AN: Weeeee, third chapter!
"So you're basically a demon hunter?"
"You could put it that way."
"So if you see the big shots runnin' around, then why are you doing random exorcisms?"
"Gotta make money somehow."
"...I know my mother didn't pay you for that."
"What is this, twenty questions?"
"I'm just curious."
"You've been curious for the past hour and a half."
Chas and John stared at each other over the table for a few moments, where Chas had stacked dozens of books and had been leafing through them while John was out for the day. After John hadn't allowed him to go to work because of how weak he was, the bookshelf had been basically his only entertainment for the day.
"I told you not to go poking around..." John muttered, looking back down at his glass of whiskey.
"No, you told me not to poke around in your cabinets. These were on an open shelf. That made them fair game."
"Look, kid, you don't want to start getting involved in this shit."
"Yes I do. And stop callin' me kid. I'm 16, that's not 'kid' age."
John just stared at him for a moment, and then he shook his head and took a drag off his cigarette. "As soon as you're recovered, you're out of here."
"Can I come to an exorcism?"
"No."
"Come on, John, just one?"
"No. It's too dangerous."
"I can handle it if you tell me what to expect!"
"No, you can't."
Chas frowned. "How would you know what I can and can't handle, huh?"
John put out his finished cigarette, and then stood up. "Look, kid...you're too young, and outside of what you read in those books you don't have two brain cells to rub together to figure out how to handle what I handle every damn day. You'd crumble at your first sight of a warrior demon, let alone a half breed or a worse concoction of hell. Not everything's like it says in those books, and no matter how much you read, you could never handle the real thing. So give it up."
As Chas sat there with a bit of a dumbfounded expression on his face, John drank the last of the whiskey in his glass and the phone rang. He gave Chas a glare and went to pick up the phone, muttering a guttural "Hello?" He didn't notice when Chas stood up and made his way to the bedroom, quietly picking up the other phone and listening in.
"John, we've got big trouble down at the downtown gym. We've got a possessed man, just walked in and started going into fits."
"He walked into the gym? Father, are you sure it's a possession?"
"Absolutely positive. I got a couple guys to stay and help restrain him, but this demon...I can't pull it out. It's too strong."
"I'll be right there, just keep him there, okay?"
"Will do."
John hung up, and quickly gathered his coat and his bag, "Chas, I'll be back later, alright? Just stay out of my stuff," he called out.
"Yeah, yeah."
John left the apartment without a single look back, and in the bedroom, Chas hung up the phone as well and grabbed his coat and hat. No way was he being left behind, not after getting the 'you're too young for this' speech. He was going to prove John wrong, no matter what it took.
By the time John reached the gym the manager in charge had already locked the doors, and he was there to briefly unlock them to let John in. Father Hennessy was waiting at the top of the stairs, and he quickly led John down.
"He's by the pool," he said, already slightly out of breath. "We've got three guys on him and he's still holding strong."
Neither man noticed the boy following, whom the manager had let in on the premise that he had something that John had forgotten. Chas made sure to keep a good distance; he didn't want to be noticed until John was hard at work and wouldn't have time to kick him out.
The man was most certainly possessed. As John approached him he snarled and fought even more, his limbs twisting at unnatural, disgusting angles. His skin was an ashy, gray color, the veins sticking out and his teeth bared with fury. The three men were struggling to hold him down.
John stood with one foot on either side of the man's chest, and he was pulling out his cross when Chas entered the room.
"God, he's ugly!" Chas immediately said, and John looked up in shock and fury.
"Chas, what the hell are you doing here? I told you to stay put!" John said, and Chas shrugged and moved closer.
"I'm an idiot kid, remember? Obviously not smart enough to listen to what you say," he shot back angrily.
"Chas, stay ba-"
John didn't get a chance to finish the warning; the demon broke free from its captors, and grabbed John by the leg, yanking him off his feet. Hennessy stepped forward to help, but by that time the demon was already on his feet, and it knocked him back with one swing of his arm.
"Not so tough, exorcist," the demon growled out as it grabbed John by the collar of his shirt. For a moment, everyone was at a loss at to what to do.
That is, except for Chas.
Chas took a running start and tackled the demon, and both Chas and the demon tumbled into the pool. Chas struggled to get the upper hand, but soon he found himself being held under the water, the demon's hand locked around his throat. He kicked and fought, but he was no match for the hellish fury of the demon he was up against.
At that moment, John felt a wave of panicky fear; it surprised him, especially concerning an annoying boy who'd thus far only made things worse. He felt his chest tighten and his fists clench with fury as the demon began to try and drown Chas, and he did the first and only thing he could think of- he dove into the water and pulled the demon away from Chas, who was weakening with each second.
With the help of the three men and Hennessy, they dragged the creature out of the pool, and they managed to hold him down and exorcise the demon in a matter of minutes. When they were done Chas was hanging on the edge of the pool with one arm, gasping for air and rubbing his throat with his free hand.
Hennessy began to take care of the newly freed man, and John turned to Chas. Their eyes met, and Chas cringed.
"We're going home. And you...you and I are going to have one hell of a long talk," John practically growled, grabbing Chas roughly by the wrist and yanking him up out of the water.
AN: Ah, yesh, next chapter shall be fun.
