The Fall

15. Leader

1.20.21 (I just realized I've been using 20 this whole time)

Benji's POV

"There's a very specific reason I've come here to visit you today," she began, and I leaned back in my chair slowly.

"What's that?" 

"This place is the center of the revolution, is it not? I'm intrigued by how well this has worked. Was it your plan?"

"No, not on a large margin. It came from Oliver-"

"Oh, that man. God, demons are annoying as shit. I don't know how you people can stand them."

"Uhhh we have to?"

"So this whole thing was the demon's idea?"

"That's correct, I just followed it."

"I do not doubt that you could come up with something much better."

"I don't know what you mean by that."

"No matter what, all demons are fuelled by one thing. They want violence, and it pleases their soul to see the world burn. His motivations are not the same as yours; while you just want peace for the people you see as your own, he wants a good meal off of this whole ordeal. Tell me, I know that he paired you with someone else for this project. What does that person do to your ideas?"

"He makes them a lot more violent, but isn't that normal? I mean I know that I tend to be much too forgiving of those who hurt me, and I think that the compromises might be a bit too over the top but there isn't very much I could do."

"Benji, I want your honest opinion. What do you think about the trajectory of the war."

"I don't like it... I think that it's much too dangerous for everyone involved. I disagree with the method he used for the kickstart of it, and I wish that we had made a more peaceful entrance. I don't want there to be an issue with the humans thinking that we're being over the top and not want to come into our cause."

"That's the right mentality; it's what we need. I want you to spearhead the revolt."

"What!? I can't do that!"

"Except for the fact that you can. I've seen the video of what you said in front of all of those people. You were not afraid of what would happen to you, you were more focused upon those who were fighting in the square. You wanted to send a genuine spark to the international lands; it is no small feat to get over a hundred angry supernaturals to stop fighting. I have trouble with it myself sometimes. You have the brainpower and voice to regain control peacefully, and I want you to do that."

"I don't have the expertise to force my way into power."

"You don't have to. All it takes is my public endorsement and over half of them will trust you. Oliver is not a leader that I want to dictate the fate of my children. I want you."

"I can't really do it without the help of someone else. I'm too young; I've never seen a true war let alone lead one."

"Do you have someone else in mind?"

"Well I do but he's also part demon so you may not like him..."

"I don't pass judgment without even meeting someone. Bring him to me." Her eyes were sparkling as the tales had told, and this meeting had made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. I walked out calmly even though my heart was on fire from the feeling of happiness in my blood, and as soon as the door was closed, my brain melted into mush. I put my hands on my knees slowly as my breath heaved in and out, but it didn't take me long to recover and push on. I walked down to the gym area since Connor had said he was going to be working out what his physical limitations were, and sure enough, he was in the room drinking a lot of water.

"What's up with you, Benji," he asked while turning his head toward me. I opened my mouth, but no constructive words came from my lips. Instead, it was just a whole bunch of random noises that basically equated to me sounding like a fish. "You know I can't understand that at all, I'm going to need you to do much better than that at constructing a sentence."

"The moon is in my office."

"That's also inconclusive."

"The moon goddess is in my office."

"That's much more helpful... Wait what!? Are you serious!?"

"Deadass."

He lept up, and I could see that he was about as nervous as I was the first time I met her. However, he showed it a lot differently, and I watched as his progress to put his shirt on accelerated past a normal amount. "This isn't a cruel prank right?"

"Of course not. You also might want some deodorant you smell like sweat and wolf."

"That's really rude of you. I think that I smell nice."

"That's a lie and we both know it."

"Okay fine. I smell like BO."

I waited for him to get ready before walking to the place that I had left the important woman, and he was really jittery and excited about the meeting. I pushed open the door, and the feeling of pushing it open had both me and Connor on the edge of our seat. "Is this the boy you were talking about?" she asked instantly, and my blood pressure spiked. 

"Yes, this is Connor."

"You said he was mostly demon but he is most definitely not."

"Wait what," Connor interjected, and we exchanged a look. Neither one of us knew that.

"You are a much higher percent earthly than you are a demon."

"I don't understand what you mean ma'am."

"You are a very rare specimen; you carry three different versions of supernatural in your blood. Since the highest percentage is demon, that's what shows, but you're truly only about forty-two percent. You have a combination of wolf and vampire coming from whoever your mother is that accounts for fifty-eight percent. Therefore, you are more of my domain than your father's."

"That's not freaky at all." I think that I was equally as shocked as he was, but my mouth was sealed shut. This is their conversation, not mine. Connor must get the chance to process this through with just her, and I don't want to try and interfere with it.

"This means that you are a suitable partner."

"For what? I wasn't exactly caught up to speed."

"Your father is not in the right mind frame to be the front of this war. He wanted entertainment from it, and that is not acceptable. As the only person with more authority than him, I am going to be announcing you both as the new heads of this effort. You will plan together the path that this is going to take because that's your job."

"You trust us with something so important? We're not experienced-"

"That's exactly what your friend said. I will not let the two of you discredit yourself any longer. You will lead this war and you will like it. You do not have a choice."

"I guess we can't deny that."

"Now, get your asses onto that stage and turn on the cameras so that I can make the announcement."

"Won't my father get mad at you?"

"I don't care what he thinks at all."

"Alright then..."

"Let's do it."