Demon Chapter 3 - The Organisation

 Well, chapter 3 took even longer than chapter 2..... Not much more to say! Enjoy.

                Edwin was sat inside a ran-down, white-walled room with a single door, one large mirror, a table and some chairs. It reminded him of interrogation rooms seen in police shows, except for the patches on the walls where the paint had worn away to reveal the brick work underneath. The chairs and table seemed like cheap patio-ware. The only thing of quality was the large mirror. Edwin wondered if it was the type of mirror-window normally seen in these kind of rooms; were there people on the other side of that mirror watching him? He’d been forced here against his will. Beatrix and her group of soldier-like people had brought him here. He’d protested, but Beatrix had said that they had to bring him here, even with force if necessary, because of what he’d done. Killed a demon with his bare hands. She said he’d get his answers here.

                He had killed that thing with his bare hands. He kept going over it again and again. Something had taken over, some primal instinct of survival. He had felt death getting closer, and the urge to survive no matter what had gripped him. The sickening crack of the monster’s jaw haunted him. He felt like he was going to vomit. Then the click of the door unlocking brought him from his thoughts.

                The door opened and Beatrix walked in. She smiled reassuringly at Edwin. It didn’t help. Behind her walked in an aged man wearing a suit. His hair was greying, and he had a very serious air about him. They both took a seat opposite Edwin, the table between them. This really is starting to feel like a police interrogation. Edwin thought.

                “This is… Mr. Maxwell.” Beatrix said. “He’s…. uh… He has higher authority than me in the organisation.” She explained. She looked to this Mr. Maxwell. “This is Edwin. He goes to my school. He can see demons, and… he managed to kill one.” Maxwell just nodded, not taking his eyes off Edwin.

                “Who are you?” Maxwell asked. “And bare in mind your answer is very important. It’ll help us decide what to do about this… situation.”

                Edwin immediately felt a dislike for this man. From the man’s mannerisms and the way Beatrix was around him he felt that this was a man used to people doing what he told them to. Edwin didn’t like people telling him what to do. However, he knew that this was a very serious situation. And he wanted answers.

                “I’m… Edwin. Like she said. I can see… demons. If that’s what those things are. And yeah… I killed one. I did what anyone would in that situation. I fought to survive.”

                Maxwell smirked. “Well you see, Edwin, I’m not questioning your motives… more your… methods. You see, people can’t kill demons, not without help. Demons are made of different stuff to us. They can even phase through us. The only way for humans to fight demons is with supernatural help. So I want to know how you killed that demon.”

                “How? I have no idea. I just… did. I know even less than you. I’m the one who wants to know what’s going on here” Edwin protested.

                “He can interact with demons” Beatrix interrupted. “Maybe he has some special power or something?”

                “Maybe” Maxwell agreed. “Maybe he’s a special case we’ve never seen before. Maybe he’s some amazing phenomenon. A human that has the power to fight demons by himself. If so then that would be amazing. But that is unlikely. What if he is, say, a demon himself?”

                Edwin’s eyes went wide in shock. Me, a demon? It was impossible. And if they thought he was…. Would they kill him? “I’m not a demon.”

                “There’s no way he’s a demon” Beatrix said, the fear evident on her voice.

                “You better hope you can convince me that’s not the case. You can guess what’ll happen if you can’t.” Maxwell said to Edwin.

*

                Over the next few hours Maxwell asked Edwin many questions, some personal and some not, writing things down all the while. He asked a lot of questions about demons, which Edwin had no answers for. Beatrix came and went, reassuring Edwin that he’d be fine. Eventually somebody new came in.

                “This is Seymour. He’ll be conducting a few tests” Maxwell explained. Seymour looked to be around the same age as Edwin, but with long hair and glasses. Also he was wearing what looked to be a lab coat, standing out oddly in the run-down room they were in. He dropped a bag onto the table and picked up the notes that Maxwell had been writing down.

                “I’m gonna have a read through these first” Seymour said to Maxwell, not looking at him, intent on the notes. “You might want to leave us to it. This might take a while.” He said, taking the seat that Maxwell had been using. Maxwell looked annoyed.

                “Very well. I’ll leave you to it. I won’t be far.” Maxwell replied, then waited in awkward silence for a moment. Seymour was intently reading. Maxwell sighed and left.

                “Alright, so let me tell you what I need to do.” Seymour started, looking up from the notes he was reading and looking at Edwin. “I’m gonna quickly read through these notes, then I’m going to need to take a blood sample, a very small skin tissue sample, and I’m going to use the…. Oh yeah, you likely don’t know about Asura Arts. I’m going to say some words and you’ll see some strange lights and it will basically tell me if you’re a demon or not. Alright?”

                Blood sample… Skin sample… and… what? Edwin’s thoughts went back to the night Beatrix had saved him. He had seen strange symbols glowing in the air, and a seemingly invisible wall that had saved him from the demon. Asura Arts huh?

                “Alright” Edwin answered. “That sounds simple enough.” He didn’t get a bad vibe from Seymour. He certainly felt more at ease than with Maxwell.

                “It says here….” Seymour said, motioning to the notes. “That you don’t have any parents?”

                “Erm, well, not exactly. My adopted father looks after me. Kind of. He travels around a lot for work so he’s not about right now, but he pays for my rent and leaves me money for everything I need.” Edwin answered.

                “I wonder why he didn’t write that down…” Seymour sighed. “What’s your dad’s name?”

                “Iskandar Attar. We have the same last name. He adopted me at a very young age. I don’t even know what my last name was before.”

                Seymour seemed to freeze when Edwin said his dad’s name. Then he took out a pen from his bag and something down on Maxwell’s notes.

                “Well, thanks. That’ll make it easier to find out more about you. I’m going to start with the most important one. I’m going to find out if you’re a demon or not.” Seymour pulled out a ring from his bag and put it on. “Just relax and stay calm. This won’t take long” he explained. Seymour then stood up from his chair, took a step back from the table, and reached his hand towards Edwin. He seemed to be deep in concentration, and he started to speak a language that Edwin didn’t know. Then Edwin felt what seemed like a breeze enter the room. He couldn’t help looking around to see where it came from, then he realised it was coming from multiple directions. He tried to keep himself calm. When he turned to Seymour he saw that the ring on Seymour’s hand was glowing; brighter and brighter. Edwin had to close his eyes as light filled the room. Then, as soon as it started, the light dimmed back to normal, and the wind died down until the air was still. Seymour visibly relaxed, and sat back down.

                “Good news. You’re not a demon. Not from what I can tell anyway.”

                Edwin sighed in relief. “Good” he said. “I mean, I knew that anyway, but still… good.”

                “Alright now for the blood and skin samples....” he said. Edwin knew this was coming but couldn’t help feeling nervous. Seymour took out a scalpel with a petri dish, and a small syringe. Edwin braced for the syringe, but it didn’t hurt much. Only a small pinch. And the blood he took was less than a doctor would. Then he took the scalpel and slightly grazed the skin near the syringe puncture. Edwin barely noticed. There was a small slightly pink patch and that was it. Seymour covered it with a plaster and he was done. “There we go. This part might take a while, I’m going to need to go do some tests. If Beatrix is free I’ll get her to come keep you company.”

                He actually does seem nice. Edwin couldn’t help thinking.

*

                True to his word, Seymour did send Beatrix in to keep Edwin company. It felt a bit awkward at first, but eventually they started talking about school and the boxing club.

                “It’s my pride and joy” she said, suddenly impassioned. “Gotta love seeing everyone tryin’ their best to get better. Makes me realise I’m not the only one who loves boxing. Wish there were more girls up for it though… Could do with a local rival or two…”

                “Doesn’t… whatever it is you do here get in the way of that?” Edwin asked, hoping to get some insight into what was really going on. She gave him a suspicious glance, then thought it over.

                “Demons. Yeah. Fighting them does get in the way… But, well, the way things are at the moment, I’ve done everything a girl my age can do. That’s why I’m putting my all into the club! I’ve learnt more than I thought I could from teaching. Next step comes when I’m 17, then I can move onto the next age bracket when it comes to tournaments. So until then… regular training, and teaching!”

                She really does have a passion for boxing. He felt a bit jealous. Is there anything I’m that passionate about? No. Nothing.

                The door opened and Seymour walked in, with the same lab coat as before, and a different bag. Why does he wear a lab coat? Edwin found himself wondering.

                “I’ve got another test to do.” He said, then turned to Beatrix. “It’s a bit more intense than the last one… More windy. Flashing lights and stuff.”

                “Fair enough” Beatrix answered, rolling her eyes, and she went to leave. “Good luck Edwin” she said, showing him that her fingers were crossed as she left and closed the door.

                “This is pretty much the same as the last one, but it’s going to be a bit windier, so you might want to stand up for this one.” Seymour said.

                Edwin got to his feet. “Fair enough” he said. “I’m ready.”

                Seymour started speaking a language that Edwin didn’t know once again, and, just like Seymour said, a much stronger wind was conjured up. Then Seymour reached into his bag and produced what appeared to be a stone tablet with strange symbols on it. He turned the tablet towards Edwin. The wind changed direction, as if it was coming from the tablet itself, and then with a flash of light something appeared in the room with them and flew towards Edwin.

                He felt something tighten around all his limbs. He couldn’t move. He then heard a strange hissing sound and immediately started feeling weak and sick. His mind worked fast. Something was stopping his movements. The first thing to do was to find out what. His breath came slowly, but he managed to drag in a deep breath, gather some strength in his limbs, and looked down. As he saw what had a hold of him an all-to-familiar fear struck him once more. Fear of the unknown; the fear he felt when he saw something incomprehensible to his senses. He couldn’t be sure but…. This is probably a demon… right?

                Whatever it was had a strange pink colour to its skin; like raw flesh. It was almost like an octopus or a squid, with tentacles that sprang out from the centre of its body focused on his chest, to wrap around his limbs. Then, as he watched, parts of its flesh pulled back to reveal eyes that immediately focused on him. He felt like his heart stopped. This was too much for him. Too unreal. His sight started to turn fuzzy, like a TV that had lost its signal. He felt his consciousness slipping.

                Tear it apart.

Was that his thought? The words echoed in his head. Strength returned to his limbs and his sight returned. He pulled against his bindings. He focused his sight on the centre of the monster; staring into the largest eye. He pulled with all his might against its grip and managed to pull his hand close to its eye. Then, ignoring the horrible feeling he grabbed a hold of its eye, as hard as he could, and pulled until it ripped from the body. The demon’s grip on him loosened, so he grabbed a handful of its body with his other hand and ripped that free. Its tentacles came loose completely and the pieces fell off, accompanied by a rain of red blood. It was dead. Edwin didn’t relax, however. He could feel the blood pumping through his body like he as on an adrenaline rush. He realised in that instant that this was what he had felt when he’d fought the human-like demon; the feeling that had allowed him to kill it.

He looked up, his sights on Seymour. Seymour was watching him in interest, as if observing an experiment. Seymour had set this demon on him. The fight wasn’t over. He lunged at Seymour; not even noticing the table in his way. It got knocked towards Seymour, and his hand followed, aiming for Seymour’s face. Then he felt another feeling, another fear. A different fear. This wasn’t the fear of the unknown; the fear of the incomprehensible. This was a humbling fear felt when one realised if he moved closed he would be beaten. Time seemed to stop. The table stopped. It had been send flying towards Seymour but he had stopped it with his foot. Edwin stopped; there was something in front of his face. He felt it through sheer instinct at first; an instinct that told him to stop. Then his sight caught up, as his mind calmed down, and he saw what was threatening him; a gun. In a split instinct Seymour had drawn a gun and aimed it at Edwin’s face, and the look on his face made it clear he was ready to pull the trigger.

Then the door slammed open and a familiar voice started saying words in the same language Seymour had been using. Suddenly glowing chains appear around Edwin… and Seymour. They both were chained with their arms to their sides. Then people that looked like those accompanying Beatrix in the fight before filed in. They had knives ready and pointed them at both Edwin and Seymour. Then Maxwell walked in.

“What the hell….. did you do?” Maxwell asked. Edwin wasn’t sure if Maxwell was asking him or Seymour. He wasn’t sure Maxwell knew either. Seymour spoke up, however, gaining Edwin’s attention. Seymour was staring right at him with a satisfied grin.

“A test.” Seymour answered. “A non-lethal test to see if he really could combat demons. Beatrix.” He said, drawing her attention. “Could you tell what type of demon that was? By the way Edwin, that mirror on the wall is see-through, like you might have guessed.”

Is he an enemy? Non-lethal? Now that he had calmed down, Edwin felt somewhat surprised by his own attack. He hadn’t been thinking. In the heat of the moment, instinct had guided him.

“It was a Motophagus right? It feeds on emotions and energy. It wouldn’t have killed him. It would have sucked his energy until he’d fallen unconscious. If left too long it might have put him into a coma… but that would’ve taken a while.” She explained. Edwin could hear the disapproval in her voice. She sighed. The chains on Seymour vanished in a flash of light. Seymour glanced at his gun and slowly put it away into some hidden holder inside his jacket.

“Thanks” Seymour answered.

“What?” Maxwell exclaimed. “Don’t just let him go…. Jesus. Non-lethal? Well…” Maxwell didn’t seem in control of the situation at all.

“Edwin, have you calmed down?” Beatrix asked. Her accent seemed to disappear when she was serious. Edwin felt a heaviness to her voice; an authority that he did not want to go against.

“Yeah, I’m calm. I overreacted.” He said. The chains holding him disappeared. He sighed in relief.

“Alright then!” Seymour exclaimed happily, clapping his hands together loudly, making everyone jump and breaking the tense atmosphere. “Results, right? Results time, for my test? So! A normal human wouldn’t have been able to move against that demon. But Edwin…. It seemed like when he was pushed far enough something snapped, like a switch. Then suddenly he could fight against it. As if he was then made out of the same stuff the demon was. Strange right? I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like he can turn on ‘the ability to interact with’ demons. Although not willingly…. Not yet anyway.”

Silence followed. Seymour seemed deep in thought, excited by his findings. Is he a good guy? I really can’t tell. Edwin sat down on the chair he’d been sitting on and let the information sink in. I can fight demons?

“Too dangerous.” Maxwell said. Edwin felt uneasy all of a sudden. He felt clear hostility coming from Maxwell. “He could just be a demon, right? Like a… an envy demons perhaps. Right?”

“Well, I couldn’t feel anything demonic coming from him. Even an envy demon would have a hard time hiding from my tests. I’m pretty sure what I said is correct. He’s a human who exhibits demon-like ability under certain circumstances, like when he’s under attack.” Seymour said.

“Still, you could be wrong, right?” Maxwell asked.

“Well… of course… anybody can be wrong.” Seymour answered, his expression souring, seeming to sense where the conversation was going. He sighed, pulled a phone from his pocket and started looking through it.

“Well then. I have to make the hard decisions sometimes, and that’s fine. It’s the best way to ensure everyone’s safety.” Maxwell said, almost seeming proud of himself.

“Wait a minute” Beatrix piped up. “You can’t just decide to kill him.”

Kill me?

                “Look, you might disagree, but it’s the safest course of action” Maxwell answered.

                “I’m not letting ya kill him” Beatrix answered, defiance clear in her voice.

                Edwin looked around. There were five people in the room other than himself, Beatrix, Maxwell, and Seymour. They all held knives in their hand, with more knives on various parts of their gear. Some had what looked like grenades, although Edwin wasn’t sure what they actually were. Would grenades even work on demons? He doubted he could get past Beatrix, or even Seymour, but if they decided on his death, he would be ready to try his hardest to escape.

                “Hey, I’m glad you answered” came Seymour’s voice, cutting through the tension. He was talking to someone on the phone. “I’m Seymour Allen from the Crowlford branch….. Well it’s urgent….. Yeah…. Yeah…. We’ve got someone here called Edwin.”

                “Who are you talking to?” asked Maxwell. Seymour waved him off and carried on his conversation.

                “He’s manifested some strange kind of power that can hurt demons….. Yeah?.... Perhaps you could’ve told us. Well I have David Maxwell here who wants to be extra safe and kill him, in case he’s a demon, and he has higher authority than me……. Alright. I’ll hand you over.” He handed the phone to Maxwell with a rather evil looking grin on his face, as if to say “I win”. Maxwell looked angry, but he took the phone nonetheless.

                “This is Maxwell, who am I-“ he went silent. Then he went pale. Whoever he was talking to must’ve been someone with much higher authority than him. “Are you… serious?” he asked in disbelief. “Alright… understood.” He handed the phone back to Seymour. He didn’t look happy.

                “At ease everyone, and that includes you Edwin.” He said, addressing the room. Everyone relaxed and put their weapons away. Maxwell sighed. “We’re going to take you to the main base. From now on, you’re one of us.”