Artificial

Chapter 21

(Author's Notes)

We are now 80% done with the first book! Only two more arcs remain amd there will be plenty of fights in between, will Seth finally become the Hero he wanted or is changing the system within the Demon Council and the Exorcist merely a fantasy? Find out right now in this new arc I dubbed "The Rank Up ARC."
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I recoverd from my injuries and went with Brandon to the Demon Council to officially be fired.
I told them where they could shove their pay and their morals and left by myself, I wrote my cell number down for Leon, Anton and Penny and left HQ.
I wondered for who knows how long, at first it was a day,
then a day became a week then finally a week became a few weeks.
I returned to my shop and saw a note from Akil,
it read he hasn't heard from me in a while and asks me to swing by the shop when I saw this.
The next day I payed my dear friend a visit. "What in the hell happened to you? You look like a drowned rat."
I order some sweet tea and look down at the counter.
"Akil brotha, so much has happened."
He slides me a glass.
"Want to talk about it?"
I take a deep breath and began to clue him in, it took me about a hour,
thundering and rain was still going on now that we were entering the month of June. "Damn, so you been through a litteral hell bigger then your grandmother."
I nod. "Uh huh, this Demon Council and Exorcist make my grandma tame in comparison, and yet I'd still choose to go back to hell then my grandmother."

Sense I didn't have anywhere to go other then my shop I told Akil all about the money I made and gave him my final paycheck so that he'd make my reputation known far and wide. He gave a million back for food. "Sense you don't have anywhere to go why not stay with my family?"
I look up surprised by his generosity. "My wife and kids love ya anyway so why not stay until you can afford your own place?" I agree to his terms and Akil pages his wife, we leave his bar at closing time and he helps me unload.
It was so nice of them to let me stay, the next day Chace gives me a phone call and due to me on the road a lot I couldn't answer to perserve the battery life. I told him everything that happened and all I heard was Terra tell the taxi driver to turn around and take them back and that she'd pay double if he stepped on it. "So that idiot ignored my warning did he, let me have a talk with him then we'll be back in touch." I told them it was actually the Demon Council that officially fired me and Chase pops his knuckles over the phone.
"Not a problem, let me talk sense into them." After that they hung up.

The next day I helped out at the bar as a part timer and to my surpise the buisness was booming today.
I made food for the customers, washed the dishes, scrubbed the floor,
cleaned the toilet and made some coffee for those who wanted it,
Akil and his wife handled the money and pooring the drinks,
their children watched tv,
SpongeBob in particular then the door opens right as the last few customers leave. "Welcome to the Titan's Nirvana, how can we help you?"
Akil greets two people I know very little about.
"Seth?" Elaine and Kenneth say as they hang their Exorcist uniforms on a chair.
"Uhh should we give you three some time alone?"
Akil asks concerned.
"Honey let's give them some time alone, kids were going to Burger King!"
Their two kids say yay loudly then walk out the door with the mother.
Akil flips the sign to closed and gives us time to ourselves.
"What's going on? Those aren't your crew." I tell them to pull up and seat and that it's a long story,
so I clued them in and they seemd a little indifferent about it.
"Bummer, I understand your situation though, trying to change the system from the inside and ended up killing the man you tried to sway.
I'm curious about your 'Ace In The Hole' the Demon Council was talking about."
I look at Kenneth and I told him he knows it takes information to give information and not picking up what I meant he gives me twenty thousand dollars via envelope. Of course I count it but told him if he wants it that bad then trade me some Exorcist secrets.

"Fair enough." Kenneth replies. "Kenneth!" Elaine raises her voice.
"Elaine as your superior officer I'm telling you this is fine. Seth is trying to do what he believes is right just like we are, the situation is no longer black and white, the Artificial race don't want to be hunted down so that they can eat freely, they are just trying to survive just like us. Unless both sides can learn to compromise and work together, this cylce of war will never end. Peace is only meaningful when true peace is obtained and to do that both sides must set aside their hatred. Do you think you can see the bigger picture Elaine?"
She sighs as she grots her teeth. "When you put it like that, no sir."
Kenneth pats her head.
"Good. So this is all I know,
the Exorcist are pulling back all their forces and have decided to wait for the Demon Council to make their move,
they have prepared to label this as a terrorist attack and shift the blame onto the current terrorist organization we're hunting for,
they also prepared to have the President of the United States issue a warning to steer clear out of west side of Greenville where the where house is and the Church HQ. They also prepared a lock down and have tanks, military grade guns,
weaponry and armor."
Shit, so we're in the final stages of the war. "In other words, combining our information together, this is the calm before the great and massive storm."
Both nod. "Fuck. So we really are in the endgame. Hey Kennth, Elaine, mind if I ask for a big big favor?"
Elaine glares at me already knowing I'm going to ask for the impossible. "Speak." Kenneth says.

"I have a idea on who the traitor is on my side but I don't have solid proof,
if I find out and give you a name, can I trust you both to lead your squad into a counter attack against his or her plan? You're the only ones I trust to help me end this war." Elaine is still glaring at me and Kenneth thinks it over.
"You got a lot of balls my friend, asking us to betray our comrades like that,
give us a name and I'll see for myself. Though our goals may align I'm not willing to sacrifice good men for the sake of the Demon Council,
I want hard proof about this traitor and I want to see if you are truely commited to the cause."
Understandable, he's skeptical.
"Tell you what, once I give you my information, I'll tell you what the Demon Council will do and to prove I am trustable we'll have another trial by combat and let our swords talk on our behalf."
Kenneth smiles much to Elaine's by the book nature.
"Once a warrior always a warrior. I'm holding you to that."
Kenneth takes his Exorcist glove and hands it to me. "Why are you?"
He cuts me off.
"In mideval times a challenger would throw down the glove and if the receiver picked it up,
it meant he accepted the challenge. That shall be proof of our promise."
I nod and we shake hands.
The two left wothout ordering anything  then I got a call from Brandon of all people. "What sir douche shnozz?"
Brandon was silent to soak in the insult. "I'm going to ignore that insult,
so after your siblings came back and being EXTREMELY PERSUASIVE,
to me as well as the Council,
we'd like to rehire you and apologize for being cunts."

I accept their apology and call Akil saying thanks for everything then tell him I got my old olace to stay with everything payed for and head back to Brandon's place, or our home really.
There I saw my siblings come out to greet me,
I hugged Sora and thanked her for everything, I also thanked Chase and Terra. "After all that shit we're staying in the area until further notice."
Terra says, I nod and thank them again, I feel like I've been given a second shot at this and after Kennth and Akil,
I feel like I really can make a change with help.
This is the beginning of First Great Demon Exorcist War, will I succeed in making a change or will the cycle of hatred continue, only time will tell.