A Devil?

As I opened my eyes, all I could see was a bright light and a figure looming above me. Behind them was a group of people who I couldn't quite make out.

"Is he going to be okay?" One of the people behind him asked. Have I heard this voice before?

"He should be fine; it was just a head wound. I was told he was a Devil but I don't see any of the regular signs, so I've omitted it from my report. Does he have any conditions that could cause him to faint like that?" The man asked, shining what seemed to be a… flashlight?

"He really is a Devil! I saw his ho-" A woman exclaimed, before being interrupted by another man.

"Now, now, honey. We can all see him just fine and he has no horns, tail, or anything. His hair isn't even black, it's blonde. I'm sorry doctor, she's a bit shaken up. To answer your question, we don't know him personally. He was staying in one of our rooms upstairs, but that was just a one-night deal." He said with a calm voice, trying to deescalate the situation.

"I see… Well had I known he wasn't actually a Devil I may not have come, so please refrain from making assumptions like that." The man sighed, shaking his head. "I'll need a few minutes alone with the patient if you don't mind."

With that, the group nodded and went up the stairs. As soon as they got to the top of the stairs, a door could be heard shutting, with quiet murmurs behind it. Was my hearing always this good?

"Come on, I know you're awake." The man grumbled, nudging me.

"I uh… Yeah, I was. Who are you? where am I?" I asked, sitting up in the bed.

"I'm John, a friend of Gabriel's. When I heard word that a Devil was sighted, I rushed straight over. You're lucky it was me, or you'd probably already be hanging in the courtyard." He answered, pulling his gloves off and shaking his head.

"Huh, that explains it… But what do you mean, a Devil?" I mentioned, confused as to why I kept hearing this title.

"Gabriel didn't explain that? Good grief, that man… Anyway, to put it simply, you're a Devil. A Devil is, in this world anyway, a human who's full of malicious intent. In your case, you don't show any signs of it, even though you were a major blip on the radar back on your own Earth. Except for yesterday, of course. What was that about, by the way? We've been bustling around trying to find an explanation but all we can think of is that you're simply that kind of person." He asked sternly as if it was a matter of great urgency.

"Well, to be honest, I don't know… I was confronted, and after being attacked all I could hear were these voices in my head telling me to do things to him. Break his arms, take his fingers, real twisted stuff. At some point, everything went red, and when I came to, I ran upstairs. When I got up there, I saw the horns, and fainted." I answered shakily, looking down at my hands.

"That's… abnormal. Usually, the horns stay, as well as all the other features. If I had to guess, this has to do with Gabriel giving you the first level to your power. As I'm sure you noticed, it enhances reflexes, but at a cost. For normal Devils who unlocked it through training, they have no trouble controlling their urges. You however don't have any experience with these urges, so I would suggest you refrain from using the power until you've gotten control of these voices, as you called them." The man explained, standing up and walking across the room. He picked up something resembling a blade and handed it to me.

"What's this?" I asked, puzzled. After taking a closer look, it was clear to me that what I was holding was indeed a knife. It seemed rather modern, with a rubber handle and serrated blade.

"That's your new weapon. In this world, things are far looser when it comes to violent encounters. Had that man actually managed to get a hold of you, he surely would have killed you. Wouldn't have been in trouble either." The man answered, ruffling through his pockets. "Here, take these." He handed me a set of dirty keys with the number 1023 printed on a tag attached to them. "They're the keys to your house. I snagged them off the other Jake."

Keys to my house...? Why are there so many keys…? Before I could ask the man about them, he too disappeared, similar to Gabriel. Honestly, what a piece of work.

After getting my clothes changed and putting the knife in the waistband of my pants, I was ready to leave. Unfortunately, I had a suspicion the family from earlier was still above me, which I can already tell will not be a pleasant experience.

As I ascend up the stairs, I realize that the building I'm in now was far more modern than the one I woke up in the day before. The walls were bricks with white paint on them, resembling the walls of a school, or maybe a hospital. However, when I entered the door at the top, the building was back to a grimy texture. Seems as though the basement had been tricked out; likely government-owned.

Sitting on the couch was the family, all huddled together murmuring. The mother took a quick glance at me and frantically looked away, while the father let out a deep sigh and stood up. The girl from before was looking down at her hands, as though she were being scolded.

"Hi, my name's Nathan Sully. This is my wife Sarah Sully, and my daughter Samantha. We're sorry for the inconvenience from before, and I apologize for my wife's accusations. Lately, the Devils have been getting out of hand and I think that just spooked her." He smiled, extending his hand. After shaking it, I realized the man had a similar aura to his daughter.

"It's nothing, I should be apologizing for the damages. I could have handled the situation better. If there is anything I can do to pay the damages, please allow me." I responded, lowering my head.

"It's nothing, those tables are cheap anyway. But tell you what, if you want, we could use you around the shop. You see, we get harassed rather viciously for money by the gang in the area, and to be honest I'm ashamed to admit there isn't much I can do about them. You however seem to be adept at defending yourself. I'm sorry if this is too much to ask, but they have a reputation of going further than I can speak of in public when they don't get their money." The man whispered to me, obviously hoping I accepted.

Further, then he can say in public? What could he mean by that? The man from before said that crimes here aren't treated harshly, so I assume this could very well extend to kidnapping and murder. Either way, I don't see how it concerns me. I guess I do owe him though, but I'm not sure if I can keep those urges away if I get into another fight… I should tell them upfront, that's the only way. This could be a good chance to learn the area, but if they see me that way again it's all over.

"That's definitely something I can do, sir. But I do need to disclose some information with you and your family before I carry on with the job." I responded. "Please, bring them over."

He waved for his wife and daughter, and both of them slowly stood up and made their way over.

"Look, this is going to sound… Scary. Ma'am, yesterday what you saw was a Devil. It was me, and I admit to that. I acknowledge the risk of telling you this, but I owe you the truth." She gasped and grabbed her husbands' arm, whose face quickly changed to that of surprise. "However, I also am not what would seem to be called a normal Devil. Despite having the features, I've been told that I lack the malicious intent to actually become a Devil."

The mans' face slowly changed to that of confusion, and it was clear he didn't know how to comprehend what he was hearing. Sarah was still just as scared, but Samantha seemed to be unphased.

"So…" Samantha spoke up, finally taking her eyes off the floor. "You're not a Devil…?" She asked quietly, as her mom turned to her, staring daggers.

"Well, it would seem that it's more complicated than that, but I suppose I'm not what people would consider a real Devil," I answered, realizing now that this was a terrible idea.

After letting out a deep sigh, Nathan collected himself and stuck his hand out. "Then I suppose we have a deal then, Jake."

"But Nathan!" Sarah protested frantically.

"Honey, I realize how you feel, and I will take full responsibility. However, what this boy did yesterday in the bar was something nobody has had the guts to do for years. I know it's risky, but with Samantha still being in school I can't afford to have her taken by some spiteful gang." He replied calmly, holding Sarah's hand.

Taken by a gang? Surely that couldn't be allowed… I mean she's only 15 or 16, I can't imagine the government would allow it to get that far.

"Thank you, sir, I won't let you down. Though I have to ask, why are you so open to this? I've been told I could be strung up for simply looking like a Devil." I questioned, confused as to why a stranger would take such a risk.

"Well Jake, to be truthful with you, most of us are on the verge of being strung up by the gang anyway. You seem to have the guts to fight back against that. No matter how I look at it, you're our best bet. I lack the strength to protect my family from something so big, yet you seemed to confront that thing with confidence." He said, smiling.

I probably shouldn't tell him that confidence was the power, that'd kind of ruin my credibility huh?

"I see… Well, I'll do my best, sir. Before I start though, can you tell me where this address is?" I hand him my keys, hoping the numbers on the tag signified an address.

"These keys… You're a Thompson? THE Thompson's? How do you not know where this is?" He sputtered frantically, handing me the keys. "They live on top of the hill directly across from our store. I can show you the way when we get back if you'd like."

"It's okay, I can make my way there myself." I declined, putting the keys back in my pocket. What did he mean, the Thompson's? My family's never been known for their wealth or prestige, I can't imagine it'd be different here.

"I see… Well, we have to go then, if you need anything you know where to find it." The man stated as he turned around and gathered his family. "And Jake? Be careful when you get there. The route there is crawling with gangs and Devils."

Devils? I thought they were rare? Before I could question the man, he and his family were already out the door. Honestly, what's with these people and leaving before I can ask questions?