Confessions of a Teenage Demonslayer, 2. Changes.

I told you to watch for me. And now I'm back. Where to start? Hmm. Let's set out at a week ago. That was right before everything went psycho. It was all good. Save Kamika's cousin's prejudice against demonslayers. He was always a thorn in my side, but it was nothing new. Anyway. I think that's when we started picking up something weird. It was like... like a rift. Suddenly our closest friends, our alliances, our info rats, everyone was against us except each other. Me, Kamika, Damien, Ella, and Gabriel are having to watch our mouths, even around our friends. "People change," we said. But it wasn't like that. There's a bug in the system, like kuzzah or something. You delete an extension of it and it pops up somewhere else, three times stronger. Our best guess? Demons. That's a summary of what we're into here, and even though I really don't know you or anything, I NEED YOUR HELP. I know I've said it before, but it's true. You may even be one of the ones we're after. I don't care. I'll punch your lights out later. It's time to change this. One way or another, my team won't be betrayed any longer. Not when I can do something about it.
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"One day at a time," Kamika reminded me.
"Yeah yeah, don't get ahead of myself, keep searching, make sure it's all done before we relax too long," I grumbled, thoroughly put out because Ella, my big sister, was doing my hair like I was going to a party. "Come on, Ella, it's not like I'm gonna end up being Miss America!" I don't have a supermodel face, ask anyone. My features aren't right for all that crap. They're sharp and angled, making me look cunning and strong (which according to Kamika and Ella, scares the spit out of people). My eyes are silver-blue with tinges of green in them, as some say, "captivating blue." Whatever. I say the mask of freckles that circle my eyes is more interesting. THAT'S what earned me the nickname 'Bandit'. My nose looks like it's been broken (and for all I know it coulda been), but it doesn't make me look like a warrior or anything (as I've heard broken noses do), just... proud enough to fight for what I love. Overall, like I said, I'm not gorgeous, I just have a strong face.
Ella laughed and fluttered her beautiful iridescent butterfly wings, not the least bit apologetic. "Aw, come on, Malkeli, you need to look good at work too!"
"One of these days I'm gonna cut my damned long hair OFF, and THEN we'll see what you end up doing to it!" I snapped, then regretted it. I love Ella to death, not only because she's my big sister but also because if I didn't, she'd be dead from getting caught by Damien. She absolutely cannot live without messing with him, just because he's her brother too.
Speak of the devil, a few minutes later there was a knock on the door. "Is it safe to come in? Mal, you're not gonna fry me, are you? Ella? Kamika?" Damien's voice could be heard outside the door.
I threw a fireball at the door, roasting a hole in it. So there. Yes, I can control fire.
"Whoa! I guess that's a 'no'." He leapt back from the burning door.
Kamika laughed and froze the fire away with a breath of ice that shot out from her hand.
Ella giggled. "It's okay, just watch out for Mal. I'm doing her hair and I don't think she's too happy about it."
He laughed and walked through the door (toldja he could walk through walls), sitting down on Ella's bed, next to Kamika. "Mal, hasn't anyone ever told you most people find their true love at work?"
I crossed my arms sulkily and rolled my eyes. "Oh, yeah, Damien, like I'm gonna fall for a freaking demon. Where are we off to today, anyway? You guys neglected to mention it."
***
Three grins surrounded me on the plane to Mexico. I sat just as sulkily as I had while Ella had fixed my hair, arms crossed, glaring. "You coulda TOLD me we were going to the ONE place I do NOT wanna go," I growled at a smirking Damien.
He patted the top of my head. "Aw, come on, little sis. Do you really think you woulda gone if we'd told you?"
"No."
"Then there's your answer! Man, you have a thick head." He shook his head, clicking his tongue like you would to a naughty child. "Besides, how could we refuse a job from David? It pays well, and it's good to get some exercise once in a while, huh?"
"You forget the past two hours," I grimaced.
Ella stifled a giggle. She'd chased me around the whole house, down six streets, over the river, and through the woods. Literally. Why? The idiot was trying to get me into a skirt. A skirt! On duty! It'd end up split and torn, knowing me. Unfortunately, Damien and Kamika saw fit to help her, and I can't outrun them, especially when I'm exhausted. I thought of cheating and shifting into my Wild form, but then Damien had to go and oh-so-casually mention that if we didn't hurry our butts up, we'd be late. I'd paused, dumb me, and that gave them long enough to tackle me, tie me down to Ella's beauty chair, and force me into a skirt and blouse. At least it wasn't anything that was gonna turn heads. Or that's what I thought then.
When I'd walked onto the plane, every single person turned to look at me. I swear, I wanted to melt, kill Ella, punch Damien, tackle Kamika, and faint all at the same time. I must have blushed a bajilion shades of red as I walked to my seat, head down. And then a guy offered to help me with my bag. I had to gulp and cough a few times to keep from exploding before I managed to force out "no thanks". Behind me, my gang was doubled over laughing. THAT was the past two hours.
< ---- (What I ended up looking like)
Finally the plane landed, and before anyone could offer to help me, I skipped out the door like the happy little imp I was. "YAY! We're on the ground again!" I yipped. Don't get me wrong, I love flying, but being on that plane was killing me. And all sarcastic remarks aside, sometimes I really was a little imp. It's probably the side of me that confuses my gang the most.
The car ride to David's wasn't supposed to be long, considering where the plane landed, but then, of course, we had to go over all the stats and stuff for the mission.
"Mal, we're gonna have you stay behind," Kamika added.
"WAH?!?!" My eyes popped wide open.
"You're staying behind," Damien said calmly.
My jaw dropped. "Kam! Damien! El! Please don't do this to me, come ON! I did NOT just hear you say that! Why?!" Demonslaying was me, forever and always. My gang getting into a fight without the Drappa wolf by their side wasn't good. They may have been strong enough on their own, but I'm not just a tagalong. I take a fair few hits for them all, and in a bind, my Wild form is quite useful.
"Why else do you think Ella forced you into that outfit? This thing is in a nightclub, for crying out loud. You've gotta keep the people occupied by leading them away from the fight." Kamika said. "You're a good dancer, and you won't be lonely, I promise. Ella's coming with you."
"Oh yeah, and YOU two get to have all the FUN," I sulked. "And why did you get me dressed up before the plane ride?!"
They exchanged grins. "You think we could've forced you into a skirt and blouse in less than two hours?" Damien asked sarcastically.
I rolled my eyes and sighed. Story of my life.
When we got to David's, the place was deserted. Completely empty. Cautious, we approached slowly.
Kamika's nose twitched, as did mine.
"It's just like Mike's," I growled. "Same damn thing. Damien, whatcha think?"
He nodded slowly. "Same thing. See a trend, anybody?"
For some odd reason, the sarcastic question set my hackles rising. And then I felt cold metal in the back of my neck... the barrel of a rifle.
"Move and you're dead, Val. Unless, of course, you give me what I want."
It was David.
"Oh, whaddya want me to do, SUCKER, bow at your feet like a good little dog?" I growled. My fists curled hotly and I could feel that familiar cold, bone-wrenching shiver run down my spine that meant I was about to turn Wild.
Kam's voice was calmer. "Malkeli, hush. David, however much you might like it, none of us are going easy." There was a rifle at the neck of every one of my gang. "Why did you give up fighting? I can't believe-"
"You let these things take over you," both of us said at the same time. I had caught on. THAT was what was happening. David was maybe David, but someone, or someTHING, had convinced him that we were the bad guys.
My jaw was locked closed as hot, stinging tears ran down my face. Tears for my friend, tears for my gang, tears for the pain of shifting, and suddenly, a shot was fired. Just one. And I was no longer restrained by the bonds of my human skin.
As a giant dog/cat thing, life can be quite fun. Especially when you get to take down four guys with rifles, snap the metal in two with your teeth, and then play with all the little bullets. I was extremely happy.
Ella wasn't. "Mal!" She complained. "You tore your outfit! You know how long it took to make that?!"
I grinned at her and simply sat there, tongue lolling out of my mouth. Doggie couldn't get in trouble for what it couldn't answer to, and that was that.
Kamika backed up warily as the guys tried to struggle upright.
Unfortunately for them, I weigh all of 140 pounds as a full-grown cat-wolf, made of muscle and teeth. When that lands square on your chest, then yeah, you're gonna have a hard time getting back up, especially if you’re only human.
Damien put one arm around Kamika's shoulders casually.
My lip curled back over my fangs and I dropped back into a crouch. A ridge of fur lifted on my back until it spiked almost straight up. Touch any of us and you are going DOWN!!! I warned silently.
David was the first to get up. He was the toughest of them all, having been in the military since forever, and also the slightest of build, weighing only 110 lbs. "We're going to have to do this the hard way, aren't we?"
I let out a low, powerful growl, flicking my ears back against my skull and tossing my head. Oh, bring it ON, lightweight!! Whatever skin I'm in, I love dares, and I love fights when they have a good reason behind them.
"Val, we won't hurt you, just give us what we want... quit being a demonslayer." He held out his hand, like I was gonna come up and sniff it or something.
Four things happened at once. Kamika threw her head back and laughed, Damien snickered, Ella giggled, and I snorted through my muzzle, which sounds damned hilarious.
I rolled my eyes. Shut UP. LIKE I'm gonna do THAT.

He hissed between his teeth. "Fine, you've made your choice. But be warned, Val, I WILL be back. You'd better watch your little bitch's tail," he growled at my gang, picking up the broken rifles and scooting backwards.
"Oh, we will, David," Damien said light-heartedly as they all broke into a run for a helicopter behind the house. "WE WILL."
I have no idea what pleased me so much about his words. Maybe it was the fact that I could hear the snarl beneath the facade and absolutely knew that whatever happened, Damien would always be there for us all. What’re big brothers for? ^_^
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We settled into David's old house, mostly because we didn't have anywhere else to go, and he'd taken up new residence since turning to the bad guys.
I escaped the dreaded fate of dancing at that nightclub because I tore my outfit when I was shifting. To this day I'm SO glad that happened.
Kamika knocked on my door as I washed one paw and rubbed it over my face. My tongue is long, like a dog's, but it's also rough, like a cat's.
My ears perked up and I barked once to say 'it's okay, you can come in'.
She opened the door and slipped in, closing it softly behind her and sitting down on the bed. "Hey, Mal."
Whuff. (Hi.)
"Gonna shift back?"
"Rrrr," I mumbled. Fine, fine, I'm shifting.
She laughed and turned away from me.
When I uncurled from a ball, now in my weak human skin again, and got up, there was another knock on the door. It was Damien.
"Not yet," I growled through gritted teeth. Shifting messes my voice up for a while; something to do with the way my throat works when I'm Wild. I slid into clean clothes and opened the door, wiping my mouth on the sleeve of my hoodie. "Hey, Damien."
His face was set in grim angles. "Mal, Kam, there's a problem."
I picked that up and slid backwards a step. He looked like he was gonna fall down or pass out or something, and when about 800 pounds of wings and muscle come crashing down on you, it hurts. "Hey man, you okay?"
Kam got up, a frown on her face, and took his hands. "Yeah, Damien, what's wrong?"
"I don't know, that's just it, you guys. Something's wrong at the nightclub... the supports are about to collapse."
On all those... people?