Demon: Genesis

IV

THE MORNING ALARM BLARED, JERKING KING AWAKE.

He blinked twice, instinctively covering his ears and yawned. He looked around, wondering where he was for a moment. Then he remembered his conversation with the woman.

"There's nothing to explain", he said. "I just know how to defend myself."

"You underrate yourself, boy.", she suddenly snapped. King flinched. She pinched the bridge of her nose and eventually calmed down.

"Apologies, Kingsley. Sometimes I have trouble controlling my temper."

"Noted."

"Your reflexes, tell me about them."

King was suddenly interested in his shoes.

"What?", she asked.

"I've tried explaining it to people, but they always think I'm crazy. What makes you different?"

"Did those people sit down with you to find out why?"

"Well, no."

The woman spread her arms.

"Well, there you have it. Talk to me.", she added, leaning back in her chair and pushing a button next to her. A door behind him opened and someone came in and set down a tray of sandwiches and a pitcher of lemonade on the granite table. King glanced around and managed to hide his shock before it registered on his face. It was the girl that'd attacked him in the junkyard.

She grinned at him and leaned down to unlock his cuffs.

"Hi", she whispered in his ear."Trust me when I say I'm getting payback for that little stunt you pulled on me. And you're in my unit, so it'll be a hell of a lot easier."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Thank you, Blue.", the woman said.

The girl straightened up abruptly and left the room.

The woman gestured at the tray with a hand.

"Well? Dig in."

"Why am I here? What time is it? What are you going to do to me? Does Max know where I am?", he suddenly blurted out angrily.

"Questions, questions. All in good time, Kingsley. But I believe I asked you a question first."

King rolled his eyes.

Suddenly he was on the floor face down, with a hand gripping the back of his head and a knee jammed painfully into the small of his back.

The woman had taken a single leap from her side of her desk to his, and floored him. Now she leaned closer and spoke softly.

"Reflexes or no reflexes, you will never roll your eyes at me again, will you?"

He gritted his teeth and said nothing and that earned him a face slam into the floor, not enough to cause bleeding, but enough to cause pain.

"Will you?", she asked more softly, but with a steel edge to her voice this time.

He shook his head.

Suddenly he was on his chair once more and she was back in her seat as well. It happened so fast, he didn't even notice.

She reclined and raised an eyebrow. He shrugged, took a sandwich from the tray and poured himself a glass of lemonade.

"It just happens", he said in between bites."Whenever I'm in danger or find myself in a tight spot, it just takes over me. Especially if I'm in a fight or something."