Homecoming, Part 7

"Ah, Slayer Kaen, what can I do for you?" The Chairman smirks as Mikey steps foot into his office.

"You know, Solomon," Mikey growls as he storms over to the Chairman, ignoring his question. "I'm really sick and tired of how this Organization is run. I mean, executions...incapable Slayers...the severe lack of quality control, it's just so…fucked up?"

"And what do you know about "fucked up," you arrogant, foolish child. How old are you anyway?" The Chairman snaps.

"Fifteen and old enough to see the state of this crooked organization with my own two eyes," Mikey growls back.

"Is this about the death of Slayer Hachi?" The Chairman asks.

"Yes, you shit head!" Mikey snaps. "Let's start from the beginning! My parents were murdered by a demon that no Slayer came to stop! Slayers tried to kill me for doing the jobs that they were too incapable of doing! Me and my squad captain got KIDNAPPED and the only way to get saved was my teammates risking execution to save me! There are like fifty half demons in our ranks! My squad captain was MURDERED by a fellow Slayer! What the fuck?! What the fuck isn't wrong with this organization?!" Mikey shrieked.

"Slayer Kaen, now I appreciate your concern but, we have logical reasons for all of your complaints," the Chairman replies.

Mikey crosses his arms and takes a seat. "Go on," he orders, humoring the Chairman.

The Chairman clears his throat and begins to speak. "Slayers were unable to make it to your parents in time. You were a menace to society in your Pyromaniac days, so we had to try and take you out. We did send reinforcements out to you and Slayer Hachi, but saving you two wasn't a priority since you butchered your mission. As for the half demons. Well...I'm not sure how you know that we have a few half demons in our rank but that's classified information. And what is this about your fellow Slayer killing Slayer Hahci? You need to speak up now, boy, who did it?" The Chairman asks. 

Mikey scoffs. "No. He's my kill."

Mikey stands back up.

"So what's your plan for now?" The Chairman asks.

Mikey shrugs. "I'm not sure. But what I've realized is that humans are wicked. But demons, they are no better. Both sides of the coin are equally horrible. And you know what? I'm horrible too. But at least I can face my horridness and embrace it. Chairman, you know when you need to vote between two sides but either option is equally as horrible?" Mikey asks.

"Yes, I know," the Chairman answers.

"Well what do you do in that situation?" Mikey asks.

The Chairman rubs his chin and ponders to himself for a moment. "Well I suppose you go with the lesser of two evils," the Chairman answers.

Mikey ponders the Chairman's words for a moment. "Not a bad answer, Chairman. But do you want to know mine?" Mikey asks.

"Go ahead," the Chairman grunts, sounding bored.

"I'm going with option c, then write in. I'm choosing either side. Instead…

"I'm burning both sides and this entire world to the ground."

"HAH!" The Chairman snorts. "Don't make me laugh, Slayer Kaen. You are going to burn the world to the ground? And how will you do that? You are POWERLESS in this world, young boy. Do you hear me? POWERLESS. I could kill you in a fraction of a second before you can even think to respond one million times out of one million times. And you think you can burn this world to the ground? How childish!"

"You'll see…" Mikey growls. "And one more thing-" Mikey then continues as he pulls out his Slayers License and holds it in his right hand for the Chairman to see. "Don't call me "Slayer Kaen" anymore. I quit." A rush of flames explode out of Mikey's right hand, igniting it on fire and incinerating the helpless piece of his plastic. With his flame still burning strong, Mikey then turns and walks away.

"I'll have to send Assassins after you, Pyromaniac!" The Chairman calls after Mikey. "Count your days, because you have few left!"

Mikey pauses then peers over his shoulder at the Chairman. "Good. I'll burn them to the ground as well…" he growls, before walking away one last time.

 And then, the orange, yellow, red flames sprouting from Mikey's hand begin to change colors. The flames grow darker and darker, until in his hand, Mikey holds a fireball as pitch black as the night itself, yet as hot as the blazing day sun.

"The black flames of my anger...my Flames of Destruction…will never fizzle out!"

***

Um…what are you doing?" Ella asks as she appears in the doorway to Mikey's room. Ella had heard some racket coming from Mikey's room, so she went upstairs to check on the noise, only to see Mikey frantically stuffing his belongings into a duffel bag, which is mostly just clothes and a toothbrush.

"Ella…" Mikey softly says as he turns around to face the girl. And when Mikey does, Ella's eyes widen at the sadness in his own.

"Mikey…what's the matter…?" Ella softly asks.

"I did something terrible, and there's no going back…" Mikey sadly begins to say. "So I'm leaving. I'm leaving so that the rest of you don't get caught up in my mess."

"Leaving…what do you mean?" Ella asks. "And what trouble are you in, I'm sure we can help!"

"NO!" Mikey booms as he slams a fist on his dresser, causing Ella to flinch.

Mikey then sighs.

"I declared war on the Slayer Organization, Ella," Mikey explains, causing the girl to flinch. "The Chairman will send assassins after me, just like they did to Luis, I'm certain of it. And I don't want all of you to get hurt too."

"Mikey…" Ella says.

"Ella, thank you. You've always been so nice to me," Mikey continues as he stands up. Mikey then turns around to face his dresser, where Ella watches as Mikey peers down to two photo frames. One photo has a picture of a far younger Mikey with his family, and the other, of Mikey with the rest of the squad. Even Nick. Mikey takes the photo out of the frame with his family in it, and stuffs it in his pocket. The other photo frame he faces down on the dresser.

"-But I can't stay around people who are friends with a murderer," Mikey finishes as he turns around to face Ella, causing the girl's eyes to widen. And then, when Ella peers back into Mikey's eyes, she sees that his soft, sad face has been replaced with anger. "That demon…he killed Nick, and could have gotten the rest of us killed too," Mikey begins rambling, and Ella trembles at the hatred in his voice. "He knew all this time yet never told us. If he was our ally, our friend, you think he would have told us then, right? We could have helped him, yet he decided to shoulder this burden all on his own. And because of that…Nick, my father…is dead. I'll never forgive him."

"Luis…just wanted to protect us…" Ella quivers.

"Luis Tramontana…" Mikey growls as his eyes gloss over, as if he's no longer looking at Ella.

"I'll kill him."

Ella's eyes widen.

Swiftly, Mikey then reaches behind his back and draws a pistol, aiming it at Ella. "Originally, my goal was to kill War of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, in order to avenge my parents," he begins to say. "But now…I have a new priority. The demon Luis Tramontana is now at the top of my hit list. And if any of you try to stop me from killing him…then I'll kill you, as well…"

"Mikey…" Ella quivers. "I thought we were friends.

"And that's the problem," Mikey replies. "We're friends. You love Luis,"

Ella winces.

"Now, make up your mind," Mikey continues. "Are you going to try and stop me from killing Luis, or will you let me do as I please? You decide."

Ella's body tenses up as she balls a hand into her fist.

"You've made your choice."

"GROVER, JAMIE, AUSTIN!" Ella shouts as she thrusts a hand towards Mikey, firing off an orange ring of Cursed Power at him. Mikey ducks then rolls to the side to dodge, causing Ella to blast a hole through his window.

"What's the matter?!" Jamie cries as she Grover, and Austin leap through Grover's wormhole.

"Mikey…" Ella sobs as she points a quivering finger towards him. "Stop him."

"DAMMIT!" Austin roars as he constructs a sniper rifle out of Cursed Power and aims it at Mikey. "I don't know what's happening, but if Ella says to hurt someone, then it's got to be good!"

Austin fires a Cursed Power bullet at Mikey, who spins around then leaps out of the window to dodge.

"He's getting away!" Ella cries.

"No, let him go!" Jamie orders.

"Wh-why…?" Ella asks.

"Because Mikey didn't fire back."

The four then rush to the hole that Ella blasted in the wall window, where they see a cloud of smoke appear around Mikey. When the smoke settles, he's surrounded by a pair of Assassin Slayers.

"You couldn't stop me before…" Mikey begins to growl. "AND NOW THAT I HAVE MY BLACK FLAMES, YOU HAVE NO HOPE!"

Mikey aims one of his pistols towards the assassins, and fires. But rather than shooting off one of his bullets, black flames burst from Mikey's hand, and a black fireball explodes into the two assassins, Chishiki and Hai, engulfing them in black flames as they writhe on the ground in agony. Mikey's eyes widen, and then, without another reaction, he spins around and takes off, yet again.

"Black…flames…?" Ella softly asks.