Demon, Part 6

"So what did you call us here for?" Jamie asks.

"Any news on your promotion?" Grover laughs, which then evolves into crying.

"Maybe Luis knows where Mikey is," Austin snorts as he rolls his eyes. Mikey has been MIA ever since we got home after Nick's death. Literally, none of us have seen him since.

"Guys…" I begin to say as I look back and forth between my friends. Between Grover, and Jamie, and Austin, and then finally…Ella. The five of us are huddled in the kitchen, like when Nick would call for us. Like with our first mission. Except this time… I'm the one with the news.

"I am a half demon."

Everyone is silent.

Maybe…this didn't hear me? Or maybe they just don't understand me. They're all probably sitting there thinking; "half demon? What the Hell is that?" Because that's what I was thinking when Daniel first told me about half demons.

"I'm a half demon," I repeat. "My mom is a human and my dad is a demon. I'm sorry, I didn't tell you guys any sooner."

Still more silence. They must hate me. That must be why they're not answering.

But then…Grover bursts out laughing, breaking the silence.

Jamie starts laughing as well. Austin sheepishly rubs the back of his neck and smiles, and even Ella begins to giggle a little bit to herself.

"What, what's so funny?" I cry as my face flushes red.

"It's just…" Grover stammers, still in the midst of his fit of laughter. "It all makes so much sense now!"

My eyes widen. "Yeah, I…guess it does!" I reply.

"I'm sure you realized it, but I knew something about your story didn't add up when Daniel kidnapped you," Austin says.

"Yeah, and when we saw you fighting Mikey! Your look could only be described as…demonic," Jamie adds.

"That also explains why the Chairman sent Assassins after you! I knew you were innocent!" Grover chimes in.

"Or why the Cards of the King kidnapped you."

"Or why you didn't want us to watch your fight with August."

"Or why Nick always trained you."

"Or why Mikey calls you "damn demon"."

Ok…I guess me being a half demon makes a lot more sense than I thought it would…

"But Luis, why did you think that you couldn't tell us this?" Ella asks as she walks up to me, and takes my hands.

"I was scared…that you guys would hate me…" I sob. "Just look at Mikey. Just look at the Chairman. Look at how much good me being a half demon has brought to any of us. I didn't just put myself in danger….you guys too, with Daniel, with War, with the Cards of the King, with the Assassins, with August, time and time again, you guys just keep getting wrapped up in my half demon shit."

"It doesn't matter to any of us who, or what, any of us are," Ella replies with a sweet smile. "We'll still support each other, no matter what. Why does you being a half demon change anything?"

I turn away from Ella. What I'm about to say now…I don't have the strength to say while facing someone in the eyes. Especially not her.

"Because I'm the one who killed Nick."

"Don't blame yourself for Nick's death," Ella replies with that same comforting smile. "He'd be rolling in his grave after dying to protect you, just to hear that."

"No," I interrupt. "I killed Nick. I drove my katana straight through his chest and killed him."

Ella's eye widens as she lets go of me and stumbles a few steps backwards, falling to her butt.

"What do you mean, you killed Nick?!" Austin asks, his voice steadily getting louder.

"Part of the reason that I didn't tell you guys about me being a half demon, is because I don't have control of my body when I enter my half demon form. Especially when I'm overly emotional," I explain. "So…in a fit of rage when I saw Ace attempt to kill Nick from behind, I must have stabbed my katana through Nick in order to get to Ace."

The others are speechless.

Slowly, Ella stands up and makes her way over to me, wrapping her arms around me. My eyes widen, before slanting again due to anger and anguish seconds after.

"GET OFF OF ME, YOU HATE ME!" I roar as I knock Ella away, sending her flying to the ground.

"Ella!" Jamie cries as she rushes over to Ella's side, consoling her.

But again, Ella stands up and makes her way over to me.

"Why would I hate you, Luis?" She asks. "You didn't mean to do it."

"Whether or not I killed Nick doesn't matter!" I cry. "It's like…leaving your door open and the family dog runs out and gets hit by a car. I still killed him! It's still my fault!

"So you killed Nick?" Austin asks.

"Yeah…" I whimper, tears streaming out of my eyes as I turn to face Austin, who's eyes have glossed over as Austin makes his way over to me. Austin then punches me in the face without another word, sending me crashing to the ground.

"Austin!" Ella cries as she flinches to butt in, but Ella is interrupted when Jamie grabs her, stopping Ella from taking a step forwards.

"Austin isn't going to do anything, I promise," Jamie whimpers.

Austin then places a knee on my chest, pinning me. Austin then constructs a shotgun out of his glowing orange Cursed Power and places it to my forehead.

"Mikey already tried this. I let him that time, but he didn't have the strength to. But now…I found my resolve. Nick sacrificed himself for me, so I won't let this life go to waste," I say, glaring Austin in the eyes. Austin glares back, his finger trembling over the trigger finger.

And then…Austin pulls the trigger.

Bang!

But the bullet…missed?

I peer to the floor beside me, seeing the hole that Austin had shot through it.

"I wish I could hate you, but I can't. Your pet dog analogy really got me," Austin begins to say with a sarcastic chuckle. "So what's the deal? How do you plan to repent for Nick's death?" Austin asks.

"If it were up to me…then I already would have killed myself, or have run far, far away by now," I begin to say. "King…Daniel…the Chairman…you guys are always getting hurt due to the amount of people after this body," I continue as I wave my hands up and down my frame. "I tried to become strong, strong enough to protect everybody, but…that didn't work. And now…Nick's dead. As I am now …I can't protect anyone. I can only hurt others and cause the people I love to get hurt, while masking it as protection. The only way I can protect everyone now is if I put some distance between us…"

"So…you're leaving…?" Ella meekly asks.

"Yes," I answer. "But unfortunately…my decisions aren't up to me anymore. In his final words…Nick told me to live and to use my half-demon strength to protect everyone. So…that's what I'm gonna do. I'm going to leave town for a while. But not to run away like I want to do, but rather, to go train like Nick wants me to do. I met my dad today for the first time in twelve years. My demon dad. He's going to teach me how to control my demon powers. I swear, on the honor of Nick, that you guys won't see or hear from me ever again until I have a thousand percent control over my demon powers," I answer. "Whether it takes months, years, or decades, I swear."

Austin nods. He allows his Cursed Power shotgun to fizzle out, before standing off my chest. With a smirk, Austin extends a hand out to me. With a smirk back, I take it, and Austin helps me to stand up.

"I'm going to be seriously pissed off if I see you again before you can control your demon powers," Austin smirks.

"Hey, Luis," Grover pipes up, causing me to turn and face him.

"Yeah," I ask.

"Sorry," Grover apologizes. "I didn't know what you were going through, and I wasn't being a supportive friend. Sorry for this, too-"

Grover then teleports in front of me, roundhouse kicking me in the gut. With a grunt of pain, I drop to the ground, clutching my stomach.

"But I deserve this too!" Grover booms, and sensing what he is getting at, I stand up and smirk.

"Are you sure you want this smoke?" I ask.

"Hit me!" Grover answers.

"Arlight!" I roar as I charge Grover. Once in front of him, I launch my fist towards Grover, punching him straight in the nose, as Grover crumbles to the ground. Grover peers up at me as I stare down at him. And…the two of us begin laughing.

"By the next time you see me again, I'll be stronger than you could ever dream of, Mr. Future Chairman," I smirk as I help Grover to his feet.

"Yeah, you wish!" Grover laughs.

"We're not just going to sit here twiddling our thumbs! We're going to get stronger too!" Jamie chimes in. "We'll all be promoted too, by the time you come back!"

"Then it's a promise!" I nod as I turn to face Jamie. "We'll meet again whenever I come home after learning to control my demon half, and we'll all be way stronger and way closer to our dreams!"

"A promise it is!"

"Luis…" Ella softly says.

"Yeah?" I ask with a smile as I turn to face Ella.

Without another word, Ella jumps up and hugs me, wrapping me in her arms, and causing me to blush.

"Oh…" I stammer.

"Awww…group hug?!" Grover swoons as he wraps both Ella and I in his arms.

"You're ruining my moment, Grover!" I snap.

Jaime joins in on the hug as well.

"Yeah, Jamie, feel free to join in!" I proudly exclaim.

"Austinnnn!" Jamie calls as she peers over her shoulder at Austin.

Austin turns away from Jamie and crosses his arms.

"Come on, Austin!" Jamie swoons.

"FINE!" Austin snaps as he storms over to us with a blush. "But only just this one time!" Sheepishly, Austin joins in on the group hug before breaking away, we all do.

"But, Luis-" Ella begins to say as she breaks our hug. "It's not fair that only you have to share your secrets. I think…that the rest of us have stuff to share, as well."

And then…I tell my friends everything. Everything everything, starting from the day Robby died. I told them about me, about my dad, about Daniel, about August, about the Chairman, about the Cards of the King, about the assassination, about the multiple kidnappings, about Violet, about the Slaughter of 1999, and…about Nick.

And my friends…they tell me everything too. About Ella's father, Grover's experience with Nick, Jamie's childhood, and Austin's illness. We share everything about our pasts, what happened to us, the people we lost, and why we're standing here today as Pro Slayers.

With a sigh, I turn to our front door and step outside, but not before looking over my shoulder and peering at my friends one last time, who smile and wave at me.

"JUST YOU WAIT! Slayer Fūjin will return one day!" I boom.

And then, I turn around one last time, and officially…we're off.

***

"So where are we headed?" I ask my dad as we board our plan.

"My place," my dad answers.

"And where is that?!" I snap.

"You'll see," my dad answers with a smirk as he peers down at me, causing me to sigh.

"Sir, you can't bring those on a plane!" The panicked flight attendant cries. Motioning to mine and my dad's katanas.

Ah…understandable.

I stick my hand in my pocket and begin digging around, causing the flight attendant to appear even more scared. But whenI pull out my wallets and flash the light attendant my Pro Slayer License, she breathes out a sigh of relief.

But much to my surprise, my dad does the same.

"You two may go!" The now chipper flight attendant says.

"You're a Pro Slayer?!" I ask as I peer up at my dad.

"I've lived a long life," my dad sighs as he stuffs his wallet back into his pocket.

My dad and I take our seats on the plan. I've never been on a plan before, so truthfully…this is rather exciting. Eagerly, I stare out of the plane's window as the plane takes off, hurdling us into the sky above. I watch as everything below me grows smaller and smaller.

And as I do…I can only think of one thing.

I touch my hand to my chest, where beneath my hoodie, a deep, jagged, wicked scar from Ace's blade lays.

"I can't wait to see my friends again!"