First Demonic Dragon

Despite his infamy, Mateo had really come up in the world.

Even though there were only fifteen individuals staying in the mansion at any given time, Mateo made one phone call and there was suddenly a small army filling up outside the door.

They escorted Apophis and the twins to an off-the-books airline site not far from the house.

Mateo was supposedly spending a lot of money and using some very influential connections to keep the government unaware of the hangar and the very large plane sitting inside it.

Shortly after the group had boarded up, the plane took off and headed straight for the Indian Ocean.

This was Apophis' first time witnessing this newly born race of humans created by his father.

Even though his eyes were closed and he was in the first class section with his sisters, his mind was still focused on the back of the plane where everyone Mateo called were waiting patiently.

The interesting thing about this particular brand of Homo sapiens was how easy it could've been to mistake them for normal people.

They weren't overbearingly beautiful, and nor were they egregiously ugly.

It was as if normal, everyday men and women had randomly developed super powers in the middle of the night.

…But that is kind of what happened.

"Are you ready, míjo?" Mateo suddenly appeared beside Apophis and clasped him on the shoulder.

"Sure… These are impressive numbers for such short notice. Your men must hold you in high regard."

Mateo scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

"I must admit, I never thought of myself as the leader type. But I guess the proof of my ability is here in the people who choose to follow me."

Apophis could see how his father could have taken a liking to someone like Mateo now. They were a lot more alike than either one of them probably expected.

"You know, you remind me a lot of dad."

Mateo rolled his eyes.

"Oh? Well I'm sure I wouldn't know what you're referring to, since I haven't seen him in forever. Guy doesn't call, doesn't write, what kind of friend is that?

Even if he doesn't have a phone or get cell service down there in the deep dark wherever, the least he could do is use some of that limitless power to-"

"Dad has a phone."

"Qué?"

"We have cell service too, but it doesn't exactly work like it does here since numbers have to connect from anywhere in the multiverse."

"…Qué?"

"Home is pretty much like earth but nicer, more advanced, and dragon-sized." Apophis shrugged.

Mateo's brain seemed to endure some kind of short circuit.

He showed Apophis a pointed smile as he pulled out a burner phone from his pocket.

"I'm sorry… Would you mind giving me that number really quickly?"

- Tehom

Abaddon was in the middle of some very important dragon business.

And by that I mean he was working with Courtney while she was off from school for the day.

Abaddon was trying to go over some required reading with her, but apparently the bowl of sugar cereal she had Thea make her this morning was making it difficult to focus.

And when Courtney could focus, she always asked questions.

"If you give a moose a-"

"Does this eye in your chest function like a regular eye?" Courtney stared.

"…Yes, pumpkin."

"Cool… can I poke it?"

"Can I poke you in the eye?" Abaddon raised a brow.

"O-Only if it doesn't hurt." Courtney covered her face.

"It does."

"Then no!"

"There's your answer then, pumpkin. Now, can you read the next page and-"

"Daddy, does everybody call you the black dragon because you're black and a dragon, or because you're an actual black dragon??"

"…Yes."

"Cool."

Abaddon sighed as he sat up on the carpet.

He pulled the jittery young girl into his lap and held her firmly barring all attempts at escape.

"Come on now, little miss, you know the rules. I can't let you run around and play on your days off until we get through four books."

"Well how many have we read so far?"

"None."

"Aw damn." Courtney deflated.

"Aw damn indeed, pumpkin. Aw damn indeed." Abaddon sighed.

Finally, it seemed like Courtney was going to actually resume putting her focus into her reading time.

But before she could, begin sounding words out, Abaddon's phone rang, and all of his efforts were undone when Courtney began dramatically singing his ringtone.

This time, Abaddon just let her go at it while he answered the call.

*Sigh* "Hello?"

"Is that any way to answer someone's phone call?? You act like you're talking to death or something!"

"Mateo?"

"The one and only you-"

What followed was a string of Spanish spoken obscenities that came fast enough to give one whiplash.

Even Abaddon barely caught it all.

"You know what? I never thought I would be this upset but I have to take it there!" Mateo snapped.

Abaddon immediately feared the worst. "Don't you dare, Vasquez. There are certain lines not to be crossed here."

"I don't care, I'm going to say it!"

"Don't play with me, Mateo!"

"This is exactly why you all lost to VANDERBILT!!"

"YOU BASTARD!!"

Now it was Abaddon's turn to lose his cool as he exhaled a string of obscenities in Dovah that Mateo couldn't even begin to comprehend.

Courtney understood every word though. And she was going to wait until dinner time to ask her parents what they all meant.

"…So you've been well then?" Mateo asked.

"As well as a man with my amount of enemies can be." Abaddon admitted. "Things could certainly be worse though… you?"

"Eh… Doing better now, but it was rough for a while after you left. I could have used your guidance, hermano. Or at least a way to contact you."

Abaddon smiled grimly.

"We were already pushing it with Asherah when Valerie snuck into several high level facilities and copied all of their media and technology… we couldn't make it worse.

Besides… you were always capable, Mateo. You didn't need me or anyone else to hold your hand to reach your full potential.

The fact that you are still alive and not incarcerated is more than enough proof of that."

Mateo was silent on the other line for a bit, and Abaddon thought he might have needed just a little bit of a distraction.

"Besides, I didn't want to bother you and your new friend Hera. You two spend far too much time together to even think about conversing with me."

Abaddon felt as if he literally heard Mateo's blood freeze over the phone.

It was a turn of events that he found incredibly amusing.

"H-How do you know about that..?"

"Believe me, you don't want to know the answer to that."

"The hell I don't! Tell me!"

Abaddon sighed as he covered Courtney's ears. "I am the personification of sex and sexuality. I am aware of every instance of sexual intercourse in the universe in it's entirety, and every exchange of attraction as well."

"…"

"I told you that you didn't want to know."

"How was I supposed to know the truth would be this bad?! You've ruined sex for me!"

"You'll get over it. All my other friends and family seem to." Abaddon rolled his eyes.

He didn't tell Mateo that he could choose whether or not he saw the act in full or not. His main goal was to bless unions and give pairings a greater or diminishing sense of compatibility.

The reason why he didn't tell him? He thought it'd be funny.

And as he listened to Mateo suppress the urge to vomit on the other line, he knew that he was right.

All of those intimate moments Mateo had with his secret lover… who would have thought that they were being spied on by a giant dragon?

Abaddon covered Courtney's ears again. "Oh, and while we're on the subject, she wants you to stop biting her nipples so hard. The pain is starting to outweigh the pleasure for her."

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Mateo cried.

He put all of his effort into changing the subject and he realized that there was something he needed to clear up.

"A-About Hera… I don't want you to think that I've betrayed you, or that she could be using me to-"

"Come on, man. If I thought that do you really think I would have sent my precious children into your care? I'm aware that her feelings for you are quite genuine."

"Yea, of course you are, you big fucking creep…" Mateo grumbled.

Abaddon started to try and defend himself again, but then he realized that there was something more important that he needed to ask.

"My friend… How has earth been lately?"

"Eh? Unusually hot, why?"

"No, I mean is there anything strange going on in the supernatural community. With the demons specifically."

"Oh, that.." Mateo sighed sadly. "Ever since a couple of months ago, reports of demonic possession have jumped.

A few of the witches in my employ estimate that they must have doubled their numbers on earth in that time.

And yet, not a lot of missing persons have been reported, so we figure that most of the people who go missing are from third world countries.

But as of a couple of weeks ago, all of that surging activity stopped. And now no one can find any demons here at all. Not even one of those greedy merchant types."

"I see…"

Mateo raised a brow on the other line. "Is there something I need to know, Hermano? This information seems to trouble you a great deal."

"…Just be very, very, carefu-"

Suddenly, Abaddon heard a myriad of popping sounds coming from the other line.

"Ah, got to go, my friend. We're being shot at." Mateo informed.

"Eh?"

*Click!*