Me: Another chap.

Jay: You don't sound excited.

Me: Well, I'm not sure if I should keep writing. HINT HINT!Jay: Oh. Um…Okay. Well, I think you should.

Me: I don't need your opinion!

Chapter 12

I Get My Face Pounded…By A Demon?!

Or

Why The Heck Is Steelboy Saying I Smell Bad?!

I wasn't nervous.

Anxious, yeah. But nervous? Heck no! I was going to beat Steelboy…and figure out why I smelled like The Red One. I sniffed the big red fella while I passed by him, and he smelled like curry mixed with lemons.

So…I smelled like lemony curry?

I don't even eat curry, let alone with lemons.

Then why did Steelboy say I smelled like him?

I stood on the opposite end of the arena.

I heard the announcer cry, "Begin!"

I took a long stride/flew towards Steelboy and punched his jaw. It was hard. And yes, it was hard as steel.

"Ouch! C'mon dude!" I yelled and held my hand like a baby. "Ow, ow ow. Hurts so bad!"

He could've attacked, but he grabbed the collar of my shirt and whispered in my ear, "Pretend to fight. I will explain of the smell."

"Uh, sure." I said, puzzled. He pushed me away and put his hands into fists, his eyes locked on me. I pretended to throw blows at him while he dodged, and vice versa.

"The Red One smells stronger than you, but I could still sense the resemblance." he muttered.

"What do you mean? I don't smell like lemony curry."

"No, you both have demon blood."

I stopped the façade in shock. Steelboy accidentally hit my stomach. I flew back and landed at the corner of the ring. If I wasn't raising my head, it would be in the dirt and that'd be a ring out. I got up and flew quickly back to him.

"He's a quarter-demon?" I asked quietly.

He shook his head slightly. "No. He is full demon. Your scent is not as strong as his. I kept smelling what you did: lemony curry but something more than that. Something I couldn't define. Until he fought your sister that has half of your blood, I knew that he was a demon."

"Do you know what he's doing here?"

He paused, almost afraid of saying the truth. "He is here for you."

I bit my lip, then looked at the crowd to distract myself. They were getting antsy. Our fight was boring them.

"Fight for real. We'll discuss this later." I told him.

"But wait-"

I didn't get to hear what he had to say. I punched his arm and he fell on the floor.

Steelboy lunged at me but I used my astral projection to dodge. I changed into my dark energy warrior form and struck. This time my fist did more damage to him than to me. The boy with steel skin staggered back. Where my fist hit him was a violet bruise, but it was fading.

Was I his weakness?

But then that meant…

He punched my stomach and I fell on my back. Steelboy prepared to hit me hard with his fist.

"Hammer fist!" he grunted.

I rolled away. His fist left a large crater on the arena floor.

Then I slammed into him. Steelboy rolled away and on to the dirt. Where I hit him was a big translucent violet spot. I could see his cocoa skin and a red shirt and shorts underneath the steel skin. Then the steel skin went over his real skin and clothes. Strange, but cool.

Ring out.

"Jay Roth wins!" the announcer said. The crowd screamed.

It was quicker than I thought.

We walked back together but the moment we when inside, he sat down far away from the spot Grant and I were gonna sit.

Sore loser.

"Dude, that was a nice win." Grant said, but I could still see some envy in his eyes.

"Thanks." I said, then leaned towards him. I whispered, "Steelboy told me something interesting."

"What?"

"The Red One's a demon. He supposedly smells like me. Do I smell like lemony curry to you?"

Grant sniffed my outstretched arm. "Kinda, but I barely notice it."

I shuddered. "But why is he here?"

He shrugged, a worried gaze in his eyes. "I don't know."

An attendant walked past us and he hid behind me. Once the attendant was gone, he moved away from me.

"Why'd you do that?" I asked.

"They might kick me out 'cause I lost." he explained.

"Oh. So, will you help me figure this out?"

"Sure dude."

Before I could devise a plan, The Red One himself walked up to me and grabbed my collar. He slammed me into the wall. The wind got knocked out of me. I hung from his arm, gasping for air.

"You. Shall. Die. Son. Of. The. Portal." The Red One growled, his voice a little deeper.

I opened my eyes. Everyone was watching us, wondering if this was just a typical skirmish or an actual dangerous fight.

"I'm not planning on dying anytime soon." I wheezed in retort.

That probably wasn't the best thing to say.

He put the arm that he held me way back and threw me into the wall.

Let me tell you, going through walls is not fun. Superboy'd (the clone) tell you it was a piece of cake but since I ain't made of steel, my back felt like a thousand splinters were grazing or in my back. The big pain lasted a second and the next were seconds of soreness and little bits of pain on different parts of my body.

In other words, ouch.

The battle between two young heroes was interrupted. One of them was teetering on the edge of the ring. The other noticed this and pushed the teetering hero. He fell on his butt on the dirt.

But no one noticed, or cared. Thousands of pairs of eyes were on me but most on The Red One.

I looked back and held a gasp. His hair was turning white at the roots. One eye opened under his right eye and one opened under his left. He was taller and got a lot more buffer. But what really caught my eye were the tiny antlers on his head.

"I am the descendant of Trigon the Terrible, and it is decreed that I can challenge the oldest grandchild of his, the heir, for more demonic power." he roared.

He did not look younger than me at this point.

"I don't really have any 'demonic powers.'" I said in a desperate attempt to save myself.

It was kind of true. Besides my powers, I had never done anything demonic. I hadn't even turned into a demon.

I think he had done his research on me though.

"Your demonic powers have never been fully revealed. I sense a great, hidden power within you."

"Really? Thanks."

At that moment, my mom teleported in front of me, defending me from my buff cousin. "Leave him alone." she said demandingly.

Gar changed into an eagle with Crow in his beak. "Yeah. Just leave the kid alone, and maybe we'll invite you for birthday cake."

Oh, Gar.

"Why did you bring the baby here?" my mom hissed.

"I can't just leave him with some stranger-"

The Red One shot a blast of energy towards me. I braced myself for impact-

And it never came.

There was a white energy shield around my family. I looked for the source of the energy and it was Crow, the baby Gar was holding in his arms. His right arm was raised and the shield was coming out like a fountain. Crow had his father's smile plastered on his face.

I used the time to run out of the shield. It was tough to get out, like it was sucking me in. I managed to get out and changed into a dark energy warrior.

"Your powers cannot save them." The Red One smirked.

I spat on the ground and raised my power. My energy was fading fast. I had to do something now.

Flying towards him with my fist back for a strong punch, I yelled a battle cry. The Red One easily swatted me away. I landed hard on the dirt, my dark warrior form gone. People were running away and screaming, heroes looking unsurely at the battle. I spotted Nightwing and Starfire watching me, watching me, watching me…

"Hey kid, you got this. C'mon get up." Nightwing told me and helped me up.

How'd he get here so fast? Must've been a hard hit to my head. Must've fainted…so tired…

"Jay, buddy, don't give up. Don't give in to fainting, okay?" Nightwing said, his voice cracking a little.

I could tell he was worried about me. But why now? He had a year…and he did nothing. Nothing. I knew he loved me but it was just too difficult for him to devote himself to me and his family.

"Father…" I coughed. My knees wobbled underneath me, but I managed to keep standing without his help. Starfire was a few feet behind him, watching me with new eyes, like I was special.

"You can do this. I believe in you. I wish I could help, son-"

I lifted a finger and cut him off. "I know. This is my fight."

I walked to The Red One. But I hesitated, turning back to him. There was pain in his eyes. "I love you, Dad." I said softly. I turned away so I wouldn't see his reaction.

But I knew he had heard me.

And I think I heard him.

I took in a deep breath and looked at The Red One.

"I'm not letting you win this, demon." I told him, my voice getting deeper. I felt taller. I could meet his eyes without tilting my head up. I looked down at myself. My skin was like my mother's. I saw though a piece of broken glass that my eyes were glowing white. My hair was longer, like his.

I had unlocked my demon potential.

Nightwing here.

There are some things my son missed.

For example, how much I was worried about him! He just had to-

Ahem. Sorry. That was too much emotion.

So I had just seen these two young heroes fighting, then there was a crash. Jay had been hit and went through a wall. That red guy, The Red One, stepped out of the hole and gave him a chilly stare.

Starfire yelped. "Nightwing! What's going-"

"I don't know." I interrupted her, hoping she'd be silent so I could concentrate. Maybe it was just a little spat. Maybe Jay had been too sassy, which ticked The Red One off.

He changed into a Trigon-like demon, except he was noticeably smaller than Trigon. But he looked just as powerful.

Oh Jay.

"I am the descendant of Trigon the Terrible, and it is decreed that I can challenge the oldest grandchild of his, the heir, for more demonic power." he roared.

A descendant of Trigon? I did recall Raven mentioning her older three half-brothers…

"I don't really have any 'demonic powers.'" Jay said in a pleading voice.

I wanted to help him. I helped create that little guy, that boy who was destined for so many things…

Suddenly, a painful flash in my mind, like a one second headache. I could see Jay in these quick pictures. He is destined for the stars, he will be the greatest and most vulnerable hero that has ever lived.

And then it was gone.

For a second, I thought it was just my imagination. But I knew it was true. That prophecy. Someone had sent me that prophecy…

"Your demonic powers have never been fully revealed. I sense a great, hidden power within you." The Red One roared.

"Really? Thanks." Jay smirked Raven's smirk.

Raven stood in front of him, her arms outstretched to protect him. "Leave him alone."

A green winged creature with a green skinned baby landed next to her. He dropped the baby in his arms. A little boy who looked so much like Beast Boy.

"Yeah. Just leave the kid alone, and maybe we'll invite you for birthday cake."

That was so Garfield.

"Why did you bring the baby here?" Raven hissed.

"I can't just leave him with some stranger-"

The Red One attacked and a white shield came from the baby boy's open hand. That kid would be really powerful once he controlled his powers and when he was older.

Jay turned into a dark warrior.

"Your powers cannot save them." The Red One smirked.

My son spat on the ground and flew towards him. The demon swatted him away like a fly.

I jumped down to see if he was okay. My kid, my son, that boy was my son…

Starfire was right behind me, but I didn't care. I knelt by him. He looked dazed and his eyelids were about to close.

"Hey kid, you got this. C'mon get up." I told him and helped the violet and black haired boy up.

He looked confused when he saw me. He probably thought I didn't care because I didn't do anything about him for an entire year.

"Jay, buddy, don't give up. Don't give in to fainting, okay?" I said, my voice cracking a little. I didn't want him to die. I couldn't let him die.

"Father…" he coughed. His knees were shaking and he could barely stand up.

"You can do this. I believe in you. I wish I could help, son-" I rambled.

Jay lifted a finger and cut me off. "I know. This is my fight."

He started to walk to The Red One. But he stopped, turning back to face me. He looked sad, a little resigned. "I love you, Dad." Jay said softly and turned away quickly.

He loved me. He said he loved me. And he called me Dad.

"I love you too." I whispered back even quietly.

"I'm not letting you win this, demon." Jay rumbled. He started changing into a demon. His hair grew longer, but remained the same colors. He was taller and more muscular than I was.

He was an even match for the demon.

The fight will be…next chapter!