(BUTCH'S POV):
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"Will you shut up already?! I can handle it!"
"Whether or not you can handle it isn't the issue! You're walking around as if you aren't in any sort of danger!"
"I'll be fine. Taking the fight to whomever it is that wants a problem is more my style."
"I'M TELLING YOU TO STAY ON YOUR GUARD!"
"Do me a solid and go away!"
That damned voice gets more annoying everyday. I'm not a weakling! I'm damn sure not a fucking coward. I'll prove it to everyone! I'll rip whoever it is to shreds.
School had ended about twelve minutes ago and I was on my way to work. The suspicious feeling never left me. I was still somewhat cautious of my little stalker. I didn't let it get to me though. If they wanted a fight then they could get one.
This was the main reason I chose to walk to work instead of flying there. I was willing to see if they had the balls to attack me. Fortunately for me, they didn't and I got to work without any trouble whatsoever.
It was crowded as expected. People really loved this place. I don't know anywhere else that was nearly as popular.
The moment I set foot inside the café, Mrs. Holiday ran over and pulled me to the back room. She opened up a small locker that had my name poorly written on it and tossed me a white suit with a green bowtie.
"Okay okay okay!" She clapped her hands together and motioned for the rest of the staff to come over. "Gather around everyone! Today is Butch's first day! Let's give him a warm welcome to the team and guide him through with some healthy encouragement!"
I took a moment to look at the other employees and when I tell you that it was a three to one ratio, I legitimately mean it. There were only three guys including myself. There was Dale, a balding middle aged man who helped bake and prepare the drinks. I quickly noticed that he was a bit of a creep when it came to the female staff.
Then there was pretty boy Roy who was a server that definitely rubbed me the wrong way. His smooth blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes probably drove the girls nuts. He was good looking but his aura wreaked of full on douche. He was very critical of me from the moment I had walked inside.
The other servers were Buttercup and Bubbles, obviously...Then there was Jasmine, an extremely attractive lady that I found hard to believe was in her thirties. She was like the manager or whatever. Some important bullshit like that.
Robin, who was a very close friend of Bubbles would help with the cleaning. Kate, a dark haired, stuck up chick with the largest bifocals I have ever seen, ran the cash register. Diane, some shy girl that seemed like she was always startled, helped Dale cook in the back.
Raechel, a good looking mixed chick that was pretty quiet. She honestly seemed like the only one that wouldn't annoy me. I guess her job was taking calls for mobile orders and occasionally stocking the ingredients.
Finally, there was Mrs. Holiday and her eldest daughter Maxine. They seemed absolutely NOTHING alike. While the boss was cheery and happy, Max was pretty fucking rude with a slight hint of bitch! I couldn't really tell who was worse. Her or Princess! The way she scoffed at me like I was trash just pissed me off completely! I could already tell that we wouldn't be getting along.
With everyone introducing themselves, it was time for me to get ready. I went into the bathroom to quickly change. To be fair, I had never worn a suit before. Even still, I think I pulled it off pretty well. It fit my frame nicely while still being quite breathable. The one thing that I couldn't do was tie the stupid bowtie around my neck.
I walked out and held up the green piece of fabric. "Someone mind helping me with this?"
"Seriously? You can't even put on a simple bowtie?" Roy chuckled much to my irritation.
"Obviously not…I've never worn one before."
"Give it here!" Buttercup said as she snatched it out of my hands. She pulled it around my neck and calmly moved her fingers around until she made a neat little knot. She then continued until a bow shape formed. "T-there...I hope you were paying attention. I'm not doing that again."
"Yeah! I uh, think I got." Why did she have to be so close when she was dressed like that? Why'd she even help in the first place?!
Bubbles clapped her hands before picking up a comb. "Now that you're all dressed, why don't we take care of that hair?"
"What's wrong with my hair?"
Max rolled her eyes. "Um, everything! You look like a thug with your hair all wild and spiky like that!"
The blonde Puff slid next to me. "It won't take too long. Just relax and let me handle it."
She told me to relax as she practically yanked my scalp full force. I've been punched through solid concrete and yet the pain of someone combing my hair was EASILY the worst I have ever felt!
Once she had finished, she grabbed a hand mirror and put it in my face. I took a good look at myself and sighed.
The way she combed it down was very reminiscent of the mild bowl cut I had when I was younger. Minus that stupid strand that would always stick out. Given that I had more hair than back then, she had to brush it more to the sides and then brush a bunch of it down the middle so that I could actually see. I wasn't too fond of the look as I had grown to enjoy my more carefree hairstyle. I'd have to get used to it though. Apparently my old look was too thuggish.
"Well? What does everyone think?" Bubbles asked happily.
"He's still rough around the edges but it's a definite improvement." Roy said dramatically.
"What about you Buttercup?" The blonde puff asked with an odd grin.
"What about me?!"
"What do you think? Isn't he handsome? Totally hot? Smokin' sexy?!"
I didn't think I'd ever see Buttercup blush but low and behold, she did. I must've looked pretty damn good then. That or she was just pissed off about Bubbles teasing her.
"He's alright for a piece of shit…" She grumbled. Yep, there it is ladies and gentlemen.
"Alright, that's enough. Butch let's get you out on the floor. Well see how good you are with taking orders." Mrs. Holiday said.
"Alright so what do I have to do?"
"You must be polite and treat the customers with the utmost respect!" Jasmine said sternly.
"You must be charming! Your smile must be enchanting! Your movements should be elegant and graceful! Be a prince to them! Cater to your subjects!" Roy said with a twinkle in his eyes.
"Right…" I walked back out to the seating area and took a deep breath. Nobody was all that worried about me yet. I was grateful for that. It'd make things easier for me.
Mrs. Holiday suddenly bursted through the doors and shouted out to everyone. "OKAY EVERYONE! I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE BUTCH! OUR NEWEST SEVER!!!" I don't know why she felt the need to do that.
I sighed and moved towards a table with a group of guys my age. They wore a different uniform so I assumed they went to a different highschool. The three guys sized me up from their seats and I simply looked back with my cold demeanor.
Just remember to be friendly. "Hello there gentlemen. What can I start you all with today?"
"Aww man! Why'd they send us the dude?! Why don't you go to the back and get us one of those hot girls!"
I held back my glare and remained impassive. "The other servers are quite busy at the moment."
The guy stood up and got in my face. I wasn't sure if he was trying to be threatening or just flat out constipated. His scrunched up face was kind of getting on my nerves though.
"Listen pal! We come here everyday! All we want is to see the chicks! Now get the hell away from our table and go send out someone else!"
"I'll have to ask you to have a seat, sir. This is a café. If you want something, then it better be food or a drink. You want to see some girls? Go to a strip club then." I grumbled.
"What did you just say?!"
"You heard me. Now sit down and order or get out."
He continued to try and intimidate me. It didn't work though. I just eyed him down without any sign of backing off.
"...I'll take an iced mocha." He murmured.
"C-can we get a hot chocolate?" One of the other two said.
"Sure thing. I'll have someone bring those right out." I walked back over to the others and told them the order.
Mrs. Holiday was practically bouncing up and down with joy. "OH YOU DID WONDERFUL!"
"I did?" I asked.
Roy scoffed. "Surely not! He wasn't elegant at all!"
Jasmine cleared her throat "He was calm, firm, direct and most importantly, able to get a purchase. He was very much efficient in his approach."
The boss was spinning around gleefully. "Not to mention he's already a hit! Just look at all the ladies gushing over my new employee! I can see it now! Wild bad boy turns into a charming stud. Business is going to BOOM once word gets out!"
"This feels weird now." I muttered.
"It won't when you get paid! Trust me Butch! You'll be able to appeal to my feminine customers and win their hearts with your silent type personna."
"Why do I feel like I'm being extorted?"
"Whatever! It's not like he's all that good looking anyway. So what of he's mildly attractive? He's still just a broke bum." Max snickered much to my annoyance.
"Did I do something to you?"
Buttercup rolled her eyes. "Just ignore her. She always thinks she's right about everything. If you ignore her, she'll go away."
"Fuck you! Stupid Powerpuff skank!"
"Wanna try saying that to my face you lazy sl-"
"ALRIGHTY EVERYONE! Let's all get back to work now." Boss said as she grabbed Maxine and tugged her into the office.
Bubbles kicked me in the ass and pointed out front. "C'mon hot-shot! Let's see how you handle all of the attention."
She pushed me back into the crowded arena. Multiple tables had their hands up and I decided to go towards the nearest one.
It was super strange getting all of these different looks. I was used to being stared at but not like this. These girls looked hungry and NOT for what was on the menu.
"HEY MR. WAITER!" Someone called out to me.
I walked over to the side booth and did a light bow. "What can I get for you two lovely ladies?"
They gave me a smile that made me shiver. "You wouldn't mind giving us something to eat, would you?"
As long as it wasn't me. "Sure thing ma'am! I'll bring the best pastries we have."
"Sounds wonderful!" They both cheered. I don't know why either of them were so happy.
I quickly moved to the back and dropped my smile. "Yo Dale! I need two pastries."
"What kind?" He asked in his deep voice.
"I don't fucking know! Whatever the hell it is that girls like."
"So it's for the ladies?" He asked before doing a creepy little chuckle. "Should I add extra...cream?"
I winced at how he said it. I swear this dude wasn't right. "I don't care! Just hurry up with the order."
He brought over two cinnamon rolls and handed them to me. "I put a whole lot of love into them."
"Dude...Back up!"
"I was just saying how special I made them!"
I ignored him and brought the rolls back to the table. "Alright you two! I've got you some fresh, hot, cinnamon rolls!"
They clapped as I placed it down. "They smell amazing! Thank you so much!"
There were three more girls sitting across from them. They were giggling as soon as I got close. It was a real pain in the ass.
"Hello ladies. How can I make your day any better?" God I can't even imagine how I must sound right now.
"You wouldn't mind getting us a few drinks would you?" The girl with the excessive amount of makeup smiled.
"Of course not. What'll you have?"
"Caramel latte for me."
The Asian girl next to her quickly chimed in. "I'll have the two shot espresso."
The girl with her menu still up remained silent much to my dismay. I just wanted to get this over with already.
"Do you need a little more time?"
"Nope! I'll have double whipped iced macchiato with chocolate shavings and a dash of vanilla."
"Um…" Was that even on the menu?
"What?! Is there a problem or something?" No goddamn way.
"What are you doing here Morbucks?" I groaned.
"I had to see if it was true. The lovesick loser working in a café? Oh how the mighty have fallen."
"I don't have time for this!"
"Hey now! You don't wanna be rude to one of the most important customers do you? I mean, I do tip well. I know you could use the money."
This girl was a problem. "I don't need your daddy's money."
She grinned at me. "Oh really? Not even for your rundown, empty apartment?"
"How the hell do you even know about that?" I glared.
"My daddy keeps tabs on everything in this dump of a city. Even former criminals! I know more about you than you think Jojo."
"Tch...Fine! I'll get your stupid drink. After that, I want you out of here!"
"Tick tock! Get a move on!"
My left eye twitched and I stomped towards the back and gave Dale the order. It took him a good ten minutes to finish Princess' order alone. Needless to say, she made me hate her even more.
I carried the drinks back to the table with my glare never faltering. "Okay ladies! Your drinks are served. Is there anything else that I can help you with?"
They all sat quietly Princes pretended to think up some shit. "Nope! That'll be all!" She held out a large wad of cash. "For your services." I reached out to take it but she dropped it to the floor. "Oops!"
I gave her the meanest look that I could while grabbing the cash. "Thank you...ma'am." I hated her.
For my first day, things weren't really all that bad. I mean, sure Princess was still driving me crazy and the constant looks I got were pissing me all the way off. Still, I had enough patience to push through it all and finish out my day. I only had about fifteen more minutes on the clock. It was almost closing time anyway.
"Hey Butch! You wanna walk back with me and Buttercup after work?" Bubbles asked, hopefully.
"Where to?"
"Not too sure. Just thought we could all talk about stuff. So what do you say?"
"Not too convincing, but I've got nothing else better to do. Sure, why not?"
"Great! Why don't you go finish up with that last customer while we go change?"
"Alright I guess."
This was the only person still here. It was dark outside and everyone else had long since gone home. Now it was just this random guy whom I had noticed was here for hours.
"Hell sir, how can I help you?"
"..."
"...Excuse me, sir?"
"..."
"DUDE!"
"..." He was just staring blankly at me.
"Please don't make me throw you out."
"You need to leave!"
I clutched my head and winced. "Dammit! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"Don't ask questions! Just get as far away from him as you can!"
"Why?! Who the hell is this guy?"
"That's not a human! That's your little stalker!"
"Well then what the hell is he if he ain't human?!"
The man stood up. He was about a foot taller than me. His dark brown hair was shaggy. His brown trench coat was dirty and loose. Even more creepy than that, his eyes had familiar slits within them. As he smiled, his sharp fangs were revealed as well.
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD BUTCH! RUN!!!"
I took a quick step back and glared at him. "No! I'm not running from this!"
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"Listen! I don't know who the hell you are, but I need you to get a life and stop following me!"
"You want me to stop following you?" He suddenly disappeared from in front of me. Less than a second later, I felt an arm resting on my shoulder. "I'd love to kid." He leaned towards my end and whispered. "I've got a job to do anyway."
I felt paralyzed. I couldn't move. I was one hundred percent terrified right now. This stranger was gonna kill me.
"Alright Butch, we're all set to go!" Bubbles called out. Her and BC had strolled out of the back and looked at me. Then at the strange man…
"What's going on out here?" Buttercup asked. She was already shifting into a fighting stance.
"Why hello there Puffs! It's so nice to finally meet you."
"What are you doing with Butch?" She asked forcefully.
"Oh him? Don't you worry about a thing! I'm just gonna snatch him up and take him somewhere special."
"Where exactly would that be?"
"Right where he belongs. HELL!"
My eyes widened. "No way am I going back there!" I smacked his arm and dashed out the front door.
"About time you decided to leave! What took you so long?!"
"Not now!"
I made an attempt to take off into the sky. Before I could get far, a hand quickly grabbed my left leg and slammed me to the asphalt.
"Nope! Can't have you leaving so soon. I haven't had my fun yet."
I cupped my hands together and fired off a large shockwave. He just stood there and took it head on. He wasn't even fazed by it.
"Damn!" I growled.
"Not too bad. You'll have to do better than that though." He vanished and reappeared on my left. His fist whipped my head to the side and his follow up kick dropped me. He slammed his foot on my chest and smiled. "What's the matter? You seem upset."
"FUCK OFF!"
*WHAM*
A fierce kick from my counterpart sent the bastard flying all the way down the street.
"Butch!" Bubbles shouted before helping me up. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. He just caught me off guard. Didn't even hurt." I wasn't really lying. They stung a bit but nothing major.
"Oh really?!"
My heart stopped as he reappeared and sent his palm into the center of my chest. All the air had left my lungs and practically fell to my knees. Everything hurt. My vision was hazy and my breathing had stalled. I felt completely helpless after that singular attack.
Before he could advance, a large blue orb of energy sent him flying into a street light. I was positive Bubbles made sure to put as much power as she could into that attack. She was panting deeply with shaky arms.
"Okay, everyone saw it! I definitely hit that guy!" She said with a small grin.
"Yes my dear. You did in fact hit me." The man said from behind her. His clothes were slightly burnt but other than that, he was relatively unharmed.
"But how? I know I hit you spot on!"
He started laughing like a freaking psycho. "YOU SURE DID! Unfortunately, that little explosion was nothing more than a pitiful annoyance. Good effort though!" He forcefully grabbed her by the head and trusted his knee into her face.
"Let go of her!" Buttercup shouted before dashing forward.
"Very well then." He threw the blonde into her sister's arms before pushing them both into a mailbox with a heavy punch.
"Holy shit…" I looked at the two of them laid out on the sidewalk. This guy was too much. He was gonna kill me! This was really it!
He shook his hand as he walked towards me. "Alright kid. Your time has finally come."
"I don't understand! What do you gain from all of this?!"
"The fame and status of my superiors. Riches far beyond what you could ever dream of! It's all more than you could possibly grasp." He warped directly in front of me. "Now I suggest you submit and make this less painful for yourself."
I can't run from this guy so what the hell do I do?!
"Listen to me Butch! You have to transform! Let go of your petty inhibitions!"
"NO! I ALREADY SAID THAT WASN'T AN OPTION!"
"Would you rather DIE?!"
"Over being what I absolutely hate? Sure! Death doesn't seem so bad in that regard."
"Okay then what about your friends?! He'll probably get rid of them too!"
"Big deal! We all gotta die someday!"
"I can tell when you're being insincere so drop the carefree act! You want to protect them so do it!"
"Ready kiddo?" He asked.
"Screw off you rotten son of a bitch!" I reached out to throw a suckered punch at his face.
"How tragic." He simply moved his head out of the way and shoved his hand through my chest.
My eyes flew wide open and the blood climbed up my throat. My head dropped down and all I could see was the red liquid pouring down to the floor. It didn't really hurt. I actually couldn't feel a thing. Maybe my body was shutting itself off. Yeah, that seemed about right.
"Butch, you're bleeding out. You're going to die!"
"I know that!"
"Then do something about it!"
"Answer me this...How long will I stay conscious for?"
"You mean during your transformation? I don't really know. I doubt it'll be longer than five minutes until you black out."
"How do I turn it off?"
"I can't really answer that. You just have to try for yourself!"
"Fuck everything! This better not go to shit! You hear me asshole?!"
"Yes! Now just do it already!"
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I could feel my body heating up as my blood boiled from underneath my skin. My senses hit their peak as my muscles tensed.
"This feels different from last time!" I growled.
He watched me change with much more caution on his previously smug face. "So it's true. You really are a demon. Why wait to show your strength? Were you underestimating me?"
"...Hell no! I just...Hate being like this."
"Why refuse such power?" He asked while yanking his arm from the gaping hole in my chest.
"A prick like you wouldn't get it!" I reached out and grabbed his face. "I'll have to kill you quickly. I've only got about five minutes."
In less than a second, I flew us both thousands of feet into the sky. He chose to teleport out of my grasp. Too bad for him though. I was now able to keep up with him. Actually, scratch that. I was anticipating his movements and flying faster than he could teleport to his next location. He'd keep trying to warp away from me, but I didn't let him.
"How?! This shouldn't even be physically possible! I have the power of instantaneous movement! You shouldn't be able to fly faster than I can teleport!"
"You're way too predictable. Quit running and fight me! You had all that confidence before!"
"Don't count me out, boy! I'll break you in half!"
I smirked and waved him over. "Come over here and try it."
"Butch! What are you doing?!"
"Relax! I'm just testing things out."
"Testing?! You have all the power you need! Just end it already!"
"Damn, you're boring! I've still got like three minutes! I could kill him with a finger flick!"
"Just hurry up and finish him off!"
The bastard was desperately trying to land a blow. Much to my amazement, I avoided every hit. He was already tiring himself out and I was just about ready to retaliate.
"You done flailing your arms around?" I asked.
He paused his attacks and glared at me. "I see now that this is a waste. They warned me about you and I didn't want to believe what was said. A child possessing such raw strength. It makes no sense at all. What the hell was that idiot thinking?!"
I sighed and lifted a glowing hand at him. "Alright, that's enough. I'm putting your cocky ass to rest."
"Thank god!"
"Shut up!"
"To be beaten by you is an insult to the highest degree. I still have much to do. I may not be taking you down today but there'll be other opportunities."
"I don't think so pal!" I fired the beam forward. Right before it made contact with him, a large cloud of red smoke surrounded him. The beam passed through the smoke leaving nothing in sight.
"He got away…"
"I'm well aware of that."
"Do you know who that is?"
"Obviously not. I can make a good guess about WHAT he is."
"Yes...He's a demon straight from the underworld."
"The real question is what did he want. I mean, besides killing me of course."
"It could be revenge. You did take down HIM three years ago."
"Well shit! Right when things start getting somewhat peaceful, more bullshit happens."
I lowered myself back to the ground. I landed right next to two sisters who were both regaining consciousness.
"That freak hits a little harder than I thought. You guys alright?" Buttercup asked.
"I'm all good. Just a little dizzy. What about you Butch?" They both turned to me with shocked expressions on their faces.
"What?" I asked.
"Dude! Can you not feel that hole in your chest?! It's still dripping."
I stared at Butters with a bit of disbelief before inspecting myself. Low and behold, I did in fact have a dripping hole dangerously close to my heart.
"Oh...That hole…" It was just about time for me to ditch the transformation. The second that I did, my body would probably go into shock. I'd eventually pass out from the blood loss and be forced to wait for the chemical X to patch me up. This was gonna be rough.
"We need to get you home!" Bubbles shouted.
"He needs an extra shot of X! He'll be out for a week while his body closes that wound on its own!" BC argued back.
"Will you two calm down?! I'm fine! I don't need anyone's help! I'm perfectly capable of flying home on my own."
"Butch! Your times up! You'll be feeling a big wave of pain pretty soon."
Pretty soon my ass. That shit was instant! The burning sensation in my chest, the lack of air in my severely damaged lung, the lightheaded feeling! They all contributed to me falling face first into the pavement.
"BUTCH!" They screamed.
It was all I could hear before I slipped into the dark depths of a painful sleep.
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...
"Now you know what that power feels like Butch. Overwhelming your opponents must feel pretty good to you. Wouldn't you say?"
I couldn't respond.
"Save your energy for healing. You don't have to say a thing. I just want you to think about what occurred. You were faced with a challenge too great to deal with on your own. You should really consider these powers."
I didn't want to respond.
"They don't have to be a curse. Just let go and embrace the fact that they could very well be a gift. You'll have to live with this for the rest of your life anyway. Why fight it?"
...Maybe I should…
"You're part demon now. Nothing is ever gonna change that. You already know this. I mean, think about it. You're talking to me right now and I'm a demon. At the same time, I'm also you! The part that you like to pretend is a minor disturbance. A fake! Little do you you know, I've always been there!"
I'd do anything. Anything just to shut him up.
"You need me and I need this body. When you decide to come to terms with that, you'll be able to grow. The way you are now isn't gonna cut it! There are enemies out there with unimaginable strength. You'll need my power to bail you out again. You don't really need me to tell you that though."
What's he getting at?
"Let me cut to the chase here. Would you like to make a deal with me Butch? A deal with what you've come to know as the Devil."
That's when I saw them. The dark green eyes that I absolutely hated. They were sinister and wicked. The same way they had always been.
A/N: And there you have it. Another chapter down. Another in the making. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I'll see you in the next one!