The Devil you know... (IC)

[Cyroa]

James threw another blast of hellfire outwards, creating a hellish (no pun intended) inferno. He felt the warmth of the blaze but it didn’t bother him of course. The little imps that had been spying on him however were incinerated. The little things might normally be immune to normal fire, but the touch of hellfire was something far worse. They were banished back down to the pit as their physical forms were destroyed.

He brushed his hands off and summoned a little energy, closing up his few wounds, before turning and heading away. Someone was starting to tick him off. The little demons couldn’t get here to Earth without help. And whoever the summoner was, he was very persistent. The little imps had been ghosting him for at least month now, quietly stalking and watching him. Maybe longer. He just got better at noticing them recently.

Which was annoying for a couple reasons. He hated being spied on for one. Fights were fun and all, if somewhat damaging to his stuff. It also meant that someone had plans in the works for him. And they were not good either; of course he already knew that part. The other was that his powers were increasing. Significantly in some areas. While some people might be thrilled at that, to James it was a bad sign.

He took a few moments to reach out, seeing if he could feel any more of the little buggers around before he ‘ported out again. He had started hunting them recently, now that he could start to find them.

[alderwitch]

After everything that had happened in the last month and a half, it was a relief to have a night to devote to the imp problem. After the destruction, at the mini putt, she knew there was something else they were looking for. Someone else.

High above the city, on one of the skyscrapers, she continued to search the city for that distinctive infernal signature.

For once, she was in luck. Even as Phantom felt the demons sent back to hell, she was stepping off the building to teleport into the alley.

She appeared in a quick burst of shadow in the alley and turned around to blink at James. After a moment, she recognized his face from the debutante ball. "You're the Prophet boy."

[Cyroa]

As the costumed woman suddenly stepped from the shadows, James was already bringing fire to hand, swirling around his fist. He was getting a little jumpy, with good reason, lately it seemed. He recognized her, both from the party and his other sources. After that little party, he'd done some digging. She certainly wasn't the most relaxed or cordial person he'd met so far. "And you're the Chun lady, also called Phantom. Yay, introductions done. Or is this how you say hi to all the young men you appear before in the dark of night," he asked rhetorically with a smile. He shook his hands dismissing the flames with a thought. "So...is this a social call or is there some specific reason for your arrival? I'm guessing it's not pleasant chit-chat."

[alderwitch]

No longer constrained by the party atmosphere, Phantom was clear to check what exactly this boy was. What she found made her narrow her eyes behind her mask.

"I don't do social calls." She said dryly. Phantom was completely covered from head to foot with the folds of her cloak until she moved, solidifying as she landed in the alley. "You're the other one these demons are looking for. I'd like to know why."

[Cyroa]

Sharing his darker secret and 'shame' with an abrupt and unpleasant stranger wasn't exactly high on James' to-do list. "I can tell. You don't seem to do 'pleasant' or 'cordial' either. What did they want? Hmm, maybe they were here to talk about the baseball team's chances this year," he said with a smirk. He had no real intention of mentioning the truth without a damn good reason. But her next words caused him to pause and an eyebrow twitched upwards. "Other? What other?" There was no humor or sarcasm in those words. Because he first thought, that there was another like him was really not a good thought.

[alderwitch]

"I do pleasant and cordial far better when I haven't spend the last two months blasting demon spies back to hell," she retorted as she pushed her hood back to look up at him better, "Irritating, but nowhere near the threat of the enforcer demon I all but tripped over. A trap meant for you, I might add. Usually the infernals give me a wide enough berth. Getting my attention is generally not a good way to stick around Prime. Its not a big leap to guess they're trying to find another way around the Pact. So why are they trying so hard to retrieve a half-demon?"

[Cyroa]

James smiled wryly. "Another one? They've tried a few times but getting enough support up here to take me isn't exactly easy. I've been surprised at the number of the little imps I've been blasting over the couple months, true enough." He paused, debating what to tell or not. She wasn't exactly the most inviting person to trust. But she did seem to know what he was. At least in a general sense, though not much more than that apparently. His first instinct was just to blow her off. She was rather rude and pushy and he didn't normally put up with it or any other so-called 'authority figure'. But... if he was taken, if he was somehow turned and made to be what he was created for, then she might be able to stop him before the infernal shit hit the fan. It went against his nature and judgment but to trust, but this wasn't exactly something that should be left to chance.

"I wasn't aware there were more half-demons running around besides me. Despite the power and rep, you're not exactly a enough to make them avoid you considering the payoff. The why? Because I'm not just anyone. My 'father' is not just any demon, he's one of the Lords of Hell. And I'm the one who can get around the Pact and bring Hell to Earth. That's his plan anyway. I just threw a wrench in the plans by refusing to play along. So regular torture, spying, and the attempted grab is pretty much par for the course since then." He resisted the impulse to ask if she was going to do something about it or if she was going to continue with rudeness or adding some rude behavior of his own.

[alderwitch]

"Just because they avoid me, doesn't mean its out of fear. Much like criminals avoiding cops, its because I can be a series set back in the current plan but that's about it." She said with the thread of long standing aggravation. Much like mortal police, Phantom didn't kill, which meant there was no ending stream of revolving regulars that made her life as busy as it was.

Phantom shrugged and answered his unspoken question first, "There are other half-demons although its rare to see one with any real demonic power. Usually they're the product of an incubi, which don't tend to do much more than sleep around and refuse to pay their speeding tickets. Hardly high on the scale of massive threat. More like your average college student than anything else."

Her wit was just as acerbic as her words but the flash of smile below her cowl as she spoke was genuine enough. "Sounds like a plausible theory. Somehow you don't sound down with the plan. I can't imagine why not as, man, does that being torture and spied on sound like real incentive to me. I know that puts me in an excellent mood."

Phantom's voice dropped a little flat as she had personal experience with both of those.

[Cyroa]

James raised an eyebrow at the information. "Learn something knew every day I suppose." He was far from an except in arcane matters, but he was learning. "Well, given who 'dad' is, I've got plenty of power. And growing regularly it seems." He didn't particularly like where his power came from, but he liked having it. He chuckled. "Yeah, obviously they don't exactly think like most people even if some are good at manipulating them. If they weren't evil and psychotic to start, they would certainly get that way from hanging out down there for any length of time." He shrugged. "It sucks, yeah, but I don't dwell on it. I'd rather live, have fun and move on then dwell on things that already happened or that I can't control." Pretty much his philosophy of life there when he thought about it.

[alderwitch]

"We can't always chose our paths but you can make it difficult for the people shoving you down it. Other than frying the occasional imps," Phantom said softly with a rare burst of empathy. She knew quite well what it was to have her destiny charted out. "If you want."

[Cyroa]

James gave a little half-shrug. He was tough, sure. He was impulsive sure. He was a little overconfident at times, sure. But taking on a Lord of Hell directly was pretty much the height of stupidity really and he was smart enough to know it. "I've been making it hard for a couple years now. Rather something more direct, but what can you do," he asked rhetorically with half-smile. "Now I'm just trying live life some amidst the string my powers bring. Without freaking people out as well. Fun times. But since I don't like being told what to do, by anyone but especially by him, I'll happily keep spitting in his face while I can," he finished with a grin.

[alderwitch]

"You could learn some actual magic. There are spells that can nullify the powers of hell, you know." Phantom pointed out, tilting her chin up so that she could look at him. Standing as close as she was, the effect of the cloak and cape was not enough to cover just how short she actually was, "Among others."

[Cyroa]

He raised an eyebrow. "Learn magic? Never really thought about it. I know some things but that was just incidentals I picked up when I was researching all the infernal stuff." He looked her in the eye, even with her hovering it was almost eye to eye. "I know a few places that can do that as well. I keep them in mind when things get a little tense. I tend to avoid them as they aren't exactly healthy for me."

[alderwitch]

Phantom lifted one shoulder which sent her cloak rustling like a living thing around her as it settled, "Magic isn't quite so binary. While the church does have its own focus on combating those things, I've had need to deal with demons before. There are more eclectic practicioners out there like myself but we're more difficult to track down than those that hold allegiance to institutions."

[Cyroa]

He nodded. "Magic, whatever the source, definitely seems pretty varied. So how long you been doing the magic thing? I understand, mostly, what your 'job' is; just not how long you've been at it." He'd never really thought about learning much in the way of magic. His powers, except for the recent spikes, had always come easy to him. There had been very little practice and training necessary for his to get a good grasp of his abilities.

[alderwitch]

Her smile flashed, startling white in the shadows of the hood, "I'll tell you what, I'll give you the origin story but lets get out of the alley first. Otherwise we're liable to be interrupted by some fool mugger at the dramatic climax."

Phantom held out one leather gloved hand for his, "I can take us anywhere you want to go. You can pick."

[Cyroa]

Apparently she could lighten up given the right situation. Good to know. He gave a shrug after chuckling at the mugger bit. "Wherever. Doesn't matter much to me." He hesitated a long moment. Trust was not exactly something he was good at. He had little experience with out barring recent events. But in for a penny, in for a pound. He wasn't one to do something halfwy after all. He reached out and took her hand, nodding. "Onward and off."

[alderwitch]

After a brife jaunt through the void, they popped back into existance on one of the high rooftops over looking the city's skyline. The hand that released James was no longer covered with a glove and Taylor stuffed her hands into the beaten bomber jacket's pockets before she sat down on the building's ledge.

"I didn't think you'd mind the heights"

[Cyroa]

James shook his head, sitting next to her. "I kind of like it actually. Its almost like flying. Something I'd like to do but doubt it's gonna happen barring growing freaky demon wings. But no, heights don't faze me. After I chucked myself off of that building over there," he pointed at a different skyscrapper, "and kissed pavement, the whole fear of heights thing kind of went away. Fear of most things really."

[alderwitch]

Taylor mad a noise of agreement, her smile lopsided. Her denim clad legs idly drummed the stone with her heels, "So you asked about all of what I am. Time gets a little hinky. On our calendar, I've been Phantom for around a year. I learned magic in another dimension where time worked a bit differently. I think it was somewhere between three and five years of study. Give or take."

[Cyroa]

James nodded. "Yeah, I get that. When I get sucked down, the evening sleep is like forever. Way more than the 8 hours I'm actually asleep. So how bad did it suck for you?" His own experiences with that kind of thing were about as bad as it could get. There were really no good memories associated with it.

[alderwitch]

Taylor shrugged a shoulder and swallowed once before she lifted her chin up, "Not knowing how long was passing here - that was hard. I have a big family, one I love very much. I kept picturing the worrying, the fretting. The resignation when days turned to months and then years."

She shrugged again, turning her face up to the moonlight. "I was 'gone' less than twenty four hours but picking my regular life up again has been hard. I'm not the same person. So, it sucked but I survived it."

[Cyroa]

"Sounds like rough." He was almost envious. Having a family that cared more than just how he could ruin them or the world was not something he was familiar with. "So, is there more than just surviving for you? 'Cause honestly, just surviving isn't enough for me. I need to have fun and relax. Otherwise, what's the point? I'll just get crushed, give up."

[alderwitch]

"Well, it took me a long time to adjust to trying to pretend to be myself to my family and juggle the whole cosmic responsibilities. Now, its a little easier. I have people I care about now who know both sides. It makes balancing it all easier, for one. I have friends, a boyfriend. It's not a normal life by any stretch of the imagination but it's a life. I didn't have anyone who'd come fish me out when I got over my head before. My powers set me apart from other super heroes. My responsibilities mean sometimes I end up facing off with people who are my allies. It dosen't build friendships but I know I have people who'll go to the mat for me. It's amazing. It's humbling. It makes me fight even harder, though." Taylor admitted in a rare burst of self-introspection. She wasn't usually one to volunteer personal information.

[Cyroa]

He stared out across the city with her, feet hanging over the precipice. He could relate. He'd only recently found some friends himself. It was still rather odd at times. "So, you've had to fight your friends? How's that work out?" It struck a cord since it was a concern of his; hurting his friends. She'd certainly opened up and relaxed since she'd first shown up and demanded answers. It was nice to see that she could; her explaining her own life showed there were still possibilities for him. Hopefully.