by A and E Kirk
Logan cringed at the destruction. “Aurora’s looking pretty credible right about now.”
“Pfft, nothing I couldn’t do, dude.” Blake felt fast, heavy footsteps shudder the earth. His gaze fell on the shadowy figure of a man sprinting across the golf course.
“Found him!” Blake pointed.
Logan pulled his arms into his standard hunting stance, a bow and arrow materializing in his hands. He angled his aim up. And released.
Blake knocked Logan’s arms sideways. The arrow shot wide and dispersed to nothing.
“Blake!” Logan snapped.
“Dude!” Blake admonished with equal irritation.
“I wasn’t going to kill him!”
“How’s an arrow to the spine not going to kill him?!”
“Blake! He’s getting away!”
Blake slammed a fist into the ground. Thick roots exploded from the grass like demonic snakes right below their target.
The man arched into a series of Olympic-level gymnastic flips. Each powerful bound arced inhumanly high. Roots coiled and snapped, but could not latch onto their prey. The man’s final jump soared him into the darkness of the trees.
Screams of innocents and a screech of metal paused the Hex Boys’ pursuit. Off to their right, a car and lamppost crashed on top of an icy dome shielding civilians. A large man rushed up behind an unaware Jayden and unleashed a kick that sent the Hex Boy flying.
With nothing more than a brief look of understanding, Logan sprinted for the treeline while Blake raced for the parking lot as the janitor hefted a sedan over his head and stomped toward Jayden.
Logan took flight and bulleted through the trees with impressive speed. It took him seconds to regain the ground he had lost. The man in the uniform kept just ahead by jumping from tree to tree. Springing off a trunk and launching himself forward onto the next, he zig-zagged a chaotic pattern.
Logan surged ahead of the man, then turned around and took a deep breath, gathering enough will and strength to send a hurricane level blast out in all directions. Anything to knock the man off course.
A shattering crash reverberated the air. A tree groaned and toppled on top of Logan. The little hunter dropped several feet and dashed left. A branch clipped his leg. Logan spun out. He righted himself only to have a hot flash of fire zip by his head. Logan whirled toward his attacker. And spotted the flaming Ayden racing through the forest below, a trail of smoking embers in his wake.
“Hey!” Logan snapped. “Watch where you’re—”
Logan’s target sprung off a tree and slammed into the little guy’s back. The two crashed into a trunk and hit the ground hard. White light dotted Logan’s vision. A heavy weight lifted off his chest as the man sat up and swung a powerful punch. Logan turned his head sideways. The man’s arm slammed into the earth, burying up to his elbow. Dirt exploded.
“Blake!” Logan screamed.
Wind surged around him and launched the man airborne. Logan rolled to his feet, shaking his head and blinking to clear his vision. The man recovered just as quickly and rushed the Hex Boy again.
Logan snapped a hand forward. A thick, disfigured arrow shot from his hand. It was sloppy and rushed. But it twirled around the man’s ankle and hovered him a foot off the ground. Caught in his own personal tornado, the man twisted uselessly in the air.
Logan heaved a sigh of relief.
Captured.
“I’m coming, dude!” Blake yelled from close behind them.
“It’s okay,” Logan panted. “I got him trapped.”
Blake burst through the bushes and slammed into Logan’s back.
“Whoops! Sorry!” Blake snatched the back of Logan’s sport coat before he faceplanted.
The moment of surprise cost Logan his concentration. The tornado faltered. The man landed on his feet and swiped a fast punch.
Logan saw dancing stars and would have dropped if Blake had not still had a firm hold on his jacket.
“Hey!” Blake growled and fumbled to get a better grip on his friend.
The man threw another fist. It landed squarely on Blake’s jaw. The big guy staggered several steps back and dropped Logan. The man immediately launched another attack. Blake swatted the strike aside and buried his fist into the target’s gut.
The man didn’t stagger. Did not grunt or wince.
Instead, he smiled. And hiked a leg up to kick Blake squarely in the chest. Blake flew through the woods and slammed into a tree trunk. He groaned and after a moment, rose above the pain and managed to get on all fours.
Leaves crunched underfoot. Blake looked up. The man towered over him, fist reeled back.
Wind rushed. The man ducked. An arrow ripped through the air where his head had been, then exploded into the tree at Blake’s back. The man dove sideways. Blake stared at Logan standing a few yards behind him, bow and arrow at the ready.
“Dude!” Blake rasped. “That was a kill shot!”
“A punch?” Logan wheezed. “You thought a punch would work?”
“Demons feel the pain of their host.” Blake lurched to his feet and charged at the man with all the grace of a drunken bull.
Logan gaped. “You still think this is just a possession!”
The man turned, caught a fistful of Blake’s shirt and heaved. Blake flew through the air directly at Logan who lost the bow and threw his arms forward. Wind billowed to slow Blake, but the big guy still barreled into Logan. The two skidded and tumbled over the ground until a thick, unforgiving trunk finally slammed them to a stop.
“What?” The man pressed a finger to his ear. “It’s over?”
“Ugh, get up.” Logan groaned from beneath his large friend.
“Well, little hunters, it seems my partners have failed. But I see no reason I must walk away a complete failure as well.” As he spoke, the man’s voice changed to something raspier, haunting.
Logan struggled to focus his sight. And when he did, he almost wished he hadn’t. A towering creature stalked toward them with long, muscled hind legs of a goat and the chest and arms of King Kong.
“Blake, Blake, Blake!” Logan thumped the big guy’s shoulder and squirmed to get out from under Blake’s bulk.
“I see it!” Blake shouted and rolled to his feet.
“Oh good!” Logan scrambled up and backed away from the demon. “Do you think now you could actually try to kill it?”
“Sorry, but this is so weird,” Blake reached out. Stone and dirt floated from the ground to forge an axe into his waiting hand. “I wasn’t sure this dude was a demon.”
“He just threw you one-handed!”
“Maybe he works out!”
The demon hammered a monstrous fist toward Blake’s head. Logan flicked his wrist. A blast of air knocked Blake out of the way. Missing its target, the hellion’s fist hit the ground like an earthquake and buried deep into the ground.
“Blake get your game on!” Logan snapped.
“Right, sorry!”
Blake swung the axe.
The demon caught it one-handed and punched with the other. Blake released the axe and jumped back. Logan fired a shot. The demon launched out of the way with those springy goat legs and flung the axe at Logan.
The littlest Hex Boy backflipped. The axe knifed into the ground where Logan had stood.
“You know what?!” Blake punched his hands into the earth and the ground split in two.
With no floor to spring off of, the demon fell into the pit. Blake clapped his hands like he was slapping a book closed. The ground snapped back together, and with a fading cry, the demon squashed flat. Black mist rose from the cracked earth and vortexed into an dark, evil tornado.
“Ha! Take that! Did you see what I did?” Blake danced a little jig. “Conquered in a second. I’m a killing machine!”
Logan glared a moment, then turned on his heel and limped away.
Blake gave him a confused look. “What?”
OPERATION:
/>
We Can Totally Salvage This… Never Mind
LOCATION:
Gossamer Falls Country Club
Ayden shared the other Hex Boys’ confusion about the whole demons-not-looking-like-demons problem. Unlike the other Hex Boys, however, that was not the problem he chose to focus on.
Ayden’s target, a guard, stood just outside the security office, pointing to exits, and calmly telling patrons to leave. He seemed kind and patiently answered the same question eight times in the duration it had taken Ayden to storm up the hall.
“No trouble at all, ma’am.” Officer Smithers waved off a pair of women in their early sixties. “We’ll have this sorted by tomorrow. You drive safely now!”
“Hey,” Ayden said as he got close.
Officer Smithers turned with a smile. “Hey there—”
Ayden slammed a fist in the officer’s face. Without breaking stride, Ayden opened the office door, slipped an arm around the man’s neck, pulled him inside, kicked the door shut, and squeezed against the man’s windpipe.
“Wha—What are you—?” Smithers twisted and wheezed, clawing at Ayden’s arm.
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on, but someone just tried to kill my girlfriend. Actually, two someones just tried to kill my girlfriend three times in the last five minutes.” Ayden tightened his chokehold. “And she thinks you’re working with them.”
“T-t-tried?” Smithers rasped.
Ayden smirked. “Yeah, your friends failed.”
Smithers grunted and threw his weight back with much more force than humanly possible. Wood splintered. Ayden released his grip and fell through the door. He tumbled backwards before landing in a crouch. Smithers stood inside the office, panting. Green flames ate across the guard’s body and lit up his eyes.
Ayden threw his hands out. Bright red-orange flames scorched forward, flooding the room.
“One date!” Ayden snapped. “Is that too much to ask?”
“Ayden!” Matthias yelled from down the hall.
Ayden stopped the flames and waved a dismissive hand. “I can handle this one.”
“No, wait!”
Ayden stomped back through the splintered remains of the door and found the office empty. But a hole in the far wall smoldered and dripped emerald flames. Through it, Ayden saw green-glowing Smithers sprinting into the forest. As the Hex Boy jumped through the hole, chunks of plaster, concrete, and ceiling crumbled and collapsed, piling high and filling the opening.
Despite hearing Matthias’ angry bellows from inside, Ayden kept running. Aurora had almost died under his watch. Again. He was thrilled and damned proud she had managed to defeat a demon single-handedly and fend off another. And that she had managed to thwart their scheme and orchestrate their impending capture. But more than anything, he was furious she had been in the situation to begin with. That he had been there, right there, and failed her so miserably. But he would not fail her now.
There was no way he would allow a single accomplice to escape. The flaming green footprints made it easy to track the demon. Easier still to spot the burning man in the pitch-black forest.
Ayden threw a fireball. It rocketed into the man’s back. He went down. Ayden rushed toward the sickly glow that emanated from the thick bushes where the guard had fallen.
“Do you have any idea how many dates you’ve ruined?!” Ayden bounded over the bushes.
To find nothing.
Just a raging ring of green flames, but no Smithers.
A twig cracked to Ayden’s right. A glob of flaming green hurtled at his face. He ducked. The glob splattered into the tree, burning through bark, more like acid than fire.
Smithers dove back behind a tree. Ayden punched a stream of flames. It hardened to cold white and blue hues and lasered through the two-foot thick trunk.
Silence struck hard.
Ayden stayed where he was, panting, flames eating up his arms. The uneven hole smoked and glowed, the edges singed. The small voice in the back of Ayden’s mind reminding him that his target might not be a demon suddenly grew very loud and panicked.
“Smithers?” Ayden said.
Leaves crunched. Smithers ducked down to peer with a horrified look through the smoking hole.
Relief flooded and loosened the anxiety in Ayden’s chest.
“This body is human!” Smithers said.
Ayden put on a mask of indifference and shrugged. “Shouldn’t have tried to kill my girlfriend.”
Smithers gasped.
“I can let you go,” Ayden said.
Smithers narrowed his glowing eyes. “And what must I offer in return to remain in your realm?”
“Just tell me who sent you.” Ayden surged his flames hotter, raging higher off his shoulders. “And I’ll talk with them instead.”
Smithers smirked. “That would be fun to see. You wouldn’t last five minutes. And neither would I if I gave them up.”
The tree snapped and toppled. Splinters, cracking branches, and leaves rained down. Ayden raised an arm to shield himself from the debris.
Smithers ran.
“Oh no you don’t.” Ayden threw another fireball.
A falling branch struck him, causing his fire to veer off course. Ayden swore and raced after Smithers.
“Hey!” Logan’s voice rang sharp and irritated. “Watch where you’re—”
His words stopped with a surprised grunt.
Ayden paused and searched for his friend. A blow from behind knocked Ayden to his knees. He saw a flash of green. Ayden cringed. Heat slapped his side. Flecks of something warm and wet spattered his face. His jacket hissed and smoldered. An itchy heat crawled across his skin.
Ayden yanked off his jacket, frantically wiping flaming, green flecks off his body. Definitely more acid than flame.
Footsteps thundered close. Ayden slammed a palm into the ground. A wall of flames shot straight up. Arms pinwheeling, Smithers reeled to a stop inches from the inferno. Ayden swept a blazing leg, knocking Smithers’ feet out from under him and slapping him onto his back. The Hex Boy launched atop the fallen guard and landed a solid right hook to his jaw.
“Abort! Abort!” a voice crackled faintly.
Smithers crossed his arms over his chest and face. Ayden thought the man was shielding himself, but as Smithers uncrossed his arms, the human body transformed. His arms surged with power, then morphed into muscled wings that knocked Ayden clear.
Ayden landed in a crouch, skidding back several feet in the damp earth, kicking up leaves and dirt.
Smithers stood on thick, scaled legs the shape of a lion’s. The long, toothy snout foamed with smoldering, glowing globs of goo. It had no arms, just massive wings with bony, clawed hands on the ends. A powerful flap and the demon launched into the air.
“We may not succeed this night, but make no mistake,” the demon hissed. “Your Nex is not long for this world. We will end her reign before it ever begins.”
Ayden unleashed a torrent of roaring flame. The fire hit a wing with sizzling heat. A stench of rotten, burnt flesh filled the air. The demon lost its balance, clipped a tree, and crashed to the ground.
The hellion opened its mouth wide and inhaled deep. Its chest lit up, throat burning with a hot glow that became brighter. The ground rocked. Ayden remained steady, but the demon wobbled.
Ayden shot a hot blast of searing blue flame, which cut a clean hole in the demon’s chest. Ayden rushed the creature and unleashed a lightning fast series of flaming punches. In seconds, the demon formally known as Smithers looked like smoking Swiss cheese.
The demon croaked and fell. It hit the ground and dispersed to black ash that quickly vortexed into the ground.
Ayden stomped the earth for good measure. And to release some frustration.
“Hey, Ayden!” Blake ducked under a branch and waved. “Told you it was Ayden.”
“I told you Ayden was out here.” Logan limped into the clearing.
“You get yours?” Ayden said.
“Duh,” Blake snorted. “Piece of cake.”
Logan shot the big guy an exasperated look.
“Did yours say anything about who sent it?” Ayden said. “Give you any clues?”
Blake and Logan shook their heads.
Ayden groaned and dropped to the ground, exhausted, his head hung between his knees. “Okay, we need to make sure Jayden got his demon. And track the beak-faced one Aurora was talking about. And figure out how demons got in without setting off any alarms. And why they looked human. And fix up the club and get a cove story in place for the civilians.”
“Dude, you’ve got way bigger things to worry about.”
“I really don’t think that’s possible.”
“Leaving babe all alone when she’s looking that good?” Blake hauled Ayden up and swatted dirt from his clothes. “That’s a major problem.”
“Oh God,” Ayden slapped a hand to his head. “She’s waiting for me.”
“Yep,” Blake said. “Her real boyfriend might show up, and let’s be honest dude, you don’t hold a candle to me on a good day. Let alone when I’m post workout and fresh from battle. I mean, look at me.” Blake stepped back and waved an appreciative hand over his body.
“We can take care of all the demon stuff.” Logan reached up and straightened Ayden’s tie. “You just get back to Aurora. I think the Gossamer Grind is still open.”
“Oh, yeah, they’ve got that fireplace.” Blake plucked some leaves from Ayden’s hair. “Very romantic.”
“And chocolate éclairs,” Logan said. “Girls love chocolate.”
“Yeah, but those might be stale now,” Blake said.
“Aurora’s got low standards.”
“Well, she is dating Ayden.”
“Shut up.” Ayden laughed and back-handed the big guy’s chest. “Let’s get back to my girlfriend before any more disasters happen.”
An explosion rocked the ground. Light flashed. The sky washed white for a blinding moment. A second later, a concussion of wind blasted. It creaked every tree in the forest and ruffled the Hex Boys’ hair and clothes as they stumbled back.
