by Michael Todd
Juntto finished his salad and pushed the plate away. “In my opinion that doesn’t make them brave; it makes them cowards. Part of being brave is being able to state your opinions and stand behind them. In my world, a man who does that is considered to be of the highest caliber, even if his opinions are strange or foolish. Beings where I come from are not so sensitive. You want someone to tell you the full and utmost truth. Even our women—they want to know what the man is thinking, how he feels. They do not get hurt feelings by it.”
Angie snorted. “That sounds like the kind of place the men on this planet would love.”
Juntto grimaced. “Men here are too weak for my world.”
Angie chuckled. “I got a few you can take back with you, then.”
“They would be turned to pets or dinner, whichever was needed.”
“What you were talking about? We call them emotions. They are what makes humans human. We have empathy and sympathy toward other people. That is why you don’t see us going around just killing people because they talk too much. We value life.”
“And you think my people don’t because we don’t cry when someone says something mean about us? We reserve true emotions for when they are most useful. Anger, love, revenge, triumph, pride.”
Angie thought his people sounded interesting. “Maybe that’s why your world does so much more with their time; they aren’t worried about what anyone else has to say.”
The waitress put their main course down on the table and walked away, seeing them in conversation. Juntto didn’t even glance at it. “For example, if I met you today, I would say that you are smart and beautiful. At the same time, I would say that the fit of your dress makes you look slightly like a gifr.”
“A what?” Angie asked dryly.
“Uh, uh, the small creatures with long noses and hats that run around in gardens,” he tried to explain.
“You are referring to a troll. You just told me I looked like a troll.”
Juntto put his hands up. “Yes, but now you are aware that these are my thoughts. So what? Does that make them truth? One makes you feel good, one might not. But they are both true, so far as I think them. However, unless you give me power in your mind, they cannot do any damage to you. So, it is not about what people say, it’s about humans’ inability to not care. Humans give people power they should not.
“Why would you care if someone that you had never met and would never see again thought you were ugly? Does it change your face? Does it change your life, who you court, who you feud with, what your children think? No, it does not. It changes how you think of yourself. I don’t understand why you would allow a stranger to have that kind of control over you.”
Angie crossed her arms on her chest. “Right, but why do you feel the need to put those opinions out there? To hear yourself talk? If I shouldn’t care what you think, why even say it? You can do so much more with that talk coming out of your mouth. Seriously. There is a place for honesty, but we are taught very young to keep our opinions to ourselves unless we have facts to back them up and they will actually be productive to the conversation. Commenting on someone’s looks or someone’s personal attributes may reaffirm to you that you like the way you are, but you can do damage to someone else. It is called being a damn bully.”
Juntto gave a half-smirk. “Maybe you are right, on this planet. Very fragile and emotional creatures you are. That isn’t what we do on my planet. We are much different in that way.”
“How many of you are there on your planet?” Angie was ignoring her meal, but she didn’t mind.
Juntto thought about it. “Last time I checked there were about…let’s see, I have to turn it into your form of numbers. I would say about two million people.”
Angie was shocked. “Wow, that’s not a lot. We have that many people in just a quarter of New York City. I think the last time I checked there were something like eight billion people on Earth.”
Juntto nodded, impressed. He stroked his chin and began looking around the restaurant, sizing up the patrons.
Angie watched him with a straight face. “Stop looking like that.”
“I have only this face.”
“You know what I mean. You look like you’re thinking about conquering. If you want to rule so bad, I will get you an RTS game. Then you can find out how difficult it is to conquer a whole country and how bad it sucks once you actually succeed.”
Juntto perked up, intrigued. “What is RTS?”
Angie sighed. “Real-time strategy role-playing. It’s…never mind, I’ll just show you when we get back. Go ahead and eat your food before it gets cold.”
Juntto pulled the plate of steak, potatoes, and vegetables toward him. He looked at Angie and slid his fingers in, scooping up some potatoes. She reached across and slapped his hand. “Fork! Use a fork and a knife. Don’t embarrass me.”
The Leviathan yanked his hand back. “You dare strike me?”
“What are you gonna do about it?”
They engaged in a brutal staring contest. Finally, Juntto relented and picked up his fork. “Very well, gifr. You win this battle.”
4
Katie rolled onto her back and pulled the covers up over her. Brock lay there breathing hard, eyes wide. “Holy shit.”
Katie laughed, grabbed the bottle of water off her nightstand, and took a sip, then passed the bottle to him and dropped her head back on the pillow. They lay there in silence for a few minutes. Katie wondered what she would have thought of sleeping with a former rock star if things had been different.
Different how?
You. Us. The whole demon revelation, really.
You probably would have asked for seconds.
Is that a hint?
Oh, no! Not at all. But since you mentioned it…
Katie giggled and rolled back on top of Brock. “Time for round two.”
Brock coughed and chuckled. “That’s…uh… Well, all right.”
Katie went in for a kiss, but their lips had just barely touched when she heard her phone ring. She groaned, all hot and Brocked, and reached for her cell.
Brock grumbled under her. “Now?”
“Maybe.” She looked at the number and put the phone to her ear. “Please tell me this is something important, Angie.”
“Are you all right? Did I interrupt a workout?”
“You could say that. Just getting in some stretches and cardio. What’s up?”
“We got word that there’s an incursion not far from where we are. Apparently, the demons are coming out of the subway,” Angie replied.
Katie chuckled. “It always happens that way in my life.”
Angie was confused. “Huh?”
Katie shook her head, glancing down at Brock. “Never mind. Call Timothy and get the exact coordinates from him. I am putting this on Juntto. I want to see what kind of power he has and if he is really on our side. You can tell him he has some serious ass-kicking to do. I’ll let my guys at the precinct know, so they don’t get hurt. Just try to keep the cops out of the way, Juntto gets tunnel vision, and only Travers and Schultz know we have a new teammate.”
“Got it,” Angie replied.
Katie hung up the phone and fell back onto Brock. She held up her finger. “Just hold tight for a second. Shit is always breaking loose at the most inopportune time.”
“Should I call the guys?”
Brock tried to sit up, but Katie shook her head and pushed him back down. “Nah, we’re going to let Juntto handle this one. You just lie right there and collect yourself. My energy is already back.”
Pandora chuckled. Damn right, it is. Catch up, rocker boy.
Oh, he’s catching up all right.
You talk to the cops. I’ll handle this.
Katie dialed Schultz, who answered on the first ring. “I saw the incursion.”
Katie smiled, glad to see their system was still working. “Good, but hold your men back. I’m sending Juntto in, so you want to be on the lookout for him. He tends to
go a bit overboard, and I don’t want any cops hurt while he’s tossing demon heads around.”
Schultz cleared his throat nervously. “Okay. How will we know he is there?”
“Oh, you’ll know. And besides, Angie is with him. Just find her.”
“Got it, boss,” Schultz replied, hanging up the phone.
Katie tossed the phone to the floor and placed her hands on Brock’s chest. “Now, where were we?”
“Send those to my cell, okay?” Angie asked Timothy.
“You got it, girlie. And take some pictures of Van Damme for me. Mmm, all those muscles,” Timothy replied.
Angie tossed cash on the restaurant table and grabbed the fork from Juntto’s hand. He looked up at her, shocked. “What are you doing?”
“We have an incursion to handle. Come on, we’re only about five blocks away.”
Juntto grabbed a roll and shoved it in his mouth, then slid his new sunglasses on. He was ready. They sprinted full speed ahead through the crowds, Juntto impressed by how fast Angie was for a human. He sprinted ahead of her and used his strength to push people aside, creating a path for them. Angie didn’t like the way he was tossing civilians, but she knew it was necessary to get to the incursion on time.
When they reached the fifth block, Angie slowed down and looked down at her phone. Juntto slowed next to her. “What’s the deal?”
Angie scanned through the information. She pointed to stairs leading to a lower level. “They’re coming from an old area of the subway system. Their portal is in an unused section, but we can access it from this entrance. Most likely they’ve made it to the platforms.”
Loud shouting rang out in front of them, and a wave of people suddenly poured up the stairs with terrified looks on their faces. Angie glanced at Juntto. “Looks like they’re already here.”
They ran to the entrance and started to push through the people. Juntto growled loudly as he maneuvered by, hating how weak the humans were. “Weaklings, move! I am here to help. Move your human asses!”
Angie stopped on the third step and searched through her bag for her flat silver automatic. She cocked the gun and gulped in air. Her heart was pounding, and her hands were shaking. She was terrified, but she had to push through it. She was Katie’s personal assistant and right-hand woman, and that meant she had to find her courage.
A woman carrying a baby stopped and stared at Angie. “Are you a cop?”
Angie didn’t know what to say, so she just nodded. The woman let out a sigh of relief. “They’re everywhere down there—demons just ripping through the people. You need a lot more of you.”
Angie nodded and pushed the woman toward the doors. “Just get to safety. We got this.”
The crowd had died down. A few stragglers ran past her, then Angie was alone, staring down the staircase. She pulled her gun up and adjusted her grip, trying to remember how to hold the thing—and trying to stop the shaking. She had never been out in the field before. It was the first time she would meet demons face to face.
Juntto looked up from the lower platform of the stairs, squinting at Angie. He could see her hands shaking and her frantic look. It was a look he knew from centuries ago. He liked the woman and even admired her impudence, but she was afraid. If she gave in to the fear, she would be no help to him. There was no time to speak to her. The enemy had arrived.
A horde of teeth-gnashing demons ran across the concrete floor, their talons clicking and clattering on the subway floor. Juntto jumped down the last section of stairs. They were covered in the blood of the innocent and thirsty for more.
Juntto crouched, and for a moment wished he had a spear.
Then he launched himself into the demonic crowd.
His arms grew bigger by the second as he slammed his muscular body through the demons, grabbed one by its scaly throat and pulled up. With a great gout of black blood, he ripped the demon’s head off its shoulders. At the same time, he kicked hard behind him, where a smaller demon was trying to sneak up on him, and the demon flew back against the wall. “Take your train back to hell.” Juntto raised the severed demon head high and roared, “Juntto is protecting this subway!”
He pounded the severed head into the charred skull of a charging demon, breaking through it and destroying the twisted brains within. It evaporated into ash in his hand, and he tossed that into the face of another demon that was scrambling toward him. The demon screamed, rubbing its eyes. Juntto’s massive forearms bulged as he grabbed the blinded fiend by both wrists and yanked downward hard and fast, disconnecting its arms from its body.
Juntto stood his ground in the subway tunnel. In order for the demons to get to the platform they had to pass Juntto, and he wasn’t going to give them the slightest chance. Demons hissed and growled savagely, attacking him right and left.
He was having a blast. He tilted his head back and laughed loudly as he brought his massive fists together to smash a demon’s head to ash. He raised his hands and growled at the demons. One fat fiend took a step back, unsure what that meant. Juntto’s arms suddenly became skinny. The massive muscles stretched, twisted, and then morphed into long limbs tipped with razor-sharp claws.
He lashed out and sliced the fat demon to ribbons. Howls of rage followed, and the rest of the demons surged against him. The demons traded jabs with Juntto. His skin healed faster than they could cut it, but every swipe of his claws tore a demon in half and brought a shower of dust to the subway tunnel. Juntto ran forward and bounced off one side wall, spreading his deadly arms wide and tackling five demons to the ground. He slashed like a man possessed, slicing and shredding black scales until, one by one, their torn bodies turned to dust.
Juntto stood up and brushed his new pants off. The black blood would stain his new clothes. He cursed and decided to revisit Mr. Klein’s store, but he was stopped by snarls. Three hulking figures filled the subway tunnel, twisted and nightmarish creatures still reeking of the pits of hell. Their bodies curled at the spine, their black skin tightly wrinkled like an old leather saddle. Their eyes gleamed brightly, and their pointed teeth dripped saliva.
Juntto took a step forward, his boots crunching through the gravel. “Oh, you came out of your caves just to play with Juntto! So did your friends, but where are they now? Well, come and see.”
Juntto pushed his lock of white hair back, waiting. As one, the big creatures charged. He reared back and cold-cocked the first to reach him, knocking the demon’s head off its shoulders. Juntto shook his hand, which stung where his knuckles had met the demon’s teeth. A small amount of blood ran down his knuckles.
He gritted his teeth and turned to the other fiends. “No one makes Juntto bleed. You came to the wrong town, motherfuckers.”
He tackled a demon and dug his claws into the thing’s chest. Black, foul blood bubbled from the wound. Juntto grunted with effort and ripped the dark, pumping organ free, screaming, “You ruined my pants!”
Back on the upper level, Angie stood facing the dark staircase. She tightened her grip on her gun. Behind her, armored police officers were assembling, checking their gear and preparing to go in. Angie turned as a cop called, “Ma’am?”
She was met by a middle-aged man with a Kevlar vest over his uniform. He gave her a concerned look. “I’m Chief Poydras. You all right?”
“My, uh, teammate is down there.” She was still holding the gun at the ready, and the barrel was still shaking.
The chief pushed down on the top of her gun and looked at her scared face. “Is Katie down there?”
Angie shook her head. “No. She has help now.”
Juntto’s voice echoed up to them. “Incoming!”
A tall, lanky demon came flying out of the staircase, landing on the stairs just below the chief and Angie.
They looked at the demon for a moment as it stood to its full height, shaking its head to straighten its vision. The chief put his arm across Angie, holding her back, then gave a signal. The department all started to fire at the demon at the same time.
Angie could tell this demon was different. The cops’ bullets riddled the beast, knocking him back, but he raised a scaled leg and started climbing the stairs. This demon was a badass. The bullets didn’t seem to be doing anything but pissing it off.
The chief yelled, “Reload.”
The demon hissed and scrambled upward, claws reaching for the chief.
BOOM. The loud shot rang out in the stairwell.
The chief slowly looked at Angie. Blue-black smoke oozed from the barrel of her gun. She pulled the gun down and slid it into her holster. The demon clapped its claws to the bullet hole in its forehead and screeched loudly before exploding into ash.
Angie swallowed hard and walked up to the chief, who was visibly shaken. “Almost got me,” he whispered.
“Nah.” Angie shook her head and wiped her sweaty palms on her sides.
The chief opened his mouth to talk, but nothing came out. Angie stepped forward. “You need to keep your men back. It’s under control. You’re all carrying special bullets, right? If a demon like that comes up again, shoot it in the head, okay? Right between the eyes.”
Angie went to turn to walk up the steps, but the chief grabbed her arm. “You’re Angie, right? Katie’s personal assistant?”
Angie nodded. “I am, but today I’m fighting too. Trust me when I tell you that downstairs is being taken care of, but our team member isn’t quite as controlled as Katie. I think it would be best if you stepped back to the top and waited this one out. There is a portal in the tunnel, and our guy is working on taking care of it.”
The chief looked at her suspiciously. “And who is your guy?”
Angie thought about it a moment. She couldn’t tell them it was Juntto since he had been all over the news. “He goes by Claude, at least for today. If you trust Katie, then trust that she sent in the best team possible to handle this. Now, if you don’t mind, there are a ton of civilians up here who need medical attention. The demons attacked before we could get here.”
