Demon's Reign

Seemingly out of nowhere, Arthur approached X, wrapping his hand around his shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said, slurring his words, leaning ever so slightly on the table.

"You're drunk. Everyone's sorry for something when they're drunk," X retorted.

"I shouldn't have attacked you back then. You are an amazing demon hunter, I know that. I just couldn't fathom the possibility of a demon being a good person," Arthur explained, getting teary-eyed.

"Whoa, whoa, no need to cry about it." X raised both of his hands. "Honestly, I shouldn't have provoked you either. I just thought that you attacked me because you were following the orders of your contracted angel. You see, Excalibur's previous host and I had a bit of a falling out," X added, scratching his head.

"You mean you fought Arthur Raymond?!" Calvin yelled in shock.

"He killed Arthur Raymond," Joseph added, clearing his throat.

"I didn't know," Arthur stuttered. "I can't really converse with Excalibur yet."

"You'll get there eventually, but when you do, be sure to keep whatever you learn about me to yourself," X said, looking down at the ground. "You're a good kid. I think I'll come over to teach you a few things one of these days." He smiled.

Arthur smiled back before suddenly throwing up on the ground.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?!" the bartender shouted, waving his fist at the rowdy demon hunters.

"I think that's our cue to leave." Joseph grabbed X by the shoulder, nudging him toward the exit as they both laughed gleefully.

The group hastily ran outside. Maddie picked up Arthur, Victor helped Dalas, and X threw exuberant amounts of credits at the bartender to appease his anger.

"So, what's the plan now?" X asked as the group stood outside the bar.

"I think that's enough for today, boss," Calvin said with a sad look.

"Yeah, I have to take this kid home." Maddie pointed at Arthur, who was barely conscious.

"I need to sober up a little, or I won't be able to shoot for shit tomorrow," Jeb said, lighting his cigarette.

"Come on, guys, the night is still young!" X exclaimed.

"Sorry, X, I have work tomorrow," Joseph said, shaking his head.

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"Yeah, us too. Dalas had a few too many," Victor stated as he slowly headed off into the distance, carrying his partner on his shoulder.

X looked up at the murky night sky. No stars were visible. A strange sense of nostalgia filled him, an emotion that felt integral to his being, yet made him uneasy.

"I'm still here," Rebeca said, smiling as she cracked open a can of beer.

"Hell yeah! Just like in the good old days!" X shouted with great excitement.

Rebeca and X spent the next couple of hours wandering around the city, laughing and talking about everything and nothing—topics that had nothing to do with their daily lives or the roles they played. In that moment, they could be their true selves: two drunk idiots messing around the city at three in the morning.

Eventually, they climbed up the fire escape of a tall building, settling on the rooftop. They sat down, staring at the sky, sipping their last cans of beer.

"Look, it's clearing up," Rebeca said, a certain gleam in her eyes. "Isn't it beautiful?"

"Yeah, the stars are pretty nice," X replied.

"No, I mean the moon. It's almost full!" Rebeca looked up with a captivated expression, focused solely on the night sky.

"I guess so," X mumbled. "Hey, remember when we first met?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I sure do," Rebeca said, shifting her attention. "I honestly didn't know what to make of you. You'd break everything I gave you, you were loud and confrontational, and you seemed hostile for no reason."

"You sure you're not talking about yourself?" X smirked.

"Ha ha, very funny," Rebeca frowned. "But you know, as much as you hate to admit it, you do have a softer side. The way you take care of your team, the way you teach and nurture them, makes me a little jealous," she said, smiling.

"I know." X stood up. "Well, I think it's about time for us to roll. I'll get you home."

"We still have to climb back down," Rebeca sighed.

"If you can keep a secret…" X remarked, dragging the soles of his feet against the ground.

"We're gonna jump off, aren't we?" Rebeca said, placing her right hand on the top of her head.

"You don't sound surprised," X smirked, extending his hand to her.

"I knew," Rebeca said, grabbing on as a nervous smile took root on her face.

As they slowly approached the edge of the building, a vista of the city unfolded before them.

"You do this often?" Rebeca asked in a shaky voice, clutching tightly to X's side.

"Every Friday," X replied, launching them both off the side of the building.

Rebeca let out a violent scream as the two twirled in midair. She looked up at X only to see his bored expression. Below them, the city expanded like a gaping maw in the toothy skyline of tall buildings, eventually swallowing them whole. They landed safely, with Rebeca held tightly in X's arms.

X set her down, climbed onto a motorcycle, and said calmly, "Get on. I'll take you home."

The drive was short, far shorter than either had expected. Rebeca made sure to hold on tightly to X's back, feeling his heartbeat and the warmth of his body.

Eventually, they reached Rebeca's apartment. X escorted her to the door. "It was fun. We should do this more often," he said.

"I didn't know you rode," Rebeca remarked, laughing.

"Yeah, I didn't either—this thing's not mine," he smirked, scratching his head.

"You know," Rebeca stammered, "you can stay the night here if you want." She blushed ever so slightly.

X's eyes widened. He had been aware of Rebeca's feelings for some time but never expected her to bring them up.

"I don't think this would lead anywhere we wouldn't regret in the near future," X said, his expression serious. "Plus, I still have to take care of my daughter."

He placed his hand on top of Rebeca's head. "Good night, scaredy cat," X said with a smirk before walking away and leaving her speechless in the middle of the night.