Hondo thought it ironic that Gammy was hanging across the street from Diablo’s the whole time he was hanging in the club.
“I’m so excited.” Chris bit at his nails, giggling as he ran next to Hondo. “My first capture.”
“Remember to do as I say,” Hondo warned him.
Chris used his index finger to cross his heart. “I promise.” Hondo could see the anticipation bubbling all around the demon.
He would subdue Gammy and then let Chris cuff him with neutralizing cuffs. The cuffs voided any paranormal being’s powers.
That should make his night.
He came up short when he rounded the corner onto Granger.
Gammy wasn’t alone. The slimeball had another seedy demon with him. “Go home, Chris.”
“
No, no, no
.” Chris stomped his foot. “You said I could help with this one.”
“But that was before I knew Gammy had a sidekick.” Chris shook his head adamantly. “I can defend myself.” He took a karate stance, wobbling on one leg, and then performed a judo chop, his hands slicing through the air in front of him and nearly making him tumble over.
Hondo bit the inside of his mouth to stop the chuckle. “Go home.”
“No.” The little demon crossed his arms over his chest. “Can’t make me.”
Hondo could, but he didn’t have time for this. “Stay behind me, damn it.”
Chris’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. He jumped up and down, squealing into his hand that covered his mouth and nodded.
“I promise,” he whispered after uncovering his mouth.
Hondo’s stomach clenched at the thought of his buddy getting hurt. He had been hanging around them for over one hundred years now, and they all were very fond of him.
He motioned for Chris to stay behind him. The guy’s exuberance was bouncing off the damn brick buildings that surrounded them.
Chris nodded in short bursts, giving Hondo the thumbs-up.
Plastering his back to the wall, Hondo inched his way forward, sliding along until he was mere feet away. He reached behind him, grabbing the neutralizing cuffs and silently handing them to Chris, who snatched them quickly from his hand. Hondo prayed he was making the right call by allowing Chris to be a part of this.
Hondo reached out with the quickness of a striking snake and grabbed Gammy by his neck. The slimeball that had been with Gammy took off running, Hondo ignored the fleeing man. He slammed the soul sucker to the pavement, wrestling his hands behind his back.
“Now, Chris,” he yelled over his shoulder.
Chris dashed forward, leaping onto Gammy’s back and slapping the cuffs around the demon’s wrists. Chris jumped up, pumping his arms in the air and singing as he danced in a circle around Hondo. “I caught a slimeball. I caught a slimeball.” Hondo chuckled at the little demon, pulling his cell phone from his leather and hitting speed dial for Rainerio. “Caught Gammy, I’m on Granger.” He hit the end button and shoved the phone back in his leather.
“Come on, Gammy. Let’s get you into the detention cells.” Hondo pulled the cuffed demon to his feet. The detention cells were located in the underworld. The worst of the paranormal world was locked up down there.
“I didn’t do anything. You’re harassing me for standing on the corner talking to a dear friend of mine.”
“Sure,” Hondo said sarcastically.
“Liar,” Chris shouted at Gammy, pointing his finger up into the demon’s face. “I saw you trying to suck someone’s soul out.” Chris’s lips pursed in anger as his eyes narrowed at Gammy. “Tell the truth, Gammy.”
Hondo had to pull Chris back. Even though they finally caught the soul sucker, Gammy was still lethal.
“Fuck.” Hondo swung Gammy into the brick wall. The temperature dropped around them. Gammy’s power was to dry-freeze and kill. The demon growled as his skin started freezing. Being a Demon Warrior, Hondo could withstand it. Chris couldn’t.
“Stay back, Chris,” Hondo shouted as he continually slammed Gammy into the brick wall of the mini-mart, hoping to knock him unconscious and stop him from wreaking havoc.
Chris jumped up and down frantically. “Is he freezing you?” he asked in a panic filled voice.
“No, but you will be if you come too close.” Hondo was relieved when Rainerio and Takeo showed up. Taking a prisoner to the detention cells required three Demon Warriors. They would deliver him to the underworld and let the Keeper pass judgment. Capturing was their job, and capturing was what had been accomplished.
“You did a good job, Chris. Now I need you to go home so we can drop this piece of scum off,” Hondo complimented his buddy as Gammy slumped against the wall, succumbing to unconsciousness.
“He helped?” Rainerio asked as he looked between Hondo and Chris. “I’m impressed.”
Chris grinned, his smile stretching from ear to ear. “Yep, I did,” he stated proudly. His slim chest puffed out in pride as he smiled at all three of the warriors.
“Way to go.” Takeo bumped the side of his fist against Chris’s shoulder. The shorter demon blushed and waved his hand at Takeo.
“It’s no big deal.”
Hondo knew better. Chris would be riding that high for months to come. He should. He did cuff him with expertise. Hondo chuckled to himself.
“I’ll call you,” Chris sang as he skipped away.
“He really helped?” Rainerio asked once Chris was out of earshot.
“Yep, cuffed him like a pro.” Hondo chuckled outwardly this time. “I couldn’t get the little bugger to go home, so I had to give him something to do.”
“I think he’s sweet on you,” Takeo teased.
Hondo tilted his head, staring at the warrior in confusion. “Nah, he just wants in on the action.” There was no way Chris liked him. He acted that way around all of them.
“I think so.” Takeo grabbed Gammy as the other two did the same, all three walking into the shadow on the side of the building.
* * * *
Hondo stirred the pasta in the boiling water, checking on the sauce at the same time. “I’m coming,” Chris shouted from the living room.
“What?” Hondo turned and Chris was right at his side with his apron on. The little demon was fast.
“Sorry, the commercial took really long to come on.” When he asked Chris over for dinner, he had no clue he’d be stuck cooking. He had planned to stick his friend with the chore. Guess it backfired on him. “It’s cool. The pasta is almost ready, and the sauce is simmering.”
“I’ll get the garlic bread and put it in the oven.” Chris shot over to the freezer and grabbed the foiled package, ripping it open, and placing two long halves on a cookie sheet.
“Watch out.” Chris bumped Hondo over as he opened the oven, placing the tray on the rack. “Shouldn’t take too long.” Hondo looked down at Chris, remembering Takeo’s words from last night. Chris didn’t act like he had a crush on him, more like a buddy in his opinion. He waved the thought away. Takeo read too much into things.
“Let me drain this and then I can sit back and watch the movie with you.”
Chris shot over to the cupboard, jumping onto a chair and pulling the colander down, setting it in the sink. He ran back over to the stove and shut the sauce off, all before Hondo even pulled the pot from the burner. “Slow down,
I’m
getting motion sickness.” He chuckled.
“Sorry, I’m just really hungry, and the movie is about to start again.” Chris shot out of the kitchen as Hondo dumped the pasta in the sink. He set the timer for the bread and then joined Chris in the living room, taking a seat on the other side of the couch.
“What are we watching?” Hondo asked, seeing how Chris was curled up into a ball and peeking out between his fingers.
“A scary movie,” Chris whispered.
“If it’s so scary, why are you watching it?” Chris looked over at Hondo between his fingers. “’Cause it’s good.”
Hondo smiled. The guy made no sense. He grabbed a throw pillow and held it to his chest, slouching down to watch the movie.
The acting was terrible and the slasher scenes were comical, but Chris stayed balled up with his knees to his chest and his hands half covering his eyes as he watched it.
The timer buzzed, and Hondo got up to take the garlic bread out.
“Don’t let the killer find you while I’m gone,” he teased.
Chris shot off the couch and ran behind him as Hondo entered the kitchen. The little shit ran into his back when Hondo stopped at the oven.
“Sorry,” he squeaked and looked over his shoulder. The guy was making this too easy.
“I’ll be right back.” Hondo set the sheet on the stove, walking out of the kitchen. He hid in the closet, keeping it cracked open until he saw Chris wandering in slowly, looking around for him. He bit his bottom lip to stop the laughter trying to force its way out and ruin his prank.
“H–Hondo?”
Hondo jumped from the closet, watching Chris shriek and jump ten feet in the air. “You asshole.” Chris punched him in the stomach.
Hondo barely feeling it. “That wasn’t nice!” Hondo held his side as he laughed. “I thought it was funny as hell.” He dodged another of Chris’s fists, running into the kitchen, letting the little demon think he was getting even. Chris’s lips were pursed, his eyes narrowed, as he chased Hondo around the four seat table.
“Okay, I give.” Hondo laughed and grabbed the pasta from the sink, Chris pulling a chair to the cupboard and getting two plates and two glasses down. He balanced them precariously while trying to step down.
Hondo leased one of the apartments made especially for warriors.
All the Demon Warriors were occupants here. The counters and cupboards were at his height, which was perfect for him, but not so much for beings under six feet, like Chris. His buddy scraped a chair around the kitchen every time he came over.
“How much?” Hondo asked as he scooped the spaghetti from the pot and began to pile it on Chris’s plate.
“Stop.” Chris waved his hands in front of him. “That’s too much.” Hondo took some away, dumping the rest onto his plate and then pouring the sauce over both.
He was just turning to set the pot back on the stove when the building vibrated. Shit, not again. “Get in the closet, Chris.” The little demon shot from the table as Hondo stormed to the hallway, the other warriors rushing out of their apartments.
“Where’s Chris?” the warrior Kane asked.
“I told him to get into the closet,” Hondo shouted over his shoulder as the warriors ran from the hallway and down to the street.
Shit, it was the demon that had been with Gammy. He was projecting energy blasts into the building, making the bricks crumble slightly, fine dust hit the ground, and a few windows shattered. They weren’t strong enough to do structural damage. The demon must be a young adult, and his powers weren’t fully developed. Lucky for them.
“Damn, that was my bedroom window.” Kane growled.
Hondo held his arms out, palms up, as he called forth the demon inside. His skin began to heat up, a glow became visible, and then he caught fire. Hondo’s entire body was engulfed in the inferno. He pulled his right arm back, aiming and throwing the fireball at the attacking demon, but the jackass jumped away in time to avoid the heated missile.
Kane focused and then everything stilled. Time no longer mattered. He walked over to the demon, Hondo following. They only had a twenty second window before everything morphed back to real time.
“Who’s got a pair of neutralizing cuffs?” Hondo shouted, reached his hand up, and then caught the flying set. “Thanks, Einarr.” Hondo gave them to Kane, not wanting to set the scumbag on fire. Kane pulled the demon’s hands behind his back, ready to cuff him when time started again, Chris came running out of the building toward them, and the slimeball pulled away at the last second.
Kane couldn’t stop time because the five minute mark hadn’t been reached yet for him to recharge.
“No!” Hondo shouted, running toward Chris, but pulled up at the last second, seeing the flames burn higher on his arms from his anxiety.
The demon saw what was going on, looking quickly from the Demon Warriors to Chris. The smile that crept across his face had a chill running up Hondo’s spine. The demon tipped his head and shot away in the other direction.
Hondo closed his eyes, willing the flames to bank. Once they ebbed away, he spun around. “Didn’t I tell you to stay in the closet?” he shouted.
Chris shrank back, and his hand trembled as he pushed his hair from his face, glancing around at the other warriors, and then back at Hondo. “I–I was afraid something bad might happened to you.” Chris backed away, turning on his heel and taking off down the street.
Hondo felt like shit.
“He’ll be back.” Kane patted him on his shoulder, Hondo still staring after his buddy. “He has been hanging around us too long to let an outburst drive him away.”
“I’m going to go find him. I didn’t like the way that demon was looking at him. It just doesn’t set right with me.” Hondo took off down the street after Chris, hoping his buddy would forgive him.
Chris used his supersonic speed to race the three blocks down Broadview, and then turned onto Mapledale until he reached his house. He had never been more embarrassed than just now.
All
the warriors had been standing there, witnessing him being chastised like a child.
How could Hondo have done that to him? Didn’t he see how much Chris adored him? He fumbled in his pocket, extracting his key, and unlocked the door. He slammed it shut hard, angry at the way Hondo had handled the situation.
Why, why, why was he so in love with someone who only looked at him like a friend? Chris wanted to throttle the big lug until he realized how Chris felt about him or passed out from lack of oxygen.
Chris ran into his bedroom when a big, booming knock sounded on his door. He had a feeling he knew who it was, and he didn’t want to talk right now.
The brute probably came to yell at him some more. Well, let him yell at the door. He was a grown demon and expected to be treated like one. Just because he was short and skinny, it didn’t mean he deserved any less respect. Chris squeaked when Hondo walked into his bedroom from a shadowed corner.
He really hated when the guy did that.