girl. A girl that he¡¯s hiding.¡± Dennis, the old man spins around and a mug smashes against the ground. There''re loud footsteps which stop to my left, Dennis grabs the shaft and levels it with the man to my left.


    ¡°Fucking psychic,¡± Dennis growls. ¡°Take a step back if you know what¡¯s good for ya. I won¡¯t let you touch her, she¡¯s terrified an¡¯ it don¡¯t matter if she¡¯s like them. She was running away from them for a reason!¡±


    I look at the man, he¡¯s a tall guy in a blue trench coat and glasses. He has black hair and green eyes staring at the two of us then he takes a step back, raising his hands. ¡°Look, Dennis. We¡¯re not going to hurt her. We just need a few answers, then she can do whatever she wants. I¡¯m sure she wants to talk too.¡± The man looks at me. He looks unsure, he¡¯s bluffing, he has no idea what I¡¯m thinking, unlike Dennis, he can¡¯t pierce my mind. I¡¯ve been discovered anyway. I climb out from my hiding spot, rising to full height then I turn toward the other two in the room.


    There¡¯s a large muscular black skinned man with brown eyes. He¡¯s wearing a tank top and brown trousers. He has glasses too, but they''re blacked out. The woman is different, she¡¯s in a red dress, she looks quite beautiful with long golden locks and beautiful blue eyes. She reminds me of a doll I used to have when I was younger. She must be Gates. She goes pale when she sees me looking at her. ¡°Impossible,¡± she mutters. ¡°Janus, step away from her, she¡¯s incredibly dangerous.¡±


    Janus looks confused. ¡°What do you-¡±


    ¡°Just do it!¡± Gates shrieks. Even in fear, she seems to have a commanding voice. Janus takes a few steps back, his trench coat fluttering. I look around, the black man has his fists raised, the flesh bulging with muscles while Gates has her hands out in front of her, red light burning on her fingertips. My foot starts tapping the ground and I can feel my body quaking in fear. I¡¯m terrified, tears start to tumble from my eyes, I swallow past a lump in my throat and I use the countertop to steady myself, sticking a hand in warm blood.


    I shriek in surprise and fear and I drop to the ground, clutching my head, my body shivering. Tears are flowing out of my eyes. I don¡¯t know what they can do, but my brothers have told me horrible things about Humans, about how they can destroy buildings with their bare hands. Even their tubes seem to explode, their carts attack people at will and their buildings tower over everyone as if they will collapse with the slightest gust of wind. ¡°I want to go home,¡± I sob. I shouldn¡¯t have left, I shouldn¡¯t have thought it would be better here.


    ¡°What the hell, Gates?¡± Janus growls. ¡°Incredibly dangerous, huh? She¡¯s a terrified girl! So what if she¡¯s a demon? She doesn¡¯t look in league with these guys.¡± There¡¯s some movement and a hand moves into my vision. Long fingers, offering me a hand up. I hesitate for a moment before taking his hand. I don¡¯t know what to do or who to trust, but I have to be active in finding a place for myself. ¡°There you go,¡± he says gently. He leads me around the counter then to a table where he pulls out a chair for me which I sit in. He then sits close to me and I move my chair, scooting away from Gates and the large man. I draw my hood down to my shoulders, I trace my horns to bring me a little bit of comfort in such a scenario. Janus places the back of his hand against the table next to me as if reaching out to me. His eyebrows come together, annoyance tempering his gaze. ¡°Truly terrifying, Gates. Dennis, can you give her something to drink, like a hot chocolate or something? I think she¡¯ll need it.¡±


    Dennis grunts. Returning to the box and Gates lowers her hands, the red light dissipating, she takes a seat opposite me, looking at me, her eyes harsh, analyzing me. ¡°You¡¯re a theoretically impossible existence,¡± she mutters. ¡°There are no female demons¡­ Unless you¡¯re just a very feminine male.¡± The large man¡¯s gaze snaps to Gates and Janus seems surprised too.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding right?¡± The big guy asks. ¡°I¡¯ve seen- holy shit, I¡¯ve never seen a female demon.¡±


    I shake my head, my hair sweeps across my neck and I push it away. ¡°I¡¯m the only one. My Father inhabited a human body to have me. It was- a surprising situation. I wanted to escape because I was bound to have a life just being my Father¡¯s sex slave.¡±


    Gates nods a few times, her eyes seem a bit glazed as if she¡¯s thinking about something then she sighs. ¡°That makes a lot more sense.¡± She turns to Janus and the large man. ¡°Hercules, Janus. Demons can have sex with a woman in our realm but they always have male children. The reason for that is because they have only Y sperm and not X sperm. They literally are incapable of having female children. Satan¡­ Which I assume is your Father-¡± She stops, waiting for me to respond. I nod simply.


    ¡°Hold up!¡± Hercules yells. ¡°She¡¯s a child of Satan? Doesn¡¯t that make her a demon lord?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I said she was dangerous,¡± Gates hisses. ¡°However, it seems I was wrong, because if she was indeed a danger, we¡¯d already be dead. I¡¯m incredibly glad that isn¡¯t the case.¡±


    I look down at the table, feeling embarrassed at the whole situation. Janus¡¯ hand seems to shake, but instead of drawing it away, he moves it closer to me, as if sensing my discomfort. This doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯d be willing to let me go, though. There¡¯s just as much the chance they¡¯ll look at me as an active threat and they¡¯ll lock me away, then I¡¯ll be in a no better situation than before. ¡°What will happen to me?¡± I whisper.


    The three of them exchange glances and Dennis approaches with a tray then places mugs in front of us. I take the mug in front of me, it¡¯s wear and it smells sweet and rich. I sip at it and my mouth fills with incredible liquid like ambrosia. Something I¡¯ve never tasted before with richness that only my Father would be able to drink. Gates sips her own coffee then shakes her head. ¡°We have to keep an eye on you, but at the same time, we can¡¯t expect you to do normal work in the Human world. I have an idea, but it might be a stupid idea.¡±


    A grin widens across Janus¡¯ face. ¡°That¡¯s a fantastic idea. We could have her join a junior division. She has both surveillance and protection and she won¡¯t be trapped in a jail cell.¡±


    Gates grinds her teeth together. ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate you reading my mind Janus. Then I assume you are for the idea?¡± Janus gives an impish grin, knowing he¡¯s done something wrong. He takes a sip of his drink, giving me a small wink. ¡°Hercules?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with whatever you decide. I honestly don¡¯t care. She doesn¡¯t seem like much of a threat, but then again, I¡¯ve been wrong. I¡¯ll look at her as a teenager and as a teenager, she needs a stable environment with others like herself,¡± Hercules grumbles. He doesn¡¯t seem all too interested in the situation. He looks a little lost. He looks at Janus as if expecting something out of him.


    Gates nods, turning to her drink. She drinks for a while in silence and I return to my own drink. I barely manage to finish it before She stands up. She watches me silently for a few moments. She¡¯s a cautious person, she¡¯s watching in case I do something wrong. She grimaces then walks over to the counter. ¡°Thank you. Here,¡± she removes some paper and hands it to Dennis. ¡°Keep the change.¡± She beckons to me, her hands flash with red energy, then she flicks out her hand and a large golden gate bursts open. It¡¯s not a demonic gate, more like a portal between points on the same plane. At least it¡¯s something I¡¯m certain of, something that I was taught by Lucifer. I feel pain burn through my chest and I stare at the ground.


    I approach the counter and look at Dennis and bow my head as low as it can go. ¡°Thank you for risking your life for me. I¡¯m sorry it ended in such a way, but I wish you the best,¡± I whisper. I raise my head and the man is smiling. It¡¯s the first time since I ended up here that I¡¯ve seen him smile, but it¡¯s contagious. Even with the pain of leaving my brother, even with the fear of fleeing my own father I smile.


    He reaches out a hand but stops himself. ¡°You remind me of my own daughter,¡± he grins. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Elmira,¡± I respond. ¡°Elmira is my name.¡± I turn away, facing the group of three, standing by the portal. I feel lost like I¡¯m leaving everything behind once again. I hesitate, dancing from foot to foot, wondering whether perhaps I should stay and risk it, or go with them and experience another change in scenery. I look at Gates, Janus, and Hercules. Janus has a sad smile on his face as if he can feel what I feel, he holds out a hand for me, nodding his head once. He mouths something. I understand. I approach him and take his hand, he places a hand on my head and I exhale. He definitely reminds me of Lucifer, he makes me feel welcome. He leads me through the portal, clutching my hand tight in his grasp. ¡°Thank you,¡± I whisper to him. He gives me a smile only I can see. He heard me.

 Arc 1: Lucifer, Part Two

    We exit the portal walking into a massive hall with slick black floors and upper floors, looking down upon this one with brass railings. A glass tube seems to reach further up into the building and it seems to carry an odd metal thing up and down like magic. That¡¯s not the only incredible thing, there¡¯s a huge fountain in the center of the room, with a muscular bronze figure holding a trident. It reminds me of Belphegor, but less demonic and more human. ¡°Where are we?¡± I ask Gates.


    ¡°The CPO, the Citizens Protection Offices. This will be the place you live. Elmira, let¡¯s give you a background,¡± she mutters. She turns to me, then stops, slowing me down with a hand. ¡°Even if they have mind-readers, which are rare enough as it is, we have to-¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t work,¡± Janus interrupts. He switches my hand over, walking to my left side, giving Gates an almost hostile look. Gates seems controlling, while she¡¯s smart, she also seems unlikable. ¡°I mean, psychics can¡¯t read her mind, only her emotions. She has protection. The only ones who can be read are us, and even if we do, it¡¯s only hearsay at this point. In other words, if we can come up with a story that seems believable, even to us, then they¡¯ll believe the one that is the most believable from an outside perspective.¡±


    ¡°Then I have a story that¡¯s even more believable that a female demon and a demon lord in our midst. Elmira,¡± Gates commands my attention and I look at her. ¡°You¡¯re a warlock who found out her abilities at an incredibly young age and ended up creating a portal to the Demon Plane. Your long period of time caused your body to absorb the magic in the plane. This resulted in the appearance you have, with the horns and golden eyes.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s believable?¡± Hercules grumbles. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t someone die in the Demon Plane?¡±


    ¡°More believable than a female demon. Warlocks can feed on magic energy in the Demon Plane, if she teleported to a place that¡¯s uninhabited then she would be able to live for decades if undisturbed. Of course, during the developmental stages, it would cause deformities, but she would survive. Do you have magic?¡±


    I look around, to see who she¡¯s talking to. It takes me a moment to realize that she¡¯s asking me. I nod and I raise my hand, my back burns for a moment and light starts burning down my hand through my veins, causing my fingers to grow longer and claw-like, in the center of my hand shines an orb of white light. ¡°Only Lucifer¡¯s magic right now. As I use more power, my septagram will grow stronger and I¡¯ll be able to use more magic.¡±


    Gates leans in, her eyes twinkling with interest. ¡°Demon Lord magic?¡± Her hands are almost shaking in anticipation. Janus, steps in front of me, blocking Gates¡¯ view of me. She snaps her head to the side. I can¡¯t help but think she¡¯s pissed off. ¡°And the deformities, do they get worse the more you use?¡± She asks me, in a hushed voice.


    ¡°Deformities?¡± I ask. How offensive. They aren¡¯t deformities, they¡¯re part of my natural growth. ¡°I¡¯m a perfectly healthy demon. And I don¡¯t need to complete the septagram for my horns to grow. They¡¯ll grow naturally, just like my height. But I can force temporary growth if I use the magic of the septagram which will grow my horns and then I¡¯ll grow wings.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ If you were a Warlock you¡¯d be a channeler, which is an incredibly rare type of warlock. I¡¯m a Warlock magician, which in terms of a rare role such as a Warlock, is common. Channelers alter their bodies and are Warlock magicians at the same time.¡± She taps her chin, thinking about something for a while. ¡°For now, you¡¯ll be my apprentice, at least that way they won¡¯t touch you unless they really want to piss me off.¡± She marches down the hall and we pass the fountain


    I watch the fountain as we pass, it¡¯s surrounded by small potted plants an armada of color. A smell that I can almost taste a beauty long forgotten in the Demon Plane. I turn around, walking backward as I look at the entire building, taking in everything I didn¡¯t see at first. The glass walls with paper posters hanging on it. Hundreds of people milling through the hall, all of them with special uniqueness, not like demons, they don¡¯t have horns or sharp teeth or tails or wings. No, they have different hair color, eyes color, skin color, some colors that mimic the plants at the fountain. Hercules gives me a thin-lipped smile as I look at him, then I move on, looking at a large area with a line of people. A desk with glass bays, people stand within those bays, with papers and circular, sharp objects in their grasps. I turn back to look where we¡¯re walking, nearly tripping on a set of stairs. ¡°This way, Elmira,¡± Janus informs me. He places a hand on my shoulder, then leads me to one of the glass tubes between two sets of stairs.


    Gates presses a square button of sorts on the tube and it shines with red light. Hercules clears his throat. ¡°I really should be going. I¡¯ll fill out everything, so you guys don¡¯t need to worry, then I needta get home to my wife. She¡¯ll castrate me if I¡¯m late again.¡± I look at him in shock. Is this something Humans do? They still do harsh punishments like that here? I could¡¯ve sworn Lucifer told me that they no longer did medieval punishments like they do in the demonic realm.


    ¡°Hopefully, she actually does this time,¡± Janus laughs. Hercules sticks his middle finger up and shakes his head, before stalking off, leaving me with Gates and Janus. There¡¯s a loud ding and I immediately spin around, my heart shooting into my throat. What was that noise? Where did it- ¡°Come on Elmira.¡± Janus and Gates step into the tube, into the metal thing I saw going up and down. I hesitate, worried about what magic could be used. Janus rolls his eyes and he pulls me in by my wrist. The doors shut as soon as I¡¯m in and I immediately move up against the glass door. There¡¯s a loud bang and I jump, shivering. The door doesn¡¯t seem to want to open and I feel terror wash over me. There¡¯s a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Calm down. Do you not have elevators in the Demon Planes?¡±


    ¡°Janus, imagine the Demon Planes as an incredibly underdeveloped Human world. It¡¯s likely still in the medieval stages of life with a few oddities. Everything here is very strange to her. So no, she hasn¡¯t seen an elevator.¡± The calm way they talk about this strange magical contraption is a little comforting, but at the same time, I don¡¯t like being shoved in something I¡¯m not used to. ¡°Perhaps we should have taken the stairs.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not happening,¡± Janus groans. He leans in closer to me. ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s nothing that will go wrong. An elevator is a faster way to traverse floors than stairs. It¡¯s completely safe. I promise.¡± I feel myself grow a little more relaxed. He places a hand on my head. He¡¯s being so tender, but he¡¯s taking steps with complete confidence. He¡¯s treating me exactly how I need him to treat me. The more time I spend with him, the more I grow to trust him and the more Gates seems to scare me. Janus seems incredibly human, different to the demons of the Demon Plane. Gates doesn¡¯t seem all that different from the demons. Destructive curiosity, the sin of greed. She¡¯s like my brother Mammon.


    The metal construct shoots upward and I look around, watching the floor get further away. Everything goes dark as the glass chamber enters a shaft and a light turns on. Gates takes a step toward me, stepping in front of me and grabbing my robes. I pull away and my back slams against the side of the box. She grimaces, grinding her teeth together. ¡°Are you wearing anything under those robes? You can¡¯t wear those robes.¡± She isn¡¯t calm, her voice is once again as commanding as when she commanded the demons. I whimper, pushing myself against the box. ¡°Elmira,¡± she commands. My back explodes in pain and I strike back at her with my free hand, tears stinging my eyes.


    ¡°Enough, Gates!¡± Janus yells. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Janus moves in front of me. ¡°Your magic is not to be used for small things you can ask for! She¡¯s listening, but you¡¯re hurting her!¡± Gates clicks her tongue, taking a step back. She¡¯s impatient, glaring at Janus, waiting for him to do what she asked me to do. He kneels down next to me. ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. She¡¯s kind of a bitch,¡± he whispers into my ear. ¡°Are you wearing any other clothes? If you walk in with blood, they might think you¡¯re dangerous.¡± I nod and carefully remove my robes, letting them fall to the ground in a pile. Gates whips them up into her grasp and they shimmer in red light before disappearing.


    My remaining clothes are clothes I only usually wear while with my Father. If I don¡¯t cover myself up with robes in the Demon Plane, my differences will be immediately obvious. My chest, my figure, no clothing except bulky clothes can hide that. I tighten the belt on my leather trousers and tug at the silk cloth around my neck. The cloth leaves my arms bear as well as an area around my upper back, revealing the septagram and two large white scars at my shoulder blades. I wrap my hands around my hair letting it splay over my back to cover my septagram. The septagram on my back can be easily mistaken for horrifying scarring and it would be best to avoid explanations like that.


    There¡¯s a loud ding and I look at where the sound came from, over the double doors. The doors slide open and Gates steps out. Janus pats me on the shoulder, before helping me out. We step into a large room, a library of sorts. Wooden flooring with a long red rug leading to a set of double doors. The library has incredible shelving with trundling ladders. There are a lot of people running through the library with their hands piled full with papers and books. They rush through doors to the left and right of the room. At the set of double doors, there¡¯s an old looking desk with a square box and a white-haired woman or a very large man. It¡¯s difficult to tell.


    Gates takes up a fast pace, forcing Janus and me to match her pace to keep up. She stops in front of the woman, tapping the table with her fist. The woman looks up and she looks Gates up and down, then moves onto Janus and I. ¡°The director isn¡¯t seeing anyone today, Gates. Not after today¡¯s debacle. Unless it¡¯s directly answering why the demons attacked in such a force, he doesn¡¯t want to see you.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think a warlock would come here?¡± Gates grumbles, sarcasm coating her voice. ¡°Let us through to talk to Director Tagert or I¡¯ll form a portal in his office.¡± Yes, Gates very much does remind me of Mammon. Janus reminds me of Lucifer and Gates reminds me of Mammon. Both have their pros, but I¡¯d sooner deal with Janus than I would with Gates. Similar to while in the Demon Plane. It¡¯s easy anyway. Greed is the desire to take what is someone-else''s. Pride is only self-destructive, it doesn¡¯t take anything but attention. Being a demon comes with the realization that the positives and negatives of sins are both good and bad, but some can be worse than others.


    The woman looks up from her box and she sighs. ¡°Go through, but don¡¯t expect him to be very accepting of being disturbed,¡± Gates grunts in acknowledgment and approaches the doors, pushing one side open.


    Janus leans in to whisper in my ear. ¡°The director is a bit better than Gates, but considering I¡¯m getting a chance to warn you. He probably won¡¯t like you just because Gates is interested in you. He just hates everything about Gates.¡±


    ¡°I can sympathize with his plight,¡± I murmur. Janus bursts out laughing. He gives me an impressed look as if he¡¯s glad to find out that I have even the smallest sense of humor. He clears his throat and steps out of the way, allowing me a look at the room. The room is much like the other room, except with fewer books. There¡¯s a seating area with soft benches and a small table. There¡¯s a massive window at the end of the room, looking out over the massive reaches of the city, a desk sits in front of the window with a box on it. The left wall is covered in pictures, framed paintings and letters. The right wall has a fireplace and a suit of strange looking armor.


    A man stands next to the desk, talking into a rectangular box. ¡°Just get on it, for fuck¡¯s sakes. I¡¯m tired of being asked questions and not being given answers.¡± He lowers the box then turns around. He¡¯s a grizzled man, with a gray-black beard and three scars over his right eye which is a little faded, the blue of his other eye is still there, but it¡¯s closer to a gray color. He grimaces when he sees Gates and then his eyes turn onto Janus and I. ¡°What is the meaning of you bringing this¡­ Demon into my office?¡± He growls at Gates.


    ¡°For those answers you¡¯ve been looking for, Tagert,¡± Gates hisses. Ah, I see, a collision of opposing forces. Both are harsh leaders and don¡¯t like criticism and both try to lead each other. It¡¯s like two cogs that are misaligned. ¡°And she¡¯s not a demon. There are no female demons.¡±


    ¡°Clearly I¡¯m an idiot because I see two horns and solid gold eyes!¡± Tagert yells. ¡°How the hell is that not a demon? Are you trying to tell me that she¡¯s some sort of warlock or something because I am not falling for something like that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ve finally realized that you¡¯re an idiot. This is good. No, what I am telling you that you don¡¯t know anything about demons and warlocks. Something I am acutely aware of. There is no such thing as a female demon and this girl before you is something different. She is indeed a warlock, but a kind of warlock that is rarer than even I.¡±


    ¡°Oh, great,¡± Tagert mutters, sarcasm coating his voice. He collapses into a chair and places his head on the desk. ¡°Okay. Then give me the answers I want. Why were the demons here, what were they after and exactly why does she look like a demon lord?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed, you actually know what a demon lord is.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so condescending. Just give me answers!¡±


    ¡°She was born somewhere on Earth, though she can¡¯t give us the answer and discovered her abilities at a very young age, resulting in her appearance in the Demon Plane.¡± Gate is easily giving a story she came up with and it sounds completely truthful, she doesn¡¯t display any of the telltale signs that she¡¯s lying. ¡°She ended up appearing in a place uninhabited by demons and she grew up there. Warlocks take in nutrition from the Demon Plane while traveling through it, but her development cycle was stunted, resulting in the growths you see such as golden eyes and the white horns you see on her forehead. The reason why the demons were here is because she was chased by them when she fled.¡±


    ¡°Why would they chase after her? I thought you said the area was uninhabited by demons.¡±


    ¡°Not forever. They discovered her and because of the distinct lack of women, they wanted her to bear the children of a race until the day she died. This was an opportunity they don¡¯t usually get and they can¡¯t just ship normal humans there. They¡¯d die. So, this girl here, Elmira, is actually both what they were seeking and the reason why so many demons came to our realm.¡±


    Tagert goes silent, staring at Gate for a few agonizing minutes before he sighs. ¡°I have no clue what is real and what might be false, but considering your¡­ Questionable knowledge on demons and warlocks, I am forced to believe you. I mostly agree because of the clear knowledge of the fact that I have never seen a female demon. As much as the idea of a succubus would clearly interest many men. The question is, what would you have me do with this¡­ Girl?¡±


    ¡°My ambition is to train her as a warlock and as my apprentice, but as she is now, she¡¯s fairly capable but she can¡¯t defend herselff. I¡¯ll train her, but she needs to join a backup division.¡±


    Tagert moves his focus from Gates to Janus then me. He stares at me for a moment then he turns his gaze onto Janus. ¡°Does she understand English.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I murmur, I¡¯m being very quiet, my voice is shaking. Janus gives me a small grin then places a hand on my shoulder. ¡°I do,¡± I say, this time, louder. ¡°The language in the Demon Plane is not much unlike the language of the Mortal Plane. The Mortal Plane actually got the English language from the Demon Plane.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea how preposterous that sounds?¡± Tagert growls. ¡°You must be lying. Janus, tell me she¡¯s lying?¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t lying, sir. She¡¯s telling the truth, or at least she thinks she¡¯s telling the truth. Besides, this is something Gates might have informed you of- no has suggested before, though she¡¯s had no affirmation from any demons or any educated Demon Plane¡¯s inhabitants. This should be the confirmation many historians have long awaited.¡±


    Tagert grimaces and beckons to me, using his hand to display to me to continue. ¡°During the Holy Roman Empire, many Humans learned Latin. A language developed by the Romans. The Romans were just beginning to come up with the idea of demons and a god while Alexander the Great, as you call him, developed a closer language to the English of today from the demons he conversed with at the time. We had English first.¡±


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    ¡°We?¡± Tagert points out.


    ¡°It¡¯s easier to consider myself closer to a demon than it is to consider myself a human. I¡¯ve spent more time amongst demons than I have humans.¡±


    ¡°Then you weren¡¯t alone.¡±


    ¡°Not all the time-¡± I pause. Gates is looking at me, she has a small grin on her face and she nods. I¡¯m lying so easily. Too easily and now I¡¯ve thrown myself off. I clear my throat, continuing. ¡°Uh- I- there were some demons. But not- most- most of them aren¡¯t bad. They obey¡­ The lord¡¯s instructions but they also have their own free will.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re like humans.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be shocked how much humans resemble demons when you take away their horns, wings, and tails, director Tagert. Their sins are just uglier.¡±


    Tagert grimaces. ¡°Would you like to clarify exactly what you mean, Elmira,¡± he queries.


    ¡°I mean, demons are only capable of displaying one sin. Humans are capable of holding all the seven sins you hold demons accountable for. Humans have more than one face. Demons only have one face.¡±


    Tagert¡¯s head snaps to Gates. ¡°Are all warlocks like this? I swear, if you love demons so much, maybe you should just live with them. I suspect that in this case, at least one in this room spent a lot of her life among them. Janus, what backup division should I put her in? I imagine you have some words to bandy about now that both Gates and Elmira have gone through great effort to offend both me and the entire human race in general, no matter how hypocritical that might have been.¡±


    ¡°If I may suggest, Director Tagert. Backup Division: Hindsight. My brother is on the team and considering both Elmira and my brother¡¯s lack of¡­ Social skills, they could benefit from each other''s company. That and I would like to have both of them in one place,¡± Janus suggests.


    ¡°This would complete their team of four, then,¡± Tagert mutters. ¡°I can¡¯t help but think that with a warlock, they would indeed suit their name. Going up against a team like that, hindsight would indeed be necessary. I approve. Then, Elmira, the warlock will be assigned to backup division: Hindsight. Janus, you¡¯ll be responsible for improving her social skills. Teach her that this world has more laws than where she came from. As for you Gates, make sure she gets a leash on her powers. I don¡¯t need her bringing an army of demons on top of us.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me anything,¡± Gates says. ¡°I was going to do that whether you told me to or not. Thing is, she¡¯s going to have to live in the tower. She¡¯s got nowhere else to go.¡±


    ¡°Understandable. She¡¯ll also need clothing. We¡¯ll set her up on Hindsight¡¯s floor and get her some money to purchase clothing. For now, take her to the right floor and tell her how to get there. Something tells me she doesn¡¯t even know how to operate the damn elevator.¡±


    Janus snorts and I feel my face go red. ¡°You would be right, Director Tagert. Thank you very much. Sorry for bothering you.¡± Tagert bends over his desk, rifling through it before retrieving something. He throws keys at Janus and he catches it. Janus gives him a thumbs up before turning away and placing a hand on my shoulder to lead me out. Something tells me that if I were to try protest against this guy¡¯s racist thoughts on demons he would fight me to the death about the thoughts. Let those who are ignorant stay ignorant and avoid letting him know that I am indeed what he initially thought. Janus, Gates and I leave the room, making our way back to the metal box.


    As we step inside, the door swings open, revealing director Tagert. ¡°Cancel your running bullshit!¡± Tagert yells at everyone. ¡°I got my answers¡­ From two fucking warlocks! I¡¯m in a bad mood right now and I don¡¯t need idiots coming in to worsen it!¡±


    The door slides shut and Gates snickers. Janus shakes his head. ¡°You know, you¡¯ll make all our lives difficult if you treat him like that, Gates. Please be more careful.¡± Gates grins, but nods, not saying anything. Janus taps me on the shoulder, pointing at the buttons. The buttons have a bunch of numbers on it. ¡°When you¡¯re using the elevator, just designate a floor to go to. G is the ground floor and the floor you¡¯ll be living on in 47. So that¡¯s all you need to know.¡± He presses in 47, which turns red and the box starts moving.


    Gates leans forward pressing another button, 53. ¡°I¡¯m getting off. I¡¯ll come teach you some magic later after bringing you some proper damn clothes. I can¡¯t have my apprentice be in such bland clothing.¡± She pulls on my leather jacket, then she parts my hair.


    Janus gasps. ¡°What the hell is that? Are those scars?¡± He asks.


    I shake my head, quickly. ¡°No, no, no,¡± I gasp. ¡°Not scars, markings. The markings of being a demon lord. The septagram is the developments, as I grow my abilities. The scars on my shoulder blades are the marks of where my wings grow.¡± Janus seems to relax but Gates perks up as if considering something else. Janus looks in her direction with a harsh look in his eyes.


    ¡°There is something I find myself curious about,¡± Gates grunts. ¡°You seem to know where the demons learned English. So what about how their magic works?¡±


    I press my lips together. I nod. ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Tell me,¡± she commands. I feel my back burn up and I grind my teeth. I don¡¯t like warlocks. All this commanding stuff hurts.


    ¡°Essentially,¡± I whisper, so she can barely hear. ¡°There are demon lords in the Demon Plane and they have a basin filled with water. That¡¯s the power the Demon Lords have available. Demons have small cups and they take a small amount of power from the basins.¡±


    ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t their power run out?¡±


    ¡°No. They don¡¯t take much and the demon lords refill their basins. From there, the demon¡¯s cups refill naturally, just like the demon lord¡¯s basin.¡±


    ¡°Wait, then what about warlocks, how does that work?¡± Janus asks. ¡°I imagine the demon lords don¡¯t exactly like Humans taking their powers.¡±


    ¡°Well- I¡¯m just assuming, but we just steal the demon lord¡¯s power,¡± Gates says. I imagine she could just think and Janus could hear it, but Gates does strike me as someone who might think out loud or not give a damn as to who knows. ¡°Instead of a cup we use our hands and we shovel out from the basin. The demons won¡¯t lose their power, but warlocks will inevitably have the power fall through the gaps in their hands.¡±


    ¡°And the demon lords?¡±


    ¡°Either they won¡¯t notice, or don¡¯t care. It¡¯s probably very marginal.¡±


    ¡°So- from what I understand¡­ Demons are formed around their cup and a warlock borrows their power for a short period.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer that you didn¡¯t read my mind, Janus,¡± Gates hisses.


    The box grinds to a halt. ¡°Like I can help it,¡± he sighs. Gates steps toward the door then steps out without so much of a goodbye. Janus sticks his leg out of the door. ¡°You better bring her clothes fast!¡± Janus yells. ¡°She can¡¯t sleep in leather!¡±


    Gates tilts her head as if it¡¯s an inconsequential issue but she finishes with a thumbs up over her head. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have my measurements. How will she get my clothes and will she bring it today?¡±


    Janus smirks, removing his leg from the door. The door slides shut and he turns to me. ¡°Gates is a lot of things. A hell of a lot of things, most of them not good, but she¡¯s stuck-up. She has a high opinion of herself, and by extension as her apprentice, she¡¯ll hold you in high esteem. She might be a warlock, but she has a simple rule. If something is to be done, it should be done in style. If you aren¡¯t fashionable, she¡¯ll take it as an insult on herself. She hates that above all things. You¡¯ll get your clothes, probably even sooner than you¡¯ll think and it will both be fashionable and it will fit you perfectly.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t just protecting her otherwise atrocious personality, are you?¡± I ask. I¡¯m bitter, she¡¯s not a nice person and I hate her attitude. She¡¯s pretty much anchored me to her existence, without her I¡¯m screwed.


    ¡°No¡­ God, no,¡± Janus groans. He seems to have his own opinion of her. ¡°She¡¯s my teammate but she¡¯s a nightmare to get along with. She¡¯s good at her job, but she¡¯s not a friend. I¡¯m explaining her factually. I¡¯m not giving you a favorable impression of her. Just a factual one.¡±


    The elevator dings and the doors slide open, allowing us access to the 47th floor. We step out onto the floor out into a corridor. There are walls on either side and the corridor stretches to a window overlooking the city with boxes with strange bright lights and colorful images on them in an alcove. There are a total of four doors, two on either side. A long distance between each door. The expectation is that each door grants access to absolutely massive rooms. Just thinking about the size of the first floor might give me an idea of what might be behind these doors. Janus stops in front of the first room on the left and raises the key. He sticks the key into the lock and unlocks the door.


    We enter the room and as expected, we walk into a huge room. The room has gray, stone-like flooring. Something that is uncommon in the demon world but seems to be everywhere here. The first room is split into three sections it seems. A relaxing area with soft chairs, a table and a box on a cupboard. It¡¯s next to a massive darkened window. Closer to us is a massive training area, with an area with plywood, mats are folded at the side. There¡¯s a small range with a few red targets. There¡¯s a table with strange items and a teenager at it, with earmuffs over his head, messing with small metal parts. Lastly, to the far left of the room, there¡¯s a kitchen.


    The kitchen has a marble island and odd boxes. This world seems to be made of a lot of metal objects that I don¡¯t know what they do. It¡¯s a little scary, but at the same time, with my fear nearly discarded sick curiosity is coursing through me. The kitchen has a lot of storage and there¡¯s a basin filled with dirty dishes. There''re some stools next to the island, making for a makeshift dining area, but on top of it, there¡¯s a glass table with strange red chairs made of slick, shiny material. Not metal but weaker it seems.


    There are doors along the right side of the room. Four in total, probably bedrooms with their own bathrooms considering the clear lack of them in this room. The room, while large and filled with stuff seems stark, completely bare, having no character. Even my brothers littered their castles with paintings and busts.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I hear the teenager yell. I turn to look at the guy to see him shaking his hand. He flings his earmuffs aside and he turns around. He freezes like a deer in the headlights when he sees us. I can see the resemblance between him and Janus. The boy shares black hair and green eyes with Janus, though his hair is shorter and he doesn¡¯t wear glasses. The boy is just as handsome as Janus, but his eyes are bloodshot, he looks exhausted. ¡°Mattie?¡± The boy asks. He approaches, rubbing his eyes and looking at Janus.


    ¡°It¡¯s Matt or Matthew,¡± Janus sighs. ¡°Not Mattie. Elmira, this is Kaiden.  Kaiden, this is Elmira. She¡¯s your final member. She¡¯s a-¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Kaiden asks. He ignores me completely, causing me to feel a mildly annoyed. I¡¯m alright with being annoyed, not quite used to being introduced then ignored. ¡°Are you here to tell me to go outside?¡±


    ¡°Do whatever you want to do with your life, Kai. I don¡¯t give a damn. At least say hello to Elmira. You¡¯re being very disrespectful.¡±


    Kaiden finally seems to notice me, he turns to me but instead of saying hello, he waves his hand in front of his face. ¡°Is that real or am I just hallucinating? Cause that¡¯s just fucking weird.¡±


    ¡°Kaiden!¡± Janus roars. ¡°Respect! Just because you¡¯re a fucking genius doesn¡¯t mean you should treat people like your fucking robots! She¡¯s just as unique as you and you just insulted her appearance. Apologize!¡±


    I look at Janus. ¡°He won¡¯t mean it if you¡¯re the one telling him to say it.¡± This is an odd feeling for me. I¡¯m angry and I¡¯m constantly trying to find a sin to attach him to. To figure out his personality, but his emotionless gaze, his factual statements make things difficult. In fact, he doesn¡¯t have any clear sin besides being overly analytical.


    Janus groans. He places hands on my shoulders, addressing me directly. ¡°I know my brother can be a complete pain in the ass, but once he gets to know you, once he opens up, he¡¯s a good guy. I¡¯ll make sure to visit every day and if there¡¯s anything you¡¯re worried about, anything you need. Don¡¯t hesitate to tell me.¡± I nod and he places the keys into my hand. He folds my hands over them and pushes them closer to me. ¡°Don¡¯t lose those. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± I murmur. He turns away from me, before approaching Kaiden. He leans in whispering a few words to Kaiden. He nods a few times as if agreeing with Janus. He looks at me and nods once more.


    Janus turns around and claps his hands suddenly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave you two be. I¡¯ll be back tomorrow and Gates will stick her head in for you, Elmira.¡± He clears his throat. ¡°Bye,¡± He then leaves us alone, shutting the door. I suddenly feel very vulnerable, alone and scared. Kaiden looks at me with those eyes, curiosity bristling in them. I approach one of the chairs, before collapsing on it. The chair is incredibly comfortable, but contrary to the comfort of the chair, I can¡¯t help but feel discomfort in this plane. Unwelcome.


    I wrap my arms around my knees and pull them close to my chest. Lucifer brother, how are you doing? Are you fine? Father hasn¡¯t punished you dearly has he? I turn my face to the back of the chair and I feel tears fill my eyes. I miss my brother, it hasn¡¯t been long but I feel so lonely. I¡¯ve never been lonely, I¡¯ve never been completely alone. During the day, I always had my brothers watching over me and at night, my Father would help funnel intense power into my septagram. The pain of my septagram burning would at times be unbearable, but right now, I¡¯d sooner be in agony than to feel the pain in my chest. The pain of a broken heart. I sob into the pillows, clutching it up to my head.


    There¡¯s a loud buzzing noise and I feel something touch my shoulder, something heavy and made of metal. I reach my hand over my shoulder, wrapping my grasp around it then bringing it into my sight. A large metal bug with four wings and a long tail. A dragonfly, I believe, we have them in the Demon Plane, but they don¡¯t tend to look like this. ¡°Easier to talk like this,¡± a voice comes from its thorax, Kaiden¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I find it easier to talk to or through a robot than to talk to¡­ People,¡± he mutters.


    I sit up, placing it on one of the armrests. I look over at Kaiden who is staring into a box, with the earmuffs over his head again. I rub my eyes and sniff, trying to distract myself. ¡°Robot?¡± I croak. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°You- Oh, right.¡± He pauses for a moment as if considering how to say it. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s a man-made object. Something that can work by itself. I built this because dragonflies have an interesting flight pattern.¡± For a moment, there¡¯s a voice of intense interest as if he could talk about it for hours on end but he stops, apparently rethinking his thoughts. ¡°I- er- I¡¯m sorry for being difficult. I know Janus told me to apologize, but machines don¡¯t get offended. I don¡¯t know what hurts and what doesn¡¯t.¡±


    I feel the tips of my horns and I shake my head. Imagine how much easier it would be without the horns. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I know I¡¯m strange.¡±


    The dragonfly hums, a strange noise and I can hear Kaiden laughing. ¡°That¡¯s what makes machines interesting. They¡¯re strange. Uniqueness is the recipe for greatness. Being strange isn¡¯t bad, it¡¯s interesting. I like your eyes and horns. I mean, I don¡¯t see their practicality, but not everything has to be practical. For example, this machine doesn¡¯t need legs, but it makes it look better. I think your horns and eyes make you look better.¡±


    I feel my face burn red. My appearance is never referenced with interest, rather I spend a lot of time with my face covered and while it¡¯s not covered, my brothers and Father don¡¯t tend to mention anything. Amongst it all, my horns are my prized possession, for all demons, horns are a sign of something to be respected and my diminutive horns are disappointing. ¡°Thank you,¡± I murmur.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll be fine on the team. Welcome and I hope we get along well.¡± The small dragonfly takes off from the corner of the chair and I turn away from where Kaiden is at. I close my eyes, shutting the world out.


    I steady my breathing, ignoring the pain of not being with my brothers and jamming my eyes shut. I focus on getting some rest, the only thing that will keep me distracted.

 Arc 1: Lucifer, Part Three

    There¡¯s a loud bang, waking me up from my nap. I open my eyes and move my arms. My arms are trapped beneath a warm blanket and I wrap it up closer to me. Did Kaiden give me a blanket or did Gates come in earlier? No, Gates wouldn¡¯t be so kind but I don¡¯t know much about Kaiden. I raise my hand to my face, feeling my fingers brush across my horns. I lower my hand, then rub the sleep out of my eyes. Something hits the ground and I hear an over exaggerated yawn. ¡°God damn!¡± A girl gasps. ¡°You¡¯re so lucky you don¡¯t have to go to school anymore, Kai.¡± There¡¯s some movement as it draws closer and the footsteps stop. I turn over to see a tall girl with long brown hair and somewhat lanky limbs. She strikes me of a sportsman. Maybe a warrior, her arms suggest experience with a sword. She¡¯s wearing a uniform, a blue blazer with a coat of arms on it and a skirt with gray and blue lines going vertically down the length of the skirt.


    There¡¯s a guy behind her too. The guy is short but wide. Not plump but stocky. He¡¯s muscular and barrel chested with shaved, brown hair. He strikes me as plain, perhaps a bit baby-faced with a square jaw. He¡¯s wearing a blazer like the girl, but instead of a skirt, he¡¯s wearing gray trousers. I¡¯m almost certain that Lucifer said I was going to America, a continent on the Mortal Plane. But he said that they were casual-wear to schools, not uniforms. I pull off the blanket, folding it up in my hands and the girl and boy exchange looks.


    ¡°Kai?¡± The girl asks. Kai looks over at us and shrugs, returning to his work with the mechanical thingies he spoke about. ¡°As much help as usual,¡± he mutters. ¡°Who are you? And what¡¯s with the-¡± she points at her forehead and I exhale. Everyone keeps referring to my horns, I¡¯m starting to get tired of it. I tilt my head back, not wanting to answer, I¡¯m tired of giving people answers, I¡¯m tired of being scared and being some piece of shit¡¯s dog. I just want things to be reliable and if I can¡¯t make my own way through life, then what¡¯s the point of gaining my freedom. ¡°What¡¯s going on, cat¡¯s got your tongue?¡±


    Kai raises his head again, standing silently and approaching from the table. There¡¯s a loud clicking sound from the ground and he¡¯s being followed by large spider-like constructs. The girl shrieks as they come closer, jumping back a couple feet landing on a chair reaching for her side for a sword that isn¡¯t there. ¡°No yelling. No fighting,¡± Kai hisses. ¡°New member. She¡¯s cool.¡±


    She looks at me then Kai and snorts. ¡°First, get the spiders away from me!¡± She shrieks. Kai looks stunned and he waves off the spiders. She seems to calm a little and she drops down from the chair. ¡°Second, Kai vouching for a girl. Kai, you don¡¯t vouch for anything, unless she¡¯s a robot in disguise.¡±


    Kai blushes and shakes his head. ¡°Elmira isn¡¯t a robot. She¡¯s our new team member. My brother brought her.¡± He returns to his station again, but he doesn¡¯t stop working, he has his eye completely focused on me. There¡¯s a distinct feeling of absorption in me. I¡¯m not sure what it is but if what he said is true, his absorption in me could just purely be curiosity. It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen that look before, but he¡¯s the only person who I can¡¯t understand his intentions. At least with my brothers, their absorption was completely brotherly or closer, Kai seems distracted. It¡¯s not brotherly nor is it affection, it¡¯s analysis.


    His hands start moving, he picks up a chunk of a pliant gray goo, slowly forming it into a small figure. I force myself to break eye contact, in case I treat him in the same way he¡¯s been treating me. The girl approaches me, looking at me, curiosity bristling in her eyes. ¡°Hey there, Elmira. I¡¯m Gabriella Einhart. Gabbie for short. Basically, my power makes any weapon I wield more powerful, but I stick to a rapier. I project the weapon forward in a force can pierce metal. The big guy behind me is Walter Marnie. He can-¡±


    ¡°Let me say it. I¡¯ve got a better understanding of my own power,¡± Walter says. He sits down on the side of the table and he looks me in the eye. I almost break eye contact, but he breaks it first, grimacing as if he can¡¯t manage sustained eye contact with me. ¡°Anyway. I change carbon molecules. I can change any type of carbon if I¡¯m touching it. I can make something as weak as graphite or as strong as diamonds. This includes my skin.¡± I try to imagine that, changing your skin to diamond, what¡¯s that like? ¡°What about you?¡±


    I pull my knees up to my chest, quailing at all the attention I¡¯ve drawn. I shiver and I let my eyes wander for a moment. ¡°Uh,¡± I murmur. I feel my eyes scan the room as if trying to avoid this whole conversation, but I take a deep breath. ¡°Warlock. I¡¯m a channeler-warlock.¡± I spout the lies Gates gave me. I don¡¯t like lying, it makes me feel like I¡¯m hiding from my past, which is exactly what I¡¯m doing, but that doesn¡¯t mean I want to be hiding. I¡¯m just scared, scared of the world out there, that I¡¯ll be lumped in with the invasion too.


    ¡°Like Gates?¡± Gabbie questions. I snap my head up to look at her and then I nod. What¡¯s with Gates? Dennis knew her, she also knows the director, which I imagine has a similar amount of power to one of the Arcanists. Why is she so famous. ¡°So we finally got a magic user. I¡¯m happy, they¡¯re so rare and I was worried we¡¯d be one of those Vigor sinks. Just a failure team.¡±


    ¡°A-¡± I tilt my head to the side, giving her a questioning gaze. ¡°Failure? What?¡±


    ¡°Have you been living under a rock? Failure teams, Vigors with no magic users. They don¡¯t have much of a showing. They¡¯re strong in specific situations but when it comes to general situations, magic users are superior,¡± Gabbie responds. ¡°Like, there¡¯re tons of Vigors in comparison to magic users.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    She shrugs. ¡°I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s a talent for magic, it¡¯s a precise science and abilities¡­ Well, they aren¡¯t, it¡¯s not earned like magic, but why don¡¯t you know? Shouldn¡¯t you know this? I mean the information is easily available.¡± I shrug and pull my legs onto the chair, pulling my knees against my chest. ¡°Right. If you need anything, just say. Oh, and your room is the third door-¡± she points at one of the doors, the third door along the line. ¡°I doubt Kai would¡¯ve told you anyway.¡±


    Gabbie and Walter exchange glances then stalk away, leaving me alone, thankfully without asking any further questions. They enter the kitchen opening the silver box and pulling out food. I watch them, curious as to how it works. Does it dispense food, or is it storage? It must be storage. They take their food and sit at the island, eating their food in relative silence, the only time they speak is to talk about school, what they did and what they learned. None of what they talk about is easy to recognize, I understand the words, but the names mystify me.


    I feel unwelcome like I don¡¯t belong and the inability to follow their conversation doesn¡¯t make it easy to feel welcome. It doesn¡¯t get easier with a knock at the door. Gabbie raises her head from her food and she approaches the door. I raise the blanket over my head, to hide my horns and she opens the door. Gates strolls in without waiting to be greeted or without being welcomed in, she¡¯s followed in by Hercules, his arms draped in a plethora of different bags. From cardboard to plastic. ¡°Holy shit, Gates?¡± Gabbie gushes. ¡°I¡¯m a m-¡±


    ¡°Room,¡± Gates commands. ¡°Where is it?¡± She¡¯s looking at me and I raise a finger toward my room. ¡°Follow.¡± I stand up, letting the blanket fall to the floor and shuffle along grudgingly. She leads me to the room and she opens the door.


    The room is massive, just like everything else. There¡¯s a queen size bed with white covers and large pillows, a massive black window. There¡¯s a mirror and a set of wooden drawers and a bookcase. There¡¯s also a steel desk with a strange machine on it. Something that it seems Kai would work on. There¡¯s also two doors, one with a corrugated door which I assume to be a wardrobe.


    Gates walks up next to the window and taps the wall, the window becomes transparent allowing me sight of the massive neighboring buildings and the sun. It¡¯s like magic, maybe it is magic. Gates walks over to the corrugated door and opens it pointing at Hercules.


    He sighs. ¡°I wish you would stop treating me like your mule. I thought when you contacted me it was an emergency.¡± He steps into the room then returns the bags missing. ¡°I¡¯m done. You can hang ¡®em up yourself. Seriously. Get someone else to help next time, or better yet, summon those demons.¡±


    ¡°It was an emergency. And no demons. Can¡¯t, not with her.¡± Hercules shakes his head and leaves the room, leaving me alone with Gates. I smirk, not happy to be alone with her. She walks into the wardrobe then sticks her head out, looking at me. I follow and step inside, being greeted with shelves and hangers lining bars. She digs through the bags on the floor, withdrawing a few clothes. When she decides on one, she hangs it easily on one of the hangers or folds it, putting it on one of the shelves.


    She finally finds what she wants to find. A short black skirt with a loose white belt and brass decorations. She pairs it with a white blouse and a blue jacket, which she passes to me with underwear.


    I take them and she points at me. ¡°Put them on and then wait for me.¡± I return into the room dropping the clothes on the bed and then slowly pull off the leather clothing I¡¯m wearing. It peels away and I drop it on the ground before moving on to my pants and then removing my underwear. I sigh, grabbing the clothes. She¡¯s so arrogant, so difficult to talk to, I don¡¯t like Gates at all, no matter how much she¡¯s been helping me she makes it seem like it¡¯s a burden to be helped.


    I pull on the clothes, quickly, as if I¡¯m being rushed, it¡¯s something that I¡¯ve done since I was young, in the Demon Plane. I leave the blouse one button from the top and then pull the jacket on, zipping it up tight. It doesn''t seem to hide my features as well as the stuff my brothers had me dressed in. It''s not as if I have to hide who I am in this world- well the exception being my horns. I stand up and look in the mirror, I look good, but at the same time, I look lost¡­ Trapped.


    Gates exits with shoes and socks in her grasp. She drops them on the ground in front of me. ¡°Put them on now. We¡¯re going to check whether you can use magic. You damn well hope you can or you¡¯re going to be in a lot of trouble.¡±


    I grab the socks, pulling them onto my feet. ¡°Why do you have to be so crude? Why are you treating me like the dirt? What have I done to you? Why are you being just as difficult as my brothers?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m helping you,¡± she growls. ¡°I¡¯m doing what I can give you a life here. You should be respectful, be happy that I¡¯m going out of my way to help you.¡±


    ¡°And I am glad,¡± I hiss. ¡°But you¡¯re exploiting me! You¡¯re a warlock, I know your kind. You¡¯re more interested in demons than you are humans and I¡¯m filling that void. You¡¯re giving me as much as you¡¯re gaining, so back off!¡±


    She seems stunned but she transitions with a jerk of her head, symbolizing a nod. ¡°Fine, but you should know I¡¯m treating you how I would everyone else. Don¡¯t expect any better.¡±


    I slump my shoulders, drained. I just don¡¯t want to deal with her, I can¡¯t deal with her. Janus was right, she¡¯s an incredibly difficult person. What is with this place drawing difficult people? The director, Gates and Kai. That¡¯s just under half. I need to endure, maybe I can get used to it, maybe they¡¯ll warm up to me. I slip on the shoes before standing up straight and looking at Gates.


    Gates leads the way out and I follow slowly. Gabbie and Walter are still sitting at the island, confused, they haven¡¯t had the pleasure of dealing with Gates before. Apparently people aren¡¯t what you might think they are like. Kai is looking up from his work, but he¡¯s mostly looking at me, that¡¯s a guy who has seen Gates before and knows what she¡¯s like. She leads me to the range and points at the target. ¡°Let me explain. A warlock isn¡¯t like a normal magician. Their magic only works if they¡¯re confident. There is no waving of the fingers or chanting. You command demon magic to do your bidding. Remember the Demon Lords and the areas they govern and then command them to assist you. If you see a demon, command them to do what you want them to do. That is a warlock. Confidence is key.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying we could be a warlock,¡± Gabbie laughs.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    ¡°Only warlocks can be warlocks,¡± Gates growls, not happy about the distraction. ¡°They need to be tied to the Demon Plane.¡± She raises a hand, pointing at one of the human shaped targets. ¡°Sathanus, burn my enemies!¡± She yells. A circle burns to life, a small runic circle in the air. A plume of flame explodes outward, roaring loudly and the target is reduced to ashes. It¡¯s like Sathanus¡¯ demon masters, the rank underneath him. Powerful, but nowhere near as capable as Sathanus himself or even the Arcanists. ¡°You now,¡± she whispers. Clearly she doesn''t know what chanting is.


    ¡°I- uh,¡± I stutter.


    ¡°Confidence!¡± She shrieks. ¡°Without confidence how the hell are you supposed to be a warlock without confidence?¡±


    I clench my fists, leering at her. She grimaces and I turn to face the targets. I raise my hand, grinding my teeth. ¡°S- Sathanus, incinerate my target!¡± I know that she said there¡¯s no chanting, so this should be fine. Silence, it fizzled, it didn¡¯t even work.


    ¡°Again. No confidence. If you can¡¯t be confident, fake it. Don¡¯t stutter and act like you are telling him what to do. Tell him just like you told me just a few moments ago. Channel your confidence at me, but at someone else.¡±


    So she means hate. She wants me to be bitter. Fine, I¡¯ll be bitter. ¡°Brother, burn them all!¡± I yell. A runic band floats about halfway down my arm and my back tingles. The air burns away before flames explode outward with an incredible force. All the targets get blown apart and it leaves scorch marks on the wall.


    I turn to Gates and she smirks. Gabbie and Walter look completely shocked. ¡°Holy crap,¡± Walter whispers. ¡°That¡¯s a little¡­ Whoa.¡±


    ¡°Brother?¡± Gates whispers.


    I shrug. ¡°It worked, and it¡¯s not like it¡¯s really so bad. It¡¯s a replacement. Do you want me to do it, or not?¡±


    She shrugs. ¡°That¡¯s fine. Look, you wanna control demons too, same thing, they get one scent of doubt in your words. Any hesitation and they¡¯ll rip your throat out.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a difference between you and me,¡± I whisper so only she can hear. ¡°They will listen no matter what. I¡¯m a Lord, you¡¯re a pretender.¡±


    ¡°Same way as the invaders did?¡±


    ¡°It was different then. They were given commands. When they are here of their own accord, they¡¯re mine to control.¡±


    She clicks her tongue. ¡°Fine. If that¡¯s how it works for you, then I don¡¯t care about it.¡± She starts walking away. Essentially meaning whatever plans she had for teaching me, that was it. There¡¯s no longer any teaching left. All I have is to perform stupid warlock magic is that I need to be confident. She walks to the door, looking as irked as usual, but she stops for a moment, turning back as if expecting someone to say something.


    It does come, except it¡¯s in the form of Gabbie. ¡°Um- Gates. Is it okay if we fill your Junior slot? Like now we have a full team and we need a team to shadow. Can we-?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s fine. You go tell the Director I said yes.¡± She steps outside and Gabbie pumps her fist as if she¡¯s won a rare victory. The door slams shut and I walk back to the chair. Sitting back down, alone. It isn¡¯t long before Gabbie joins me with a bowl in the crook of her arm filled with thin wavy food. She places it between us and she grabs a box, then presses a button.


    The mirror flickers and colors stretch across it. I stare at it, shock growing on my face. A man stands in the mirror, with a rectangle in his hand. The gun that Dennis had. ¡°Holy shit. I love this movie,¡± she gushes. She looks at me. ¡°What¡¯s that- Wait, long shot here, but you don¡¯t know about Vigors and magic users. You¡¯re not from here are you?¡±


    Nail on the head. It¡¯s not going to be easy to pass off as someone who lived here. Then again, I¡¯m betting Gates came up with the whole lie because she knew I wouldn¡¯t pass off easily. I shake my head. ¡°I was born here¡­ But I lived in the Demon Plane.¡± Honestly, that¡¯s still right, even if it seemed like it was a lie. I technically was born here then in my infancy I was transferred to the Demon realm by one of the Arcanists. ¡°I found my powers at a young age and then I was stuck in the Demon Plane. I only escaped recently.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit. I gotta hear this,¡± Walter mutters, approaching. He drops down on a chair opposite us and Gabbie takes a handful of the wavy stuff, crunching down on them. She offers some to me, and I take one chewing on it with a little bit of caution. I bite into it with a loud audible crunch. It¡¯s incredibly salty and it tastes fatty, but also like it¡¯s been roasted in the oven. It¡¯s almost like it¡¯s trying to imitate a potato but failing at it.


    ¡°Yeah. What are the demons like? What¡¯s the hierarchy? I¡¯ve heard some stuff, but it¡¯s not like it¡¯s part of our education. Plus, not many know about them except warlocks and there aren¡¯t that many,¡± Gabbie rattles off. She talks at a million miles a second, I can barely keep up. She¡¯s quite an exhausting character. I was the one who wanted to ask questions, like why the glass box has people in it and what a movie and what the storage box is. Instead, I¡¯m the one forced to answer questions.


    ¡°Well. It starts with the Demon King, Satan. Then it is the Demon lords, Lucifer, Sathanus, Asmodeus, Belphegor, Leviathan, Mammon, and Beelzebub. Then it¡¯s the Arcanists, there are a bunch of them, but they''re rare. They¡¯re the special envoys of the Demon Lords and they have two demon powers. One from their birth rights, the other of the lord they serve. Then there are Demon Masters, who are born under Demon Lords. And then there''re regular demons. In other words, the rest.¡±


    ¡°And what about English? How are you talking English?¡±


    I exhale, placing a hand on my face. ¡°It¡¯s a long and complicated story and I don¡¯t want to talk about it for the second time today. The Demon Plane had English first. Your plane just took it, butchered it and called it Latin. It took way too long for you to make English the way it¡¯s meant to be.¡±


    ¡°One of the most complicated languages on the planet?¡± Walter asks.


    ¡°It a language made by Demons. Obviously, it¡¯s complicated. Anyway, I want an answer. What¡¯s a Junior team? Why were you so desperate to be the Juniors to Gates?¡±


    ¡°Well-¡± Gabbie begins. ¡°Juniors are what we¡¯re called. Until we turn eighteen that is. Then we become a proper team. Anyway, Juniors do the stuff that full-fledged heroes don¡¯t do. Crowd control and minor inconveniences. Mostly stuff that other teams don¡¯t have time to do. Gates is famous and her team has an awesome record. Being the Junior to her team is a fantastic opportunity, plus we might end up in the thick of it, which means that we¡¯ll be better prepared in similar situations.¡±


    I look at her as if she¡¯s just spouted the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever heard. What¡¯s the point? What¡¯s the point of dedicating yourself to be a hero? It¡¯s much like living your life to risk your life. In fact, that¡¯s just the case. ¡°Why a hero?¡± I ask without thinking.


    ¡°Because there are villains. Because there are people out there who fight against everyone else. Maybe I could¡¯ve done something else, but I don¡¯t think I could. I want to be out there to save everyone else and a police officer won¡¯t cut it. Besides someone¡¯s gotta do it, an¡¯ I wanna be the one who does it. Is there something wrong with that?¡±


    I shake my head. It¡¯s still an issue here. I¡¯m stuck in this team. For more than a few reasons. Surveillance, protection, and utilization. I¡¯m going to be forced to help them to help myself. I don¡¯t expect that I¡¯ll die, but then again, I don¡¯t like the idea that I¡¯m doing something that I don¡¯t want to be doing¡­ Then again, what else would I do? Stumble around the Mortal Plane with no ambition in mind? Hoping that a better opportunity will come? At least they¡¯ve got a plan, it¡¯s far more than I have.


    ¡°You hungry? It¡¯s almost dinner and I wanna get an early night,¡± Walter says. He walks his way to the kitchen, pulling open the silver box. ¡°Whatchu want?¡±


    ¡°Just fry up some burgers for all of us. If they aren¡¯t hungry we¡¯ll just have it for breakfast tomorrow,¡± Gabbie says.


    ¡°Cool.¡± Walter pulls out a pallet of some sorts and a wide array of vegetables before placing it aside and pulling open drawers and cupboard. He withdraws plates and a pan before getting to work on cooking dinner. It isn¡¯t long before I can smell the aroma of meat sizzling. I don¡¯t know how he¡¯s cooking it without a flame in the middle of the kitchen, but then again, I don¡¯t know how half the things here work.


    Gabbie is watching her movie and I¡¯m content just sitting in silence, keeping an eye on Gabbie and another on Walter. I don¡¯t really want to get into another conversation with them. I feel like I¡¯ll just be questioned again.


    Luckily I don¡¯t. I suppose I want to be alone while being in the company of others. Safety without over surveillance. Odd desires, but acceptable desires. I¡¯m just not ready to be accepted among humans yet, I feel like they should be as weary of me as I am of them. Walter doesn¡¯t take long and then he approaches us, balancing a few plates in his hands and then dropping them on the coffee table in front of us. He collapses into the chair next to me and he raises his head. ¡°Kai, your food¡¯s in the kitchen! Get it while it¡¯s hot, or as you usually do, as cold as the steel that you use to build your robots!¡±


    I take my own plate, drawing it across my lap and then look at it. It¡¯s quite depressing, a chunk of meat on a roll of sorts with seeds and a small array of sad looking vegetables. I grab it in my hands, mimicking both Gabbie and Walter and push it into my mouth, slicing through it with my razor sharp teeth. It¡¯s fatty, oily and it doesn¡¯t have the taste of fresh meat, more like it¡¯s been stored for days at a time. It has more a larger array of flavors than anything in the Demon Plane, but it¡¯s not worth the sacrifice of the sad meat.


    I eat half the meal then drop it onto the plate and take the plate in my hand. ¡°You aren¡¯t hungry?¡± Gabbie asks. I shake my head, even though it¡¯s lying, I don¡¯t want to appear ungrateful. I¡¯m thankful for the meal and I might be spoilt, but it tastes¡­ Synthetic.


    ¡°Thank you, but no, I¡¯m not hungry, I¡¯m tired. It¡¯s been a long day and I just want to get some sleep,¡± I whisper. I carry the plate to the kitchen and drop the remainder of the meal into a trash can before placing it in a bowl with a few other plates. I immediately retreat to my room, my stomach gurgling in conflict with the newly digested food. I feel the horrible taste lingering in my mouth and I croak as I shut the door. I pull my hand over my mouth then rush through the far door, into the bathroom and lean over the bowl of a large chamber pot like object with water within.


    The meal comes out into the bowl and my stomach burns in pain. I pull back, groaning and wiping the back of my hand against my lips. No, I can¡¯t eat that, no, something in that disagreed with me. I¡¯m fine with bad food, I can stomach it, perhaps barely, but there¡¯s something in there that was really wrong.


    I grab the top of the chamber pot, clutching the edge of a box to lift myself up. My finger sinks in, pressing a button and the water spins violently for a few moments and the reddish-brown mixture fades to clear water. I stare at it in shock, it¡¯s magic, just like everything else. This world is so strange. I look around the bathroom, finally getting a look.


    The bathroom has white tiles with a large mirror against the wall, over a large vanity with black marble and a basin laid into the marble. There¡¯s a huge bath against the other wall, with a stick with holes in it hangs over the bath.


    I lean over the basin and grip one of the handles, toying with it a bit to see whether it too is magic. All of a sudden water erupts from one side and I jam my head under it, trying to wash the taste from the meal from my mouth. I drink greedily, trying to have some sort of water replacing what I lost then I hit the lever, returning it to its former position.


    I step back into my room heading toward my bed, then I hesitate. I stumble over to the side, where Gates went and I find a switch. I toggle it and the glass fades from clear to translucent to completely opaque. I leave it on opaque then collapse into the bed, shutting my eyes. Sleep comes just like it did earlier, with ease and suddenness.

 Arc 1: Lucifer, Part Four

    Shortness of breath, an inhuman pressure bearing down upon me like I¡¯ve been pushed down to the deepest darkest abyss. It¡¯s like I¡¯m drowning like no-one will find me. It¡¯s like there¡¯s no-one to help me and all I can see is the harsh darkness before it transitions into a solid red. I can hear scraping, the sound of a knife being sharpened against stone. I can hear clanging, the sounds of chains crashing against the wall. I can hear screaming, the echoes of a man being tortured. Worst of all, I can hear laughter, the laughter of my Father. ¡°Elmira, my daughter. You think that those filthy humans will accept you as I accepted you? Spawn of two humans, spawn of a demon joint with a human? You are clearly very much mistaken.¡±


    I shiver, my body growing slick with sweat. ¡°Go away,¡± I whisper.


    I feel a hand on the back of my hair and I quake, a huge chill going down my spine. I pull away, but I find that pressure pulling me into the ground. ¡°Ah, but it¡¯s not like it was unexpected. In fact, it¡¯s better this way. You¡¯ll develop faster over there. Then¡­ When you¡¯re ready, I¡¯ll send your brothers to retrieve you. Just wait, Elmira, soon we¡¯ll be together again.¡± I feel a kiss get laid on the back of my neck and I pull away.


    I shoot up from my bed, the movement finally breaking me from my nightmare, I scream and wrench myself free of the covers before collapsing to the floor. My back is in agony and I lash around pain erupting within my skull. There¡¯s a loud banging noise and for a moment I think it¡¯s coming from within my head, but instead it¡¯s at the door. I pull my knees up close to my chest and grab my head. ¡°Go away,¡± I whisper, tears falling from my eyes. ¡°Go away, go away, go away, go away, go away!¡± I repeat over and over again.


    There¡¯s a loud bang and I can hear footsteps and I edge back. ¡°Elmira,¡± someone whispers. I shoot up, moving backward, I can see their figure and my back flares again with pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say my name!¡± I yell. My hands explode with light and a corner of my septagram lights up. My horns grow larger and wings explode out of my back. My hands grow warped and my legs crack and grow longer. Invoking the septagram, the ultimate form of protection I have. I raise my hand, revealing the face of my attacker, then I take a few more steps back until I can feel the cold glass against my leathery wings. It¡¯s Janus, he seems quite pale and he stares at me with eyes filled with pity and sadness. I collapse down to my knees and the power fades, returning me to my more human-like form and I dissolve into sobs.


    I feel hands on my shoulders and he wraps me in a hug, a tender grasp that Lucifer always gave me after a long day of torture. It takes a while for me to calm but I do, he only then releases me from his grasp, I see tears in his eyes and he wipes them away. ¡°I probably look quite pitiful right now,¡± he croaks. ¡°I could feel your pain and terror from the other room. That kind of¡­ Inborn pain is quite terrible. How?¡±


    I tilt my head forward, sighing, almost as if deflating myself. ¡°My Father is Satan. The literal incarnation of the worst evil,¡± I explain. My voice is dead as if I am nothing but a corpse. ¡°There¡¯s no-one who is more afraid of their Father than I. There is nothing that scares me more than him. A single nightmare is like his pressure is following me and I just-¡± I stop, feeling a solitary tear crawl down my face. ¡°I can¡¯t live with the constant fear of him being there to torture me.¡±


    He places a hand on my head, giving me a tiny grin, a forced smile. ¡°I guess there''re no Daddy issues that can compare with that.¡± It might be a joke in an attempt to make me feel better, but all it seems is factual. It doesn¡¯t make me feel any better, it¡¯s a joke for the sake of a joke and it feels unnecessary. It is perhaps a little comforting to have him with me. I slowly rise to my feet, leaning against the bed. I place the back of my hand against my back as Janus walks around to the window, making it so it¡¯s translucent before returning to me. He places a hand on my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re okay, right?¡± I nod. ¡°I just want to take you somewhere today. Just get you outside. Are you alright to go out?¡±


    I nod again, exhaling through my mouth. ¡°Yeah, I think I can manage. I¡¯m just a little scared, that¡¯s all.¡±


    He nods, giving me a careful look before walking toward the door. ¡°Before we go, you should get showered and changed. You work the shower with the small lever. Turn it right for warm water, left for cold.¡± After these words he leaves, shutting the door behind him.


    I make my way into the bathroom, removing my clothes and strewing them across the floor as I walk. My shirt comes off, torn by my wings after I did my full transformation. Something tells me Gates will be furious. I step into the bath and grab hold of the handle and I¡¯m blasted in the face by cold water. Instead of coming out at the mouth of the small tap at the bottom, it¡¯s coming out of the strange steel pipe with holes in it. I shiver, immediately pushing aside the handle as instructed. The water heats up and I turn the pipe back to me.


    I guess I¡¯ll just use this to clean. It should work the same as a bath, just won¡¯t get as much surface area. I place my hand in a dish where there¡¯s a cake of soap waiting for me. I wrap my hand around the cake before bringing it to my skin. It smells incredible, much like the flowers from the Demon Planes I actually have smelt, though I can¡¯t help but note the strength of the cake. It¡¯s not as liquidy as the soap they use in the Demon Planes, but it spreads across my skin just as easily.


    I run the soap across my body, enjoying the warm water and just relaxing. I¡¯m in no rush and while I know Janus is waiting, I¡¯d prefer to have the freedom to delay that. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m trying to forget the nightmares and trying to rid my back of the steady ache since I awakened. The ache has proceeded down my spine to the small of my back, but it feels like my septagram has been burnt into my back once more. It still hurts, just not as much as the small of my back.


    I move my hands around my back, to rub the small of my back to find a small nub growing out of my spine. I rub it a few times, it hurts, yet it¡¯s pliant, it¡¯s also leathery and strong. I tug on it hard, checking to see if it will come free easily, but it remains firmly attached. I arch my back, turning my head to catch a glance at it out of the corner of my eye. I¡¯m growing a tail, just in case the horns were hard enough to hide, a tail will be harder still. It¡¯s only about an inch right now, but for it to grow so much during the night might be bad for the future. The tail is bronze or polished copper, a mix between the two, perhaps a little dark. That¡¯s how it¡¯s gonna be, I guess.


    I return the bar of soap to the dish and move my head beneath the stream of water, letting my hair get wet. I let my hair soak for a while, the long black strands sticking to my back from the weight of the water. I wrap my hand around a long tube, a bottle of shampoo that bears similarities to the type of shampoos my brother used. I pour it into the palm of my hands before applying it to the ends of my hair, working my way up to the roots and working into my scalp.


    The final steps is to slowly work the shampoo into my horns. Making sure it¡¯s clean enough so I don¡¯t suddenly get dirt obstructing my eyes. I dip my head, annoyance clouding my mind. Not only have I started growing a tail, but my horns have grown about an eighth of an inch. Small, but it¡¯s obvious enough after I¡¯ve touched them so much. In one day in the Moral Plane I¡¯ve grown more than I¡¯ve grown in the Demon Planes for two years. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if my septagram has gotten further in development or whether I¡¯ve gotten a little taller. I lower my head beneath the stream before pushing the lever in and stopping the stream.


    I step out of the shower, wrapping my hand around a towel then bringing it to my face. I wipe away the moisture in my eyes then start wiping down my body. My stomach gurgles in the absences of food and lean forward, clutching it. I need some good food, I need something that isn¡¯t that burger thing from yesterday.


    I lean over the sink by the vanity and pull handle. Water blasts out and I stick my head beneath the stream, greedily drinking, hoping that it will do as a replacement for the lack of nutrition I have in my body. I know it won¡¯t, but it¡¯s something. I lean back, comb my hair out of my eyes before stepping out of the bathroom into the bedroom. I place the towel over my head, and I walk across the floor over to the wardrobe. I pull the door open and walk inside.


    I peer around and exhale. There¡¯s definitely such a thing as over-abundance and most of these things I¡¯ve never worn or even seen before. I¡¯m used to wearing form hiding clothing, like robes or jackets that are many sizes too large for me. All these clothes seem far too excessive for my liking. What¡¯s more is that they¡¯re so small. It¡¯s almost as if Gates wants me to be cold. Granted, that can¡¯t be said about all the clothes, but a lot of them. Style over comfort is clearly the theme with the clothes of this place.


    I sort through the clothes, pulling some shirts and jackets off hangers and off shelves before returning them to where they were. It takes me a while to settle on a t-shirt and a black jacket with a hood and some blue, rough pants. I¡¯ll have to make do with this, it¡¯s at least kind of similar to the stuff I used to wear. I pull on my clothes and then I place the towel on my shoulders and then splay my hair across the towel for my hair to dry.


    I look around the room, exactly what do I do to pass the time now? What does anyone do to pass the time here? To be fair, what do I do to pass the time in the Demon Plane? Walking around the castle maybe. But here it just seems like there¡¯s nothing. A massive building that goes upward forever. It feels like I could just be lost in a building like this. It would be quite an embarrassing way to get lost. Like getting lost in a hedge maze. I don¡¯t think following a wall will work here.


    I return to the bathroom and rifle through the drawers, there are some bars of soap, odd little cartridges, and plenty of boxes of who know¡¯s what, but I find a brush which will have to be a suitable way to take up my time. I sit on the edge of the bath, running the brush through my hair for a while and I hear a knock at the door.


    I approach the door and pull it open. Janus looks a little confused, perhaps he¡¯s a bit impatient. ¡°You okay? You¡¯re taking a bit longer than I thought.¡±


    Yes, impatient is exactly that. Ever since I got here it seems like the only break I¡¯ve gotten was when I had to rest, and it¡¯s all been in an Alien environment. ¡°It takes a while for hair to dry,¡± I mumble. ¡°What else did you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Use the hair dryer?¡± He pushes past me into the room and he approaches the mirror, opening a cupboard beneath it. He withdraws a black tube with a handle with a long cord attached. He raises it, letting the cord dangle uselessly in the air. He pulls the cord out then pushes it into something on the wall, then he presses a button and it makes a loud blasting noise, almost like a burst of heavy wind. I approach him and he turns it to me. I stumble back as he blasts me with a jet of warm air. ¡°This hair dryer. You¡¯ll dry your hair faster instead of standing around until it dries. It¡¯ll probably take forever to dry, it¡¯s not like you can sit out in the sun for it to air dry.¡±


    ¡°I- what?¡± I stammer. ¡°What¡¯s a hairdryer? What¡¯s that thing in the wall?¡±


    ¡°I- feel like this is going to be a lot more work than I originally thought it would be. Not that I¡¯m planning on giving up, but damn, do you have no knowledge about this Plane?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any knowledge of the Demon Plane?¡±


    ¡°Touche. I guess we¡¯re going to take the caveman approach.¡± I give him a confused look. He turns off the hairdryer and places it on the table in front of the mirror. ¡°In other words, I explain literally everything.¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t think it might be a good idea in the first place? I have so many questions and I don¡¯t even know where to start. I¡¯m beyond confused, I¡¯m in a world I don¡¯t know and I just want someone to tell me what¡¯s normal and what¡¯s not.¡±


    ¡°I think it might be better if we just leave now. You can let your hair dry in the car.¡±


    I pull the towel off then drape it over the chair next to the strange box. ¡°Car?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Oh- What methods of transport do you have in the Demon Plane?¡±


    ¡°Horse and carriage.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s like that, but without the horse and just a carriage that can move by itself.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    He nods. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll show you.¡± He exits the room and I follow him out into the main lobby. Kaiden is sitting in the chair next to the robot things he¡¯s making. ¡°Are you coming with Kai, or are you going to dedicate more of your life to those stupid robots?¡± Janus yells. Kaiden raises his hand from his work, his fist is enclosed with only the middle finger raised. ¡°Yeah, I thought so. Come on, Elmira. Let me show you the incredible thing that is the car.¡±


    ¡°Now it sounds like you¡¯re trying to exaggerate what a car is.¡±


    He snorts. ¡°I probably am, but that¡¯s to me. It¡¯s still a carriage that can move without a horse to you, which is still pretty incredible. But considering there''re millions, maybe billions of them around the world, it¡¯s definitely not as impressive as it sounds.¡± He pushes the front door open and I follow him. He shuts the door behind him then we walk side by side to the elevator thing at the end of the corridor. He clicks a button and he turns to me. ¡°This thing is an elevator. It uses a winch system¡­ I think and it pulls a large box up and down stopping at each floor. It¡¯s a useful alternative to stairs.¡±


    ¡°What happens if the rope breaks?¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll plunge down a couple stories-¡± I stare at him with my mouth agape. ¡°But that barely ever happens. The rope is made of reinforced steel so it¡¯s completely safe. You have more chance of being hit by a car.¡±


    ¡°Wait- is a car that metal cart that was moving across the middle of the street?¡± I query.


    ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re everywhere, you should¡¯ve seen it when you came here.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re saying I have more chance being hit by a car, I don¡¯t like my chances in the elevator- I¡¯ve been hit by the car-thing when I came here. It hurt my legs.¡±


    He seems amused, but at the same time completely astonished. ¡°You mean to say you came here then immediately got hit by a car?¡± The elevator dings and the doors slide open. He steps inside and I follow, immediately grabbing onto one of the steel bars as if the floor will fall out from under me suddenly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether I should be more impressed that you seem unhurt or more terrified that you ended up walking in front of one in the first place.¡±


    ¡°A healthy mixture of both?¡± I suggest.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m having a rather unhealthy mixture of both and I think my heart¡¯s going to clog up because of it. Please be a little careful of things you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Oh, give me a moment to just stand still in the middle of my room for twenty hours until someone gives me an in-depth explanation of the bed.¡± I don¡¯t think I could be more sarcastic with my statement, but he seems to grin at my response.


    The doors to the elevator slide open and we step out into a large cave like area. There are white pillars and brick walls lining the outside of the cave. There¡¯s gray stone beneath my feet that transitions to black gravel. Janus points at the black gravel. ¡°That¡¯s asphalt, if you see it, look both ways, cars tend to travel over it.¡± He steps out onto the asphalt and I follow him, looking around erratically. ¡°Not now. This is an underground parking garage. It¡¯s a place we store cars.¡±


    ¡°So they¡¯re like objects and not beasts?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. They¡¯re just objects, they don¡¯t eat anything¡­ Well, they guzzle fuel but that¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°Fuel?¡±


    ¡°A poor joke which would work if you had the context of nearly two decades of living as a human,¡± he sighs. ¡°Come on.¡± He leads me along the asphalt, passed white lined bays. Some bays are inhabited by cars of different shapes, colors, and sizes, while other remain empty, a green light hanging overhead clearly to signify that it¡¯s empty. He pulls me into a stairwell that leads down one floor, and into another huge, parking garage. He then stops at a vehicle directly next to the stairwell. It looks very similar to a carriage. It¡¯s bulky, but it¡¯s not made of wood, instead it¡¯s made of metal and it¡¯s painted black. It has massive wheels wrapped in rubber and darkened windows. ¡°And this- is my van.¡±


    ¡°Van. I thought you said it was a car?¡±


    ¡°A van is a type of car. There are a bunch of different cars.¡± The car¡¯s lights flicker and he pulls open a door. ¡°And now it¡¯s time for you to get in.¡± I lean into the door, peering inside. It seems like a tiny room, with seats and smooth surfaces with a canvas roof. It¡¯s beyond difficult to understand exactly what everything is. I step in carefully, as if something will happen should I do anything wrong. Janus slams the door behind me and I immediately push myself against the door, surprise and horror immediately hitting me like a ton of bricks. I scratch at the window, before moving my hand down to try and find the handle. The door opens on the other side and I turn to see Janus slipping into the car. He gives me a strange look and I forcibly calm myself. ¡°I was just closing the door. You don¡¯t need to be so scared. You can¡¯t have the door open while the car is traveling at extreme speeds.¡±


    I exhale and collapse back into the chair. He leans over, grabbing a rope and dragging it across me. I wrap my hand around it stopping him from drawing it completely over me and tying me up. ¡°What-?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a seatbelt. Same as when you can¡¯t have the door open when traveling at extreme speeds, you also need to be affixed to the seat, otherwise if we suddenly stop you might fly out the window.¡± I release the rope, dreading the thought. ¡°Thank you.¡± He pulls the seat belt down and then locks it into place in a small fixture by the edge of the chair. Then he moves to his own chair. He straps himself in then places his hand on the strange wheel in front of him before jamming keys into a slot beneath the wheel. He drums his fingers for on the wheel for a moment, then he turns around to look behind him.


    I feel the car roll back and my heart jumps into my throat. We¡¯re moving, we¡¯re actually moving and there¡¯s nothing drawing it. Janus spins the wheel and the back of the car flicks out and I stare at him. He¡¯s definitely controlling it, but with the wheel? I look out the front window and watch the stalls pass at increasing speeds and then I feel the car go up an incline. Then it slows to a stop in front of a set of steel poles, preventing further advancement.


    Janus leans across to me, and I lean back in my chair, tucking my knees up to my chest. He pulls open the small cupboard next to me and he withdraws a small red stick about the size two thumbs in width. He raises it, pointing at the poles and there¡¯s a small blink of red light and the barriers start lowering toward the ground. He throws it back into the box, then pushes it closed. ¡°You¡¯re way too uptight right now. Just calm down. It would be very difficult for you to break something and even if you did, it¡¯s probably just superficial.¡± I lower my legs and give him a questioning gaze. ¡°If something is wrong, I¡¯ll warn you.¡±


    The car moves forward over the set of poles and then he rolls up another steep incline before driving out of a massive door which rolls down behind him, almost like magic. ¡°How is everything doing that? How did the poles work, how did the door work?¡± We cross out onto the asphalt onto the main road that seems to stretch on for miles with white and yellow lines marked across the road. There are massive buildings, just like the building we just exited and there are gray sidewalks with people walking across them. I pull up my hood and pull it down so it¡¯s covering my horns.


    ¡°Eh- There¡¯s a limit to what I know about it. It¡¯s electricity and it kinda makes things work. I don¡¯t really know much about it, but you know in the same way you might pull a box and it will move?¡± I nod a few times. ¡°Well, electricity acts kind of like the power to move the load. It¡¯s pretty much the food to the body of a city. Then there¡¯s a bunch of other objects that utilize it. Like the garage door behind you, or the TV.¡±


    ¡°TV?¡±


    ¡°Television. There¡¯s one in the living room in your apartment. It¡¯s next to the sofas and when it¡¯s on it would be like watching something unfold in front of you. It¡¯s like a rapid scrolling of photographs-.¡±


    ¡°Photographs?¡±


    He exhales. ¡°Fast developing paintings. You know what the TV is now, right?¡±


    ¡°Mm- Gabbie was using it. What is it used for?¡±


    ¡°Entertainment. Electricity is used mostly to power entertainment and for convenience. It¡¯s used pretty much to take short cuts. It¡¯s not entirely necessary, but we¡¯re all reliant on it.¡± Reliant on it, does that mean they need it to live or that it¡¯s just incredibly useful and that people would find it hard to live without?


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    The car turns off to the side and we cross onto another road, taken up by a massive array of other cars, just like Janus had said. It seems no two cars are the same, with different colors, shapes, and sizes. I look out of the side window as they pass by, a lot of the cars are heading the direction we came, seemingly shooting by faster than we¡¯re going.


    I turn to face Janus¡¯ side and I can see that there are cars driving our way, but at the same time, there are static cars. Cars stopped at the side of the road, similarly to how the cars were stopped in the mysterious underground cave. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Janus asks, out of the blue.


    I shrug. I¡¯m not sure what to think, this is absolutely insane. Sure I¡¯ve been on a carriage driven by a horse. But this is like a box traveling many times the speed. What am I supposed to think? I think I would be happier knowing that if I opened up the box, I would find a small chanting man that makes the car move. But something tells me that won¡¯t happen.


    Janus chuckles to himself. He seems to find my confusion immensely amusing, I do not. I think before the day¡¯s end I¡¯m going to be slamming my head against the wall. I think the only way things could be any worse if I somehow got forced to learn another language. I¡¯m just glad English and Demonic are the same. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not having trouble with names. TVs, garages, cars, vans¡­ Electricity? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to remember it all. All I know is cave, moving box, large moving box and the thing that makes boxes move.


    The car slows to a stop and I look up. He¡¯s stopped at a large four-way intersection. Much like two roads come into contact with each other. Over the road are a set of multicolored lights, flaring red. I look at Janus. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Traffic signal.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is!¡± I say, exasperated. ¡°I don¡¯t know what any of this is?¡±


    ¡°Multicolored light.¡± I roll my eyes. I can see that with my own two eyes. ¡°It helps us discern whether it¡¯s our turn to go so there aren¡¯t any traffic accidents- traffic is a large movement of vehicles.¡± He takes the chance to further explain a simple word. It seems that it¡¯s just the same as foot-traffic anyway. ¡°Red light means stop, yellow light means slow and green light means go-go-go.¡±


    ¡°This all seems-¡±


    ¡°Confusing. I can feel the confusion from you.¡±


    I purse my lips. ¡°And that seems a little invasive. Can¡¯t you not do that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better than me being able to read your mind. And I can¡¯t stop it. It just happens. You¡¯re not the only one who doesn¡¯t like it. Just be glad I can¡¯t read your mind.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m elated,¡± I respond, my voice coated liberally in sarcasm.


    The lights turn green and the car starts moving again. ¡°I¡¯ll just ignore that. We¡¯re almost there anyway, so you don¡¯t have to be confused for too long.¡±


    ¡°Confusion is not just limited to the car.¡±


    We continue in silence for a few minutes, mostly because I¡¯m sick of asking questions just to have it answered by something that yields more questions. It seems like I¡¯ll never run out of questions to ask and just that thought makes me feel like I can¡¯t win. Janus pulls the car off to the right side and he slows it to a stop before withdrawing the set of keys and slipping it into a pocket.


    He leans across and undoes the rope on my side before undoing his own and yanking on a small handle on the door, which causes it to open. I pull on the same thing on my side, expecting everything to suddenly go wrong, but to my surprise, the door opens too. I step out of the door and slam it shut then look around.


    Compared to the large buildings of earlier, it seems to have gotten a little more sparse. There are large buildings, but they seem to be mostly on the side of the street that Janus¡¯ car is resting. The other side of the street has a large steel and gray stone fence which seems to go on forever, beyond the fence is a massive courtyard of brick and grass with a set of massive buildings of gray stone and bricks. It reminds me of an Arcanist¡¯s manor.


    I round the car, to join Janus. Lining this side of the street are a group of stores. Simply built stores with a theme that matches the manor across the road. They have tall roofs with gray stone lined near the ground, before flowing into large panes of glass, allowing passerbyes to see inside, then it finishes with brick that concludes at the roof.


    Janus approaches one of the stores, a building with glass tables and painted black chairs out front with a few people drinking out of mugs. I pull my hood down lower over my head. I¡¯m still aware of my difference in appearance, and there are Demons in the Demon Plane who make fun of others for their small horns and such. Same maybe with the humans here, who might make fun of me for having horns in the first place.


    He steps inside and I follow him, looking at the ground as we walk. There are some more people in here, talking amongst themselves. I don¡¯t think any of them look toward us, but I can¡¯t tell, I¡¯m too preoccupied with my feet and the black and white checkered floor. Janus stops and I raise my head a little, to be confronted by glass cases filled with food and a line of shelving behind a grinning man with black hair and an apron.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡± The madly grinning man asks.


    ¡°Some coffee, black and some hot chocolate and-¡± He turns to me. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± I give him a small nod, but I don¡¯t say anything, feeling my face redden. ¡°And a blueberry muffin.¡± The man nods and Janus pulls out a small leather purse and he pulls out a card. He uses it to run it through some weird box and then he presses somethings then he turns to me. ¡°Find a table outside and wait for me. I¡¯ll join you in a few moments.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I murmur. I proceed outside, where I find a free table close to the door before taking a seat. I peer at the large manor, I¡¯m curious, I wonder if there¡¯s anyone in the grounds, whether it has a security force and who¡¯s living in it. Janus groans and he drops down into a chair opposite me before pushing a paper cup and a paper bag over to me on my side of the table. He sips out of his own cup. ¡°What¡¯s that place?¡± I ask, raising my finger to point at the manor.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Service Academy. It¡¯s mainly to train prospective police or military, but we send some Junior Vigors and magic users there too. It¡¯s mostly so they can learn martial arts while at the same time developing their knowledge. Obviously, heading to normal schools doesn¡¯t help them work on their combat knowledge. Do you want to go there?¡±


    I snort, wrapping a hand around my own cup. It¡¯s warm, just like the drink I had yesterday. ¡°No. I¡¯ve already got enough to learn. Filling in the gaps and learning extra stuff seems like a bad idea. I think I just want to concentrate on the things I don¡¯t know that are obvious.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± He pulls out a box from his pocket. He raises it a little. ¡°By the way, this is a cell phone. It allows me to contact friends or others from here. So if I wanted to, I could talk to Kai from here.¡±


    ¡°Like talking directly to them?¡±


    ¡°Eh- kinda, I mostly just send messages, which is kind of like an instant letter. Do you have that kind of stuff in the Plane?¡± I nod. ¡°Well, there you go. When I get the chance I¡¯ll get you one and teach you how to use it. Kai can help you learn to use the computer in your room.¡±


    ¡°Computer?¡±


    ¡°Like a TV, also like a phone or a newspaper, which has a bunch of news written on it. If there¡¯s anything you want, a computer can pretty much give it to you. I¡¯ll go into greater detail as I think about it, but I can¡¯t even begin to explain everything that a computer offers.¡±


    He places the cell phone on the table and he uses his thumbs to do something on it. They move fast, and I can see letter beneath his fingers before he presses his thumbs onto it. He¡¯s writing something but I can¡¯t see it properly. It¡¯s really hard to read upside down. I take my own cup, drinking from it. It tastes like the drink I had that Dennis gave me, but sweeter, almost like there¡¯s too much sugar.


    I open the paper bag and pull the thing inside out. A muffin. I¡¯ve had them before, but not quite this consistency, usually it¡¯s grittier and it doesn¡¯t have the blue thing inside. I take a small bite of it, chewing a bit from the side. It tastes overwhelmingly sweet, much like the drink. It¡¯s not like the burger yesterday, at least, which means I pretty much shove it in my face. ¡°Done-¡± Janus says. He looks up. ¡°I know you missed out on breakfast, but isn¡¯t that a bit extreme?¡±


    He¡¯s teasing me. I put the remains of the muffin down on the paper bag. ¡°Dinner too. The burger tasted synthetic, I didn¡¯t like it- no, I threw up.¡±


    Janus turns serious and he leans forward. ¡°Allergic. No, there¡¯s probably something in the burger you couldn¡¯t eat. Maybe spices. Could be anything. Why didn¡¯t you tell anyone about it?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bother them,¡± I murmur. ¡°Besides, I was going to sleep.¡±


    ¡°And if it happens today? They could¡¯ve given you something else to eat. You don¡¯t need to agonize over it by yourself.¡± I look at the muffin, a dour look forming on my face. ¡°They won¡¯t hate you for that. Especially if you explain yourself. All you¡¯d end up doing is hurting yourself.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to cause any trouble, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°And if they were a little annoyed at you because maybe you- I don¡¯t know, tore a hole in the pillow because of your horns?¡±


    ¡°Then- I¡¯d fix it and apologize.¡±


    ¡°What, because of something you couldn¡¯t help. And you¡¯d allow them to bother you? You¡¯re not bothering them, you need their help, just as much as they might need your help some other times. They help you, you help them. It¡¯s not bothersome, it¡¯s a trade.¡±


    ¡°Fine. Then what do I do?¡±


    ¡°Well, I just sent Gabbie and Walter a message. You can talk to them when they finish school. For now, let¡¯s have a little talk. How were you born, Elmira. I mean how are you and other demon¡¯s born?¡± I look around, perhaps a little bit concerned about our surroundings. ¡°They¡¯re not listening and even if they were, it¡¯s none of their business.¡±


    ¡°How do you know?¡± I ask, before taking a long swig of the warm drink.


    ¡°I can read their mind. I can tell.¡±


    I clear my throat. ¡°Well- the demons can slip into the Mortal Plane whenever they want so they can have sex with females here. Then they come back to collect the results of their trip here after 9 months. They aren¡¯t all that powerful, so it¡¯s not like they cause problems. It¡¯s the same for everyone up until the Lords, then things get strange.¡±


    ¡°Strange how?¡±


    ¡°Well- The Demon Lords are strong, they''re pretty much sin incarnate. Their existence here tends to result in people- changing. So if Asmodeus were to come here to have a son, he would cause people around him to have thoughts of desire. Those who already have strong thoughts might be pushed over the edge by Asmodeus¡¯ arrival. That¡¯s why all the Demon Lords are limited to only coming every ten years.¡±


    ¡°Ah. And your Father?¡±


    ¡°Every one thousand years.¡± I purse my lips. ¡°But it really depends. Demons hate humans, my Father and my brothers are included with the exception of Lucifer and Asmodeus. They hate that they need to have children with mortals to continue their line. My Father is no different. But he¡¯s still got a few years before he¡¯s actually allowed to come to the Mortal Plane.¡±


    ¡°Wait, but they could come whenever they wanted, all they have to do is not take part in the rule.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a rule. It¡¯s a limitation. I don¡¯t know how to explain it. Their arrival is strong enough to affect humans, and it takes some time for it to calm. My Father¡¯s effect lasts for several generations. If they broke the limitations, they could cause mortals to go insane- at least I don¡¯t even know what would happen, but that¡¯s the expectation.¡±


    ¡°Wait, then how did your Father have you?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another way, but all the Demon¡¯s think it¡¯s¡­ Dirty. It¡¯s taking over another Human¡¯s body. There¡¯s not a single demon who has done it, mostly because I don¡¯t think they can. But the result is that their aura is drastically reduced and they have no powers. That¡¯s why they hate it. It¡¯s also why I was born and why I¡¯m not a male like the rest.¡±


    ¡°Wait, hold on, this is all really confusing-¡±


    I can¡¯t help but smile. ¡°The shoe¡¯s on the other foot.¡±


    He exhales, but I can see him grinning at that. ¡°Right. It is. So why didn¡¯t he just do this earlier?¡±


    ¡°Because they all hate humans. I mean Asmodeus and Lucifer might¡¯ve, but Asmodeus is content with having relationships with the male demons in the Demon Plane and Lucifer likely knows the potential of having a girl, so he doesn¡¯t want any of his daughters to be subjected to the life of a whore. My Father likely just grew desperate. Unlike Asmodeus, he doesn¡¯t have an interest in both sexes and he still has similar desires.¡±


    ¡°And he wouldn¡¯t do it again?¡±


    ¡°Maybe once he¡¯s given up on trying to catch me.¡±


    ¡°And when do you think that will happen?¡±


    ¡°Sometime in the next millennia,¡± I shrug. ¡°I mean, they have a lot of time on their hand and I doubt my Father would find it in his pride to try the same method again so soon. He¡¯ll just keep trying to recapture me. For now, he¡¯s just trying to find me.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s disconcerting.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who thinks that way.¡±


    ¡°So do you think they¡¯ll find you? Do you think the demons will chase you down?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s entirely possible. They¡¯ll send out scouts and there¡¯ll be some who might be able to find me anyway. Once that happens, if they manage to send one back, they might send some Arcanists or even one of my brothers.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± he groans. ¡°Think you can take on one of your brothers?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right? I don¡¯t even think I can measure up against an Arcanist. Maybe later, but not now.¡±


    It seems my little spout about how little I can do when it comes to considering my brothers was a bit excessive. Janus stares at his cup for a while and I busy myself with my own cup. I¡¯m a little scared myself. I just want to concentrate on working through it. Maybe I will, but it¡¯s the opportunity that Lucifer gave me and I won¡¯t throw it away. If I need to fight, I¡¯ll fight, even if I know I¡¯ll lose.


    There¡¯s a lot of noise and it seems a few cars have been gathering at the front of the academy. A long queue of vehicles crawls down the road at a snail''s pace. I look at Janus. ¡°So why the uniforms? I thought that America didn¡¯t have uniforms.¡±


    ¡°So you do know something about Earth.¡±


    I blush and stare down at the remains of my muffin. ¡°Only as much as Lucifer told me.¡±


    ¡°Right. So they go to a Service Academy and to ready them for any civil service jobs, such as policemen or soldiers, they wear uniforms. It makes the other uniforms a little more comfortable. Of course, not quite necessary in our line of work, but it helps them follow instructions.¡±


    ¡°The teams don¡¯t have uniforms?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I honestly think they look stupid, but there are some who do like the idea. That just depends on the teams, though. If they want to wear uniforms, they can, but it¡¯s not going to help with the job.¡±


    There¡¯s a lot of activity coming from the gates of the Service Academy and I turn to look at it. There''re some teenagers heading out in large groups, they have bags hooked over their shoulders and their talking amongst themselves, though it¡¯s all garbled, mixed in with a lot of other conversations.


    A few cross the street between the cars, while others step into their own cars. Those that cross the street walk along the sidewalk, seemingly looking at storefronts before moving on. Some head inside the stores, presumably to browse or purchase goods. Some enter the shop the cafe we¡¯re currently seated at, and I try to avoid locking eyes with anyone nearby in case of them seeing what I look like.


    I finish off my muffin and Janus stands up, raising his hand over his head. I look to where he¡¯s looking to see Gabbie and Walter approaching with a small group of friends. They say their farewells before splitting up. They jog up our way and they stop at the table. ¡°Hey, Janus,¡± Walter grins.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Gabbie asks. She grabs a chair and pulls it out, then she stops before looking at me. She ducks down to get a good look at me. ¡°Elmira?¡± She asks. ¡°You look different.¡±


    ¡°Now that you mention it,¡± Janus says. ¡°You do look a little different. Well, aside from the clothes- you aren¡¯t exactly wearing robes.¡±


    ¡°Uh- My horns grew,¡± I murmur, feeling my face heat up.


    ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± Walter asks. ¡°Like, do you like your horns or is it-¡± he makes a strange face as if talking about my taboo. Here they might be considered a bad thing, but for Demons, they¡¯re a source of pride.


    ¡°No. They¡¯re fine¡­ I like them, but they might get harder to hide.¡±


    ¡°Hey. Gabs, you owe me, so can you get me a coffee or something?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, fine,¡± she sighs. She heads into the store and Walter steals her seat, before winking at me.


    Janus seems a little distracted and he clears his throat. ¡°Anyway, is there something you want to say, Elmira?¡±


    ¡°Wha-¡± He gives me a long hard look and I tilt my head forward. ¡°I can¡¯t eat the thing we had last night,¡± I whisper. ¡°It didn¡¯t taste nice. It made me sick.¡±


    ¡°Huh? The burger? I mean, we can make something else.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s being vague. She¡¯s trying to preserve your feelings or something,¡± Janus sighs. ¡°She got sick from the burger. She threw up when she walked off or something. Next time, try to avoid giving her anything with spices. Avoid the spices or make something specifically for her. I imagine that won¡¯t be too hard.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. If you had said something yesterday then I would¡¯ve made something else for you, Elmira,¡± Walter shrugs. ¡°I¡¯m just sorry that it worked out so badly for you. Um, I¡¯ll probably do something in the pan tonight.¡±


    ¡°Great, see, it wasn¡¯t that hard, was it, Elmira?¡± He grins, looking at me. His smile falters. Yes, it was that hard. I don¡¯t feel welcome here and I don¡¯t want to make things hard for everyone else and it feels that¡¯s all it¡¯s been. I¡¯m just a problem, a waste of space. ¡°Ah. That¡¯s a pity. You guys should make her feel welcome.¡±


    Walter stares at Janus, a little mystified at the statement and Gabbie returns and places a cup in front of Walter before sitting in her own seat. ¡°And how would we do that, oh, famous mind reader,¡± Walter says with a grimace.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t read her mind. You¡¯re the popular one, aren¡¯t you, Walter?¡±


    ¡°So you can¡¯t read Elmira¡¯s mind but you can read mine? Why?¡±


    Janus shrugs and he clears his throat, before turning to Gabbie. ¡°And how was class? As boring as I remember?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± Gabbie shrugs. ¡°I¡¯m just glad we¡¯re halfway through our last year. And then- then we become a proper team.¡± Gabbie seems too excited. I don¡¯t like that, that motivation for everything to change. I just got here, I don¡¯t want everything to change so soon.


    Janus looks at me. ¡°Are you sure you so ready for that, Gabbie? I mean. Are you sure you¡¯re not just getting ahead of yourself? You¡¯ve barely just made a team and you haven¡¯t even done crowd control. You¡¯re running before you learn to walk.¡±


    ¡°I can do it.¡±


    Janus raises an eyebrow, then he stands up and stretches. ¡°You can do it, but are you sure the rest of your team can do it?¡± Ouch, that hurt for me and I¡¯m not Gabbie. That¡¯s a harsh mental slap, perhaps targeting hidden anxiety. No, he knows what he¡¯s saying, he¡¯s either deliberately provoking her or doing what he believes is right. ¡°Come, we¡¯re heading back to the CPO.¡±


    I stand up while Walter and Gabbie flounder after they just sat down. They grab their cups and they follow Janus and me back to the car. Gabbie catches up to me. ¡°So why doesn¡¯t he mess with you like he does Walt and me?¡± She asks.


    I shrug. ¡°Because he can¡¯t read me.¡± I climb into the seat by Janus and Janus sit behind the wheel, while the other two get in the seats at the back. I grab the rope and push it into the small smooth lock. It clicks and for a moment I feel proud of myself, proud that I got something right, but it¡¯s ruined by Janus¡¯ following comment.


    ¡°You¡¯ll at least know whether you¡¯re ready when you inevitably join us on one of our missions. You¡¯ve applied to be our juniors, right Gabbie?¡± Janus asks. I hear Gabbie¡¯s agreement come from the back. I just hope this inevitable event doesn¡¯t come anytime soon.

 Arc 1: Lucifer, Part Five

    Ah, the sense of foreboding that follows a small hint about something you know is inevitable. It reminds me of my brothers dropping hints about my septagram and how my Father would treat me. Now, my entire Saturday is spent waiting for that moment. Then again, when I have nothing to do, it seems all the more stressful. Walter is still sleeping, Gabbie has a long rapier stabbing at a wooden target yelling with every strike while Kai is at his usual place at the table putting together his little robots.


    I hug a pillow to my chest. I mean, I could just be worried about nothing, maybe it¡¯s a rarity that Janus and Gates go out to do their jobs. Maybe they''re for the worst case scenario. I suppose if anything good can be taken from this is that I didn¡¯t have any nightmares last night and I haven¡¯t had my horns and tail grow any further¡­ At least not obviously. I look around for that strange box that turned on the TV and find it under some cushions. I stare at the numerous amounts of buttons, figuring out which turns on the weird thing.


    Gabbie approaches from where she was training wiping a towel across her face. She¡¯s breathing a little heavily and she stops next to me and holds out her hand. I place the box in her hand. ¡°Uh- it¡¯s a remote it helps make the TV works. You turn it on with-¡± she points at a small incomplete circle with a line. ¡°That button and you change it with-¡± she points at a ¡®+¡¯ and a ¡®-¡¯button. She presses the uncompleted circle and the TV turns on with a flash, then she drops the remote into my hand.


    ¡°Uh- thanks,¡± I mutter.


    ¡°You looked lost and, well, you don¡¯t know how to use the TV or¡­ For that matter anything else do you?¡± I shake my head in response to her question. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re here to help. If you need a hand, don¡¯t hesitate, even if we¡¯re busy.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯d probably help us if we needed help.¡± She seems so sure of that- everyone seems so sure of that, but I¡¯m not so sure of that. I exhale, it¡¯s not like I can fight with her about it. I lean forward and peer at the TV.


    Gabbie sits opposite me, wiping the towel against her neck. A door slams and I turn a little to see Walter approaching, his hand covering a wide yawn. He scratches his neck and blinks hard. ¡°I love Saturdays. And the best thing about Saturdays is that tomorrow is a Sunday.¡± He stretches and then he looks at the TV. ¡°You watchin¡¯ this crap?¡± He asks me. I shrug, looking at the TV. I don¡¯t exactly know what it is, but there¡¯s a bunch of people on what looks like a living room sat around a glass table, talking about something before laughing. ¡°Morning talk shows,¡± Walter grimaces.


    ¡°At least let Elmira choose,¡± Gabbie interjects.


    ¡°Ah- sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to offend you or anything. You can watch if you-¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t know what to watch. I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s what.¡± I hold out the remote and Walter looks a little awkward while slowly taking the remote from my hand. He seems like he doesn¡¯t want to. ¡°Hold on. I¡¯ll show you something that is always good to watch.¡± He presses the button and the things on the TV start flickering fast before stopping. ¡°See this?¡± He says, pointing at a stylized 9 in the bottom right-hand corner. ¡°They play the news quite a bit. At least you¡¯ll keep up to date on what¡¯s going on in the world.¡±


    I peer into the screen and it looks like there''re a few people standing outside a building that looks kind of like the place I appeared on Thursday. A woman with long black hair and a small stick  is standing in front of a large entrance where there are large cars with flashing red and blue lights. There are people fleeing from the building and a tilt my head in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I ask.


    ¡°A shooting at the mall near here. Well, that¡¯s stupid,¡± Gabbie mutters. ¡°They¡¯ll mobilize a team and then get rid of them. Unless they really want to make a message, then they¡¯re even stupider.¡±


    ¡°A shooting?¡±


    ¡°Do you know what a gun is?¡± Walter asks. I nod, the thing Dennis used. I¡¯m glad these little hints have been sticking well, otherwise, I¡¯d be having a far more difficult time. ¡°Well someone or a group of someones decided to discharge them at civilians. Probably a few of them are dead.¡±


    ¡°What, why!?¡± I yell. ¡°Why would anyone do that?¡±


    ¡°Maybe because they wanted to, maybe because they wanted to prove a point. It¡¯s difficult to understand the mindset of murderers, but it anyone can do it, it¡¯s Janus.¡± I doubt that, even though I hear that from them I doubt that. Even if you could read someone¡¯s mind, I doubt it means you can begin to fathom the thoughts that are in their mind. If I were to somehow look into someone¡¯s mind, just like Janus could, would that also grant me the knowledge of this world, such as all the languages and the strange robots and machinations? I doubt it, so it must be the same for Janus. He doesn¡¯t strike me as a man who know¡¯s everything, that was made blatantly clear with his lack of knowledge of electricity.


    ¡°It¡¯s been unbearably quiet for the past 5 minutes in the building,¡± the lady on the TV says. There are loud bangs and more screaming and the women ducks behind a car. ¡°Nevermind, there have been more shots fired from the building, yet there hasn¡¯t been so much as a single response from the people who attacked!¡±


    I pull a pillow closer and Gabbie is clutching her sword incredibly tight until her knuckles turn white. There''re a few hollow knocks at the door. ¡°Kai, would you get that?¡± Walter asks. Kai doesn¡¯t move and Walter sighs, before standing up and shuffling to the door, yawning again. He pulls the door open and I can see the large, dark-skinned form of Hercules. ¡°What-?¡±


    ¡°Suit up and get ready. You¡¯re playing crowd control,¡± He peers inside. He has an incredibly serious look on his face and he moves his head across the room before settling on me. ¡°We¡¯ll be working like you have two supports and two brutes. Elmira and Kai will be in the trailer, Walt and Gab can work with the crowds.¡±


    ¡°Awesome!¡± Gabbie yells. She jumps up and runs to her room and Walter dashes to his own room. I look at Kai who slowly stands up, carefully organizing his things before picking up a small square box. It¡¯s almost like a very thin book. He presses something and there¡¯s a loud buzzing and a bunch of dragonflies and smaller robots fly around before congregating around him. Then he starts walking toward Hercules.


    I feel queasy and I stand up myself, shuffling toward Hercules. I pull my hood up and duck my head, but I move very slowly. I have no ambition to go anywhere near that. Hercules backs off to the side to let Kai pass, but as I pass he places a hand on my shoulder, then he kneels down. He¡¯s pretty tall, but this makes him seem a little too threatening. I back up and his shoulders droop. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t force you to do anything. Neither will Janus. I can¡¯t promise for Gates or Navigator, but we¡¯re here to help.¡±


    I lower my head, not wanting to meet his gaze. ¡°I just want to stay away from all the excitement,¡± I murmur. ¡°Is that too much to ask?¡±


    ¡°Sadly, it might be impossible for you. I find, that when excitement is drawn to you. It¡¯s easier to meet excitement on your own terms. Try to do that and you might find things looking up for you.¡± That¡¯s- actually a really profound thing that I never thought I would hear from a man of that size. His mouth seems to widen into a smile as if he realizes that he¡¯s said something that has swayed my mind.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t like it. But you¡¯re right that it will probably be impossible to avoid excitement.¡± I walk down the corridor to join Kai at the elevator. Hercules joins us and we¡¯re joined by Gabbie and Walter soon after, both in fairly free moving clothing. Gabbie has jeans and a jacket. Jeans are apparently what they call those weird blue rough pants. And Walter has jeans and a t-shirt.


    Hercules presses the button to call the elevator and when the doors open we all step in. Gabbie is shivering, either from the anticipation or the fact her phobia of bugs is really being tested by Kai¡¯s little metal robots that seem to all take the form of bugs. The elevator shoots down to the cave below the building before stopping and allowing us out.


    We step out onto the asphalt and Hercules leads us around a bend before stopping at a large black carriage of sorts. This time, it¡¯s actually a carriage for sure. I know this, it¡¯s drawn by a car. ¡°Okay. Everyone in the trailer.¡±


    ¡°Damn it,¡± I groan. In the end, it¡¯s not a carriage but a trailer. What¡¯s the difference anyway?


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Walter asks, moving up to the black trailer. Hercules grabs a handle and the back of the trailer gets pulled down, before hitting the ground. It¡¯s like a ramp that leads inside.


    ¡°I thought it was a carriage.¡±


    The corners of his mouth turn up in amusement and I climb into the back of the trailer with the others. Inside there are a lot of screens connected to boxes and boards with letters on them. I¡¯m told that those things are computers. At the end of the trailer, there are soft chairs where Janus is sitting by himself. There¡¯s another guy sitting in a chair by the computer things. He has long black hair, a graying goatee, and bloodshot eyes. He raises his head, giving us a gaze of disinterest before returning to his computers. Fun, another guy that¡¯s difficult to get along with. I think I¡¯m collecting them into one unpleasant array of interesting people I know.


    Let¡¯s think about it; one¡¯s using me and wants me to be her apprentice. One¡¯s got more interest in his machines and actively ignores pretty much everyone. There¡¯s my entire family who wants me to become their eternal sex slave and then there¡¯s this guy. I mean, sure I could just be terrible first impressions, but I think I¡¯m developing my own asshole sense.


    I flop into the chair next to Janus and sigh. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s what I thought. You know what Tagert said when he said we were going on the job?¡± He asks.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Walter asks, dropping into a chair opposite us.


    ¡°I believe it was something like If they¡¯re going to try to send a message so will we. Except, a lot louder and a lot more vulgar.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re trying to send a message?¡± Gabbie asks, sitting between Janus and me. Kai takes a seat next to Walter meaning that he¡¯s as far away from Gabbie as he can get, meaning so are the robots.


    ¡°Well, apparently we snapped up one of the guy¡¯s brothers a while back and ¡®cause he was a vigor, he got put in a VEC. A Vigor Entrapment Cell. I can tell you, that¡¯s not a place anyone wants to be and whoever this guy is, he wants to both cause trouble and show that the guys who caught his brother aren¡¯t going to be able to always protect everyone. We¡¯re going up to show him that there are always a bigger fish.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re pretty much using the nuclear alternative,¡± Walter points out.


    ¡°Nuclear?¡± I ask.


    ¡°A really big bomb.¡±


    ¡°Bomb?¡±


    ¡°Something that explodes with enough power to cause massive damage,¡± Janus finishes. ¡°And yes, the nuclear alternative. We take care of them with ease and then everyone feels safe again. Pretty much like always.¡±


    The trailer shudders and all of a sudden I feel us moving. I grip the side of the seat, feeling incredibly uncomfortable. ¡°Do they have a vigor or a magic user?¡±


    ¡°Just a vigor. Nothing we can¡¯t handle. But it¡¯s pretty much only gonna be Herc and Gates with Nav on support. I¡¯ll be useless here. If I try to reason with them I¡¯ll more than probably will just be shot at. Extremists aren¡¯t exactly the easiest people to reason with.¡±


    ¡°Uh. I imagine not,¡± Gabbie says.


    ¡°Anyway. I should probably go into more detail about this whole thing for Elmira¡¯s sake. Basically, Elmira, a team has two different types of people and three different roles. Vigors and Magic users are the types of people and they are further sorted into roles. First, there''re brutes, people like Walter, Gabbie and Hercules. They take on the enemy head on and draw their fire. Then there¡¯s ranged attackers, snipers and people like you or Gates. Then there''re supports. They are further sorted into two sections, combat assistance or non-combat assistance. I¡¯m a non-combat assistance. Nav and Kai are both combat assistance. Basically, Nav¡¯s power is to know the results of things he sees on a map. He can tell what will happen if we go a certain way and where someone might run if they decide to run.¡±


    I hear the black haired guy grunt an acknowledgment, he must be this Nav guy that Janus is talking about. ¡°I think I get it.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, there¡¯s a little more. Some people take up more than one category, though they¡¯re rare. Actually, Gates is a brute/ranged attacker and you¡¯re probably the same. She¡¯s just versatile enough to fall under both categories. It¡¯s mostly why magic users are looked upon so favorably. When they¡¯re around, you know that there¡¯s someone who can fill every role. Any situation is a situation they can work with.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I can do that.¡±


    ¡°I think you just lack confidence and I¡¯ll give you a message from Gates.¡±


    ¡°This can¡¯t be good.¡±


    ¡°Lacking confidence isn¡¯t a good thing for a Warlock. You can take on the world, so act like it and everything else will come naturally.¡± That sounds way too inspiring to be Gates. It¡¯s Janus trying to act like Gates, yet he only provides a more enthusiastic version to what Gates might be thinking about herself. ¡°I¡¯m that bad, am I?¡±


    ¡°Gates didn¡¯t say that, did she?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, no. But she has been talking a lot about you, which is a good thing. She likes you- for all that¡¯s worth.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like her.¡±


    ¡°That much is clear.¡± We transition into a spate of silence. An awkward scenario where we don¡¯t really want to talk because we¡¯re too nervous or we have nothing to talk about. It¡¯s only when the trailer stops and we can hear a lot of noise before Janus finally rises. He approaches Nav and he bends over, pulling open drawers and withdrawing five small items, one of which he pulls onto his ear.


    Gabbie and Walter stand up and approach Janus and he holds out the little things. They hold out their hands and he drops one each into their grasp. They mimic Janus and pull them onto their ears and then Janus walks over to the entrance of the trailer, then he yanks on a rope.


    Light rushes in as the back of the trailer drops open. ¡°Alright. Gabbie and Walter, you¡¯ll stick with me. I¡¯ll be teaching you crowd control. As for Kai and Elmira. You can stick around with Nav. If he needs something he¡¯ll tell you what to do.¡± Janus reaches a hand up next to the opening of the door and pulls a large gun off the wall. He lifts it, checking a few things then he grabs some badges and pins one to his chest before throwing two more at Gabbie and Walter.


    They both pin them to their chests. ¡°What are these for?¡± Walter asks.


    ¡°Identification. It¡¯s like a police badge,¡± Janus explains. He steps out and Gabbie and Walter rush after him to join him and then Kai¡¯s robots rush out of the door after them, flying off into the sky. Nav stands up, taking this small opportunity to close the trailer. He yanks on a rope and the trailer slams shut.


    Kai stands up and he takes a chair, opposite to where Nav has been sitting. He looks at me and I stand up, sitting in a chair next to him. He opens up a draw and pulls out two weird circular things. He pulls one onto his head, then offers me the other. I take it and mimic him, pulling two large circular puffy things over my ears. There¡¯s some soft buzzing and then it pops and I can hear someone breathing.


    Kai takes is screen thing and uses a long rope to tie it to a group of larger screens which start lighting up with different pictures. Some of which seem to look over the large mall other show pictures of a long line of vehicles with a large throng of people on the other side.


    Kai points at a screen to the top right, where something is looking over the mall. There are about seven men with guns in their hands and they are busy pacing impatiently. One of them is yelling, though I can¡¯t hear what he¡¯s saying. The mall is huge, with white tiles and brick plant pots with small green trees growing out of them. There are some benches and there¡¯s a second floor, looking out over the area the men are. It seems like it¡¯s the center square of the building. Behind the men is a massive glass case that has a banner hanging from it and surrounding them are different stores. There¡¯s a long corridor that proceeds from two sides and the men are looking down both.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Gates,¡± Nav mutters. His voice is somewhat lackadaisical, bored and disinterested. As if he doesn¡¯t want to be here but he was sucked in anyway. I can sympathize with him, but for some reason I doubt that¡¯s how he really feels. ¡°The building at the far right. It¡¯s a lingerie store. They¡¯re keeping hostages in the room. There¡¯s one man in there. You¡¯ll likely succeed with no casualties if you make a portal into the room and only send Hercules through.¡±


    There¡¯s a loud crash and I watch a man fly out of a window of one of the stores nearest to the furthest corridor. He slams into a plant pot, stopping there not moving an inch. Either he¡¯s unconscious or dead. There¡¯s yelling coming from the corridor from the opposite side and there¡¯s a strong wind.


    The picture on the screen seems to go lopsided and Kai starts desperately tapping the pad he has. The image rights just in time to see the glass case shatter behind the men. They all yell, running for cover as razor sharp glass rains down from above. They dive to the side, most of them seem to get away, but I think two of them get shredded by the glass.


    Just as soon as they think they¡¯re safe, the windows in the mall shudder and I catch a glimpse of orange, then the entire screen lights up with fire. A massive wave of fire sweeps across the mall and the men raise their guns firing at it. The attacks are useless as there¡¯s no person. A large form dashes out of the main building. It¡¯s Hercules. ¡°Take the left side, Hercules. Two of them will be moving toward you to flee the flames. Gates, you¡¯ll be left with another two. Dispel your flames and then deal with them with some small scales magic. You¡¯ve got the Vigor, Gates.¡±


    Exactly as Nav says, two of the men back away from the flames, vaulting over the plant pots. Hercules runs at them and he kicks the first guy as he lands. He goes airborne and he flies onto the second floor where I see him crash into another shop. The second guy raises his gun as he¡¯s vaulting to shoot at Hercules, but Hercules grabs the gun, pulls it to the side then headbutts the man in the face. He crumples to the ground, bleeding heavily from his nose and mouth.


    The flames disperse immediately after, leaving only smoke and the last two men charge toward the only exit that doesn¡¯t have Hercules. That means they¡¯re going straight for Gates.


    The first guy charges, screaming, his gun clatters to the ground, left forgotten. There¡¯s a crack and one moment he¡¯s running at incredible speeds toward where Gates is, the next he¡¯s flying the other way, his shirt split apart, and his hair singed. He crashes through a stand outside a store where he lands unmoving.


    The last guy turns around then he continues running, fear appearing on his face. There¡¯s another whoosh and I can see his hair being blown back. He leans forward as if he¡¯s fighting against the wind and then he slips and slams against the ground as if the wind suddenly stopped.


    The ground then explodes beneath him, wrapping around him, then he explodes in a puff of smoke. ¡°He¡¯s an evasive brute,¡± Nav says. ¡°He can turn into smoke.¡± The smoke flies toward Gates and then it reforms. The man strikes at Gates and all of a sudden there¡¯s a bright flash. The man yells out then stumbles back.


    It takes a moment for us to see the outcome, but it¡¯s immediately obvious who won and how they won. The man retreated and ended up falling into a small hole. His leg is bent at a bizarre angle and surrounding him is a small scale tornado.


    ¡°We¡¯re missing one of them. They took a side exit,¡± Nav says. I- I remember there were seven, there was an eighth that was thrown out of the lingerie store by Hercules. So countdown, three by Hercules, two by glass, and then another two by Gates. There¡¯s one missing. ¡°I¡¯ve got a bead on him. He¡¯ll be walking by the trailer in a few minutes.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll come and get him,¡± Hercules says. ¡°I¡¯ll just have Gates give me a portal.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be you. He¡¯ll just take more hostages. It has to be someone he doesn¡¯t know. Elmira will catch him.¡± He pulls off the thing on his head, placing it on the table in front of him then he turns to me.


    ¡°Nav! She¡¯s not ready, I promised that she wouldn¡¯t be doing anything! Navigator!¡± Hercules yells. It¡¯s all falling on deaf ears, he can¡¯t hear them.


    I swallow and I shake my head. ¡°Let someone else do it, or let him go away. I don¡¯t want to stop him,¡± I whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be a part of any of this-¡± I know that this whole thing is planned with me in mind, but I still don¡¯t want to help. Maybe I¡¯ll mess up, maybe something will go wrong.


    ¡°Be confident,¡± I hear Gates say. ¡°Just do it and you¡¯ll be proud. I promise.¡±


    I pull off the thing Kai gave to me and I stand up. I glare at Nav. ¡°Why? Why didn¡¯t you just keep one of the others around?¡± I hiss.


    ¡°Because a brute will result in more hostages being taken. It needs to be a ranged attacker. Someone like you and Gates. And considering Gates is preoccupied the only one who can do it is you.¡±


    ¡°What happens if I mess up?¡± I ask, standing up. I¡¯m feeling incredibly nervous and I am touching my horns and pacing. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do. How am I going to protect myself against the gun? How am I going to stop him from doing anything else?


    ¡°You can do it- No. You will do it. There¡¯s nearly no chance of failure.¡±


    ¡°Nearly isn¡¯t definitely!¡± I yell. ¡°Stop taking me out of my comfort zone! I can¡¯t do this!¡± I stomp my foot and I pull on my hair. My heart is beating so fast it hurts and I feel incredibly stressed. ¡°What do you expect me to even do?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t then that man might kill more people. You have no choice.¡±


    There¡¯s a loud clatter and I feel a hand on my shoulder. ¡°You can do it. The day before yesterday you could do it. So you can do it today. If you do I¡¯ll teach you how to use a computer.¡± I feel stunned. I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m more stunned by. The fact that Kai is talking and is trying to console me, or the fact that he¡¯s offering a bigger opportunity to talk to him.


    I look down and exhale. I need someone to help me figure out things and Kai knows more about this computer thing than anyone else, at least going by what Janus has said. I clench my fists. ¡°I¡¯ll try, but I don¡¯t think I can do it. Promise me that even if I don¡¯t manage to do this, you won¡¯t blame me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t blame you,¡± Nav says. He might be saying it sarcastically, but I don¡¯t have time to know whether he¡¯s being sarcastic. There¡¯s a short silence after he says that, and I slowly approach the door. I¡¯m shivering, even though it¡¯s not clear, it¡¯s almost as if the trailer has dropped to sub-zero temperatures. ¡°Take a look at this before you head out.¡± I turn to look at Nav and he points at one of the screens. It¡¯s a black and white painting¡­ or picture of a man. He has dark short hair and he¡¯s wearing dark clothes. It seems like he has a scar under his left eye, but I could be mistaken. ¡°This is the guy. You need to stop him.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t he just have a gun?¡±


    ¡°He will, but it will be a concealed firearm. He¡¯ll probably draw it if he feels threatened.¡±


    A firearm? What¡¯s a firearm, is that just another word for a gun? I pull on my hood, so it can hide my horns, previously I would do it to hide my sad looking horns, the tiny horns that are likely barely over an inch in size. Now I¡¯m hiding them just to make sure I¡¯m mistaken for a Human. I take a deep breath and grab the chain connected to the door and pull it down. It drops to the ground and I step out, raising my hand to protect me from the bright light of the sun.


    My eyes slowly adjust and I look around. There¡¯s a long line of cars against the sidewalk with some shops lining the street. There are a lot of people sticking their heads out of the buildings, while some lean against the side of the entranceways with their arms crossed. There are a large group of people in the street, but there a long strip of yellow tape and there are men in blue uniforms standing shoulder to shoulder, with their arms raises to stop anyone who dares approach.


    It¡¯s sobering, I¡¯ve never been around so many people and they¡¯re not all focused on me, it¡¯s not like when I appeared in the building when I first got here. Today everyone is standing against that which they fear, they¡¯re scared and they¡¯re acting the same way as they did when I arrived. They stick together and the other Humans prevent them from running off and getting themselves harmed.


    It strikes me as odd. Demons have a single sin which is prevalent in their soul and all their other sins are in comparison nearly non-existent, however, they stand alone. They¡¯re expected, that if something goes wrong, they are to fix it, the only ones you can trust are those of immediate family and even then, in most cases, they don¡¯t exist. Here, Humans have multiple sins prevalent in their souls, they are terrible and lose their tempers. They excel at focusing their wrath on others and lack self-control. But here, even though they''re scared, or angry, or proud of who they are. They stand together, something bad has happened and those who are harmed are being treated with care instead of thrown aside like a blunt and broken sword.


    I must be mistaken. How come Humans are the ones who show their love for others whereas demons show their hate far more easily? I thought Humans were the terrible ones, I thought I was supposed to hate them. To be weary of them and so often it just seems like I have been. Gates, Tagert, Navigator, even Kaiden at some points. Clearly they are poor representatives of the Human race. Maybe it would be easier to consider Gabbie or Walter better representatives. At first, I thought perhaps Gabbie¡¯s ambition to protect others was strange, but maybe here it¡¯s not abnormal.


    I exhale and pull on a strand of hair, contemplating for a few moments. It¡¯s all so confusing, I feel like I¡¯ve been lied to for so long. For now, I should approach the world with an open mind lest I make the same errors my brothers have made.


    I scan the area, looking for the black and white man. I figure he¡¯d be an easy man to spot, considering there aren¡¯t many people wearing black and white, then again, perhaps my search is too narrow. Perhaps he''s not wearing the garb that I thought he was wearing. Instead, I should look for that small scar beneath his left eye.


    I look at people who are walking past, trying to get a good look at their faces. Usually, I¡¯m met with a surprised look before they immediately avoid my gaze as if they looked at something exceedingly ugly. I grow embarrassed and I feel my face redden, but I persist.


    A man with a bulky green jacket is approaching and he strikes me as odd. He¡¯s walking at an increased pace with a hand buried in his jacket. He¡¯s stooped and he keeps looking around as if he¡¯s trying to hide from someone. I find myself face to face with him as he passes and I find a scar beneath his left eye and his familiar short haired hairstyle. His face pales and he stumbles back, struggling to extricate his hand. I step forward wrapping a hand around his free arm and he yells out in shock. ¡°Let go!¡± He yells.


    His hand comes free of the jacket and I see a wedge of black glinting in his hand. I wrap my hand around it, then raise it up, mimicking the movement Hercules made when he was facing down a man with a gun. There¡¯s a loud bang and I feel a sudden shudder in my grasp. People are screaming and I release the man¡¯s second hand in surprise.


    He uses his free hand to punch me in the face, and I flinch, feeling a small pain in my nose, I then wrap my hand around his arm once again, pulling his fist away before he attacks me again. ¡°Brother, purge the weapon from his grasp,¡± I command. There¡¯s no hesitance, nor a lack of confidence, just a desperation, the knowledge that I need to do this.


    My left arm lights up with red runes and I can feel my back tingle as if I have a million spiders crawling down it. The man screams as flames creep their way up my arm and around the gun. His hand releases the gun and I release his hand allowing the now scorched gun to fall to the ground. I knee him in the groin as a final action. The man¡¯s face goes pale and his eyes boggle, his knees buckle and he slackens as if he has the sudden need to collapse to the ground.


    I pull on his hand and throw him to the ground in front of the trailer. He groans clutching his now free hands to his groin and he rolls there for a moment. I feel the corners of my mouth turn up. I did it, I actually did it. I mean, they told me I could, but I doubted them, but I did it by myself and no-one got hurt¡­ Well, almost no-one.


    ¡°Elmira,¡± I hear Janus yell. I raise my head to meet the voice to see Janus, Gabbie and Walter approaching, pushing their way through the crowd that has surrounded me. I feel my smile falter and it slowly drops from my face. I didn¡¯t quite expect this sudden attention. It¡¯s almost like the attention my brothers seem to get all the time. Janus approaches me, letting his gun hang from his hip. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I did it, Janus. I thought I couldn¡¯t, but I did.¡± It feels nice to say it to someone, to gloat about it even though it seems like it wasn¡¯t much. But to me, it¡¯s a lot. It¡¯s something I can feel proud of amidst all the things I feel ashamed of.


    He doesn¡¯t smile. I mean, he nods, but there¡¯s a frown pinned to his face, a look that likely mimicks the thoughts of those around him. He comes up close to me and he pulls my hood up to cover my head, the hood I only now realized had fallen in the short scuffle. ¡°That¡¯s fantastic, but for some- you don¡¯t look like you were helping.¡± He places a hand on my head. ¡°You should get in the trailer.¡±


    I nod, swallowing. I turn back to the trailer and walk up the ramp, pulling on on my hood, so it better covers my face. In the end, even though I feel like I did well, there¡¯s just that small failure that clouds the success. Was it really worth it? Not doing it perfectly?


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes


    Hello.


    So considering I''m halfway through my saved up chapters, I figured I would go through the effort to write something beneath chapter 5. As you many of you can see, I''m Misaania and I''ve been doing this writing thing for a while. Of course, it''s clear that I haven''t been writing third person as I feel that first person helps draw people in. To help with the immersion of my story.


    There are some glaring errors in my writing which one of the first reviewers pointed out. That is, I am not entirely sure with my grammar. I am a writer and when it comes to editing, I''ve fallen short (I do try and edit, but I miss the odd few spots). As is the case with many other stories I have written before. As such, I implore you, if you see an error, just to leave a message beneath the story to point it out and to help make the story better for those who succeed you.


    Now. Let''s inform you all about what you are getting into. The False Warlock is not the largest project I''ve written or planned to write, but there are a good bunch of chapters planned. Currently, there are 8 arcs planned, though these could be altered in the future. Each arc has been planned out carefully, though some of the later arcs are not as planned out as say arc 1 and 2 which are immediately relevant.


    I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it.

 Arc 1: Lucifer, Part Six

    I sit alone in the back of the trailer while Janus and the others smooth things over, or that¡¯s what I assume is going on. I haven¡¯t exactly spoken to anyone, nor do I have any ambition to. This is probably the first time I¡¯m happy to be with the reserved Kai and the reticent Navigator. Kai is working with his little bugs in the corner while toying with his little pad while Nav is spinning in his chair with his feet in the air.


    There are a few things that could go wrong right now. I could be mistaken for being a member of the team that was attacking the mall, I could be lumped in with the demons that attacked a few days ago or I could just be forgotten about. I desperately hope that I¡¯m just forgotten about, that they accept Janus¡¯ version of events and that my appearance hides within the depths of their mind behind more important memories, but I seriously doubt that.


    Walter and Gabbie walk in, climbing the ramp then approaching me. Gabbie sits down beside me while Walter takes a seat opposite me on the other chair. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± She asks me. I shake my head, not saying a word. ¡°Come on, it¡¯s fine. Janus will clear everything up.¡± She places a hand on my shoulder and I brush it off.


    I rise to my feet and take a few steps toward the far wall, where I lean against it. ¡°That¡¯s not the point,¡± I say. ¡°I tried to do something for everyone. I tried to help and in the end, it feels like everyone has turned against me. What, so next time I try to help, they¡¯ll turn against me because I have horns? Because I have golden eyes?¡±


    ¡°You helped, and they can appreciate it at a later time. You don¡¯t need an immediate reward. It can come in the future,¡± Gabbie responds. She¡¯s being quiet, and careful as if I¡¯m going to be set off by the smallest thing, and I am.


    ¡°I¡¯m not like you!¡± I yell. She shifts back, her eyes widening.


    She swallows. ¡°I didn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°You did. You meant that I was supposed to be a hero for the feeling of saving people. Because saving people is a reward in itself. So my reward is saving people who hate me? My reward is being treated like filth because of what I look like? Why should I help them then?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re the better person,¡± Walter says.


    ¡°You¡¯re goddamned right I am!¡± I yell. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I should be taken advantage of! There¡¯s a limit to how good a person can be. But I¡¯ve got a question, why are you defending them? Is it because you look the same?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not racist!¡± Gabbie counters almost too fast. ¡°We¡¯ve never thought of you any different. Sure you have horns and whatever, but we¡¯re trying to console you. That eventually they will thank you for what you did.¡±


    ¡°If anything, we¡¯re thankful,¡± Walter mutters.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change a damn thing. It doesn¡¯t change what their thinking. For a few moments, I felt good, I felt that everything was going to work out and that I wouldn¡¯t be treated like the demons that came here a few days ago. Instead, I¡¯m looked at with suspicion. Essentially, you¡¯re telling me to protect the same people who would more than willingly point a gun at me because they think of me as a threat.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Gabbie gasps.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s what happens!¡± I roar. ¡°That¡¯s exactly what happens! Where you¡¯re afraid you fight back and everyone is scared of me. I got here and a Human attacked me after he hit me with his car! So you¡¯re saying they won¡¯t? No. You just don¡¯t understand and you¡¯re projecting yourself onto me.¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯ll come around.¡±


    ¡°Clearly not fast enough-¡± Janus comes in, interrupting my tirade. He combs his hair back with his fingertips, looking between me, Gabbie and Walter.


    He raises his hands in a calming motion. ¡°It¡¯s alright, I think we¡¯re good to go. They¡¯re confused, but the police seem to have dispersed the crowd and they¡¯ll set the media straight later. Just calm down and we¡¯ll head home.¡± I clench my fists, and I start walking toward the front of the trailer. ¡°Where are you going, Elmira?¡± He asks. He seems short of breath as if desperately trying to convince me to stick around.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m going outside. Just- you know what, our interests don¡¯t coincide. I have no interest in protecting Humans so you can find another person to join your team.¡± I pull my hood up and step out onto the ramp and onto the main street. Janus runs out after me and I turn to face him, Gabbie and Walter are standing at the threshold to the trailer. ¡°Don¡¯t-¡± it¡¯s all I need to say. He knows that I don¡¯t want him to follow me and he nods.


    I take a look around at the surroundings. There are a few people around, but there¡¯s not much to look at anymore and those they do stay for anything but returning to their usual business are shooed off by the men in blue uniforms. For a moment I hesitate, knowing that it won¡¯t be easy to find my way back and even if I could, there¡¯s no guarantee that they will be here, but I¡¯m far too angry to stick around.


    I start walking at a fast pace, heading down the long street, not even bothering to look back. Maybe I won¡¯t find my way back, but I¡¯m not sure I care. Sure they helped me, but I find that if I¡¯m being told to save people I don¡¯t care about, then the cost is too high. They can manage without me, just like they did before. I¡¯ll manage my own way. Maybe I¡¯m being too optimistic, but even should I fail, I¡¯ll somehow manage.


    Since the start of all this, I¡¯ve had two chances to explore, and it feels like it¡¯s all been regulated. The first time I was fleeing and my chance to explore the city was greatly inhibited. As for the second time, Janus took me to a store and then we immediately went back to the CPO. So this is the first chance I¡¯ve actually gotten to explore at my own leisure. Granted, I¡¯m in a terrible mood and my wrath is boiling my stomach, but aside from that, I¡¯m struck by just how large the city is.


    There are large towers everywhere and this seems to take the place of the abundant amounts of green in the Demon Plane. It has a different sort of beauty, almost a sacrifice for the abundance of people instead of the sparse amounts in the Demon Plane. It¡¯s a sacrifice that some might be regretting, but the people here seem to be fairly happy with what¡¯s around them. Of course, I could be mistaken, they are all rushing somewhere as if there is no such thing as relaxing and taking in the view. Granted, I too am rushing, but then again, I¡¯m trying to rid my head of my anger. Trying to distract myself from the contrasting thoughts I have of Humans.


    How can I, at one moment, envy the solidarity of the Human race, yet at another condemn their distrust for everyone that seems different to them. Demon¡¯s hate Humans, yes, but they don¡¯t dislike other Demons who don¡¯t share the same features as them, nor do they like them, but it¡¯s those impartial thoughts of others that Humans likely need to learn from.


    Humans and Demons both have their flaws and strengths, it¡¯s just that I feel unwelcome in both places. Is this just the life I¡¯m condemned to? Just because I¡¯m an abnormality I¡¯ll be treated just like that. An abnormality that can¡¯t be accepted in neither the Mortal Plane nor the Demon Plane. That I¡¯ll have to hide my horns and golden eyes just so I can feel even a semblance of acceptance.


    I dislike these thoughts, that I have to have them, that they''re necessary to make stupid decisions. I hate that Lucifer wanted to protect me from my Father and my other brothers and I¡¯m considering that the dislike of the Humans is worse than the inevitable future life of being nothing more than a child-bearer for my immediate family. I just need to take a deep breath and figure things out. I have no plans to go back to the Demon Plane, nor do I have a plan to help those who don¡¯t seem thankful. Going back to the Demon Plane has one certainty, so for now, sticking around in the Mortal Plane is the best decision.


    I close my eyes and exhale loudly. It feels like I¡¯m just going to lose anyway. The buildings seem to have grown more infrequent in this area. To my right, there¡¯s a large paved area with gray stone and a long set of stairs that descend into a bowl, where there¡¯s a large bronze plate with holes set into it. Every few moments water bursts from the holes in the plate, much to the delight of the children running through the streams.


    There are benches atop the bowl, where there are some parents watching over their children. It strikes me as odd, a mimicry of a park, perhaps, but for what it¡¯s worth, the Humans made it beautiful with what they had. A mimicry doesn¡¯t make it the same, but it can make it close and in some cases, better. This is not the case where it¡¯s better, just a case where it is close.


    I find a free bench to sit on and I watch the fountain for a few moments. I expect to savor the feeling of being alone for a little longer, but the thought is cut short by the sound of tapping. I turn around to see a man approaching me with a black cane in his grasp. He has disheveled black hair and mismatched clothing, green pants with a red shirt, what¡¯s more, is that he¡¯s wearing ridiculous dark glasses.


    He stops at the bench he taps me with his cane. I turn back, about to tell him to screw off, but he gets the first word in. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t see you there, do you mind if I sit down?¡± He didn¡¯t see me? I reluctantly move to the side and he slowly moves around the bench before sitting down next to me. ¡°Come here for the sights? Perhaps the sounds?¡±


    ¡°I came here to be alone, actually,¡± I say.


    He grins. ¡°Ah, it seems I¡¯ve ruined your opportunity. I can leave if you want.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s fine. I figured I¡¯d leave it to chance. See if you¡¯d run away.¡±


    ¡°Why would I run away?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t exactly look¡­ Nice.¡±


    ¡°You mean you¡¯re ugly? No-one is that ugly,¡± the man laughs. ¡°No- actually, I¡¯ve met my fair share, but I don¡¯t hear any terrified screaming.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you can judge for yourself how ugly I am. I guess it¡¯s all in the eye of the beholder.¡±


    ¡°Ah, now you see, my eyes aren¡¯t really capable of doing any of this beauty judging stuff. I thought it would be obvious with the cane and sunglasses. Anyway, I¡¯ll take a guess, you think you¡¯re ugly.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ugly. Actually, I think I look pretty good. It¡¯s just that others would probably think I¡¯m ugly. Other¡­ Normal people.¡± I don¡¯t say, Humans, if anything would make the line of questioning turn, it would be saying the man¡¯s race.


    ¡°Then are you black?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an odd question to ask.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I''m blind, so forgive me for the more obvious lines of inquiry. I kind of have to figure out what you look like and what¡¯s got you so hung up about your appearance.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re mistaken. I don¡¯t have a problem with my appearance, nor am I black- as much as I¡¯m confused why that seems to be so important. No, I have sharp teeth, two horns growing out of my forehead and golden eyes. I look like a Demon.¡± More accurately I am a Demon, but we¡¯ll leave that confession for a more important time.


    ¡°Ah,¡± he gasps in realization.


    ¡°You believe me?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you could be lying, but it doesn¡¯t really matter in the context of the conversation, does it? So what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Well- I feel I feel exploited when I help people. As if they hate me instead of the people I know they should hate. Perhaps I¡¯m overlooking it all, but I don¡¯t want to do something and not be thanked for it.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough. Let me give you a suggestion. Help them anyway and one day they¡¯ll be forced to thank you. Nothing feels better than the thanks of someone who feels like they have to lower themselves to thank you.¡±


    ¡°That just sounds bitter.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll just be playing the same game as they will be playing. Sometimes having people regret your assistance is better than the dishonest thanks they might share with you. In the end, it¡¯s entirely your choice of what to do, but dealing with these people will inevitably result in bitter feelings. Is that not the situation you¡¯re in right now?¡±


    I exhale. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Also, you could choose not to help them. You don¡¯t need to go out of your way to help anyone, do what you want to do. No-one should be expected to do what they don¡¯t want to do, but you need to figure out what you want to do and what you don¡¯t want to do.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I guess, I don¡¯t really understand. No, I do, it¡¯s just I don¡¯t know what I want to do.¡±


    ¡°Then go with the flow until you figure it out. If going with the flow has you interacting with those people you don¡¯t like, then think of it as part of the journey.¡±


    He doesn¡¯t strike me as old, nor philosophical, but at the same time, he seems like he¡¯s both. Perhaps I¡¯m overthinking things, but I¡¯m glad to at least have some voice of wisdom, as it seems like I¡¯m lacking anyone who can help me when I really need someone who has a mind like that. Especially now. Maybe I lost my temper in front of the others, but it seemed more like they were just adding more fuel to the fire. I didn¡¯t need their apologies or thanks, it seemed more like an excuse, I just needed to be alone and even if they couldn¡¯t leave me alone, they could have at least sympathized. There has to be at least some emotional connection they can share with me instead of attempting to empathize with my plight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the silence as you¡¯re thinking about it. I honestly thought I was talking out of my ass for a while there. In fact, I¡¯m confident I was. I think you just needed to listen to someone and you needed to speak to someone. I can¡¯t really help you, but I can say that you¡¯ll figure it out all on your own when you go with the flow.¡±


    ¡°You seem confident about that. I¡¯m not exactly sure I¡¯ll be able to brave these rapids.¡±


    ¡°Even rapids take you somewhere,¡± he grins. ¡°It¡¯s just your job to hold on for the ride.¡±


    I look up. It seems to have quietened down a little. They¡¯ve probably gone to eat, though I figured all that would happen at lunch would be that people would come here with their food and cause an even greater buzz. Then again, there could just be a better place than this. I look over my shoulder and I can see Janus waiting, leaning against a wall of a building. I exhale and stand up.


    ¡°Going somewhere?¡± The man asks.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess I¡¯m going to go with the flow.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Then I wish you the best of luck and thanks for the brief company. I don¡¯t usually get to have a conversation with people I don¡¯t know. Nor do I have the opportunity to bequeath some of my limited knowledge.¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. And I was happy listening, even if you think it was limited, it was enough for me.¡± I walk around the bench and I head toward Janus. I¡¯m surprised that the man didn¡¯t ask my name, nor did he give his. I guess it¡¯s better that way, it would lessen the impact between two strangers. On one side, I had strangers who were willing to dislike me, and on the next, I had a stranger willing to like me.


    Janus smiles as I approach and I look away. I know he knows what I¡¯m feeling, but I can¡¯t help but feel embarrassed. I¡¯m glad he¡¯s here, but I feel ashamed of how I treated everyone. Janus turns away, starting to walk his way back to the road. I have to run to actually catch up to him. He smiles a little when I catch up to him. ¡°You seem better. Or at least it seems you¡¯ve had some time to think.¡±


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll stick around, but I have no interest in saving anyone, just having a place to stay. If I¡¯m required to protect people, then so be it, but that¡¯s only until I figure everything out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me and I doubt anyone else will oppose your choice except Gates. But that¡¯s mostly because she¡¯s Gates. You know. I think she likes you.¡± I snort at that. More like she likes having someone to order around. She clearly likes the idea of having an apprentice and more the idea that she has blackmail power over me. The car and trailer are waiting next to the sidewalk and we walk around the back, before walking up the ramp into the trailer.


    Everyone is still around and they look up from their places on their chairs. Walter and Gabbie seem to have lost their voices and I can¡¯t help but feel my face burning red. Yelling at them and storming off is incredibly out of character for me, I¡¯ve just been so stressed since I came here, but I also feel like it would be rude of me to blame my stress. I can blame a lot of contributing factors, but the fact that I yelled at them when all they¡¯ve been doing is trying to help was cruel.


    I sit down opposite both Gabbie and Walter and I work up the effort to try and talk. Janus shuts the back of the trailer then he pulls out his cell phone thingy, before pressing a few buttons and slipping it into his pocket. The trailer starts moving. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I finally managed to say. There¡¯s nothing more I can say, I feel like saying more would lessen the value of the apology, that it would sound like an excuse.


    There¡¯s a short pause as they seem to digest my apology, but it¡¯s Gabbie who talks. ¡°It¡¯s fine-. I mean I don¡¯t really understand, but I think I can at least fathom what place you¡¯re in right now. It doesn¡¯t seem quite so hospitable here, does it?¡±


    I shake my head. The small conversation is very formal and serious and Walter talks next. ¡°As much as the Demon Plane seems difficult, our Plane has kinda made it difficult for everyone to live. Some people feel like they''re forced to hurt others to make it in our world. That¡¯s why it¡¯s hard and that¡¯s why Gabbie and I are here, why we¡¯re working on this team. It¡¯s our place, it¡¯s where we feel we can contribute and at the same time, we can help people.¡±


    I nod. I can¡¯t fault them for wanting to help people, I mean I saw it in those other Humans, the desire to protect isn¡¯t exactly strange for them. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t share that desire, but what exactly do I want? Until now I haven¡¯t thought about it, I¡¯ve just been living day to day. I raise my hand to my face, stifling a yawn. I¡¯m a little tired for some reason, maybe from fighting off the man or perhaps just mentally exhausted.


    We travel in the trailer in silence, and it isn¡¯t long before we¡¯re back at the tower and in the comfort of our own room. I give Janus a passing farewell as he¡¯s leaving and I take a moment to consider what I¡¯ll do next. Walter and Gabbie seem to be lounging on the chairs while Kai returns to his table as he usually does, in spite of his promise to teach me how to use the computer. I mean, I don¡¯t really mind, I wasn¡¯t really in the mood to figure anything out anyway.


    There is one thing I want to know, though. ¡°Um-¡± I murmur. Gabbie raises her head from the chair, yawning widely as she does so. She gives me a cursory look, almost as if prodding me to tell her what¡¯s up. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose there¡¯s a garden or something for me to relax in-. It¡¯s just all this¡­ Stuff-¡± I motion my hands referring to everything around me. ¡°It¡¯s a little too much and I¡¯d like a more- nature filled environment.¡±


    She slowly rises from the chair, scratching her neck. ¡°Uh- the garden?¡± She shrugs for a second. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not really a garden, but it¡¯s the best this place has got. Lemme show you.¡± She starts walking, passing by me, I follow her out of the room and out into the hallway. She seems to be shuffling a bit as if she doesn¡¯t want to go.


    ¡°You can tell me where to go, you don¡¯t have to show me.¡± She approaches the elevator and presses the button at the front to call it, I¡¯m about to ask again, just in case she didn¡¯t hear, but she turns around.


    ¡°Stop that. Stop asking for help then saying that you can do it yourself. If you need help, there¡¯s no need to be reserved. Ask for it, then accept what comes with the answer.¡± I bite the edge of my lip lightly, just light enough not to draw blood, but it¡¯s enough for me to feel my sharp teeth digging into my lower lip. I hear it, but I can¡¯t really work up the knowledge. I¡¯ve been forced to not take everything at first glance. I¡¯ve lived with liars all my life, but I know Gabbie isn¡¯t a liar, or at least she doesn¡¯t strike me as one. The elevator slides open and we step inside, Gabbie taps a button for the ground floor and the doors slide closed. ¡°So how old are you, anyway?¡±


    I consider the question for a moment. ¡°I think I¡¯m twenty or twenty-one, I don¡¯t really remember. It¡¯s hard to keep track of my age.¡±


    ¡°Holy shit, you¡¯re kidding, right? I mean, you don¡¯t look twenty at all. Also, didn¡¯t you say your horns are still growing, how is that not associated with puberty and stuff?¡± I shake my head and shrug. ¡°So you don¡¯t know how that stuff works?¡± Once again I shake my head. I mean, I know I¡¯ll be completely grown when I complete my growth as a Demon Lord, that is when the septagram on my back is complete, but I don¡¯t know when that will happen nor should I feel I should say anything about it.


    The elevator comes to a halt and we step out onto the main floor, out over the slick black flooring of the entrance floor. Gabbie turns around, climbing a set of stairs behind the elevator. I follow her, heading through a set of double doors, built into a large glass wall, Marked on the wall is the word Cafeteria in white writing.


    We enter the cafeteria which seems to be a buzz of activity with a bunch of people at large metal tables with benches on either side, eating from trays of food and conversing with their friends. The floor is just as slick as the black floor from the entrance hall, but it has a checkerboard style. At the left-hand side is a large kitchen area, with large cases displaying food. People line up next to the cases with trays in their grasps, waiting for their turn to pick their food.


    The cafeteria is seemingly open to the elements. The furthest wall from us, opposite to the door that we entered from is wide open with large panels folded against the left and right wall. There are a few tables spilling out into the yard, sitting on large gray stone tiles, with the sun bathing them in golden light.


    Just a little bit further than that is a small clearing, a green field of nothing but grass which transitions to a seemingly immense wooded area. I look at it in awe, approaching, while sweeping my head from side to side. This area, I never expected it to be in a place like this, but looking up I can see towers everywhere, but this single wooded area seems like a hideaway from the chaos. ¡°What is this place?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Uh-¡± Gabbie mutters. ¡°Well, it serves two purposes, being a garden for people to hike through and as training grounds. Somewhere in the middle of this, there¡¯s a small densely packed village with a lot of buildings. We use them for training, but we never exactly had the team to take part in training sessions.¡±


    ¡°And hiking, I feel like people could get lost in there.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± She has a conflicted look on her face as if she¡¯s mulling something over. ¡°Well, if you follow the path, it¡¯s not much of a problem. Even if you don¡¯t you can still easily find clearings. If you get lost, find a clearing and then look for the building, then getting back to the cafeteria is easy.¡± It¡¯s not like the Demon Plane. It¡¯s far more overgrown, or so it seems, but it¡¯s close enough for me to  at least have a place to sit outside and enjoy at least something similar. ¡°They also have a few odd fountains and statues in there. Most of them were built for famous or capable heroes.¡±


    ¡°So heroes who do their job?¡±


    ¡°People who do their job beyond the call of duty. Or at least that¡¯s what Tagert said when the last fountain went up.¡± She cranes her head forward as if trying to look into the forest. ¡°Um- so are you okay now? I don¡¯t need to show you around, do I?¡±


    ¡°Nervous?¡±


    ¡°A little,¡± she admits. ¡°The entire place gives me the creeps, even though I know something can¡¯t go wrong, it reminds me of a scary movie-.¡± She pauses. ¡°A movie is a long show that you watch on the TV.¡±


    ¡°I gathered that it had something to do with the TV when I first arrived.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Also, considering you might need help with every facet of everyday life, tomorrow we¡¯ll start giving you a crash course on everything including the kitchen sink. We¡¯ll try to make it easy to understand and not to overload you.¡±


    ¡°I hope not just tomorrow. I don¡¯t think I can handle that much information.¡±


    ¡°No. Not just tomorrow. I guess it depends on how long it takes for you to absorb the information. Anyway, I¡¯ll see you later.¡± She runs for the building, almost shaking as she runs. Come to think of it, isn¡¯t Gabbie afraid of bugs? Wouldn¡¯t the reason she would not want to go into the forest be because it¡¯s infested with them? That makes the most sense, though it strikes me as odd for her to have a fear like that. She seems very confident in everything, but when it comes to bugs, at least the stuff that Kai likes to make, she moves as far away to them as possible.


    I turn back, for a moment looking at the cafeteria before walking into the forest. The forest has an obvious path, laid out by dotted stones and well-trekked earth. The dirt is freshly upturned by travel and I can see the marks of shoes imprinted into ground. There are a few roots that grow across the path, but their obvious enough so that I don¡¯t trip over them.


    The forest seems to close around me, growing thicker as I walk. When I look through the trees, every once in a while I can catch the glimpse of a clearing with the stone of a statue or fountain striking a contrast to the bark and green leaves. Not only is it clear where there are clearings, but there are plenty of signs as I walk, allowing me to, at all times, know which way is the main building.


    I continue forward for perhaps a few hundred yards and I can see more stone intermingled with the color of the trees, but this stone is cracked and worn, with greenery growing within the cracks and sand liberally coating the walls. This must be the densely packed village that they use as a training ground.


    I approach, curiosity getting the better of me and I find myself walking into an exceptionally large clearing. Indeed, it is a densely packed area, but it looks nothing like the village I expected. There¡¯s a bunch of large buildings with multiple stories and are spread seemingly evenly between flat and peaked roofs. Furthermore, the roads seem cracked and there are walkways beneath the streets, access only allowed beneath large metal grills. Finally, it takes a while for me to notice, but the buildings are both close enough together to pass from one building to the other with a single jump or with a path, locked by a narrow, wooden walkway.


    It actually surprises me how immense this place is. Not that it¡¯s as large as a city, or even a proper village, just that they seem to have a large enough area to put this thing in. It must be a mile square, so there¡¯s a lot in there. In a training course, you might not see another person for ages, simply because of the amount of buildings and secret paths. Evidently, they want people to utilize whatever they can find, even if it¡¯s illogical that they will find it all in a normal scenario. Prepare for every situation, I guess.


    I yawn. I¡¯m still a bit tired, but even my tired mind can¡¯t help but be interested at how this training would work. In fact, even now I¡¯m interested in seeing everything in there, just that I really don¡¯t want to spend hours searching through it, out of fear that I might just collapse in exhaustion.


    It¡¯s time to stop my exploring I think. It might be better to just go back to the building and turn in for the day. Even if it is early, everything today just took so much out of me and denying myself some much-needed rest would feel like purposeful torture. I turn my back on the training area before jogging back the way I came, instead taking a speedy approach at heading back.


    It isn¡¯t long before I¡¯m back in front of the cafeteria and I make my way into the building and into the elevator. The elevator soon arrives at our floor and I exit, then move straight into the room. Kai, as usual, is tinkering with something. It¡¯s something new, with five legs instead of the six or eight he¡¯s used to. He raises his head and I see the corners of his lips turn up in a silent greeting, then he nods, turning back to his work.


    Walter is nowhere to be seen, while Gabbie is in front of the TV, which is blaring loudly. I approach her, expecting to make some small talk, but instead I find her snoring softly, even with the loud TV. I take the remote and press the strange circle-line button and the TV goes silent. I place the remote on the table and look around for a few moments.


    I return to Kai, tapping the desk next to him. He looks up. ¡°Where are the blankets?¡± I whisper. He raises a single thin finger, pointing at a small door near the kitchen. ¡°Thanks.¡± I go to where he pointed and I pull open the door and step inside. There''re two large metal contraptions and a set of shelves holding bed linen and lots of blankets. I take a large gray blanket from one of the shelves and choose to leave everything else alone out of fear of breaking it.


    I shut the door when I¡¯m done, walking to Gabbie and I open the blanket and lay it over her. I suppose, this is my one way of apologizing, of saying thanks. At least they can¡¯t say I don¡¯t try to help. I exhale and rub my eyes. I walk past Kai¡¯s desk when I¡¯m heading to my room. ¡°I¡¯m gonna get some rest. Not sure when I¡¯ll be up, so good night.¡±


    ¡°G- Good night,¡± he mutters. He¡¯s very quiet. It¡¯s different from when he was talking through the machine, but his voice is different too. It¡¯s not as commanding or warped by the constant whirring of parts. It¡¯s somewhat gentle and clear. It¡¯s a nice voice. It''s completely different to all the voices I''ve heard so far and I like the contrast. I nod my head and proceed into my room, shutting the door and collapsing onto my bed without bothering to do anything more. In moments, I¡¯m out like an extinguished flame.


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes


    A few things about this chapter. It''s probably one of the worst flowing chapters I''ve written so far. And saying that, it''s by quite a margin. I find the chapters that seem to define the contrasting emotions of a character very hard to write, even though I know they''re necessary. As I write this, in the next two chapters, you should see a pretty fun chapter come up soonish.


    From now on, the chapters will be released once a day until I exhaust my saved chapters. Mostly so I can keep up with my releases.

 Arc 1: Lucifer, Part Seven

    My nightmares are back, not as badly as they were before, but it¡¯s not me being tortured this time, even though I can feel the pain on my back it¡¯s a whole different set of images, rushing by as if thrown into a hurricane. My brother, Lucifer, chained up by his arms and legs, welts across his face and back. He seems to have been whipped, but even still, the prideful expression is there.


    Seeing him like this, having him shown to me like this, it makes my heart ache, but at the same time, I know he wouldn¡¯t want me to do anything. Even now, Lucifer would never sell me out, I trust him more than anyone. That prideful expression will never change and with it comes his stubborn personality. Even still, it hurts so much to have to ignore him, which is what makes this whole thing a nightmare.


    My Father is trying to get to me in all the way he knows how. He can send me these bad dreams and he¡¯s trying to force me to come back. At first, it was false torture which was an attempt to reach me through fear, now he¡¯s showing me my brother in an effort to convince me to return. As much as I hate the idea, he will have to try harder, I won¡¯t turn away the assistance my brother gave me. So I¡¯ll have to try harder. It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t want to have to endure.


    I raise my head off the pillow, wiping some tears away. I feel the great desire to find someone¡¯s shoulder to cry on, but I push the thought out of my mind. Soldier on, I can¡¯t just keep looking for someone to confess my problems to. Especially considering there is no-one I can confess to except Janus.


    I place my face against my knees, exhaling loudly. I¡¯m slowly regaining my composure, extremely slowly. It feels like someone is sawing into my chest with a sword. Like their trying to remove my heart, but the pain subsides after a period of hugging my knees to my chest.


    I cough, raising my head to the dark room. It¡¯s pitch black, likely the dead of night. I forcibly pull myself from my bed and I feel the blankets get caught against something on my back and they''re dragged to the ground. I untangle the blankets, fearing what has happened. I feel around the room for a button on the wall and all of a sudden the room lights up and I cover my eyes.


    It takes a few moments for my eyes to adjust and I look around. I place my hands on my head and I pull my hood back, there¡¯s a loud rip and I wince. I unzip my jacket and turn it around to see two large holes at the top, which continue to the outer part of my hood. I pat my head, finding that once again my horns have grown during the night which means that that isn¡¯t the only thing that has grown.


    I bring my hand around, wrapping it around that pliant tail, finding that it too has grown and quite exponentially. It¡¯s now around two fists in size while my horns are just past an entire fist in size. I rub my face with my hands. Could this get any worse? Not only am I getting those nightmares, but now it¡¯s probably impossible to hide my horns unless I wear some ridiculous hat or some massive jacket, something Gates would absolutely refuse to acquire for me.


    There¡¯s a long drawn out sigh that sounds almost like something is deflating and I know it¡¯s me. I give up, I can¡¯t win this stuff. Either I stick around here or I become used to people¡¯s attention instead of being used to people¡¯s indifference. I really hope that they¡¯ll at least try to ignore me instead of actively asking questions. I don¡¯t think I can handle that.


    My stomach gurgles, signaling that I haven¡¯t eaten anything since breakfast and that- even though I¡¯m having this whole crisis, I should go out and eat something. I sneak my way over to the door, pulling on the handle and sliding it open before stepping out into the main room. I look around to find a single light still on.


    The light is a small light hanging over Kai¡¯s work. He¡¯s still working, teasing the small five-legged robot with his hands, before pushing it aside and grabbing a pen-like instrument that smells like it¡¯s burning. He raises his head to see me and he returns the pen thing to where it was sitting. He opens his mouth as if he¡¯s going to say something, then he closes it, his brow furrowing. ¡°You- you look different.¡±


    I immediately raise my hands to my horns, self-consciously, but I lower them, looking a little downcast. He gives me an emotionless look, nodding at me before scooting back in his chair. It screeches and he stands up, leaning on his legs with his hands. ¡°When are you going to sleep?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Soon. Food then sleep.¡± He approaches the kitchen then he turns around. ¡°You hungry?¡± I nod, still not saying anything. It¡¯s like we¡¯ve switched roles. He¡¯s talking while I¡¯m silent. I¡¯m nervous because of everything that¡¯s happened in the past few minutes and I¡¯m finding it more difficult because he¡¯s talking more than normal. It¡¯s a striking difference that makes me feel like I¡¯m struggling to talk to him about things.


    He pulls open the silver box, withdrawing a few eggs and then placing them on the countertop. I join him in the kitchen as he¡¯s pulling open a few drawers and taking out some equipment. He turns a knob on the box and one of the circles atop it brightens with small fires. He looks at me and drags a pan over it, then he reopens the metal box and takes out a tub.


    Inside the tub is what looks like butter and he spoons it into the pan. ¡°Bread,¡± he points across from me at a bread box. ¡°In there, make toast.¡±


    ¡°Toast?¡± I query. ¡°How?¡± He points at a small silver box on the bench. I approach it, looking at it. It has two slots in the box and I poke at it, testing it for a moment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± he commands. I nearly jump and I withdraw my hand. ¡°Put the bread into the slots and pull down the handle.¡± The way he''s been talking is a little withdrawn, as if he wants to talk, yet at the same time he''s having a hard time doing so. Perhaps he wants to talk without any errors and by paying particular attention to that, he''s making a lot of errors.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I say in a small voice. I take two slices of bread and drop them into the slots before pulling down the handle on the side of the box. It isn¡¯t long before smoke rises from it. I can smell an aroma of cooking eggs and cooking bread.


    He leans over the pan for a few moments with a spatula and he looks at me out of the corner of his eye. ¡°You¡¯re quiet.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I usually?¡±


    He shakes his head, then tilts it as if saying actually. ¡°Usually, you talk, but you don¡¯t talk for a long time. It¡¯s almost like you¡¯re thinking before you speak. Or just trying to speak in short sentences.¡±


    ¡°And what about you?¡±


    ¡°I just don¡¯t talk.¡±


    ¡°And now?¡±


    ¡°Different. But you¡¯re doing it again. You¡¯re talking short. You¡¯re starting off every sentence with and. I typically don¡¯t like talking to people, but you¡¯re scared of them. Especially of Gabbie, Walter and me. I¡¯m not sure about, Mattie, but you¡¯re not comfortable with anyone.¡±


    ¡°Mat-¡± I stop, Mattie, it¡¯s what Kai called Janus, it must be his real name. I look at the ground. ¡°It¡¯s because of what I look like. Janus is the only one I feel safe with, he¡¯s the only one who actually feels like he cares. Everyone else seems to look at what doesn¡¯t make me look Human.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    I feel my face heat up. ¡°You do-¡± I¡¯m interrupted by a loud pop and I look at the box, the bread has popped up. I turn to face him again, my anger dissipated after being shocked by the box. ¡°You immediately realized my horns. You¡¯re the same as everyone else.¡±


    ¡°No-¡± He sighs and he pulls the pan off the heat and points above me. ¡°Plate. Put toast on plate, butter and then I¡¯ll lay it on the toast.¡± I do as he asks, laying out the plate and then buttering the two slices of toast. He uses the spatula to place the egg on the toast. He pushes it over to me. ¡°I see your horns because to me, it helps dehumanize you. It¡¯s hard for me to talk to people because- people look at me differently. As if I¡¯m condescending. Trying to prove I¡¯m better than them. Because I said to you, what I said to everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want me dehumanized and what makes me different to everyone else?¡±


    He looks like he¡¯s actually considering the question. ¡°Because you remind me of a robot in a way. You have a lot to learn and you seemingly absorb it. Unlike everyone else, it feels like I¡¯m with you since the beginning and your uniqueness helps me disassociate you with someone who isn¡¯t like you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re a person, you¡¯re almost like an android. A person-robot. Like I built you and you¡¯re developing with me. Better than with my other robots or other people. I feel like I can learn with you. With others- their different- they¡¯re already there.¡±


    ¡°That- I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Mattie probably said I¡¯m not good with- talking to people.¡±


    ¡°He said it, but you¡¯ve already shown it.¡± I cut into my toast, raising it on the fork before popping it into my mouth and chewing on it. ¡°You avoid conversation unless-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s you or Kai. Today-¡± He seems to go red and I can hear him sigh. ¡°Today is the longest I¡¯ve spoken to someone in a while. Someone I wanted to talk to instead of it being a forced exchange with Mattie.¡±


    ¡°You wanted to talk to me?¡±


    ¡°Because Mattie isn¡¯t the only one that wants me to change. I¡¯m happy I can talk to robots and everything- it¡¯s just- I¡¯m not happy with it only being that.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re taking this opportunity to improve? Why didn¡¯t you take the opportunity with Gabbie or Walter?¡±


    ¡°Because they don¡¯t have horns and golden eyes. They¡¯re Humans, they¡¯re normal. It doesn¡¯t feel like I share any similarities with them. I feel like an outcast and you act like an outcast. I look at your horns because I feel like when I¡¯m around people, they see me with those on my head instead of yours.¡±


    ¡°But why? Why are you an outcast?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Because of a hundred different reasons. The only person I¡¯ve been close to is my brother. I¡¯ve breezed through school, I¡¯ve never had friends. The only person I could talk to is someone who could read my mind. Does that sound healthy? I¡¯m an outcast because I don¡¯t know how to deal with anyone other than my brother and when someone can read your mind, there¡¯s not exactly much talking involved.¡±


    ¡°I- Right, I see, I sympathize with you. My life wasn¡¯t exactly easy either.¡±


    He finishes off his food, putting it onto a plate then joining me, sitting right by me. ¡°Mm,¡± he groans. He slices a piece of his egg, putting it into his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken, though. I don¡¯t think of you as a- robot. It¡¯s just- it stops me from thinking of you as someone like Mattie.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t Mat- Janus good? He¡¯s treated me well enough.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I love my brother. We¡¯ve been together forever and I never knew my parents. It¡¯s just that him and everyone else are massive differences.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we all?¡±


    The corners of his mouth turn up. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little bit more than others. It¡¯s getting worse, you know. My horns are growing and now I¡¯m growing a tail. I can¡¯t wear hoods and I can shove it down my pants because it feels uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°Ta-¡± His head snaps to the side, to look at my ass and I feel my face brighten. ¡°Holy shit, so there is a tail. That¡¯s amazing.¡± I shake my head. ¡°You don¡¯t think so?¡± He continues, unchanging from the question. ¡°I think it will look fine. It will add to your charm.¡±


    I snort. ¡°What charm? And what do you know about charm? Didn¡¯t you say you barely talk to anyone?¡±


    ¡°I talk to you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s now and I hardly think that¡¯s a good thing.¡± He shrugs at my response and focuses on his plate, ending our long conversation. I¡¯m surprised, I enjoyed it, even if a lot of it was unpleasant. He seemed okay to reveal what he was uncomfortable with which made it easier to share what I am uncomfortable with.


    It isn¡¯t long before our plates are finished and he collects them taking it to the sink. He returns moments later, walking over to his desk. He leans beneath the desk and the lights in the living room turn on while the smaller light flickers out. ¡°Alright. I¡¯m going to bed.¡± He points at the wall near the door. ¡°When you go to sleep, just turn off the lights there. It will be dark, but the way is marked by some smaller lights when they go out and they¡¯ll maintain that state for about five minutes.¡±


    I nod. ¡°Thank you, have a good night.¡±


    He gives me a small smile, then leaves, opening the door to his room before entering. When the door shuts it suddenly goes deathly quiet. I look around as if trying to find someone to talk to or just be around or to find something to do.


    I exhale, standing from the chair and heading into the living room and sitting down on the big chairs. I¡¯m pretty sure they mentioned their names before. Solas¡­ No sofas, I sit on the sofa and take the remote, turning on the TV. I¡¯m greeted by loud voices and I flinch, leaning back in my chair.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    There¡¯s a man standing in a spotlessly clean kitchen with white marble countertops with a massive set of kitchen knives laid out in front of him. He has a brown beard with clean, white teeth revealed by his creepy grin. ¡°You too, can get the Culinary Cutters for the low deal of forty-nine, ninety-nine and if you call in now, you can get the free knife sharpener,¡± he says in an all too cheery voice.


    I cycle the screen, wanting to avoid the strange grinning man and it surprises me how many screens share the similar smiling people talking about products sitting in front of them. I cycle through, getting more and more infuriated by the yelling before coming to a halt on some screen where there¡¯s a man standing in a garden with some sort of gardening equipment. I give up there, only to find that he isn¡¯t selling anything, instead, he seems to be gardening.


    It doesn¡¯t quite take my interest, but it¡¯s something that isn¡¯t screaming and I can¡¯t fall asleep. Not again. I stare at the screen, not quite taking everything in, just watching the old, gray-haired man dig up plants then planting new ones.


    For a few hours, the TV shows different programs, typically following a simple set of instructions. Apparently it¡¯s home improvement. From the garden to the living room to the bedroom. I guess it¡¯s just the hobbies of some people, but it strikes me as a very exhausting hobby, but entertaining to see the end result. I suppose that goes with most hobbies, the end result outweighs the thoughts of the result.


    My eyes feel heavy and I tap my forehead against my knees as if it will help me wake up. If I was in the Demon Plane, maybe it would be a different story, but it¡¯s not the Demon Plane and a tail and larger horns would be detrimental to my image in the future. There¡¯s a click from the other rooms and I hear footsteps, I raise my head from my knees to see Gabbie start to walk over. She doesn¡¯t immediately see me, and when she does we look at each other for a few moments, not exactly know what to say.


    She looks at my forehead, her eyes widening in realization. Her throat seems to constrict as if she¡¯s following and I watch her eyes shift from right to left as if trying to find something to talk about. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± She finally asks.


    ¡°No,¡± I murmur.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you go in early? What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Nightmares.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna say.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± She clears her throat and she makes her way to the kitchen before turning back. ¡°You hungry?¡± I shake my head and she shrugs, opening the metal box. ¡°I said yesterday that we¡¯re going to be giving you a crash course. This is a refrigerator, we call it a fridge, it¡¯s used to store food and keep it cold.¡±


    ¡°And the box that makes hot bread?¡±


    ¡°The toaster? It turns bread into toast.¡± I stand up to join her in the kitchen, knowing I have nothing better to do, perhaps I¡¯ll just have her explain to me what everything is. She seems to get the point and she pulls a bowl out of the cupboard and pulls a box out of a different cupboard. She pours the contents into the bowl, small little biscuits of sorts which are soon followed by some milk from the fridge. She dips a spoon in the bowl, eating the contents of her bowl for a few moments, then she points at the box that Kai used last night. ¡°This is the oven and stove.¡± She pulls the oven/stove open like a cupboard except it opens downward. ¡°This part is used for baking. It gets really warm and the top is used for frying and grilling.¡±


    ¡°So, kind of the same as with a fire,¡± I murmur. A fire might be used for frying and such, but baking, usually it¡¯s a kiln or something like that. She shrugs, so it appears she doesn¡¯t use a fire much. ¡°Is there anything else in the kitchen I should know?¡±


    She takes up a thinking pose, with her spoon clutched between the index and middle fingers. She points up. ¡°Well, those are lights.¡± I look up to find her pointing at the fire cylinder things. ¡°Not much of an original name, but it shouldn¡¯t always be. As for other things, there¡¯s a lot of stuff you probably won¡¯t use. Like a blender,¡± she pulls open a cupboard revealing a conical machine with some buttons on the side. ¡°Oh, and a coffee machine, in case you want coffee,¡± she points at something that looks very much like the blender except silver and glass.


    I blink for a few moments. ¡°Are all of them conical?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Well, they carry more moisture or mixture that way.¡± She then taps something that looks kind of like the oven, yet once again it¡¯s silver without any glass. She pulls it open in a downward fashion like the oven which reveals wire-frame trays with glasses and plates laid out on it. ¡°Dishwasher, it cleans food. And then there¡¯s something incredibly important. The microwave oven!¡± She throws out her hands in an amusing fashion, causing the milk to slosh over the side of her bowl and down on the ground. ¡°Damn it.¡±


    ¡°Microwave oven?¡±


    ¡°Well, my naive friend. It¡¯s the most useful piece of equipment (besides the fridge) in the kitchen. First, it heats up cold food, so you can have it steaming hot and it cooks other foods too and it only takes a minute or two.¡±


    I¡¯m dubious. I mean, the others sound plausible, I have similar such things in my world, stuff that warms food after an hour or so but a minute or two? ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Really. It uses the power of radiation to heat up-¡±


    ¡°Too much,¡± I interject. ¡°Tell me what they''re used for. Describing them too much will be overwhelming¡­ Also, how they¡¯re used.¡±


    ¡°Right- back to the task at hand.¡± She continues chewing on her food and she stops with her spoon halfway to her mouth. ¡°Oh, yeah. This is cereal. Fast food if you have milk, though Walter is a heathen and sometimes it¡¯s it dry.¡±


    ¡°Heathen? Your religion doesn¡¯t allow you to?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a joke, a joke,¡± she sighs. ¡°Anyway. There¡¯s one more, garbage disposal. Before you put your dirty dishes in the dishwasher, sweep the bits into the hole here and press the switch.¡± She presses it and I can hear a loud buzzing. She turns it off. ¡°It¡¯ll get rid of the food and you can just wash the plate and stick it in the dishwasher.¡±


    ¡°Lots of cleaning stuff.¡±


    ¡°Oh, we haven¡¯t gotten started with that. We still need to introduce you to stuff like cleaning liquids and some sponges, but that can come after everything electrical.¡±


    ¡°Lots of electrical stuff..?¡±


    ¡°Tons, like a computer, and cell phone and the TV.¡±


    I cover my face, already feeling the pressure of trying to learn all these things. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to school tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Yep- sadly- but it¡¯s not for long anyway.¡±


    ¡°Then how will you teach me then?¡±


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll start with the names and we¡¯ll teach you how to use them when we have free time.¡±


    ¡°You get a lot of free time?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Only after school and during the weekend. Not as much as you and Kai, that is.¡± She finishes her food and pours some water into the bowel before dumping out the water and placing it in the dishwasher. I watch keenly the way she puts it in so I can commit it to memory, then she waves her hand over to the living room. ¡°Anyway. There are a few things, like the game system beneath the TV which allows us to play video games on the TV.¡±


    ¡°Video games?¡±


    ¡°Um-¡± She spends some time considering the question and she leans down beneath the TV, pulling out a sleek square. ¡°Well, you know how people have fun? Ever read a book?¡±


    I raise an eyebrow. ¡°A few- but they''re a rarity in the Demon Plane. There were mostly stories about the Mortal Plane, though there''re some stories about adventuring. In fact, I kind of feel like I¡¯m part of one like that right now.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s actually kind of like that. Like a book but with greater immersion. Plus, there are some absurd story scenarios that you might never have heard of.¡±


    ¡°Oh, like what?¡±


    ¡°Like magic-¡± I give her a look that manages to scrounge together as much sarcasm as I can muster. ¡°I mean, different magic, more incredible. Some happy, some sad and all the more interesting.¡±


    ¡°I- I¡¯d have to see it to believe it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you at some point.¡± She points at two large boxes by the side of the TV and another box beneath it. ¡°And we play music out of these things. Good sound systems and such.¡±


    ¡°Like what music?¡±


    ¡°Another thing I¡¯ll show you in the future.¡± There¡¯s a loud thud and I look toward the bedrooms. Kai comes out of his room, rubbing his eyes and yawning. ¡°Hey, Kai.¡± He raises a lazy hand walking over to his station. He covers his mouth, concealing another yawn. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go check the mailbox. Back in like 2 minutes.¡±


    Gabbie waltzes out of the room, through the front door and as it slams shut I sigh, partially out of relief and partially out of exhaustion. I approach Kai, stopping next to his desk. He pulls over the hand robot to him, carefully moving some thin wires. ¡°Did you sleep alright? It doesn¡¯t seem like you had a long sleep.¡±


    ¡°I slept fine, but you didn¡¯t,¡± he whispers in response. I look away and I can feel him focusing on my chin. ¡°Hm. So you didn¡¯t, why?¡±


    ¡°Nightmares- also, I think me using magic is causing my horns and tail to grow. I don¡¯t want to overuse my magic.¡±


    ¡°I see- and what happens if you¡¯re required to use your magic?¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°Then I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do. Try to avoid it anyway. It just seems I¡¯ve had a lot of obstacles thrown in my way. I¡¯ll figure it out when I meet it. Maybe I¡¯ll try to do a full transformation, though I¡¯m not sure if that changes anything either.¡±


    ¡°Full transformation?¡±


    ¡°A- It¡¯s a- It¡¯s a channeler warlock thing,¡± I lie. The front door swings open and I turn to see Gabbie approaching with a few pieces of paper in her hands. She places a page in front of Kai and then she stops. I look at her and I see a long grin spread across her face. I figured it would change to terror considering she¡¯s so close to her robots, but she¡¯s looking at something on Kai¡¯s desk. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re creepy and they¡¯re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they¡¯re altogether ooky, the Addams family,¡± she sings in a strange tune. I look at her as if she¡¯s gone insane. ¡°It¡¯s a TV show and movie. It¡¯s Thing, from the Addams Family!¡±


    ¡°The hand?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Duh. What¡¯s it for Kai?¡±


    ¡°Help Elmira with her computer,¡± he mutters in a barely audible voice, ¡°What¡¯s the letter for? For me?¡±


    ¡°For the team. I figured I¡¯d give it to you because you hate the idea of talking in some sort of team meeting.¡± He swallows and he drags the letter over to him, teasing it open with a slim finger. He parts the flap and removes the page inside. I look over his shoulder at it. It has a golden triangular seal with a sunset or sunrise within and an owl clutching it. Beneath the triangle are the letter CPO and there¡¯s a long paragraph of black writing. ¡°With the founding of Junior team, Hindsight. I have seen them fit enough to start training exercises with Junior team Expedition. The training exercise will start exactly three weeks from now on January 31st, 2021 at 14:00 at the Training Zone. Your team will be required to undergo a test, that will be decided upon your arrival at the event. Bring all equipment that you would take to a mission as a full team and make sure you¡¯re well rested and nourished,¡± Gabbie narrates.


    ¡°Who? Is it Director Tagert?¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Kai says. ¡°He¡¯s the only one who signs off on training exercises.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be training,¡± I say in a very low voice. ¡°That means I have to use my magic doesn¡¯t it.¡±


    ¡°Pretty much. Is there a problem?¡± Gabbie inquires.


    ¡°No, no problem," I lie. She seems to see through my lie, but she doesn''t press me for answers. All I know is that this could turn out very badly.


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes


    The next chapter is honestly one of my favorite chapters. Another one was chapter five I believe, the one where Hercules and Gates kick major ass. For now, I''ve been working a lot on character development, as you can probably see with all the work I''ve done with Kai and Janus from chapter 4 and- well you''ll see. I''m hoping to do a little bit more before the arc ends, then the next arc actually has the start planned out in great detail. See you tomorrow!

 Arc 1: Lucifer, Part Eight

    Turns out, things kind of work out well. I mean they don¡¯t work out in the same way I expected, but it turns out that my life has a long term of relaxation after a very busy period. Considering Gabbie and Walter go to school and Kai is always busy, we¡¯re not usually requested to do any more jobs with Janus¡¯ team. As for Janus, he still pays a regular visit to me and Kai so we can talk with him, but he seems to enjoy having short conversations with me. I¡¯m not entirely sure why.


    As for learning everything. Over three weeks I¡¯m taught so much that I feel like my head will explode. Kai finished the robot that Gabbie so lovingly named Thing and I keep it like that because it seems to roughly relate to my understanding of Thing. Basically, what Kai said is that Thing is designed to assist me with learning the computer, I ask it a question and it shows me how to get to a certain point on the computer. It¡¯s a very slow learning process, but I can¡¯t say that the existence of Thing isn¡¯t helpful.


    Then there¡¯s the problem with my nightmares, it seems there is a correlation with using magic, but there¡¯s no way to be completely certain until I use more magic. I¡¯ll have to discover whether that is true later.


    All in all, besides the feeling like my head''s about to explode, everything over the past three weeks has been incredibly productive, even if it doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯ve done much. Though there are a few things I¡¯m surprised at, such as the absence of Gates, considering she¡¯s supposed to help me with the Warlock stuff I figure she¡¯d be around more. Even still, I don¡¯t ask Janus as I don¡¯t like her and I don¡¯t want to use magic where I can. Also, cell phones. Janus got me one, but no-one has taught me how to use it and Thing hasn¡¯t exactly got the ability to teach me how to use it. So I¡¯m stuck on my own and I have absolutely no clue how to use it.


    I still don¡¯t even know how to turn the thing on. Much like the computer screen, it has a smaller screen, though from what I¡¯ve seen from Janus you¡¯re supposed to touch it. 3 weeks and I haven¡¯t figured it out, I mean I could ask but I kinda want to learn by myself with some things. I don¡¯t want to be reliant on everyone for everything.


    There¡¯s a knock at the door while I¡¯m messing around with the phone, I place it face down on the desk in front of the computer and I stand up, approaching the door. I pull it open, rubbing my eyes. Walter''s waiting there, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I ask him. I spot an earpiece running from his ear to the back of his jeans. Something I learned about briefly when considering how the training exercise would go.


    ¡°We¡¯re about to head out. Are you ready?¡± I nod in response, straightening out my shirt and standing. I¡¯m lying, of course, I¡¯m in no way ready, but inevitably I will have to help them or else I won¡¯t be able to keep a roof over my head. This whole hero thing has some expectations of me and the others that need to be fulfilled. As much as I dislike the whole idea. I join him out in the living room, finding the others waiting with Gates leaning against the wall in her a red coat.


    Kai is standing nearby with a coat of his own, with a small surface of different monitors wrapped around his thigh with a long black strap around his neck. He¡¯s wearing jeans, just like Walter and I and he¡¯s got a white t-shirt, with a few metal chains wrapped around his upper arms. They¡¯re sparking with energy and I know them as one of his few weapons.


    As for Gabbie, she¡¯s a little more prepared, she has a rapier sheathed at her hip and she¡¯s wearing close-fitting black leather pants and a sort of thin fabric shirt that reminds me of hemp, but seemingly stronger. She has a serious look on her face, which is the only indication of how nervous she is.


    Gates stands up from her place at the wall and she gives me a harsh glare and she raises a finger, motioning to us to follow her. Kai¡¯s robots follow us, some trailing across the floor, others flying. We leave the room and we bundle into the elevator where Gabbie ends up behind me. ¡°Don¡¯t let any of those¡­ Things touch me,¡± she mutters into my ear.


    I see Kai smile a little. Small enough for it to be discarded as someone¡¯s imagination, but large enough for one to do a double-take. For some reason, I think he¡¯s been making his robots like this to torment Gabbie.


    We stop on the main floor and Gates leads the way out with confident strides, I, on the other hand, am not so confident. I can¡¯t hide my horns or growing tail anymore and I haven''t gone out as much in the past few weeks, instead taking to pacing the apartment. I duck my head, but I know I¡¯m getting looks. I can feel them staring holes into the back of my head.


    Gates seems to meet their glares with glares of her own and they immediately back down. It seems that no-one wants to butt heads with Gates, which I can understand very well. I¡¯m actually annoyed she¡¯s here. We walk through the cafeteria and out into the reserve through the forest. It¡¯s completely silent except for the whirring of robots and the sounds of birds. No-one feels comfortable talking.


    We end up out the front of the Training Zone after not talking a word and we find ourselves face to face with a few new faces as well as one old face. Director Tagert is standing there, looking impatient. He¡¯s wearing a black suit, with a red tie and to his right side is a tall, thin man with wire-frame spectacles and a golden mane of hair.


    To the right of that man are four teenagers, likely Junior team Expedition. There are two boys and two girls. The boys seem to be identical both with brown hair and brown eyes and wearing the same green shirt and jeans, they seem very confident and they grin at us. Then there are the girls, one very vivacious looking dark skinned woman with brown eyes and a diminutive build. She might be a child if not for the breasts. Lastly, there¡¯s one more woman, the tallest out of the four of them with a red jacket and shocking red hair. Her jacket has books chained to it by hooks, each is very well detailed with bookmarks.


    Laid out in front of them is four dark vests, replicated on the other side, which Kai looks at with simple curiosity. ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Director Tagert grumbles. ¡°We¡¯ll get directly into talking about the task I have for you.¡± He immediately follows up his first statement so Gates can¡¯t get a word in. ¡°Your job is search and rescue. Inside the Training Zone, there are thirteen hostages. Your job is to retrieve the most hostages. However, at the same time you are fighting the other team.¡±


    He whistles and someone approaches from one of the buildings, a large woman with a double chin and tied back blonde hair. She has a red string wrapped around her arm. She clears her throat. ¡°Each hostage has a red string attached to something. Severing the string will award your team with two points. However, be aware this is a search and rescue, not a search and eliminate. While you can take out the enemy team, they are only worth 1 point. So if the other team get 8 hostages and then you beat them all, you¡¯ve already lost.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Tagert mutters. ¡°As Diane said, this is a search and rescue, save the hostages but try to stay safe. You need to know that sacrificing yourself is not worth saving another. Anyway, as for fighting against each other.¡± He leans down and lifts one of the vests. ¡°Inside this vest is a set of electronics that will measure blows and dangers. When it reaches a certain area, it will set off an alarm and you will be out of the exercise. Please aim for the vest. I¡¯d prefer zero injuries. Gates, understand? Salvo?¡±


    ¡°Gotcha,¡± The tall bespectacled man says.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Gates murmurs.


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll go over powers now, as we¡¯re going under the assumptions that you know each other¡¯s powers,¡± Tagert continues. ¡°Team Hindsight: Leader is Gabbie, she¡¯s a projector, she can project any attacks toward anything around her. Vice-leader Walter, he¡¯s a carbonizer. He can change the carbon atoms in his body or the items around him. Communications is Kaiden, he¡¯s a robotics expert, he can communicate with machines and has his own armada of robots. Lastly, Elmira, she¡¯s a channeler warlock, she has all seven of the sin''s powers available to her.¡±


    Salvo clears his throat. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s unfair that they have a robotic expert.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s never fair,¡± Tagert growls. ¡°Next team is Team Expedition. The leader and communications is David, he¡¯s a wall hacker. He can see and move through walls. Vice leader is his brother James, he¡¯s a mover. A low-level telekinesis, but don¡¯t let the low level get to you, he can move things as large as wardrobes.¡± He points at the short girl. ¡°She¡¯s Rita, she¡¯s a blitzer, she moves fast and hits hard, she¡¯s their scout. Last and not least, there¡¯s their magician, Hannah, she¡¯s a book magus. She can summon words in a book into the world.¡±


    Gabbie looks miffed, as if she¡¯s angry at having to face these guys. ¡°Got it,¡± she says.


    ¡°Same,¡± the guy I guess is David responds.


    ¡°Good. Everyone take a vest and then we¡¯ll get into positions. When your vest goes off, return here to await the conclusion of the round. Your parent team leaders know the place you will start. While you¡¯re walking into position you will be allowed to discuss strategy. Salvo, Gates, you can now lead them into position.¡±


    We all collect the vest, pulling them on before zipping them up and then following Gates. We walk around the border of the training zone. Gabbie clears her throat. ¡°So plans, Kai?¡± She asks.


    Kai withdraws something from his pocket and extends it to me. A small earpiece, which I take and push into my ear. ¡°Split up,¡± he mumbles. ¡°We don¡¯t have any particular skills that suit each other, but we¡¯d excel apart. Cover more ground and deal with them as they come.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense. We¡¯re a bit new together, not like Expedition, we haven¡¯t found anything we can combo together. Maybe Kai can help with his robots, but right now our individual skills far outstrip our skills as a group. I think if we stick together we¡¯ll just get in each others¡¯ way. We¡¯ll split up and try to get as many hostages as possible. Try not to go searching for fights and if you¡¯re forced to fight, try to win.¡±


    Gates stops and she points at the Training Zone. ¡°You¡¯re starting here. Your vests will beep when you¡¯re meant to start.¡±


    We turn to look at where she¡¯s pointing. As far as I know, it looks to be the main street, or as main as it will get in the mess of incredibly close buildings. This means that the widest it seems is nothing more than a simple alleyway. There are easy entrances into the buildings, but it¡¯s hard to tell if there''re any more entrances that I just can¡¯t see.


    I lean forward as if trying to see into a broken window, but all it allows me is a slight look at the dusty, web covered concrete interior. There¡¯s a long, low beep coming from our vests and I nearly fall forward as the others move into the Training Zone. I cough, righting myself and then I make my own way in. We immediately split up. Kai takes the first right, while Gabbie takes the first left, Walter keeps walking and I take a building further down the street on the right.


    Each of us is accompanied by a single hovering robot, which keeps watch over each of our shoulders. I step through the doorway of the building, ducking beneath the collapsed door frame. The floor immediately drops off at an angle at the lower part of the building and I can see a door both at the bottom of the decline and just above it. I grab the side of the door, easing myself down onto the ground, then slide myself down the decline through the door below.


    I¡¯m nearly flung over my feet when I hit the bottom and I¡¯m forced to slow down by breaking into a jog to right myself. I stop, looking around. It¡¯s pitch black in here. ¡°Kai, can¡¯t see-¡± I mutter. Suddenly the room is brightened, the robot shedding light in the basement. It smells musty and wet, a large puddle of water pools in a hole at the right side of the room, but there¡¯s a set of wooden stairs at the furthest point.


    I approach the stairs then stop, finding a new light source coming from a doorway near the stairs. I stop and peer into the room finding an amusing, makeshift place of worship. Long lines of pews with an altar at the end. A cross is upturned striking an amusing place for demon worship. Clearly whoever made this place knows nothing of demon worship. An upturned cross is not sacred to us at all. A man is tied to the altar by a red string, he smiles and waves with his free hand at me.


    He seems friendly enough, at least he has a friendly character at first. He also doesn¡¯t look bad, bit older than me. Perhaps in his thirties. He has brown hair and a growing beard with small wrinkles at his eyes and mouth showing that he smiles a lot. I approach him, drawing closer to him.


    ¡°Hey,¡± he greets me. I wonder if anyone else found them. I guess they should be pretty easy to find unless they''re deliberately hidden, which I doubt otherwise we might be here for hours. I wrap both my hands around the red string and pull hard. The string snaps and I rescue a hostage. ¡°Thanks. Good luck.¡± He stands, walking past me and then leaves without saying anything further. I guess that¡¯s how it will work, I doubt they¡¯d help us.


    I clear my throat. ¡°Found one.¡±


    ¡°Good job. Gabbie also got one, but she¡¯s hiding out, she¡¯s busy dealing with Rita, it¡¯s not looking great, but I¡¯m confident Gabbie can outmaneuver her. It doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s anymore with Rita, so just be careful.¡±


    I grunt in response, returning to the stairs and climbing them. I find myself outside right up next to an overgrown fountain that no longer spits out water. I climb over the bowl toward the shattered glass windows of another building. This building looks larger and could just as well have more than one hostage inside.


    I enter, treading across the shredded linoleum floor. There are large, warped metal shelves with a wooden desk, upturned and singed by flames. It smells musty and I walk into a spiderweb which I brush away with a hand before turning my attention to the stairs. One up, one down. I raise my finger, considering which way I should go. Down or up. Up, I¡¯m more confident with dealing with heights than I am with underground stuff. I am more adept at using Lucifer¡¯s powers than I am with utilizing Belphegor¡¯s powers.


    I proceed up the stairs, my shoes clicking against the stone. I¡¯m feeling nervous like something will jump out and strike me at each landing. The second floor bears no fruit, most of the walls are gone and all the desks are nothing but a wreckage of what used to be perfectly good wood, so I proceed up one more set of stairs.


    I do find some fruit on this floor, fruit that I just nearly miss out on. There¡¯s that one girl with all the books attached to her jacket here. Hannah, the book magus. She¡¯s standing over that large woman I saw earlier and she¡¯s about to sever the red string I clear my throat and the girl snaps to look at me, then she stands up without severing the red string. ¡°Oh, hey, you¡¯re the warlock, Elmira, wasn¡¯t it?¡± She asks.


    ¡°Uh,¡± I whisper. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯re meant to be talking.¡± My voice comes out very soft and the idea of talking to anyone other than those I know well is terrifying. In fact, I¡¯m more excited to get the fight done than I am of actually talking to her. It sounds easier to fight her. Her mouth splits open in a smile and she nods as if saying oh, yeah. She pulls a book off her jacket. I really shouldn¡¯t let her be doing this. ¡°Brother, tear the book from her hand,¡± I whisper under my breath, I¡¯m not entirely sure what will happen, but I¡¯m kind of hoping that I¡¯ll just burn it away.


    There¡¯s a strong wind that blows through the room and the pages of the book start flapping in the breeze. Hannah covers her face, shrieking and I see the book leave her grasp. There¡¯s the sound of clinking chains and the book stops mid air before snapping back to her body with a thud. She quickly pulls the book open, flipping the page. ¡°Come out, lion!¡± She yells.


    The book shines with golden light and I watch as a massive lion explodes out of the book toward me, almost like it¡¯s following a bridge of words out to me and I¡¯m at the end of the bridge. ¡°Brother, freeze,¡± I hiss. The entire room goes cold and the lion slams to the ground in front of me, getting ready to make another jump but it¡¯s muscles seem to contract and ice crawls across its skin. ¡°Brother, remove its footing.¡± The ground below the lion explodes and it drops down to the floor below. Seemingly as it''s about to hit the ground it disintegrates into a bunch of words where it settles on the ground as if someone threw a newspaper at the ground and the printing remained when they picked it up.


    Hannah wasn¡¯t still while her lion was attacking, her book is a flurry of activity as she leafs through it. She stops and she raises her hand. ¡°Come forth, lightning!¡± Lightning explodes from the book, just like the lion, I raise my hands as if it will protect me, but I watch as the lightning arcs and then catches the robot in the air. The robot seems to hover for a second as the stream flickers and then it drops to the ground unmoving.


    I stand still, shock registering. I take action before I forget what¡¯s going on, she¡¯s already turning the page to something else. ¡°Brother, protect me!¡± I yell. It doesn¡¯t work in the same way I expected, instead of a wall coming up, Hannah suddenly turns to the side. It¡¯s not that she moved, but instead that the ground beneath her did.


    She seems panicked and she stops on a page. ¡°Charge forth!¡± She yells. The entire book flashes and I watch her skin glow golden for a second, then she squeaks and she explodes forth like a stone out of a slingshot and she hits a wall on the other side of the room hard. She bounces off the wall and hits the ground where her vest starts shrieking a few times.


    I run over to her, to see if she¡¯s unhurt, but she doesn¡¯t seem to hurt besides a bloodied nose shattered pride. ¡°Panicked,¡± she grunts. ¡°That and I didn¡¯t look where I was going.¡± She hauls herself up. ¡°You¡¯re pretty good," she mutters. "But you won¡¯t be so lucky next time.¡±


    ¡°Uh- thanks?¡± I say. I¡¯m asking her because she both complimented and insulted me. I¡¯m not sure what the right reaction is. ¡°Sorry about-¡± I wave my hands, trying to explain the nose.


    She shrugs. ¡°I¡¯m dead now. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± She starts walking out, raising her hands and groaning loudly. ¡°Brains¡­¡± she mutters, a little comically. Supposedly, a desire for brains is a fairly common thing for teenagers of this plane. Perhaps their lacking a few and desire someone else''s, or perhaps it has to do with this zombie thing that Walter and Gabbie talk about.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    I approach the woman who seems to be concealing a smirk with her free hand. ¡°That was- interesting,¡± she giggles. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to have two girls fighting over me. I¡¯m honored.¡± She¡¯s joking. I get the joke, it¡¯s just I don¡¯t find it funny. I pull apart the string, freeing the woman and she stands up. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll see you at the finish line.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± I grumble. I walk away from her, not wanting to talk to her any further, lest she try and joke with me more. As soon as I exit the building through a fire exit that puts me on a set of steel stairs, I raise my hand to my ear to check if the earpiece is still there. ¡°You there, Kai?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Walter got another one and Gabbie got one herself, but she¡¯s out and Walter is now being chased down by the other three. What about you? Hannah took out my bot, did you beat her?¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± I respond. ¡°I beat her and managed to receive the points for the hostages. I don¡¯t have the robot anymore, though, so I¡¯ll have to deal with that myself.¡±


    ¡°Right. Just, those other three are running around in a hunting party. I think they thought Hannah would work as either a distraction or that she was fine on her own. Either way, if you see them, you might do better if you run.¡±


    For a moment, an idea forms in my head. It¡¯s not the brightest, nor the stupidest, it relies too much on the fact that their following Walter without paying attention to their surroundings. ¡°Ah, can you lead Walter over to where I am?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yeah, but why?¡±


    ¡°Just do it.¡± I start descending the stairs, raising my hand outward and cupping it. Thin claws grow out of my fingers, a similar effect to that which I did when I first arrived here. It shows my proficiency with Lucifer¡¯s magic, rather than that of my many other brothers. A large golden orb of light forms in my hand.


    ¡°Alright then- he¡¯s on the way over. I¡¯ve got your position anyway.¡±


    Hopefully, he can last long enough. I lower myself down onto the lowest part of the metal stairs, concealing myself behind a set of metal bars. This place isn¡¯t big and I understand that he¡¯ll reach me in mere moments, but the speed at which he actually does surprises me. There¡¯s a lot of running and loud panting. There¡¯s a loud whoosh which shoots beneath me and I hear Walter yelp. I clatter around in my spot before jumping down the set of stairs. ¡°Tell him to close his eyes,¡± I hiss into my headset.


    There must be some communication because Walter jams his eyes close as I launch myself off the fire escape toward the ground below. I throw the light orb at the ground and it explodes in a massive burst of light. Of course, I too have my eyes closed, but I can feel the light get seared into the lids of my eyes.


    I open my eyes, finding myself next to the two twins, with Walter at my side. I hit Walter on the back. ¡°Run,¡± I tell him. He immediately breaks into a jog and I walk toward the twins. They are rubbing their eyes a lot, trying to get their sight back. I grab the one on my right side wrapping my hand around his neck. He tries to struggle, but instead I knee him in the gut. He croaks and drops to his knees, his vest starts shrieking. I turn around to grab the other one, but he¡¯s blindly backed up, finally stopping with his back against the wall.


    I jog toward him raising my fist. Hopefully, I took out the one with the wall powers. I punch out toward him and my fist strikes brick. I yell out in pain, withdrawing my hand immediately and cradling it in my other hand. It hurts like hell, it¡¯s throbbing and there¡¯s a small amount of blood seeping out beneath my nails. ¡°Argh!¡± I yell, verbally releasing the feeling of pain. ¡°Fuckedy fuck, fuck, fuck!¡± I bounce around on the balls of my feet, trying to distract myself. Never have I been so angry at finding out that they weren¡¯t who I was looking for. It probably would have worked out if I had Valor, my weapon, but considering it¡¯s in my Father¡¯s possession, I couldn¡¯t very well steal it from him before I fled to the Mortal Plane.


    I turn back toward the other twin, the telekinetic and potentially the blitzer, but I find the blitzer nowhere. The other guy is still rubbing his eyes, but he¡¯s looking at me which means he¡¯s got most of his sight back. ¡°You deserve that,¡± he growls at me. ¡°In fact, I¡¯d say that you probably deserve way worse.¡±


    ¡°Wha-?¡± I stammer. Pain is still in my voice as well as a little bit of confusion at what he¡¯s saying.


    ¡°You¡¯re sick. Trying to be like us, with those horns, the only place you deserve to be is in a cell with the rest of those demons.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m different,¡± I respond, my voice is shaking, faced with the thing I was afraid of since the beginning. ¡°I¡¯m helping.¡±


    ¡°Helping by kicking me in the gut and trying to punch my brother in the face. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s helping.¡±


    ¡°But that¡¯s- that¡¯s how this all works.¡±


    ¡°Trying to kill us isn¡¯t how this works!¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to kill you!¡± I yell, my voice cracking at the mere mention that I¡¯m trying to harm anyone. I haven¡¯t hurt anyone yet without it being self-defense. He¡¯s immediately assuming, ignorantly claiming that I¡¯m here to harm everyone. ¡°I¡¯m on your side,¡± I mutter.


    ¡°Not my side.¡± He stands up and starts stalking away, throwing his head back in my direction. All of a sudden a large stone flicks toward me and I just manage to duck as it collides into the wall behind me. A few stray fragments of the rock hit me in the face and I rub my cheek, shivering a little at the dust that comes off of it. He- he tried to hurt me.


    There¡¯s a complex range of emotions I¡¯m feeling. On one hand, I want him to apologize, but I know that he won¡¯t but I also don¡¯t want to force him to apologize. I also feel fear, that¡¯s the thing that prevents me from rushing after him and forcing him to apologize to me. The vigor I felt not long ago, the desire to rebel against those that are helping me is no longer there, shivering in the back of my mind convincing me to sit down and cower right here.


    Something heavy lands on my shoulder and I almost shriek out in surprise, but I cover my mouth with my hand. I look over at my shoulder to find one of the small metal dragonflies sitting there. ¡°Are you okay, Elmira.¡± The voice comes through my earpiece and I tap it and stand up, dusting myself off.


    I don¡¯t feel right on my feet, but otherwise, I force myself to keep moving. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± I mutter. I don¡¯t look forward to encountering that guy again. I¡¯m not even looking forward to being in his air space. It¡¯s something I worried about in the first place and while I expected direct rage toward me to come earlier, it still stuns me when it did eventually come.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got two more hostages marked. I¡¯ll lead you to them while I work on finding at least two more.¡± The robot flies off my shoulder, hovering toward one of the side streets. I follow and duck beneath a pillar that¡¯s been knocked over the street. When we reach a building that¡¯s submerged slightly into the ground, Kai talks up again. ¡°Walt¡¯s gone. He got taken by their blitzer. I¡¯m going to start moving so they can¡¯t find me, but you need to be careful yourself.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I mutter under my breath. I¡¯m forced to crawl into the building through a small opening that probably used to be a doorway. I end up sliding down a small sand pile and then dropping on onto a tiled floor at the bottom. I sneeze, the dust and sand getting into my nose. The light on the small robot comes on, lighting up the area. This place looks just as shitty as everywhere else, just more dingy. It has some chandeliers and a bar with cupboards behind it. There are a few tables and chairs with some seats with wrecked upholstery.


    I walk over to the bar, vaulting it and landing on the other side. There¡¯s a man with gray hair tied to a small tap on one of the walls. He¡¯s a bit red faced and as I bend down he sneezes in my face. I recoil, wiping the spit off my face. ¡°Ugh.¡± That¡¯s disgusting. I¡¯m usually not bad with dirt, but sneezes and coughs, that¡¯s bad.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he laughs. ¡°Can¡¯t cover my mouth with my hands, plus I don¡¯t do great with dust. Just my luck sticking me here.¡±


    ¡°You have your other hand,¡± I point out. He has another hand free, clearly just in case no-one else can find him. I pull him free and move away from him, just in case he decides to sneeze on my one more time.


    ¡°I¡¯m not that bad am I?¡±


    ¡°Trust me, you are.¡±


    ¡°That hurts.¡± He actually looks like he feels bad, but he doesn¡¯t stick around. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re not exactly supposed to talk except for a few moments. Something about distracting you guys. It¡¯s stupid, I know, but we¡¯re not supposed to give any clues.¡± He climbs over the bar and he turns back. ¡°Good luck and caoi.¡± He walks toward the edge of the room.


    ¡°The next one is very close. Just down the hatch. They¡¯re underground, I managed to confirm them for a moment, but my signals won¡¯t reach the robots down there unless I get closer, which right now-¡± he transitions to a whisper. ¡°Probably isn¡¯t a good idea.¡±


    ¡°Are they nearby?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    They¡¯ve been tracking us down instead of the hostages. I thought this was a search and rescue, not a search and eliminate. Why have they been trying to track us down? Maybe that¡¯s why they didn¡¯t split up. They¡¯re looking for a fight and not a fair one at that. As Kai suggested, there is indeed a trapdoor here. I grab hold of a metal handle and pull upward. There¡¯s a loud clank and the handle breaks free in my grasp and I slam back against the cabinets which break at the same time. I fall to the ground surrounded by a sizable amount of wood and an unhappy look glued to my face. ¡°The trapdoor broke, what now?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, you¡¯re the one with the magic,¡± he hisses.


    ¡°Yeah, but the only magic that can blast through that is-¡± I cut myself short. Sure I could try to use my normal magic to break open the door, but I don¡¯t think any of it will work as well as I think they would. They would simply take too long, which leaves me with one choice. I guess I need to ruin another jacket.


    My back grows hot and the entire room lights up with white light that overpowers even the robots light. The jacket I¡¯m wearing tears and wings explode out from behind it and I grow, looming over the trapdoor. I raise my now, claw-like hands toward the trapdoor and light starts pooling in front of me. There¡¯s a loud bang as it hits the trapdoor and wood blows out the bottom. The wings contract back into my back as I retract the power of the septagram. The likelihood of me using this power again anytime soon is very low. I¡¯ll probably never use it unless there¡¯s an absolute threat or unless I¡¯m alone. The problem being that I don¡¯t plan on making my appearance that much more demonic. I¡¯ve already struggled to find a place as I am now, it might be harder when people consider me akin to the monsters of the Demon Plane.


    I lower myself into the newly opened hole by a metal ladder into the depths of the cellar. I reach the bottom soon after, placing my feet onto the concrete stone. There¡¯s a lot of damage here, the concrete is cracked in multiple places and there¡¯s a massive hole in the wall amongst a set of barrels. I duck behind the barrels and peer down the corridor. I can¡¯t see anything and I¡¯m forced to summon a golden orb of light to grant me the light I need.


    It¡¯s almost like a tunnel with chunks of wood holding up the tunnel. I make a cursory movement through it, walking slowly and making sure I¡¯m on my guard. My earpiece is conveying a small grinding sound that sounds like someone is rubbing two rocks together. It seems that the tunnel ends at a brick wall with a few sad bricks removed making for a very small opening I can just barely crawl through.


    I curse the fact that I have to get down on the ground once again and I drop to my knees and shuffle beneath the wall, coming out in a second cellar. I think after all this I¡¯m going to need a shower with bleach or something. Luckily for me, it¡¯s met with some reward. Waiting, tied to a rather suspect set of chains with a threadbare bed in the corner is a young woman with long red hair and a somewhat plump build.


    I approach hair and tear the red string off. She stands up, rubbing her wrists. ¡°This place creeps me the hell out,¡± she murmurs. ¡°Uh, thanks. I guess,¡± she finally thanks me.


    It strikes me how awkward this whole hostage thing seems to be. It¡¯s like it¡¯s all a game, in this case, it is, but the whole conversation feels like we should talk, but I really don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t want to talk to anyone I don¡¯t know. There¡¯s a set of stairs which she walks toward and I follow her for a way out. There¡¯s a wrecked metal door waiting at the top of the stairs and we both step through it, sharing no words. So, all I need to do is find one more hostage and I can guarantee our team¡¯s victory. I clear my throat. ¡°Kai? Do you know if there¡¯s anymore?¡±


    I¡¯m greeted by an uncomfortable silence. Absolute silence. Either he¡¯s pinned down or he¡¯s been eliminated, which isn¡¯t exactly comforting. This building seems like a simple house, the furniture, of course, like all the other buildings is upturned and torn to pieces. The girl climbs through a broken window, leaving me behind. I search the building for anymore else and find myself coming short. I¡¯m trying to avoid going out into the open, even though I know even staying here won¡¯t help me. They¡¯re hunting me with a guy that can see and move through walls.


    Each area is seemingly the same, bearing similarities to the room of a normal building. A kitchen, some bedrooms, and a bathroom, though they''re all in disrepair. Shattered porcelain with watermarks on the ground.


    After a good search, after convincing myself that going outside it¡¯s no different to staying inside, I finally make my way outside. The silence seems all the more disconcerting now. I¡¯m on my own and while there might only be two of them, I don¡¯t like the idea that it¡¯s two verse one, even though I¡¯m very capable fighting myself.


    I slowly, while keeping my head on swivel walk towards the second building. I hear a loud bang and I nearly jump out of my skin. A trash can rolls over to me, it¡¯s badly rusted and it strikes me how unlikely it is that a trash can would move by itself. It could be an animal, but I can¡¯t trust it. There¡¯s another bang from behind me and I spin around and then caught square in the back by an unseen assailant.


    I¡¯m kicked on the inside of my leg and I fall to my knee. I groan, why is it that they attacked me outside? Why didn¡¯t I trust my instincts on this one? I pull myself back up to my feet, across from me is the diminutive girl, the blitzer, Rita. She has a scowl on her face as if she doesn¡¯t like looking at me. ¡°Be careful Rita, she¡¯s already proven to be capable. We¡¯re down to two and it¡¯s not like she has the same combat capabilities as Kaiden.¡± I turn back to see David approaching slowly.


    My leg is aching, unlike before where I took a car and wound up with some heavy bruising, this girl hits like a building. I grit my teeth, raising my hands in front of me. I face myself toward her, choosing her as the greater threat. David can move and see through walls, he¡¯s not the biggest problem.


    She charges and I¡¯m hit, again on my knee. I lash out, catching her on her shoulder, but it means little, as she ends up on the other side. My knee is in agony right now and I lean forward, teetering on falling forward onto my face. ¡°Brother, give me a strong upwind, force her to work for it,¡± I mutter, somehow making it through my pain.


    She charges at me and then the entire area is filled with loud, howling wind. She slows to a crawl, her face is screwed up in concentration and she walks at the speed of a tortoise by my shoulder. I immediately spin, slamming a right-handed punch toward her upper body. She raises a hand, clutching her forearm with her other hand and she gets punched in her upper arm.


    She yelps, but it isn¡¯t a good trade-off for the pain I feel. I yell, withdrawing my hand, still torn apart from my punch to the wall. She grins, the wind ceases and she strikes me on the knee again as recourse. I slump forward and I feel her strike me in the shoulder. I nearly make a full rotation and find her knee in my face. I fall back on the ground, spitting out blood.


    I cough, struggling on the ground, turning back onto my hands and knees. Everything hurts and I cough, trying to clear my airway. My nose is filled with blood and my mouth isn¡¯t much better. ¡°Jesus, Rita! What the fuck are you doing?¡± I hear David yell. My ears are thumping as if they too are bleeding.


    ¡°Making sure she can¡¯t fight back!¡± Rita responds her voice seems to carry a hint of antagonism and I feel something grab my hair. She forces my head back and I cough again, groaning in pain.


    ¡°If you wanted to do that, you could have hit her vest! Jesus, what are you trying to do, kill her?¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m teaching her a lesson for messing with us.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a competition! She didn¡¯t hurt any of us more than doing what the task was. This isn¡¯t fucking teaching her a lesson, this is bullying! Just tag her vest and leave her alone!¡± I can hear a little bit of desperation in his voice as if he¡¯s pleading with her. He doesn¡¯t strike me as a leader in this scenario.


    My hair is released and she turns back to the other guy. ¡°Are you on her side?¡±


    ¡°What the fuck? I¡¯m not on her side, but I¡¯m also most certainly not on your side right now. Leave her alone or I¡¯ll surrender. That should lose us the game, right? And you¡¯ve forgotten that we¡¯re probably being monitored right now. Leave her alone.¡±


    She sighs and she kicks me in the back, forcing me down to the ground. It knocks the wind out of me, but the vest starts going off. I didn¡¯t think about it earlier, but my transformation could have triggered it, must be sure not to trigger when the damage comes from the inside. What a thing to consider now. ¡°Happy?¡± She growls.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then what can I do to make you happy?¡±


    Both their vests start screeching, signaling the end of the game. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. You can go back to the front. We¡¯ll talk about what more you can do later in the apartment.¡±


    She harrumphs and I hear loud retreating footsteps. The other guy sighs and I hear him approach me. I can¡¯t move, my body won¡¯t let me move and now I¡¯m alone. Even if she did hate me, even if she did hurt me, I would have at least liked more than one person here with me. I swallow something that brings the horrifying taste of blood down my throat. I¡¯m nervous, scared, and very ready to transform to fight to the death if I must.

 Arc 1: Lucifer, Part Nine

    ¡°You okay?¡± David asks, leaning down by my side. He places a hand on my shoulder, but he seems both tender in his touch and voice. He¡¯s being very respectful after his team member, and even though he may not know, his brother tried to harm me.


    I push myself up after some effort. I feel betrayed, I didn¡¯t know them, I didn¡¯t trust them, but nevertheless I feel betrayed. That I was willing to walk out and try the world, that I gave some sort of expectation to the first people to my closest friends to not treat me in the way I expected the world to treat me and they failed me. Yes, there are other people in the world that might not like me, but at least they weren¡¯t given the opportunity to hurt me. These guys did and they grabbed the opportunity with gusto, destroying my knee, crushing my shoulder, tearing apart my lips and nose before leaving me broken and breathless on the ground.


    ¡°Please say something,¡± he murmurs.


    I grind my teeth, I''m perhaps a little angry, mostly at myself. I could have fought back, in fact, I should have fought back. I left the Demon Plane to escape the pain and I could have blinded Rita and David in an instant. Perhaps before I would have felt disappointed, but this was ultimately preventable by me. I take a few deep breaths, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand.


    He places a hand on my injured shoulder and I yelp, pulling away from him and drawing myself across the ground. ¡°Oh my God, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± He yells. He has his hands up, displaying that he won¡¯t touch me. He mumbles something, not even audible to me, but I can see him mouth the word sorry.


    ¡°If you were sorry, you would have held your friend back earlier,¡± I croak. Emotion has seeped into my voice. Bitterness, sadness and fear driving my voice. ¡°What is wrong with you?¡±


    He swallows and lowers his head, ashamed. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything to make it up to you. I wish I could, just, let me stick around to help you.¡± He raises his head again, his lower lip is quivering as if he¡¯s about to cry and he¡¯s shivering. His eyes are drifting to the side, he¡¯s genuine, he¡¯s trying to help. I¡¯m in his hands right now and while I could attempt to walk on my own, I¡¯m not sure I can without some sort of help.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I mutter. I can¡¯t help let some more bitterness slip out once again in spite of his attempts to placate me. ¡°Help me head back. Just because you can¡¯t pay me back doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t try to. If your friends can¡¯t pay me back, then you should. That¡¯s a lesson I learned from my brother.¡±


    I reach out an arm and he drapes it over his shoulders, pulling me up with some effort. My knee protests and I lift my weight off it, preferring my other leg. He doesn¡¯t seem all too phased after a while and he starts walking. For a moment, everything is silent before he takes some effort to converse. ¡°What¡¯s your brother like?¡±


    ¡°Incredibly greedy. You give him an inch and he¡¯ll take a mile¡­ Literally,¡± I explain. ¡°It''s lessons from those who exceed the normal understandings of sin that are the most valuable lessons to take.¡± It hurts to talk, but at the same time, it helps to have something to take my mind off of it.


    ¡°No offense but someone like that sounds unpleasant to live with.¡±


    ¡°He was. I don¡¯t live with him anymore.¡±


    ¡°Too toxic of an environment?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know the start of it.¡±


    ¡°I guess not,¡± he mumbles. It¡¯s a fair enough conclusion. My brothers are the pinnacles of their sins. I¡¯ve learned plenty of lessons, most of them are things to not do with them. A specific set of understandings, like not to insult Lucifer or to hide all things that Mammon might crave. It¡¯s strange walking with this guy. It seems our knowledge on him walking through things wasn¡¯t the only thing he could do. Well, it was, but he can bring friends too. At least, after a very shocking experience with a wall, he did exactly that. The feeling is almost like a jet of fresh wind for just a moment, it¡¯s quite refreshing and it feels like something I¡¯d want to do all day.


    It takes a while at our pace to finally reach it, but when we do finally reach them, Tagert is standing there looking furious while Gates and Salvo are at his side. The rest are standing to attention, hands behind their backs, with relatively little marks on them with the exception of small marks showing where the blood ran from Hannah¡¯s nose. He claps his hands. ¡°Elmira, David, stand right fucking there,¡± he growls. He¡¯s got the same tone of voice as that time when I met him the first time. ¡°Let¡¯s go through some really stupid things that you guys did. I actually have fewer problems with Hindsight right now than I have with Expedition. What kind of fucking hack group are you running, Salvo?¡± He opens his mouth to respond, but Tagert interjects. ¡°Don¡¯t answer that, it¡¯s rhetorical, you dumb shit. Let me pose a question. What the hell did you do wrong, Gabbie?¡±


    ¡°We should have set up better plans and at least stuck in groups of two. That way we could have responded to any strategy Expedition had in place. We would have been ready to slug it out if needed and we would have had the numbers to search for hostages too. We also put a lot of the workload on Elmira.¡± She looks at me with eyes filled with sympathy, but she can¡¯t approach me at all.


    ¡°Good job. Now, Expedition. What did you do wrong.¡±


    ¡°More things than I can even begin to list,¡± David responds, his voice is shaking.


    ¡°Bingo, cuntwaffle. Junior team Expedition won the training exercise, you would have eventually found the last few hostages so we gave them to you. But that said it was marginal, Team Hindsight got 14 points, while Team Expedition got 18 points. Revel in that victory for a few moments.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± James asks.


    ¡°Oh, cut the bullshit, James!¡± Tagert hisses. ¡°One more word out of that mouth and I¡¯ll make you look like Elmira here.¡± James visually swallows. ¡°Now. That victory was as hollow as they come. You didn¡¯t even listen to me from the beginning. Tell me what I said, David.¡±


    ¡°Search and rescue,¡± he mutters.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Why the hell did you let your team go on a search and eliminate mission?¡±


    ¡°They overruled me¡­¡± He whispers.


    ¡°You¡¯re a fucking leader! You can¡¯t be overruled! Pull up your pants and tell them what to do, I don¡¯t care if your brother doesn¡¯t like it, but frankly your brother is a piece of dirt!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Tagert roars. ¡°Now that was a small issue. You didn¡¯t do the right thing and with someone like Elmira who- at one stage set a trap for you and eliminated James off that single trap, you can see the problem I had with such a stupid use of your opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Rita gasps.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m gunning for you, Rita. I did indeed see everything that went on in that training zone. And oh, boy do I have some news for you. We, here at the CPO don¡¯t like housing criminals, and what you did just there, should you have done it outside this area would have resulted in us leaving you to the dogs to be put in a VEC. Team Expedition is hereby suspended indefinitely with both James and Rita taking reconditioning courses, during which you will offer Elmira a full apology and, if in the future Elmira requests it, she will be allowed to duel you.¡±


    Rita grins, ¡°Bring it on.¡±


    I see Gates grin to the side, but considering her character, it doesn¡¯t seem like a normal grin, more like a sneer. Tagert looks unimpressed. ¡°I¡¯m considering putting you up against Gates right now just to make you shut the fuck up. You know, I¡¯ve dealt with insubordination by Gates and even shortly by Elmira here, but at least I learned shit from it. You guys are just toxic, I learn fuck all from you. I just lose any sort of respect I have for the Human race, which isn¡¯t very much from my station as director. The fact you¡¯re so proud in the face of such a punishment may mean you¡¯re suited for a life in a VEC. Get your shit together, Rita or I¡¯m sending Team Hindsight after you as some sort of retribution. I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t take kindly to you roughing up one of their team members.¡±


    At this she finally goes pale, her previous thoughts of confidence are dashed simply by Tagert who has plenty of dealings with people like Rita. Maybe it struck her that maybe she could take each of us on our own, but when it came to taking us together, it would be too difficult. I rub my face with the back of my hand, I¡¯m still bleeding, but it seems to have lessened by a fair amount.


    ¡°We¡¯re done here. We¡¯ll talk about how we¡¯ll recondition you for your missions outside, but for now, you¡¯re all dismissed, as for Elmira, Diane, can you please take care of her injuries? Ah, also, dump your vests here.¡±


    He turns around and everyone starts removing their jackets. Once they''re all removed they start leaving with the exception of Kai, Walter, and Gabbie. James still offers me a shoulder to lean on while we wait for Diane to approach. Behind where they were standing there are a few hostages waiting. Diane stands up, scratching her neck and yawning. She approaches. She doesn¡¯t exactly rush over so Kai, Gabbie, and Walter reach me first.


    ¡°You look like shit,¡± Walter says, it¡¯s his attempt at a hollow joke, but I don¡¯t think he believes it. Gabbie punches him on the shoulder. ¡°Sorry,¡± he grunts. ¡°How¡¯re feeling?¡±


    I shake my head. I feel miserable and bringing attention to the feeling isn¡¯t helping at all. Gabbie looks agitated. She¡¯s usually quite lively, but this time, she looks responsible. She might be going through a lot of things in her head right now, just like Kai, who has returned to his silent self. Kai has a bunch of complex emotions burning on his face, but he can¡¯t even open his mouth.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Walter grumbles. ¡°It¡¯s just- I fucked up. I should¡¯ve stuck with you. We shouldn¡¯t have split apart, I should¡¯ve known that you would be hurt by someone, that you¡¯d be targeted because of how you-¡± he trails off. The others don¡¯t seem to talk much, but the usually deliberate wording from Walter gets thrown to the wayside, instead he rambles.


    ¡°We,¡± Gabbie corrects.


    Diane clears her throat interjecting. ¡°Do you need to continue wasting my patient¡¯s time? You should only regret your choices if she¡¯s dying and from what I can see, Miss¡­ Elmira isn¡¯t dying. If you have to so apologize in such a way, save that for when she is on her deathbed.¡±


    ¡°You can rebuild her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we can rebuild her,¡± Diane snickers. ¡°Better than she was before- Actually, I can¡¯t promise that. Now, David, if you please, I¡¯ll take charge of her here, you go back to your team and figure out how to actually become a leader.¡±


    David transitions my weight over to Diane¡¯s shoulder and she gasps for a moment. David stands, shrugging his shoulders a few times before stretching. He clears his throat. ¡°Sorry,¡± he mutters. It¡¯s meant only for me, but I can¡¯t do more than just nod. He stands there for a moment transitioning from foot to foot as if considering something. ¡°I can-¡±


    ¡°Go, David.¡± He turns away and starts walking before transitioning into a jog. I can see him look back as he runs, giving the others a quick, apologetic look before disappearing amongst the trees. ¡°As for you three, head back to your rooms. I won¡¯t help her unless there¡¯s no-one within earshot.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kai finally asks. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to be looking at her personal information and this is some stuff that should be only available to Elmira and me, her doctor. So if you would please start heading back, I will return Elmira to you in maybe a half an hour or more.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± he mutters.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going,¡± Gabbie mutters. She grabs Kai and Walter by their wrists, forcefully pulling them along. Soon afterward large amounts of robots start streaming out from the training zone, robots that Kai uses. They fly past and join the three of them in the distance and I can see Gabbie¡¯s frantic pace increase. I can imagine the feeling of fear she has right now.


    Diane shifts a little and I feel myself sink a little. ¡°You¡¯re pretty damn heavy.¡± I nod my head, she¡¯s right. I¡¯ve probably gotten heavier since all the changes.


    I¡¯m not exactly short and I¡¯m putting on weight from the new food, the horns, and my tail. I¡¯m not fat, not like some people I¡¯ve seen, tall and muscled, perhaps. Before coming here, I was tall and waiflike, it strikes me how much has changed in the first few weeks, but I¡¯ve been getting a lot more exercise than I got in the Demon Plane.


    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to deny it. You¡¯re supposed to grow irate,¡± she laughs. ¡°At least most girls your age seem to get angry.¡± She¡¯s an odd one, which isn¡¯t unwelcome, she¡¯s distracting me from my pain while she¡¯s walking me through a set of trees. I can still feel the pain, but it¡¯s easier to ignore it while Diane is talking.


    She leads me into a clearing with a table sitting there, waiting. There¡¯re a lot of plastic boxes and metal instruments as well as a tablet. She helps me onto a bench and she grabs the tablet raising it in front of her.


    She clears her throat and then she whistles. ¡°Elmira, you have very little information written here. Elmira, no second name or surname, born in unknown and raised in unknown. This is the most sparse medical record I have ever seen in my life.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well. I¡¯m a vigor, my ability is, like everyone else¡¯s very special. I increase the speed of myself and others I touch. Thing is, there are some negatives to my power too. For example, if you¡¯re going through puberty, then it can mess up the speed you go through puberty or if you have cancer it can spread cancer to the rest of your body. That¡¯s why I always make sure to check people¡¯s medical records. Thing is, I don¡¯t even know your age, let alone your medical record.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯m twenty-one, as for where I¡¯m born-¡± I shrug. ¡°I used to live in the Demon Plane, though.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a demon?¡± She gasps.


    ¡°No!¡± I yell, almost too fast. My knee and shoulder aches in the sudden flexing of my muscles, but I take a few moments to explain my situation. ¡°I discovered my abilities at an early age and I threw myself into the Demon Plane. It took too long to free myself, though.¡±


    She seems to relax, her face slackening and she paces for a few moments. ¡°What about cancer?¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°What¡¯s cancer?¡±


    She flinches. ¡°I¡¯ll just put no. And last is, are you growing? It¡¯s not particularly a problem if I heal you while you¡¯re growing, but you might find yourself gaining a half an inch in height if you are.¡± I shake my head slowly. I am, but I doubt it will be affected by her power. My growth is based on the effects from outside of this world. The channeling of the powers in the Demon Plane. It might affect me, but in the case it does, it will quicken my growth, which might assist me instead of harm me. ¡°Great.¡± She places the tablet down on the table then she comes up to me and wraps her two hands around my right hand. ¡°Alrighty. Tell me when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    I steel myself, flexing my muscles once again, causing pain to radiate through my wounds. ¡°Go,¡± I grunt. I feel a wave of energy run up my arm, almost like the pain I¡¯ve had for weeks is just fading and leaving me with brand new limbs. Slowly it extends to my wounds, the effect slows as it focuses on those areas.


    I feel pins and needles and I struggle to not stamp my feet and fight back against her, but it eventually fades and works its way up and down my body. It happens in multiple locations, my knee feels like it''s on fire for only a few seconds and my nose feels like it¡¯s been held in a blast of freezing cold water and it too stops in a few seconds. In only two or three minutes my entire body feels fresher than it¡¯s ever felt before like I¡¯ve gotten a fantastic rest and that I can take on the world by myself.


    She pulls away and she whistles to herself, flexing her hands. ¡°God damn. I¡¯ve had some horrible cases come to me, but you¡¯re one of the worst. I mean, there was today, which was bad enough, but you remind me of a normal abuse victim. Countless healed compound fractures, damaged muscles, and contusions. Exactly what happened to you?¡±


    I swallow and I shake my head, once again not willing to divulge my past. The torture I¡¯ve had to endure at the hands of my Father. Of course, there would be some parts of me that would take a while to heal but I¡¯m thankful for the fact she did heal me. ¡°Thank you.¡± It¡¯s all I can say. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that there would- still be marks from the past.¡±


    ¡°Abuse lasts for an incredibly long time, in some cases, it never heals. With my vigor power, I can heal wounds that would never heal. I wish you had come to me sooner, the pain might have resulted in you at times getting night terrors or insomnia.¡± I severely doubt that this will solve my nightmare problem, but it¡¯s appreciated. ¡°Also, it came as a surprise to me that the horns on your head and tail growing out of your tailbone are part of your biology. Is this part of being from the Demon Plane?¡±


    ¡°No, from being a channeler warlock. It¡¯s still going to grow.¡±


    ¡°Wait. So you are actually growing, why didn¡¯t you warn me and secondarily, why didn¡¯t my vigor power affect you?¡±


    ¡°Magic,¡± I mutter.


    ¡°That¡¯s a load of bullcrap. Magic is the worst. I never know how it works. It strikes me how often people explain away some miracle with ''its magic'' and the fact we just accept it. I prefer the biological details but something tells me I¡¯m not going to get them.¡± I shake my head and she exhales. She retrieves her tablet, spending a few moments filling out any information that she just garnered from me. ¡°Fantastic. From now on, if you¡¯re feeling any sort of pain, have your team guide you to me I¡¯ll have it solved in a jiffy.¡±


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Uh, thanks. Thanks for the help.¡± I pull off my vest before I forget and I lay it on the table in front of her.


    ¡°No problem. You can head off now if you want. I imagine you want to shower and get clean after all that activity.¡± I nod. She waves her hands, motioning me to head back and I turn and walk away, only to take a glimpse back to see her collecting her stuff.


    ¡°Do you want me to help?¡± I call back.


    ¡°No. Go back to your room!¡±


    I smirk at her response. She seems somewhat normal amongst oddities in this world. A distinct lack of eccentricity. I¡¯m glad for that, for if she was someone like Gates or even Janus, I think I¡¯d want to bash my head against a wall. I would like more people like Dennis, but I feel like I¡¯m not going to get that chance all too often. I make my way back to the main building and make my way up the tower and back into the apartment.


    Gabbie, Walter, and Kai are waiting, to my surprise. They''re all still dressed in what they were wearing during the training exercise. To my surprise, they''re not alone, Janus is with them sipping on a cup of coffee. His glasses have misted up and he seems pale, in spite of the attention his with. It seems the entire situation grows relaxed with my arrival. Janus smiles at me while the others seem to have the color return to their faces too.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± Walter pipes up, taking a lead in the conversation. It reminds me of what Janus said. How he said Walter was the popular one. Perhaps he takes the lead in situations like this, he passes them off as normal and it¡¯s more comforting to him.


    ¡°You were worried just as much as everyone else, Walter,¡± Janus said. ¡°I swear, you guys were giving me a migraine, and I just wanted to speak to Elmira. How are you feeling?¡±


    I shrug at the question, then I transition to shaking my head. ¡°Actually. Pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Great, Mend helped you. Just as a side note, she gives amazing massages. Really puts new life into your body.¡±


    ¡°Who don¡¯t you know?¡± Gabbie asks. ¡°You speak about everyone in the CPO like their close friends of yours.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have many close friends, sadly. Just associates and I¡¯m an associate of pretty much everyone in the tower just because I have such an important job. There¡¯s a lot of use for a psychic like me. Thing is, not many people like to spend time with a mind reader.¡±


    Gabbie gasps. ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a great liar, you know that, Gabbie? If I wasn¡¯t around, no-one would have been able to tell you were lying. If you¡¯re lying to me, then you already know the answer. There is one person I can think of as a close friend, though at times I wonder if they think the same.¡± For a moment, I think he glances at me. ¡°On a completely unrelated note. Elmira, I want to show you some more of the city, if you¡¯re interested.¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah. Just let me shower and change.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t mind waiting. Not sure about the others,¡± he laughs. The others do look a bit uncomfortable, especially Gabbie. She keeps looking at Kai and even I can read what¡¯s going through her mind at that point. How do you deal with this guy?


    I retreat back to my bedroom to get showered and changed and it isn¡¯t long before the blood, dust and stones are wiped from my skin and I¡¯m freshly dressed in clean jeans and a warm jacket. After everything I feel like a new demon, or a new person as they might say here. I feel absolutely fantastic if Lucifer told me that this was what was waiting for me here instead of scaring me with the hatred between both races I might¡¯ve been more interested in coming here.


    I head out to meet Janus. He seems to be waiting impatiently by the door. There¡¯s no-one else, which leads me to think that they¡¯ve left him alone. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen them being discourteous to others, though I understand the fear of Janus. I don¡¯t really understand what it¡¯s like to have my every thought followed, but he¡¯s admitted that he can feel my emotions which is still quite disconcerting.


    He doesn¡¯t seem all too annoyed by the fact he¡¯s been left alone when he sees me, a smile spreads across his face. ¡°Let¡¯s head out.¡± He opens the door for me, joining me a second later after. The door closes with a click behind us and we approach the elevator. He clears his throat. ¡°You seem the happiest I¡¯ve ever seen you.¡±


    ¡°You mean felt?¡± I suggest. ¡°You can feel my emotions, right?¡±


    He exhales. ¡°I mean both. I can see and feel.¡± He presses the button to call the elevator. ¡°It¡¯s important to me that you grow more comfortable out here, in the Mortal Plane.¡± The elevator slides open and we step inside, as the door closes he raises his hands in a shrugging gesture. ¡°What¡¯s more. It¡¯s easier for me. People are uncomfortable with me. Just a moment before I mentioned it, no-one really wants to be friends with me, just associates and even if they did, I wouldn¡¯t be comfortable knowing all their secrets while concealing mine.¡±


    ¡°Is there no way to just turn off your mind reading thing?¡±


    He shakes his head. ¡°Not quite. I wish, just as much as my psychic powers have helped me make my way through life, it¡¯s also been a curse. The only person whose mind remains theirs is you, so it¡¯s comforting to talk to you rather than anyone else.¡±


    ¡°So the person you were talking about who you consider to be a close friend-¡±


    ¡°The only person I can¡¯t read,¡± he nods. ¡°As I said. I wondered if you noticed. Yes, I consider you my only close friend. Secrets are important in friendships, and it strikes me how you are the only one with any sorts of secrets that you keep from me.¡±


    ¡°A friend-?¡± I mutter. I know what he means, I know he considers me as someone close to him. In fact, I didn¡¯t even know that he thought of me like that. Does that mean Gabbie, Walter, and Kai are friends? ¡°Like-¡±


    ¡°Probably like Gabbie, Walter, and Kai. At least they think of you in the same way.¡± The elevator opens and we step out into the garage. ¡°I owe you for that- you know all the work you¡¯ve done for Kai. He¡¯s never really had anyone.¡±


    ¡°Neither did I. My brothers and Father have always been distanced from me. They¡¯ve been brothers, but it seems by relation only.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the same for me and Kai,¡± he says as we come up to the car. ¡°It¡¯s always been like that. I know my powers have made it difficult for him, so I was forced to distance myself. It strikes me how little that did to help him, or to help me. I love Kai, but it¡¯s difficult to give him the privacy he needs without completely ignoring him.¡±


    ¡°And you? Isn¡¯t this whole privacy thing causing problems for you too?¡±


    He nods. He pulls open the front door and I go around my side, sitting in the passenger seat. ¡°It¡¯s a shit show. My life¡¯s a shit show, your life¡¯s a shit show. Everyone¡¯s life is a shit show. Thing is, people band together to give themselves solidarity. A shoulder to cry on. When I read people¡¯s minds in their moment of need, they always think about the people they most care about.¡±


    ¡°And- you can feel their emotions, their thoughts?¡±


    He nods, looking depressed, he starts the car. ¡°Yeah. Their thoughts, everything, it hurts like hell. And sometimes, they think about that person, and right by their feet, that person is, by their side, but their shoulder will never be warm again. They¡¯ll never be there to wrap their arm around them. They¡¯re dead and I have to be the new shoulder. Do you understand?¡±


    I swallow past a lump in my throat, and I shake my head. ¡°I can¡¯t even begin to imagine.¡±


    He nods. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s difficult to comprehend, but you feel pity for me, which is important to build understanding. Thing is, I voluntarily cast away my life. I¡¯m hoping my brother can build his life and I¡¯m hoping people who know me can build their own friendships. I just grew to accept that there wouldn¡¯t be a shoulder for me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t notice that we¡¯d left the garage. The heavy subject just has me concentrating more on the subject matter than the world outside my head. ¡°And?¡±


    He half-shrugs. ¡°I¡¯ll let you guess. Turns out, I can¡¯t mind read demons. Tagert probably would think that makes me less useful, but for me, I¡¯m ecstatic. I just like being around you, whether you want to reciprocate my desire to become friends or not, I don¡¯t mind, your existence does a lot for my psyche.¡±


    I conceal perhaps a small smile with my hand. I¡¯m honored to be thought as a sort of shining light. In such a way that Humans might not consider me. However, my response is very different. ¡°You¡¯re pretty manipulative, you know?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I do, I don¡¯t suppose that¡¯s messes with my chances.¡±


    ¡°Not really. You¡¯ve helped me when I need it. Even though I doubt I can help you. I can try.¡±


    His shoulders slacken as if he¡¯s incredibly relieved to hear that from me. Which I imagine he is. He was there for me when I first arrived here, he helped me with Gates and my nightmares even though he might have been agonizing over everything at the time and he showed patience with what many would not have expressed patience for. Even if many people don¡¯t like him because he can steal a glimpse into their mind, right now, with all he¡¯s been doing for me, I can trust him more than I can trust anyone else.


    The car grinds to a halt. I look out of the window and find us in an area with painted white lines, similar to the ones in the garage. Beyond the area is a completely new area. There¡¯s a lot of open grass, with greenery bordering the field. A few large trees with some bushes and a well-managed, paved walkways. Large buildings seem to border the park, and it seems to almost interrupt the flow of city life.


    Janus removes the keys and flicks them into his hand, grinning at me. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a bit of a walk. I feel like this place a little more sights and sounds than the reserve outside the CPO.¡± He shoves the keys into his jacket pocket and steps out of the car, leaving me alone inside. I quickly free myself from the seatbelt, then step out of the car. I¡¯m nervous going out in front of a lot of people, but considering I haven¡¯t had any troubles with the people in the CPO, I can assume others won¡¯t cause issues and even if they do I¡¯m pretty sure that Janus can defuse any potentially dangerous scenarios.


    I join him on the path, walking along the outside of the large field, past a few bushes. The sun is out, but it¡¯s cold, I blow out into my hands where a mist collects. For a while we walk in silence, it seems a bit strange after such a long and difficult conversation in the car ride here, but it¡¯s appreciated just to absorb it all.


    Just like the field, the pathway is very busy, with groups of people walking together or just solo joggers, running with earpieces stuffed in their ears. Most people pay me no mind, while some double-take, but choose to ignore me. It¡¯s a nice change of pace, knowing that I can blend in without having to try to blend in. It isn¡¯t long before the path turns onto a walkway that borders a large lake, there are boats within the lake, though they''re hard to make out in the distance. I finally interrupt the silence, ¡°Janus-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Matt, in fact, call me Mattie. The name Janus sounds like you don¡¯t know me. It¡¯s a publication name and that¡¯s all,¡± he interjects.


    ¡°Umm- Mattie.¡± It sounds awkward on my tongue, a foreign name that I¡¯ve heard, yet haven¡¯t had the pleasure of saying. ¡°What is this place?¡±


    ¡°Center Park. Funny name for this place. It¡¯s not even in the center of the city. It¡¯s probably the biggest park in the city too. It¡¯s incredibly popular, but it doesn¡¯t seem so bad today. Probably because it¡¯s a bit later on a Sunday.¡± He wraps his hand around my wrist as I¡¯m about to walk past him and he pulls me back, pulling me onto a bench.


    The bench overlooks the lake and he exhales loudly, leaning back on the bench, placing his hands behind his head. His eyes are somewhat unfocused as if he¡¯s concentrating on something in the distance.


    ¡°It¡¯s quiet here, at least on Sundays. Only voices are the ones who run past.¡± He exhales, turning his head slightly. He looks at me for just a moment, then he clears his throat. ¡°There¡¯s actually another reason why we¡¯ve come out here. There are some demons that have been popping up around the city.¡±


    ¡°And you thought it was a good idea to bring me outside?¡± I grumble.


    ¡°I thought it was a good idea to keep you moving rather than in one location. There have been some demons, but from what I¡¯ve been told, they¡¯ve been looking for places where a lost girl might hide.¡±


    ¡°From what you¡¯ve been told.¡± That sounds suspicious.


    ¡°Okay, from what I¡¯ve mind read,¡± he admits. ¡°Anyway, they¡¯ve been searching the roofs and the inside of buildings as well as a few condemned buildings. They have been completely ignoring the people inside the buildings and then when a team confronts them, they immediately escape through a portal.¡±


    ¡°Scouts- let me guess, they¡¯re black, leathery skinned demons with a somewhat misty form and long, sharp tails as well as white scaled demons with large horns and massive wings.¡±


    ¡°Yes, how did you know?¡±


    I roll my eyes. ¡°Demon Lord. I know the best scouters in the Demon Plane. Lucifer¡¯s and Beelzebub¡¯s ilk. Lucifer¡¯s ilk will travel around during the day while Beelzebub¡¯s ilk will travel and night. Luckily enough, this is opportune timing for where neither would have an easy time remaining concealed.¡±


    ¡°What times would they not be around then?¡±


    ¡°Between 5 am and 7 am as well as 4 pm and 7 pm.¡± I look up at the sky, exhaling loudly. ¡°It seems, even though my Father seems to think that he¡¯s just ignoring me, he¡¯s doing anything but. He¡¯s been trying to capture me as soon as possible, I think I know why.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Shoot, tell me why.¡±


    I scratch my chin. ¡°Well- I can¡¯t be sure. Demon Lords have never hit their metamorphosis stage in the Mortal Plane. But it¡¯s what ties them to a Plane, in other words, it¡¯s where their power gets distributed and where their power has the smallest effect on the psyche of the denizens.¡±


    ¡°Hold on- What¡¯s metamorphosis?¡±


    I click my tongue, trying to find a way to explain it. ¡°Essentially, in the early stages of my life, I¡¯m completely Human, at least I look mostly Human right now. Metamorphosis is expelling my mortal shell and reforming a body that is completely structured on what power I will be receiving. Right now, logically, I¡¯m twenty-one years old, probably older, but I look, to Humans, like a juvenile, which in the Demon Plane, I am. Once my septagram completes, I should look older.¡±


    ¡°I- I see- well- that¡¯s lying. It¡¯s very different to the growth of Humans and I just want to see what happens when you complete your metamorphosis. I swear, right now I¡¯m just as interested as Gates might be. I¡¯m just a little worried-¡±


    ¡°About?¡±


    ¡°The fact you might have to leave us at that point.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just as worried as you, but there must be a reason my Father is sc-¡± There¡¯s a flash of wings in the sky. My heart jumps into my throat and I immediately shoot to my feet. There¡¯s the loud beat of wings and a group of birds descends down in front of us. I grab my chest, feeling my heart calm a little. Just pigeons, I drop back into the bench.


    Mattie is laughing. ¡°Wow, I¡¯ve never seen anyone so afraid of pigeons. What were you expecting,  didn¡¯t you say that they probably weren¡¯t going to show at this time?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know- I¡¯m perhaps a little on my toes-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s best that you¡¯re on your toes. You need to constantly remain vigilant. Yet, in your haste to justify why the demons might not come after you, you forgot the things that make both Lucifer and Beelzebub¡¯s demons so effective in scouting,¡± a deep voice growls from behind me. I spin around and the birds scatter, making for the sky. Mattie jumps up, his hand dropping to his belt, where it struggles to find something. He steps in front of me, blocking my sight of the one who interrupted us.


    Mattie¡¯s hands are extended as if forming a wall to protect me from the demon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispers. ¡°I thought this place would be safe.¡±


    ¡°It was safe,¡± the voice says. ¡°I¡¯ve been searching since you disappeared, Elmira.¡± I move to the right, just being able to catch the sight of the demon. He has dark leathery skin, with large white horns and wings, stretched across his back. He¡¯s wearing a pinstripe suit, with a thin, sharp tail pokes out beneath the jacket. He has a wooden box in his outstretched claw-like hand, holding it so tightly that I can hear the wood protesting. ¡°We meet once again, Elmira.¡±


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes


    Ever since I started writing, I''ve had regular readers that have really hated cliffhangers, to the point where they make it very known in the writing. Such writing I might post here in the future if some of you are interested in seeing it. But this is one such event where I decided to go back to my roots, to return to writing cliffhangers for the sake of hooking more readers. Whether you hate them or not, you have to admit one thing, they make people amusingly irate. Looks like you''ll have to wait till tomorrow.

 Arc 1: Lucifer, Part Ten

    He¡¯s an Arcanist, I¡¯m sure of this, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t share so many features with two demon races. So why is he here? Why would someone as high profile as an Arcanist be searching for weeks to track me down? I glare at the Arcanist who watches me with solid purple eyes. He glares at me with intense lust, a desire that many other demons might share with him. I grab Mattie¡¯s shoulder and I pull him back.


    I am aware of the situation. I don¡¯t feel fear this time, nor do I feel confident. There are actions that I need to take and having Mattie take a blow from an Arcanist is incredibly unwise. Instead, Mattie needs to flee and call others, while I delay the Arcanist for as long as possible. I nod my head and exhale, a renewed courage bordering on recklessness burning in my body. ¡°Contact Gates and the others. If you stay here, you¡¯ll just die,¡± I whisper.


    Mattie exchanges a glance between both me and the Arcanist, his lip quivers and his eyes dart from side to side. I know he¡¯s caught between two choices and he needs that extra push. ¡°El-¡±


    ¡°Just go. I can deal with him for a little while. Probably longer than even I give myself credit for.¡±


    The Arcanist steps forward and I pull Mattie back, throwing him behind me with a forceful push, he¡¯s thrown back landing on the grass behind me. He clambers up and starts to flee. The Arcanist¡¯s form breaks up into a gas and he disappears into a shadow.


    I invoke the septagram and wings tear through my jacket and I feel my horns grow longer. I rush forward in a burst of white light. Right now, as a result of know Lucifer¡¯s magic, once I¡¯ve invoked the power of my Septagram, I can move incredibly fast, fast enough to meet the Arcanist when he reforms in front of Mattie. I crash into him and he¡¯s thrown off his feet where he crashes into a bench.


    Mattie yelps, taking a quick left turn trying to flee the assault. The Arcanist gets up, completely unharmed, but there¡¯s a look of confusion bristling in his eyes. ¡°You seem to have misunderstood as to why I am here,¡± he grumbles. The box in his grasp is in pieces, he flings it forward where it lands in front of me where it breaks apart revealing a large, metal, spiked gauntlet.


    I raise my head to look at the Arcanist. ¡°Why do you have this?¡± I hiss. ¡°Who gave it to you?¡±


    ¡°I stole it. Your brother and my Master, Lucifer, instructed me to retrieve it for you during your escape. Both you and Lucifer bought me time and I spent the rest of the time trying to track you down to present it to you.¡±


    I kick it with the tip of my shoe, causing it to clatter across the ground. It looks the same as my weapon. The copper color with harsh spikes at the knuckles and long, slender claws. I bend over to retrieve it, feeling the warm metal beneath my hands. It feels right, it looks right, but I don¡¯t like this situation. It seems like bait as if he¡¯s extending the weapon to earn my trust, only to stab me in the back. There¡¯s just more to this whole story than I¡¯m clearly seeing.


    First, if Valor, my weapon had remained in the hands of my Father, he would have likely found at least an approximate area of where I was hiding, being that a portion of my power is channeled into Valor. Secondly, there is no logical reason for an Arcanist to hand me Valor. While I¡¯m unsure about whether I can fight him right now, with Valor, I am stronger.


    I pull the gauntlet onto my arm and the metal contracts to fit. I feel a burst of new energy, my muscles bulge as the power from the gauntlet connects with me. It¡¯s the real thing, that¡¯s for sure. But I maintain the question. ¡°You stole it? From my Father¡¯s castle? I remain skeptical.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s completely understandable, but I still maintain my argument. I stole it from your Father while he was focused on commanding hordes of demons to recapture you. And before you ask the question-¡± He stops talking and he bends down retrieving a thin, purple cloth. ¡°This is how I was able to pick it up,¡± he flicks it to me where it lands at my feet.


    I extend the gauntlet, picking it up between two spikes. I raise it up to my face and run my left hand over the fabric. ¡°Silk-¡± An extreme rarity in the Demon Plane. Something that can only be retrieved from the Mortal Plane. It¡¯s the only item that can pick up a Demon Lord¡¯s weapons. If the Arcanist had touched the metal while retrieving it, the power within would have pierced his core, his well, his cup, the place where he keeps his power. It would have been a very painful death. ¡°This is a closely guarded secret.¡±


    ¡°A secret which your brother bequeathed upon me. There¡¯s more, you might not know me, but I know you very well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen you before, nor can you prove these things.¡±


    ¡°I might not be able to prove these things, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re having trouble not being able to trust me. The fact that I handed you your weapon was more than enough to ensure your confusion. The one who told me to get the weapon and to use silk to retrieve it was your brother, Lucifer. Had he not mentioned you, I would have refused-¡±


    ¡°So-¡± I interject. ¡°You¡¯re just greedy. Your desire is to have me all to yourself instead of sharing me with anyone else. That won¡¯t happen.¡±


    His eyes close and he exhales, his shoulders slumping. ¡°Jumping to conclusions. No, Lady Elmira, my name is Sebastian. I am the Arcanist who retrieved you from the Mortal Plane when you were nothing but a babe. Just like any other Demon Lord retrieving Arcanist I am dedicated to your protection and preservation.¡± He drops to his knee, bowing his head before me. ¡°I am here to serve, albeit, a few decades earlier than I¡¯m meant to, but I¡¯m here to serve you, Lady Elmira.¡±


    There¡¯s a loud bang and a golden gate bursts open by Sebastian¡¯s side and Hercules rushes out of the portal. He, without thinking, swings his massive fist toward Sebastian, I intercept the fist, raising the gauntlet to meet his enclosed fist. There¡¯s a loud bang and I feel the weight and strength of Hercules behind that fist. My feet grind up the grass beneath me and I snap my wings open, slowing my slide.


    Hercules steps back, pulling his hand away. His eyes are wide in shock, for just a moment, and he strikes out again with his right fist. I meet his hand with my own fist. There¡¯s a loud explosion as the fists meet and Hercules pulls his fist back. I can see marks on his fist and his brows are meeting in concentration. ¡°Hercules, stop!¡± I yell. He swings his left fist, aiming for my ribs. I lean to the right and his fist swings wide, speeding past my shoulder without touching me. ¡°Enough!¡± I roar.


    My form shines with white light, a burst of Lucifer¡¯s power and Hercules recoils, pulling his hands over his eyes. He collapses to the ground with a thud. I pull myself between Sebastian and the portal and it isn¡¯t long before Gates steps out. She looks furious, she raises a hand and I snap my hand around her hand. ¡°What are you doing?¡± She hisses.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing what I believe is right. Stop attacking and I won¡¯t fight back,¡± I retort. She glares at me, then she wrenches her arm from my grasp. I pull my gauntleted hand back, I flex my hand, feeling my tendons ache from the small fight against Hercules. Fighting him feels like I¡¯m fighting a sentient building.


    ¡°So, now you¡¯ve chosen to rejoin the demons?¡±


    ¡°No! I can¡¯t have you killing this one!¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯d prefer to fight us instead of letting us take him down? We¡¯re protecting you and you¡¯re just spitting in our faces!¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I yell, my voice breaks, ending up making it sound like I¡¯m roaring at them. ¡°No-¡± I say again. ¡°Sebastian is here to help me. He¡¯s joint with me. Just like any of the other Demon Lord¡¯s have an Arcanist that is joint with them, Sebastian is joint with me.¡±


    There¡¯s a long silence and I move slowly, blocking the way between Gates and Hercules and Sebastian. Hercules is cursing, rubbing his eyes and I turn my head slightly to look at Sebastian. He has his head slightly raised, with his lips kept firmly pressed together, the creases of his brow show that he¡¯s taking the situation incredibly seriously.


    Mattie returns, panting with his phone clutched in his hand, he¡¯s panting hard and once he sees us locked in an intense standoff, he pauses, his eyes widening. For a few moments, he moves his head from side to side, presumably reading both Hercules¡¯ and Gates¡¯ collective minds. His mouth drops open. ¡°What exactly is going on, Elmira?¡±


    Sebastian shoots up and I can see a look of anger affixed to his face. I place a hand on his shoulder and he slumps down. I struggle to come up with the words that would best explain Sebastian¡¯s role in my life. If what he says is true, which after he has handed me Valor and explained everything, is highly likely, then I need to relay the information. ¡°Sebastian- he¡¯s important to me-¡± I struggle.


    ¡°You just met him! How can he be important to you? And what¡¯s more, didn¡¯t he try cut me off? Try to-¡± He stops, his voice trailing off. It seems like everything is about to just dissolve into chaos, I need the closest comparison that I have to what a retrieving demon is.


    ¡°What¡¯s- Uh- is there anyone that helps take care of a baby when they are born here? Not the Mother the-¡±


    ¡°Wha-?¡± It seems I¡¯ve caught Mattie in this web of confusion now. ¡°Midwife- no- more like a babysitter?¡± I snap my fingers and point at him. ¡°A babysitter? I don¡¯t know, any baby handed to that guy would cry.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s kind of like that. Except for demons- Well, Demon Lords, it¡¯s kind of more than a weak title like that. All Arcanists tasked with the retrieval of a Demon Lord will in the future be tasked with their personal duties, sort of like a butler.¡±


    ¡°And their protection,¡± Sebastian adds.


    ¡°That too. Um- I don¡¯t think he can betray me. I¡¯m not even sure it¡¯s physically possible.¡± Actually, I don¡¯t know that for sure, but I¡¯m risking a lot by saying these things. Sebastian could, in the future, just backstab me, but on the off chance he doesn¡¯t I¡¯ve gained a very important assistant. Seems like a risk I should take, simply because I don¡¯t think I can take on an Arcanist enemy right now.


    Mattie exchanges a glance with Gates, while Hercules stares at me, seemingly finally having regained his sight after I blinded him. Mattie exhales and he half shrugs, apparently responding to something he read from Gates. Gates grinds her teeth and Hercules rubs his knuckles. For a moment, Gates ruminates in silence, then she finally speaks up. ¡°I don¡¯t care, do as you wish.¡±


    My eyes widen and I look at her with perhaps a hint of skepticism. I figured, out of everyone she would be the most against this. Mostly due to the fact she holds the most knowledge of Demons and she would also have the most distrust. She also doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯d allow anyone to do anything without first asking her. Which I guess happened anyway.


    ¡°We can¡¯t exactly take him back to the CPO and even if we did- the risks involved,¡± Hercules grunts. ¡°I went out of my way to accept Elmira, she¡¯s young, she doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯d harm a fly¡­ At least until now, but this guy, he has a different aura.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Gates grunts.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°And I don¡¯t care,¡± Gates raises her voice, glaring at Hercules. She glares at him, grimacing as if forcing him back with a look alone. It¡¯s her way of saying that if he doesn¡¯t stop talking about the subject, then things will escalate. It seems completely bizarre seeing a woman like Gates, glare at Hercules, a man nearly twice her size. To shout at him as if he¡¯s nothing more than a small child.


    Hercules clenches his fists and a vein pops out from his forehead, and it seems he¡¯s very ready to continue the verbal disagreement, or perhaps worse, but Mattie interjects. ¡°Hold on. Calm down for a second,¡± he says, raising his hands. He runs out between them and he exhales. I smirk, it seems that their team completely hinges upon the existence of a mind reader, that meaning that now, the team is in disarray, without him, the team wouldn¡¯t even be able to function.


    I cast my eyes back to Sebastian to see what he¡¯s doing he doesn¡¯t look amused, nor interested, just taking it all in with no reaction. I¡¯m not sure if this is all normal to him, or whether he is just naturally unemotional in a situation like this.


    Mattie seems to have taken the edge off the situation, though they seem almost ready to go at each other, only having sheathed their claws because there¡¯s someone in their way. Mattie exhales. ¡°Hercules. I understand your anger, I promise you, I do, but coming to blows with Gates will not make everything better. You¡¯re letting your anger get the best of you.¡± He turns to Gates. ¡°Meanwhile, Gates, why must you pointlessly provoke everyone? I understand Hercules, but I just can¡¯t understand your desire to be the intellectual better of everyone, to make them want to beat you in a battle.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s much like dominating a demon. If I beat Hercules here, then he¡¯ll be less likely to challenge my authority in the future.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not demons- well- half of us aren¡¯t but that¡¯s beside the-¡±


    ¡°Miss-¡± Sebastian speaks up, interrupting Mattie. ¡°You lack a fundamental understanding of demons. Do you think that¡¯s the way to make a demon not challenge you? Nay, that influences a demon to keep fighting, it renews their desire to break the shackles you create around them. Our hatred for Humans is already more than enough to fuel that desire, but you are just throwing fuel on the flames. The better solution is to make them want to be shackled, to cause them to love or to feel the warmth of friendship. To dislike the idea of fighting back for fear of hurting another.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a warlock-¡± she growls, turning to Sebastian. Mattie steps back, holding his hands up, he respectfully bows out with a small grin forming on his face. It seems he¡¯s more than happy to leave the defusing the Sebastian.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Sebastian gasps. ¡°My respect, oh, great warlock!¡± For a moment, I don¡¯t realize it, but there¡¯s heavy sarcasm coated in his voice. ¡°Would you like me to lick your boots, or perhaps to protect you from the sun?¡± Gates¡¯ face comes clouded in confusion. ¡°Are you a fool? Are you seriously that reliant on such a cheap title? Your power comes from the residual energy of a Demon Lord! You can¡¯t even make an Arcanist like myself or even Lady Elmira at the stage she is at right now listen to your commands. Even Masters would have an easy time fighting back.¡±


    ¡°Residual energy?¡± I whisper.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later, Lady Elmira,¡± he grins. ¡°Now. Miss-¡± he wiggles his hands as if trying to recollect a name, even though it¡¯s been said many times before. ¡°Gates!¡± He says, snapping his fingers. ¡°Miss Gates. While I love the fact you¡¯re causing strife between Humans, I don¡¯t exactly like that you¡¯re so ignorant.¡±


    Gates looks like she¡¯s been slapped. She doesn¡¯t look outrages either, just beaten and as much as I would have liked to see her like this before, it kind of feels bad to see it now. She¡¯s crushed, I don¡¯t know where any of her understanding of demons have come from in the past, but they¡¯re clunky at best and have likely been the result of a demon¡¯s lies.


    ¡°Sadly, she¡¯s not completely wrong-¡± Sebastian exhales. ¡°Though it¡¯s unwise to keep following such pretentious ideals. They would work if it were a simple demon, but not for long. It¡¯s the contract ideals.¡±


    ¡°The contract ideals?¡±


    ¡°Eh- It¡¯s a set of ideals that Humans put into place a while ago. I¡¯ve been told it¡¯s become quite popular here and that many occult organizations attempt to use them to ¡®contract¡¯ us. It¡¯s the laying of commands in an attempt to shackle us at each potential escape location. It¡¯s essentially slavery, except with shackles made of plywood.¡±


    ¡°Warlocks can do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s limited to only warlocks. Maybe Gates here has used the methods before, but I guess she should count herself lucky that she didn¡¯t decide to keep a demon around her.¡±


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Hercules scratches his chin for a few moments as if thinking about something. Mattie looks at him and then he turns to me with a small grin on his face. It seems that Hercules has had an idea. ¡°My main problem isn¡¯t so much a problem anymore. I mean, I¡¯m not sure we can trust him, but I¡¯m pretty sure we can pass him off as a contracted demon.¡±


    ¡°Tagert would be none the wiser. He¡¯s a complete idiot,¡± Gates whispers. She¡¯s quieter, she says something but she doesn¡¯t sound like she usually does.


    ¡°Not a complete idiot, but when it comes to demons, he¡¯ll believe whatever Gates and I tell him,¡± Mattie says. ¡°So, as long as we can find a place for him to sleep, I¡¯m sure we can put him there and I think that keeping him in the CPO tower is probably the safest place that we can keep him.¡±


    ¡°Sebastian?¡± I ask him.


    He shrugs. ¡°I care very little as to where I stay. If you wanted me to, I would sleep on a stone floor and eat rats.¡± I don¡¯t like the idea of treating him in such a way considering all that he¡¯s done for me, but I might have to find a good place to have him sleep. ¡°Though a sofa and warm food would be preferable.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out, I¡¯m sure,¡± Mattie says. ¡°At worst case, there are a few sofas in the living room of Elmira¡¯s apartment.¡±


    ¡°Lady Elmira,¡± Sebastian corrects.


    I exhale. ¡°Sebastian, it¡¯s Elmira here, to keep hiding in plain sight, I need to pass off as a Human for as long as possible, and even in the Demon Plane I didn¡¯t have such a title. Just like them call me Elmira, nothing more than that.¡± Sebastian¡¯s head drops in a nod.


    Gates flicks her hand. ¡°It¡¯s time to head back to the CPO. That- demon is your problem, Elmira. I¡¯m not taking him back to our apartment, nor are we taking a bullet for you. He¡¯s your problem.¡± Unsurprising, really. ¡°Come.¡±


    I let my septagram¡¯s power fade and my wings retreat into my back and I return to normal height. I carefully remove Valor from my arm, then wrap it tightly in the silk and place within the crook of my arm. I step into the portal with Gates and the others follow me. Hercules clears his throat. ¡°So what is that weapon?¡± He asks. ¡°You felt incredibly strong while using it.¡±


    ¡°Ah- It¡¯s- Well it¡¯s me- Or a part of me. When Beelzebub was born, the first Demon Lord, my Father wanted to accelerate his growth, like he does now with all his children, however, he found that his methods of torture weren¡¯t all that effective and that Beelzebub was simply too strong. Essentially, Beelzebub is incredibly durable and incredibly powerful. As a result, the future children of Satan has part of their power channeled into another location and it formed a weapon. That weapon holds a good portion of a demon lord¡¯s durability and strength. This meant that my Father could do whatever he wanted to all the following Demon Lord¡¯s while allowing them to retain their strength for when they needed it.¡±


    ¡°So- they¡¯re more dangerous with a weapon?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes, but most Demon Lords always fight with their weapon on hand, the only one who hasn¡¯t yet is me.¡±


    ¡°Does this also attribute to your personality change? When we met, you seemed so frightened and now- You seem confident and courageous-¡± Mattie speaks up. ¡°I mean, you pushed me out of the way and told me to call for help. I would never expect you to do such a thing.¡±


    I press my lips together. Personality change. I didn¡¯t feel scared and I knew I had to do something, I knew I couldn¡¯t hesitate, but I don¡¯t consider myself courageous in the slightest. I shrug. ¡°That was before I had the weapon on. I just- knew I had to take action, whether it was the right action or not was entirely up in the air. I¡¯d call it recklessness, actually.¡±


    The portal¡¯s exit appears, after a short period of walking in a non-descript abyss of darkness and rocky outcrops and we end up appearing in the corridor outside my apartment. Mattie clears his throat and I turn to him. ¡°Well- Not sure what I can say about the others, they don¡¯t mind having the company, at least Gabbie and Walt don¡¯t mind. They have that whole ¡®the more the better¡¯ frame of mind. Kai probably won¡¯t care, just as long as he doesn¡¯t talk to him. Thing is, unlike you, um- Sebastian doesn¡¯t provide anything to the team. So he kinda has to pull more weight.¡±


    ¡°That is not a problem,¡± Sebastian announces. ¡°I am proficient in cooking and cleaning even in a modern setting such as this. Pulling weight is something I am very capable at.¡±


    ¡°So you are some sort of butler,¡± Hercules repeats what I said earlier.


    ¡°Exactly, my role was to perform all the jobs that Lady Elmira would need me to do in the future. These are just a few of the many jobs I have been taught to do.¡±


    ¡°And the others?¡± Mattie queries. He asked a question, so does that mean he can¡¯t read Sebastian¡¯s mind either? I suspect that¡¯s the case, Mattie did say that it might be because I¡¯m a demon and the same is for Sebastian.


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer not to say.¡±


    ¡°That sounds suspicious,¡± Gates growls.


    ¡°I¡¯d be willing to say it, but this is very much Lady Elmira¡¯s private matters.¡±


    ¡°A bed warmer?¡± Hercules mutters.


    I feel my face burn red and I¡¯m about to deny such a fact, but it¡¯s Sebastian who talks first. ¡°Of course not. Why would you be so vulgar? My job is only to be shared with Lady Elmira and her alone but I won¡¯t have you suggest that I would treat her like the other demons might.¡±


    ¡°I was just making a joke,¡± he grumbles. He mutters a few other words, I can¡¯t hear, but it seems Sebastian hears just fine, something he doesn¡¯t respond to, yet he shakes his head in response.


    Mattie claps his hands. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re off, good luck to you Elmira and hopefully, you¡¯ll be appreciated, Sebastian, but if you harm Elmira, Sebastian. I¡¯ll make sure to get Tagert and then you¡¯ll die a very painful death.¡± I raise an eyebrow. The mention of Tagert seems sudden, but I never thought of him as strong. I guess he got to the place he¡¯s in somehow, but even still I can¡¯t think of him as being ¡®that¡¯ strong. After all, he does have a large scar over his eye.


    Gates, Mattie, and Hercules leave through a portal, leaving both me and Sebastian alone. I withdraw a key from my pocket and insert it into the lock. I turn to Sebastian. ¡°They¡¯re friends, or at least I think their friends. Try not to annoy them or appear scary or anything and just help them in areas you can.¡± I lower my head, feeling a little ashamed. ¡°At least that way you can be more help than I am.¡±


    He nods just once, but it¡¯s enough for me. At least he seems respectful enough with the exception of when he was speaking to Gates, which I believe she completely deserved. In fact, she probably deserved far worse. I turn the key and push the door open, walking inside with Sebastian on my tail. I feel, before long that will take a very literal meaning.


    Walter and Gabbie are still around in front of the TV with glazed over eyes and controllers in their hands, while Kai is in his usual place. He raises his head slightly to look at me, he narrows his eyes when he sees Sebastian, while Walter and Gabbie drop their controllers and stand up. Walter glares at Sebastian while Gabbie looks toward where her rapier is placed. I raise my hands, standing in front of Sebastian, just trying to use calming body language.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± I announce. ¡°I know this looks strange and you guys probably don¡¯t want a demon around-¡±


    ¡°Damn right it looks strange, what the hell, Elmira? What¡¯s going on?¡± Gabbie yells.


    ¡°Well- Sebastian is a contracted demon-¡± I lie. Once again, I¡¯m lying, I really, really hate this. I¡¯m not like Lucifer, I don¡¯t lie and feel good about it, I don¡¯t do it to make myself look better than I actually am. ¡°He¡¯s here to defend and help me.¡±


    Gabbie and Walter look skeptical, they eye Sebastian with fear in their gazes. They¡¯re ready to jump for their weapons at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°And how can we trust him? Couldn¡¯t he just be going along with it to appear like he¡¯s helping?¡± Walter asks.


    I look at Sebastian, who has a calm look on his face, something that probably isn¡¯t helping his case. He shrugs once. ¡°I am here to assist and protect Miss Elmira, that is all. If her decision is to have me help you, and by extension have me help you. Then I will be happy to lend a hand.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that doesn¡¯t mean we can trust you. What do you think Elmira?¡±


    ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t have brought him back if he couldn¡¯t be trusted,¡± I murmur. ¡°I mean, if something goes wrong, then I¡¯ll kill him, but ultimately, if he was here to do something, he¡¯d have done it already. After all, it¡¯s me who the demons were after.¡±


    ¡°Hold up a second!¡± Walter yells. ¡°Those demons a few weeks ago, they were after you? Gabbie, you listening to this?¡± Gabbie nods.


    ¡°I mean, I had my assumptions, but I figured it was a bit strange¡­¡± She responds.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say something about that? Like, I escaped from the Demon Plane and then they chased after me because they wanted to make me-¡± I trail off, not willing to continue the conversation. ¡°Is this a problem?¡±


    ¡°Not really- But I guess that at least gives some merit to what you¡¯re saying. Doesn¡¯t mean I like the whole demon thing, but I¡¯m sleeping with my door locked.¡± I mean, it¡¯s not exactly going to help her if Sebastian really wants her dead, but otherwise, I¡¯m surprised they¡¯d trust my words so much. We¡¯ve only been on a team for three weeks, and I suppose that me already bringing someone back is a bit too early and strenuous for the team relationship. ¡°So what can you do Sebastian?¡±


    ¡°Much like I told Miss Gates, Mr. Hercules, and that other man, I am a capable cook and cleaner. I can cook just as well as any human, if not better than most. But primarily my job is protection. Protection of Miss Elmira, here,¡± Sebastian explains once again.


    ¡°You cook?¡± Kai says from the back, almost too excited. A far cry from his usual apathetic demeanor. Sebastian turns to him, nodding with a small smile. ¡°Good, because Walt¡¯s cooking is awful.¡±


    ¡°Et tu Brutus!¡± Walter gasps, grabbing the left side of his chest. He collapses against the sofa where he lays unmoving. Then he raises his head. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with it, but no more demons. We don¡¯t have enough room for them.¡±


    Gabbie gives him a harsh look, then she sighs. ¡°Yeah, whatever. I just hope you know what you¡¯re doing Elmira because it seems you¡¯re putting a lot of trust in someone you only just met.¡±


    ¡°Sounds familiar,¡± I say. ¡°It reminds me of what happened with you guys and pretty much everyone I met since I came here.¡±


    ¡°Touche. Fair enough, I¡¯ll trust you.¡±


    Right. ¡°Uh, thanks.¡± She shrugs and I turn to walk over to my room. ¡°Sebastian, I have a few questions to ask you. Do you mind?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°And I have something to ascertain and even if I didn¡¯t I would have said yes even if there was something immediately important. Lead the way.¡±


    I lead the way to my room but I¡¯m stopped. ¡°Hold up? What¡¯s that thing that you¡¯re holding?¡± Gabbie asks.


    I raise the red silk wrapped gauntlet. ¡°This?¡± She nods. I unwrap it a little, revealing the top of the gauntlet. ¡°It¡¯s my weapon. Something I had in the Demon Plane.¡±


    ¡°I- what?¡±


    ¡°Long story,¡± I sigh. ¡°I might go into detail about it another time-¡± If I ever tell them that I¡¯m a Demon Lord. I continue toward my room and then step inside, followed soon by Sebastian. I shut the door behind him and I start walking over to the bed. I drop down onto it and he stands, looking at me with an intense look. I wave my hand to the chair next to the computer and he sits down in it, responding with a small bob of his head. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ask again. What was that about Warlocks you said- Uh- Residual energy?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, right. Residual energy is-¡± For a moment he pauses. ¡°The best definition would be the remains of a Demon Lord¡¯s essence in a woman. A portion of his power. When a Demon Lord has a woman bear his children, if that woman gives birth and then continues to live. The life in which she chooses to give birth to another child at a later date, that child would be a warlock.¡±


    ¡°Does this always happen?¡±


    ¡°Aye, there can be at most seven warlocks every ten years as a result. It¡¯s why they have such a tie to the Demon Plane. And some might not know, but they can draw on more power from the Demon Lord that their step-brother is the son of.¡±


    ¡°Wait, then you know my Mother, where she lives?¡±


    He gives me a serious look. ¡°I do- but I implore you not to command me to find her. Humans are not happy when you dig up old, difficult memories. It will be crushing if she were to harm you or treat you ill because you bear the features of a demon.¡±


    I feel a twinge of pain. For a moment, I thought I would have someone else, someone who would love me that didn¡¯t want to hurt me at the same time. ¡°I¡­ See¡­¡± I mutter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed. There are Humans that are more open. People who are willing to accept you the way you are. As I can see, you have already found your fair share. Hold them close.¡± He clears his throat. ¡°Now, there is one thing I have to ask you. Simply because it¡¯s something Lucifer said I should keep an eye on.¡±


    ¡°And that is?¡±


    ¡°Your septagram. Its development. He wants to find out if it¡¯s developing and how it¡¯s developing here in the Mortal Plane.¡± I swallow, feeling a little self-conscious. I turn away from him, facing my back to him. This is likely the first time I¡¯ll be showing anyone my septagram in detail since I last allowed my Father to pump power into one of the points.


    I pull my shirt up, until my back is laid bare, visible to him. I make sure not to pull the shirt completely off, waiting for him to look at it. For a few moments, I can hear him mumbling beneath his breath. Then he coughs and I hear the seat creak, signaling that he¡¯s sat back down.


    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± I pull my shirt back down and turn back to Sebastian. ¡°It seems that the Mortal Plane is truly incredible. The development of her Septagram is absolutely astounding. Soon enough you will be able to use Sathanus¡¯ magic as you use Lucifer¡¯s magic. It seems that I can finally understand your Father¡¯s desperation.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s been going on?¡± I query.


    ¡°Well, you see, your Father has been spreading scouts everywhere across the country. He¡¯s been trying exceptionally hard to find you to no avail. Clearly he is aware that one would develop fast, but I am very interested as to how you develop so fast.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how it comes to me, but the answer seems relatively simple when I remember Gates¡¯ explanation of a warlock¡¯s power. ¡°Maybe, when I use warlock magic I retain some of that power in my septagram. It would explain why it¡¯s faster and it would also explain why my Father¡¯s method was slower as he was not taking it from the true source.¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± He nods a few times. ¡°That sounds fairly straightforward and logical.¡± Sebastian grins. ¡°Then those were all the answers I desired. Thank you, Lady Elmira.¡± He stands and makes his way toward the door. ¡°Then I will begin to prepare dinner. I will see you in a while.¡± He leaves the room, leaving me alone in the room.


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes


    I appreciate all comments on my stories. I read over them and usually shift my stories according to my audiences response. Thus, if you want to see something happen, the best thing you can do is not remain silent and hope it will happen and to rather speak up and see if I put it in in response. Alternatively, any reviews on the main page will assist me too, as it should help grow my audience as I am slowly planning on becoming a professional writer and any promotion will help a bunch.


    Thanks for the reads guys and thank you for all the kind comments.

 Arc 1: Lucifer, Part Eleven

    I turn in for the night after a very good and filling meal from Sebastian, turns out that that guy can cook better than I¡¯ve ever eaten. Likely stemming from the fact he''s Beelzebub''s son. It¡¯s his cooking that teaches me that burgers aren''t supposed to taste like the one I had on the first day in the Mortal Plane. No desperate water chugging and flushing of the toilet today, just a very good burger on a freshly baked bun. It seems that everyone else appreciated the meal as they looked at Sebastian in a new light.


    As for my sleep, as I expected, there are nightmares, but not like my other nightmares. There is no attempt at threatening me, there is no attempt to convince me to return, instead, I¡¯m granted a vision of a scene unfolding before me. Lucifer is kneeling at the foot of a throne, his knee hovering just over the long blue carpet that spans the length of the room. It¡¯s as if he doesn¡¯t want to kneel, but he accepts whoever he is looking at is better than him.


    Of course, I know who he is kneeling to. I know the room, its tall bronze pillars, and red, stone walls. With the massive golden throne that would be behind where I¡¯m standing, up immense black stone steps. ¡°It seems three weeks has done more than enough to curb your dissent, boy,¡± A loud, low voice growls. There¡¯s a loud groan, the sound of metal warping beneath a strong hand. My Father is sitting behind me in that chair. ¡°I¡¯ve grown impatient- and I- I am a very patient man.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father,¡± Lucifer murmurs. His voice is quivering as if he¡¯s afraid.


    ¡°With Elmira gone, I grow all the more weary and worried for the future. Something I shouldn¡¯t have to worry about in the first place. I have no intent of letting Elmira undergo metamorphosis in the Mortal Plane, so you will be charged with retrieving her. Failure- Need I say what failure will be met with?¡±


    ¡°No, Father.¡±


    ¡°Then, as an additional punishment, it is not any of your brother¡¯s children that will be assaulting the Mortal Plane, but your children. Send them there to cause a ruckus, and then find her and return her to me. Use those ten years you¡¯ve been saving up so dearly to return that girl to me.¡±


    ¡°When, Father?¡±


    ¡°Now! Do it now!¡± Father¡¯s voice roars. The entire building seems to shake and dust drops from the ceiling, falling upon my brother¡¯s shoulder. He stands up, bowing his head before exiting the citadel in a swift fashion. There¡¯s a loud banging as if he¡¯s striking the arm of his throne. ¡°I¡¯ll find you,¡± he growls.


    The loud banging continues and I struggle against my blanket, casting it off me. Residual pain from my back burns through my body and I cast it aside as if it¡¯s become, by now, routine. The pain, at this point, is very familiar, and I find it a wonderful exchange from the pain I used to have to endure. I extricate myself from my bed, reaching behind me to wrap my hand around the length of my tail.


    I¡¯m unsurprised to find it¡¯s grown, likely, along with my horns. I yawn as I approach the door and yank it open, rubbing my eyes. It¡¯s still dark in the living room, with lights on. Gabbie is standing waiting, her eyes bloodshot and a rapier at her side. ¡°What time is it?¡± I groan. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Really early and I really, really don¡¯t know. I just got a call from the front desk, there¡¯s a building-wide response order. Everyone is being told to suit up and get ready for a big battle.¡±


    My heart seems to stop and I feel a chill run down my spine. ¡°What? A battle? Against whom? What?¡±


    She shrugs. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of dangerous organizations. I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s just one which picked up a couple vigors or something and decided to make a problem while they perform heists. It¡¯s relatively common practice and the building tends to send the less experienced teams and the Juniors to confront the riots. It¡¯s not common, but it¡¯s also not rare.¡±


    I relax. ¡°Yeah,¡± I sigh. ¡°Let me get my stuff. Back in a second.¡± I retreat into my room, pulling open my wardrobe and grabbing a set of clothing, similar to the stuff I always wear. As usual, jeans and a few layers of shirts.


    I pull on a jacket to help me with the cold weather and then pull on shoes. Before I leave, I duck beneath my bed, wrapping my hand around the weapon I hid there. I withdraw it and pull the silk away, exposing the metal. I push my hand inside where the metal shrinks around my grasp, locking itself into place. I feel my muscles grow as I walk out into the living room.


    Everyone is in varying states of disarray, Kai seems fine. He¡¯s been better with staying up in the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning, while Walter looks like he¡¯s about to drop to the ground at any moment. He keeps yawning, his eyes constantly drooping as if he¡¯s about to fall asleep on his feet. Sebastian is the only one who doesn¡¯t seem all too hurt by the lack of sleep, he¡¯s leaning against a wall looking perhaps a little bored.


    It¡¯s deathly quiet, with not one word shared between us. There¡¯s a hint of nervousness and the only sound I can hear is movement in the corridor as well someone talking outside, which echoes along the walls. Gabbie sighs loudly and she approaches the door and pulls it open. She returns to us. ¡°We¡¯re with Gates¡¯ team again. This time, we¡¯ll be working as riot control so we¡¯ll probably be seeing at least some combat. This time, we¡¯ll stick together. It won¡¯t be like yesterday.¡±


    Hercules steps in through the door, Gates is behind him, looking as angry as she usually looks. She looks at me, then at Sebastian and her brow grows heavier as if she¡¯s going to scowl her entire face off. ¡°Mm,¡± Hercules grumbles. His eyes are bloodshot, but he looks incredibly serious. ¡°We¡¯ll be heading out now. Are you all ready?¡±


    There¡¯s no response for a few moments. None of us have anything to say in response. ¡°Uh, what¡¯s going on? Has M- Janus said anything?¡± I ask. For a moment I almost say Mattie, but I switch quickly to correct my error.


    Hercules shrugs and shakes his head. ¡°He¡¯s been trying to figure it out, but they¡¯ve all been too confused. There¡¯s no-one who has the real answer, so we¡¯ll have to find out when we get out there.¡± I groan in response. ¡°Yeah, I know. Anyway, you are ready to leave, are you not?¡± I hesitate, but inevitably I end up nodding.


    I exchange glances with the others who switch their tired stances to start walking to Hercules. Hercules and Gates turn away and the five of us step out through the door. Of course, Kai¡¯s robots trail after him as they usually do, passing by both Sebastian and me.


    Sebastian is walking by my side. ¡°I had a nightmare,¡± I murmur. ¡°My Father convinced Lucifer to track me down. I think he was trying to attack the city.¡±


    Sebastian seems a little surprised, but I see the corners of his mouth turn up as if amused at the idea of my brother betraying me. ¡°Do you really think your brother would do as your Father asks?¡± I shake my head in response to his question. ¡°Then you know the answer. Your brother wouldn¡¯t default upon his words. Your Father was just trying to scare you, that¡¯s all.¡±


    I exhale. That¡¯s what I thought, but the timing seems too convenient. We join the others in the elevator, which is a tight fit and start heading down to the garage. The elevator stops a few floors early and the door slides open to reveal an older man, dressed from head to toe in thick clothes. He stares into the elevator eyes wide. ¡°I¡¯ll- I¡¯ll wait for the next one,¡± he grumbles.


    The doors slide closed and I can hear Walter snort in amusement. I look back at him, where he¡¯s standing and I can see, once again, Gabbie cowering, trying to avoid the robots. We don¡¯t stop at another floor, instead finally making it down to the garage in the basement. All of us step out into the garage. Gates turns back to us, but instead of talking to the others, she talks directly to Sebastian. ¡°You¡¯re staying in the trailer. I don¡¯t trust you-¡±


    ¡°And I think you would cause more issues than Elmira would- you¡¯re more demonic than she is,¡± Hercules interjects.


    ¡°Only if Elmira is safe by herself. If she needs me to protect her, then I cannot follow those instructions,¡± Sebastian responds.


    Hercules runs his fingertips across his scalp and he groans. ¡°Yeah, whatever, we don¡¯t have time to consider exactly what that entails.¡±


    The garage is a buzz of activity, with large trucks flying past, all of them painted different colors with the emblem of the CPO painted on the doors. I try to peer into the windows to see who¡¯s inside but find the windows have been darkened and I can¡¯t even make out the figures of those who inhabit the vehicles. Sebastian lays a hand on my shoulder. I look up to see the others have left the two of us behind. I jog to catch up to them, with Sebastian directly behind me.


    ¡°Stick together,¡± Gates growls. ¡°I won¡¯t have you screwing up like yesterday. You¡¯re using my name, so you need to make me look good.¡±


    ¡°That was the plan,¡± Gabbie mutters. We find the car, with the large trailer nearby. The trailer is wide open with Nav and Mattie inside, waiting. Mattie looks nervous, while Navigator looks just as catatonic as usual.


    ¡°Get in. I¡¯m going out front with Gates.¡± Gates walks out the front of the truck while Hercules stays to watch us enter. The group of us enter slowly and I look back at Hercules impatiently tapping his foot. ¡°Come on,¡± he yells. ¡°It¡¯s an emergency so act like it! Remember, soon as all of you get out of that trailer you¡¯ll likely be met by those who you need to fight off. So don¡¯t be caught with your tail between your legs. Kick major ass or end up with a knife between your ribs.¡±


    Walter swears under his breath and Sebastian rolls his eyes. It seems this is just as chaotic as expected. I can practically feel the pressure in the air. We climb into the trailer and I pull on the rope, causing the ramp to snap into place over the entrance. I drop into a seat next to Mattie and we all end up in the same spots we were when we were last in this trailer. The only difference is that Sebastian is here, and as usual, he stands nearby me with his arms crossed and a serious expression on his face.


    ¡°Mattie,¡± I whisper. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He shrugs and I feel the entire trailer shudder and then lurch forward. I get thrown against him. He straightens me carefully. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know. I was woken up suddenly and I¡¯ve been assaulted by so many chaotic thoughts. Thoughts that are repeated in this trailer, but you don¡¯t need to be worried. It happens. We¡¯ll deal with it and be home before lunch.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±


    He snorts. ¡°Hell no. I could just as much be wrong, but I¡¯ll take my experience into account and believe that it will only be a riot. I¡¯ll believe that there¡¯s nothing more and that¡¯s that. I doubt it¡¯s anything more, so you don¡¯t need to worry. At least, I¡¯m not worried.¡± I place my hand over my chest, inhaling and exhaling for a few moments, just trying to steady my thoughts. ¡°You¡¯ll find that the ones with chaotic thoughts are those who are being exposed to something like this for the first time. Being woken at a strange time for the first time. You¡¯ll get used to it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired,¡± Walter groans.


    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± Mattie yells, laughing. ¡°The most annoying part of doing this is dropping what you were doing. Nothing¡¯s scary about doing the same old same old.¡±


    ¡°Hm-¡± Sebastian grumbles. It¡¯s almost as if he¡¯s agreeing, but I see him holding his ear against the outside of the container. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Odd. You said riot, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Mattie asks. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a riot-¡± There¡¯s a loud bang and the entire trailer jerks up as if its run over something. Walter flings his hand over Gabbie¡¯s chest and wraps his hand beneath his seat. I fling my gauntlet into the outer wall where it sinks into the steel. Kai gets thrown out of his seat and I use my free hand to grab his shirt, pulling him toward me.


    The vehicle has stopped and Nav is groaning on the ground while Mattie managed to right himself by grabbing a handle on the wall. ¡°What the flying fuck?¡± Matie mutters. He slams his fist against the wall next to him. ¡°What the hell did we hit?¡± He yells.


    There¡¯s another loud bang against the wall behind me and I jump out of my seat, pulling my gauntlet out and turning to face the wall. There¡¯s a silence, the only sound is some clattering outside the trailer. Mattie stands up grumbling to himself. He grabs the gun off the wall and leans down to help Nav.


    ¡°What now?¡± Gabbie asks, her voice shaking.


    ¡°Well- guess we find out what¡¯s out there. Take an earpiece, Nav is okay, just a little in pain right now.¡± Nav slips into his chair, gritting his teeth. He pulls open a drawer and starts throwing earpieces at everyone. We all take one, some of them hitting the ground where they have to be retrieved.


    Sebastian takes one for himself, shoving it in his ear. Nav turns to one of his screens. ¡°There¡¯s six hostiles outside that door. A lot more along the other streets. I hope all of you are as good as Hercules and Gates,¡± he says.


    ¡°What about Hercules and Gates?¡± Mattie asks. He nods. ¡°Okay, that¡¯s good. Herc and Gates are moving down the street, we¡¯ll have to go the other way.¡± He raises the gun toward the entrance and the five of us trail behind him.


    Gabbie draws her sword, raising the rapier so it¡¯s pointing toward the closed door. Kai drops down into his chair, clipping his notepad to the sockets and I raise my gauntlet, my claws exposed. Walter walks up to the door and his skin grows a darker color, seemingly sparkling in the light. ¡°Now?¡± He asks. Mattie nods and he pulls on the rope.


    The door drops open and I raise my left hand to obstruct my eyes. It¡¯s incredibly bright outside, but the sun still isn¡¯t up. Instead, we¡¯re met with our enemy and the confirmation of my fears. Waiting outside are six of Lucifer¡¯s demons, their wings open wide and their mouths split in menacing looks. There¡¯s a lot of glass scattered across the ground and they turn to face us immediately.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Oh, shit,¡± Mattie grunts. He pulls the trigger and the trailer echoes with loud explosions from the gun. The demons charge at us and two of them drop out of the air, blood pumping from their chest.


    ¡°You took the words right out of my mouth, mortal!¡± Sebastian growls. A shadow, cast by the light of the six demons yields large spikes which tears the wings off a demon, which then gets hit by an image of a sword, leaving a massive hole in its stomach. ¡°Good job,¡± he commends Gabbie.


    ¡°Brother, incinerate them,¡± I mutter. There¡¯s a strong smell of sulfur and then the ground splits and flames burst from the ground in a massive plume. A single demon flies into the flames, while the remaining two are agile enough to dodge the flames. The come within striking range of the five of us.


    The first strikes at Mattie while he¡¯s trying to do something to his gun. I wrap my hand around the demon¡¯s head, the large claws enter its head as if it¡¯s made of butter and I fling it to the side of the street with great force. Walter steps forward to meet the second one. He punches at the demon, which happily meets his strike. The Demon shrieks as its fist disintegrates as it meets Walter¡¯s and then Walter shoots forward, smashing his palm into the face of the Demon. Its entire head explodes like oil thrown into a hot pan.


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think you weren¡¯t wrong,¡± Sebastian mutters as he steps past me. He stops over the bodies of the demons, prodding them with his boot. He stops by the demons that Mattie shot then he raises a foot.


    ¡°Whoa, what are you doing?¡± Gabbie shrieks. Sebastian stops, turning to her. ¡°They¡¯ve already been dealt with.¡±


    ¡°Miss, if you don¡¯t want them to call for reinforcements, you kill them. They¡¯d do the same to you anyway.¡±


    ¡°But- we¡¯re better than that,¡± Walter grumbles.


    ¡°And you¡¯ll find being-¡± suddenly the demon jumps up to his feet, still bleeding profusely, he breaks into a run. ¡°Wha-¡± Sebastian gasps. He breaks into a run, his form shimmering in with light, but he¡¯s too late. The demon burst through a portal and it shuts behind him. ¡°Damn it. See!¡± Sebastian yells. ¡°Now he¡¯ll just go and tell them where we are.¡±


    ¡°But- he was hurt,¡± Gabbie whispers. She¡¯s pale and I step forward, stepping between Gabbie and Sebastian.


    ¡°No use crying over spilled milk, Sebastian. You¡¯re right, but being right doesn¡¯t make everything better. If you paid better attention, you could have used your magic to stop him.¡± I could have too, but there was a high chance of me hitting Sebastian instead, which would have been terrible. I look around, stepping out of the trailer. It¡¯s too late, they know where I am, so there¡¯s no point hiding.


    For the first time, I don¡¯t feel like hiding, for the first time I¡¯m not scared of them tracking down, just that I know that I¡¯ll have to fight, that I know what I¡¯m going to do. This time, it¡¯s not only me involved but the people who have always treated me well, that gave me a place to stay, some food and a roof over my head. My friends, and I won¡¯t let them die.


    I clear my throat. ¡°Alright. So it looks like it¡¯s only Lucifer¡¯s demons. They might be strong, but they''re not as strong as the other demons. They''re actually the youngest, fewest and the weakest. The best method to deal with them is to force them to come in close, which they will. Normal demons are limited to close range magic and a lot of them like the feeling of soaking their claws in blood.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure of this?¡± Gabbie mutters.


    ¡°Of course, I come from the Demon Plane.¡±


    ¡°Alright then,¡± Gabbie groans. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll do it like this. Me, Sebastian and Walter will stand in a circle around Elmira. We can use the fact they want her to easily dispatch them. Uh- Janus can you-¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Not much of a use here, so I¡¯ll keep a gun and make sure Nav and Kai are safe.¡± Janus seems to grin as if approving of Gabbie¡¯s thinking.


    ¡°And Kai-¡±


    ¡°Mm?¡±


    ¡°How are you with those exploding robots?¡±


    ¡°A few dozen.¡±


    ¡°Alright. You wanted a chance to test them out, here¡¯s your chance.¡± She exhales, almost as if feeling incredibly stressed. ¡°Any problems?¡± She¡¯s met with silence. She immediately wraps her hand around Walter¡¯s upper arm. She points. ¡°We¡¯re moving a bit further down the street. Just so we have a lot of free space.¡±


    The four of us start walking. I¡¯m nervous, but confident and I look behind me to see the robots leave the open door of the trailer before the trailer slams shut. The robots then congregate around us in the air and Gabbie stops.


    ¡°Alright. Here.¡± I look around us. We¡¯re in the middle of the street. There¡¯s a small bench with some cover over it. The other side has a few cars, parked with their windows shattered and some steel warped by attacks. Walter steps in front of me, he looks at Sebastian which takes a position next to him.


    Sebastian flexes. ¡°We¡¯ll probably find a Master or another Arcanist during this fight. We¡¯ll have to be careful should we find them. The Master shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to deal with, only a little harder than a normal demon, but an Arcanist will be very difficult.¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll do something about that when it happens. Just because their demons doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t turn them into dust,¡± Walter growls.


    ¡°Or I can¡¯t pierce them with my rapier,¡± Gabbie continues.


    ¡°Or I can¡¯t pierce them with shadows or blast them apart with light,¡± Sebastian snorts, carrying on the chant.


    ¡°Or I can¡¯t blow them up with robots,¡± Kai whispers through our earpieces.


    Gabbie and Walter turn to me, almost expectantly waiting for me to say something. I shrug. ¡°I guess, I¡¯ll just destroy them with magic.¡±


    ¡°You have much to learn,¡± Gabbie exhales. ¡°And I¡¯m starting to think your fear was unfounded, Sebastian. Couldn¡¯t we have just run by now?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. Lucifer¡¯s demons have incredible eyesight unless we went underground, then they¡¯d inevitably be able to track us down and then they¡¯d have the advantage. Better to meet them like this.¡±


    ¡°More like improbable,¡± Nav interjects in the earpiece. ¡°Anyway. It doesn¡¯t matter. There have been a few demons converging upon your position. About three have been keeping an eye on you just waiting for the numbers.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you point them out to us?¡± Gabbie hisses.


    ¡°Because had I done that, you would have attempted to kill them and then you would have been beset on by those other demons and torn to pieces. For now, you will need to hold firm while we wait for reinforcements.¡±


    There are a few loud explosions, the sound of demons tearing open their portals around us. Gabbie hefts her sword, Sebastian steps forward and Walter flexes his fingers causing them to pop a few times. The three of them have their backs turned to me and I let a small white orb grow in my left hand.


    The demons shriek, flying towards us at extreme speeds. They flash with light and as they''re about to meet us, I throw the orb into the air where it explodes in a bright flash. The Demons crash into each other while some are blinded, allowing us with the initiative. Gabbie strikes out with her sword and two Demons drop out of the air, while Walter steps forward, crashing his knee into a blinded Demon. It grows stiff and he wraps his hand around the Demons leg, flinging it into the flying Demons where it crashes into them.


    Sebastian raises his hands and a few shadows bubble before erupting in spires of darkness. Demons are struck, almost looking like ornaments for some sick looking tree. The Demons seem to be coming from everywhere now. ¡°Brother, slow their advance,¡± I murmur. There¡¯s a loud wind, and I feel my hair get picked up, whipping it around the side of my neck. Gabbie raises her free hand and Walter takes a step back as a tornado forms around us, similar to the one that Gates used in the mall.


    ¡°I can work with this,¡± Gabbie murmurs. She strikes at a Demon who struggles its way through the tornado and it tumbles before being whipped up to the tornado and out into the air where it collides with a second Demon. ¡°Yeah. This¡¯ll work pretty, damn well.¡±


    ¡°There might be some that come from above,¡± I mutter. ¡°I¡¯ll take them. You guys deal with the ones that come through the tornado.¡± I watch Walter grab a second Demon which freezes, being petrified by his touch. He flings the thing across where it flies through the tornado and I hear a loud shriek of a Demon being hit.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he gasps. ¡°Hey- Nav.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll probably need that backup soon- cause I doubt we can hold out for long.¡±


    ¡°You only just started!¡± Comes his response. The outside of the tornado gets painted orange and I watch the entire tornado get dyed with orange fire. I stare at the flames in surprise and I can hear a low laughing coming from the earpiece.


    ¡°Holy shit, Kai,¡± Gabbie gasps. ¡°That was awesome. Was that one of the explodey robots?¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± comes his response. ¡°Got some overhead, I can deal with them if you want.¡±


    ¡°Nah. I got them.¡± Guess this is it. I invoke my Septagram and once again my wings grow out, causing the back of my shirt to rip. My tail lengthens until it¡¯s just past the crook of my leg. Two, sharp prongs, starting from midway, making it seem like there are actually two tails. I open my wings, flexing my legs and then jumping upward. My wings beat once, causing me to suddenly burst into the air.


    Walter looks up at me and his eyes widen. ¡°Elmi-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± I quickly gasp. ¡°I got this, keep focused on what you¡¯re doing.¡± I keep flying upward, my wings beating as I ascend. As I near the top of the tornado, I meet a Demon trying to take advantage of the opening, using my gauntlet to tear off its wing. He seems completely surprised by my sudden attack, almost as if I gave him a fright, but he starts tumbling toward the ground, where he gets caught up in the tornado and flung back out into the sky.


    There¡¯s a second Demon that comes up from the right side and I raise my hand to shoot a burst of light at it, but instead a crystallized Demon smashes it in the side of the head and the entire body goes slack, falling from the sky, unconscious. The tornado, once again is painted bright red and I can hear a few explosions around the outside of the tornado.


    I fly above the tornado just in time to see about one hundred Demons get caught up in a mass of explosions. They''re number drop, leaving perhaps half the Demons. ¡°Uh- was that you Kai?¡±


    ¡°Thought you could deal with the lower numbers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we really needed that. Thanks,¡± Gabbie responds. ¡°Just imagine if we did this when we fought Expedition.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Then they would all be dead, kinda not the point of the exercise.¡±


    ¡°Damn right,¡± Walter pants. ¡°Another statue on its way up!¡± I fly back just as a crystallized Demon is launched into the sky. ¡°You know, I would never be able to crystalize Humans. It doesn¡¯t kill them- but- well it¡¯s not exactly looked kindly upon.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re in a fight,¡± Nav interjects. ¡°Stop talking and start concentrating. It¡¯s like talking while you¡¯re running. Stop wasting energy.¡± The small group of Demons below seems to bristle with impatience and they push their way toward the tornado. I grind my teeth ¡°Actually. Spread out your robots, Kai.¡±


    There¡¯s a long pause as the Demons start all converging once again on the tornado. Some approach me and I¡¯m forced to blast a hole in one of them with light, which seems to just make it angrier. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I ask. ¡°It looks very problematic.¡±


    ¡°Use a massive amount of electrical magic, now!¡± Nav yells. ¡°Just a thunderstorm, I don¡¯t care, do it now!¡±


    ¡°Brother, bring me a storm,¡± I whisper. ¡°Bring me a massive storm.¡± I shut my wings. Letting myself tumble from the sky, before I get caught by any lightning because of how high I am. I drop like a rock, toward the guys below and all of a sudden I hear a crack of lightning and the entire area turns into a net of white, forked lighting.


    The street lights go off, cars start ringing, windows shatter and Demons drop like flies, causing the ground to be littered with bodies. I feel something catch me and I struggle for a moment, trying fight back. ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Sebastian says in my ears. ¡°Good job. Though I fear it¡¯s not over yet. That will just cause them to stop sending normal Demons after us, next up will be-¡±


    There are three large bangs and three portals open. Three demons step out, and unlike the other demons, these ones are immaculately dressed in black suits, with regal looks. They have larger wings, smoother complexions, silky golden hair and large horns growing from their heads. The tornado finally fades, leaving us open to fight the new arrivals.


    ¡°The Masters have arrived.¡±


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes


    Okay. This is the second last chapter of the arc. Kinda dropped it suddenly because I don''t want you guys expecting anything. It''s also, the last chapter I could write fast enough to give it to you guys in time. So I might give you chapter 12 tomorrow, but there''s absolutely no garuntee. It''s currently on ~2.5k which means it needs at least another 1.5k to complete which isn''t too hard. But hopefully if I don''t release it tomorrow, you guys can just wait that extra day.

 Arc 1: Lucifer, Part Twelve

    ¡°I did not sign up for this,¡± Walter mumbles. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose these guys will be easier than the Demons. You know, for a breather.¡± I shake my head as Sebastian places me on the ground. I flex my wings and take a step forward. ¡°Damn it.¡±


    ¡°I do believe I said I didn¡¯t sign up for this first, though, you know, at the mall,¡± I respond.


    ¡°Yeah, but that was three weeks ago and there weren''t 100 friggin Demons in the street!¡±


    The Masters are standing together, they are infuriated. They step over the bodies, having a nasty time navigating the area. They raise their heads to look at me and the far right one holds out a single hand stopping the other two. It seems he¡¯s the leader, meaning he¡¯s the oldest one. ¡°Sebastian. The guy on the left is yours. I¡¯ll take the middle one and then Walter and Gabbie can focus on the last with assistance from Kai,¡± I whisper.


    ¡°Agreed. They can¡¯t take on a Master easily by themselves, so we¡¯d have a better time of dealing with them split up like that,¡± Sebastian says.


    The leading demon steps forward. He has solid white eyes and he glares at me, carefully looking at me, as if making sure I am who they are looking for. He clears his throat. ¡°That¡¯s more than enough Lady Elmira. Your desire to kill should be sated by now, return with us. Your brother has commanded all of us to force you to come back.¡±


    Gabbie looks at me, shock in her gaze. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± She hisses. ¡°And why are they so desperate to take you back, and you have a brother there?¡±


    ¡°Not now,¡± I whisper. ¡°I think you know my answer,¡± I announce, talking to the Masters. ¡°Otherwise, there would not be so many dead Demons. I will not squander the freedom my brother has given to me.¡±


    ¡°It is that same brother who told us to retrieve you!¡±


    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know that? Do you think I¡¯m that ignorant? I am well aware, but I also understand him better than all three of you. To you, he is a Father who ignored you. To me, he is a close brother. He¡¯s a liar and a cheater. But, he will never bow his head to anyone unless he has an ulterior motive. He sent you here to die.¡± My Father thought that he could use that vision to tell me my brother had betrayed me. Clearly he is just as ignorant of what my brother does as these three Masters. What¡¯s more is that they think that their relationship with my brother makes them valuable.


    ¡°I see... It seems that we won¡¯t be able to convince you to return without forcing you to return with us. Ah, no matter. Aside from the traitor you have by your side it shouldn¡¯t be too much of an issue to emerge victorious. You, alone can probably barely manage one of us, let alone three.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong, I was only as strong as you without my weapon.¡± I raise Valor for them to see. ¡°The story is very different now.¡± They look at my hand, staring at it for a few moments and then one of them grins, before laughing.


    ¡°That¡¯s hardly a weapon.¡± It seems that they don¡¯t know it is indeed my weapon, especially considering they only just met me or gained the knowledge about me. They, just like everyone else have never seen my weapon. Even if I am acting like I want to fight, I¡¯m delaying them. Making them think I have more cards in my hands while we wait for reinforcements. The explosions, tornado and lightning storm should bring enough backup running.


    ¡°Do you want to test it?¡±


    They stop laughing, narrowing their eyes before glaring at the gauntlet on my hand. It seems our shared conversation has come to its end. They¡¯ve noticed I¡¯m delaying them, they¡¯re just trying to find out whether some of what I¡¯ve said is real or just a part of it. But I know who they are and they won¡¯t spend much time doing that. They¡¯re Father, after all, is Lucifer, their sin is pride, which means-


    The leader flicks his hand and a harsh line of light blasts toward me, through the corpses, which turn to dust. I hold out my hand and the pillar of light stops as hitting a wall, then dissipates. I guess that¡¯s it. I clear my throat. ¡°Sebastian.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± He snaps his wings open and he shoots forward towards the three of them, then he disappears into gray smoke. The Masters look around, then instead of waiting for Sebastian to return the shoot forward towards us at extreme speeds. Just as they''re about to hit, Sebastian reappears, kicking the one on the far left to the right side of the street where he slams into a building with a crunch.


    That leaves the remaining Masters. I move to the left, dodging the leader as if he were a bull, while Walter meets the second directly and he¡¯s flung back by the force of the blow. He lands on the asphalt a few feet behind where he was standing and Gabbie stabs at the Demon, projecting her sword forward. The Demon raises his hand, as if he doesn¡¯t need to pay his enemy any mind, but he recoils as the sword pierces deep, leaving a large hole in the palm of his hand.


    He flings himself back, away from Gabbie and Walter, and takes to the air. ¡°Keep moving! He can only shoot at where you are! Keep moving and he¡¯ll always miss!¡± I yell at them. I lean back, dodging my opponent, who more than proves my point, firing a large burst of light, which hits a building in the distance.


    This makes me a little suspicious. Something tells me these guys have never fought an equal, or someone as strong as them. In other words, they torment the weak to make themselves feel all the better about themselves. Another great thing about this fight is that they can¡¯t kill me, but I can kill them.


    .The leader backs up away from me and he fires a few thin beams of light at me, I raise my left hand and catch the light, which collects in an orb, then I fire it at the one in the sky. He doesn¡¯t notice it coming for him and the leader doesn¡¯t warn him. It hits his wings and he tumbles out of the sky, his wings resembling swiss cheese.


    There¡¯s a loud bang and a scream of pain and then I turn to focus on my own enemy, knowing that Walter and Gabbie should be fine with taking on the Demon Master now. I raise my hand to intercept a second large blast, which wraps around me like I¡¯m in a large bubble. I grind my teeth, all he¡¯s doing is wasting our wells of power and inevitably, mine will last longer. I have no interest in outlasting him right now, I might be getting backup, but I¡¯m not completely sure who will get the backup first.


    I lunge forward. Something Lucifer once told me to do. If you¡¯re weaker or the same strength, don¡¯t give it away, make yourself seem stronger. Alter yourself rather than directly targeting the enemy, in the end, it will be like standing on a crate, you¡¯ll seem bigger than you actually are.


    The slow backward steps hasn¡¯t even brought the Master out of striking range and I pass him without him reacting. He shrieks in pain and I stop just behind him taking a few measured steps to turn to face him once again. In my right hand, clutched by my gauntlet is his right wing. The stump of the wing is slick with blood, but there¡¯s not even a small amount of blood leaking from it. I flick it to the side, leaving it forgotten and the Master growls at me. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for that.¡± He maintains his distance, seemingly not learning his lesson and he keeps trying to hit me with small blasts of light.


    During this time, Sebastian emerges from the building that his own opponent was in, completely unruffled and lazily looking toward my own opponent. I guess that means he¡¯s done. I move straight toward my enemy, through the blasts of light then strike him in the gut with my left hand. He reels, falling forward a little, clutching his stomach.


    The Master groans and I strike him in the face with the same hand. He makes a feeble attempt to grab me, but all it results in is his claws scraping against my gauntlet. I wrap my gauntlet around his head and squeeze and there¡¯s a loud crack and my gauntlet sinks in. I jump back, pulling my gauntlet away as the Demon drops to the ground.


    ¡°Gates and Hercules incoming.¡±


    I look around and only see Walter and Gabbie fighting their own Master. He keeps trying to hit Gabbie with some light, but Walter is in the way whenever he tries and the light doesn¡¯t seem to phase him. Gabbie keeps switching in and out with him to strike at the Demon, but it¡¯s not doing much and the Demon is far too fast for Walter to lay his hands on him to petrify him.


    ¡°Where?¡± I ask, starting to walk toward the final Demon.


    ¡°Look up.¡± I look up to see a golden portal open in the sky. I watch the large form of Hercules exit the gate at fast speeds and for a moment, it seems like he¡¯s unneeded. Almost. Large gates burst open to the side of Hercules¡¯ portal, two of them to be exact, and then last, a third gate, twice the size of the other gates appears, a startling white color amidst gold and red.


    A chill runs down my spine and I go pale. Hercules lands behind the demon and wraps his hands around him, then flings him toward Walter who manages to catch him and I watch the Demon struggle as he turns into a large block of diamond, but neither of them even notices the portals in the sky.


    ¡°Oh- You guys really should move,¡± Nav mutters. ¡°Like right, fucking now.¡± I watch two forms shoot out of the two red portals, a fiery red figure, and a silvery gray one. Hercules runs forward, wrapping both Walter and Gabbie in his arms and carrying them through, down the length of the street in the direction of the trailer.


    I immediately move when I see that, moving as a burst of light and reappearing by Hercules¡¯ side as he stops. Sebastian just manages to get past the two of the descending demons before they land with a loud crunch.


    Both of them form craters as they land, each displaying different effects. The hole burns with fire, the asphalt melting from the intense heat.  Within the hole there¡¯s a large bodied demon with massive wings that make him look like a gargoyle, his skin is red, but mottled with white, while his head is large with larger white horns, tipped with small flickering flames. The hole on the left has floating debris, kept afloat by tiny tornados. The Demon within the hole is much smaller than the other demon, he¡¯s one of the feminine looking demons, with large spindly arms with spiked hands and a body that reminds me of cloth his head adorned by regal, twisted, white horns.


    Sebastian growls by my side and I know what he¡¯s feeling. The Arcanists have arrived and that¡¯s just the start of it. They¡¯re just guards of a far scarier problem. ¡°My brother has arrived,¡± I mutter. A portal explodes open behind me and I spin around, readying for a fight from someone coming from behind, but instead Gates walks out. I exhale. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, you gave me a heart attack.¡±


    ¡°Say exactly what you said just then,¡± Gates hisses. ¡°Your brother has arrived?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Gabbie asks, her voice quivering. She¡¯s released by Hercules and he steps in front of them. ¡°Who¡¯s your brother, Elmira. Why is he also with the Demons? Elmira¡­ You¡¯re- You¡¯re not Human, are you?¡±


    That hurts the most, being called out on a lie. How hurt she sounds. I grimace and nod. ¡°My brother, Lucifer. I¡¯m a Demon Lord. I came here to escape my Father,¡± I mutter. ¡°Please stand back. It¡¯s probably better that you don¡¯t ever get caught up in a fight with my brother.¡±


    ¡°El-¡± Walter gasps. ¡°What the hell is happening? Why are they so desperate? Why are there so many?¡± I shake my head. I know the answer, but I don¡¯t want to say it. I look up at the portal Lucifer is to emerge from, instead, I find him standing in the air, his massive body, clad, not in his usual suit, but rather white armor. He has a long spear in his hand, with a long white tip, adorned by thin white metal wings near that tip, his spear named Hubris. His eyes are darkened as if blackened by fists, and he has a large amount of cuts on his face, damaging his otherwise regal face. Even his circlet has been removed and a large red S has been burned into his forehead.


    ¡°Are you done, sister? I thought I would allow you some time to say your goodbyes, as is customary. You¡¯ll find that even though I went back on my promises, I will at least give you that,¡± Lucifer announces. His voice is monotone, and his eyes stare at me and only at me as if holding all others as nothing but annoyances. ¡°Will you come back willingly or¡­¡± He trails off.


    I glare at him. ¡°You know my answer. But I¡¯m surprised at you, brother,¡± I say. I¡¯m a bit spooked, I honestly didn¡¯t expect him to actually go through with it. Even when I was fighting the Masters, I didn¡¯t expect it, but now- now I realize that perhaps I gave him too much credit. But there¡¯s still the potential of him being here just because he was forced.


    He closes his eyes as if sighing. ¡°I see.¡± He waves his free hands and the two Arcanists climb out of their craters, approaching us. ¡°Kill the Humans, capture the girl. Also, deal with the Arcanist if you can,¡± he commands them. For a moment after that, his lips move, two words ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    We can delay for a while, Lucifer doesn¡¯t want to do this, so we can delay them and if we leave it so he¡¯s forced to fight, he might back off. ¡°Sebastian, take the waif, I¡¯ll take the big guy. Hercules, Gates, help me if you can.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t command me,¡± Gates hisses.


    ¡°Just do it!¡± I yell. The Arcanists shoot forward, the waif is faster and comes up by my side in a second to find her path blocked by shadows. The massive fire demon comes up to me, running sluggishly toward me. He leaves melted asphalt as he sprints and flames flicker for a second before disappearing. I run up toward him and I raise my head to Lucifer.


    Lucifer raises his spear and I shriek, jumping to the right. The Arcanist in front of me looks confused and then all of a sudden there¡¯s a loud explosion and I watch a large pillar of light descend upon where I was, leaving a giant hole in the ground. ¡°Uh- Hercs, Gates, Elmira get the fuck off that street. He just exposed a gas pipe. And that guy is made of fucking fire,¡± Nav interjects. Gates immediately disappears into a portal and Hercules steps from foot to foot, confused at the sudden evacuation of Gates.


    There¡¯s a high whistling and the smell of rotten eggs, and I can see the Arcanist turn to face Lucifer, the flames on his horns growing hotter. ¡°You could have hit me!¡± He roars. Lucifer shrugs as if that doesn¡¯t matter. The demon turns to us, stepping forward while tilting his head.


    Suddenly, I¡¯m thrown back as the entire street erupts upward with an absurdly loud explosion, flinging rocks skyward into the side of buildings. Kai¡¯s explosion pales in comparison to the magnitude of this explosion, which uproots the entire street.


    My flight stops in a building within a set of shelves. It seems the shelves of a small store broke my fall and I¡¯m mostly uninjured, only my wings seem to be even slightly harmed, being that there are small, painful tears in the membrane of my wings. My ears are ringing and I stand up, dust falling from my lap as I stand. I tap my ears, but it takes a while for my hearing to come back. My earpiece is crackling, a similar sound to what happened when Kai was eliminated from the exercise yesterday. ¡°Hello?¡± I ask, walking slowly toward the exit of the store. ¡°Is everyone okay?¡±


    There¡¯s no answer and I feel a chill. Does that mean the others were hit? What¡¯s going on? There¡¯s a bang behind me, the sound of a portal opening and I spin around and grab Gates arm as she appears behind me. ¡°Let go,¡± she whispers. ¡°Or I¡¯ll make you let go.¡±


    ¡°Stop sneaking up on me,¡± I snap, this is the second time she¡¯s done it and next time I might kill her. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°The big guy got caught in the explosion and so did Hercules. Hercules should be fine, but I¡¯m not sure about the big guy.¡±


    Because he¡¯s an Arcanist, I doubt he¡¯s dead, but there¡¯s no way he could have made it out of there unscathed, but inevitably, someone was going to get hurt, and because I had Valor, it wasn¡¯t going to be me. Lucifer knew exactly what he was doing, he planned with my weapon in mind and he wasn¡¯t targeting me or my friends, most of whom were out of harm''s way which means¡­ Lucifer was targeting the Arcanist.


    They probably haven¡¯t figured it out yet. They probably think that it was an efficient way of disabling me. I could be wrong, but if I¡¯m right, then my brother is trying to deceive my Father once again. He¡¯s trying to show him that he¡¯s trying to capture me without actually capturing me. ¡°We have to kill the Arcanists,¡± I whisper. ¡°Soon as we do that, we¡¯ve won.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you can take on a Demon Lord?¡± Gates asks, sarcastically.


    ¡°I may not need to.¡± I climb out of the wreckage of the store, onto the main road, now dirt with asphalt littering the area and the exposed, warped remains of the pipe. I look down the street, where the trailer is located. It¡¯s surrounded by debris, but it¡¯s hard to tell if anyone is hurt inside or whether it just came close. And that¡¯s not the start of it, Walter and Gabbie are missing. ¡°Gates-¡± I mutter.


    ¡°Think about the task at hand. Then we¡¯ll figure out what happened to the others,¡± she points a figure to my right. I look there to see the large Arcanist, kneeling on the ground. Both of its horns have been blown clean off, leaving blood trailing down its face, obstructing its eyes, it''s also got numerous wounds on its chest. It might not have been harmed by the explosion, but the debris is another story entirely.


    I walk forward, raising my hand to grab the Arcanist while he¡¯s currently unaware. His head suddenly lifts and he shoots up and swings a punch. I intercept the punch and there¡¯s an incredibly loud bang and I feel the air around me heat up. The Arcanist is just barely as strong as Hercules¡¯ attack, which means that in a battle of strength, we''re about even. I pull back my fist and the Arcanist slinks back, before slipping on a stone and dropping to the ground.


    ¡°Belphegor, trap him,¡± Gates growls, the ground raises up around the Arcanist as he tries to stand up, slowly wrapping around his arms and legs. He keeps trying to shake free the bonds, but he¡¯s slowly just becoming more and more entrenched.


    I raise my foot, ready to crush his head beneath my foot, then I get thrown to the side by a strong gust. I recover, just in time to see the second Arcanist flying toward me. I raise my gauntlet to intercept and Sebastian appears in front of me suddenly. He¡¯s bleeding from his brow and his clothes are a wreck, but he seems otherwise fine.


    Sebastian flicks his hand and suddenly a shadow moves away, revealing  what looks to be a large hole they had obstructed. Gabbie emerges from the hole to my complete surprise and she lunges. The Arcanist notices her, and he raises his hand to throw her blow to the side, but the projection has already been cast and it strikes him in the right shoulder. Gabbie gets thrown into a damaged car, where she sits there, panting, bleeding and grinning to herself, while Sebastian steps forward to finish the job.


    All of a sudden, just like every other god damned surprise in this fight, a spear sprouts from the waif-like Arcanists chest. It croaks, blood bubbling from its mouth and it starts screaming and thrashing, with inhuman pain. The spear is Lucifer¡¯s spear Hubris and it slowly pierces and devours the soul of the Arcanist. I wince, trying to close my ears to the screams and finally screams go silent.


    The second Arcanist manages to free himself during the small skirmish with the second Arcanist and he turns to look at Lucifer. ¡°Have you betrayed us, Lucifer?¡± He roars.


    Lucifer laughs and shrugs. ¡°Oops. Missed.¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡±


    I approach the dead Arcanist, which lies nearby the other Arcanist and he turns to face me. He¡¯s shivering, fear and an anger that he¡¯s failing to contain. I clear my throat. ¡°Sebastian, you know how I said that Demon Lord weapons can destroy the soul if anyone but their owner takes up the weapon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady,¡± he nods his head.


    I¡¯m talking for the sake of everyone listening, for the sake of the message that will be carried to the Demon Plane. Because this is a secret I have kept for a long time. A secret I have kept that only Lucifer has known. I wrap my gauntlet around the shaft of the spear. ¡°I lied.¡± I pull the spear out of the dead Arcanist and I feel a massive burst of strength. It feels as if my muscles are about to burst. Like my skin is made of titanium as if I can run faster than light itself. ¡°Because of the unique form my weapon took. I can borrow the strength that the weapon holds.¡±


    For some, this reveal might not mean much as they didn¡¯t know the limitations in the first place. But for Sebastian and the already terrified Arcanist, it¡¯s world-shattering. Sebastian remains silent and doesn¡¯t say anything. His usual, composed self. The Arcanist breaks. He immediately starts to flee, a portal forming in front of him.


    I chase, the ground behind me explodes and the corpse next to me turns into a splotch of blood on the stone. Before the Arcanist makes it to the portal, the spear sprout out of his chest. The spear cuts to the left, exiting his ribs before I pierce it through his head and tear the head free and sending it flying down the length of the street. It bounces once, twice, three times before rolling to a stop in front of a group of men in heavy armor.


    The crackling has stopped. ¡°Reinforcements have arrived and I finally got the earpieces to work again,¡± Nav announces.


    ¡°Timing is impeccable, as always,¡± Gates says, sarcasm translating well through the headset. I push my lips together, I doubt these guys can kill Lucifer, but I don¡¯t want to take the risk. I lean back and throw the spear at Lucifer as hard as I can.


    There¡¯s a loud bang and the air seems to warp for a second. Lucifer holds out his hand and the spear stops before moving right into his hand. He grins at me, mouthing another two words. ¡®Thank you¡¯.


    The reinforcements approach, the lead man is a man in heavy silver armor, shined so well, I can see my reflection in it. He¡¯s flanked by four men, each in gray armor as if they are the silver man¡¯s knights. The silver man stops in front of me, glaring at me for a few moments. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen and heard enough. Salvo, Chains, apprehend her. I¡¯ll deal with the Demon Lord,¡± comes a commanding, mechanical voice.


    The two men, by the silver man¡¯s side approach, one is the man I met yesterday, the one with Tagert. ¡°Yes, Mirror Knight, sir,¡± Salvo¡¯s familiar voice responds. Sebastian appears by my side. ¡°Will we have to fight?¡± Salvo queries. He raises two fingers and a series of loud pops come from within his hand. The one beside him raises their arms and chains raise from the ground, made of strange metal. ¡°You¡¯ll find we¡¯re well equipped.¡±


    I raise my hands. I¡¯m done with this fighting and I don¡¯t think it would be a good idea to make myself an enemy of the Humans too. ¡°Sebastian,¡± I murmur. ¡°I think that¡¯s enough.¡± I see Sebastian¡¯s shoulder slump and he raises his hands, joining me in my willful surrender.


    Mirror Knight approaches the area where Lucifer is flying over. He raises one hand, taunting Lucifer. ¡°Come on, Lucifer. I¡¯ve heard you were the weakest Demon Lord. I want to have a taste of your power.¡±


    I see Lucifer¡¯s smile curdle and I can¡¯t help but cringe. My hand lowers a little to cover my face and I slowly exhale. Don¡¯t EVER taunt Lucifer. ¡°You know. I don¡¯t mind killing this one,¡± I hear Lucifer grumble. Lucifer raises a spear and then I see a large orb form at the tip. ¡°Mr. Mirror Knight. I don¡¯t think you need to bother with being cremated. I¡¯ll do that for you.¡±


    The orb detaches from the spear and for a second is looks like nothing will happen then it speeds up until it¡¯s right in front of Mirror Knight. Mirror Knight looks nonchalant, but I suppose that could just be his armor. For all I know he could be pissing himself. The orb expands and it becomes a massive pillar of light.


    I lower my head, sighing to myself. The pillar then widens and shoots straight toward Lucifer, leaving the Mirror Knight standing there, unscathed. Lucifer moves to the side, just as the pillar reaches him and the entire night sky burns brighter than any sun could make it. Lucifer stares at Mirror Knight. ¡°What an annoying Vigor. I have no interest in fighting you to a stalemate. Nor do I have any intention of staying here until you get more men. I will now make a tactical retreat.¡± A white portal forms behind him. He looks at me, Salvo and Chains are approaching carefully, but my brother pays me no mind. ¡°Make sure to keep my sister safe.¡± This time, he mouths three words ¡®I love you¡¯, before disappearing into the portal.


    ¡°And that¡¯s that,¡± Mirror Knight grunts. ¡°It seems we have a hell of a lot of issues. And I mean that literally. Hell brought its issues here.¡± He turns to face Sebastian and me. ¡°Chains, we¡¯re taking them to the VCF.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± A woman¡¯s voice replies. Chains explode from the ground, wrapping around our hand, before bringing them down in front of them. ¡°Uh- You have the right to remain silent, everything you say and do can be- Um, Mirror Knight, they¡¯re Demons. Do we still do the whole spiel?¡±


    ¡°Fuck, Chains. We aren¡¯t the police, we don¡¯t do the spiel anyway!¡±


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes


    I actually managed to finish it. This is the final chapter of the arc, there will be a short side story that will introduce Mirror Knight and then we''ll get started on Arc 2. I think a lot of you know how that will start.


    As a quick side note. No more daily chapters. I''m a fast writer, but I can''t keep writing to the level I have been writing here if I force myself to write at incredible rates. So I hope you guys can wait that while longer.

 Side Story 1: Mirror Knight

    Tagert sits in his large office, tapping a thin pill case against the table. Another long night of paperwork. ¡°Say this every night, but I wish I didn¡¯t take this job,¡± Tagert grunts. Diane sits across from him, in another chair, unscrewing the top of an empty pill bottle. ¡°This job is too stressful.¡±


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you quit?¡± Diane asks, placing the pill bottle on the table. ¡°You¡¯re bound to kick the bucket too early, and that¡¯s coming from my professional opinion. That medicine is for your blood pressure and it really isn¡¯t doing much for you.¡±


    ¡°Hmph. I¡¯m the best damn man for the job. Who the fuck would replace me? Salvo? Chains? Nah, they¡¯re too young, too biased. Then there¡¯s Jolt and Necro, Jolt¡¯s an idiot and Necro, while I trust him, he¡¯s not suited to a public job with the magic he has.¡± Tagert leans forward, placing his forehead on the table, then straightening again. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just heal me. Just like that.¡± He snaps his fingers to punctuate the point.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you, I can¡¯t do that. My powers heal things that can heal over time. Heart problems, cancer, all that stuff that just gets worse over time isn¡¯t affected, and cancer gets worse. If you had a common cold, then I could deal with that, but you¡¯re asking the wrong person to deal with heart disease.¡± Tagert exhales loudly. ¡°And let¡¯s just say, your temper isn¡¯t helping anything either.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. It¡¯s just-¡± Tagert pauses and he taps a few keys on the keyboard. A TV screen turns on at the left wall, displaying a few pictures of Vigors and magic users. ¡°What is it with magic users and social problems? I swear they collect them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a psychologist, but I feel that has a lot to do with the power they have. As the saying goes, power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.¡±


    ¡°Kinda why we have so many bad guys running around flashing their vigor at people to grab a quick buck.¡±


    ¡°-And why we exist. Thing is, even if there are people here, they¡¯re bound to be broken one way or another. Uh, take the teams earlier for instance. The guys in the exercise. Kaiden, has limited to no Human contact, partially because of his power, partially because of his brother.¡±


    ¡°And Walter, David, Gabriella, and Hannah?¡± Diane smiles as if she knows something Tagert knows. ¡°I hate that look. Makes my stomach bubble with rage. Gates gives me that look all the time. Fucking hate it so much.¡±


    ¡°Blood pressure, Director.¡±


    ¡°Fuck off. Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty then. Walter has a constant need to prove himself. He loses sleep agonizing about what other people are thinking and he doesn¡¯t exactly have a true face. He puts on a mask for people and he¡¯s good at that. He¡¯s popular at school and he¡¯s liked in his own team.¡±


    ¡°I suppose you just guessed this thing.¡±


    Diane snorts in amusement. ¡°No, a lot of them do go to psychologists and I read up on their notes before they went to do the exercise.¡±


    ¡°Alright. What about David.¡±


    ¡°Guilty conscience. He takes the fall for his brother a lot on purpose and he feels bad for people when it¡¯s not his fault.¡±


    ¡°Hannah.¡±


    ¡°I feel like even you should know Hannah. She, like Kai, is defined by her abilities. She escapes into her book world and loses track of everything. Her power makes her seem like a borderline schizophrenic and when she talks to people, she comes off as if she¡¯s in a daze.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ What about Gabriella?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s probably the most normal out of all of them. She¡¯s got hero envy, which is pretty normal in our line of business. The thing is she wants to be-¡± Diane pauses and she screws up her face. ¡°She expects everything to always be better. She wants to capture the villain and free the hostage. She finds it hard to make sacrifices.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we all,¡± Tagert sighs.


    ¡°From what I remember, you were fine with making sacrifices.¡± She clears her throat. ¡°Not that there¡¯s anything wrong with that.¡±


    ¡°Right- What about Elmira? Considering we¡¯re on the whole psychological aspects of the team. I don¡¯t give a shit about the other two on Expedition, but what about Elmira?¡±


    Diane whistles. ¡°That¡¯s a big can of worms there. She hasn¡¯t talked to a psychologist, but from what I saw and from what I healed, she¡¯s probably worse than Kaiden by a long shot. Abused, a wonky image problem that I can¡¯t even begin to describe-¡±


    ¡°You mean the horns and gold eyes?¡±


    ¡°No. The fact that her body language suggests she likes them, but she also displays the desire to hide them. Honestly, I don¡¯t know her well enough, but she doesn¡¯t seem- Human.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all just that little bit not Human.¡±


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true enough. And some more than others. It seems like those who have what do they call it, psyche powers?¡± Diane nods. ¡°Well, they end up worse than anyone else. Think about Oracle, for instance. She doesn¡¯t seem to even have any emotions.¡±


    ¡°Oracle¡¯s probably listening in right now.¡±


    Tagert shivers and he pushes back his chair and collects some pages in his hand. ¡°And on that note, let¡¯s stop this conversation. I don¡¯t even want to start to think about what she could do to me if I got on her bad side.¡±


    ¡°Blackmail, framing, probably a whole lot more.¡±


    ¡°Stop! I said I-¡± A cellphone on the desk starts vibrating. ¡°That yours?¡± Tagert asks. Diane shakes her head. Tagert grabs the phone and he shivers. ¡°That¡¯s creepy as fuck.¡±


    ¡°Oracle?¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Tagert answers the call, bringing the phone up to his ear. ¡°Hello, almighty visionary. Please don¡¯t tell me you heard what we were talking about.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, nor do I care,¡± comes the passionless reply. The woman¡¯s voice is devoid of any sort of emotion as if nothing can provide her pleasure. She sounds more bored than anyone would assume possible. ¡°Muster the tower.¡±


    ¡°No, way. Two within one month? What is it now? Please tell me it¡¯s something easier than Demons,¡± Tagert groans. ¡°Because if it¡¯s Demons again-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Demons again,¡± Oracle interrupts. ¡°Though you should have an easier time than last time. There¡¯ll be some injuries and very few deaths, but don¡¯t let your guard down. I¡¯ll be on comms- even though I don¡¯t want to be. You just do your job and make sure they don¡¯t overrun your city.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a slave driver, you know that.¡±


    ¡°I do. But didn¡¯t you want to avoid getting on my bad side?¡± She responds. ¡°Insulting me, how rude.¡± The call ends immediately, without so much as a goodbye.


    Tagert leans forward groaning loudly. ¡°So she did hear us.¡± Diane snorts, standing up from her seat. ¡°Ah, ah. No bed time for you. That wasn¡¯t a courtesy call or a call to blackmail us. We¡¯re going to have another big attack. It¡¯s Demons again. I¡¯m going to muster the tower, you-¡± he raises his finger, pointing at Diane. ¡°Will fetch Salvo, Chains, Bolts, and Necro. Send them in immediately and make sure they¡¯re suited up.¡±


    Diane rolls her eyes. ¡°Yes, Director,¡± she says sarcastically. ¡°Just try not to have a heart attack while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    ¡°Ha- ha,¡± Tagert says, sarcastically. He stands up as Diane walks away, grinning to herself. The door slams shut and he approaches the corner of the room, the look on his face growing serious. He stops next to the large suit of armor in the corner of the room, dragging his hand across the unblemished, silver steel. He steps around it, pressing a small button at the small of the back.


    The armor drags outward as if a sword has cut the armor lengthways. There are large, circular bands with wires running along the length in well-managed bunches. Tagert slips inside from the right, the one side where the wires are few and it¡¯s easiest to climb over the thin bands. Once in the suit, he inserts his boots into the sabaton and then pushes his hands into the gauntlets. For a moment he checks to make sure nothing will be caught when the armor encloses around him, then he closes his fist.


    The armor slides shut and there¡¯s a loud thud and a ding just by his ears. He¡¯s granted vision of the outside with a handy HUD displaying dangers with x-ray and night vision. There¡¯s a soft crackling and Tagert clears his throat, before turning around and walking the length of the room. ¡°Oracle, are you still there?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Your team will be there in a minute- no, 43 seconds exactly. I took the liberty in contacting them before you sent someone to fetch them.¡± Oracle makes a loud surprised noise, something completely out of character. ¡°I¡¯m just going to leave the surprise until you get there.¡±


    ¡°Oracle,¡± Tagert grumbles. ¡°What are you hiding?¡±


    ¡°Nope, not saying a thing. Finish your Demons before you get your desserts.¡±


    ¡°Oracle!¡± Tagert stomps his foot, and beneath his armor, a vein pops up on his forehead, just above the scar. Oracle is laughing, a bitter laugh that sounds like she¡¯s forcing it. The door swings open and four gray, armored men and women step in.


    Chains, Salvo, Necro and Bolts. Team Cavalier. The head team of Gomorrah. Just like Oracle to be completely prepared for Tagert¡¯s temper. In fact, just like her to be prepared for absolutely anything. After all, she¡¯s basically omniscient. ¡°Mirror Knight,¡± Salvo says in greeting. Ah, the rules, when in armor, you go by CPO name, when out of armor, it¡¯s real names and titles. ¡°Exactly what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Tagert groans. ¡°You know what, fuck it! If Oracle¡¯s going to conceal information, then I am too!¡±


    ¡°But sir,¡± Necro mutters, beneath his armor. He doesn¡¯t talk much, but this is one of the few times that he does talk.


    ¡°Necro¡¯s right. If you don¡¯t reveal any information, people could die,¡± Bolts says, mouth moving at a million miles an hour, something that seems to be very much like her power. ¡°Please, just at least tell us what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Tagert shakes his head ¡°Nope. Not happening. You know how stubborn I can be, so not happening-¡±


    ¡°Besides, if he told you, there would be more deaths. Both CPO members and innocents. It¡¯s one of the few times Mirror Knight¡¯s stubbornness will actually come in handy. Besides, the announcement of who you will be fighting will result in your most successful team staying behind.¡±


    ¡°What team is that?¡± Chains asks.


    ¡°Not saying. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find out later, though.¡±


    There¡¯s a long silence within the group. Even though they¡¯ve worked together for so long, this is a very strange situation. For both Oracle to hide information as it will prevent deaths and for Tagert¡¯s stubbornness to actually be positive, the results are extremely unexpected. All of them know exactly what it means. It means that Team Chevalier isn¡¯t the most necessary team in this emergency. Their team is to be the backup team, they¡¯re going to be reinforcing a team they have yet to find out and considering Oracle is concealing that information too, then that team is something none of them is willing to believe, even though Oracle conceals rather than lies, they will inevitably expect her to lie at that moment.


    Salvo snorts. ¡°That¡¯s disconcerting.¡± Salvo continues what they¡¯re all thinking, while Bolts looks at him, a look of confusion beneath her helmet, displaying that she is the only one failing to follow everyone¡¯s thoughts. ¡°So what do we do now, where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Just over a mile west of where you are. They¡¯re nearby, hoping to inspire some response. They want you to draw a specific person out. If you don¡¯t meet them, they will attack the CPO building directly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding,¡± Chains groans.


    ¡°I don¡¯t ¡®kid¡¯ anyone. Either way, they will locate the person the person they''re looking for. It¡¯s your job to discover them and to defend them, no matter who the attacker is.¡±


    ¡°Whoa, what about defending the innocence?¡± Bolts interjects.


    ¡°Inconsequential. They are there to annoy innocence, not kill them. Besides, the sooner you defend the one they¡¯re seeking, then the sooner the damage will cease.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re not telling us who we need to find?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll act as bait. There is no argument. This is the best course of action. There is no better circumstance, there is no way to make things work out better. Follow my instructions or stay behind.¡±


    ¡°Not happening,¡± Mirror Knight sighs. ¡°Let¡¯s get out there before we regret it. ¡®Sides, I need to let off some steam.¡±


    ¡°You always do,¡± Salvo points out.


    ¡°And this is the only time I can do it. Are you going to prevent me from taking the opportunity?¡± They all shake their heads in response. ¡°Good.¡± Mirror Knight starts walking without a single word more, making his ambitions clear. He pushes out of the main office into the large reception outside, leading the way to the elevator. He presses the button to call the elevator, which arrives as soon as the others are queued up next to him.


    They all squeeze inside, all standing uncomfortably close to one another because of the large, steel armor. The elevator descends at a fast rate, shooting past all the floors without stopping once. Likely Oracle has a hand in it. Oracle is a bit strange, the reason she has a form of omniscience is similar to the way Kaiden can talk to his robots. She has the ability to control all robots from a distance, with the ability to see what they will encounter in the future and their creation process. She¡¯s one of the rare few that are hard to measure. She could be a magic user or a Vigor, but out of both, she¡¯s undoubtedly one of the more powerful people the CPO has at its disposal.


    The elevator stops and dings, allowing the five of them to step out into the garage. There are already people here, the faster responders, most of them are what some might call scouts or blitzers. Fast movers, able to get in and out without a problem. They probably all took the stairs and then they¡¯ll run to the place where the demons are attacking.


    ¡°So what¡¯re we taking?¡± Jolts asks. She¡¯s talking about the car, as there are three to choose from.


    ¡°The tank,¡± Mirror Knights grumbles.


    ¡°Neat. Dibs on the wheel.¡±


    ¡°Not happening. I don¡¯t trust you with a sixty ton, wrecking ball that shreds buildings as easily as it shreds asphalt.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s sounds way too metal,¡± Salvo snorts. ¡°Think you can give an overly metal description to the other two?¡± Mirror Knight flips Salvo off before walking out into the middle of the road. The tank is stored on this very same floor, held behind a separate garage door, protected by heavy security, prepared by Oracle herself.


    Mirror Knight stops outside a large security door. ¡°O-¡±


    ¡°Done,¡± Oracle interrupts. The door clicks and swings open, allowing the five of them to enter the garage holding the tank. Mirror Knight rolls his eyes beneath the helmet and steps inside as the lights turn on inside, focusing on the tank.


    The tank, while called such, is nothing like a tank. It¡¯s got no actual weaponry and is more like an armored up piece of construction equipment. It has a heavy battering ram, with a set of nearly obstructed bullet-proof windows, as well as a giant box on the back that has guns and other seating areas. Instead of wheels, the tank has large tracks, much like its namesake. It¡¯s all painted black and the doors are locked with massive bars that will only open from the inside or with a small key fob held only by Mirror Knight.


    Mirror Knight opens a pocket in his armor and withdraws the fob, pressing a red button. The bars slide away from the doors and Mirror Knight takes the driver¡¯s seat while the others pile into the back, with Salvo taking a seat next to Mirror Knight.


    Mirror Knight leans forward, placing his head on the wheel. Now if anything¡¯s a pain to drive, it¡¯s this thing. It¡¯s hard to judge when it¡¯s about to hit something and when it does, it¡¯s more likely to keep going that it is to give any sort of sign it¡¯s smashed into something. It turns all cars into pancakes and buildings into rubble and at worse, it will leave those in the car with nothing worse than a sore neck.


    ¡°Time to crush cars,¡± Mirror Knight grumbles.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll be fine! You¡¯ll only crush two cars on your way there!¡± Oracle responds with her deadpan voice. ¡°You¡¯ll crush at least double that amount in demons.¡±


    ¡°So four- Wow. That¡¯s truly an incredible amount of crushed demons,¡± Mirror Knight says sarcastically. The garage door slides open allowing them access onto the main road. Mirror Knight starts the tank up and gets it moving through the garage. Another downside to the tank, it¡¯s slow as all hell, and hell hasn¡¯t really done much for the past couple hundred of years.


    It isn¡¯t actually too long before the team arrives and they enter the situation my crushing two demons beneath the tracks then coming to a halt, trapping one more against a wall.


    ¡°That¡¯s three!¡± Mirror Knight exclaims. He opens the door and there¡¯s a loud crunch as a demon flies directly into the open door before dropping to the ground.


    ¡°Four. I included the dumbass that flew into a door.¡± Mirror Knight climbs outside of the tank, raising his right arm over his head to cover his eyes from the light covering the area. It¡¯s so early, yet so bright. Slowly he lowers the arm as the others exit the tank, his eyes adjusting to the harsh light only to be met with the throng of demons surrounding them.


    Most of them pay the team no mind, preferring to chatter amongst each other while throwing rocks and errant blasts at the side of buildings or at lone cars, though some do spot the entire team and wearily approach, their wings flapping slowly. Each demon seems different to the last, but the same. They all have two small horns and large wings, but there are little scars, eye colors and facial features that make them unique. It¡¯s surprising how Human they might look without that which makes them Demonic.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Mirror Knight grinds his teeth, remembering someone who looks similar to them. ¡°Hm,¡± Salvo mutters. ¡°Remember during the training exercise yesterday, Tagert.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Mirror Knight right now,¡± he hisses. ¡°Though I¡¯m following you. I was thinking the same thing.¡±


    ¡°They look very similar to that girl from Team Hindsight, Elmira, I think.¡± There¡¯s a rippling change in the Demons when Salvo says that name, heads snap toward them and they glare with both hate and intense desire.


    Mirror Knight exchanges a glance with Salvo ¡°What¡¯s more is that the demons were after her the first time. I¡¯m thinking I was lied to by Janus, Gates and Elmira. Elmira and Gates I can understand, but, Janus-¡± The Demons start approaching. ¡°Oracle, make sure Elmira and her team remain in the tower.¡±


    Oracle laughs, that hollow, humorless laugh of hers. ¡°She¡¯s approaching already. Besides, she needs to come. Now that you¡¯re here, I might as well reveal the most successful team. It¡¯s Team Hindsight, supported by Team Assault.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding-¡± Jolts groans. ¡°A junior team.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t ¡®kid¡¯,¡± Oracle responds. ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t think you really have time to complain.¡± She¡¯s right, just like usual. The demons are growing irate at being ignored and one shoots toward Chains, the thinnest build out of the five of them, she shrieks and she raises a hand and large chains explode from the ground, flying up causing a barrier between her and the demon. The demon slams into the wall and Salvo steps forward, raising a hand.


    The air smells of sulfur, the stink of rotten eggs and then the demon gets blown apart by a small-scale explosion, more than enough to dispatch the demon. ¡°Think we pissed them off?¡± Jolts queries.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Necro murmurs.


    The demons, while they aren¡¯t furious, it¡¯s like a bolt was loosed from a crossbow too early. The throngs suddenly converge upon the team and the five of them step forward. Mirror Knight takes charge. ¡°Necro, between Bolts and me. Chains, behind the three of us with Salvo. Keep three feet between us.¡±


    They barely have a chance to get into position when the demons converge upon them, attacking with claws and feet, small blasts of white light. Each blast of white light that hits gets flung back almost as if being replicated. The effect is much like dropping a stone in the water, the air seems to ripple. An effect of Mirror Knights power, albeit, weakened due to the area it¡¯s being stretched over.


    Bolts is doing just as well. Her armor is sparking with golden electricity which bounces from one part to the next before being discharged in the air. Something that rightfully gave her the nickname of Pikachu when she was younger, but something she took in her stride. A large bolt of lightning strikes a demon who gets too close, which then drops to the ground like it flew into a bug zapper.


    Salvo has a bored expression beneath his mask. His Vigor isn¡¯t too concentration intensive, he points and forms an explosion of a specific size and then release his power. He catches three demons with a single explosion, before moving onto another large group.


    Chains defends Salvo if the demons get too close, managing to pass by Mirror Knight¡¯s defenses. They get wrapped in chains before being constricted to the point their bones snap, causing the area around the team to sound like the inside of a fire.


    Necro holds out a hand, perpendicular to the ground. Large rib bones are unearthed before flying up next to her hand then being expelled into the throng of demons, tearing wings apart or catching an unlucky demon in the chest. When they get too close, a large pillar of bones erupts from the ground before flinging them back, much like a catcher with a baseball mitt might throw it across a field.


    The fight is slow going, chaos. Salvo is the most effective, but he makes his complaints known. ¡°Anyone finding these guys way too durable?¡± He murmurs. ¡°Like, I pretty much have to catch ¡®em center of the explosion and only then they die. If they¡¯re on the borders, no dice.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing alright,¡± Bolts responds.


    ¡°Because you can stop their hearts,¡± Mirror Knight points out. ¡°And Salvo¡¯s right. My shield is pretty much useless right now. It¡¯s nothing more than the first line of defense. The demons are shrugging off the blasts like nothing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because- to them, they are nothing. They''re being hit with light and they''re resistant to light. Unless you have a more powerful blast, then they can ignore it,¡± Oracle explains.


    ¡°And you neglected to tell me this- why?¡±


    ¡°Eh, then you might not defend everyone else or you¡¯d just do it all yourself. Doesn¡¯t matter, really. It¡¯ll take a little longer, but it¡¯s not like you can¡¯t handle it.¡±


    ¡°I feel like we¡¯re wasting time,¡± Chains says.


    ¡°Oh, you are, but it won¡¯t be for long.¡±


    Some of the demons turn away from the throng, retreating from the five of them. ¡°Whoa, they¡¯re scared shitless,¡± Jolts laughs. ¡°Cowards!¡± She yells at the retreating forms. ¡°Come back and fight like men- demon people men!¡±


    Mirror Knight covers his face, groaning to himself. A large red portal opens overhead, and a massive golem like construct drops to the ground where it lands in front of the five of them with a loud bang. Mirror Knight raises his hands as an earthquake ripples through the area, the ripples immediately bounce back the way they came. The golem stands up.


    Looking at the golem, it actually isn¡¯t one, just a heavily armored, large bodied demon with a slack expression on its face. Its eyes are heavy and bloodshot, with horns curled, much like a rams horns. It has massive, what looks like moth-eaten wings and its giant fists are basically touching the ground. The demon is stooped and it seems like at any moment it will just collapse.


    ¡°Just stop talking, Jolts,¡± Chains sighs.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Mirror Knight interjects. The demon slams his fists together as if waking up suddenly and he charges at the five of them. He charges at the team and Mirror Knight steps out front, retracting the shield and layering on him alone. The demon smashes into Mirror Knight and the air ripples and he¡¯s flung at extreme speed back into a building.


    ¡°Get wrecked!¡± Jolts laughs.


    ¡°Ouch.¡± A voice comes from the demon and it slips up, approaching slowly, it¡¯s feet leaving craters in the ground. ¡°Hurts. I hurt you now,¡± it grumbles.


    ¡°Whoa, that guy took it like a champ,¡± Chains mutters. ¡°Think you can take him, Salvo?¡±


    ¡°I can try. If push comes to shove, both me and Mirror can combo up and boost up an accurate detonation.¡± Salvo joins Mirror Knight at the front and the air around the demon seems like it¡¯s being exposed to incredible heat and then there¡¯s a massive explosion. Not just in front of them, but a few hundred yards to the East.


    ¡°Hindsight is now deep in combat with a group of approximately one hundred demons. Dispose of the Arcanist demon then move to support them,¡± Oracle announces. The dust settles, and Jolts looks at Salvo, but it¡¯s not over. The demon seems stunned, surrounded by rubble. It¡¯s bleeding a little, but it¡¯s more like a lot of superficial cuts.


    The rubble suddenly floats into the air and Mirror Knight exhales. He expands his shield to cover everyone and then the rubble is flung toward the group. The rubble crashes into the shield and then it¡¯s flung into the buildings around them, like a hail of meteorites. The buildings expel rocks, glass, and steel onto the street which crashes into parked vehicles.


    ¡°How?¡± Jolts groans.


    ¡°Salvo, I don¡¯t suppose that second explosion was yours, right?¡± Chains asks.


    Salvo shakes his head. ¡°As I said, Team Hindsight is engaging a large group of demons. You will need to back them up in a moment,¡± Oracle repeats.


    Jolts groans. ¡°This is all wrong. Us backing up another team. What the hell.¡±


    The demon charges again and Mirror Knight rushes forward, colliding with the demon and sending him down the street. ¡°Alright. Enough. Chains, Jolts, we¡¯ll have to use jumper cables. This guy''s way too durable and we aren¡¯t trying to keep him alive, so let¡¯s wrap him and see how much current he can take.¡±


    ¡°Means I gotta use steel,¡± Chains points out.


    ¡°No shit. This guy seems to give zero shits about earth and whatnot, so yes, metal. There¡¯s literally tons of it around us. Use that stuff.¡±


    The demon approaches, this time nearly twice the speed that he was prior to this time. He¡¯s just charging over and over again without thinking about what happened the previous times. Mirror Knight leans in, squinting to see the demon¡¯s eyes jammed shut as if he¡¯s scared of the results. Mirror Knight leans forward and starts running, preparing to meet the charge head on. Mirror Knight raises a right arm over his body, extending it a tiny bit out front, and then he stoops his body down far enough that it seems that he¡¯s going to slide his helmet across the ground.


    The two collide and for a moment it seems the demon just stops.  Like the Roadrunner or something. Then, almost like subjected to a major lag spike, the demon groans and shoots into the air, behind Mirror Knight, somersaulting uncontrollably. It slams into the ground between the four others and Necro skitters back, raising her hands.


    Large pillars of bones explode out of the ground, before fanning out in the air as some sort of shield. The demon groans, shooting up and the earth starts shaking. Rocks shoot up, before colliding with the bones causing a set of almighty cracks and then there¡¯s an explosion within, causing the demon to roar in pain and rage.


    ¡°Chains!¡± Mirror Knight yells.


    Chains shrieks and she points at a warped chunk of structural steel which forms into massive chains. It flies toward the demon, clinking as it travels, then it starts wrapping the demon up. The demon fights back, trying to punch every chain, trying to break out of the chains, and while it¡¯s strong, the chains are just far too thick.


    The chains just keep forming, wrapping the demon over and over again until it seems to be nothing more than an orb of chains. Two loose ends of chain land at Chains¡¯ feet and she looks around, breathing heavily, gasping for air.


    Bolts steps in front of her. ¡°Full charge?¡±


    Mirror Knight nods. ¡°Fry him.¡±


    Bolts pumps her fists and wraps her hands around each loose piece of chain. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re having a cookout today!¡± Chains stumbles back as sparks crackle around Bolts¡¯ shoulders. The sparks grow, become great pillars of lightning, cracking against the exposed metal in buildings, soon Bolts¡¯ armor seems to absorb the lightning which flows down her arms. It hits the chains then the entire group of chains explodes with gold lighting which cracks loudly.


    All the surroundings seem to crack as if a storm is coming down, which it seems to be. Mirror Knight raises his head to the clouds above, watching lightning rain down not far from where they are. ¡°Was that Team Hindsight too?¡± He asks, rather dubiously.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Oracle responds. ¡°Also, you can stop shocking the Arcanist now. He¡¯s dead. Very dead.¡±


    Bolts drops the chains and then looks around, giving Mirror Knight a questioning glance. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°I guess we go to meet Team Hindsight,¡± Mirror Knight responds. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t be hard to find them after both the explosion and the storm showing up both Salvo and Bolts. Let¡¯s go.¡± Mirror Knight starts walking, leaving the rubble of their fight behind them. They leave the chain wrapped corpse of the Arcanist, the bodies of the dead demons and soon the entire street. They head in the direction they know there¡¯s a fight happening.


    It¡¯s not as if the fight stopped after the lightning, there¡¯s still sounds of fighting getting louder as they approach. They pass some others, who are resting after their fights, some teams recuperating, who pay them no mind as they walk past. They have no interest in getting involved in Hindsight¡¯s battle.


    As Team Chevalier draws near, Oracle speaks up. ¡°Alright, now it¡¯s time for you guys to hear this. Next voice you will hear is that of Elmira, directly from the earpiece she¡¯s wearing. Don¡¯t question anything until it¡¯s over.¡±


    There¡¯s a soft buzz, a different effect from the typically immaculate signal Oracle usually has. The sky brightens with white light for a moment, and then a voice comes through. ¡°My brother has arrived.¡± Elmira yelps, as if startled. ¡°Don¡¯t do that, you gave me a heart attack!¡±


    The next voice is Gates, ¡°Say exactly what you said just then. Your brother has arrived?¡±


    There¡¯s a third voice, Gabbie, Hindsight¡¯s leader. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± She¡¯s terrified. ¡°Who¡¯s your brother Elmira? Why is he also with the Demons? Elmira¡­ You¡¯re- You¡¯re not Human, are you?¡±


    Mirror Knight¡¯s breath catches in his throat and he looks at the others. Not a word is said between them, they''re all listening to the Hindsight¡¯s conversation. ¡°My brother, Lucifer. I¡¯m a Demon Lord. I came here to escape my Father.¡±


    The signal changes to the clear signal of Oracle and she snorts. ¡°How¡¯s that for a plot twist? Then again, for a while, Mirror Knight did expect it.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding,¡± Chains mutters.


    ¡°For fuck¡¯s sakes! How many times today do I have to say I don¡¯t ¡®kid¡¯! I¡¯m a broken record! I don¡¯t joke! I don¡¯t lie! And I certainly don¡¯t kid!¡± Oracle¡¯s outburst in unexpected, but it just seems all just so unreal. The fact that they¡¯ve had a Demon Lord in the CPO for over three weeks and they didn¡¯t know. The fact that everything has lead to this. They are all silent as they walk, trying to figure out what to do with all of this new information.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Necro asks.


    Mirror Knight shakes his head. ¡°When this is all done¡­ If she¡¯s still here, we¡¯ll have to apprehend Elmira. After that, we¡¯ll take her to a Vigor Confinement Facility where she¡¯ll stay in a VEC. After that, we, with the help of the other directors will figure out what to do with her.¡±


    ¡°A Demon Lord won¡¯t stay in a VEC. If she¡¯s like any other magic user, there¡¯s no way a cell can be personalized for her,¡± Salvo points out.


    ¡°But we¡¯ll have no other choice.¡±


    There¡¯s a long silence, all of them nodding in agreement. It seems that there¡¯s no other choice. It¡¯s just one turn off before they reach Team Hindsight and there¡¯s a second ear-shattering explosion. ¡°Jesus H. Christ!¡± Salvo roars. He covers his ears, and throws his elbows up as if defending himself from an unseen, the others seem to react the same and they all watch debris get flung out of the street in front of them, crashing into buildings at the end of the street.


    Mirror Knight swallows. It seems like their suits probably did enough to protect their ears, but that doesn¡¯t stop them from all feeling a little bit stunned. ¡°What was that?¡± Bolts asks.


    ¡°Gas pipe just opened up and caught a flame,¡± Oracle answers. ¡°Should be safe now. It¡¯s time for you to head down the street. Come on, run.¡±


    The five of them break into a sprint, turning the corner to see Elmira, with Gates, a second demon, in a damaged suit with black leathery skin and white horns and wings. Elmira herself looks demonic too, with pale white skin, large wings, horns and a tail. She stands tall, over both the other demon and Gates. In front of them another demon, with a waif-like form, almost like it can be tipped over by a breeze, is skewered with a massive spear. It screams a long horrible shriek which soon falls silent.


    ¡°Have you betrayed us Lucifer?¡± A second demon yells. Everyone looks to where a second demon is, a large demon, not that much unlike the stone demon of earlier, but a bit smaller. It¡¯s bulbous, with red skin and massive wings. Its horns seem to have been shaved down by a blast.


    ¡°Oops, missed,¡± a man laughs. Everyone looks up to see a man in a suit, standing in the air as if on a platform. He seems relaxed considering the situation.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± The demon lord roars.


    Elmira starts walking, her mouth is moving, as if she¡¯s talking, but no-one in the group can hear her. She wraps a hand around a spear. It¡¯s hard to spot, but her hand is inserted into a gauntlet which serves as a barrier between her and the spear. She pulls the spear free of the dead body and then she leans forward.


    The other demon for some reason gets incredibly scared and he starts running, a portal forming in front of him. Team Chevalier approaches the demon, about to intercept him before he reaches the portal, but they don¡¯t get the chance to kill him.


    Elmira suddenly explodes forward, obliterating the corpse of the other demon then slamming into the larger demon, skewering him. She wrenches it to the right, her left, then she slashes the demon¡¯s head off which drops to the ground, bouncing once, twice, three times, then stopping at Mirror Knight¡¯s feet. Mirror Knight feels immense pressure pressing down on him. What now?


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes


    I''m pretty sure at least 50% of you knew who Mirror Knight was, but there you go. Director Tagert is Mirror Knight. As for the hell that is this chapter. I HATE WRITING THIRD PERSON. I can write third person, but there''s something about writing it that makes my body grow cold and makes me break out in a sweat. I feel disconnected to the story I''m writing and I don''t like that feeling. It feels like my writing suffers because of it.


    So this might be some excuse, but I started playing a bunch of the Witcher 3 and Overwatch. Overwatch I placed in my competitive and Witcher 3... Well, I finished the main story for the second time and finished Hearts of Stone and started Blood and Wine. So, lots of free time. Next up is Arc 2: Sathanus

 Arc 2: Sathanus, Part One

    Sebastian and I have steel chains wrapped around our wrists, mostly for the sake of appearances rather than for absolute necessity. Both of us can easily free ourselves from these bonds if we want, but I don¡¯t want to kill anyone, especially considering many of these people are my friends and my being here has actually caused them to face danger.


    Hercules and Walter are sitting together on a curb. Walter is completely fine, his clothes are a bit damaged, but apparently being made of diamonds makes you nearly indestructible. Hercules is in a poor state. He¡¯s not badly injured, but his clothes are an absolute wreck and he has a good amount of cuts and burns littering his dark skin. He¡¯s holding a cloth to his head, wrapped within is some ice.


    Gabbie is just off to the side, she has her eyes closed and Mattie is next to her, with Kai to his left. I can trust that they¡¯ll make sure she¡¯s fine. Gates is standing with Salvo, a grimace stuck to her face.


    This leaves Mirror Knight, Bolts, Necro, and Chains. All I¡¯ve gotten from the short discussions they¡¯ve shared. That and someone named Oracle they¡¯re talking to through an earpiece. Mirror Knight taps the back of his helmet which folds back to reveal the sweat soaked hair of Director Tagert.


    I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. His attitude and the fact Salvo is here actually made me a little suspicious, but also his complete ballsiness shows more. The fact he taunted my brother was almost enough for me to confirm exactly who he was. Tagert approaches, placing his hand on his neck. ¡°Alright, we''ll have some more come through in a while. Just to make sure they¡¯re all well enough. Necro,Salvo, Bolts, and Chains will come with me in the truck as we escort Elmira and¡­¡± He trails off, looking at Sebastian. ¡°The other demon to the VCF.¡±


    ¡°VCF?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Vigor Confinement Facility. You¡¯re going to be staying in a cell until we figure out exactly what to do with you. That is, unless, you want to make things easier for us and return with that demon to the Demon Plane.¡± Gates is at least close enough to hear him, and her eyebrows draw together, an expression of annoyance, she approaches and I shake my head. She stops, drawing back to where she was. ¡°Ah. I see, then you will accept whatever punishment we dole out to you?¡±


    I close my eyes, exhaling. ¡°I understand I¡¯m a threat to the people here, but I came here for my safety in the first place. If this place proves to be a greater threat, I¡¯ll likely have to go elsewhere.¡±


    He clicks his tongue. ¡°I guess that¡¯s better than I expected. Preserving one¡¯s own life is first and foremost the most important thing for everyone. Though the preservation of everyone else should always be right after that.¡±


    I give him a questioning glance. It seems that in spite of his curt and aggressive nature, there is at least one similarity to Gabbie. Though why he thinks I am interested in protecting Humans is beyond me. I care as much for them as I do for other demons, as they did when they helped kill those demons.


    I lower myself onto a curb and yelp, both in pain and shock. Salvo jumps forward, raising his hands, Bolts has strange, golden bolts of electricity running across her back, while Chains has a large array of chains hovering over her shoulder. They¡¯re all aimed at me as if I¡¯m planning to attack.


    I slowly lift myself up and move my tail away before it gets crushed again, my face burns red from shame. All of them seem to relax and they lower their hands, all their powers seem to retreat. They return to what they were doing, which is mostly looking around at the damage and talking to themselves in hushed voices, but after that, it all seems incredibly tense. As if it¡¯s all about to come to blows at a moment¡¯s notice.


    For a moment, perhaps I was hopeful this would all last longer. I knew that the Humans wouldn¡¯t take well to a Demon Lord being in the midst, and I guess I should be glad they didn¡¯t attack me immediately, but I still wanted it to all last longer. Maybe they¡¯d find it easier to accept that I¡¯m not a threat. But as it is, I might not be a threat, but I do bring threats. Essentially, they have every right to send me back to the Demon Plane, it¡¯s certainly something I might¡¯ve done if the situation were reversed.


    Sebastian is looking at me. He has an incredibly serious look on his face, though he doesn¡¯t say a word. Perhaps he¡¯s questioning my intent, even I¡¯m unsure of my intent. I don¡¯t have an intent, I don¡¯t have a set of ideas or plans. Just like when I first came here, I¡¯m leaving my life in the hands of Humans. It¡¯s worked out so far, hopefully, it will work out again. For now, I guess he¡¯s trusting me more than he¡¯s trusting anyone else, but I¡¯m sure if I was under any threat, he¡¯d fight back immediately.


    I use the long silence to rescind the power of my septagram, returning my body to it¡¯s more Human appearance. My gauntlet reshapes to a more comfortable state and while I am weaker, I¡¯m still stronger than I was in my active septagram form without the gauntlet. I clench my fist for a moment, my wrist aches and I can feel some pain in both my back and muscles. It must be some left over pain from being hit with the explosion. It will pass, given time.


    Tagert clears his throat, almost demanding everyone¡¯s attention, but it¡¯s not that, he taps his chest, coughing a few times, then fades into silence. For a moment, the pressure seems overbearing, but he chooses to approach, just as everyone starts to look away. He stops in front of me, then he motions to Chains. Chains approaches and then Tagert looks down at me. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to remove the weapon.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a dish wish?¡± I ask, a little shocked at his directness toward Valor.


    ¡°Is that a threat?¡±


    I groan and exhale. ¡°No. It¡¯s not a threat. It¡¯s a legitimate question. I¡¯m not sure about what will happen to humans, but Valor¡­¡± I clear my throat. ¡°The gauntlet can¡¯t be touched by anyone but me. It will kill you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, do tell me how. I really want to hear some kind of excuse.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being sarcastic. You think I¡¯m lying. I¡¯m not. Valor connects to my- well, my core, where my power originates from. Humans call it the ¡®soul¡¯. Anyway, it connects to the soul but for me, it¡¯s completing my soul. For anyone else, it would overload the soul. It would destroy it nearly immediately and then you¡¯d be nothing more than a man with no actual driving force. A husk.¡±


    ¡°That sounds absolutely-¡± He stops, for a moment. His armor then cracks open and I can hear a ringing noise from his pocket. He withdraws a phone and pulls it up to his ear. ¡°Oracle-¡± He says. ¡°Ye- It sounds- Okay- Fine- Silk? Where the- Fine!¡± He ends the call, holding it out in his hand while his shoulders slump. ¡°Oracle says you¡¯re telling the truth and you need silk to wrap up the weapon.¡±


    I stare at Tagert. I scowl at him, displaying exactly how serious I am at this moment. How in the two planes does anyone know that? No-one should know about the silk besides some Demons and maybe Gates, Hercules, and Mattie. Someone could have betrayed me.


    ¡°Oracle knows a Hell of a lot-.¡± I see a sparkle of amusement in Tagert¡¯s eyes. ¡°Pardon the use of ¡®Hell¡¯. It¡¯s part of her many abilities. The guys will bring a silk shirt or something when they come in the truck.¡± He pauses, then continues. ¡°You know what, just take it off and put it in front of you. That shouldn¡¯t be a problem, correct?¡±


    I raise my hands, showing off the chains. I could break, them, but then again, it wouldn¡¯t exactly help show my intent at remaining passive. Chains steps forward, she raises her right hand and the chains seem to move, like a snake uncoiling around my wrists. It frees up the gauntlet and I wrap my left hand around my wrist and extricate my hand from the depths. I place it on the asphalt in front of me. The chains once again grow tighter, wrapping my wrists close enough for me to clasp my hands.


    It isn¡¯t long before the recurring theme of silence is broken by a large vehicle approaching, a massive van clad in black paint with a large symbol embellishing its side, designating it the property of the CPO. The sun is only just coming up, but not a single person or car travels the street, likely many of been told to remain in their homes for a duration. Tagert walks toward the slowing vehicle, waving his hands toward them, calling them over. The vehicle veers toward him and then squeals to a halt in front of him.


    The front door snaps open and a man drops out of the front seat before four men and woman climb out of the back door. All are wearing thick vests, each with a golden CPO symbol, all holding massive guns in their arms, each with a strap wrapped around the back of their neck to keep the weapon close.


    The man from the front seat, a dark-skinned balding man with gray hairs surrounding the shiny dome and bloodshot green eyes. Piled in his arms are long bandages of white silk. He yawns as he comes to a stop in front of Tagert. ¡°Touche.¡± Tagert grunts. ¡°Same here, I¡¯m looking forward to collapsing into bed and forgetting about today. ¡®Cept first-¡± He points a thumb toward where me and Sebastian are sitting. ¡°Let¡¯s set them up for a few nights in a cell. We¡¯ll figure out what to do with them when my head doesn¡¯t feel like a wet sponge.¡±


    ¡°So exactly what¡¯s going on?¡± The older man asks. ¡°I got very few details from Oracle, she told me what to do and I did it and now I want to know why I did that shit. I mean why the fuck do I have silk?¡±


    Tagert takes the silk from the man¡¯s hands and he approaches me, slipping part of the silk beneath the gauntlet, then carefully wrapping it up and, once everything is wrapped up, he ties it off and holds it up. ¡°For this, and I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s about as much as we can give you.¡±


    ¡°Can I respectfully ask why?¡±


    ¡°You can, and I can answer that. It¡¯s just a precaution. It¡¯s a problem about race.¡±


    The older man snorts. ¡°Ouch that hurts-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way!¡±


    ¡°I know, I was teasing. Here¡¯s another one; oh, boy, I really don¡¯t know about race problems at all,¡± the last part is filled with sarcasm and I can see Tagert is cringing which by itself is a bit amusing. ¡°¡®Sides, I have eyes. So more demons, you¡¯re worried about people in the VCF will give them a good old fashioned beating.¡±


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m more worried about the opposite happening. But I don¡¯t want to talk about it. Let¡¯s just get going. The longer we stand here, the more difficult things may get.¡± Tagert raises his hand to the others and Chains looks at me. It seems this is the announcement that we¡¯re going. I stand up and Sebastian mimics my movement, standing up by my side. We join Chains and we walk over to the vehicle.


    The men and women standing by the vehicle look us up and down, eyes filled with suspicion. They have a hand placed on their gun, as if ready to use it at a moment¡¯s notice. It seems that teams are made up, typically of two men and two women. I haven¡¯t had much of a chance to clarify, but with Team Hindsight, Team Expedition, Tagert¡¯s team and this man¡¯s team, there is a correlation. Though I could be mistaken, because the last two are exceptions to that rule. Likely Tagert and this older man aren¡¯t actually part of the two teams. ¡°Allow them to step inside,¡± the old man announces. ¡°And don¡¯t so much as harm a hair on their head or you¡¯ll have Hell to pay.¡±


    I groan. I swear people use the word Hell on purpose when I¡¯m around. It¡¯s not even funny, just annoying. I climb into the back of the van, the interior is made of metal and there are uncomfortable plastic seats. I lower myself down into a seat and Sebastian sits by my side, preventing anyone from sitting directly next to me, making it only possible for them to sit opposite to me. The seat is taken up by Bolts, who takes off her own helmet once in the safety of her seat.


    She has fiery red hair, with startling blue eyes. She doesn¡¯t say a word, only choosing to look away when she notices me staring. Salvo sits next to her, followed by Chains by his side and then Necro. They too remove their masks, Chains is heavily tanned, with short black hair and brown eyes. She¡¯s perhaps plain looking in comparison to Bolts, though she¡¯s also a bit more withdrawn, breaking eye contact nearly immediately.


    Necro on the other hand has the creepy aura. He¡¯s pale, with long black hair and frosty blue eyes. His lips seem cold, as if he¡¯s no longer living, but he¡¯s clearly breathing heavily which disproves this observation. His eyes dart from side to side, as if he really dislikes these conditions. The others file in, pushing me uncomfortably against the wall and I place my cheek on the cold metal, sighing to myself.


    The doors are thrown shut and the truck starts vibrating, informing us that the vehicle has started. Someone clears their throat and I can¡¯t help but feel unwelcome, which is just the case, I am unwelcome, but I don¡¯t like this feeling while in in close confines with those who don¡¯t like me. What¡¯s worse, the entire van reminds me of the carriages I used to ride in.


    I can feel every bump in the road, each one ends up resulting in my getting squeezed against the wall, and if I¡¯m lucky, tasting the inner walls, which by themselves aren¡¯t all that pleasant. I swear, there¡¯s blood on the walls, though that could be mine after an unfortunate instance where I might have bit my cheek.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Sebastian asks. He¡¯s the one who¡¯s been sliding against me with every bump and jolt. I shrug, giving him a noncommittal response. The vehicle comes to a halt for a long period of time. I¡¯m expecting them to move, for the doors to open, but the van starts moving again, this time, slower.


    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The van finally does come to a stop and then the doors are flung open, there are two men, both in black uniforms with the same vests as the ones in the group that came with that old man. They wear caps with an emblem in the center. A silver cage with the words ¡®VCF: Gomorrah¡¯, beneath the bottom of the cage. ¡°Step out of the vehicle!¡± The man on the right announces. ¡°For those who have not come here before, you are required to be escorted by a guard at all times! Do not attempt to travel the VCF grounds alone. That would be grounds for prosecution for trespassing.¡±


    The front four guards step out first, each standing on either side of the door. They must be guards of this place then. At least, that¡¯s what I believe. I guess the VCF is indirectly associated with the CPO, that¡¯s why they have access to a van of theirs. Salvo, Chains, and Bolts step out after, taking their place by the guards.


    Sebastian stands up and walks out the back of the van, clutching the edge of the van as he climbs out. I follow, nearly getting his wings in my face as he steps out. I join him on the tarmac and look around. It¡¯s a large parking area, with only a few cars parked in the marked areas. Surrounding the area is a large fence, and beyond that, there¡¯s another fence, each with razor wire circling the parking area and then, the facility.


    The facility itself is nothing like the simplicity in the car park. It¡¯s a large concrete monolith, with metal lining the walls, seemingly as if it¡¯s just that little bit extra protection, as if it needs that. There are platforms and towers in a few locations on the facility, some with a giant gun that overlooks the parking area and the area below, above which is a massive light that illuminates areas on the ground. The light seems like it¡¯s so strong that it will burn anything alive in its path. There¡¯s more, it¡¯s not clear at first, but I can see a glint in the distance, which sweeps away, likely someone overlooking the area.


    Tagert and the older man come round the side of the van, and join them around the back. ¡°So Dan is with me, my team will stick to the four over here, and Sebastian and Elmira, our suspiciously receptive prisoners will be with the two that met us here. The ten of us should be more than enough if they decide to flip the switch,¡± Tagert announces. ¡°Are you okay with this Dan?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, so what level cell should we put them in?¡± The older man asks, I imagine his name is Dan considering Tagert calling him by name. ¡°I presume we¡¯re talking a level four cell considering the number of people you seem to need.¡±


    ¡°Mm, level four cell with 24 hour surveillance. This one-¡± Tagert gestures toward Sebastian. ¡°Is a lower level magic user. He can use a few types of magic, though it¡¯s limited in zone. Elmira, the girl, is an exceptional magic user. She¡¯s has access to all the magic a Warlock can use and perhaps more.¡±


    Dan claps once and the guards, who are already on edge lunge for their weapons and then drop them when they see it¡¯s a simple clap. ¡°Woo, boy, you¡¯re all super jumpy today. Let¡¯s get into the building before they lose their heads.¡±


    Dan gestures with his hands, and the four guards, with their companions; Jolts, Salvo, Chains, and Necro, start making their way toward the building. ¡°Go, follow them,¡± one of the guards tells us. Sebastian looks at me and I start walking which he follows soon after. Both guard take a place at our side, while Tagert and Dan follow us. I wonder if this Dan guy is a Vigor, a magic user or a Human. I imagine he¡¯s not a Human considering he¡¯s guarding this place, but then what kind of power does he have?


    We reach a large door up a set of stairs. The door slides open as we near and we step into the building. We enter a short corridor, with a checkerboard floor made of what seems like plastic and an area with glass to our right with people inside, watching us as we enter, making sure that nothing happens as we walk through. At the end of the corridor, there¡¯s another set of doors. We step through them, both of which slide open as we enter. We¡¯re then brought out into a large hall, which is segmented into different sections of bars with sparks running off them, fences and glass windows.


    Dan clears his throat. ¡°To our new prisoners, welcome to VCF: Gomorrah. Our facility is specifically designed to hold Vigor and magic users. You¡¯ll find, beyond this maze of windows, fences and bullet-proof windows there are cells specifically designed to make sure none of you get out. It doesn¡¯t matter whether you have a bomb on your person or some sort of ability that will allow you to phase through walls. We have our own method to prevent you from getting out.¡± We step through a door and take a right turn, walking across a grate that has a strong wind current that seems to be directed downward. ¡°Even if you somehow get out, you¡¯ll find a huge maze of corridors, corridors that can be changed and are changed every week to prevent you all from escaping. Each corridor has its own defense and its own team that will be hunting you and preventing your escape. And even if you somehow get out, then there¡¯s a large team that will be waiting to follow you and they''re the best of the best. To sum it up, unless either we want you out, or you can disappear forever, you won¡¯t have any way to escape.¡±


    Tagert clears his throat. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just it, Dan. These two can disappear if they want, though they won¡¯t be back after the case.¡±


    ¡°Then that¡¯s exactly what we want from them. Incarceration or exile. It¡¯s better than anything else that can happen.¡±


    ¡°What about reformation?¡±


    ¡°While that would be preferred, but releasing them into the world- Even if they are reformed, there will be some that aren¡¯t and they might kill many others.¡±


    ¡°There are some who are reformed, though,¡± Tagert points out.


    ¡°And good for them. Thing is, we do have reoffenders, and most of them tend to kill far more than reoffenders in the normal prisons.¡± What a way to start my stay here. Being told that it¡¯s better that I stay here than go out while my only crime is concealing who I was. I guess that did result in me unintentionally causing an invasion by demons, but I wasn¡¯t the one to command them, just the one they chased after.


    We walk through the long winding corridors and while I¡¯d like to say I¡¯m keeping track, if I were told to find the way out from here, I¡¯d get rather lost. There are doors, but there¡¯s no clear way that will lead to any exit and having the way to the outside so clear, it makes it all the more confusing. As if the entrance is right in front of me, being only obstructed by clear walls. I can sense that any prospecting escapee would find this incredibly infuriating, to have the exit so close, yet so far at the same time. Infuriating enough for them to make constant mistakes.


    We make it to the center of the maze of long corridors, where there are a bunch of cells lining the way, all in a circular pattern, each cell a cylinder that stretches all the way up to the roof, with multiple levels of platforms. In the center of the large circle of cells, there¡¯s a set of stairs that head down. ¡°Floor 1, low-level Vigors, level 1 cells,¡± Dan announces. ¡°We¡¯re heading down to floor 4.¡±


    They lead the way down a long set of steel stairs, our footsteps echoing along the metal grating. We reach the second floor after a little bit of walking, this time, Tagert talks. ¡°Level 2, mid-level Vigors, level 2 cells. Require two staff to open.¡±


    ¡°Then I imagine level 3 is below, with three staff and level 4 is below even that with four staff. No need for a constant stream of narration,¡± Sebastian interrupts. ¡°We might not be from here, but we can follow a simple frame of thinking like that.¡± I¡¯m not sure if Sebastian is getting mad, or simply annoyed at the way they seem to be handling the situation.


    ¡°This is how we¡¯d be doing it for anyone else,¡± Dan responds.


    ¡°And with all due respect, we are not everyone else. You know that just as well as everyone else. Our crime is being here, and I don¡¯t know of a single place where being somewhere is a crime.¡±


    ¡°Then let me say,¡± Tagert mutters. ¡°Welcome to Earth, where we persecute people for crossing borders illegally. And while the laws are pretty fucking stark when it comes to Demons, I¡¯m pretty sure we can apply illegal immigration to your record.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just a technicality.¡±


    ¡°The world is fucking run by them. If you plan on staying, get used to it dumb shit. You¡¯re just tired of being talked to in a condescending way, but you only have a right to complain about it if you don¡¯t know everything. And right now, you¡¯re looking pretty God damned stupid.¡±


    Sebastian shrugs and then shakes his head. It seems it¡¯s nothing more than a butting of heads. Stubbornness being met with stubbornness. Though even a small bout of stubbornness might change a thing or two. At least they no longer narrate our descent into the depths of the VCF.


    It isn¡¯t long before we get to the bottom, but the bottom floor is far more disconcerting than the other floors. It¡¯s a large circle, much like the previous floors, with massive doors surrounding us. A guard stands between each door buffer, with guns held in their hands. There are large lights surrounding the area, casting light upon the center area and bulbs located around the walkway. Something tells me those bulbs aren¡¯t going dispense confetti.


    Dan points toward two sets of doors, each on the opposite side of the hall. ¡°We¡¯ll split into two groups, the two guards on the side of the cell doors will help you open it.¡± Chain steps between Sebastian and I and removes the chains from our wrists. I flex my wrists, trying to get the feeling in my hands and wincing at the small movements, then we¡¯re split up.


    Sebastian is led to the cell door on the other side of the room. Tagert leads Sebastian, while Dan leads me with half his own team. Bolts and Chains are by my side, with three of the guards. They stop at the entrance and two guards take their place next to the door. Then the other two guards move. They¡¯re stiff, as if they¡¯ve been standing for hours, which is likely the case. The door is a massive slab of steel with four pads. Two on each side of the door. The guards lean over the pads, pressing a few digits, then the slab beeps loudly. ¡°Door opening!¡± One of the guards yells. ¡°Step back!¡±


    The call is repeated on the other side of the ring and we all take a step back. There¡¯s a long beep and the entire outside of the door lights up red. There''re a few louder beeping noises and all of a sudden the door slides into the ground with a loud bang. There¡¯s a second long beep and a ding noise as the floor goes green.


    ¡°Inside,¡± Dan says. I step toward the door, peering inside. It¡¯s stark white inside, spotless and also surprisingly large. The floor is made up of a large steel plate, with a small grate and indentation in the floor at the right side of the circle. Above the grate is a showerhead and tap. A toilet, with a sink, is built into it is just to the right of the shower. The left side of the room has a bed, with a thin mattress, a blanket and a pillow. Lastly there¡¯s a large locker. I step inside the room, there¡¯s nothing else really besides a bar hanging over the center of the room. There¡¯s also a digital clock on the furthest wall. Reading 06:13. ¡°Breakfast is at 0730, lunch at 1230, and dinner is at 1900. If you want something speak clearly and it might come with the next meal. As long as it¡¯s books or perhaps a puzzle. Anything electronic is forbidden. Any visitors will speak directly to you through a phone we¡¯ll bring in to you.¡±


    I nod. ¡°And what do you feed us?¡±


    ¡°Depends on the day. It might be heavily secure, but even the worst of criminals aren¡¯t treated with bad food and lack of entertainment. People just dislike the nature of the area, though we allow people to decorate their cell as they please. Make sure to ask for anything you desire and we will do what we can to secure it.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I place myself within your care. Please treat me well.¡± I step away from the cell door, into the cell and the door beeps low and loud before shooting out of the floor and slamming shut with a loud boom. I¡¯m alone in the room now, with not so much as a noise coming from outside. There¡¯s only a small noise, a soft tinkling almost like chimes, likely to not make it all sound horrifyingly quiet.


    I exhale and approach the bed before dropping into it. I¡¯m tired, incredibly tired. Just tired of today, even though I don¡¯t like the idea of staying in the cell. I like the idea of being protected and not having to harm my friends this time to achieve protection. I wouldn¡¯t mind spending time to rest and recuperate. I lift my legs up onto the bed and lie my head down. It¡¯s quite bright in the room, though the lights seem to dull when I lie down in my bed. I raise my hands over my head and place them on my eyes in an attempt to help me sleep better, and sleep eventually does come.


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes


    And thus starts a new arc. It took me a while to set it up, mostly because I''m starting to think about returning to my other projects that I put on haitus for this one. That doesn''t mean that you will cease to see the updates here, just that I might not have as much time to write it. Ultimately, though, it depends on my muse, whether I have writer''s block or just don''t feel inspired to write. This might not happen often, but it happened while I was writing Mirror Knight''s story. I''m hoping that won''t happen again.

 Arc 2: Sathanus, Part Two

    ¡°Do you remember what I said would happen as the result of your failure, Lucifer,¡± A voice growls. Once again, I¡¯m dreaming up some convoluted scene of what is happening, or what might be happening. Something that seems to show me enough but hides a lot more. My Father is talking to Lucifer and I imagine, just like he suggested prior to the attack, he¡¯s about to punish my brother. ¡°Though, I still would like to hear your excuses.¡±


    My Father seems to have had time to calm himself, it seems unlikely that he would take the time to listen. I have a feeling one of my brothers might have been involved in this. Perhaps Sathanus, seeing someone who¡¯s angry for the sake of being angry does give you a new perspective on your rage. ¡°Interesting. Typically you don¡¯t listen to a damn thing I say,¡± Lucifer says, approaching. ¡°I did come here immediately after returning, so I have no plans to lie.¡±


    ¡°¡®Cept there¡¯s a damn good reason why you¡¯d lie,¡± Sathanus says. I look at where the voice came from, just beside the shadowed throne. A large man with huge, rippling muscles, only partially obscured by a leather tunic. He has large horns that sweep back just over his ears, seemingly traveling with his black hair which settles on his broad shoulders. Unlike his brother, he doesn¡¯t have wings, but instead he has a large, lizard-like tail, that sweeps across the floor the more annoyed he gets. It does explain why it¡¯s always moving.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I would lie for Elmira¡¯s sake, but in this case, I don¡¯t really need to lie. The Humans are protecting her,¡± Lucifer responds. ¡°You don¡¯t need me to hear that. I¡¯m sure you could have figured that out by yourself.¡±


    ¡°Mm,¡± My father grumbles. ¡°That much is clear, but I¡¯m still curious why you didn¡¯t fight against the Humans. They¡¯re nothing more than pathetic pests. The only reason why they¡¯re still alive is because we need them. I find it difficult to accept that they beat you back.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t beat me.¡±


    ¡°Then where¡¯s Elmira?¡± Sathanus yells.


    ¡°Sathanus,¡± My Father hisses. ¡°I¡¯m talking. If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t you return with Elmira?¡±


    ¡°Because I was going to end up fighting to a stalemate. Humans aren¡¯t the same as they were one thousand years ago, Father. They have powers now, they can fight back against us. One of which I fought against was a man in steel armor and he could take the power I attacked him with and return it back to me at a greater strength. I couldn¡¯t ignore him, nor could I win against him. Plus I am limited on the time I can remain in the Mortal plane. I chose to return before wasting time and ending up in a position where a stalemate can turn into a loss.¡±


    There¡¯s a loud thud. The sound of my Father leaning heavily on the throne¡¯s armrests. ¡°You can¡¯t seriously be thinking about believing his lies?¡± Sathanus yells. ¡°He¡¯s a liar, he¡¯ll do anything to preserve his reputation! Besides, there is no Human capable of challenging .¡±


    ¡°I preserve my reputation, but note that I¡¯m harming it right now, brother,¡± Lucifer points out.


    ¡°I¡¯m inclined to agree with Lucifer here,¡± my Father mutters. ¡°Even though he¡¯s a fool for removing Elmira from our care, I¡¯m inclined to agree with him. However, Sathanus, if you wish to prove him wrong, you have the opportunity to do so.¡±


    ¡°Fine. I will, however, I do have my own desires that I want to be fulfilled should I succeed in acquiring Elmira,¡± Sathanus says.


    ¡°Father-¡± Lucifer takes on a warning tone.


    ¡°Silence, Lucifer. Continue, Sathanus.¡±


    Sathanus grins, his razor sharp teeth glinting in what little light there is. ¡°First, success means I get to torture Lucifer and if I get Elmira, once she undergoes metamorphosis, she¡¯s mine.¡±


    ¡°You can torture Lucifer, but Elmira is mine. I make her choices for her.¡±


    ¡°Which is why I¡¯m asking you.¡±


    There¡¯s a long pause, my Father is thinking. Lucifer looks incredibly serious and he¡¯s started pacing the width of the room, his spear tapping against the ground as he walks. ¡°Fine-,¡± My Father says finally. ¡°However, you have one opportunity and her first child will not be yours. I feel this is a fair compromise.¡±


    ¡°Of course, then I will send out scouts immediately. Thank you very much, Father.¡± Sathanus bows deeply then strides out of the building. Lucifer is left alone with my father and he grimaces at the decision. He starts walking out, leaving the room empty. Empty except for my Father. The flames that hang from the side of the pillars flicker out leaving the room pitch black.


    My dreams seem so real, and they likely are, but it seems that I only dream of the Demon Plane when I use warlock magic, and even if I do, it seems it¡¯s all controlled by my Father. In the end, when I wake up, there¡¯s one thing that remains the same, that is the pain in my back and the changes in my body, this time, it¡¯s agony, a different kind of pain.


    It¡¯s as if my back is on fire, like I¡¯m sweating profusely from my neck and my muscles are melting beneath my flesh. I feel weak, feverish and I can¡¯t raise my head from the bed, I can¡¯t even talk, I can¡¯t groan in pain, nor can I reach my hands behind my back. It feels like I¡¯ve been freshly flogged from behind like my Father has poured molten lead into the fresh cuts before slowly threading the venom of a snake into any area that¡¯s been left unharmed. It reminds me of the torture I¡¯ve had to endure in the past, but worse. It reminds me when Lucifer finally sewed his power into my septagram.


    Maybe it¡¯s connected to that, maybe it¡¯s not, but it¡¯s hard to even come up with some sort of conclusion when I¡¯m in this much pain. I try to move, try to let out a noise, but it feels like someone is pressing down on my shoulders, holding me down to force me to endure the pain.


    In time, the pain slowly decreases to a dull throb and I manage to get my voice back, panting loudly, as if I¡¯ve been screaming myself hoarse for the last few minutes of pain. Perhaps I have, just not managing to do more than utter a wordless scream. I pull my covers off then fall out of my bed, dropping to the ground with a loud clang, the cold metal floor meets my hot hands. The lights come on, bathing me with white light, yet still, I lie motionless there for a few moments, or at least long enough for it to be worrying.


    There¡¯s a crackling noise at the edge along the edges of the cell, where the circular walls meet the ceiling. A voice comes through as if there¡¯s someone living in the walls. ¡°If you don¡¯t respond, we will send in a medical team. Do you need help?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I croak. ¡°I- I¡¯ll manage on my own.¡±


    ¡°Say something if you need medical attention,¡± the voice responds, then there¡¯s another crackling noise and it goes silent once again. I slowly push myself up, my arms feel like they¡¯re made of gelatin, but I get up and lean against the wall.


    I place my head in my hands, groaning and then sliding down the wall to the ground once again. I can¡¯t work up the strength to move once more. The cold steel of the wall seems to help, the feeling of it against my back seems to lessen the heat, to drive away the remainder of the pain. I lift myself away from the wall, then pitch forward before righting myself. Maybe I should expect something like this after a lot of combat, maybe it would help if I could talk to Diane could help me, but there¡¯s no asking her now.


    I walk over to the locker and pull it open. The inside of the door has a large mirror and there are some clothes, neatly folded within. They¡¯re all gray, loose-fitting clothes, with the emblem of the VCF sewn into the left breast. I push the door open wider and look deep into the mirror. My hair is soaked, along with my clothes, sticking to my skin, but that¡¯s not all, once again, I¡¯ve undergone some developments, some of which are absolutely astounding. My skin has a slight discoloration, instead of porcelain white, it¡¯s gone a little darker, a light tan, some Humans might think. My tail has completed its growth, two prongs starting at the midpoint, ending in a red point that seems like it¡¯s been soaked in blood. The effect is repeated on my horns, which have clearly sprouted just past my head, ending with red tips.


    I tilt my left hand to the side, channeling the power of the septagram, much like what I might do with Lucifer¡¯s power, but instead of light forming on the edge of my transformed, claw-like hand, flames flicker across my claws. I exhale and the flames extinguish, one of the points of my septagram got completed. I can use Sathanus¡¯ power as easily as I can Lucifer¡¯s. If it¡¯s this simple to complete a point here, then how long would it take to complete my remaining points? I imagine, the magic I use is much like Gates explained it. However, instead of the power dripping through gaps, I retain it in my septagram, inevitably the rate it will absorb at is far faster because it¡¯s direct absorption and there is no pain of it being forced into my back. At least, that is until the night, but I¡¯d rather deal with nightmares and the pain while I¡¯m asleep than the pain while I¡¯m awake.


    I remove some of the clothes and a towel from the locker and approach the shower, shedding my own clothes as I walk. They¡¯re torn from the battle and smell heavily of sweat. I know there are people watching, but at the same time, I know that there won¡¯t be a point where they aren¡¯t watching. In a place like this, privacy is something I can¡¯t rely on. I stop at the shower and turn on the stream of water. Cold water falls over my body and I lower my head, letting it fall mostly down my shoulders. It feels like electricity is darting down my back for a second, a surprisingly good feeling. The water warms and I straighten up, wrapping my hand around a bar of soap, placed upon a dish, connected to the wall.


    I clean up hastily, expecting something to happen in the next few minutes. However unlikely that might be. I turn off the water and take up the towel, holding it to my face and slowly drying myself off. Suddenly, there¡¯s a loud ringing noise and I look around. It sounds like a cellphone, but there¡¯s not meant to be one in my cell. It¡¯s coming from the door. I slowly approach the door and as I draw closer, the sound grows louder.


    I stop at the door, there¡¯s a tray with food on it. Milk in a jug alongside a bowl filled with dry cereal. There¡¯s a plate with two slices of brown bread with two tubs of both jelly, as I¡¯ve been told the red stuff is, butter, with a knife to spread the butter and jelly. To drink there¡¯s a cup of orange juice, seemingly freshly squeezed. In the direct center of the tray is a cell phone. I lift the cell phone from the tray and I¡¯m presented with two options. One green, and one red. The green option tends to always be the yes option, so I press it and raise the phone to my ear like I¡¯ve seen many others do.


    ¡°Hello, Lord Elmira. Or would you prefer Lady?¡± Comes a woman¡¯s voice. ¡°You don¡¯t need to answer, I¡¯m staring at your cell right now and I know you¡¯re on the cell phone. I¡¯m also talking to you so I can help you.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± I ask, suspicion clouding my voice. There aren¡¯t very many people in this world that seem to help me because they like me. Many of them want to use me, or they just hate me for what I look like. I¡¯d give her about 50% chance to be lying to me.


    ¡°You¡¯re suspicious. It¡¯s good to be suspicious. Your experiences have clouded your ability to believe in people. When it comes to Humans, that¡¯s a good thing, but at least act naive. It could make you far less responsible for the attacks.¡±


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my question.¡±


    ¡°In due time, my suspicious friend. My name is Oracle. Tagert spoke briefly about me. I¡¯m also going to be presiding over your decision. Or be one of those who chooses what will happen to you.¡±


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.¡°And you¡¯re trying to help me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of questions from someone who woke up from a nightmare and found fire dancing at her fingertips. I figured you¡¯d question your developments more than you¡¯d question my involvement.¡±


    I¡¯m unsure whether she¡¯s doing this for her amusement or whether she¡¯s just curious. ¡°I know about the changes. I don¡¯t know about you.¡±


    ¡°Of course, you do. Now, let¡¯s get down to brass tacks. I¡¯ll help you, and in return, you¡¯ll help me.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it by your hand that I¡¯m in this mess in the first place.¡±


    She makes a sound as if wondering about the legitimacy of my statement. ¡°Kinda, it was going to happen anyway, but my intervention is very important for the whole development. See you¡¯re walking a thin line. The kind of line where I don¡¯t know what happens as a result.¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Divergent future. A future where two or more outcomes are similarly likely which results in skewed versions of the future. For example, the first outcome is immediate near apocalypse-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± I interject.


    She clears her throat. ¡°Well, the first option is that we choose to kill you and your death results in Satan using his thousand year trip to tear the world asunder and leave only a few million Humans left.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be good.¡±


    ¡°What gave you that idea, Sherlock?¡±


    ¡°Sherlock? I mean, I feel like that would be the natural reaction when told about the apocalypse.¡±


    ¡°God damn. I¡¯m sending Arthur Conan Doyle novels to your cell and you¡¯re going to read them. It¡¯s a figure of speech. Anyway, you¡¯re right, I¡¯m talking to you to save our own hides, or more precisely to stop the idiots in the other CPO buildings from making a mistake they will regret.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I believe you. At least I don¡¯t really have much of a choice.¡±


    ¡°Good, because sending you back to the Demon Plane is merely delaying the inevitable and so is keeping you in that cell. So our only option is getting you to help us, and even if you do, there¡¯s no guarantee things will work out. Just that there¡¯s a higher chance that things will work out- at least with the right type of help.¡±


    ¡°So- you¡¯re a clairvoyant?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m far more than that, but that¡¯s irrelevant. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll talk about it in the future as we get to know each other better.¡±


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯m listening. What do you want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Good. Seems Tagert was wrong about you in a few areas. That¡¯s fine, I didn¡¯t expect his files to be anywhere near perfect. I¡¯m going to be brief because I don¡¯t think overcomplicating anything will help you. I¡¯ll sum it up with two words. Act Human.¡±


    ¡°And how does one do that? I¡¯m not Human, remember.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I remember, and you¡¯re asking a terrible person that question, but I can help. You¡¯re scared, you¡¯re nervous and you want to protect yourself and the ones who hold close to you. Be particular with you wording, all of these guys are obsessed heroes, they¡¯d go through all the efforts to save a young girl from torture and rape, be extravagant and talk about what they would do to you should you return.¡±


    My eyebrows crease in annoyance. ¡°Seriously?¡±


    ¡°Is that hard?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the position I¡¯m in. I¡¯m scared, I¡¯m worried, I don¡¯t want to go back to my family. They¡¯ll beat me black, blue and purple, they¡¯ll break my bones and tear my muscles and once that¡¯s all done, then they¡¯ll subject me to repeated acts of rape so I can bear countless hordes of demons. Do you think I want that? Do you think I want that willingly? Do you think that I need to Act Human, when acting as I usually do is exactly the same.¡± My voice is growing loud and I can feel anger seeping into my voice. It¡¯s mostly because I¡¯m offended. Offended that she¡¯d think that I would actually relish the idea of returning home. ¡°I¡¯m fucking terrified, but I also know that my position here is a threat to others as well.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you weren¡¯t terrified.¡±


    ¡°But you implied it.¡±


    ¡°I implied nothing of the sort. I just said what Humans would do. I lack any knowledge about how you actually feel. My power gleams facts, not emotions. I¡¯m sorry about the offense I may have caused, but honestly, I don¡¯t think it matters.¡±


    ¡°It really does matter,¡± I say in a low voice.


    ¡°Fine. Then sorry. Just act like you usually would then. But make it the big subject. A lot of them will try to make you out to be the bad guy, ask tactful questions. They¡¯ll talk about how you appeared in front of civilians and then fled the scene. You must premise these questions with an excuse, an excuse that would elicit some emotional reaction. The golden word here is but. Remember that.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now, should this all work out, you¡¯ll be forced to wear an ankle bracelet and you¡¯ll be treated as- for lack of a better word- someone special. You¡¯ll join a team and from there you will undertake missions like many other teams might.¡±


    ¡°Someone special?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t explain it. They¡¯ll have eyes on you. They¡¯ll want to see you providing for them as much as they are providing for you.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± I mumble. ¡°And exactly what am I to do?¡±


    ¡°Well, like normal teams, you will do missions. And you¡¯ll find that at this point, Humans have a major capacity for evil and some of them are quite strong. You will deal with some of them, be it magic users or vigors.¡±


    ¡°I have already seen some horrible Humans.¡±


    ¡°Then I don¡¯t need to explain anything more. This is about as much as I can say. I don¡¯t really know if I can prepare you better. Let¡¯s just hope that those idiots do still have that tight-wearing superhero hidden inside their hearts, ¡®cause if they don¡¯t they¡¯ve doomed us.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t listen to you?¡±


    I swear I hear her laugh. ¡°You¡¯ve met Tagert. The rest of them are as stubborn as he is. They should listen to someone like me, but they don¡¯t. So instead, you have to make them feel pity. Good fucking luck.¡±


    ¡°You make this sound like some impossible task.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be mistaken, it isn¡¯t. I¡¯m just incredibly anxious.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± I murmur.


    ¡°Yeah. Anyway, I¡¯m ending the call now. You¡¯ll be getting those books with lunch. In the meantime- don¡¯t set the room on fire¡­ No matter how impossible that may seem- Also- get dressed.¡±


    The phone goes quiet in my hand without me being able to say goodbye to Oracle. I¡¯m stunned, I¡¯m not sure what more by. The sudden call or how tense it all seemed. Well, it was tense for me, for Oracle, it seemed like nothing more than another day¡¯s work. I lift the tray up and place the phone where the tray was sat, on a small lip across the door. I carry the tray over to my bed, laying it on the top, then I grab the clothes I took from the locker and start pulling them on with exaggerated care. Feels like something else will happen in moments if I take one wrong step and considering where I am, that could indeed be the case.


    Once dressed I sit down and pull the tray onto my lap. I¡¯m quite hungry and the idea of actually eating, no matter whether it tastes like dirt or not is far too enticing. I pour the milk into the bowl and mix the cereal in with a spoon, before bringing it to my mouth. This is the first time I¡¯m going to eat cereal, I¡¯ve seen the others eat it, and it¡¯s simple enough to mimic, but I always just stick to stuff I¡¯m more comfortable with. I bite into the cereal which crunches loudly in my mouth.


    It tastes- well, I wouldn¡¯t say there¡¯s anything amazing about it. It¡¯s not horrible, nor is it some amazing invention. All it has going for it is convenience. Just add milk and you¡¯re done. It tastes like toasted grains, sweeter than toast, yet not as sweet as many other things Humans seem to eat. It seems that they put sugar in everything. Some things more than others.


    I find it an acceptable meal, dull, yet filling. I don¡¯t quite finish it, instead choosing to eat the bread coated liberally in butter and jelly. One such thing that seems to be heavily flavored with sugar. I chew on the edge of my bread. I switch from bread to orange juice every few moments, only eating so slowly because there¡¯s not much more to do.


    I finish my food and return the tray to where I took it from then return to my bed and collapse into it, placing my hands behind my head and shutting my eyes to pass the time. It seems like a lot of my time will be spent sleeping and not much else until I get those books. Then I should be able to waste a lot of time. I¡¯ve never been much of a reader, so it will take me a while to leaf through them, dependent on how long they are.


    My rest is interrupted by a low beep. It wouldn¡¯t be quite enough to wake me up if I were sleeping, but I¡¯m only lying here, listening to the chimes. There¡¯s a clatter by the door and I stand up and approach the door. ¡°Stay back,¡± a voice hisses. I stop and a tray is pushed out to replace the other tray. It¡¯s joined by a few books. About eight of them, a few of them are large others are small. ¡°Hot lunch. Spaghetti Bolognese and some leafy greens.¡± There¡¯s a loud clang and the beep stops.


    I finally approach the door. Once again, there¡¯s a tray there, replacing the other tray with a plate filled with some strange red strands and meat soaked in tomatoes. Next to it, in its own bowl are some vegetables, drizzled with a brown liquid. There¡¯s also a cup of an amber liquid with an empty steel cup by its side. Books are stacked next to it, there are those ¡®Arthur Conan Doyle¡¯ books that Oracle mentioned, but there¡¯s more. ¡®Modern History and the Development of Vigors in War and Daily Life¡¯ for example. Those are the thickest books, the history books and what seem to be books on the makeup of Humans. It seems like an odd set of books, but I¡¯m interested in educating myself when I have nothing better to do.


    I carry them all over to my bed, then place the tray on my lap. Much like the cereal, I¡¯m interested in giving this food a try, however, I hope it tastes better than the cereal which seemed somewhat bland. This food is better, there¡¯s mince, which I have eaten before, something that is common in burgers, with a mix of tomatoes and other vegetables to bring it together. The white strands seem to make the food go further or to bring the two different elements together. It¡¯s definitely something I can barely taste amongst the other ingredients, but it¡¯s there, offering no resistance against my sharp teeth.


    It seems all too soon between meals, but I was asleep during breakfast, so I¡¯d expect that to be the case. I place it on the ground when I¡¯ve finished the hot food to save the rest for later if I decide to eat it. I clean my hands off and then move onto the books, sorting through them. Amongst the books there¡¯s a neatly written note. I raise it up and it¡¯s got a few titles, an order. A Study in Scarlet>The Sign of the Four>The Hound of the Baskervilles>The Valley of Fear.


    I crack the first book open, scanning over a few lines to find that it¡¯s a seemingly formal and antiquated version of English. It¡¯s not all too different from English, not like latin that was formed by the Romans, but it¡¯s still quite complex and as a result might take me far longer to read. It may also be strenuous to keep track of all that is happening. I will try, but I¡¯m unsure whether I¡¯ll be able to soldier through to the end. There is one clear thing, something that Oracle had said, amongst the words, is the name, Sherlock. Now, to see whether he is a fool or whether Oracle was being sarcastic by calling me that name.

 Arc 2: Sathanus, Part Three

    The clock on the wall doesn¡¯t have any dates. All it does is tell me the time and when each meal might arrive. Time takes forever to pass, yet at the same time, one can lose track of it. At least when fixated on the books, it tends to pass far faster and I miss some meals, a lot due to the fact I haven¡¯t been moving as much as I typically move, so I don¡¯t use much energy. I manage to soldier through a few of the history books, mostly learning about vigors and magic users. Vigors are some sort of genetic anomaly, something that seems to be passed along down family lines, while magic users are even more confusing than Vigors are.


    To sum it up, as little as I know about Humans, however, what I do need to know to understand it is all covered by the books. A Vigor is a normal Human whose DNA is different in a few areas, this allows them to do some crazy things, but it¡¯s typically associated with certain areas. For example, one might be able to grow or shrink themselves, and this is typically associated with DNA that influences growth.


    Magic Users are stranger as they are altered by outside forces. None of their powers are present in their DNA, just that sometimes these abilities are passed down a family line and that the effects leave imprints like scars, wrinkles or temporary tattoos. The only way any knowledge can be learned about them is by finding the source of the power, one of which is the Demon Plane, but no Warlocks have any intent of discovering more about their power as the Demon Plane is no place for Humans.


    Then there¡¯s the complicated few. People who have powers which might seem like a Vigor, yet at the same time, look like it¡¯s influenced by an outside source. Chains, Nav and Kaiden might fall into these sections. For now, there¡¯s no way of figuring out exactly how their power works and perhaps if they figured out how magic users used their powers, then that would be the right step toward figuring out all their powers.


    It¡¯s something but in reality, it won¡¯t help me. It¡¯s some knowledge I don¡¯t really care about. Same with the other books that Oracle recommended to me, however, I can¡¯t even soldier through them. I know enough that Oracle was being sarcastic when she called me Sherlock.


    I pace the length of the room. If I count back a few days, I¡¯ve probably been here about two weeks, give or take maybe two days. It just goes to show how slow I am at reading, but even still I have been rereading and spending a lot of my time in bed. Also, a lot of time going through everything. My Father, my brothers and those who I think are my friends. I¡¯m not sure exactly what will come of everything, especially after what Oracle said, but I¡¯m hoping I¡¯ll get out of this place soon. While the food is good and I can get books with ease, it can¡¯t replace the feeling of stepping outside. There¡¯s no sun, no breeze, no feeling of rain falling on my skin. It just feels lonely.


    There¡¯s a long low beep, typically signaling the time for a meal, but one glance at the time says otherwise. It¡¯s just past 3 pm, a good few hours before dinner. So the question is, what exactly are they doing here? The tray from lunch is removed from the door and then there¡¯s a pause before the entire door starts moving downward, revealing that the guards have instead come to look in the room. Maybe it needs to be cleaned, or this is routine maintenance. Four guards enter, with solemn looks frozen on their faces. One approaches me, a man with brown hair and even with that solemn look, he looks pale, even as he extends his hands, clutching some steel shackles. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I ask.


    He seems stunned and he swallowed past a lump in his throat. ¡°You¡¯re being moved. Maybe a trial, I don¡¯t know,¡± he barely manages. His voice is a bit high-pitched as if scared of me. His hands are shaking and I raise my hands, holding them together. He seems stunned for a moment, but it¡¯s discarded as he wraps the shackles around my wrists and then encloses them around my wrists.


    He returns to the others and then beckons to me to follow, I do so, catching up to them with a slow pace. I leave the cell, looking back for a moment. I hope I don¡¯t return here ever again. I turn back to the center of the room, where the winding stairs are located, and there¡¯s a woman standing at the foot of the stairs, staring at a cell phone, her fingers moving at incredible speeds. She has dark skinned, and well-groomed hair, brushed and finishing in a ponytail. She has green eyes, focused on the cell phone and she seems dressed for business, wearing a black suit with a black skirt to round it off. She clears her throat and looks up at me. She stares me up and down and then she shrugs. ¡°I expected you to be shorter,¡± she says. Her voice seems familiar like I¡¯ve spoken to her before. ¡°We spoke briefly in the past.¡± It¡¯s almost as if reading my mind.


    ¡°Oracle..?¡± I test. She nods once answering my questions. ¡°Huh? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°I volunteered to retrieve you.¡± She points at one of the guards. ¡°Quickly retrieve her stuff. She put it in the locker. It should just be some keys, but she might need them.¡± The guard quickly rushes into the room and returns with the keys. He reaches out to hand them to Oracle who takes the keys then drops them into my hand. I pocket them through some effort then, without any more words she turns around, taking the first step toward the stairs. The guards take position around me and start leading me to the stairs.


    ¡°What about Sebastian?¡±


    ¡°Sebastian is staying here until we make a decision as to what we should do with you. His fate is connected to yours and should they choose to preserve your life, don¡¯t think you can make a five person team. Chances are that he¡¯ll be put on emergency duty due to his more demonic appearance.¡±


    I open my mouth to say something, to fight back, but then again, it¡¯s not like Oracle has the power to assist me or even that Sebastian is being treated badly, it¡¯s just preventative measures. I shut my mouth and continue walking in silence. We climb the stairs, walking up through the multiple levels of the VCF until we reach the ground floor, surrounded by the cells. This is the first time I¡¯m struck by how quiet it is in here.


    Not one person is talking, not one person is making a noise except for the sound of footsteps and the almost too quiet breathing. The only place quieter than this might be a tomb, and even then there are echoes that can be heard. The corridors are worse, they¡¯ve changed, just as Dan had said before, but they also seem thinner, as if the walls are closing in on me. We reach the main gates after a good while walking, Oracle spends all of it tapping away on her phone. As we draw close to the gates, she continues walking, even as she¡¯s about to collide with the gates, then noiselessly they open to allow her and us through. As soon as everyone is through the gate, they close, just as quietly as they opened.


    We walk outside the main gate, out into the car park and I raise my hands over my head to greet the sun. It¡¯s quite cold, but in spite of the cold, the sun is out, though there''re heavy clouds not far in the distance, likely readying to drop their load out over the city during the night. My eyes take a moment to grow accustomed to the bright light and I lower my arms. I take a deep breath of the outside air until it feels like my lungs might explode, then I finally exhale.


    There¡¯s a large black vehicle parked up at the entrance of the building, but there¡¯s no emblem marking it as part of the CPO or the VCF, instead it¡¯s just black. Its lights flicker and Oracle turns around, finally lowering her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking Elmira from here. The four of you can return the building.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± One of the men retorts. He draws close to Oracle and she glares at him. ¡°We need to follow her the length of her journey.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be more than enough to keep an eye on her. Head back into the building. This is the last time I will say it. You should be well aware of my capabilities.¡±


    It¡¯s a threat. A threat that hangs in the air for a good few seconds while the four guards swallow, growing anxious about the situation. They exchange glances as if silently asking who will talk to her, then the first guy who talked says something. ¡°You can promise us she will make it..?¡± It¡¯s something they don¡¯t want to say, but it¡¯s inevitably the position they''re stuck in.


    ¡°She will. I¡¯ve been working with the CPO for ten years. I won¡¯t throw away all my efforts with one prisoner. I am capable of watching her by myself and I¡¯d prefer to do that. If something were to go wrong, all you¡¯d do is get in the way.¡±


    The four of them seem to deflate and then nod. ¡°Fine- But she-¡±


    Oracle waves a dismissive hand. ¡°I know, I know. Unlock her handcuffs if you would please.¡± The guy who locked the shackles around my hand approaches me, this time, a bit more confidently and he uses the keys to unlock them and pull them free. He steps away, wrapping them up in his hands then returning them to his belt. I walk over to join Oracle and she points at the car. ¡°Get in the passenger seat, I¡¯ll join you momentarily.¡±


    I do as instructed, preferring not to ask any questions. I¡¯m just glad I¡¯m outside and I can make my own choices instead of being in that cell. It sucks that I have to move from there to a car, but it¡¯s not unexpected. I walk over to the car and climb into the front seat, into the seat next to the wheel. Typically, it¡¯s the same place I sit when I¡¯m with Mattie, though it¡¯s very different in this vehicle.


    The vehicle looks the same from the outside, but the inside has a bunch of electronics. From different screens and keyboards to a tablet with a map on it, showing the location we¡¯re in and the things around us. Beneath my feet there¡¯s an object wrapped in white cloth, it¡¯s similar in size to Valor and I reach down and grab it, carefully unwrapping it. I reveal the top of the object and find that it is indeed Valor.


    The door at my side opens up and I nearly drop Valor in surprise. ¡°So you found your weapon,¡± Oracle mutters as she climbs into the car. ¡°You can keep it, but don¡¯t wear it.¡± I nod, wrapping the gauntlet in my arms, then pulling the seatbelt and clipping it in. She starts the car, turning the vehicle around until it¡¯s facing the main gates. She clears her throat. ¡°Do you not have questions for me?¡±


    ¡°I do, but they probably won¡¯t be the questions you expect.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sitting in this vehicle while talking to me. I¡¯m expecting them, for example; you want to know whether there are any Vigors who look like you. Whether any humans have some sort of defects they grow from their powers.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have-¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know, you don¡¯t have defects, but that¡¯s all depending on what you think of them. Defects are unnatural growths or lack of growth. Differences from the norm. You¡¯re a demon, they aren¡¯t different from the norm for you, however, to us they are. And yes, there are some humans with defects, but they are rare.¡±


    ¡°How rare?¡±


    The gates open and she starts driving until she hits the main road and she turns off, heading toward the city along a large highway. She clears her throat. ¡°You¡¯ve experienced the hate because you look different.¡± She says this factually, she doesn¡¯t need to question me. ¡°People in this world have problems accepting just skin color, so major defects are truly awful things to have. So these are part of the reasons why they are so rare.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°First, bullying. The children who suddenly get Vigor powers and all of a sudden look nothing like they used to look experience harsh bullying. This can lead to them committing some horrific crime, committing suicide or just closing themselves off from the world and locking themselves in their houses.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the CPO get to them first?¡±


    ¡°Our organization is powerful, but striking while the dirt is still fresh is not something we do. It should be clear to you by now, but we don¡¯t do everything for free. We expect those we help to help us. Children- or babies, it¡¯s far too early for us to actually do anything. We can¡¯t risk large quantities of money to try and correct the plethora of issues that early stage Vigors face, so we are forced to ignore them so we can correct those issues that people like you, or your friends. At least we can see a return on our investment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s horrible,¡± I gasp.


    ¡°Welcome to the Mortal Plane. It¡¯s a dog eat dog world here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a dog eat dog world in-¡±


    ¡°The Demon Plane too. I know. It¡¯s different here. There, Demons have the chance to fight back. Here it¡¯s over before we can even walk. You fight back and the world finds a way to knock us down.¡±


    ¡°Then why protect it?¡±


    She rolls her eyes. I can see it, even with her eyes focused on the road. ¡°If I had a week I couldn¡¯t explain that to you. However, even with a week, I couldn¡¯t explain the flaws. I¡¯ll sum it up as quickly as I can. I live here, and I want to make sure I can still live here, and maybe, maybe, with my help and the help of others, we can fix this fucked up world. Sure, it might not work out, but I¡¯m content in giving it the best shot I can.¡±


    ¡°So what? Back to my original question, or the question you seemed to steal from me. Does that mean there are no people like me in the CPO?¡±


    ¡°There are a few. They¡¯re rare, not non-existent. Though they won¡¯t have clear differences like you do, some have tails or fur, others have strange ears or perhaps strange limbs. It¡¯s typically associated with their powers and some of their powers are closely associated with animals of our world.¡±


    I take it all in, not saying anything further than that. I watch out the front window, staring at the rapidly approaching city. Oracle doesn¡¯t press me for more, which means she thinks I¡¯ve done with my questions and I have.


    The closer we draw to the city, the busier it seems to get on the roads. Not that it¡¯s unexpected, but there seems to be far more cars on this large road. It isn¡¯t long before we enter the city, the skyscrapers surrounding us, and it¡¯s only then do we turn off the main road, heading down a long road. The skyscrapers are sparsely built here, but it seems like a busy shopping district, with people roaming the streets. Surprisingly there¡¯s more greenery and beautifully designed buildings.


    None of this measures up to the building we stop at, though. It¡¯s a large building, yet not a skyscraper, more like a palace, much like the Academy building that Gabbie and Walter attend. There is no gate, rather it¡¯s all open with white marble lining street side, interrupted by small squares of greenery surrounded by hedges with benches by their side. The center path is unobstructed but the path forks off in different directions, seemingly entering the building in a few locations and even going around the back of the building.


    The building itself is beautiful, with steps leading up to the main entrance, with pillars lined up along a porch, holding aloft, a large, low triangular roof. There¡¯s another floor and perhaps a third with a few carefully carved statues along the building''s side with some windows looking out over the gardens, and it all ends with a second low roof, capping it all off.


    Oracle pulls the car off into a parking area, blocked by a booth, with a bar hanging over the road. As we approach, the bar rises and Oracle stops the car in a parking lot. There aren¡¯t many cars in the parking area, but there are a lot of people walking around the building. This means either this area is limited to a select group or most people walk. She pulls the key out and drops it into her pocket before unbuckling her seatbelt. ¡°Let¡¯s head in. We¡¯ve got about seven of them waiting for us and as few as that is, it¡¯s the best we¡¯ll get for such a short time. Also, don¡¯t forget your weapon. If the results are good, you¡¯ll be heading right back to the CPO building.¡±


    ¡°This is a short time?¡± I ask, a little dubious. ¡°Hasn¡¯t it been two weeks?¡±


    ¡°It has, but the directors are all busy people. Most of them are the best of the best, so they¡¯re kept incredibly busy. They squeezed this whole thing into their already busy schedule. So either most of them really want you dead, or they really want you alive. I¡¯m hoping, for both our sakes, it¡¯s the latter.¡±


    I unbuckle my own seatbelt and open the door before stepping out of the car. Oracle steps out the other side, and she joins me in a moment. She has a phone in her grasp once again, it seems like the only time she doesn¡¯t have it is while she¡¯s driving. She leads the way onto the pathway, and then she starts walking toward the building.


    She clears her throat. ¡°So remember what I said. Make sure you set yourself up as the victim with every question. They¡¯re veterans of the hero trade and they really want a happy ending instead of an ending they have to settle on.¡± I nod. She can¡¯t see me, but then again, she might be able to see me with her power.


    As we walk, I notice people watching. For some, it¡¯s outright staring, their eyes wide, almost as if their eyes are about to roll out. Others it¡¯s less obvious, but they make it all seem worse. I see them take a few glimpses before averting their eyes when I look at them. They¡¯re the type of people who don¡¯t want to be seen staring, but they also see my appearance as an abnormality, something that¡¯s even bad to be interested in.


    None of them try to talk to me, I¡¯m thankful for that at least, nor do they obstruct us. We reach the stairs and climb up toward the marble entranceway, walking passed the large, shining pillars and through the open door. The interior seems just as grand and marvelous as the exterior, with the same marble floor repeating beneath us with a mosaic in the center depicting the CPO emblem.


    It¡¯s a large hall with stairs going up on both the left and right-hand side. There are openings that allow people to go in and out on both sides of the room before the stairs. There''re railings overhead that look over this area, with a brass chandelier hanging over the mosaic. At the furthest side of the room, opposite Oracle and I is the second entryway, with a metal door barring the way forward. Oracle is heading that way and as we reach it, the door opens, allowing us into the extravagant room.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The room has green felt floor, unlike the marble floor of the other room and it has some stairs descending down to an area with a raised platform and a podium of wood. Between the stairs are wooden benches with a similar green colored pillow as the floor, each has a wooden desk with what seems to be labels placed on top of them, though I can¡¯t see the names. They must be faced toward the center of the room.


    In a few of the pews (which seems to be the best description for the seating area) are about seven people, with an eighth standing at the center, by the podium. It takes a moment for me to discover who it is, but to my delight, it¡¯s Mattie. Oracle waves a hand. ¡°Go, I¡¯ll take my position amongst the others and the talk will begin.¡±


    I look at Oracle, double checking with her, and she waves her hand again. I exhale and make my way down the stairs toward the center of the room. The end of the hall has a long, rounded wall with screens pinned against the wall. None of them are on and it seems like I¡¯ll be the center of attention the moment I get down. I start walking down the stairs, increasing my speed with every step, though not quite running. Some of the people in the pews turn to look at me as I walk down the stairs, all of whom have serious looks on their faces.


    Mattie grins at me as I approach, he looks tired, but otherwise, he doesn¡¯t seem hurt from the battle we had against the demons. Diane might¡¯ve healed him, or he wasn¡¯t hurt as much as I originally thought. I reach the lowest floor, meeting him before the stage and he grabs my shoulders suddenly. ¡°Wha-?¡± I gasp. Just as suddenly I¡¯m pulled into a hug. I don¡¯t know whether to push him away or hug him back, instead, I feel my hands dangle at my side, awkwardly doing nothing. I never quite expected it, but at the same time, I don¡¯t dislike it. It¡¯s a bit of contact from a living person I¡¯ve needed for who know¡¯s how long.


    ¡°Are you okay? How are you feeling?¡± He asks.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine and- uh- I¡¯m fine?¡± The last one is a question, I never really had a chance to think about what I¡¯m feeling. Nervous, I guess. I really don¡¯t like all the attention I¡¯ve been getting. ¡°What about you?¡±


    He releases me from the hug and he brings his hand up to his face where he rubs the bridge of his nose. ¡°Scared. I¡¯m worried for you.¡±


    ¡°Let me do that, it¡¯s my problem. Are you healthy?¡±


    ¡°I am, but it¡¯s not only your problem. I need you and if something were to happen to you¡­ I don¡¯t know who I could talk to. Even these two weeks have been hard.¡±


    Oracle clears her throat, and I look at her, where she is sitting at one of the pews with her phone in front of her. ¡°I think it¡¯s best we start. You two can catch up after all this.¡± Oracle turns to face the other seven. ¡°For the sake of the recording, all present will state your name and hero name. I am Amandeep Kulo, also known as Oracle.¡± She pauses, and tilts her head to the left as if saying from right to left.


    Next, up is a gray-haired man with a very thin build. He seems built for being inside, but he has a fair few scars on his face, suggesting he¡¯s seen combat. He¡¯s wearing a tank top, seemingly not going through the effort of dressing up. ¡°Frank Quinn,¡± he mutters. ¡°Split.¡±


    The next is a woman with curly, graying golden hair. She fat, and is wearing a gaudy, pink dress. ¡°Wilma Wheeler, Banshee,¡± she announces. Her voice is loud and seems to echo around the room.


    ¡°Adam Rivera, Mover,¡± the fourth guy says. He¡¯s the complete opposite of Frank, he¡¯s a big guy with dark skin and a tattoo that I can see on his neck. His hair is shaved and he¡¯s wearing a black suit with a blue, striped tie.


    The fifth of them is a very familiar face. Director Tagert himself. He looks at me and he frowns, I¡¯m unsure whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. ¡°Hunter Tagert. Mirror Knight.¡±


    The sixth guy looks like one of those police officers I saw a while back at the mall. He¡¯s a massive guy with a military-style haircut and what seems to be claw marks along the right side of his face. He¡¯s a strong-looking guy with perfect white teeth. ¡°Lionel Burke. Name¡¯s Stunner.¡±


    I nearly gasp aloud, I never went through the effort of noting the people here besides Mattie, but the seventh guy is different. He¡¯s one of those Vigors Oracle mentioned, one with a physical defect. He has green skin and balding hair. It¡¯s almost like his body is stained with chlorophyll. He still wears a suit, but it clashes with his skin. ¡°Mark Griffin. Also known as Seed.¡±


    A woman stands nearby, towering over all the rest, with a dress suit. She has long brown hair and she seems like the youngest one amongst those standing in the pews. ¡°Sara Phillips, Giantess.¡±


    Then they all turn to look at Mattie and I. ¡°Matthew Michaels. Also, Janus.¡± He then looks at me, transitioning to a whisper. ¡°You too.¡±


    For a moment I hesitate, not sure if I want to talk. I close my eyes for a second, taking in a long breath before steeling myself and talking. ¡°Elmira, Demon Lord.¡±


    ¡°Is that your hero name?¡± Giantess queries, leaning against her pew, causing it to creak loudly.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have one, that¡¯s her race- or at least her role,¡± Tagert answers for me.


    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s get it all done, I don¡¯t plan on staying for too long. I imagine we all have a lot of work to do and this isn¡¯t even the biggest of my problems,¡± Mover grumbles. ¡°I¡¯ve got a dangerous high ranking Vigor running around and I¡¯d prefer to find them before they start tearing down cities.¡±


    ¡°¡®Cept this is an apocalypse level threat,¡± Seed points out. ¡°At least that¡¯s what Oracle said, and I¡¯d prefer to trust her when it comes to the future.¡±


    ¡°What, she is, or the results of our decision is?¡± Banshee asks.


    ¡°The result. Though I¡¯m well aware everyone will question which side I¡¯ll take, so I¡¯ll leave that for the vote,¡± Oracle says. ¡°So, if anyone has questions to ask before we move onto the vote, you should ask them now.¡±


    Stunner clears his throat. ¡°Indeed, I have more than a few. I¡¯ve looked into this¡­ Situation before I came here and I find it very questionable that a danger was allowed to roam free and risk all our lives. She¡¯s a danger to our lives and the lives of many others- others who can¡¯t defend themselves like we can.¡±


    ¡°There haven¡¯t been many deaths as a result of her coming here,¡± Tagert responds, surprising me by coming to my defense.


    ¡°Ah, but you were the one to receive her and a lot of the damages are on your head, Mirror Knight,¡± Giantess points out. ¡°I am currently neutral on the subject, but I want to know just as much as Stunner wishes to know. Continue, if you please, Stunner.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to our resident Demon Lord now, please do not answer for her.¡± Stunner looks at me, glaring at me in such a way that it seems like he thinks he can cause me to melt through a glare alone. It does make me feel uncomfortable in the end. ¡°Early in January, you appeared in a mall not far from the CPO building. You arrived, with your army of demons-


    ¡°That¡¯s hardly an army,¡± I interrupt. ¡°It¡¯s more like a throng. A few patrol groups is all.¡±


    ¡°Irrelevant. It was still the biggest invasion we¡¯ve seen in awhile. Anyway, you arrived with your throng of Demons in tow and fled the scene, allowing the Demons to attack innocence. What do you have to say for yourself?¡±


    I look down at the ground, Oracle prepared me and I should be ready, but I feel wrong, I feel like I¡¯m just going to heartlessly change the subject and forget about everything. I don¡¯t care about Humans, but there are people who I know who have forced me to rethink my stance on them. At least now I would never want to let them die as a result of my errors. ¡°I knew they were coming to chase after me. That they would try to recapture me. At the time, I hadn¡¯t thought about anything other than escaping. I was scared and I just wanted to find a place I¡¯d be safe. I wasn¡¯t just scared of the Demons, though- I was scared of everything.¡±


    ¡°Fear shouldn¡¯t dictate your actions.¡±


    ¡°And it doesn¡¯t yours?¡± I accuse. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what this is all about? Fear? You¡¯re scared that me being here will result in you dying, that your women and children will be raped and killed after you-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough,¡± Stunner interjects. ¡°No need to get into detail-¡±


    ¡°I think you need more details,¡± I interrupt him. It seems like we¡¯re just interrupting each other at this point, but I can feel anger bubbling in my stomach. ¡°Because it sounds very familiar to my situation. Me remaining in the Demon Planes would result in my inevitable rape. And this would be more times than anyone would dare to count. Believe it or not, even Demons can go insane.¡±


    ¡°No-one ever said you can¡¯t, many of us are still unaware of what Demons are like and we are forming our ideas of them right now,¡± Seed points out. ¡°We¡¯re just trying to understand your intentions and decide whether your choices were the right ones and whether we should help you.¡±


    Giantess clears her throat. ¡°And let¡¯s be clear, I sympathize with your plight, I really do, but I hardly think your rape is equal to the death of billions of Humans.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± I groan. ¡°I never even began to suggest that.¡±


    ¡°However, you insinuated,¡± Stunner says, waving his hand through the air.


    ¡°She insinuated nothing,¡± Oracle grumbles. ¡°Stop acting like the shining light, Stunner. We all know you aren¡¯t. You¡¯re probably the one amongst us who is most likely to sacrifice others for self-gain.¡±


    ¡°How dare-¡±


    ¡°Oh, please!¡± Banshee laughs. ¡°Oracle is right. As usual. You might be strong Stunner, but you aren¡¯t exactly the shining beacon of self-sacrifice. Only those who are deserve to speak in such a way.¡±


    ¡°Are you seriously thinking about supporting her?¡±


    ¡°I might, but I don¡¯t think you should be the one questioning her when she ran. Elmira-¡± She stops as if thinking for a moment. ¡°Could you have fought back against those Demons? Was there a chance you could have won?¡±


    ¡°Not a chance. I could have beaten one, and- I did-¡±


    Tagert clears his throat. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve got something. A man came forward during the attack. He spoke about hitting a hooded woman with his car, then chased her down on foot before being attacked by a Demon. The woman he hit then killed the Demon and protected him.¡±


    ¡°That could be made up,¡± Mover points out. ¡°Though there¡¯s still a chance.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Oracle sighs. One of the screens to the left of me goes white and then it switches to a black and white picture of a room with a table in it. There¡¯s a man at the table, fidgeting absentmindedly with his hands. Janus and Diane stand in the room, looking at the man.


    ¡°I hit a Demon with my car- At least I think I did-¡± The man has a familiar voice, and it takes me a moment to recognize him as the man who chased after me. I could¡¯ve sworn he was hurt, though he could¡¯ve been healed by Diane.


    ¡°Did this Demon¡­ Die?¡± Diane queries.


    ¡°Well, no-¡±


    ¡°Damn, I thought vehicular homicide would be the Demons one weakness.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate the attempts at humor,¡± the man grumbles. ¡°I hit her and then chased after her-¡±


    ¡°Him-¡± Janus corrects. ¡°There are no female Demons.¡±


    ¡°Sure as Hell looked female to me.¡±


    ¡°And I thought you didn¡¯t appreciate Humor,¡± Diane laughs.


    The man groans. ¡°That was unintentional. Look, I chased after her, I didn¡¯t know she was a Demon at the time, then I was attacked from behind by a Demon. They seemed to be in a fight with one another and then she shot him with some light.¡±


    ¡°Hm- You didn¡¯t hear what they said?¡±


    The man shakes his head. ¡°I was disoriented from the fall, they said some things, but-¡± He shakes his head again. ¡°You said I had a concussion.¡±


    ¡°Which means the whole memory could be some massive delusion- Janus?¡±


    ¡°Seems as real as they can get. It¡¯s blurry and the voices are garbled. A lot of the memories are associated with pain and fear. He could¡¯ve just forgotten a lot of details because he was so scared, just as much as with the concussion. Either way, he¡¯s telling the truth.¡±


    The screen goes white and then returns to black, ending the conversation and Oracle looks at the others. ¡°It could¡¯ve been fabricated by them.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Oracle. She doesn¡¯t lie,¡± Split points out. ¡°And I¡¯m sure she¡¯s checked the validity of this scene. In fact I¡¯m pretty sure she¡¯s the one who lifted it. Janus over there likely didn¡¯t even know he was being recorded.¡±


    ¡°So she saved one Human, la di dah,¡± Stunner ridicules. ¡°That hardly makes everything better.¡±


    ¡°But it shows us that even though she didn¡¯t think she could win against them all, she was willing to take a chance to protect someone who previously hit her with a fucking car,¡± Seed says.


    ¡°As I said, that doesn¡¯t make everything better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made my decisions,¡± Banshee sighs. ¡°I¡¯m done with all this stupidity. Stunner, I think it does. It definitely does. She was scared and saved a man she neither knew or likely gave a damn about and then she proceeded to- firstly, assist in apprehending a criminal and then fight in a battle where many would think to cower in a building. Something you probably would¡¯ve done.¡±


    Stunner grinds his teeth but says nothing. ¡°You¡¯ve done extensive research, Wilma,¡± Oracle commends. ¡°What about the others. If you have anything to add, say it now.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Split announces. ¡°Elmira. What do you think of Humans?¡±


    ¡°Honestly?¡± I ask. Split nods. ¡°I- I don¡¯t know. Some of them- scare me. They want to hurt me because of what I look like and some of them look at me with disgusting looks in their eyes. Others are fantastic, as if more in tune with each other than any Demon can be. They have as much capacity for evil, perhaps more than Demons do, but they have a far higher capacity for good.¡±


    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯re evil?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that depend on your opinion of me?¡±


    ¡°Touche. I¡¯m done. I¡¯ve made my decision.¡±


    ¡°Anyone else?¡± Oracle asks once more.


    ¡°Would she help us in the future?¡± Seed asks.


    ¡°I was helping before, though it felt more like a payment and I didn¡¯t feel like it was worth it at times. Mostly because I felt unwelcome.¡±


    ¡°You are unwelcome,¡± Stunner growls.


    ¡°I think that depends on who you talk to,¡± Seed counters. ¡°But if we welcomed you, would you help?¡±


    ¡°I guess- I mean I have nothing better to do.¡±


    Seed nods. Oracle groans. ¡°Okay, I think I¡¯ve had enough. You¡¯ve all come up with your decisions, so let¡¯s hear them. Either she will be put to death, which means she¡¯ll, of course, die, or she¡¯ll return to the Demon Plane willingly. Or she will be monitored and she will assist us to protect from any dangers. Be it of Demon nature or Human nature. From right to left, starting with me. Monitor and assist.¡±


    ¡°Monitor and assist,¡± Split agrees.


    ¡°Monitor and assist,¡± Banshee follows.


    ¡°Death or exile. She¡¯s too dangerous,¡± Mover grumbles. ¡°Too much of a risk.¡±


    Tagert comes next. I¡¯m worried. I¡¯ve known him for the longest, but he¡¯s also had to deal with most of my mess, he seems as if he¡¯s hated every moment of it. I¡¯m worried that they might be able to scrounge together enough votes. ¡°Monitor and assist,¡± he almost whispers. I feel relief wash over me. That¡¯s four, I¡¯m at least safe for a draw.


    ¡°Death or exile, obviously,¡± Stunner yells.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll push it over then,¡± Seed announces. ¡°Monitor and assist. I find it absolutely disgusting that there are some among us that believe that execution is the right way. That we should do exactly what Demons might do. I need all of you to take a long hard look at yourselves and rethink your place in this world. Because right now, I see there¡¯s at least one Demon in this room, and I¡¯m starting to have a hard time telling who it is.¡±


    ¡°Giantess, I know it doesn¡¯t matter, but I¡¯d like to know your stance on this issue.¡±


    She looks at the ground for a moment. She clears her throat. ¡°Originally, I was with Stunner on the matter- Now I see where Seed is coming from. In the end, I abstain, I would prefer more options, but as we¡¯ve already chosen an option, I will support the decision.¡±


    ¡°Fantastic. Then we will support Elmira and she will support us. We¡¯ve made our decision. I trust that all of you are happy with what has happened,¡± Oracle concludes. It seems this short meeting has ended very well for me. It does seem, though, that I will be doing a lot more than before.


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes


    It''s a pretty big chapter and before the chapter I spent some time organizing character profiles for every Vigor or Magic User in the story that I''ve introduced. Currently, with the eight directors, six of whom I introduced this chapter there are twenty-nine.


    This chapter was both longer and shorter than I expected. I knew it would be in over 6k words, but at the same time I thought the trial would be longer with the Directors talking more about what Elmira has done. The way it is now flows better, so I decided to keep it like that.

 Arc 2: Sathanus, Part Four

    This is all they seem to need, a lot of them start filing out, without offering anything more. Even Stunner, who seemed to oppose keeping me alive the most just leaves. I kinda expected more out of it than what actually happened, though I¡¯m not disappointed, things worked out far better than I expected.


    The only ones who remain in the room are Mattie, Oracle, and Tagert. Mattie stands by my side and taps me on the shoulder, I turn to look at him. ¡°Now how are you feeling?¡± I shrug and then shake my head. ¡°Confused?¡± This elicits a short nod from me. ¡°Right. I guess that makes sense. Ah, so you look different- though I don¡¯t want to go through guessing what looks different.¡±


    I feel my face heat up. Every time we discuss the change, it sounds almost like an embarrassing subject. As if it¡¯s taboo. I move my right hand behind my back while holding Valor in my off hand, then I sweep my tail out so it¡¯s clearly visible. ¡°Well- My tail finished growing- or I think it did. It¡¯s a bit long, so if it grows more it could be a problem.¡±


    ¡°You mean, stepping on it?¡±


    I nod. ¡°Also, my horns and skin.¡±


    ¡°I feel like the change in your horns is something we should come to expect by now.¡± He looks back at Tagert and Oracle who are standing together. They aren¡¯t talking, just standing. Tagert has a smirk glued to his face and he¡¯s tapping his foot impatiently. ¡°I¡¯ll let you- finish business then. We can talk afterward.¡±


    He steps away, moving over to the raised platform and then sitting down on it. Tagert and Oracle approach together and Tagert sneaks her a look. She rolls her eyes and steps away, allowing him to talk first. He stops in front of me, his forehead creasing, as if he¡¯s planning to yell, except his voice doesn¡¯t come out like that. ¡°You alright? Not hurt?¡±


    I widen my eyes, surprise clearly showing on my face. ¡°I¡¯m fine, though I do want to speak to Diane to see if there''re any lasting effects from the fight. I- I-¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t expect me to actually give a damn. You¡¯re mostly right, ¡®cept you haven¡¯t really pissed me off. Sure, wish you had actually told me the truth, but I can sympathize. I give a damn about my people, what keeps them safe, what keeps everyone safe. And you¡¯re both part of my people and part of what keeps others safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m honored you think that way, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s all that accurate. I¡¯m protecting myself.¡±


    ¡°And by extension others. Either way, you¡¯ll be doing much more now. You¡¯ll be taking an auxiliary position back at the CPO, that means you¡¯ll be substituting in positions where you¡¯re needed. This will not be up to discussion as it will be payment for both the vote I gave you and the assistance the CPO provides to you.¡±


    I lower my head, nodding it slowly. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll do it, it¡¯s better than any other choice I have to make.¡±


    He turns away, walking down the length of the room before stopping. He turns around. ¡°After you¡¯ve spoken to your friends, I want to see you in my office. I need to give you something and you need to fill out some paperwork.¡± Once again, I nod, all the answer he needs. I then watch him leave the room and Oracle approaches. She has something in her hands, a circular band that she didn¡¯t have before.


    She stops next to me. ¡°Hold out your right leg and roll up the pants leg.¡± I look at her, bewilderment clouding my face. She holds up the band. ¡°This is so we can monitor you when we¡¯re not around to watch you with our eyes. Do not remove it, if you do, I will know. Do not try escape, if you do, I will know. Do not go to the Demon Plane. If you do, I will know. If you do any of these things, the result will be one of the people in this room coming after you. And while Stunner might be an asshole, when it comes to one on one, he¡¯s pretty much the best there is. He can cause the worst pain you can imagine, or just kill you while you experience pleasure you can never even begin to imagine.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t exactly making me want to have that thing on my leg.¡±


    ¡°And ultimately you have very little choice. Now, if you please.¡± I sigh to myself and lift my right leg up, balancing haphazardly on my left leg. I roll up my pants leg, revealing my ankle, and she opens the band and locks it around my ankle. Part of it lights up red, a small circle in the center of the band and then she releases it, allowing me to return my foot to the ground. It all feels odd, but I figure I¡¯ll get used to it in the future. ¡°There. I haven¡¯t anything more to say to you. All that I¡¯ve needed to do has been done so I¡¯ll return home for the night. As for whether we¡¯ll talk again, I don¡¯t doubt it. So I¡¯ll trust that you won¡¯t be foolish with your opportunities and we¡¯ll speak again another time.¡± She starts striding away, without allowing me to respond, or even saying anything else more relevant, like the weather¡¯s great for a winter¡¯s day.


    I look at Mattie who shrugs. ¡°I read their minds, but not really much to add to that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Oracle is going to take my back to the CPO building,¡± I mutter.


    He grins. ¡°No way, what gave you that idea? I guess that means you need a ride. Want to drop by anywhere. Something to eat or drink after coming out of the VCF?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to get back to the CPO and change out of these clothes.


    He looks me up and down a moment, then his eyes settle on where the logo is located and he nods agreeing with my thoughts. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. Don¡¯t think I want to stick in here anyway. Might run into someone I know¡­ Or worse¡­ Someone who thinks I look good.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    He grimaces. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say that women¡­ And some men are not veiled with some of their thoughts when they see someone they like. They tend to get very in-depth with what they would do to me.¡± With that he starts walking, leading me up the set of stairs.


    ¡°What do-¡± It suddenly hits me and I feel my face heat up, just thinking of something like that is embarrassing and considering Mattie is quite attractive, I can just begin to imagine how often that can be, though I still want to ask the question. ¡°Does that happen often?¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Often enough. I¡¯d prefer not to divulge that much, though.¡±


    ¡°A secret?¡±


    He looks back at me, a small grin forming on his face. ¡°Is that a problem?¡± I quickly shake my head. His grin widens and I feel like he¡¯s misunderstood. We head through the main hall and out into the open, where Mattie looks around for just a moment before continuing onward toward the car park. ¡°Do the looks bother you?¡±


    ¡°Mhm. I mean, it¡¯s not like I shouldn¡¯t expect it, I just wish there weren¡¯t so many double takes and there weren¡¯t so many who feel ashamed at me just- you know, existing near to them.¡± He sweeps his eyes over everyone, especially those who are looking my way.


    ¡°Most of them are curious. The rest aren¡¯t really sure about what to think of you. You¡¯re thankfully in the area of cursory curiosity, nothing more. They haven¡¯t formed any dangerous opinion of you yet.¡±


    ¡°Are you just saying that to make me feel better?¡±


    We near the car. It¡¯s the same car he usually drives, though it¡¯s been awhile since I last saw it. I step around to my side, while he moves to his side. ¡°Well, I¡¯d want you to feel better, but you can at least observe that they don¡¯t want to harm you.¡±


    ¡°If they wanted to, they would have likely already attacked me. Just like in the training course not too long ago. But if they did, what would I do? I¡¯m not exactly allowed to defend myself, they would then treat me as a threat.¡± Mattie steps into the car, and I join him, buckling my seatbelt as he does the same. He shrugs at my statement, he agrees with my sentiment, but he doesn¡¯t have any solution for it.


    He turns around, to move the car back and we move toward the main street, through the bar gate. He turns off, heading in the direction I imagine the CPO building is. I see him looking at me out of the corner of his eye.


    ¡°Are they all okay?¡± I ask. I¡¯m pretty sure Gabbie was injured last time I saw her. I¡¯m just hopeful that right now she¡¯s fine.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Kai, Gabbie, and Walter.¡±


    ¡°Mm. Gabbie just needed a bit of sleep. Diane made sure she was healed up from any other problems. The explosion gave her a concussion which resulted in a migraine which she had to sleep off.¡± I look out the window at the road. I feel regret tugging at my chest. I should¡¯ve told them, at least they could have prepared, they could¡¯ve kept away from me and they wouldn¡¯t have had to risk their lives for someone they only just met. ¡°She doesn¡¯t blame you for anything.¡±


    I roll my eyes at the window. Whether he says that or not doesn¡¯t stop me from feeling bad for getting them involved. It¡¯s not their fight, it¡¯s no-one¡¯s fault. It¡¯s kinda ironic, I wanted to use Humans to protect me and now I don¡¯t want a group of them to be harmed to protect me. I feel incredibly guilty about all that has happened and I really don¡¯t know how to talk to them when I get back. As much as Mattie says they don¡¯t blame me, I have to say something about it at least. That is if I want to feel better about everything.


    The CPO building comes up on our left side, even with the few times I¡¯ve been out, it¡¯s become pretty simple to notice it. It seems to always be busy and it towers over everything else. There¡¯s also the familiar scene of greenery which I can see poking out from behind the building. The car makes its way around the side of the building then down a road into the underground parking area.


    Once we come to a stop, I unbuckle my seatbelt and exit the car, turning to face Mattie as he exits. ¡°Eager, are we?¡± He grins at me. ¡°Eager, or nervous?¡± His thoughts change, likely because he gets a chance to read my emotions. I just want to get it done and it feels like delaying it all will just make me happier just to avoid it all. That¡¯s pretty much been my life, avoiding it all. I¡¯m a coward and until I had people to protect, that was all I was. When I think about it- when I think about what kind of sin I might be, cowardice tends to be at the forefront of my mind. It¡¯s different now, I¡¯m kinda glad about that, cowardice is not exactly a very flattering sin.


    ¡°Both, I think,¡± I mutter as we start approaching the elevator. We call it and climb into it together. Mattie leans forward to press the button to start the elevator¡¯s rapid ascent. I lean against one of the bars, putting my weight on it for a moment. ¡°I had a dream during my time in the VCF.¡±


    ¡°A nightmare?¡±


    ¡°Not quite-. Before Lucifer brought his clutch of Demons, I had a dream similar to this, but this time, it¡¯s Sathanus who is planning to attack.¡± Mattie looks at me, he has an incredibly somber look on his face, and he remains silent. I know that he¡¯s just as worried as I might be. Sathanus won¡¯t make this easy for us. He¡¯s not like Lucifer in the slightest. ¡°At least he¡¯s still got three months before he can come.¡± It¡¯s a lame attempt to alleviate the pressure of my statement, but all it does is sound like I¡¯m readying myself for some inevitability.


    ¡°You sound like you aren¡¯t willing to fight him.¡±


    I let off a mirthless laugh. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of how hard it will be to win. I am willing to fight, but it won¡¯t be like when we fought Lucifer. He¡¯ll be willing to come after us without first sending his Demons and he won¡¯t hold back. He¡¯ll take his weapons and cut everyone to shreds with gusto. He¡¯ll be delighted to release his unimaginable rage upon anyone who stands in his way.¡±


    ¡°We can win,¡± Mattie grumbles. His eyes seem to move from side to side as if he doesn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°That¡¯s Lucifer talking. The most logical reaction would be that we can¡¯t but that we¡¯ll try. Don¡¯t delude yourself otherwise. You can¡¯t be reckless.¡±


    ¡°Reckless,¡± he repeats. His somber expression seems to change. ¡°I can¡¯t help but think it¡¯s ironic that you¡¯re warning me about recklessness.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± The elevator dings, interrupting my question, but he gives me an infuriating grin before stepping out of the elevator and walking backward down the corridor. I chase after him, transferring Valor to my other hand. "Mattie," I hiss.


    ¡°Come on, you were practically the front line for the entirety of your brother¡¯s invasion.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an invasion, and I let Hercules and Walter take the front a lot.¡±


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t take the front. They took the flanks. It doesn¡¯t matter, I doubt you¡¯ll cede the point.¡± He stops in front of the door to the apartment. ¡°Anyway, we can talk about it another time. It¡¯s probably less important than you realize.¡± I don¡¯t like it, but considering we¡¯re right outside my apartment, I¡¯m forced to swallow my curiosity and to turn to the more worrying subject of my friends. I withdraw my keys from my pocket and raise them to the lock, my hands shaking as it draws close. I exhale and manage to push it in. I¡¯m not sure what their reaction will be, but I won¡¯t know unless I enter the room. Mattie takes a step back. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this all to you. Something tells me I won¡¯t help if I stick around. Good luck.¡±


    He waltzes off, leaving me alone. I¡¯m honestly not sure whether I¡¯d prefer him to stick around. He can tell me what to say, but I don¡¯t really want him to. I want this all to be figured out through my efforts alone. These guys are my friends and they¡¯re a result of my team as a Human. They¡¯re proof that I, a Demon Lord can live in a world that¡¯s infested with Humans. That I have a place here that¡¯s better than anywhere in the Demon Plane.


    I turn the key and push my way into the room, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯m going to encounter, but my body is treating it like I¡¯m going to walk into a battle once again, even though that¡¯s incredibly unlikely. I open my eyes, I clearly must look stupid, because Walter and Gabbie are sitting by the TV with remotes in their hands, eyes wide almost like they got caught doing something horrible. The only one who seems composed is Kaiden, who is actually looking in my direction with a single eyebrow raised.


    Gabbie moves slowly, lowering her remote to the ground before standing up. She seems shaky on her feet as if she can scarcely believe what¡¯s going on. ¡°Elmira?¡± She asks, her voice is shaking. I nod, not being able to speak. ¡°You alright?¡± I nod again. ¡°Janus said that they would-¡± She trails off.


    Walter picks up where she left off. ¡°That they were doing your trial today. We didn¡¯t exactly know we would see you again and- well, he told us not to hold our collective breaths. Even though he said that-¡± Walter shakes his head. ¡°We couldn¡¯t exactly¡­ Not think about it. Even when we tried to distract ourselves, we weren¡¯t on top of our game- no pun intended.¡±


    ¡°No-one was hurt during the attack?¡± I try to change the subject away from the trial. Just wanting to figure out what happened after it all.


    ¡°A little, but nothing too bad. Kai only got a few bumps and bruises, I got a concussion and some inner-bleeding, but I was told that it wasn¡¯t too bad. I got healed. Walt has a bullshit Vigor and I doubt he even knows what being hurt is,¡± Gabbie explains.


    ¡°Bullshit, I can still get hurt when I¡¯m not using it. Anyway, what¡¯s going on, Elmira? What did they decide in your trial?¡± Walter continues pressing me.


    I exhale and rub the bridge of my nose. ¡°I barely got let off, the other vote was to have me executed, but they don¡¯t expect me to be let off and then simply sit around and do nothing. They want to press me to do more for the CPO and-¡± I stop and pull up the leg of my pants, revealing the band. ¡°And they don¡¯t want me running off.¡±


    ¡°Well, shit. I don¡¯t suppose that means you can¡¯t go out for a party or something.¡±


    ¡°They said they¡¯d keep an eye on me, as long as I don¡¯t leave the plane or destroy the band, I should be fine.¡± I pause. ¡°In any case, what part of me even looks like I¡¯d go to a party? I have no ambition of being picked out in a crowd. I¡¯ve had enough of that in the few weeks I¡¯ve been here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been out like, what, twice- three times? You should at least get out more, not everyone will hate you.¡±


    ¡°Except now it looks like I have blood covering my tail and horns-¡± I exhale. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d ever be talking about a tail. I really hope I don¡¯t have a tail when I go through metamorphosis.¡±


    ¡°Give it time. I¡¯m sure things will work out as you help people. That¡¯s kind of the job we all have and there¡¯s a certain fame attached to it. You know, like actors and singers. You¡¯ll be able to go out without being judged eventually. Or at least have people support you should things go wrong,¡± Gabbie says.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t really matter to me, probably won¡¯t result in me heading outside anyway. I¡¯m going to quickly change so I don¡¯t look like an escapee from the VCF.¡± I start walking to my room, but I¡¯m followed by Gabbie, who leaves Walter behind with the remotes. She chases me until my room, but I turn around to confront her. ¡°Hm? Need something?¡±


    ¡°Just want to talk in private,¡± she mutters. I shrug my shoulders and push my door open, stepping into my room. She follows, then shuts the door behind her. Looking around, everything seems untouched, there¡¯s even a musty smell in the room. Worse than when I left, though it¡¯s not as if I knew how to open a window in this place. But it all seems the same, Thing is still by my computer, unmoving and the computer is silent. Someone could have come in here, but I doubt anything has been moved at all.


    I walk over to my bed and slide Valor beneath before walking over to the wardrobe. I turn to face Gabbie. ¡°Do you know how to open the window?¡± She nods and walks over to the set of controls that changes the window. She presses one of the buttons, a small button to the right of the other set that I dare not test and a few slots at the top of the window open inward.


    I enter the wardrobe, sorting through a few of my clothes. I settle on a style of clothes that I¡¯ve found comfortable. Something that isn¡¯t quite as adventurous as the dresses and skirts that Gates has left me. It¡¯s something I¡¯ve tried before, though I¡¯m sure that I should at least try the other clothes, in spite of my aversion to such things due to my time spent being told to hide my body. I pick jeans and a t-shirt and start pulling off the clothes from the VCF.


    There¡¯s a movement behind me, and I turn my head. ¡°Can I have some privacy?¡± I ask.


    ¡°If you really want it. Though it¡¯s not like you won¡¯t have anything I haven¡¯t seen before-¡±


    ¡°Except I do have something you haven¡¯t seen before and it¡¯s likely why you came to look-¡± I exhale, giving up. It doesn¡¯t really matter, though it pushes into my feeling of security. But I¡¯m being rude to someone here who I know and who has helped me, while I accepted the fact I was being watched for twenty-four hours every day who I didn¡¯t even know. ¡°Nevermind,¡± I grumble.


    ¡°No, if you really want-¡±


    ¡°Just, tell me what you want to talk about,¡± I interrupt, not wanting to be given the option. I should at least trust her more than strangers.


    For a moment, she thinks, or at least I believe she thinks. I pull off my clothes, silently waiting for her to say something, but the next thing out of her mouth isn¡¯t exactly what she wanted to talk about, but rather about my body. ¡°Where does the tail start?¡±


    I feel my face go red, blushing at the comment. It just so happens to be what I was concerned about. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It grows out of the base of my spine. It¡¯s not like I know about the new growths I¡¯m having. It¡¯s not like I know exactly what growths I will have. Please, just focus on what you need to focus on.¡±


    ¡°Right-¡± she murmurs. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us you were a Demon?¡±


    The question surprises me. At least I know one simple thing, it¡¯s a question of trust and at the time, even now, I just have trouble trusting her. I have trouble trusting everyone. The only person I feel I can trust is Mattie, and that¡¯s a very thin line anyway. I want to trust them all, but my subconscious is saying that, like my brothers, they would be willing to betray me at the drop of a pin. It¡¯s hard to begin to trust others when my life was built on suspicion and fear. I shake my head. ¡°I- It¡¯s-¡± I start to stutter, attempting to come up with some excuse, but I hang my head in shame. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I- I thought I couldn¡¯t trust you-. I thought that if I said something, the people who defended me would choose to go against me. My entire life has been a series of betrayals and I was brought up being taught not to trust anyone. People refused to be candid with me, so to preserve myself, I had to hide.¡±


    ¡°But we were always being honest with you, we will always trying to be your friend. We¡¯d never betray you.¡± She sounds heartbroken, hurt that I would treat her and the others the way I did, in fact, it hurts just remembering that I held everything back from them.


    I swallow past a lump in my throat. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I know it doesn¡¯t mean much now. I know after risking your lives for me it¡¯s a poor attempt at reconciliation, but it¡¯s all I¡¯ve got, all I can say. There¡¯s not a gift I can give that will magically turn back time or a set of words that I know that will make you feel better. If there¡¯s anything I can do, let me do it and if you- If you think that because I couldn¡¯t trust you then, then I won¡¯t trust you in the future. If you feel that because of that I won¡¯t be able to cooperate with you for these reasons, then you reserve the right to¡­ To turn me away.¡±


    She shakes her head, as if what I¡¯m saying is absolutely preposterous. ¡°No. But there is something you can do for me- no for us. Instead of making excuses about why you felt you couldn¡¯t trust us, you could explain what lead up to this point, why you feel that everyone can¡¯t be trusted.¡±


    ¡°I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Also, there is one more question. Why did you trust Sebastian and not us?¡±


    I shrug. ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t trust him, I probably still don¡¯t trust him, but letting him go- well, there¡¯s unpredictability and he seemed to make it so everything worked out in any case. I managed to get Valor from him and he didn¡¯t try to return me to my Father. He also fought with us. Maybe I should trust him now- but-¡± I stop talking and shrug.


    ¡°And where is he?¡±


    ¡°Still at the VCF, I think he¡¯ll join us later, but I¡¯m unsure, I¡¯d have to ask Tagert.¡±


    ¡°Right-¡± She seems to pause for a while, spending a moment looking around, as if trying to find the right words to something. I finish getting dressed before she finally manages to conclude what she wanted to say. ¡°I¡¯m really glad you¡¯re back- It was- It felt like there was a hole in our team. You¡¯re a big part of it, even if you don¡¯t think so.¡± The next part comes out in almost a whisper. ¡°And I feel there¡¯s already way too much masculinity in the living room. I think I was going to choke.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly the pinnacle of femininity,¡± I snort. ¡°I was brought up in a Plane that only had males.¡±


    She smirks. ¡°That sounds terrible. Anyway, are you going to let us listen to your story? Now?¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°Not now. Tagert told me as soon as I¡¯ve changed and spoken with you, I need to go see him. It just so happens, this is that time. When I come back, we can talk over dinner. I think we can let my story digest with the food.¡±


    ¡°Ha,¡± she says dryly. ¡°Yeah, okay. Hopefully, Tagert doesn¡¯t chew you out. Also, lemme know if there¡¯s something you need help with. In fact anyone. We¡¯re here to help, and I know you¡¯re always nervous about asking for help, but I¡¯ll be more annoyed if you keep hesitating.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± It¡¯s the only word I manage. There¡¯s not exactly more of an apt statement than an expression of surprise. I guess that¡¯s just the situation. She grins in response and she turns around, walking out the wardrobe. I follow and we step out of the room, walking through past Walter on my way to the front door.


    ¡°Going out?¡± He asks.


    ¡°Up to Tagert.¡± Walter flinches and nods, it¡¯s almost as if he¡¯s had a pretty bad experience with Tagert. He raises a hand in farewell, and I step out of the front door. Alright, let¡¯s see what Tagert wants to see me about.


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes


    Sorry for the delay, this was a pretty hard chapter for me, and I''ve found my mind wandering toward my other works. It doesn''t mean I''ve even begun my other chapters for my stories and the plan is to start tomorrow while keeping up some work on this. I was thinking about continuing this chapter onward through the Tagert talk and the part afterward, but I figured it would go too long so I decided to split them up.

 Arc 2: Sathanus, Part Five

    I find myself standing outside of Tagert¡¯s office door, unsure of what to do next. Whether I should enter immediately, knock or I should ask someone else as to what I should do. I look around for a moment, taking in the situation. The room is quiet, unlike the bustle of activity of over a month ago. There¡¯s only one person in the room, being the white-haired woman I saw when I first came to the CPO. She¡¯s watching me with unconcealed curiosity. She meets my eyes and shrugs. ¡°Are you Elmira?¡± She asks me.


    I nod. ¡°I am, do you have something for me?¡±


    ¡°No, Director Tagert does, though. Go through, he¡¯s waiting for you.¡± I guess there¡¯s my answer. I slip in through the set of double doors, walking into Taget''s office. His set of armor is in the same place it was last time, clean enough for me to see my own reflection if I were to look into the polished steel. I guess it¡¯s part of the reason why he¡¯s called Mirror Knight.


    I avert my eyes, and look toward Tagert¡¯s desk, where he is sitting, with some paperwork and pieces of metal. Objects like large medallions and mechanical bands. I approach him, and he sits up in his chair, turning a page toward me. ¡°Sit,¡± he grumbles. I take a chair, moving it up to his desk and then sit down in it and sweep my tail over the edge of the seat. He places a pen on top of the page. ¡°Do you know what a contract is?¡± He asks.


    ¡°That depends. I know it¡¯s a deal between two parties, but you¡¯ll find that there¡¯s no binding agreement between Demons like that. You can¡¯t control me through methods like that.¡±


    He rolls his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not exactly what this contract is for. Yes, it¡¯s to tell you what you are meant to do and how you should act, but it also informs you about what you will gain by performing the things on the contract. It¡¯s mutually beneficial.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I lean forward and look at the page. It¡¯s got long paragraphs of words, and I¡¯m just about to start reading, but it¡¯s Tagert who dictates it for me.


    ¡°The contract is, in spite of the many lines of legal jargon and pointless assurances, quite simple. The goal is to provide you with payment when you help us. This payment can be used to purchase goods and services. You¡¯ll be paid a portion of the cost of the job you do and you can use that to buy¡­ Whatever Demons like to buy.¡±


    ¡°Payment-¡±


    ¡°On top of that, you have an allowance, to keep you fed and well-dressed. It¡¯s all to make sure you safe and healthy while you¡¯re in this tower. He withdraws something out of a drawer and then places it down in front of me. It¡¯s a dark blue card, with a few numbers and the words Taurus Bank written on it. ¡°This is loaded with the allowance you did not receive over the time you were here. I think you¡¯ll find it¡¯s sufficient enough to buy a lot of that which you need.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I ask, picking up the card.


    ¡°A bank card-.¡± He winces, as if finally realizing that there¡¯s no such thing in my world. ¡°Do you know what money is?¡± I nod. I was about to spout something sarcastic, but I¡¯m not about to start a pointless rhetoric to take with Tagert right now. ¡°Well, on there is a specific amount of money. If you want to see exactly how much, you can ask Kaiden to help you. That card can be used at any store.¡±


    ¡°How?¡±


    ¡°You swipe it. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be assisted by someone when that time comes.¡± I exhale and nod. ¡°Right, I¡¯ll continue. With the payment for jobs and your allowance, there will also be times where you will be contacted for sponsorships or signings and other things like media presence. In the case you accept deals like that, we will take a portion of the funds, some of those funds we take will go toward insurance and the rest will be used to fund the organization.¡±


    ¡°So you take part of someone¡¯s hard work?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but in exchange, we stand behind them. They are part of our team and we will make sure they are kept in a safe environment as long as they hold firm to our beliefs.¡±


    ¡°And if they don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Then they¡¯ll be dumped in a VEC. It¡¯s very difficult to get to that point and out doubt our interests are that different. Anyway, think of us as your managers. We¡¯ll keep you safe, and exchange, you do jobs for us. You¡¯re the face of our company and we¡¯re behind the scenes.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d make for a great face of the company.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one of thousands. Though you might find yourself being liked better than you think.¡±


    I snort. ¡°What¡¯s the chance of that happening?¡±


    ¡°With the Demon attacks, quite low I¡¯m afraid. But I¡¯m hopeful.¡± He leans forward and taps a thin line at the bottom of the page. ¡°Print your name and then sign.¡±


    ¡°With honorifics?¡±


    ¡°If you have a title bestowed to you, yes.¡±


    I take up the pen and write down my name. Lady Elmira then I sign off, an E-shaped like an M on its side and an M, one on top of the other the whole thing completed without lifting a pen. I push the page forward once complete and Tagert picks it up and then reveals a second page. He pushes it back.


    He clears his throat. ¡°Here¡¯s either the most fun part of this procedure or the most agonizing part. Depending on what kind of person you are. The next thing you will write down is what you will be called on the job, so lovingly called Hero name.¡±


    ¡°I- You mean like Janus, Hercules or Gates?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Now, I¡¯ll go through some examples so you can understand how it works. Most people choose something that¡¯s similar to their powers. For example, I¡¯m Mirror Knight and I deflect attacks. Bolts has a body that discharges bolts of electricity. Necro can summon bones from somewhere. Chains can form chains and Salvo is, like his namesake, a master of explosives. You should choose something that best suits your power.¡±


    I place my chin on my palm and stare down at the page. I spin the pen in my hand for a few moments, considering my options. ¡°Gates is named Gates because she specializes in summoning gates and moving around fast?¡± I wonder out loud.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°Then- Should I just go with Demon Lord?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly original, nor would it be considered wise. Just because you have revealed yourself to be one, doesn¡¯t mean you should parade yourself around as one. It¡¯s better to leave everyone blissfully unaware of your status to avoid poor judgment and chaos as a result of fear and paranoia.¡±


    I lower my head. His statement isn¡¯t false, in fact, he¡¯s completely correct. I tap my fingers on the table for a few moment and then stop and lower my hand. ¡°If Gates is called Gates because she¡¯s good with gateways. I¡¯ll be called Elementalist because of my simple control of the elements.¡±


    Tagert looks impressed. ¡°Fair enough. That sounds acceptable and dramatic enough for a hero name. I approve wholeheartedly.¡± He pulls the sheet of paper back to his side of the table and he writes something down. He then moves it on top of the other page and he uses a small contraption to hold the two pages together like they were one item. He then drops it into a drawer and he picks up one of the large medallions sitting on his desk. He raises it into the air, turning it between his thumb and forefinger. On one side, there¡¯s the CPO emblem, however, it¡¯s missing the letters beneath the emblem. The letters are instead on the other side of the medallion, making it seem like a collectors item.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I ask him.


    He places it on the desk in front of me, just like he did the papers. ¡°It¡¯s a- pager- for lack of a better word. It allows us to contact you with tasks that we need you to complete.¡± He leans over a phone on his desk and moves it in front of him. He presses a few buttons and leans back.


    The medallion suddenly erupts into a series of high beeps in rapid succession. Between the inner part of the coin and the rim, there¡¯s a dark red color, that flashes with the beeping. Tagert leans forward and presses one of the faces of the coin. The beeping stops and the red color is replaced with a light green. A slow male voice which pronounces each word very strongly comes through. ¡°This is a test. This coin will allow you to receive jobs and to complete them with ease. You can, of course, deny the jobs, if you don¡¯t wish to do them. Each job will have a short description and the team that you will be a part of. To accept a job, please press in the heads, side of the coin. This is depicted by the emblem of the CPO. To deny a job, please press the opposite side, depicted by the words CPO. To accept this message, please press the emblem. This message will now repeat.¡±


    I press in the emblem. I understand how to use it, it doesn¡¯t seem all too difficult. I pick up the medallion and turn it around in my hand a few times. ¡°So is this mine now?¡±


    ¡°Mhm,¡± Tagert responds. ¡°Another thing you can use it for is identification. It¡¯s proof that you¡¯re employed by the CPO and it¡¯s an ID that is recognized by government organizations such as the police or other enforcement groups.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ So I guess I¡¯ll learn its uses as we go along.¡±


    ¡°Correct. It has a lot of your details recorded and it might be a good idea not to lose it. In the future, your mental, psychological, and physical health will be recorded in the medallion. Speaking of which, we¡¯ll have to organize an appointment with the psychologist.¡±


    ¡°The what?¡±


    ¡°They listen to you and your problems and they come to conclusions as to what is going on in your head and whether you need to be medicated. Considering your¡­ Situation, I would find it both intriguing and helpful for you to speak to a psychologist. It would benefit you and us. Perhaps it will allow us to understand Demons better.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound- pleasant.¡±


    ¡°Sounds worse than it actually is. I promise. It will help to speak to someone about the things that make you feel uncomfortable.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone has time to listen to every single thing that makes me feel uncomfortable.¡±


    For a second, Tagert smiles, though it passes as soon as it appeared. ¡°Maybe, but we¡¯ll have to see. I¡¯ll try and organize an appointment for you. Just spend some time going to speak to them.¡±


    ¡°Right. Is that all?¡±


    ¡°I believe so. You may leave unless you have more to speak about with me.¡±


    I shake my head and stand from my chair. I place the medallion in the pocket. ¡°Thank you.¡± There¡¯s no specifics I can go into, just a vague thanks will have to be enough for him. I walk out of the room, exchanging a quick glance with the old woman, and then enter the elevator to make my way back to my room.


    The others are all seated around the table when I arrive. This includes Kai, to my honest surprise. I swallow, nervousness making me unsure of my promise. I¡¯m on the cusp of regretting what I said, but a promise is a promise and I¡¯d like to at least be trustworthy after making the error to conceal information about myself. I carefully sit amongst them at the table, placing my palms down on the table.


    ¡°Did Tagert yell at you, you like kinda- Sullen,¡± Walter says.


    I wonder whose fault that is¡­ I lean forward. ¡°No- It¡¯s just- Talking about my- Did Gabbie tell you?¡± Walter gives me a short nod. I breathe out, a long, deep sigh. ¡°I see. I guess- I don¡¯t know where to start. Maybe from the beginning, but all that is a blur, the start just seems like every day and the time now seems almost like a blessing in comparison. It¡¯s hard to look at the darkness in the light. Does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s harder to see shadows,¡± Kai murmurs. ¡°But if you can start from the start, then that¡¯s the best place to start. It is, after all, the start.¡±


    I nod in agreement, however, the rest are looking at Kai, surprise not hidden on their faces. His face goes red and he looks down at the table. Thankfully, they don¡¯t say anything. ¡°Then, I guess the start would have been moving from here to the Demon Planes. I was definitely born here, there¡¯s no doubt about that, and I¡¯m more Human than most other Demons, but I¡¯m unsure about whether that makes my potential better or worse. It¡¯s why I am unique- at least.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°I spoke a bit to Gates and Mattie about it. But I¡¯m the only female Demon. I¡¯m the only woman in a race of millions of Demons. This creates a distinct feeling of pressure, a weight that far outweighs that of the title of Demon Lord. But I was born here and I was immediately taken from my Mother, by Sebastian, though I have yet to ascertain whether that is true.¡±


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t there other female Demons?¡± Gabbie asks.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s because they just can¡¯t have female children. I honestly don¡¯t know all of the details. That¡¯s why they¡¯re forced to come here and why both my parents were Humans. My Father, Satan, controlled a Human''s body and then I was born like-¡± I tilt my head to punctuate the point.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Gabbie mutters. ¡°And if you were born Human?¡±


    ¡°Probably would have been left alone. I wish I was left alone.¡± I shake my head. ¡°Anyway, I got taken from my Mother and forced into the Demon Plane to continue my growth. It allowed my Father to keep an eye on me and to foster my growth personally. For a Demon, my life was paved for me. Demons like to fight for superiority, to prove that they are stronger than the others, however, my Father and my brothers refused to let others contend against me. To press me and to allow me to become combat capable, they were afraid my identity would be discovered and in that case, that a Demon would take the initiative to¡­¡± I trail off.


    Walter has a dark look on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t- I need to know, what would they do to you.¡±


    I shake my head a few times. ¡°Walter, figure it out. She¡¯s the only female Demon and the other Demons traverse planes just to have a relationship with Humans. What do you think they would do to a girl in the Demon Plane?¡±


    ¡°I was kind of hoping that she would at least deny that fact. That she would desperately disprove my creepy way of thinking. That this would turn into a joke or something.¡±


    I shake my head. I can feel sweat drip its way down my back. My foot is tapping uncontrollably, a spasm as a result of my fragile state. Even now, it¡¯s just reliving my nightmares. ¡°No jokes. It- Knowing Demons, it would have happened. I was forced to, in the end, train with my brothers. They held back, but they still left me battered and bruised. Broken bones and flowing blood. It was- unpleasant. But I know how to fight at least. For what was planned for me, for what is planned for me, knowing combat doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± I stop.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    For a while, I consider why I¡¯m telling them this. It¡¯s a lot of information and a lot of it isn¡¯t glamorous. I could just be subjective and avoid talking about emotional subjects, avoid the things that make me both nervous and scared. The feeling of chills down my back and memories of torture and bruises. The things that made me into what some might call a recluse in this world. My excuses in this world. Sure, my appearance is a big reason why I don¡¯t go out, yet it¡¯s not even the biggest reason. It¡¯s more because I¡¯m used to it. It¡¯s what I would have done in the Demon Plane and it¡¯s what I do now anyway.


    In the end, I said I would share it with them and even if I¡¯m nervous, I need to jump into the deep end. For my sake and for the feeling of comfort in at least one place. ¡°Even though I wouldn¡¯t have needed to fight for the position, I would have inevitably become the second most important person in the Demon Plane, being only second to my Father. I was to become his queen. He was raising me to be passed around by his own decision and to replace the Humans of this world.¡±


    ¡°You- You alone? You wouldn¡¯t be able to survive, would you?¡± Walter mutters.


    ¡°Demons are far more durable than you give them credit for. Especially a full grown Demon Lord. I wouldn¡¯t die from something like that, as much as I would want to at that point. No, I can¡¯t live like that. I can¡¯t just be my Father¡¯s slave. Having a semblance of power is no better than having no power at all. I wouldn¡¯t even have the power to make my own decisions. So, I took my decision when I could. I escaped with the help of Lucifer and- here I am.¡±


    ¡°Well, shit,¡± Gabbie mutters. ¡°I expected it to be a slightly less¡­ Extensive.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it exciting. I¡¯m not as adventurous as you think I am. It was a steady schedule of pain and fear. I was told that the outside world is dangerous. I was beaten by my brothers and to end it all, to encourage my growth my Father would inject his power into the septagram on my back. An experience that was-¡± I shake my head. If I move my head more, it might actually come off. ¡°Incredibly unpleasant. Uncomfortable and pain worse than when I was being beaten by my brothers. Every time it was unique and every time it seemed to be- unending.¡±


    ¡°You seem incredibly composed,¡± Gabbie says. She doesn¡¯t seem composed, she¡¯s grimacing and her knuckles are turning white from gripping too hard.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. Not at all.¡± I feel my shoulders slump. ¡°I¡¯ve been having nightmares about stuff like this that have been leaving me a wreck. Less recently, but I don¡¯t want to talk about any of it. I¡¯m just scared that something will happen, even though it¡¯s unrealistic to expect these things.¡± I managed to speak through the whole thing without interrupting myself. I¡¯m both proud of myself and appalled at myself. I give up trying to talk and place my head on the table, breathing heavily into the wood. It feels like I¡¯ve got splinters in my body, I feel both fragile and emotional, but I try to remain composed even though I¡¯ve failed in the best part of it.


    ¡°Sorry for forcing you to explain it all. I didn''t know it would be so hard,¡± Gabbie mutters.


    I hear a chair scraping against the ground and I feel hands on my shoulders. ¡°You¡¯re not alone, you don¡¯t need to hide and you can make your own decisions when you¡¯re amongst friends,¡± Kai¡¯s hushed voice mutters. It¡¯s so quiet, I doubt the others can even hear it, they might not even notice he¡¯s talking. ¡°I too used to be alone. It was just me and my brother, but it¡¯s here where it will all change. The first step is being clear and the second step is being a part of us. Being such close friends that we can be considered family. Leave your old life behind and at least Mattie and I will make sure the world welcomes you.¡±


    ¡°Elmira,¡± Gabbie says. Her voice is stronger, but I know she¡¯s trying to shift the subject, though it¡¯s for the best. ¡°I know it won¡¯t mean as much as you telling me what happened to you, I can at least share something with you.¡±


    I raise my head from the table. I¡¯m not sure about the look on my face, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s quite grim. ¡°Mm,¡± I manage.


    ¡°Well, my parents are still alive and they allowed me to grow up the way I wanted to and when I was younger, I wasn¡¯t really a- girly girl. That is, I didn¡¯t like the things other girls of my age liked even though that¡¯s changed a little now. I got myself involved in activities that many would consider too adventurous for girls and even difficult for boys. Martial arts and sword training are some. The sword fighting came later.¡±


    ¡°Way later,¡± Walter adds.


    ¡°Yeah, after I met Walt who had his power by then. But I was pretty well trained in martial arts and then got involved with fencing. I did pretty well at it-¡± She pauses as Walter scoffs. ¡°Really good. I was a national level fencer, at least for people of my age. Turns out there weren¡¯t that many fencers in middle school. Anyway, it¡¯s around that time my Vigor reared its ugly head.¡±


    ¡°And Vigors can¡¯t play at a national level. They are considered to have an unfair advantage. Especially when it¡¯s Gabbie, whose power does actually give her an unfair advantage.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Walt,¡± Gabbie grumbles. ¡°I was crushed. It was the worst thing that had happened in my life. I wanted to keep doing what I loved and with my power, I felt I couldn¡¯t. I was pretty stupid.¡± She shakes her head and grins. ¡°I loved the idea of being a hero and I kinda thought that ambition was unrealistic. It took me a while for me to refocus my aim from the feeling of defeat by fate to a new goal that was kind of the wish from when I was like five. I still get to use my skills from being a fencer and I like the idea of helping people. Though there¡¯s not a day that I wonder how it turned out that my thoughts when I was five were more accurate than my thoughts when I was thirteen. Did I miss anything, Walt? Or you think you can point out anything you know better than me.¡± She¡¯s being sarcastic, and I can see her annoyed glare at Walter.


    He grins nervously. ¡°No, that¡¯s pretty much it.¡±


    ¡°Your turn Walt,¡± Gabbie says, giving Walter a sharp glare.


    He looks around, both avoiding locking eyes with her and trying to skirt around the issue. ¡°It¡¯s not like I have anything interesting to talk about.¡±


    ¡°So, become the pathetically average one.¡±


    Walter groans as if conceding to the insult. ¡°Same as Gabbie, my parents are still alive, but I try not to talk to them as Gabbie does to her own parents. My life wasn¡¯t really difficult, it was boring but there was a lot of pressure. As Gabbie said, I got my Vigor pretty early, which is abnormal, it tends to show up during puberty. Or at least during times of major development. See it activates DNA strands, but I¡¯m not going to get into the biological nature of Vigors, but it resulted in a lot of pressure from people around me.¡±


    ¡°And popularity,¡± Gabbie interjects. Walter grimaces and I see Gabbie sneer. ¡°Don¡¯t like it when the shoe¡¯s on the other foot, do you?¡±


    ¡°Anyway. Considering my Vigor showed so early, there was an expectation that either it would be more powerful or that I would get more experience with it. In the end, I was a complete disappointment. My Vigor is strong, but it¡¯s only if I can touch someone which means in most cases I¡¯m trumped by any other real threat. Not only that but when I met Gabbie, in a martial arts class, which was supposed to help me learn to use my body better for my ability, I showed no real development in my skills. I¡¯m just not that great at martial arts.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re alright.¡±


    ¡°Not good enough for my parents. Anyway, with time, my popularity faded and I kept getting pressured by my parents to do something more and that pressure kept resulting in failure and mistakes. A horrible catch 22. So I left, I managed to contact the CPO and because I was old enough, I managed to get into their Junior program which offers a place in the tower. And now I¡¯ve got back my confidence and I¡¯ve got closer friends than those who cared only about my future.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s pretty much it. I joined the team later because I knew Walter, I figured it would be easier to get along. Kai was here before both me and Walt. But he¡¯s shy and he doesn¡¯t really talk about his past. If you want to speak to him about it then you should ask him. Though he hasn¡¯t told us, but I assume it¡¯s not great, either that or he¡¯s been spending a lot of time with his brother and there¡¯s just not much to tell.¡±


    There¡¯s a pregnant pause, a long period of time in silence. Mostly it¡¯s Kai confirming their thoughts, but the rest is no-one really having anything to say. I appreciate their attempts at making me feel comfortable, I really do, but after both explaining my story and hearing theirs, I¡¯m not in the condition to continue talking. It¡¯s just far too much work for me. It¡¯s like stepping out of that cage into a new world and I¡¯ve had that experience before. It¡¯s exhausting. I stand up and comb my hair back.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Gabbie asks, there¡¯s a faint worrying sound to her voice.


    I shrug and close my eyes. ¡°I appreciate it all, sharing your past with me. I do, really. But I¡¯m not sure it takes away from the bad in my life. I know you now, but it still took a lot out of me and hearing your stories won¡¯t be a quick fix to all my woes. Don¡¯t take this all as an excuse, I definitely appreciate it all. Just-¡± I exhale. ¡°It¡¯s a lot to come back to. Kinda want to take on a throng of Demons now.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, no. I¡¯ll take the emotions,¡± Walter gasps.


    ¡°Right,¡± I murmur. I walk over to the fridge and pull it open, looking through the few items within. I withdraw something that¡¯s typically a breakfast food, from what Gabbie has told me, a small tub of yogurt and I take a spoon from the drawer. For now, I¡¯m not all that hungry, same reason as before, but with a mix of I just don¡¯t want to have a full meal right now. I pull off the top of the yogurt tub and throw it in the trash before slinking toward my room. ¡°I¡¯ll probably get an early night. Hopefully, I¡¯ll be in a better mood tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry for forcing you to speak about something you¡¯re uncomfortable with,¡± Gabbie says.


    I wave my hand in a dismissive motion. What¡¯s done is done and while it wasn¡¯t nice to talk about it I did want to show them I trusted them. The pain of my past will pass, the trust of my friends is not so easily earned back without some sacrifice. Right now I might not think it¡¯s worth it, but in the future, I have no doubt that it will be worth it.


    I retire to my room, taking the yogurt with me and shutting the door before settling at my desk, slowly eating the yogurt with my mind wandering a little. Perhaps I¡¯m just a little drowsy after it all, I yawn seems to confirm this analysis. Thing seems to activate suddenly and I stare at it for a few moments in impassive surprise. It doesn¡¯t move, it just sits there with its lights cycling. ¡°Elmira.¡± a voice comes out of it and I nearly jump out of my chair, my voice catching in my throat. My previous guise of emotionless glare discarded in the jolt.


    The voice belongs to Kai, I should have immediately recognized it, but it still keeps me on edge. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you could talk through Thing,¡± I say, accusation lacing my tongue.


    ¡°I designed Thing so we could talk in private if the need arose. It arose.¡±


    Accusation turns to both agitation and embarrassment in an instant when I learn of what else he could have done with Thing that I didn¡¯t know about originally. My face goes red, a mix of anger and shame. ¡°You haven¡¯t got a camera in that thing do you?¡±


    ¡°A camera-?¡± It doesn¡¯t quite click yet. ¡°Oh, God, no! I haven¡¯t been spying on you! I promise! I didn¡¯t put in cameras, only sensors! I swear to God! I wouldn¡¯t dare infringe upon your privacy, I wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± He trails off as if there¡¯s nothing more that he can say, but he¡¯s said enough, enough to at least disarm my original shame. Relief washes over me, though it doesn¡¯t quite disband my anger. At least it¡¯s one step toward trust. ¡°If you want, you can put a blanket over Thing just in case.¡±


    ¡°Could you not have told me about it before it became a sudden shock?¡± I say, my voice is a little shaky, trying to get a handle my emotions.


    ¡°I forgot. I¡¯m sorry. Anyway,¡± he¡¯s changing the subject, which is fine, I imagine he¡¯s just as ashamed as I am. ¡°I wanted to talk about my family. I want to tell you about them, but I also want to tell you that for it to mean anything it can¡¯t be me who tells you about my past and my family. For me, it will come off rather dispassionately, because I didn¡¯t really know my parents. Go talk to Mattie. I¡¯m might tell you- No, because it¡¯s you, he¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean because it¡¯s me?¡±


    ¡°Because he likes you. Because he wants to see you safe and happy because it¡¯s important to him. If he believes it will help you, then he¡¯ll do anything.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Would he sacrifice everything for you?¡±


    ¡°He already did-¡± He leaves the statement to hang in the air for a moment. ¡°Just ask him. You¡¯re probably closer to him than just a friend."


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I ask. ¡°Do you mean-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to say anything about that, but I promise you it¡¯s not the first thing you think about. Just- just ask him when you get the chance.¡± He leaves it at that, and I see Thing shut down again. I throw my hands in the air in exasperation.


    That was perhaps mildly cryptic. I stand up from my desk and approach my bed and drop down onto it. I place my hands over my eyes. So Mattie thinks of me more than just a friend, but the first thing I think is not the way he thinks of me. Thing is, what¡¯s the first thing I think of when I consider mine and Mattie¡¯s relationship?


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes


    Chapters like this always feel odd when I write it. The same feeling you get when you''re listening to a conversation you really shouldn''t. Like I shouldn''t be privy to the personal information of people, and for some reason, this applies to characters I created! In any case, it seemed to go well and it helps move over to the entire focus of this arc. No, not Sathanus, but rather, Mattie, or Janus. Next chapter should be really fun.

 Arc 2: Sathanus, Part Six

    I don¡¯t remember getting into bed, let alone falling asleep, the only thing that annoys me is that I don¡¯t wake up normally, instead, I am roused by the rapid high beeps from my side table. It¡¯s still dark and even in the darkness, I can see the red color around the rim of the medallion on the table. I place my hands over my eyes, groaning to myself. Why did I have to be woken up today? Can I not just have a proper day of relaxation that doesn¡¯t involve being stuck in a VEC?


    I tap my hand across the wall and the lights next to my bed come on, practically blinding me. I cover my face with my hands and rub the sleep out of my eyes. Slowly I lower my hands, still being berated by the high beeping. It takes a lot of effort to tap the face of the coin. ¡°There¡¯s a job for you with Team Assault, replacing Gates. The job is to assist the police in an investigation. Please go to the 33rd floor, first door on the left. The message will now repeat.¡± For a moment I pause as the message starts to repeat. I get to help Gates team without actually dealing with Gates. That¡¯s pretty good, it also means I can speak to Mattie. I accept the mission and slip out of my bed, shuffling to the furthest part of the room toward my bathroom.


    First I should shower and change. I proceed with the normal morning routine, this time, back in my own room and enjoying the large bathroom that actually has some privacy. Once I¡¯m done and dressed with Valor in my grasp, I enter the main part of the apartment to find a silent room. Gabbie and Walter are at school while Kaiden is missing. He could be sleeping and considering how I barely ever see him sleep, this could be fairly accurate. He might just sleep later and work at night when he has fewer distractions.


    Before I leave I stop next to the fridge, pulling it open for a moment to look through the food. Though my stomach denies the desire for any sort of sustenance. Instead, I close the fridge door, making a decision to get something else to eat with Mattie at a later time. I walk to the front door, then turn back. It seems that even though I don¡¯t like going out, that I feel that the world isn¡¯t a place for me, that I inevitably will be put in the position where I have to step out into the world. Perhaps I don¡¯t accept the world, but it¡¯s trying it¡¯s hardest to make me accept it. I¡¯m not really sure when that will happen if that will ever happen.


    I make my way into the corridor then over to the elevator before going down a few floors to 33rd floor. The doors open before I reach the floor, and to my surprise, it¡¯s someone I recognize, to my complete dismay. James, from team Expedition. He looks at me for a few moments, as if connecting the dots, then his eyes narrow as if finally making the connection. He steps into the elevator, giving me a harsh look. My heart is beating faster, and I can feel a cold sweat on the back of my neck. I want to get out of the elevator, but now we¡¯re trapped together. ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± I ask, attempting to sound more confident than I actually feel. For the most part in works, likely the result of me dealing with a few far scarier people than him just yesterday.


    ¡°Numerous things, I can¡¯t even begin to list them off, do you want me to try?¡± He hisses.


    I blink for a moment, in that voice, I can hear a hint of desperation, the same thing that I was trying to do, the same why I was trying to hide my fear. A desperation that says that he doesn¡¯t want to fight me, but in he¡¯s only going against me because of pride. It makes me feel safer, it makes me feel more confident, and at the same time, sure of the best course of action. As much as ignoring him is a course of action I could take, to keep him from continuing his aggressive course of action, I need to make him legitimately fear me. To reverse the situation. I take a step forward and I stand over him, much like I do with many others. I am, in the plane that belongs to Humans, quite tall and menacing. He swallows and takes a step back, his back hits the wall. ¡°Why don¡¯t you start?¡± I growl.


    His eyes widen and he opens his mouth, yet nothing comes out. He seems to look around, for any kind of escape, yet finds nothing. He¡¯s breathing becomes more rapid and I can see him shaking.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I ask, almost as if suggesting he said something. His breath catches in his throat. ¡°Let me clarify something. Director Tagert made it clear you were meant to go on a reconditioning course followed by apologizing to me. As soon as you stepped in here, you made it clear that these reconditioning courses have had zero effect on you and you have made no attempt at any sort of reconciliation.¡± I pause, letting the simple prod at his professionalism and lack of ability to learn sink in before continuing. ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t demonstrate your arrogant ignorance. Your pride required that you engaged me in some offensive outburst without realizing that you lack any sort of weapon to follow up in the situation that things turn violent, while I-¡± I flick my hand to the left, drawing his gaze. Large flames flicker to life, turning my hands to claws where they flicker across each tip. ¡°Have far more than when we originally fought.¡± The flames flicker out and his form seems to grow smaller as his shoulders slump.


    The elevator dings as it comes to a halt and I turn around. 33rd floor, my stop. I move away from James and step out of the elevator. I look out of the corner of my eyes as the doors close, he doesn¡¯t seem to recover from his position, seemingly still shocked and unable to move. There¡¯s a faint sense of satisfaction, but intermingled with that feeling is that feeling of shame. A feeling that even though I stood up for myself, it was at the cost of hurting another, that it was akin to that which other Demons would act. I am not another Demon, I want to be different, to show people that I am different and that perhaps was not the way to do it.


    I stop in front of the door to Mattie¡¯s room and knock on the door. In any case, it¡¯s too late now. I can regret, yet I can¡¯t revise. There¡¯s some movement behind the door and I can hear voices. A woman who isn¡¯t Gates as well as Mattie saying something in response. I can¡¯t hear exactly what they''re saying, but it seems to be said in a joking nature. The door swings open, revealing Mattie, in a black suit, as if he¡¯s ready to go on a business trip, in fact, that¡¯s exactly what he might do. He grins at me. ¡°Hey.¡± I raise my hand in response and he turns back into the apartment. ¡°Our replacement Gates is here!¡±


    He ushers me inside, and I walk in, looking around. It¡¯s differently decorated than my own apartment. It doesn¡¯t look bland, with a lack of any real personal touch. There¡¯s a lot in the room, wooden chairs and a table, with leather chairs overlooking a television. Rugs are placed in seemingly logical locations and a few paintings hang on the wall, though many of them don¡¯t look like paintings but rather prints of something. In the end, it seems more homely, which is a pretty good feeling. Hercules is sitting at the table, with a woman, with dark skin and long, wavy black hair. She¡¯s casually dressed in clothes much like mine and she has a smile that seems to falter when she sees me.


    ¡°Like the place?¡± Mattie asks, coming up behind me. He taps me on the shoulder. ¡°I designed the place. Surprisingly easy to become a home decorator when you can easily figure out what people like. No such thing as sugar coating anything when I¡¯m involved.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± I respond.


    ¡°Ouch. The only one that can sugarcoat her words is sugarcoating her words.¡± He clears his throat, interrupting his silly tirade. ¡°Anyway, this beautiful woman here is Mala Oners, Hercules¡¯ wife. Between me and you, she¡¯s pretty terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Have to be to keep this guy in check,¡± She spouts. She follows it up by hitting Hercules on the shoulder, and Hercules smiles almost bitterly. ¡°Anyway. I imagine you¡¯re Elmira, I¡¯ve heard quite a bit about you. I¡¯ll admit, it would be difficult to mistake you for anyone else.¡±


    For a moment I stare at her, she seems to be talking for the sake of talking, her body language seems to suggest she¡¯s unready for my presence. This transfers the feeling onto me, and I¡¯m not like her, I don¡¯t talk to people when I¡¯m nervous, instead I cower in silence. ¡°Uh,¡± I stutter. ¡°Are you like-?¡± I make a vague gesture toward Mattie.


    She blinks a few times, making an O with her mouth. ¡°No, I¡¯m normal, or as normal as I can get. No offense to the rest of you, but I don¡¯t have the uniqueness of an ability that can kill people with a wave of my hands or a passive skill of reading people¡¯s minds. The most impressive skill I have is my ability to fill out paperwork.¡±


    Mattie grins. ¡°She also wouldn¡¯t want to either, too much stress associated with the job.¡±


    ¡°Not stress, risk. Stress suggests that I¡¯m worried about being overworked. Risk suggests I¡¯ll die as a result of doing the work. You guys are all risking your lives and it¡¯s terrifying for people like me. At least Luke is incredibly durable, but what about you, Mattie and Joseph.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I can figure out who is a risk to my health and who isn¡¯t. But are you worried about me?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but when you give me that look, I become less worried about you with each passing second. Maybe you, like Joseph, should spend your time out of the firing line and leave the fighting to Ashley.¡± They seem to be arguing about the risks of the job. Perhaps they weren¡¯t joking with each other, but were they arguing? Perhaps my arrival changed the tone of the conversation.


    ¡°Better that I¡¯m around to defuse a bad situation than to be late. By me being here, I can prevent deaths. I think that¡¯s a risk I should take, I¡¯m confident in my ability to run like a bitch if things turn bad.¡±


    ¡°Except if there¡¯s someone who can run faster than you,¡± I murmur. Both of them turn to me. ¡°Uh-. I follow Mala-¡± I pause, looking at her for some sort of late allowance to use her name. She blinks a few times, confusion settling on her face. I guess that¡¯s about as close to a confirmation I¡¯ll get. ¡°I agree with Mala¡¯s sentiment. Using a gun to attack Demons was too risky. Besides, shouldn¡¯t you consider your own health above the health of strangers?¡±


    I see a flash of annoyance spark in Mattie¡¯s eyes and I flinch, he always seems to have a sunny disposition, I haven¡¯t seen him get angry very often. ¡°No-one is a stranger. Everyone is important. Thinking otherwise is selfish. They are in danger, and someone has to protect them. You, Nav, Gates and Hercules are ill-equipped to deal with terrified people, and I¡¯m prepared to help them. My life is worth the lives of many others.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unfair Matthew,¡± Mala mumbles. ¡°There are others who care about you, yet they don¡¯t care about the lives of others.¡±


    ¡°Yet there is one in this room who can agree with you, Mala.¡±


    Mala looks stunned for a moment, she looks at me and then back at Mattie. ¡°I-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not you, Mala. And my conjecture is purely based on possibility as I can¡¯t read Elmira¡¯s mind. Enough, I make my own decisions and this is not something either of you can convince me to abandon. I do this for me just as much as I do this for the strangers.¡± He turns away as if annoyed that the conversation even started. I can sympathize, but I¡¯m glad that none of it is about me. He exhales. ¡°Alright, Elmira, before we head out, what¡¯s your hero name?¡±


    ¡°Elementalist.¡±


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Hercules says, it¡¯s the first thing he¡¯s said, he seemingly knows enough about Mattie. ¡°Though I think Gates is a better name, sorry.¡± I shrug and he seems to grin at that. ¡°So I guess it¡¯s time to get going. I¡¯ll fetch Joseph. We should get on the road.¡±


    ¡°Righto. Elmira and I will meet you in the car.¡± He makes his way to the front door and I follow him. I turn back and bow my head, in farewell. Mala gives me a small smile, it¡¯s a change i n the way she met me, originally she was worried, but now she¡¯s a bit more comfortable with my presence. We then make our way into the passage and back into the elevator. Once inside with the doors closed, Mattie turns to me. ¡°You want to ask me something, but you¡¯re nervous. What is it?¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°I do, but I want to figure out how to ask it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? You want to ask it tactfully. I don¡¯t exactly have the pleasure of hearing someone talking to me with tact. I¡¯ll happily wait to hear your attempts but until then I want to inform you about the right course of action while on the job.¡±


    ¡°And-?¡±


    ¡°While we¡¯re working, I am Janus, you are Elementalist. We use those names so the media refers to us as such. We use them to protect our families and those who we know. To protect ourselves on the off chance we do die and we won¡¯t be around to protect our graves.¡± I nod solemnly. I don¡¯t understand, nor will I attempt to understand, but I feel that they wouldn¡¯t be using fake names if there wasn¡¯t a problem with everything Mattie mentioned.


    We reach the parking garage and step out onto the main road. We reach Mattie¡¯s vehicle, except it¡¯s not the same vehicle yesterday, rather it¡¯s a vehicle connected to a large trailer, nearly identical to the trailer used to transport us when Lucifer commanded the attack. The only difference is the color of the trailer and vehicle is different. ¡°I thought that it got caught in the explosion,¡± I say.


    ¡°It did. We had to get a new truck and trailer. Doesn¡¯t feel the same, but it works just as well.¡± I feel like I need more context. Where would you get another vehicle or trailer? Are they that easy to get? I¡¯ll figure it out by myself, I have other questions I want to ask instead. I climb into the passenger side while Mattie sits in the driver¡¯s seat. He clears his throat. ¡°Alright, considering this is your first job, I got something I should probably tell you.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Well- Uh, how do I explain this one? It¡¯s a bit difficult to explain-.¡± He taps the steering wheel with his fingers. ¡°Basically, for Vigors and Magic Users, there are two organizations that take them in and a third group which isn¡¯t really a group.¡± He pauses, his brow furrowing as if he¡¯s forming a new sentence, but it takes a while for him to continue.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting there- Uh, let¡¯s say that the third group consists of Vigors who aren¡¯t really powerful, or they either haven¡¯t been discovered or don¡¯t want to be. The first part consists of Vigors who have a minor ability like having a tiny electrical charge in their body, while the other two are a bit more dangerous. So the guys that haven¡¯t been discovered likely want to be discovered and will either start helping people in an effort to catch our eye¡­ Or criminals who are trying to catch the eyes of the SYNC.¡±


    ¡°SYNC?¡± I ask. ¡°Is that the other group?¡±


    ¡°Mhm, we have the SYNC or the Syndicate. The CPO or the Citizen¡¯s Protection Offices and lastly what I would call the Inactive. Basically, the CPO are what we would call the good guys, the SYNC are what we would call the bad guys and the Inactive walk the thin line between the two. This can be explained by the fact that a few of them are vigilantes, people who chase after criminals with the intent to kill.¡± His face seems to sink with the last few words, it seems he has strong opinions about vigilantes.


    ¡°I guess vigilantes aren¡¯t exactly good guys either.¡±


    ¡°No- I understand their intentions, but I also know that they aren¡¯t fixing anything, just creating another killer. I¡¯d talk a lot more about it, but I don¡¯t think I have the time or patience to do so.¡±


    There¡¯s a thud from behind us, a sound that seems to shake the entire vehicle and then something on the dashboard, the front of the car crackles to life. ¡°We¡¯re in the back, you can start driving,¡± Nav grumbles through a phone.


    He buckles his seatbelt and I do the same, reclining in my chair once finished. Mattie starts the car and leads the car forward before glancing at me. ¡°So what did you want to ask me?¡±


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Gates?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the question you wanted to ask me.¡±


    ¡°But I want to know the answer anyway.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s with her Mother and Father. She¡¯s enjoying some family time.¡± I¡¯m a little startled. I figured Gates would just be putting her legs up and doing nothing because she could. She strikes me as that kind of character, her lack of assistance during the Demon attack seems to have cemented this belief. He snorts in amusement. ¡°What did you think that most people in the tower were orphans? A lot of them still have family alive, they just live in the tower for the sake of both convenience and responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Then what about you?¡± He seems a little stunned by the question. ¡°I mean- Kai said he wanted to talk about his past, about his family, but he felt that if he told the story then it would be improper, that he wouldn¡¯t be able to empathize with his own situation.¡±


    ¡°Kai did?¡± Mattie asks, then he shakes his head. ¡°Of course, he did. I guess it doesn¡¯t matter too much, but it¡¯s been a long time. I left everything in the past. I think Kai is expecting a lot more out of me than I can give you.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s expecting me to be a bit more passionate about our past and while I¡¯m not deadpanned, I¡¯m not exactly moved by it as much as I was long ago. As I¡¯ve said, it¡¯s been just me and Kai for a while, about twelve years. So more than half our lives. Our parents died when we were young, caught up in a multiple car collision, and we didn¡¯t have any other family, so we ended up in foster care, moving around from house to house. We didn¡¯t have anyone we were close to excepting each other, and as you can see with our relationship-¡± He shrugs, punctuating the point. ¡°It¡¯s not great. Kinda my own fault for that, I want him to have a happy life and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible with me.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that?¡± I mutter.


    ¡°It¡¯s the whole mind reading thing. I already messed up a lot for him. In any case, our life hasn¡¯t been great, we had a bumpy childhood and such, but when I turned sixteen, I packed up, grabbed Kai and brought him here. From that point, it was smooth sailing. It¡¯s been a long time since I was upset about losing my parents. There¡¯s just far more worry about losing my brother.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s reciprocating? That he¡¯s worried about you? You keep wanting to avoid him for the sake of allowing him to develop normally. To him, it¡¯s almost like he¡¯s lost you.¡±


    ¡°You know, that actually really fucking hurts,¡± Mattie says, bitterness clouding his voice.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I mumble. He seems angry, I probably should have kept my mouth shut, at least tried to make him feel better. In fact, I shouldn¡¯t have asked him on such a bad day.


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t be. You¡¯re right, but whether you¡¯re right or wrong, it still hurts. Just hearing someone else say it hurts more than me repeating it to myself. It¡¯s just, I don¡¯t know how to- be his brother without being-¡± He pauses and he raises a hand from the steering wheel. ¡°Without feeling like I¡¯m prying, without knowing that I know his very thoughts. That in spite of his desire to keep things away from me, that they will never be hidden and he knows that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s something you created, not the power you had.¡± He looks at me, but only for a second before focusing on the road. He¡¯s gaze said one thing explain. ¡°I mean, you responded to his thoughts. You made him feel like everything he thought and hid from you was inevitably going to be unearthed. It¡¯s become an unavoidable concept and he¡¯s likely likened that feeling to talking with others. He shuts himself off, it makes him feel like there¡¯s nothing he can hide even when there are people who aren¡¯t like you.¡±


    ¡°I-¡± He exhales loudly. ¡°You¡¯re being very observant today. Didn¡¯t really think you had it in you. In fact, you¡¯re the kind of person who has trouble with your own emotions, being able to observe others emotions strikes me as an incredibly strange and impressive skill for someone like you.¡±


    ¡°Am I wrong?¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re right. It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t noticed a lot of this by myself, but there¡¯s not exactly an easy solution.¡±


    I give him a look of complete bewilderment. ¡°I have horns on my head, what do I do to stop goring people?¡±


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t butt heads with people-¡± He seems confused when saying that.


    ¡°Exactly. The concept is similar?¡±


    ¡°How so? How are your horns similar to my power?¡±


    ¡°Well, they''re always there and they¡¯re always a threat, I have to go through an effort not to harm people with them. The difference between you and I is that I make a conscious effort not to gore anyone, you don¡¯t. You read people¡¯s minds and then bring that which is hidden to light. You respond to their thoughts and not their voices. No-one needs to know that you know what they thought. Even if you did hear what they thought, you can pretend like you didn¡¯t hear it, just in the same way I might assume I didn¡¯t hear you talking a mere moment ago.¡± I shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t really know how your power works, but talking to someone normally instead of talking about their thoughts seems like the logical course of action.¡±


    The vehicle slows to a halt and I can see a few flashing red and blue lights on top of vehicles all of them are parked on the side of the road with uniformed men flanking an entrance to an alleyway, yellow tape is blocking the way into the alleyway. I guess we¡¯ve arrived, pretty bad timing too. I unbuckle my seatbelt and then there¡¯s a loud thud next to me. I look at Mattie whose head is glued to the steering wheel. ¡°Fuuuuuuu-uuuucking- Does it show that I dropped out of school because it¡¯s beginning to feel like I¡¯m the biggest fucking idiot in the world. I seriously do that shit in my job, just pretend I can¡¯t read anyone¡¯s mind and when it comes to my brother and people close to him I drop the ball.¡±


    I feel my face heat up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. You¡¯re right. Just give me a moment for me to wallow in self-pity. I screwed up and I missed an opportunity. Let¡¯s just hope I¡¯ve got a chance to repair my relationship with my brother as he repairs his own social skills.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have time. You¡¯ve got your whole life ahead of you, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Damn right I do. Thing is, wouldn¡¯t have been able to figure it out if it was just me no matter how obvious it was.¡± He turns to me, the look on his face is that of respect. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. You¡¯re the best thing that has happened to me and Kai for a long time. Kai is managing better and I¡¯ve got a second chance, I¡¯ve got someone to confide in and someone who feels comfortable with me. You probably saved my life.¡±


    I feel embarrassed at the sudden honesty, mostly because he¡¯s making me out to be better than I am. Without me he wouldn¡¯t have had to risk his life, but I can¡¯t say anything to deny him his moment. I know that at least he would be safer without me. Someone taps on the window and both Mattie and I look out of the window. Hercules is standing there with his fist raised. He jerks a thumb behind him and Mattie nods.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get the job done.¡±


    I nod in response, glad to have the subject turn away from me for a while. I unwrap Valor and pull it onto my hand. With the warm metal around my arm, I feel my muscles tense up, drawing the strength from Valor. I unhook the seat belt and reach for the door to leave, then stop, a sudden feeling of nervousness grips me. Our talk distracted me, but I¡¯m gripped with the realization that I¡¯m about to out during the day and be looked at by far more than a few Vigors in the CPO. These people might dislike me just for what I look like and there won¡¯t be the opportunity to pull a hood over my horns this time.


    I turn to look at Mattie who shrugs. It¡¯s almost as if he¡¯s offering me to make the final choice, which isn¡¯t exactly a good thing for him to do. I know that I¡¯d prefer to stick around in the vehicle providing in the ways I can, thing is, those ways are limited. I want to help from the shadows, but I¡¯m no Oracle, Navigator or Kaiden. I breathe out slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll know if things are about to go pear-shaped and I¡¯ll make sure you''re kept out of harm¡¯s way,¡± Mattie says, providing me with some assurance.


    I¡¯ve come all this way and I¡¯m not alone. I should at least try, give Mattie as much faith as I did when we went to Center Park. I push the door open and Mattie does the same on the other side. I exit the vehicle and shut the door before rounding the side of the car and joining Mattie and Hercules. The blue uniformed men have seen me and they seem both stunned and unwilling to do anything, either scared or trained not to respond. ¡°Took your sweet time,¡± Hercules grumbles to us. He digs his hand into his pockets and retrieves two earpieces, handing them to both Mattie and me.


    I pull the earpiece over my ear and Mattie clears his voice. ¡°Janus and Elementalist, connected, can you hear me Nav?¡±


    ¡°Loud and clear, Elementalist, say something so I can be sure you¡¯re connected,¡± Nav responds.


    ¡°I- I- I can hear you,¡± I stutter for a moment.


    ¡°Good. You¡¯ll go up to the two police officers guarding the entrance to the alleyway and flash your medallion, keep things orderly and listen to what they say. We¡¯re here to do business with the police, to help them get their job done, we¡¯re not here to make their job harder for them.¡± For a moment he pauses as if taking a moment to confirm something. ¡°Get me some information so I can do something before I die of boredom.¡±


    ¡°Right, right,¡± Mattie says in a sarcastic tone. He leads the way to the officers and withdraws a medallion from the innards of his pocket. I mimic his movements, as does Hercules and we all stop next to the police officers with our coins in hands. They both look at us caught a little off guard. The guard on the left, a handsome brown haired individual recovers first, looking at our outstretched medallions. He taps the other guy on the shoulder, an older man with graying black hair and he seems to shake himself out of his daze.


    He pulls a baton off his belt. A flat plastic head which sparks with small red lights and a screen on the back. He swipes it over the medallion in my hand and there¡¯s a long beep. He looks down at it. ¡°Elementalist-¡± He does the same for Hercules and Mattie, repeating their names as he swipes the baton. He clears his throat. ¡°You can go through, try not to make a mess of the crime scene.¡±


    Mattie steps forward and lifts the tape for Hercules and me to step beneath, we both pass and we¡¯re joined by Mattie soon after, walking down the alleyway. It isn¡¯t long till we come to a stop where there are two men in blue uniforms, much like the other two men before and two white sheets, laid over some vaguely human-shaped bodies. One of them raises his head, a dark-skinned man with a shaved head and well-groomed facial hair. His eyes glint with recognition, which is shared by the older, white-skinned and gray-haired man to his right, though the difference is the dark-skinned man has no reservation in his reaction.


    ¡°Janus,¡± he gasps. I¡¯m unsure whether he¡¯s scared or happy to see him, but I can tell the feeling is perhaps indecisive by how he seems to focus on Hercules and then me. ¡°Where¡¯s Gates?¡± He asks.


    The other man clears his throat and the dark skinned man seems to pale as if he¡¯s overstepped his boundaries. I can see Mattie grin and he winks at me. ¡°Gates is taking some time off, so Elementalist will be replacing her-¡± The older man opens his mouth to say something, I can see redness creep into his visage. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, both Mirror Knight and Oracle have vouched for her abilities.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± the old man grumbles. It seems that the potentially problematic situation is avoided with the help of Mattie¡¯s mind reading powers.


    ¡°So, Sergeant Stale and Officer Weaver. Why do you need the help of the CPO? I trust that your detectives are skilled enough to solve this problem,¡± Janus says. He names them, likely for my sake, and at the same time asks them to both explain the issue and to cater to their pride.


    The older man, presumably Sergeant Stale bends down over the first white sheet and lifts it, revealing the pale corpse of a young woman. She¡¯s completely naked, with a single harsh burn on her left breast the shape of a circle with a spiral on the inside. She has long golden hair which seems to have lost its luster in death, while the tips of the hair are singed slightly as if someone has taken a match to each strand. Sergeant Slate clears his throat. ¡°We¡¯ve been finding bodies like this weekly, young woman, early twenties, all white and all pretty. We¡¯ve found them with burns on their left breast each dying of suffocation. Each with burns on the inside of their esophagus.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you have a serial killer, how many?¡± Hercules asks.


    ¡°Exactly, we¡¯ve got an issue with a serial killer. He¡¯s gotten five so far, these two included and we thought we could track him down, thought he was normal-¡± I draw closer to the body, looking down at it, then look at where the other body is. There¡¯s soot on the ground and marking the wall behind the body as if someone set fire to everything but the flames were starved of air soon after. Slate is watching me and I look back at him, he clears his throat. ¡°We thought he was normal, so we didn¡¯t want to call the CPO. I mean, serial killers are what we track down, you guys deal with the guys with powers-¡±


    ¡°And this guy has powers,¡± Mattie completes.


    ¡°Mhm. Originally we thought that the guy would hold a cigarette lighter from a car in the victim¡¯s throat using some sort of¡­ holder-¡± Slate shrugs as if annoyed at his poor choice of words then continues. ¡°Apparently, we¡¯re wrong-¡± Slate walks over to the body and stands next to me before pulling the second sheet down, revealing the blackened corpse of what I assume is another woman.


    ¡°And we¡¯ve got a vigilante!¡± Nav yells, making me jump. ¡°Not gonna tell us shit, but it will tell us how capable our killer is.¡±


    Mattie grunts an affirmation and Slate walks around. ¡°I¡¯m assuming this guy is a pretty powerful pyrokinesis, but there¡¯s a problem. Weaver, you can practice your hero worship here,¡± Slate looks at the other officer.


    He clears his throat. ¡°Well, there are really two kinds of pyrokinesis, power, and control. Usually, they have one or the other, this guy has both. He can control exact elements of his power, suffocating someone with a small flame in a victim''s throat, or- like our second victim overwhelm them with pure power.¡±


    Mattie looks at me. ¡°Demon?¡± He asks.


    ¡°No chance,¡± I mutter, my voice a little low and shaky. ¡°I- Uh- We¡¯re talking about Sathanus¡¯ ilk, they are born of pure rage and hatred. They don¡¯t care about leaving marks or going after specific targets. If they were Lucifer¡¯s children, maybe- but then they wouldn¡¯t use fire magic.¡±


    ¡°Human then. Nav, got anything?¡±


    ¡°Not right now, but I¡¯ve got a wild idea that you¡¯ll hate.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Hercules groans.


    <hr />


    Author''s Nothes


    To be frank, this chapter can suck it. I had it all planned out but it all went to shit the moment it came to the exchange between Janus and Elmira. To sum it up, reading it, it flows really well and realistically. Writing it, it seemed like a convoluted mess. And it might be convoluted, but at least it''s the right way instead of just seeming unrealistic. I have a little bit to do, but right now I''m not sure whether it will be longer than the first Arc, but I know that Sathanus won''t be as nice as Lucifer.


    One last thing. 105k on my doc and we''re not even a quarter of the way through. We''re in for the long haul.

 Arc 2: Sathanus, Part Seven

    After the exchange with the police officers, Nav goes silent, instead forcing the three of us to return to the trailer. The moment we arrive, we all find Nav standing there with his arms crossed, a tablet held in his right hand. He seems impatient, but at the same time, he has a small grin on his face, something that makes me nervous. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this over lunch,¡± Nav announces. It seems he¡¯s not interested in immediately divulging his plan or just doesn¡¯t want to talk about it here.


    I look around, it¡¯s not very busy right now, mostly because it¡¯s still the middle of the week, though it¡¯s bound to grow busier as it draws closer to lunch time. ¡°Not sure it¡¯s a good idea, perhaps we should pace ourselves, we can eat in the trailer,¡± Mattie mutters. I know he¡¯s talking for my sake, he¡¯s trying to do this all for me, and I¡¯m thankful for it, even though I feel like a complete coward for wanting this.


    ¡°There¡¯s actually a place I want to go to and it¡¯s important to the plan. Good luck trying to get the job done staying in the trailer.¡± Nav immediately retaliates, a firm expression glued to his face, wiping away his former grin. It seems that he¡¯s a man of more expressions than I took him for, but now he¡¯s pressing me to step outside my comfort zone.


    ¡°You can at least try to explain from the trailer,¡± Hercules responds.


    ¡°I can, but I won¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to go through the effort and even if I did, I would stubbornly refuse because I selfishly would like to attend a small cafe at the edge of locale I wish to travel to.¡± Nav lifts his tablet, blocking his face from view, cutting off direct communication.


    Hercules looks at Mattie who shrugs, he then looks at me. It seems they know each other well enough to communicate through body language alone, but I don¡¯t know any of this, I¡¯m waiting for either a question or some sort of firm reprisal toward Nav. Neither of them comes, though I begin to notice exactly what he¡¯s looking at me for. He¡¯s asking me whether I will follow Nav¡¯s little excursion.


    I tilt my head forward, sighing to myself. ¡°I could just stay in the trailer,¡± I mutter, so softly that they can barely hear me. I raise my head again to see Mattie frowning and Hercules raising an eyebrow, giving me a quizzical glance. I don¡¯t really want to be left alone in the trailer, though. It¡¯s incredibly infuriating, I¡¯m both scared of isolation and of being amongst strangers. It seems almost contrary and that¡¯s what¡¯s the most infuriating of it all. In the end, I need to make an effort to find which I prefer more, being alone, or being part of a bigger group. And to me, being with people, being with people who care about me as friends is more important, and as a result, I need to learn to take a step out of my comfort zone, expand my little box. ¡°No- I¡¯ll- I¡¯ll try,¡± I mutter.


    ¡°It won¡¯t be the same as before-¡± Mattie whispers. ¡°You can¡¯t hide your-¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I interrupt. ¡°I know and I understand- it¡¯s just that- I need to try. I need to take large steps forward and I¡¯ve got an opportunity to do so, but I also know that you¡¯re making it easy for me, you¡¯re trying to make me comfortable. It¡¯s- It¡¯s making me-¡± I stumble over the words for a few moments. ¡°Take the feeling of disconnection for granted.¡±


    ¡°You want to be disconnected?¡± Hercules inquires.


    ¡°I want to be separated from people who look at me strangely because I look different, but at the same time, I want to have friends and spend time with them doing what they want to do and eventually, what I want to do. I- I can¡¯t have one without the other. I have to get used to the glares, to be able to ignore the look of disgust that some people give me.¡±


    ¡°Respect where respect is due,¡± Nav mutters. ¡°She¡¯s taken a step further that a good portion of Vigors and Magic Users will never take. I¡¯d applaud her, but I don¡¯t really care enough to put my map away. Anyone else got some incredible revelation that wish to reveal.¡± I feel like I¡¯ve been stabbed in the heart like Nav is just as bad as the people that would stare at me in disgust. I look down at the ground, making out the individual pieces of asphalt.


    ¡°Fuck you, Jo,¡± Hercules growls. ¡°Keep that shit in your head.¡±


    ¡°What? I was complimenting her. She¡¯s done more than I ever will or care to do. Respect to her for that, but just as much as I could have kept that shit in my head, so could she. So are we going, or what?¡±


    ¡°She talked because we wanted her to talk because it¡¯s necessary for her to share information with us pertaining to how she will be assisting the team,¡± Mattie says, his voice eerily calm. I glance up at him, his expression is a blank scowl, showing that he too is annoyed but he¡¯s maintaining a sense of calm in spite of his anger. ¡°Unless you have a problem with team communication.¡±


    Nav blinks slowly and nods. ¡°Touche, I retract my harsh pessimism in the face of your cold optimism, no matter how paradoxical that might sound. We¡¯ll go whenever you want then.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s,¡± I mutter, not wanting to continue the terse exchange in spite of my desire to delay. Nav starts walking, and I move up beside Mattie. He places a hand on my shoulder and I look at him, a thin line pasted to my face, torn between a desire to smile at him and my contrary mood. He stoops his head in agreement to my mood and we follow Nav closely down the pathway to the street.


    Nav clears his throat. ¡°So our little newbie knows, my power works in a specific way. I can tell which way people go and what actions they take only if I know their faces. The police know this information and thusly I have access to their servers and have the information of the other three victims. They were all left in the same state and all had similar appearances. Women, early twenties, white and pretty. In the same category Gates shares. They were left with a mark, similar to a brand on their left breast and naked. Honestly, a lot of it seems like this guy was going through extreme efforts to throw everyone off his scent- of course, a lot of this was under the assumption that they might assume he was a serial rapist too. Kinda weird considering one of them was a virgin and none of them had semen left-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re rambling,¡± Hercules interjects. ¡°And not in a good way either.¡±


    He clears his throat. ¡°Hmm- Let¡¯s just say that it¡¯s rather strange that he¡¯s only had troubles now considering he has a very simple way of looking at throwing people off his scent. Even without our help, the police would inevitably track him down.¡±


    We walk into a small park with gates surrounding the lush green gardens and large trees, there are long walkways that twist through the greenery allowing close access to the plethora of flowers, sadly, not budding due to the winter. All the paths seem to converge to a center point, a large, white painted building with a seemingly smooth upward flow, reaching a triangular peak. It reminds me of plastic, except perhaps a little more durable. It¡¯s surrounded by tables, which continue inside, visible through the glass windows, an aroma of bacon can be smelt on the air, an aroma I have smelt in the past, cooked by Gabbie and Walter.


    Nav draws us toward it, twisting his screen around a few times and tapping on it. ¡°Let¡¯s just say, there¡¯s a very simple solution to tracking this guy down when my power is involved.¡±


    ¡°No. Besides eating some breakfast here, that was a bad idea. The idea you¡¯re having now is worse. Not a chance it is happening,¡± Mattie says.


    ¡°You¡¯re not the one who I¡¯ll ask and I¡¯d appreciate it if you didn¡¯t reveal anything,¡± Nav growls.


    Mattie sighs loudly, and he has a look on his face that makes him look like he¡¯s suddenly aged a decade. He looks both stressed and worried. I¡¯m beginning to worry exactly what Nav has in mind. As we draw closer to the building a few people come into view. Some elderly gentlemen and women, some of whom are eating, others seem to be playing small games on the tables, accompanied by a steaming mug. None of them seem to notice me yet, but Nav moving the chair of one of the tables alerts them and a few heads turn our way.


    Their eyes look over us, but stop on me, not even bothering to look at Mattie and Nav for more than a split second. I can see confusion burning on their faces, as if I¡¯m not really there, one of them rubs their eyes and blinks a few times as if trying to check if he¡¯s not imagining my existence. My sideshow is eventually cast aside by most of them, though it¡¯s those who decide to forgo their original activities that I really take note of.


    Nav clears his throat and I look at him. He waves a hand to a chair. ¡°Sit, Hercules, you too. Mattie, can you-?¡±


    Mattie clicks his tongue and takes a step away before snapping back toward Nav. ¡°I swear to god- If you- You have no clue what I will-¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know,¡± Nav interjects, a small smile forming on his face. ¡°That¡¯s part of what makes this so interesting.¡± Mattie grinds his teeth, clenching his fists and he stomps off, anger getting the better of him. He¡¯s royally pissed and I don¡¯t know what got him this way. As he disappears into the building Nav leans forward on his elbows. ¡°You know, I don¡¯t understand what he sees in you. His righteous indignation at every insult thrown your way. He takes it as if he himself were insulted. I find it far too funny-,¡± he stops his grin widening.


    ¡°What do you find funny?¡± Hercules growls, leaning heavily on the table, making the wood groan in protest.


    ¡°That he knows that his own brother is attracted to her, yet he feels the same feelings for her. Just imagine how their relationship would end up should she choose one of them.¡±


    I swallow and I feel almost as if the life is being sucked out of me. ¡°That¡¯s-¡± I manage. ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me- Shut the fuck up.¡±


    ¡°Oo- she¡¯s annoyed,¡± Nav laughs. ¡°How does it feel being in the middle of a love triangle? It feels good doesn¡¯t it? Hurting both Janus and Kaiden. Pretty sure that¡¯s what Demons like doing, ri-¡±


    I shoot up and slam my gauntleted fist into the table which explodes into splinters, ¡°Shut up!¡± I scream. ¡°I¡¯ve got it! Just stop!¡± It hurts, I¡¯m angry because it¡¯s hurting me. It¡¯s just more proof that my existence is causing more harm than good, in a place I thought that my existence was doing something good.


    People are definitely looking now, stunned looks are pasted to their faces, some are retreating with phones in their hands. This look is shared by Hercules for a moment, who moments later steels himself and grinds his teeth. ¡°As much as I say one¡¯s temper shouldn¡¯t get the better of oneself-¡± I open my mouth to rebuke what he¡¯s saying but he raises a finger, uttering one, ¡°Ah!¡± He continues. ¡°This situation I find myself wondering whether in your position I would do the same- And I¡¯m actually impressed at your self-control. I would¡¯ve clocked Nav in the jaw which likely would have given him a nice break.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a break!?¡± Nav yells. ¡°She could have killed me!¡±


    ¡°If she didn¡¯t I fucking will!¡± Mattie yells, he came back at the sound of commotion and his face is bright red with rage. He passes me and he pushes Nav to the ground, his tablet slides across the ground as Mattie raises his fist. I grab his wrist to stop him. He turns to me, opening his mouth to say something but he stops, almost shocked that it¡¯s me stopping him and not Hercules.


    I shake my head. ¡°Don¡¯t-¡± I¡¯m shivering, I barely believe my own word, I want to let him punch Nav, but I don¡¯t want to be responsible for hurting anyone- not deliberately anyway. This would have been my fault. I feel tears well up in my eyes and I wipe them away with my free hand. Mattie seems stunned and his clenched teeth seem to weaken and the corners of his mouth turn down, influenced by my strong emotions.


    He turns back to Nav, ¡°What did you say?¡± He mutters, his voice shaking with emotion. Nav doesn¡¯t say a thing but there¡¯s no need to. ¡°How did you-? Why did you-?¡± It¡¯s an admission, he does love me. ¡°God damn it, why do you have to do this now? Why did you have to bring in dirty laundry? Can¡¯t you see the person you¡¯re hurting the most is her,¡± Mattie whispers.


    ¡°She¡¯s a Demon, she doesn¡¯t give a damn. She lives on the pain of others.¡±


    I lower my head and take a few steps back, feeling awash with emotion. Mattie turns back and I can see tears in his eyes, they''re not toward me, but he¡¯s sharing my pain as of this moment. He¡¯s not upset that this stuff got unveiled, he¡¯s upset that it was unveiled to me and that he can feel my pain. ¡°Does this look like she feeds on pain?¡± Mattie hisses, turning back to Nav and pulling on his shirt. ¡°Because to me this looks like the pain of someone who keeps getting betrayed. She trusted you! She allowed you a modicum of trust by coming here and she expected others to hurt her! And it was you!¡± He stands up and approaches me. ¡°Hercules, please can you-¡±


    Hercules nods. ¡°No problem. I guess I¡¯ll- pay for the table too.¡±


    ¡°Please, we¡¯ll wring it out of Nav later, for now-¡± He wraps a hand around my waist and leads me toward a bench in the distance. We reach it and sit down together and silence takes hold. There¡¯s a lot of talking and yelling by the small cafe, but it¡¯s almost disconnected from our spot on the bench. I tilt my head forward and place them in my hands, releasing a shaky breath. What is there to say that hasn¡¯t been said? ¡°Are you feeling-?¡± Mattie doesn¡¯t complete the sentence, starting to notice how stupid that might sound. He clicks his tongue, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Not your fault.¡± I¡¯ll get over it. It¡¯s not something I don¡¯t expect, it¡¯s not as bad anymore, I can deal with it. I just don¡¯t want to be the one that hurts Mattie and Kai. ¡°I don¡¯t want to- With you and Kai, I want your relationship to work out, I don¡¯t want it ruined by me,¡± I whisper.


    ¡°I won¡¯t say it will work out all the way you want it to work out, because I¡¯m not sure how, emotions are difficult to keep track of and even if you can read someone''s mind, you can¡¯t tell what will hurt them, even if it seems so obvious that it won¡¯t. Maybe something will go wrong, but the only person I¡¯m angry with right now is Jo. He''s-" He clicks his tongue. "He likes playing with people and he doesn''t know where to draw the line, I won''t make excuses, but thinking of others-. Kai and our¡­ Relationship with you is our problem, not yours, and I doubt that anything will change from what they already are. Everything will get better, and it¡¯s not as if my situation can get any worse.¡±


    I let off a bitter snort and rub my fingers across my eyelids. ¡°That seems all too optimistic.¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s gotta be.¡±


    ¡°And then what am I?¡±


    ¡°Probably as pessimistic as Jo, and that¡¯s saying something. Then again, I¡¯m the odd one here, being forced to endure the harshness of everyone and coming up positive.¡± He raises his head and digs a hand into his pocket, retrieving his medallion. ¡°The police are here,¡± he mutters.


    I raise my head and wipe my eyes once more, feeling perhaps a little too self-conscious. There are two men in blue uniforms, the same uniforms I saw before, a small woman with dark skin and short hair and a man with graying brown hair, they seem to work in groups of two, obviously, for some reason, I don¡¯t know about. The woman starts increasing her walking speed and the man has to walk faster to keep up, a look of surprise coming over his face. He opens his mouth to talk. ¡°Excu-¡±


    ¡°Excuse me,¡± the woman talks over him, her voice is more powerful, and she has a commanding presence in spite of her small size. ¡°We¡¯ve come at the call of a few troubled people who wanted us to come talk to the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Miss, please,¡± Mattie grins, perhaps a little forced. He stands up and extends the medallion. ¡°We came here at the behest of one of our team members and while I was gone he harassed my friend until she lost her temper. She wasn¡¯t going to harm anyone and we are going through the effort to pay the cafe for the table-¡±


    ¡°Whether you¡¯re paying for the table or not is irrelevant, there¡¯s no way people can be safe with that-¡±


    ¡°Nayla!¡± The older man yells. Clearly, he¡¯s done with being shut out of the conversation. ¡°No charges have been filed, and no-one has been hurt. For now, we¡¯re here to keep order and there¡¯s no plan to arrest anyone.¡±


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Mattie nods, as if he already knew that, but he still felt the urge to engage with the woman, likely because he thought he could change her in some way. The woman crosses her arms, as if annoyed, but she doesn¡¯t say anything, fuming to herself. It¡¯s almost as if she wanted something bad to happen. Hercules has moved up behind them, with two boxes in his hands and a few cupboard cups. The two police officers look behind them, almost as if startled by his presence and then the older man exhales. He extends a palm and Mattie places the medallion on his palm.


    The older man then walks off, leaving the woman there, staring at me. She almost flounders when she realizes the other man is gone and she chases after him. Hercules then approaches, handing a box and cup to me. I nod my head in thanks and open the box revealing a toasted sandwich in nestled in some paper. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No problem, are you feeling alright now?¡± He asks.


    I close my eyes and sigh, shrugging once. ¡°I donno. I guess I¡¯ve felt worse before, but- I don¡¯t really want to be subjected to stuff like that everytime I step a foot outside my comfort zone.¡± I pull out my sandwich, chewing on its corner. It¡¯s got cheese and tomato in it, not bad, not my favorite, but not bad. ¡°I¡¯ll get over it, thanks for taking my side.¡±


    He snorts. ¡°I did what I would¡¯ve done for everyone. No-one deserves that treatment.¡±


    ¡°And the job?¡±


    Mattie groans loudly. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to leave it until Gates comes back.¡±


    ¡°No-¡± I say, immediately, loudly protesting to being treated like someone worse than Gates. ¡°I want to help and I¡¯m not going to let my feelings get in the way of that. What was Nav¡¯s plan?¡±


    Mattie¡¯s mouth forms a thin line, unimpressed and annoyed. ¡°It¡¯s risky- I don¡¯t want to put you at risk.¡±


    ¡°So you want to put Gates at risk?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Gates as well as I know you-¡±


    ¡°So, when you said earlier that you wanted to protect all strangers at the cost of your life, you were lying?¡±


    ¡°Jesus,¡± Hercules laughs. ¡°That¡¯s harsh.¡±


    Mattie sighs loudly, but he nods slowly. ¡°Touche. Fine, I¡¯ll say it, but you have a right to deny it. You know this bench?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s an¡­ Odd thing to mention.¡±


    ¡°The four victims all came into this park and sat here. At a late hour every Wednesday night a young woman would be taken from here to inevitably be killed in such a way. It seems they all went willingly with our murderer and he would take them to alleyways to dump them. We have to assume either this person is charming or very easy to trust.¡±


    ¡°So a very normal guy, likely a psychopath or sociopath. The plan is to use Elmira as bait and if it¡¯s not Elmira, then Gates.¡±


    ¡°Correct, which is why I don¡¯t want to put Elmira at risk, she¡¯s been through enough trouble already.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± I mutter.


    ¡°See- Wait what!?¡± Mattie gasps, he shoots up and his cup falls to the ground, sending coffee across the ground. Hercules also looks surprised, though I don¡¯t really think it¡¯s all that surprising. I want to help and I want to slowly slip into a sense of normality in this Plane. I can hardly think of a better way. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°If Gates can do it, then I should at least try-¡±


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be your main reasoning. It shouldn¡¯t be anyone¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°But regardless, I want to try. Not because Gates would do it, but because it¡¯s something I should do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not something you should do either, it¡¯s reckless and just one of Jo¡¯s quick fixes without thinking of the safe course of action. He could just wait for a camera or something-¡±


    Hercules rolls his eyes. ¡°No cameras. Jo would have used the cameras if that were the case. If she wants to do it, then let her do it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not safe-¡±


    ¡°Neither is taking part in an assault by Demons. So what if I¡¯m reckless, I¡¯m only doing what I think is the best- Same as you might,¡± I counter.


    Hercules seems to hide a grin behind his hand and Mattie¡¯s shoulders slump as he sighs. ¡°Yeah- fine, fair enough. What about if there are Demons who come here?¡±


    ¡°I can hold my own now. I should at least be able to take on two Arcanists at once and they definitely won¡¯t be patrolling this area. There might be other Demons, but it¡¯s unlikely that they¡¯ll be looking in the parks anymore anyway.¡±


    Mattie covers his right eye and nods. ¡°I guess I can¡¯t stop you, but we¡¯ll make sure to keep a close eye on you. We¡¯d do the same if it were Gates too.¡± I shrug, a non-committal agreement. ¡°Good, now I have to make sure Jo doesn¡¯t pull the same shit he did today.¡±


    ¡°I suppose he¡¯s required for a job like this?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a core part of it, yes. Each team requires an information gatherer of sorts, they make sure things don¡¯t go wrong, but to sum it up, them being angry at you is like a healer being angry at you. You don¡¯t live for long.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I mutter. I look around, everyone¡¯s still looking at us, but with veiled hostility, a look of dislike for disturbing their meals. ¡°Maybe we should just go. I don¡¯t think they appreciate my presence.¡±


    ¡°Fuck ¡®em,¡± Hercules announces as if challenging them.


    ¡°Uh, let¡¯s not outlive our welcome. I¡¯m comfortable with the time I¡¯ve had here and now I think I want to go home.¡± Hercules shrugs in response to me and I look at Mattie.


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡± Mattie leads the way toward the cafe. Jo is sitting alone, casting a wary glance at those around him. He¡¯s busy correcting his clothes, after the harsh treatment, even dislodging a few splinters of wood and paint. He looks at the three of us but doesn¡¯t hold eye contact for long, looking away, ashamed. Mattie clears his throat and then his massages his temple, he opens his mouth to say something and a vein pops up on his forehead. He shakes his head and glances at Hercules.


    ¡°Jo,¡± Hercules grumbles. There¡¯s a hint of anger in his voice, but he manages not to lose his temper. ¡°El-¡± He looks around for a second, noting the people around us. ¡°Elementalist will assist in your plan. The question is will you help keep her safe?¡±


    Jo looks at me, surprise in his eyes, but again he doesn¡¯t maintain eye contact for long. ¡°She will?¡± He asks, doubt creeping into his voice.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°I- That¡¯s good.¡± He pulls himself up, and I can see he¡¯s shaking just a little. ¡°Look, I-¡± For a moment he tries to compose himself. ¡°Being with Gates- Demons and- I¡¯m- Look I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He¡¯s apologizing and while it does sound genuine it doesn¡¯t feel genuine to me. I understand that apologies are meant to be a solution to some problems, but an apology here seems like a small payment for the damage done. It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s enough. It doesn¡¯t feel like there¡¯s been any development in Nav¡¯s character, just like James from Expedition. It¡¯s a word, a very cheap word that can be falsified and is only worth as much as the person who says it. ¡°Save it,¡± I intone. ¡°Just do your job without thinking about who I am next time.¡±


    He stares blankly at me, then lowers his head, defeated. Mattie places a hand on my shoulder and gestures in the direction of the van. I start walking, with Mattie taking up my rear. He stops suddenly and I stop too and then he runs back toward the officers. He talks for a moment and then returns with the medallion in his hands, blushing a little. "Oops," he whispers to me and I feel a bitter smile crawl across my face. He continues walking and I walk by his side, casting a look back to see Nav and Hercules finally start moving, Hercules at Jo''s back, close enough for Jo to feel his breath on his neck.


    As we leave the area, there¡¯s a clear intake of breath, a wave of comfort going through the area as if they felt I was a far greater threat than I actually was. Which I wasn¡¯t but it¡¯s not as if people had formed different ideas of me. Their opinions were clearly created by me being a danger to them, which I understand, being a Demon in a Human world.


    We arrive at the vehicle, and Hercules leads Nav around the back while Mattie and I step in the front seats. Mattie pushes the keys into the keyhole and starting the car. It isn¡¯t long before we get an affirmation from Hercules that we can move and we turn onto the main road. ¡°So Gates is off next week too?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, one more week, then it¡¯s back to same-old-same-old. Today was actually similar to how it would have usually run, but instead of Gates yelling at the people employing at us, we yelled at Jo. I¡¯m glad for solidarity on at least one problem.¡±


    I snort, laughing without humor. ¡°Sounds dysfunctional.¡±


    ¡°It really is.¡± He pauses, I can tell he wants to continue, but he¡¯s thinking of a way to word it. He glances at me, then he turns to face the road. ¡°Uh- I might be overstepping my boundaries here, but why do you wear the same clothes all the time? I mean it¡¯s gotta get boring wearing jeans and a hoodie daily.¡±


    I feel my face burn red, I feel embarrassed. I¡¯ve been aware enough to know that jeans and hoodies aren¡¯t exactly a common thing for women in this plane, but it¡¯s not stuff I¡¯m used to, I¡¯ve never worn any of it. I feel like I¡¯ve missed a core part of an introduction to the idea of femininity, that women here already have. ¡°It¡¯s comfortable and- Well, I¡¯ve never really- Uh, worn it before. I¡¯ve seen people here wearing different things and while they look good I- I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m comfortable.¡±


    ¡°No introduction,¡± Mattie nods, as if understanding my plight. ¡°But you do want to branch out?¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡±


    ¡°I can speak to Gates if you want.¡±


    ¡°Please, no!¡± I gasp.


    He grins a little. ¡°Then Gabbie?¡±


    I shrug, ¡°Yeah, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°You suppose?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re teasing me now,¡± I grumble. "I''m trying to be adventurous."


    He grins widely at my use of wording, but he doesn¡¯t say anything. I shrug to myself and lean forward on the dashboard, silently watching the cars go by, waiting for the CPO building to come into view. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ve had more than enough experiences today. I place my box on the dashboard and extricate my food, eating it over the box. I¡¯d prefer to eat it before it gets cold.


    having taken my eyes off the road I still feel every jolt as the car clips potholes and comes to a halt at traffic lights. It¡¯s disorienting, but I¡¯m happy to exchange that feeling for some food in my stomach.


    By the time I finish the food, we¡¯re driving into the CPO building, through the boon gates. I shut the box and sit up to look at Mattie. The car slows until it comes to a stop in the usual spot. I quickly unbuckle my seatbelt and swing open the door. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go on ahead.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me to go with you?¡± Mattie asks.


    ¡°That would mean Nav will come with.¡± I shake my head. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine on my own.¡±


    ¡°Not necessarily, we can go separately.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, I¡¯ll be fine on my own. If you want to talk a bit more, you know where to find me.¡±


    He shrugs as if giving up. I drop out of the car and jog across the asphalt toward where the elevators are. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Gabbie later!¡± I hear him yell after me.


    I turn around until I¡¯m running backward. ¡°Yeah! Alright.¡± The second word is nothing more than a mumble. He clearly can¡¯t hear it, but it¡¯s that last part of me that doesn¡¯t want to step forward, the part of me that is seizing hold of the idea of cowardice. My inner-thoughts. Two planes, the Demon Plane is a representation of fear, while the Mortal plane represents a second chance and a second life. I don¡¯t want to be scared here. I can¡¯t live life if I¡¯m scared and living without experiencing that which everyone else experiences is hardly living at all.


    I turn around and run over to the button of the lift, colliding with the marble wall with my hands outstretched to stop my jog. I press the button and wait impatiently for the elevator to descend. Impatience largely stemming from the desire to avoid an avoidable clash with Nav. The elevator dings and the doors slide open, I step in and press the button for my floor and the doors slide close just as I watch Nav and Hercules step out of the vehicle.


    The elevator climbs upward and it doesn¡¯t halt once. In spite of the many people in the building, I barely ever see it stop once. I am curious about why that might be the case, though the reason might be as simple as it¡¯s designed that way or as complex as someone doesn¡¯t want me to meet specific people. The only time it stops is once I reach my floor, allowing me to step out the elevator and look around. I scratch my chin, come to think of it, I¡¯ve never seen my neighbors either. Weird.


    I enter my apartment, spending a few moments looking around. Kai is back in his spot at his desk, staring at his little pieces of machinery, only giving me a small look of notice before continuing with his work, but he¡¯s not the only one here. Walter and Gabbie are both at school, while there¡¯s someone in the kitchen. To my delighted surprise, Sebastian is back in spite of the fact Oracle expressed some doubt about his return so soon. He¡¯s cooking something, but at the same time he¡¯s looking at me out of the corner of his eye, the corner of his mouth seems to twist into a small grin, a very simple greeting, yet appreciated none-the-less. ¡°Sebastian. Oracle said you might not be back for a while.¡±


    ¡°Ah, with you gone, they didn¡¯t really have a reason to keep me in the VCF so they drove me back here¡± He moves a pan off the heat and turns around to look at me, leaning on the side of the table when he completes his rotation. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to return to find you gone. What were you doing?¡±


    ¡°I was fulfilling the requirements that were asked of me at the same time I wanted to get out into the world and stop being afraid of my own shadow.¡±


    ¡°With your brothers about, now is not the time to not be afraid of your own shadow, but I respect that you¡¯re trying to take steps forward. Maybe your steps are a little too fast and you¡¯re risking a lot already. When next you go out, I will be with you-¡± I open my mouth, ready to say something in opposition, but he raises his hand. ¡°Of course, you can deny me my attempts, but I¡¯d prefer to keep my distance just in case the worst happens. I think the only time I will allow you to go out by yourself is the moment you are capable of taking many Arcanists at once.¡±


    I lower my head in surrender, that¡¯s only fair and it¡¯s not like he¡¯ll be marching by my side. He¡¯ll just be close enough to respond, which in most cases everyone is close enough to respond in the case of emergencies. ¡°Yeah- okay,¡± I mutter.


    ¡°Good-¡± He clears his throat and turns back to the food he¡¯s making. ¡°Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°No, I just ate, thank you. I¡¯ll just be in my room, like- I guess, normal.¡± He nods his head in response and I start making my way to my room where I drop down onto my bed. I can think of one good thing about dealing with the serial killer. I get to experience what many Humans might call the worst of the worst.


    <hr />


    Author''s Notes


    Hoo, boy. Time for a plethora of excuses. I''ve been away from my computer a lot. Family came from South Africa and I was to show them around (and maybe some video games). Now to talk about Nav, there''s a short statement in the chapter that''s a little canned as it was added post chapter completetion that calls him manipulative. It makes a lot of sense. In the Mirror Knight''s side story, there was a short psychological insight that spoke about people''s psyche being influenced by the powers they have. As such, it seemed appropriate to have Nav be manipulative, in this chapter, he tried and failed to manipulate Elmira. However, in the past, he forced Elmira to step outside of the trailer to deal with an armed enemy, something that he could have prevented if he forced someone like Walter to stay in the trailer. We''ll work some more with Nav in the future, but I''m hoping to avoid so many good assholes. I think at this time I have more than enough. I''ll try and get some more of part eight done, but hopefully this tides you over for a while.

 Arc 2: Sathanus, Part Eight

    I slouch in front of the TV. my elbows practically connected to my knees while nervousness is prodding at my inner-workings, distracting me every so often from the show Walter and Gabbie are so interested in. The slow introductions to a sort of talk-show, at least that¡¯s what Gabbie called it. A show that specifies in talking to different Vigors in the ¡®hero¡¯ business. Apparently, it airs every Wednesday.


    The TV shows a scene set up on a stage. A large red carpet with a large sofa and a woman sitting at a desk with a black mug in front of her. The woman has long black hair, tied back into a bun and a confident grin on her fair face. She¡¯s wearing a black suit, a lot of what she¡¯s wearing isn¡¯t visible due to the desk being in the way. She leans across the desk, leaning heavily on her elbows. ¡°Hello again my viewers, today we have a few special guests, one of which is a breakout hero from the CPO. A rookie going at the business solo, much like many of the Directors as well as another well-known team from down under. But without further ado, allow me to introduce, Dragon!¡±


    A crowd, only partially revealed by the screen as it pans around, starts clapping loudly. To the left-hand side of the large stage, a few red curtains part and a large woman steps through them. She¡¯s, for lack of a better word, quite monstrous. She has black scales, some obstructed by her simple clothes, but I can see some climbing up to the bottom of her jawline. She has large bat-like wings and a massive, thick tail and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she has razor sharp teeth. Her hair is black, tied back and perhaps singed a little on the ends while her eyes, like most of her, are also quite odd. She has vertical irises the color of emerald with the remainder of her sclera being a lighter color of green. She bears a look of confusion and nervousness on her face. As she leaves the curtains she looks back for a moment, but then turns back to face the presenter at the desk. She gestures at the woman to approach and slowly the monstrous woman approaches the desk before sitting on a sofa next to the desk.


    The sofa seems to protest a little under her possibly large weight, even though she¡¯s not fat by any means, though her height and extra parts can¡¯t in any way be light at all. The presenter offers her hand, though Dragon doesn¡¯t take the handshake, either disinterested or confused for mere moments. The presenter withdraws her hand and shrugs. ¡°So, Dragon, you haven¡¯t been around for long and already you¡¯ve shown yourself to be a promising member of the CPO and as a solo hero at that.¡±


    ¡°Is that uncommon?¡± She asks. Her voice is perhaps deep for a woman, it strikes me as perhaps a little condescending and oddly disconcerting.


    ¡°Yes, actually it is, typically the leaders of each CPO quarters in each major city end up solo because of their capable powers. Usually, members of the CPO run in groups of four.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I would work well on a team.¡±


    The presenter laughs, but it¡¯s clear it¡¯s forced and that Dragon never intended the statement to be a joke. The presenter clears her throat and she looks away, likely concealing a look of embarrassment. ¡°What about your recent success?¡±


    ¡°How does one describe recent?¡±


    ¡°I mean in the past few weeks.¡±


    ¡°So all of them? I imagine they went well enough, but that can hardly be pinned solely on my work alone.¡±


    ¡°So you have been working with a team?¡±


    ¡°I take no pleasure in it, and technically it¡¯s only been once where I worked with someone who I knew I would be working with it?¡±


    ¡°Which jobs?¡±


    ¡°Javelin and his ragtag crew of cronies. I was with Gravel and Atlas.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Atlas? What is your opinion of him?¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t want to ask me about Gravel?¡± Dragon shakes her head. ¡°Atlas is a thoroughly unlikable person with a more despicable ability. At least Gravel holds to some form of values.¡±


    The presenter seems stunned, but she clears her throat and continues. ¡°And what about the other time. You spoke of ¡®knowing that you would be working with a team¡¯. I imagine that means one time you didn¡¯t know you would be working with a team.¡±


    ¡°When I debuted. A group named Grayzone and Deadeye attacked me. Their abilities were complimentary, one can deprive one of sight and the other can make a person miss a target as long as he can see them. Together they can capture someone by inevitably tiring them out. Deadeye was the more problematic, as I couldn¡¯t land a single hit on him. It required a sniper to kill him while he wasn¡¯t aware he was being targeted. That¡¯s when I had assistance I didn¡¯t ask for.¡±


    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t you who killed him?¡±


    ¡°But it was me who was involved in Grayzone¡¯s capture and Deadeye¡¯s elimination.¡±


    ¡°Then considering we¡¯re in this vein of thinking. What about Gigante?¡±


    ¡°What about him? Do you want to know his powers or why I killed him?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I guess both.¡±


    ¡°He could increase the size of all mammals he touched and when he did that, he was capable of controlling them like extremely loyal pets. He could do the same to himself too and I had to kill him because I deemed him too great a threat to run away and to threaten someone another day.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you capture him?¡±


    Dragon snorts and she leans forward. ¡°None of my abilities help me in the apprehension of a criminal like that. I deemed him a threat and I had no other choice. What would you do in my position? Would you let him escape only to threaten people again in the future? I made the harder choice.¡±


    The presenter grins for a moment. ¡°For us, maybe, for you, maybe not so much.¡±


    Dragon doesn¡¯t seem angry, she just nods. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s easier for me, but what if you were given the choice to pull the trigger or let Gigante go free? A few people died that day, people innocent to the conflict between the CPO and the SYNC. Inevitably it would happen again in the future.¡±


    ¡°Are you asking me if I would kill someone if it would save other lives in the process?¡±


    ¡°The trolley problem,¡± someone says. I look up from the TV to find Mattie standing there, he must¡¯ve snuck in just a few moments ago without making a sound. ¡°Dragon isn¡¯t wrong, just¡­ She¡¯s one of two things. A psychopath, or she¡¯s dissociated herself with the idea of being Human. Maybe both. She¡¯s probably got a similar mindset to a vigilante, she¡¯s just been employed by us.¡±


    I rise to my feet, almost staggering for a moment as blood rushes to my toes. ¡°I thought you said that vigilantes were- you know, in the spot between SYNC and the CPO.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ For the most part, yeah. Sometimes you get people like Dragon moving into our expansive team. Probably a lot more to her story than I know, but you know, it¡¯s hard just to accept that she didn¡¯t do as much as she could to preserve life.¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s just her method for preserving life,¡± Walter thinks aloud.


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Mattie grumbles.


    ¡°Could you not have said that for me?¡±


    ¡°I could have, but then it would have ruined the impact and you wouldn¡¯t have gotten recognition for thinking that way. I¡¯m not going to verbalize your thoughts anymore, nor am I going to bring your secrets to surface-. It was a mistake to do so in the first place and if it means anything, I¡¯m really sorry.¡±


    A quick glance at Mattie¡¯s face reveals a heavy blush setting into his guise. Maybe from embarrassment, maybe just from the fact he¡¯s forced to apologize, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m glad that he¡¯s already putting into practice what I suggested. Kai seems to look over from his desk at the side, presumably hearing this, he even raises an eyebrow, showing off some form of emotion from his otherwise emotionless demeanor. Walter and Gabbie look perhaps baffled, clearly, they don¡¯t know the impact this will have on further conversations, which might lead them to maintain their actions in the same way as before. It will take some time to break habits, but mentioning changes is a good start.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look.¡± He¡¯s looking in my direction and I can¡¯t help but deepen my smile at that before it was perhaps a bit veiled, but now it¡¯s taken on a more teasing nature. He tilts back his head as if giving up. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s about time to hit the road Elmira, that is unless you¡¯re having second thoughts about this thing.¡±


    I¡¯ve thought about the whole thing, about dealing with the serial killer, and none of my thoughts have changed, I mean they¡¯ve mostly stayed the same. I¡¯m not so much scared of the serial killer than am I scared of two other things. The threat of potentially seeing other Demons, even though I believe it¡¯s unlikely that they will be flying around the city, there is still a small chance they will be. I think I can fight them, but I don¡¯t want to fight Demons, I want to deal with what I¡¯m ready for. The second thing is that I¡¯m worried about other people. After a few sleepless nights, it became easier to theorize that none of them would want to harm me. In fact, it was when I broke the table that gave me the knowledge I needed to come to the conclusion I have. No Humans would wish to harm me for who I am unless I¡¯m the one to cause trouble. Otherwise, those who want to harm me would likely harm anyone else anyway.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m alright to go,¡± I mumble. I rise to my feet and cast a look toward Sebastian, who is sitting at a table, watching both me and Mattie. He rises and approaches. ¡°Uh, Sebastian wants to come too.¡±


    Mattie looks at Sebastian, and for a moment, there¡¯s a look in his eyes that makes me think that he¡¯ll refuse, but he doesn¡¯t. ¡°I guess it¡¯ll be fine, just make sure you don¡¯t do anything extreme unless we give the go ahead.¡±


    Sebastian grunts an affirmation, though he doesn¡¯t seem to care about what Mattie has said. It¡¯s clear to me that Sebastian will do whatever he wants, but won¡¯t make an effort to make an issue of it for now. Better to ask for forgiveness than to ask permission, though I doubt he¡¯ll even do that.


    Mattie stares at Sebastian for a moment. For a moment something occurs to me. ¡°Mattie, can you read Sebastian¡¯s mind?¡±


    He shakes his head. ¡°Nope. I think I can only read the minds of people. Not exactly sure how it works, but I can¡¯t even read his emotions. He¡¯s a blank book to me.¡± I catch a small grin from Sebastian out of the corner of my eye, though I very much doubt he had any intent to hide it anyway. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get going. As much as I don¡¯t have any interest in sitting in a car for upwards of three hours, I know Luke and Jo don¡¯t appreciate it.¡± He beckons to the two of us, pointing out the door in an almost too extravagant fashion.


    I feel sorry for making Hercules wait but not quite the same about making Nav wait. I guess I¡¯ll maintain a grudge for a while, but I really deserve to exercise that right. I¡¯m sick and tired of people testing my emotions and I just want to show them that I can fight back too, even if it isn¡¯t literally. I can¡¯t really take out my grudge on Hercules now anyway. I lead the way toward the door and Sebastian follows, with Mattie taking up the rear.


    We take no detours and proceed directly to the car, a usual proceeding whenever I leave the building, which is becoming increasingly common. But I don¡¯t find the car and trailer I was expecting to see when we arrive, but rather a large, truck, similar to the vehicle Mattie was using when we first left the CPO building. ¡°What about the trailer,¡± I inquire. Surely that means that at least me or Sebastian, or both will be forced to sit with the other two. Perhaps I¡¯m a little worried about having to deal with Nav is such a close environment.


    Mattie leans on the roof of his car, and he looks back at me. ¡°So as not to rouse suspicion. We¡¯re going to be sitting out there for hours and if the killer gets a bead on a trailer that¡¯s been sitting in front of their hunting zone for hours, they¡¯ll get antsy and they might just go somewhere else.¡± I can¡¯t argue that point, but I don¡¯t quite know the rarity of trailers. By observations they aren¡¯t exactly common, so I guess he is making a good point.


    There¡¯s a moment of awkward silence before he pulls open the door, and beckons me inside. Sadly, it¡¯s the backseat, worse still, I¡¯ll be sitting next to Nav. I look wearily at Nav, almost wishing I brought Valor with me, but considering how out of place Valor looks, looking even more out of place on me than my horns and tail, I decided to forgo bringing it with and instead shoved it under my bed wrapped in silk. Mattie nods and shrugs, I guess there¡¯s no better way to do this. I slip into the seat, apprehensively and slam the door shut, before leaning up against the window as far away from Nav as I can. It¡¯s almost an afterthought because it¡¯s still new, but I even sweep my tail over my legs, keeping as much of myself away from Nav. I don¡¯t even want him touching me by mistake.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    He has a computer over his lap, with a small box sitting on top of it. It¡¯s not a cellphone, it¡¯s just a small black and silver box, and I can see the hinges that it opens with. For a moment, Sebastian is outside, talking to Mattie, his face is perhaps impassive, but his eyes give off a more severe gaze. It¡¯s hard to hear them from inside the car, I can only make out a few words, and while I can string together Sabastian¡¯s issue, I can¡¯t figure out Mattie¡¯s response. It¡¯s clear Sebastian would prefer to sit next to me, though even in spite of Sebastian¡¯s personality, the issue is resolved with a few words.


    Sebastian pulls open the door on the opposite side at the front and Mattie takes up the driver¡¯s seat, sighing loudly. He seems uncomfortable for a few moments, and he moves his wings a few times, trying to shift in his seat, he only stops when his wings are slightly open, though the look on his face, as shown by the mirror over the center of the car seems no more happy with the position he¡¯s in than when they were closed behind him.


    Mattie leans forward against the steering wheel, and before long, the car is moving forward. Not so much as a word is said, though Nav is fooling around with the box in his hands. He¡¯s doing the same as me and leaning heavily on Hercules. Likely because he¡¯s scared of me, or he despises me. I don¡¯t care, whatever keeps him away from me. Hercules clears his throat, and he pushes against Nav, sending him toward me, Nav flails, kicking the front chair making Sebastian look back at us. He doesn¡¯t quite reach me, but it still doesn¡¯t exactly make me feel any better.


    A small amount of golden light is thrown through the front window of the car as we leave the car park. Hercules leans over, placing a heavy hand on Nav¡¯s shoulder and Nav quivers, his face twisting in pain. ¡°Get your shit together, Jo. Get over your fear, at this point, we¡¯re doing things to keep Elmira safe.¡± Hercules releases Nav who groans and releases the clasp on the box. Inside the box is a tiny, circular, plastic tube. Nav carefully pulls it out and holds it in his hand.


    ¡°Uh-¡± Nav grumbles. His brow furrows as if he¡¯s fighting himself to get any sort of information out of his head. ¡°This- this- uh¡­ This thing is- it¡¯s a- it¡¯s an earpiece, so we can-¡± He pauses and scratches his head. ¡°So we can hear what you hear, but also, so no-one can see that you¡¯re- wired.¡±


    ¡°Wired?¡± I cast a look at Hercules, asking him the question.


    ¡°Wired means recording a conversation. It¡¯s pretty much how some criminals know there¡¯s a trap in place. It¡¯s a pretty simple solution, though getting it out can be a bit of a bitch,¡± he explains.


    Nav holds the earpiece out to me, getting a better look at it, it seems to widen at the end. ¡°Make sure the widest part is pointed to the outside of your ear.¡± I gingerly pick the earpiece out of his hand and then push it into my left ear. It feels strange, but I imagine I¡¯ll get used to it.


    I clear my throat. ¡°Mattie? Don¡¯t you think my horns and tail will give me away?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. Honestly, people will first assume you¡¯re dressing up for some sort of costume party or something, and if they don¡¯t they might just think you¡¯re some sort of Vigor at worst. In most cases, people thinking you¡¯re a Demon is the last thing that will be on their mind.¡±


    ¡°And the other times?¡±


    ¡°The other times had less to do with you being a Demon and more to do with you being strange. You pretty much give the same aura as a massive, tattooed, bald guy on the street wrapped in a leather jacket. Not exactly good, but they¡¯ll tolerate you as long as you don¡¯t- ya¡¯know, break tables or something.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but flinch at the last few words. I feel like he could¡¯ve told me all about this before, it¡¯s not like I had the knowledge of what people think. Might¡¯ve helped me feel a bit more comfortable amongst others, though- maybe not.


    For a few minutes after, we draw closer to the park, without much speaking. There isn¡¯t much to talk about, though I¡¯m sure there will be something mentioned about what will be happening. Mattie scratches his head, and the car starts to slow. ¡°Basically, you¡¯ll sit on the bench and we¡¯ll wait until someone makes a move against you, when you find a threat, we¡¯ll respond as soon as we can and deal with them. Hopefully, we¡¯ll capture him, but on the off chance we can¡¯t and he poses a threat to either you or the rest of us, we¡¯ll have to either injure or kill him.¡±


    ¡°Kill?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Sometimes there¡¯s no other choice. It¡¯s the worst case scenario, but it¡¯s better than him killing us.¡±


    ¡°Then it isn¡¯t the worst case scenario, and rather the latter is,¡± Sebastian points out.


    ¡°Purely contextual,¡± Hercules grunts. ¡°Talking about death is a crux in our business, call it inspiring Murphy¡¯s law. We talk about it and someone¡¯s bound to die. Not necessarily true, but-¡± Hercules shrugs. ¡°Even if it isn¡¯t I don¡¯t want to take a risk. There a stranger things in the world than the idea of good luck and bad luck.¡±


    ¡°Not to mention guys out there who say that they have the ability to manipulate luck,¡± Mattie agrees.


    ¡°Not much proof out there,¡± Nav grumbles.


    ¡°And there wasn¡¯t much proof out there about the existence of Demon Lords either, and now we¡¯re in a car with one.¡±


    ¡°But we believed in the existence of them anyway.¡±


    ¡°Purely because of Ash,¡± Hercules says.


    ¡°Ash?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Ashley,¡± Mattie explains. ¡°Gates.¡± Ah. Nav mentioned Ashley before, but at the time, I didn¡¯t really notice. Names slip in so often and it doesn¡¯t always seem right to ask about them. The car comes to a halt and Mattie pulls it over to the side. ¡°Alright, out you go, Elmira. You should be able to find a bench easily, just look like you¡¯re waiting for someone, shouldn¡¯t be too hard, because that¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°Mm, and don¡¯t look too nervous, we¡¯re nearby,¡± Hercules joins in.


    Easy for him to say. ¡°Oh, and Sebastian. Wait until we¡¯re far enough away before you get out. Don¡¯t want you drawing unnecessary attention.¡±


    I expect Sebastian to resist, but he simply leans against the door and nods his head. I- I clearly don¡¯t know Sebastian well enough yet, but then again, I haven¡¯t known him for long. Sometimes it¡¯s hard to remember that I¡¯ve only known him for a few weeks, many of which were spent in a cell. I open the car door and step outside. I have no complaints and I¡¯m as ready as I¡¯ll ever be. I guess I just feel¡­ Nervous. Anyone would be, right?


    It¡¯s cold outside, cold and dark, with only a few stars and a solitude moon in the sky, a crescent cutting through the night. The light of the city burns away at the few stars, making them all the harder to see and everything seems deathly quiet. But it¡¯s nothing compared to how cold it is. I can see the frost on my breath, collecting at the edges of the grass. I shiver and draw my jacket closer. I draw my hood over my head until it¡¯s touching my horns, though it doesn¡¯t quite make me feel any warmer than before.


    The park looks different in the dark, perhaps it¡¯s the little light shed by the moon and the light posts, or perhaps because it¡¯s so quiet. Not a single person seems to be present and it does make things seem almost worse. I find my way to the bench and sit down, wrapping my fingers around the seat, the wood feels coarse against my cold fingers.


    From here, time passes slowly, I¡¯m waiting for something to happen, what that is, I¡¯m unsure. I know someone is watching me, and it creeps me out, but at the same time I¡¯m aware that it¡¯s probably Sebastian. It¡¯s difficult to keep track of time and it¡¯s so easy to just do a lot of thinking that I don¡¯t want to do. Remembering my brothers, it¡¯s like staying awake at night, just waiting to go to sleep. When you have nothing better to do, bad thoughts are all you have to keep you comfort.


    In the center of my chest, there¡¯s a feeling of discomfort, a bubbling warmth of fear and nervousness. It¡¯s more intense than when I had the option to say no, but now, the feeling of regret, the feeling of regret is more intense the expectation. Now I really don¡¯t want to be here, why did I say yes?


    ¡±Because you¡¯re a coward.¡±I¡¯m reminded of what Sathanus has spoken to me about in the past. ¡±You¡¯re a coward, and thusly, it¡¯s so much easier to do something and regret it. It¡¯s just your nature. You¡¯re a coward, so it¡¯s so much easier to be reckless. To do something you don¡¯t want to do. Because you don¡¯t want to do anything.¡±


    I still remember his rough voice, his build, the chill it leaves on my ears. Sathanus might not be the smartest, but he definitely knows a lot about emotions. He understands the effect one¡¯s desires have on the person they are influencing. He¡¯s more ready to accept his rage than any of us would be accepting that which personifies us. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m a coward though, it¡¯s just like everyone else said, I¡¯m reckless, and cowardice goes hand in hand with recklessness. It¡¯s who I am, but I¡¯d prefer to make a mistake based on being over-excited rather than feel the pain of debilitating fear. I don¡¯t want to do this anymore.


    Someone shocks me out of my stupor a voice, laughter, a peel of a man that cuts through the quiet. The sound of heavy uneven steps, and a second man slurring some story that I can barely make out in his strange words. I look up and illuminated by the light is a group of five men, in varying states of disregard, their clothes hanging from their shoulders and glazed looks on their faces. As if their half asleep, but their acts are much like they''re intoxicated, which they must be. The serial killer isn¡¯t part of a group, is he?


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey!¡± One of the men yells, a man with graying black hair and a white dress shirt spotted with moisture and bloodshot green eyes. ¡°Lookie here,¡± he grins, pointing the others in my direction.


    His friends follow his finger and those who aren''t smiling now have their own grins spreading across their faces. They stumble over to me and I grow even more nervous. I don¡¯t think they''re what I¡¯m looking for, but at the same time, I really don¡¯t want to deal with them. ¡°What are you doing here, sweetie?¡± Another man asks this one is younger than the others, with oily black hair and a wide build, an overweight male wearing a wifebeater. The way he refers to me makes me shiver and he gives me a nasty vibe.


    My words seem to be stuck in my throat and it appears to be a battle just to get the first word out. ¡°I-¡± I grumble.


    ¡°Whoa, look at this!¡± This first guy yells, pushing the fatter guy out of the way and pacing right up to me. Without warning or even saying he grabs one of my horns and wrenches at it, pulling my head painfully forward. I can fight it, but the suddenness prevents any sort of response. I grunt in surprise and discomfort. He wrenches harder, this time I fight back, drawing my head back, though the guy seems to not notice, only laughing. ¡°It really won¡¯t come off, think it¡¯s real?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. Maybe it¡¯s just stuck on there with really strong glue,¡± one of the guys behind him asks. I¡¯m not sure whom, they¡¯re obstructed by the other guy.


    What do I do now? I mean, I don¡¯t think they¡¯re who I¡¯m looking for, but if I fight back then I might hurt them, what do I do? ¡°Uh-¡± I try to speak.


    ¡°Holy shit is that a tail!¡± The asshole who grabbed my horns releases them, then snatches my tail. I tend to avoid doing anything to my tail, a lot to do with the fact it¡¯s new and it feels like it¡¯s incredibly sensitive, but suddenly is wrapped in this man¡¯s tight, calloused hands and it feels like my tail has been set ablaze. I squeal in pain, and immediately respond by grabbing the asshole¡¯s hand and putting a lot of force on the back of his hand. He releases my tail, yelping and then stumbles back, his face growing red.


    Just as suddenly as any other times, he makes a move and I¡¯m of course, not ready for it. There¡¯s a loud slap and I look into the eyes of the man assailing me, the man who just hit me across the face. It didn¡¯t hurt this time, but now I¡¯m just more tongue-tied than the beginning. ¡°Bitch,¡± the man spits at me. He wraps a hand around my neck, leaning toward me and I push him back, sending him to the ground. Alright, I¡¯m done doing nothing. I stand up ready to run, but they all move around me, blocking any escape. There¡¯s a look on their faces that creeps me out, the same look that Asmodeus has at all times, lust.


    ¡°Hey, assholes,¡± someone yells. It¡¯s a woman¡¯s voice, rough as it is, but it is definitely a woman¡¯s voice. I turn to face it to see a woman, who is partially illuminated by the light of a lamp. She''s maybe in her late twenties with blonde hair and green eyes. She¡¯s very thin with a face covered in freckles. She has a gun raised toward the men, though it might be difficult to see. By the reactions of the intoxicated men, it¡¯s clear that they know exactly what it is.


    They back up, hands raised toward the woman, any thoughts of what they were planning to do, abandoned for the sake of their own safety. I watch the one which hit me out of the corner of my eye, and he has a look on his face that makes it look like he¡¯d rather be shot than let me off so easily, but he keeps backing off, mostly because of one of his friends holding onto his shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re lucky,¡± he hisses. He turns around and they all start running, leaving me with the woman who savedme.


    I look at the woman, perhaps with a little bit of suspicion. What is she doing out here at this time? ¡°Oh, it wasn¡¯t any trouble,¡± she says sarcastically. She pulls a small box out of her trousers and removes a white stick from it and pushes it into her mouth. She raises the gun up to it and pulls the trigger, but instead of a gunshot ringing out, a small flame flickers to life, lighting the end of the stick. ¡°I guess I should be glad they weren¡¯t stupid enough to call my bluff.¡±


    She took a risk I guess, but, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I ask.


    She shrugs and takes a deep breath before breathing out a stream of smoke. I can smell a terrible aroma in the air, almost like a mix of soot and something else that I can¡¯t pick up. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s the first time those idiots of come through here and they did seem a little like trouble, so you might say I was stalking them from the shadows.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s dangerous.¡±


    ¡°I have a gun,¡± she says turning the lighter in her hand to the side.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a gun.¡±


    The corners of her mouth turn up. ¡°People think it¡¯s a gun. Anyway, I answered the question, what are you doing here? Missed a costume party or something?¡±


    ¡°Uh- Well, I¡¯m waiting for someone-¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Friends?¡±


    She clicks her tongue and shoves the lighter into a bag at her hip, then she beckons to me. ¡°Well, you should probably wait elsewhere. It¡¯s not safe at this time of night for a girl like you. I¡¯ll take you to my place and we can wait for your friends there.¡±


    For a moment I stutter. It¡¯s not something I expected, and it¡¯s kinda disconnected from what I¡¯m doing here, but I think at this point it¡¯s too late. Those other guys might actually be part of the whole kidnapping and serial killing thing, so I¡¯ll set Nav after them to figure it out. Maybe I can stick around a little longer to see if anyone else forces me to come with them, but I¡¯m betting this woman will just watch me until someone comes to fetch me. ¡°Alright, lead the way. I¡¯ll contact them when we get to your place.¡±


    ¡°Huh, kinda expected you to be the kind of person to say no.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say no to a random act of kindness.¡±


    ¡°Damn straight. Glad you aren¡¯t gonna get pissed at it, people these days are just pricks.¡± She beckons to me, before turning and starting her way forward. I start walking to and come up by her right side. ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Uh, Elmira.¡±


    ¡°Interesting name. Interesting accent, you¡¯re not from around here, are you?¡±


    I¡¯m glad that I¡¯m with someone who doesn¡¯t wish harm on me anymore, in fact, I¡¯m starting to grow a bit more comfortable, so much so that I snort in amusement. ¡°No, no I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°And where are you from?¡±


    ¡°Not from around here.¡±


    She holds out the small stick and turns to me, a small grin toying at the corners of her mouth. ¡°I guess that,¡± she laughs. ¡°Anywhere in particular.¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± I say non-committedly. It¡¯s not exactly something I can easily say, but at the same time, I don¡¯t know many other places with which to lie with.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to tell me anymore, I¡¯ll just pout.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m teasing, just teasing, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to say anything else.¡± She exhales, blowing out that thick, almost choking smoke and I can¡¯t help but cough, trying to hide it a little. She clearly notices it, but she doesn¡¯t stop smoking the stick. Instead, she seems to shrug. ¡°Haven¡¯t been around cigarettes often, have you?¡± I shake my head. ¡°Good, they aren¡¯t good for you.¡±


    That¡¯s just mystifying. ¡°Why would you smoke then?¡±


    ¡°Because sometimes we don¡¯t care what¡¯s good or bad for us. Especially someone like me.¡±


    We¡¯ve long since left the park and are walking down the dark, concrete path. ¡°So, uh, are we nearby your place?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get there soonish. It¡¯s just a few blocks away.¡±


    Suddenly, I feel incredibly nervous. It¡¯s not like before, it¡¯s not that fear of that what I¡¯m waiting for, of something ominous that¡¯s coming. Instead, I know I¡¯m being watched and what¡¯s worse is I know it¡¯s not Sebastian. I know he¡¯s around, but I have this horrible feeling like he¡¯s not the only one watching. Something¡¯s giving me the creeps and it¡¯s making me tense up, my breathing becoming short as if I¡¯m going to be discovered. ¡°Do you feel that?¡± I mutter.


    ¡°Feel what?¡±

 Arc 2: Sathanus, Part Nine

    The feeling somewhat dissipates, but I can still feel someone watching. Maybe from further away, but my breath catches up a little. I clear my throat and cough again. I¡¯m not exactly sure why I¡¯m so on edge right now, might just be how I usually feel, but I can¡¯t help but think that it¡¯s different now, though my skill set doesn¡¯t exactly extend to sensing a threat. Maybe I¡¯m just reeling from the guys earlier. ¡°Nevermind, it¡¯s nothing. I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye.¡±


    She turns around to look behind me, I turn to, but there¡¯s nothing behind me. Well, other than the twisting shadows from the light hitting the side of fences or sign posts. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything. Maybe just your imagination.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It seems it¡¯s being quite active today.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± she snorts. ¡°I would ask what else it comes up with, but I feel that might be both probing and¡­ Very awkward.¡± She turns back, with perhaps an almost debauched grin on her face. I turn around to continue the walk too, almost wondering exactly what is going through her mind. At this point, things are starting to look different, obviously, we¡¯re not traveling in the direction of the CPO building, so I believe I¡¯ve never been here before. I¡¯m sure that Mattie and the others have been here, but not me.


    She stops at the corner of a street, by a large traffic light, the color is red, with no cars waiting across the street. It strikes a contrast with the other golden colored lights. ¡°Um, I didn¡¯t ask your name- so-¡±


    ¡°Sarah,¡± she interjects. ¡°We¡¯re pretty close to my place now, I¡¯m in an apartment building, so we have to take a small detour. It¡¯s pretty easy to get through the side entrance.¡± She raises a finger at a large building, with a bunch of balconies overlooking the street. She then moves her finger along the street we¡¯re standing. ¡°The main entrance is along that building, but it can be quite a lengthy detour because the road travels at an obtuse angle.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s no entrance on this side?¡±


    ¡°Then it would take up the space of the apartments that overlook the street.¡±


    I shrug, it makes sense. ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t mind. Do you want me to contact my friends now?¡± I don¡¯t really know how, but I could lift my phone up to my ear and make sure they can hear me through the thing they put in my ear.


    ¡°Wait until we¡¯re in the apartment. I don¡¯t really like being so¡­ Obvious. It¡¯s not exactly a crime-free city.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯re so close to the CPO.¡±


    ¡°The CPO works with Vigors. They don¡¯t typically work with simple crimes with, ya know, normal people. That¡¯s the cop¡¯s job and I don¡¯t see any police cars patrolling the street.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard such things, but it almost seems¡­ Wrong that they don¡¯t take everything under their banner. Keeping everyone safe.¡±


    ¡°Except the cops wouldn¡¯t say the same thing. They have their own job and while it would make sense to make sure everyone is safe, it would make it impossible for normal people to have a job of protecting others. See, even people who don¡¯t have greater access to their dreams might have the ability to at least use a rod to touch the sky.¡± She begins crossing the street while I follow. I can feel heat building in my chest, almost like heartburn from a bad meal.


    I clear my throat, momentarily trying to clear the blockage at the base of my throat to no avail. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± I croak.


    ¡°Even if it isn¡¯t the same as having a power, like being able to roam the street to stop some sort of crime with a simple wave of the hand, people can train and do it in a more uniform way. I¡¯d say, being a police officer is more respectful, it shows someone is working harder and they are generally shown in a better light. They wear uniforms and gain access to their powers.¡±


    ¡°And vigors?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say they can be seen in the same light. A lot of them don¡¯t have the training, they don¡¯t try as hard and they aren¡¯t rewarded with a uniform or gain access to their powers. They''re handed a weapon from their inception instead of being trained to use a proper weapon correctly. Granted, usually, it¡¯s them who get the fame and fortune and the cops who get represented as the B team.¡±


    ¡°Anti-vigor sentiments?¡±


    ¡°No. I respect most of them. I just respect police more. I would prefer to trust my safety to someone who is trained with their abilities. That¡¯s the key difference between vigors and police.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°There are some Vigors who learn to use their powers. I know that much, but police¡¯s powers can be confiscated. If a Vigor makes an error, their powers are a key part of who they are. You can¡¯t confiscate that and there has been a history of the CPO making more errors than cops.¡±


    ¡°-Which I guess leads to more-¡±


    ¡°Deaths,¡± she completes. She nods and then stops at the corner of the apartment building she pointed out earlier. She points a thumb down an alleyway. ¡°Alright. Call your friends, we¡¯ll start walking down the alleyway.¡±


    I pull my phone out of my pocket, carefully unlocking it as I walk. That¡¯s the easy part, now mimicking movements I¡¯ve seen before. That¡¯s not quite so easy. The heat at the back of my throat has intensified and it feels like my throat has constricted. I really want to cough, while at the same time I want to breathe, I find myself fighting for something that won¡¯t come. I can smell smoke, and I can feel my eyes watering.


    A sudden shock, like a crack through my head, a stark realization about my situation. A contrast to what I believe would¡¯ve happened, while at the same time still fulfilling the original goals of what someone would do. It¡¯s just who would expect it? We all assumed the serial killer was a male, we were wrong. I assumed the serial killer would be more forceful and at the same time portray the worst of a person. Instead, we were wrong on all counts. I raise my head to look at Sarah. For it¡¯s clear she could have lied. She has an incredibly serious expression on her face. I keel forward, as if falling unconscious, at the same time, I snap my head to the right to look at the brick wall, lined with metal trash cans. I breathe out, the last breath I can manage, bringing with it a single word; ¡°Brother.¡±


    There¡¯s a bang and trash cans explode from the wall, ejected by a chunk of earth, flying over my shoulder into the face of Sarah. She shrieks and falls back, crashing against the other wall. Suddenly, the heat at the back of my throat dissipates, allowing me to breathe. The relief throws me into a fit of coughing and I drop to my hands trying to get any sort of breathing restarted. If there were any doubts as to who she was, they were erased at that exact moment.


    I raise my head after fighting back some air, looking at Sarah[/i] who is looking down the alleyway, looking forward and back as if trying to find a threat. She has some blood over her eye, dripping from some unseen cut, but it¡¯s clear she¡¯s paranoid, her mouth is curled back in some sort of grimace. She doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m the threat, but rather that the threat is nearby.


    Act quickly before she learns what¡¯s going on, she¡¯s some sort of fire controller, so chances are that I have a lot over her including my abilities, though I don¡¯t want to kill her. Knocking her out, though, if it¡¯s possible, that would be the best way to handle this. I lunge toward her, swinging a fist toward her lower jaw, she shrinks back, dodging my haphazardly aimed punch. Or simply I just missed, I¡¯m not quite back in shape, I¡¯m still trying to draw even a full breath.


    She growls, seemingly growing aware that the only person capable of launching dangerous trash cans at her is right next to her. She waves her hand and I can tell what¡¯s coming. It¡¯s like a flash fire, much like when the street blew up when Lucifer attacked, sudden and hot. It doesn¡¯t appear around me, but rather in front of me like she slapped me with a wall of fire. A¡­ Literal¡­ Wall of fire. It covers the entire alleyway and it¡¯s basically licking my face before I have time to respond. It¡¯s like creating a wall where the flame won¡¯t touch me, using the power of Sathanus which involves burning everything to ash, I use it as a way to stop me from being burnt to ash.


    Surprise ensues as I escape the fire, not in a pile of ash, but rather sweating like crazy and ruffled. ¡°The-¡± she spouts, I raise my hand and a beam of light explodes from my hand, blinding the surprised Sarah. She shrieks, grabbing her eyes, I then clench my fist, my hand turning into the claws that they would should I transform fully. I then lay a clean punch into the left side of her jaw and she slams into the wall, falling down it. She¡¯s down, but not quite out.


    ¡°Brother, disable her right hand.¡± Earth by my left foot explodes out of the ground in a pillar, slamming into Sarahwrist with a loud crunch. Sarah screams, her voice growing hoarse, a sound that only begins to explain the pain she¡¯s experiencing. She moves her free left hand, some vague attempt to do something to me. I lash out with my foot, kicking her hand back where it slams painfully against a wall and then descends to the ground. I drop my foot onto it and conclude with a nice clean knee to the left side of her temple. ¡°Hypocrite!¡± I grumble as the light fades from her eyes. Her lids droop and she slackens her entire body, devoid of any fight she once had.


    I bend over, placing my hands on my knees, coughing hard until it feels like I¡¯m going to throw up my lungs. I can hear footsteps behind me and I turn around to see Sebastian and Hercules approaching. I take a deep, rasping breath. ¡°Where the fuck were you!?¡± I yell. ¡°She attacked me and I nearly fucking died!¡±


    Sebastian looks down at the ground. ¡°Got lost,¡± he mutters.


    ¡°I was running,¡± Hercules points out. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly easy to get here faster.¡±


    I exhale, I¡¯m still tense from my fight and I¡¯m not exactly in the right mind to be responding to them. I might just say something I don¡¯t mean. I spend a few moments breathing in and out. Both Hercules and Sebastian can hear me rasping and they look at me cautiously, both watching me as if I might keel over.


    ¡°Elmira,¡± Sebastian whispers.


    I raise my hands toward him, telling him to stop and then I wipe them over my face, wiping away any excess sweat. ¡°I¡¯m fine- I¡¯m fine- just- give me a second.¡± I clear my throat before I start talking. ¡°Sorry, just- adrenaline.¡±


    Hercules, for a moment, seems a little stunned, but then a grin forms on his face. I don¡¯t exactly agree with it, at least I don¡¯t feel that way, but I can understand what he might be thinking. ¡°I understand. Nearly made me shit myself when I first fought another Vigor.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you like, invincible?¡±


    ¡°Not invincible, more like resistant. And it¡¯s mostly to bullets and explosions. Electric shocks and smoke, fuck that shit. Anyway, you did pretty damn well for this being your first job.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean? I nearly got myself killed. I think I did pretty bad.¡±


    He shrugs. ¡°Except you didn¡¯t get killed. More than can be said for some.¡± Hercules looks down the alleyway from where he came from and I look back to see Mattie approaching. He¡¯s taking a more leisurely pace and he seems perhaps a little tense. ¡°I¡¯m of the belief, the first job battle scars tend to be the most embarrassing anyway.¡±


    Mattie seems to relax a little, apparently, he thinks Hercules¡¯ jokes are enough proof that nothing bad happens. ¡°Depends on the job.¡±


    Hercules¡¯ grin widens. ¡°So Matthew- basically, Elmira. Matthew here¡¯s battle scars are interesting. I¡¯m pretty much the senior of the team; besides Jo. Anyway-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare,¡± Mattie interjects, there¡¯s almost a warning in his voice, but it¡¯s not the kind of warning that you have to be worried about. Mattie is the one who sounds worried.


    ¡°Anyway. Matthew was supposed to defuse the heightened tensions amongst two families when we¡¯re were brought in to deal with some Vigor who tried to deal with a family feud in a very dangerous way.¡±


    Mattie places his head in his hands, it¡¯s clear he¡¯s resigned himself to his fate, and while I don¡¯t like him having to endure this, I¡¯m at least a little bit curious.


    ¡°It was his first job, so he wasn¡¯t ready for any kind of situation like two groups being at each other¡¯s necks. And he messed it up. One of the women, a big black woman with nails that would make a cat jealous came at him. She cursed him out, she was very colorful with her words and she gave him a nice line of cuts underneath his chin. You see, Diane can¡¯t heal all scars. But it¡¯s a great story to tell.¡±


    ¡°And I wish you wouldn¡¯t tell it to anyone,¡± Mattie grumbles. I look at him in earnest, trying to locate the scars on his chin, but the way he¡¯s looking down doesn¡¯t quite make it easier. He clears his throat and pats his face a few times as if trying to psyche himself up. He clears his throat. ¡°You did great, Elmira.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s trying to change the subject,¡± Hercules whispers.


    I can¡¯t help but grin, even though it¡¯s Mattie¡¯s reputation, but it¡¯s a little amusing considering how it¡¯s been quite serious with Mattie. ¡°Someone has to stay on task,¡± Mattie grumbles.


    ¡°Fair enough. Yeah, good job,¡± Hercules finally drops the subject. ¡°You kicked some ass and the only real trouble you had was some minor smoke inhalation.¡±


    ¡°Minor,¡± I croak.


    ¡°It¡¯ll pass. Better than some others. See, death doesn¡¯t pass as easily. That¡¯s why the junior groups exist. To give people experience, to allow them to at least have a taste of the life we have. Transitioning from being a Junior can be a difficult process and it tends to be the most dangerous moment in a person''s career with the CPO and you did it without too much of a hitch. In the situation you were in, most people would have died. None of us expected- well-¡± He points a thumb at Sarah. ¡°A woman. She would¡¯ve had the drop on us too, and I doubt I would¡¯ve fared as well against her.¡±


    ¡°What about Gates?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a freak. She suspects everyone. You got the job done and maintained trust. Gates sacrifices the feeling of being comfortable amongst people for being good at her job. You didn¡¯t and you still got the job done.¡±


    ¡°Uh, thanks. I guess.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Now we gotta see what¡¯ll happen when the rest of your team graduates. Should be interesting.¡±


    ¡°Interesting?¡± Hercules shrugs, as if not willing to share the answer. I look at Mattie, who shrugs too and then winks at me. I can¡¯t help but think I¡¯m responsible for this sudden bout of secrecy. Maybe because I was the one who told Mattie to keep quiet about other people''s¡¯ secrets. I step back and sit down on the chunk of raised stone where the garbage cans once were. Sebastian approaches and leans against the wall, with his arms crossed. ¡°So we¡¯re waiting for the police and VCF now or do we leave her here and have them pick her up?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re waiting. Jo probably called them a while ago. It shouldn¡¯t take too long for them to arrive.¡±


    I nod and hunch over to place my chin on my palm, I wonder exactly how long they will take. I guess the sun shouldn¡¯t be too long coming. Maybe they¡¯ll ask a few questions or it will take a while to process the capture. Or maybe Sarahwill wake up first and she¡¯ll try to fight back.


    There¡¯s a loud flurry of wingbeats, a caw of a crow and a shadow quickly bursting through the alleyway. It¡¯s simple enough to recognize it as a bird, but it seems like an odd time for a bird to be flying about. Looking at the bird, I can see something clutched in its beak. A large box that almost seems like a beakful. There¡¯s a clatter as it drops the box to the ground.


    Hercules starts to approach it and the bird caws again, almost interrupting the sudden shrill ringing coming from the box. A phone? The bird pecks at the box twice and I watch a light shine, showing the screen for mere moments, a small box in comparison to the large brick that is the cellphone. A man clears his throat. ¡°Hello CPO and co,¡± he says. His voice sounds emotionless and very uniform. There¡¯s a strong accent, that makes him sound incredibly practiced at speaking, but obviously, I can¡¯t place it. Hercules starts to approach the phone again. ¡°If you would please allow me to speak before you try to cut me short, sir.¡±


    Hercules backs off, though I can tell he¡¯s incredibly suspicious. ¡°¡®Who are you?¡± Mattie asks from his place behind Hercules.


    ¡°I believe you call us the Syndicate. While we prefer a different name, there¡¯s no real reason for you to rebrand us.¡± It¡¯s clear there¡¯s some reaction as Hercules tenses up. ¡°Don¡¯t be so difficult. We¡¯re not here to fight. I know we don¡¯t agree with each other¡¯s methods, but there are times when we do have goals that are similar.¡±


    ¡°What goal?¡±


    ¡°Your little serial killer problem. See, just because we¡¯re some sort of criminal organization doesn¡¯t mean we relish in the idea of chaos. Serial killers and mass murderers are not something we want to have any part in and we also want to make sure that they''re dealt with in as swift a manner as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yet you harbor plenty of murderers. Many of whom will be mass-murders.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you see, that¡¯s where we differ. You are of the belief that there¡¯s no reason to kill anyone. We believe that there are moments where killing is a necessity. I won¡¯t argue semantics, for now, I¡¯m here to talk to you about the killer you apprehended. Her name is Gail Regus, she lives nearby, the details of which have been emailed to your friend in the car.¡±


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Hercules queries.


    ¡°To get her locked away for as long as possible with the best locks possible. I¡¯ll continue. Gail has murdered five women and one man. The man in question was a Syndicate Stalker. A member of the Syndicate hired to deal with¡­ Issues. I guess you could say he was a mass murderer. Regardless, he put up a fight but found himself inadequately prepared. Which is why we passed on a few messages to the police.¡±If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Messages? You mean to say that you were the ones that informed them of the fact that the killer was a Vigor?¡± Mattie asks.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t say- but we did mess with the crime scene to push them in the right direction. There wasn¡¯t nearly as much soot in the alleyway from the attack. We put them onto a Vigor threat and we had someone suggest team Assault. Though I won¡¯t lie and say I wasn¡¯t surprised to see that you have someone instead of Gates. Then again, she seems more than equipped for the job.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why not? A serial killer is just as bad for business as they are for people. We can¡¯t have one roaming the streets. Now we can continue business without taking unneeded risks and you can go back, the job done and most civilians safe.¡±


    Hercules and Mattie exchange serious looks. I can tell, both of them don¡¯t quite agree with whoever is on the phone, they are having second thoughts, though not quite enough tooth agree with sending a serial killer back out into the world.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that. If it has to be that way, grudgingly accept that you¡¯ve done some good. Doing good doesn¡¯t always come free, and you can¡¯t always do something good without stepping on another¡¯s toes. Good is always an opinion, as is bad.¡±


    ¡°However, there¡¯s a more common understanding of the word good and we follow that one. You don¡¯t,¡± Hercules grumbles.


    The man on the phones, laughs, though it, just like his voice, sounds emotionless. ¡°Don¡¯t be so obtuse. Just because there are more conventional meanings to the words doesn¡¯t mean the way we look at it is wrong. Maybe what you did today is more morally gray than what you¡¯re used to. Regardless, we¡¯ll send over the rest of the details to the police that will no doubt assist in getting Gail locked in a deep VCF cell. As for you, or more precisely, the person who is replacing Gates¡­ I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be in contact in the future, likely it will be so we can pay a debt to you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I respond, finally being talked to directly. It¡¯s sudden and I¡¯m not even sure what he means.


    ¡°We always pay our debts. But for now, I think we might leave how we pay it up to fate.¡± There¡¯s a long silence after those words. Not even a breath can be heard. The bird then snaps the phone up and takes to the air and Hercules lunges to grab it, but comes up short, not even managing to grab even a few feathers. He pulls back, shaking his head as he turns around. I can hear sirens not far from here, probably just a few blocks away, it won¡¯t be long until they reach us.


    ¡°Guess we¡¯re not going to be tracking down whoever that was then,¡± Hercules mutters.


    Blue and red lights start flashing at the end of the alleyway, from where I came from and it isn¡¯t long before I hear car doors slamming and boots on the ground. Flashlights are shone in our direction and I can see men in blue uniforms approaching. Behind them are men in familiar black uniforms, it seems for each officer, there¡¯s a man in a black uniform. I don¡¯t even need to see the insignia, they¡¯re from the VCF around here, the place that I stayed in for a good few weeks.


    They seem arranged into groups of two, one from the VCF for every uniformed police officer. It¡¯s different from before, where they were, like the CPO, arranged into groups of four, into teams just like any team that the CPO compiles. It seems this is all organized, clearly ready to respond to a threat at a moment¡¯s notice. I¡¯d imagine that the VCF is a police and CPO go between, they have a relationship with both, having different business practices for each situation.


    A man from the VCF with curly blonde hair and scraggly beard, along with a more uniformed policeman with dark skinned, with a shaved head, he bears some scars near his eye, but they don¡¯t seem like battle damage. They take the lead and draw close to the unconscious form of Gail. ¡°This is her?¡± The man from the VCF asks.


    ¡°I must say, I expected a man,¡± the policeman mutters.


    ¡°You and me both, sir,¡± Mattie responds. ¡°That is the serial killer, at least I believe it is. She definitely tried to kill Elmira here.¡±


    The man from the man from the VCF looks at me and I can see a spark of recognition in his gray eyes, but he doesn¡¯t mention anything. He then raises a flashlight at the walls, revealing soot crusting the concrete walls and some melted plastic and discolored metal. ¡°Indeed it seems like there was some Vigor combat.¡±


    The policeman places a hand on his chin while looking at the walls, he seems to be thinking about it. ¡°By no means is it a clear proof of guilt, but it¡¯s not like dealing with¡­ Normal people. We¡¯re dealing with a Vigor here and by no means can we take risks.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. Though, this serial killer does have some clear killing patterns. If we detain her for about a month, we should be able to take some time to do a thorough investigation and to at least make an apt assumption about whether she is the killer or not.¡±


    ¡°Good, then we¡¯ll take her to the VCF compound and start investigations from there,¡± the policeman concludes, this also proves something. Clearly, the VCF and the police do work together. So the police are responsible for investigating and dealing with the unpowered populace, the VCF deals with investigating with the police and incarceration of the powered populace. While the CPO just seems like the muscle. Almost like bounty hunters, hired to chase after the powered populace.


    ¡°Uh, I might¡¯ve broken a few of her bones when we fought,¡± I say before they can figure out what they¡¯ll do from there.


    ¡°We have ways to deal with her injuries at the VCF. For now, we would like you to remove the¡­ For lack of a better word, shackle, from her right arm. We¡¯ll take her from there,¡± the curly haired man says.


    I stand up from my spot, preparing to release Gail¡¯s trapped arm, but instead, Hercules stomps on the chunk of stone, causing it to crack and drop to the ground by her hand. Her wrist is indeed broken. It¡¯s a clean break, her arm is bent at a shocking angle. ¡°We¡¯re done here then?¡± Hercules asks.


    ¡°Pretty much. Anything further can be solved at a later date and we¡¯ll forward the payment by the time we arrive at the VCF.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Mattie finishes. Mattie looks at Sebastian and me, and he tilts his head toward the side of the alley the VCF and police came from. I suppose it was the same place he came from too, though I was a little distracted at the time anyway.


    Sebastian walks up beside me before we start returning in the direction the car probably is and he leans down to whisper in my ear. ¡°Are you not comfortable with the risks that a demon takes-¡± He seems to be referring to my surprise when I was attacked and my anger when they arrived. ¡°I accept that in a world of Demons, there was a potential every Demon didn¡¯t love me and there would be a fight for my life. That some of them would be cowardly in an attempt to surprise me and steal my life without me knowing. Just because we aren¡¯t in the Demon plane doesn¡¯t mean that there won¡¯t be some Humans that aren¡¯t like Demons.¡±


    He¡¯s completely right, but in the same way, many of my brothers would be right. They take into account the worst of everyone and in most cases, they¡¯re right, at least in the Demon Plane. I should be ready because that¡¯s how I was taught. But my nature, who I am, all that is different. I¡¯m too scared to consider that there¡¯s a threat behind a door, so it¡¯s easier for me to forget it because that¡¯s how I advance. But there¡¯s more, a clear realization about my comparison between me and all other Demons. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m more Human than I am Demon.¡±


    There¡¯s a long pause after my response, perhaps him digesting my response. ¡°I see,¡± he finally says. His voice is impassive, neither showing whether he approves or disapproves of my statement. Either way, he doesn¡¯t press the subject, which is appreciated as I¡¯m not sure I can explain.


    The car is waiting on the other side of the street, though there seems to be a lot of police around as well as a stream of those curious enough to leave their homes after hearing the police sirens or seeing the fire from the fight. Some are dressed in bedclothes, most of them are a mix between casual clothing and work clothes. We cross between two police cars into the middle of the road where people can see us.


    Those watching definitely notice us, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s difficult to spot us, especially with the streetlights illuminating us. There seem to be a few connections that they make, and a few people seem to take a few steps forward, only for their advance to be halted by the police. ¡°You get ¡®em?¡± Someone yells. I can¡¯t quite place the voice but it¡¯s not angry, just curious. There¡¯s a hint of shaking in the voice, maybe excitement.


    Mattie gives them a thumbs up and someone yells out a cheer, though it seems out of place in the middle of a quiet street, even an oddity in such a quiet group.


    ¡°Damn straight, that¡¯s our boys in red!¡± The guy who asked the question yells.


    I increase my walking speed to catch up with Mattie. ¡°Boys in red?¡± I ask him.


    He stops at the car and pulls the door open, shrugging at the same time. ¡°Another name for Vigors, or more precisely, the CPO. Other names are Vigors, powers or protectors. I guess they really needed something to compare us to the police and the VCF. See the police are the boys in blue and the VCF are the men in black.¡±


    ¡°Except-¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not all men and we¡¯re not dressed in red. Don¡¯t ask me where it came from, I just know that people call us that and it¡¯s not a disparaging word for us. In other words, even though don¡¯t know what we did, they believe we did a good job. And as soon as it¡¯s revealed that we apprehended a serial killer, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be elated-¡± He pauses to slip into his seat. He gestures to me and I pull open the door to get into the back seat. Hercules and Sebastian both round the car to open the opposite doors to sit in their seats. From there Mattie continues. ¡°There are two reasons we might do our jobs-¡±


    ¡°Three,¡± Hercules interrupts.


    ¡°I was going to correct myself-. Three reasons, the first and simplest; money. The second; fame. The third; that feeling you get when you know you¡¯ve done some good. A euphoria you get when you know you¡¯ve saved someone¡¯s life. We get all three of these things, but everyone has something they prefer.¡±


    ¡°What about me?¡± I ask.


    ¡°For now, protection? But something tells me you¡¯ll have your own preference someday.¡± Maybe, for now, it¡¯s only that which I can easily identify. Problems that I¡¯m facing now, rather than problems I will face in the future. It seems that I¡¯m forced only to deal with the now rather than the later. If that were the case, I¡¯d be preparing for Sathanus¡¯ arrival, but I haven¡¯t. But even then, how would I prepare for the arrival of Sathanus?


    Nav snaps his laptop closed, it¡¯s the only noise he¡¯s made, only now drawing my attention to him. I almost forgot he was in the car, and maybe it would have been better that way. He opens the box from earlier and slips his finger down the front of the box, then withdraws a long, thin metallic object. They look to be tweezers, thin enough to fit in somewhere small.


    ¡°Turn, I need to remove the earpiece,¡± Nav mutters. One could only say this is practiced, he isn¡¯t stuttering, nor is he exactly scared, though there¡¯s a clear look in his eyes betraying how unsure he is. I¡¯m sure that over the long wait, he¡¯s had a good, boring time to think about it all, maybe it helped temper his resolve by the time I returned.


    ¡°No,¡± Mattie interjects. ¡°You¡¯re not doing it in the car. I don¡¯t need you jamming it into her eardrum because we had to brake suddenly. Do it back at the apartment.¡±


    Nav drops the tweezers back into the box, causing them to clatter against the metal inside. I lean forward in my seat and heave a big sigh. ¡°That was more terrifying than the fight with the Arcanists.¡±


    ¡°Huh, why?¡± Mattie queries.


    ¡°There are a couple reasons,¡± I summarize. ¡°First, they weren¡¯t trying to kill me, but rather capture me. And all of them were related to Lucifer in some way and thus weren¡¯t allowed to ambush because that¡¯s below their perception of pride. Also, Lucifer had no intention to capture me in the first place.¡±


    The car slows and Mattie turns to face me. ¡°He tried pretty damn hard to capture you.¡±


    I snort. ¡°You¡¯re underestimating the power of a Demon Lord if you think that¡¯s all they can do. Lucifer only used one real attack and that was because he knew Tagert could reflect the attack. What¡¯s more is that even I can see where Tagert¡¯s weaknesses may lie.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Mattie asks as the car returns to normal speed.


    ¡°I doubt he¡¯s invincible.¡± I look at Hercules, who nods his head a few times. ¡°I doubt anyone is truly invincible. At that point, they might as well be immortal.¡±


    ¡°Yes. We¡¯re unaware of anyone who is truly invincible.¡±


    ¡°Then Tagert¡¯s issues lie in places he can¡¯t focus on. He has to see the attack to be ready to reflect it. All Demon Lords are more than capable of doing that. Scratch that, all Arcanists can do that and it¡¯s a part of casual combat, to find an opening. If we¡¯re thinking about my other brother- Sathanus- we won¡¯t be looking at a single city block going up in flames.¡±


    Mattie swallows. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound all too fun.¡±


    ¡°Luckily enough, my other brothers aren¡¯t all that interested in massive destruction like he is. Rage and destruction go hand in hand. The others will be happier to minimize the damage they cause.¡±


    What follows is a long length of silence. There¡¯s nothing I can add to that, nor anything they can respond with besides a period of sober thought. A period that is sustained long enough for us to return to the CPO building and exit the car.


    Mattie steps out of the car after I¡¯m out, spinning the keys around his index finger. ¡°So- Your brothers, are they planning on attacking anytime soon?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that they plan to do something like that,¡± Sebastian explains for me from the other side of the car. ¡°But which brother is a better question. It¡¯s inevitable that they will all try to capture Elmira before she can complete her septagram.¡±


    ¡°Alright, which brother and when?¡±


    Sebastian shrugs, so I answer. ¡°Sathanus and maybe in a month. I don¡¯t know specifics about when.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s about as disconcerting as I want to go. Maybe from now on, I¡¯ll leave the potentially terrifying dangers of the future unknown. I usually keep them that way. Nothing good comes from looking at the future or to the past.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s probably is better that way,¡± Hercules says. ¡°Being a precog is a lesson in futility.¡±


    Maybe it is, doesn¡¯t seem it stopped Oracle from trying, though. We walk our way to the elevator and Mattie presses the button to his floor. ¡°Let¡¯s drop by the apartment. We can remove the earpiece and then celebrate the way we¡¯ve always celebrated.¡±


    ¡°And what way is that?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Whiskey on the rocks,¡± Hercules says.


    I have no clue what that is, though I also don¡¯t know whether I should ask. Maybe it¡¯s something I should know, maybe it¡¯s something that¡¯s incredibly common for a celebration. But right now it sounds like the plan is to pour sauce onto some rocks. Should that be the case, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll turn it away.


    The elevator ceases on their floor and we pile out into the corridor. We head over to their apartment and Mattie opens the door, allowing us all in before shutting it behind him. Hercules heads to the kitchen, drawing a cupboard open and withdrawing a broad, circular bottle, the glass shortens to a thin opening at the top, stopped finally by a large cork. He places a few wide, short glasses on the table, one for each of us, before filling them with ice from the freezer.


    Nav collapses into a chair at the large dining table, while Sebastian pulls back a chair, seemingly to sit in it himself, though he gestures to me, showing that it is for me to sit in. I approach him and ease into the chair with a bit of hesitation. Mattie takes a seat next to me and exhales loudly. ¡°My legs are going to hurt tomorrow. Sitting in a car for that long makes me feel like my legs have turned into pretzels.¡±


    ¡°Pretzels?¡± I enquire.


    ¡°You know about whiskey, but you don¡¯t know about pretzels?¡±


    ¡°Actually I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a salty, crunchy, snack. Kinda like chips, except they''re tied into different shapes. That¡¯s their appeal. As for whiskey-¡± Hercules brings over the glasses on a tray and placing it on the table. ¡°You might as well give it a try, though I doubt you¡¯ll enjoy it. Not many people enjoy their first taste of whiskey. It¡¯s more of an acquired taste.¡±


    I take up a glass in my hand, handling the cold liquid with a hint of caution. I look at the liquid inside, it takes on a light amber color, with small cubes of ice visible like icebergs sitting at the bottom of the glass. There really isn¡¯t very much of it in any of the glasses. Hercules raises the cup aloft in his hand, and everyone mimics his movement, I¡¯m the last to take my position amongst them.


    ¡°For a job well done, and for all of us keeping our wits about us and our brains and blood in us. To another day of danger, disaster and a whole lot of laughter,¡± Hercules announces. ¡°Cheers.¡±


    ¡°Cheers,¡± the others chorus, even Sebastian. I don¡¯t quite catch on until it¡¯s too late and even then I can¡¯t bring myself the courage to bring up even a late utterance of the word.


    Hercules throws the whiskey back in one swallow, while Mattie takes shallow sips. Nav places his untouched drink on the table and then pushes it toward Hercules, seeming to not want to partake in it himself, while Sebastian seriously sips at it himself. I look at it, almost worrying exactly what it will taste like. Then I tilt it into my mouth.


    What flows into my mouth is a harsh bitterness that transcends anything I¡¯ve had before. A prickling liquid that feels like my entire mouth is being scratched from the inside as if flames are burning at the back of my throat and reigniting the feeling I had when Gail tried to choke me with small flames. I burst out in a fit of coughs, spraying the table with the liquid. Hercules starts laughing and Mattie conceals a small smirk with his hands. ¡°Much like taking a punch to the face would be an acquired taste. It takes a long time to get used to,¡± Hercules booms.


    I place the unfinished drink on the table, a sour look stuck to my face. I feel like I¡¯ve been deceived, but I know it¡¯s not all that serious, I doubt anything ill will come of this. Mattie places his own drink on the table and comes around to my side of the table. ¡°Enough with the fun. I think we should get that earpiece out of your ear so you can get some sleep.¡± He holds out a hand to Nav who rolls his eyes and deposits the box into it. Mattie pulls out some tweezers and a thin cylinder, before coming around my side of the table. He twists the cylinder and shines some light into my ear. ¡°Tell me if something feels off.¡±


    ¡°How off is off?¡± I mutter.


    ¡°When it starts to hurt.¡± He slowly pushes the tweezers into my ear, and I can feel is sliding across the inside of my ear, making loud scratching noises against my ear canal. It isn¡¯t long before he withdraws them and places a small object on the table. ¡°And with that, we have our earpiece. Thanks again for all your help today and last week.¡±


    I scratch my ear, still feeling the ghost of the tweezers in there. ¡°No problem. I was glad you guys were around to make me feel- a little more comfortable about my fears.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like that for everyone. You¡¯ll become more comfortable in a stressful environment like that. Practice makes perfect and when you know what to do, you¡¯ll no longer feel threatened. That¡¯s the same story with going out amongst Humans and fighting them. We¡¯ll just make sure not to push you to do something we don¡¯t deem safe ourselves. Leave yourself in our hands if you don¡¯t feel safe to leave yourself in your hands.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been doing just that, not quite dead yet. Not accounting for some attempts to sleight me.¡± I give Nav an accusatory glare and he busies himself with the intricacies of the table.


    Mattie smirks and shrugs. ¡°Probably the worst way things could go. But everyone will be on your side in the case things go wrong in the future. The only time they won¡¯t be is if you are the one who is the initiator in an altercation. I doubt you¡¯d ever harm anyone unless they earned your ire. We¡¯ll work on making the next time you head out a bit more enjoyable.¡±


    I nod. I then stand up and make my way toward the door. Sebastian follows and I turn back to face them. ¡°Bye. Have a good night- Or morning might be more suitable.¡±


    ¡°You too,¡± Mattie responds. Hercules yawns and gives me a farewell wave. I then open the door and step into the corridor, beginning my walk down it.


    As Sebastian and I enter the elevator, he begins to speak. ¡°In the future, you should become more comfortable amongst Humans. For the most case, Humans aren''t intolerant of Demons who enter this plane, just suspicious. As Matthew said; as long as you aren¡¯t the initiator, no harm will come to you. I despise Humans, they are more like sheep than they are inherently evil or good. And if you want to avoid those who wish to do you harm, surround yourself with people who will protect you. Kaiden, Walter and Gabriella will gladly defend you if the case needs it and thus, you need not even worry about those who do wish you harm, because you won¡¯t need to be the one to combat them.¡±


    ¡°And if they get hurt because of me?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t give them much faith. They are more than capable of defending themselves against a few powerless Humans. Maybe they will get hurt, but that is their decision to make, not yours. Regardless of whether you push them away or not, will not stop them from trying to push back. Confining yourself to your room is not making use of the freedom that Lucifer granted you. You have opportunities that you wanted for yourself and got. Make use of them.¡±


    I nod, slowly, agreeing with his statement. I don¡¯t doubt I will feel responsible if things go wrong, but I¡¯ll allow them to feel pride if things go right. I can¡¯t fight against them if they desire that feeling of pride, especially when their desire for that far outweighs my thoughts of responsibility. They can choose to do what they want, I can choose to do what I want. I can argue against their points, but my arguments back lack experience. Their arguments carry experience that I lack due to a sheltered life of torture. Their words should carry more weight because they trust me and they are my friends even though I am a Demon Lord.


    The elevator door opens and I walk out into the corridor, with Sebastian at my side. I use the key to open up the door to the apartment and step inside. I look around the room, there are a few lights on and I can see Kaiden asleep at his desk, like many times I¡¯ve seen him before. But it¡¯s not just him, Walter is asleep on the sofa in the living room, with Gabbie next to him, though she is awake. It seems barely, as her eyes are bloodshot and she can¡¯t contain a yawn as she sees me.


    She stands up and approaches me. I shut the door carefully, so as not to disturb the sleeping duo and then turn to face Gabbie. ¡°Elmira,¡± she states. She can¡¯t seem to hide the delight in her voice at my return as if she expected me to die. ¡°Are you hurt?¡±


    ¡°A bit of smoke inhalation and shock, but otherwise, fine. I¡¯ll get over it,¡± I say. ¡°I expected Kaiden to be here, but you and Walter?¡±


    ¡°Walt and I wanted to make sure you were fine- Kai did too, but they didn¡¯t really make it through. They tried, though.¡± She clears her throat as she ends the statement. ¡°I wanted to ensure you were going to make it back.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d assume she wasn¡¯t skilled enough to defend herself,¡± Sebastian grumbles. ¡°She¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not as if a Human like that could best her.¡±


    ¡°I- Guess that¡¯s what I did expect. It¡¯s kind of what I wanted- and needed to expect. Can I ask you a favor, Elmira?¡±


    ¡°Uh- What can I do for you?¡±


    She clears her throat and looks at the ground. She seems to take a few seconds to think it through. ¡°Can you teach us to fight¡­ Demons- Those Arcanists.¡±


    I look at Sebastian and he shrugs. I look back at her. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because if you¡¯re going to be fighting them, then we are going to be fighting them. And if we¡¯re going to be fighting them, then we better be prepared for what we¡¯re going up against.¡±


    If it¡¯s going to be like last time, I don¡¯t doubt that they will likely die without any sort of preparation, and it¡¯s highly probable it will be like last time. Even then, I was worried they were going to die, but this time, I can¡¯t trust that they will keep beating those odds, thus they need to make preparations of some sort. Her posing this request will solve some of my problems. I exhale. ¡°Yeah, okay, fine.¡±

 Arc 2: Sathanus, Part Ten

    I have very comfortable rest with a few nightmares that come with the use of my powers. Luckily, they don¡¯t seem all too terrifying, but at this point, it¡¯s as if my Father has ceased attempting to figure out what scares me most. He never really been quite a receptive Father. Doubtless, he believes that because I am the Demon Lord of cowardice, he thinks anything can scare me. But he lacks the intuition that I am the same to fear as Lucifer is to pride. If he were as prideful as my Father believed I was cowardly, he wouldn¡¯t have even been able to release me into this plane, because of the inevitable damage it would deal to his pride. My Father has always been so lofty, it must be an unbelievable shock to find things aren¡¯t working out his way.


    I ease my eyes open, tearing at the sleep that glues my eyes together, I rub my eyes and yawn widely and ease myself out of my bed. I stretch my body, causing to issue a chorus of cracks, and my muscles burn from use. It will pass after a little bit of movement. I turn on the light by my bed and give myself a once over. Every time I use my magic, it seems to become a habit, but I find only small signs of changes. Not much, mostly because I won¡¯t likely take a very demonic form. All my brothers, baring Beelzebub himself do have some sort of humanoid look, I just so happen to be born more like a Human than all of them. I only find my fingers becoming lither, and tapering more harshly near the tip. Like everything else, it maintains its usual effectiveness. My tail seems to be the only exception to that rule, but much like my wings that I have in my demonic form, it¡¯s something I need to grow used to.


    I¡¯m happy to have taken only a tail as a demonic feature, I think permanent wings could be a very problematic addition. It¡¯s hard enough to deal with my broken clothes. It is still too soon to say that I will completely avoid the addition of wings.


    I approach the door of my room and open the door, yawning into my hand as I exit. I can smell some food being cooked, a breakfast meal at around 2 pm. Sebastian is cooking in the kitchen, looking a little annoyed. Kaiden is at his table, sipping at a cup of coffee. Unexpectedly, Gabbie and Walter are sitting in the living room, watching TV. I rub my eyes again, confirming that I¡¯m not still half asleep, then I approach them.


    ¡°Mornin¡¯,¡± Walter greets me. ¡°Or should I say afternoon? Sleep well?¡±


    ¡°Fine-¡± I croak. I clear my throat. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I repeat, this time with a clear voice. ¡°I thought you were meant to be at school.¡±


    ¡°We were, but we all went to sleep way too late to deal with schoolwork. Way better to sleep in a bed than to sleep on a desk.¡± Walter leans back against the couch, using his hands to cushion his head. ¡°And considering we¡¯re all around, maybe we can work on what Gabbie mentioned to you.¡±


    Sebastian approaches with his arms filled with food. He hands me a plate before placing plates in front of the others, with a distasteful look on his face. ¡°I think you need to use those things you call brains first. Learn the situations you can take advantage of before attempting to take advantage of situations you don¡¯t know are advantageous to you.¡±


    ¡°And what are those exactly?¡± Gabbie asks, pulling her utensils from the mess of her breakfast-lunch.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t beat them, you run until you can. You don¡¯t fight them alone, and you don¡¯t fight them until they get an advantage over you. They are stronger and have more experience than you. They will recognize an opportunity before you and you will provide them with fortunes of them. So, you don¡¯t fight them alone and you also don¡¯t fight them face to face. You set traps and lure them to their deaths. Prey on their weaknesses and destroy them.¡±


    ¡°How would we do that?¡± Walter asks, a piece of egg halfway to his mouth.


    ¡°Find what prevents them from utilizing all their power. If they can use fire magic, lure them near water, wind magic, utilize small areas. They are easily identifiable, and if you don¡¯t know, none of them care enough to hide all their abilities. Infuriate them, force them to chase and instead of making an advantage in direct combat, make a situational advantage.¡±


    ¡°And what about people like Lucifer?¡± Gabbie queries.


    Sebastian snorts. ¡°I hope you have good running shoes. Because you¡¯re going to run as far in the opposite direction as you can and hope they don¡¯t take pot shots at you as you¡¯re running. I don¡¯t doubt that with training, you can beat a few Arcanists, but none of your powers are even in the same realm as a Demon Lord. I wouldn¡¯t mind if a few of you committed suicide, however, I¡¯m not sure Elmira would appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°But we want to be able to combat them too.¡±


    ¡°I understand your desire to fight Arcanists,¡± I say. I sit down on the sofa and place the plate on the coffee table. ¡°But I think you can manage against Arcanists. I don¡¯t think you can manage against my brothers. You don¡¯t have the protection to manage against them and any of them will laugh off sword attacks and don¡¯t even think you can get near them to turn them to diamond, Walter. You¡¯d all be evaporated. Recognize where to draw the line and leave it to those who you know are stronger than you. None of you are particularly strong Vigors and there¡¯s only so much knowledge can do to prepare you for something. There¡¯s absolutely no preparation you all can have to fight a tornado besides staying away from it. No way you can prepare for an inferno that can turn steel to a liquid. If you need to be prepared for an Arcanist, you¡¯re falling far too short to consider taking on my brothers.¡±


    ¡°Learn your own mortality, or face the idea of it being cut incredibly short,¡± Sebastian concludes. ¡°You can only fight Arcanists. For the sake of yourself and Lady Elmira, don¡¯t overstep your boundaries. Even for mortals, being able to fight off an Arcanist is an incredibly impressive feat, but fighting off a demon lord is likely only a feat that can be performed by those who head this stupid organization.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of mortality,¡± Kaiden says, surprising everyone from his place in the room. He either usually doesn¡¯t talk or keeps his focus on his work. This means he¡¯s been paying attention and at the same time is willing to talk amongst others, something that again he doesn¡¯t much like. ¡°Does that mean all Demons are immortals?¡±


    ¡°All of them- However some can get sick, diseased or be slain by a blade or abilities. The stronger the are, the less likely all of that will happen. For example, Elmira can¡¯t get sick, she can¡¯t get diseased and she has a faster healing rate than most. She can have harsh injuries that are left on her by her Father or brothers, but eventually, because she won¡¯t die naturally, they also will heal. Most of all, because inevitably she will stand on the same rung as her brothers, she won¡¯t easily be slain by a sword or ability. What¡¯s more, since the birth of my Father, there hasn¡¯t been a single death of a Demon Lord. My Father is well over eight thousand years old,¡± Sebastian explains.


    ¡°Whoa, whoa. And your Father is?¡± Gabbie asks.


    ¡°I feel like this is one of the things that has been mentioned. There are only two people that could be Sebastian¡¯s Father. Lucifer or Beelzebub. Sebastian¡¯s Father is Beelzebub. Something I don¡¯t doubt I¡¯ve mentioned is that Beelzebub, my oldest brother is by far the most powerful. He doesn¡¯t need a weapon like Valor or Hubris to be strong. If there was any threat to my Father, he¡¯s the one who would scare him,¡± I explain.


    ¡°Ah, but Satan isn¡¯t some pushover. My Father might be strong and he might be the only one to scare him. But that doesn¡¯t mean he holds enough strength to replace him on the throne of the Demonic Plane,¡± Sebastian adds. ¡°In spite of that, I don¡¯t doubt we¡¯re just talking trivial details here. He¡¯s more of a problem to us than he is to your Father. And even if he is a threat, Belphegor will come first. Satan has no ambition to send out his greatest weapon so soon. Even Belphegor will come before him, and we both know how lazy he is.¡±


    I nod in agreement with his deliberation. It seems like my Father will make a very simple error, and that is slowly slipping out my brothers instead of sending them all out. That will have a higher chance of success in my capture. I suspect that either he doesn¡¯t deem Humans as a threat or he does and he doesn¡¯t wish to show his whole hand.


    ¡°To sum up the whole situation right now. Satan will throw all he can at us until he can¡¯t throw anything more. Then maybe he¡¯ll join the fray. If that happens, then you¡¯ll have a better chance of surviving if you place your face against the surface of the sun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing no-one really has faith in Humans prevailing,¡± Walter mutters.


    ¡°When have you prevailed to those outside your world? When you¡¯re considering doomsday scenarios, you¡¯re expecting to lose against something. Be it your own mortality, your world or what¡¯s outside this rock. We¡¯re immortal and nothing threatens us. We¡¯re the apex, you¡¯re the prey.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not like we¡¯ve had any sort of track record with fighting with Demons.¡±


    ¡°Regardless of whether you have a record or not. If you were a threat, then the concept of a doomsday scenario spawning from the idea of Demons invading your world wouldn¡¯t exist.¡±


    ¡°Alright, so Humans suck, Demons rule. Kinda getting the point, so we need to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen, so how about we just forget about that stuff and we get outside and learn to fight Arcanists?¡± Gabbie declares.


    ¡°Now?¡± I ask, having barely touched my food.


    ¡°When else?¡±


    I shrug. It¡¯s not like I have anything better to do, though I figured I¡¯d spend at least some time with my feet up after the issues from the morning, but then again, I¡¯m not someone who knows exactly what to do with my free time. ¡°I guess after we finish our food,¡± I mutter.


    They then wolf their food down as if I¡¯m about to run away without teaching them how to fight, I, however, take my time and savor the meal. I appreciate their excitement, but I don¡¯t quite appreciate how much work I¡¯m going to be faced with in the future. If it means preserving their life, though, enthusiasm is better than apatheism. I then make sure to take Sebastian aside. ¡°So how should I challenge them. I figure I should make sure to take on my demonic form and but I don¡¯t exactly know the strategy I should take.¡±


    ¡°First, you don¡¯t work as a team. Rewards are given based on merit, the only time one might take part in another¡¯s fight is to take what is theirs, either killing them for the credit or to take the credit of the kill by killing the prey themselves. We work solo, we walk solo, and if there¡¯s a case where one of us is losing, we allow the other to lose. The only time one might work together is if both are in the situation of dying, much like we fought the Arcanists and Masters when he was here.¡±


    ¡°And Valor?¡±


    ¡°Valor is the gap between the strength of an Arcanist and the strength of a Lord. One can¡¯t expect them to beat you while you¡¯re wielding that weapon, maybe at a later date, if they are so bent on fighting Lords, you can teach them the absurdity of that thought.¡±


    ¡°I hardly compare to them.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s not as if any Human has actually fought against a Lord wielding their weapon. The others told me you lost against a team called Team Expedition. Tell me, if you had Valor then, could you have beaten them alone?¡±


    I give him a short, yet confident nod. ¡°I¡¯m fairly certain.¡±


    ¡°And they beat your team with ease. Your answer is clear.¡±


    ¡°Right. I guess I should change so I don¡¯t ruin more of my clothes.¡±


    ¡°I think that would be wise.¡±


    I return to my room, to sort through my clothes. Thankfully, none of the damage clothes were thrown out, it makes things easier for me to pick out some clothes for the sake of transformation. I am starting to consider that I might have to talk to someone about making clothes for my demonic form, though. Better to have the wing holes made than to suffer through them tearing through the cloth over and over again.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I decide to pick the clothes that I fought team Expedition with, I feel they are better off than the rags that I fought the invasion in and it¡¯s sort of appropriate for going to the training area in. I wore this last time I went there, so why not again?


    So, I rejoin them wearing my damaged clothing. Gabbie now has a small bag slung over her shoulder, holding maybe a weapon for her to use. Everyone excepting Sebastian give me a look of protest. I know they think I should be wearing something more flattering, or at least something that isn¡¯t torn to pieces, but I roll my eyes. ¡°I would be wearing something else if that something else was suited for my demonic form,¡± I grumble. ¡°If you¡¯re going to complain about fashion here, then I¡¯ll stay in my room for the day.¡±


    Walter shrugs and Gabbie looks at him, for a moment I swear her eyes are sparkling, but he grimaces and shakes his head. They seem to be on the same vein of thinking, but not willing to share it with Sebastian, Kaiden, and I. It usually doesn¡¯t matter, I¡¯ve long since given up trying to join their wavelength. They¡¯ve been together for a while and I¡¯ve only joined them fairly recently, only time will tell if I learn how they wordlessly communicate.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± Gabbie announces. Kaiden quickly breaks off from us before we leave and he picks up a heavy case and slings over his shoulder before rejoining us. Then Gabbie leads the way to the door with a slight skip in her step, enough for her to draw a cold smile from Sebastian. It¡¯s very much clear that he¡¯s going to appreciate being to hurt them at least a little bit. I give him a look of displeasure.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t hurt them¡­ Much,¡± he offers. It¡¯s that last word that has me concerned. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d be ecstatic to cause some breaks. Especially considering there¡¯s someone like Diane in the tower to heal those breaks. I think at this point I¡¯m more worried about what he will do than I will do.


    We end up in the elevator down to the main hall and Kaiden leans against the wall, right up next to me. He clears his throat. ¡°Mattie came in earlier today, he came to check on you, but you were still sleeping. Anyway, he wanted to put forward an invitation for us to come to a picnic in a few weeks.¡±


    ¡°A what?¡±


    ¡°Picnic: blanket, basket, food under the sun?¡±


    ¡°What an odd affair.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. Sun and baskets are very odd.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a combination of those four things that is odd. I am unsure of what one would do with it all.¡±


    ¡°I think it would be best for you to wait and see.¡±


    ¡°As always.¡± The elevator slides open and we¡¯re out into the main hall. No longer am I an odd sight in the building, I might be to new members, but there are more people who know me than don¡¯t. Many of whom don¡¯t have any intent to talk with me. I am pretty sure that it¡¯s partly with the assistance of Tagert and Oracle that I don¡¯t turn as many heads, and it¡¯s nice not being the center of attention all the time.


    We make our way through the hall and outside the cafeteria into the heavily wooded area. It feels a little cold out today, but there¡¯s no clouds in the sky, nor any indication that it might rain. Hopefully, it stays that way, the weather can change very suddenly so I won¡¯t put any faith in it.


    We arrive in the training area and Kaiden places the case on the ground and he undoes some straps before opening it up. Inside are a massive array of robots, many of which are the ones that he used in the demon invasion, while there are also some new ones. Spider-like robots with many legs and a few exposed prongs on different parts of its body.


    Sebastian clears his throat. ¡°When you are ready, enter the area. We¡¯re hunting you, not the other way around. For us, beating you means fame and fortune. Your goal is survival and engaging us does not guarantee that.¡± Sebastian opens his wings and he streaks into the sky and I sigh and enter my demonic form. I open my wings and prepare to take off but Kaiden grabs my wrist.


    ¡°You can destroy any of the robots, I can replace them easily. So don¡¯t worry,¡± He mutters.


    ¡°I think Sebastian would do that regardless. And, Walter, should we assume that you¡¯ll turn us to unmoving diamond or graphite if you grab hold of us?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Assume that I obviously won¡¯t do that, but you should probably assume I will try.¡±


    I nod then open my wings and use them to take to the air, for the first time since the invasion. It isn¡¯t long before I rejoin Sebastian. I clear my throat. ¡°Walter won¡¯t turn us to graphite or diamond, so we have to assume that he would, regardless of the fact he won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So don¡¯t touch him. Should be simple enough. Granted, I¡¯m tempted just to continue as normal and show him what he gets for giving us such a handicap.¡±


    ¡°And if he actually uses his abilities?¡±


    ¡°Then you don¡¯t know them. If you or I decided to rejoin the armies of the Demon Plane, then would he use his abilities against someone who he considered a friend? For someone who champions the fact that they may be more Human than Demon, that is very similar to the way other Demons might think.¡± He seems bored while saying this, but he usually is very passive, unless he is speaking to Humans. ¡°All Demons consider every weapon something that will be utilized. Humans consider emotions tied to the usage of these weapons. One should know the differences between each race.¡±


    I exhale loudly and look at the three conversing seriously below. They seem to be gesturing at a few spots in the grounds, though I can¡¯t hear them. ¡°What would you usually do when hunting?¡±


    ¡°Hunting? To us, it¡¯s a game. You aren¡¯t seen, you aren¡¯t expected, you aren¡¯t wanted. You have the element of surprise and you beat them thoroughly and remove them completely of pride and faculties. That is what must be done with all prey. The more you break your prey, the easier it is both to beat them, and to learn that which they hide.¡±


    ¡°Sounds excessive.¡±


    ¡°If something is scared of you, its will to fight back is decreased and its desire to run is increased. It¡¯s called the fight or flight response. You would do well to learn of it. You aren¡¯t some child of Sathanus, you should have no desire to outright fight anyone. And you aren¡¯t a child of Lucifer so you won¡¯t feel inclined to fight evenly.¡±


    ¡°That actually sounds kinda offensive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the smart way to fight. You don¡¯t fight with a handicap if possible, especially if the enemy is trying to kill you. But whether you want to hunt and terrify or just to get the job done is your decision.¡±


    I sigh to myself. He¡¯s right, but the way he puts it does seem harsh. It doesn¡¯t seem right to scare them. Then again, I can see the advantages. The skill of ambushing or stalking someone does give numerous advantages, but it does seem far too aggressive and excessively animalistic. I peer down at Walt, Kai, and Gabbie and the three of them walk slowly into the training area. Though it isn¡¯t without some prior caution. Soon after they have entered, a few robots crawl or fly out of the box, following the three of them into the training area.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you can do it the way you want to. Though you might find the information useful at some point.¡± He then descends into the training area before entering a building through a hole in the roof. I spend a few moments mulling over what he said, intending to wait until he sufficiently settled in before I go down myself. I find it curious, I am cowardly, yet I have no ambition to take any advantage I can take, I am fearful of my enemies, yet I will take a handicap because I don¡¯t feel like it would be right to taunt and stalk my enemies. It seems like a very odd contrast to have these feelings, but at the same time, I can¡¯t consider them as being completely contrary to my true nature. It seems I am at an impasse, but I will have to consider why at a later date. The story of my life, really.


    I descend from the sky and land in the middle of a street, choosing a more obvious landing location. I then stoop as I walk into one of the buildings. The building is no better than the other buildings in this place, though at least it isn''t sinking underground. Much of it seems to be covered with a fine dusting of dirt, with overturned sofas and a coffee table crammed into a corner. There¡¯s a television that¡¯s hanging from the wall by thin wires attaching it to the wall. There''s a wooden counter, with a sign on the ground in front of it. I approach the sign and bend down to retrieve it only to get startled by a loud buzzing. I stand back up and spot a robot, one of the electronic robots that Kaiden owns. I wave a hand and flames engulf it for a period of time or at least long enough for it to tumble out of the air and land in the dirt.


    I approach the incinerated robot and step on it, causing it to crunch beneath my foot, and continue deeper into the building. I walk down a short corridor that ends in what seems to be a small cafeteria, with a fridge and surprisingly well-preserved tables and chairs. I then grab a chair and wrench free a back leg, before ensuring that the backrest remains behind. The metal leg and portion of the backrest should be sufficient enough to substitute as a weapon for if Walt gets too close.


    There¡¯s another loud buzzing noise approaching and I turn around to see two robots come down the corridor. I immediately strike at them with my new weapon, whipping them out of the air with ease. But their arrival means that Kai knows where I am, which means that he¡¯s probably relayed it to the others.


    The room shakes as if hit by an earthquake. I look around, cautiously and watch one of the walls turn gray as if someone is draining all the color from it. The entire side of the wall seems to be sinking as the color changes and pieces fall from it as if they were minuscule pebbles from a rock. I then take a few simple step back as I wait for Walt to enter through the vulnerability in the wall. And so he does, with his body covered in diamond and a confident look on his face. He reaches out to grab me but I blind him with a simple flash of light. I drop my hand to where his chest is and then intensify the light, sending him back the way he came. I then follow him, stooping beneath the crippled wall as I exit the building.


    ¡°Fuck, my eyes! I can¡¯t see!¡± Walt yells while rolling on the ground. I didn¡¯t exactly use an incredibly intense burst of light, so he should be mostly fine, so he¡¯s either trying to trick me or he¡¯s trying to get sympathy. And maybe he¡¯s eliciting a little bit of sympathy, but I¡¯m supposed to at least act heartless.


    I feel a very harsh shock run up my right leg and it feels like my muscles have turned to jelly. I almost fall forward and Walter shoots up and bolts toward me once more. I quickly look at the ground to see a few robotic spiders on the ground, three of them in total. I can¡¯t move easily without collecting them as I walk. I instantly respond in the same way Gail responded, but with better effectiveness. Fire explodes around me, scorching the stone around me and engulfing the spider-like robots walking across it. Walter also gets caught in it, but I doubt it will affect him greatly.


    My assessment is correct and he reappears unharmed and still coming ever closer, in fact, he is nearly close enough to grasp me. I then flick my foot up causing a heavy burst of light to expand in a crescent pattern toward his shin. He responds by attempting to jump over it, but with his momentum, he only trips anyway, tumbling through the air toward me. I then sweep my improvised weapon from right to left, catching him in the jaw and spilling him out across the ground. He ends up in a heap next to a curb and he doesn¡¯t seem unphased now. He seems a little bleary eyed and confused, leading me to believe that I might have given his brain a good few shakes.


    I open my wings and ascend into the air, rising to the point where I become completely untouchable for Walter. He slowly lifts himself off the ground, getting shakily to his feet and I look around to see if there are any flying robots approaching me. I have no doubts that I will hear them if they do. I then return my sight to Walt who is looking bitterly up at me. ¡°Get down from there!¡± He yells.


    I see a familiar shape exit a building behind him. It¡¯s Sebastian, carrying Gabbie. Her arms and legs are trapped in shadowy bonds. Walter then spins around, immediately looking where I look. Sebastian flicks his hand through the air and Walter shrieks as he¡¯s blinded once again as his hand engulfs itself in an aggressive light. Walter¡¯s shadow stretches across the ground and from it, masses of shadows fire out, immediately wrapping tightly around him and pulling him hard to the ground. It¡¯s easy to see how Sebastian is better suited to deal with Walter. But at the same time, he also acted in the same way that other Demons would, stealing my kill.


    Sebastian looks up at me and smirks. I then descend to the ground near Walter, yet not close enough for him to grab ahold of me if he breaks free of the shadows. ¡°Was I not supposed to do that?¡±


    ¡°Well, you weren¡¯t supposed to just allow me to beat him, but using the advantage of flight against someone who can¡¯t touch you is the right choice. They are just going to have to learn to fight against enemies that can fly.¡± Sebastian clears his throat and then lowers Gabbie toward the ground. She groans and though there¡¯s no clear harm to her, it¡¯s very likely she¡¯s bruised heavily and hopefully, there are no broken bones. ¡°The only one left is Kaiden, but if he¡¯s doing his job right, he¡¯s hiding, so our success comes where we¡¯ve disabled his teammates. I don¡¯t exactly feel like searching every nook and cranny for a single Human and I doubt other demons would give a damn, excepting a really pissed off son of Sathanus.¡±


    I scratch my head, that was far faster and simpler than I anticipated. They definitely lack some skills that they need. ¡°They didn¡¯t stick together and run,¡± I mutter.


    ¡°Indeed, they did not,¡± Sebastian agrees. ¡°I¡¯ll explain when Kaiden arrives, until then, you two can suffer from your bruises.¡± The shadows evaporate around Walt and Gabbie and they both sit up. Gabbie seems more hurt than Walt, but he does seem a bit dazed. It seems he¡¯s quite sensitive to strikes to the head, even while covered in diamond. Gabbie rubs her wrists, where she was bound tight and she doesn¡¯t look happy at all, disappointment showing on her face.


    Kaiden arrives shortly, panting with his heavy case over his shoulder. He trips over a rock but doesn¡¯t go down, only stumbling a moment before coming to a stop next to us. ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± he gasps. He¡¯s breathing quite heavily, showing that he might be unfit.


    Sebastian crosses his arms and clears his throat. ¡°The easiest thing to mention is that the second you entered, you split up, expecting that you could beat us alone. You were wrong. Beating you was simplicity in itself. I¡¯ve seen normal mortals that cause more issues for me. You didn¡¯t use the options you had to prevent us from using a form of magic. You could have kept me outside and kept Elmira inside. You would have decreased the places we can all use magic from. You also went into a fight against us with no strategy. We were actively competing against each other and it seems like you were too. I hope for all your sakes, you improve. Elmira, anything to add?¡±


    ¡°Walter should wear a helmet.¡±


    ¡°A what?¡± He gasps.


    ¡°You¡¯re not turning your brain to diamond, so you should wear a helmet. Otherwise, I¡¯ll knock you unconscious and give you a concussion. You also need a way to take both of us out of the sky while Kaiden needs quieter robots.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m disappointed. And that¡¯s even outweighing the disappointment I was expecting to feel because you were Humans. Kaiden, just because your power doesn¡¯t involve being in the face of enemies, doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t need to be able to run! You also spent more time going after me than I assume Elmira, which showed blatant favoritism- To an enemy. I hope you¡¯re all listening because I¡¯m unsure the next Arcanist you fight will be so kind.¡±


    The three of them have frowns glued to their faces Kaiden is looking at his feet and Gabbie is rubbing her injuries. I toss my improvised weapon to the ground signifying the end of our exercise.