Kuro: I just couldn't wait to get a review to keep writing. So here is chapter two.
Alan: Are you sure this isn't you procrastinating your speech and essay?
Eric: Or the math homework?
Kuro: S-shut up! Besides…I have time to do that stuff. I'm at work now anyway.
Alan: You shouldn't procrastinate. You have all the resources needed to do all of it and you certainly have the time to be doing it.
Kuro: ….
Alan and Ronald watched for a brief moment as the large canine figure cornered the woman. She looked absolutely petrified and Alan knew that she would be dead in a matter of moments unless they acted now. Signaling to Ronald to move to the other roof Alan stepped silently forward. He waited for Ronald to get into position and then sored into the air and readied his death scythe before attempting to strike the demon. As predicted it moved out of the way, though it was certainly faster than expected, and right into the trap set. Ronald swung his death scythe at the demon and almost landed a clean hit, but the canine once more moved nimbly out of the way. It landed on the adjacent rooftop and watched the woman run out of the alley. Its eyes glowed angrily as prey escaped. Ronald and Alan froze. It was not a hellhound they were after, but indeed Jasmine. They were expecting it, but had both hoped it was a hellhound. They had discussed only moments before arriving that there was a possibility, but neither of them had truly believed. Ronald took a step back in disbelief and loosened his grip on his death scythe. No way. It wasn't possible. Jasmine couldn't be behind this.
"Snap out of it, Ronald!" Alan yelled as he readied his death scythe once more before springing into action. It was as he had feared. Jasmine's demon soul had taken over and even worse she was acting as a rouge demon. She was no longer the same Jasmine. Her mind was driven by bloodlust and a hunger for human souls. She was just another demon now. She was now the enemy. He swung his scythe and, knowing she would move out of the way, positioned himself so he could land a kick to her back. His plan worked and the fox was sent onto the hard stone. As she lie stunned on the ground, Alan took advantage of the moment and struck her with his scythe. He could not think about the person she used to be or else he would hesitate. If he hesitated he would die and he knew it. She was faster and likely stronger. He needed Ronald to snap out of it and get in gear. He knew the younger shinigami was remembering the old Jasmine and not looking at the thing she had become. She was beyond saving now. Not a trace remained of her shinigami soul.
Ronald felt numb. He willed his body to move, but he simply couldn't. The more he tried the harder it became. He silently watched as his friend attacked his once lover. How could Alan be doing this? He knew she could be saved so why was he trying to kill her? He had to stop Alan! His body moved on its own and the next thing he knew he had tackled Alan to the ground, kicking his scythe away and pinning him to down, and Jasmine had run away. "Wait, Jasmine!" He cried back over his shoulder.
"What do you think you are doing, Ronald?" Alan demanded angrily. He understood how the young shinigami felt, but that was no excuse to attack a fellow officer. He shoved Ronald off and retrieved his death scythe. "William is already getting tired of your mistakes and now you have gone and let a demon get away with proof that it was stealing souls. You will be lucky if you ever see the field again after this. I understand how you feel, but sometimes we have to do the hard things. Killing people we don't want to kill. Taking souls that shouldn't have died. We learned these things long ago and before we even had definite proof it was her I said we may have to kill her. Ronald, I know this is hard for you to-"
"You don't know how I feel, Alan-senpai! You can't possibly know!" Ronald shouted with tears in his eyes. "You have Eric-senpai! He is waiting for you to come home like he always does! It's not fair!"
"Ronald…" Alan wasn't sure how to approach this. Ronald was right in saying he had Eric, but that is not to say he doesn't understand. "Ronald listen, I do know. I miss her too. We all lost her that day, not just you. Yeah, you may have lost a mate and not just a friend, but that doesn't give you the right to act the way you have been. Come on. Let's just go home for now. The woman is still alive and with the wound I gave her she won't be going anywhere any time soon."
Ronald nodded with a sigh. There was nothing he could do now. Jasmine was gone yet again and he knew Alan was right. William was going to take him off field work for sure. Following after the older shinigami he let his mind wander.
~X~ WILLIAM'S OFFICE ~X~
"Care to explain why you failed to kill the hellhound?" William turned in his chair and adjusted his glasses. The look in his eyes told the shinigami that they needed a damn good excuse.
"You see sir-" Alan started, but immediately was cut off by Ronald.
"It was my fault." The blonde shinigami looked at his feet and played with the end of his shirt nervously. "It wasn't a hellhound. It was a demon…Jasmine to be precise….I stopped Alan-senpai from killing her." He closed his eyes and waited for the wrath of William T. Spears to come.
William remained silent, attempting to comprehend what he was just told. One of his officers let a demon who was stealing souls get away intentionally? He must have misheard something. "Let me see if I heard you correctly, Mr. Knox." William started as he pushed his glasses up to the brim of his nose. "You knowingly let a demon escape. A demon who you witnessed stealing a soul-"
"Attempting…" Ronald mumbled.
"Pardon?" William growled. He was certainly not in the mood for games or small technicalities today.
"Attempting to steal the soul, sir." Ronald said a bit louder.
"I do not care about that, Ronald Knox, you knowingly let a demon escape without effort to stop it. I was only thinking of demoting you or temporarily moving you to another department, however, it seems better fit to move you until I see fit, if that time comes, to another division. This may not be a temporary change. Ronald Knox, until further notice, you are hereby transferring to the Death Scythe Repair division starting after you finish the field report. I will have forms on your desk to fill out regarding the transfer and I expect you to clean up your act." William handed two files out, one for each of them, and sent them on their way.
Ronald was devastated, despite knowing the potential of this happening. He never thought he would be removed from the dispatch. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair!
Alan wasn't sure how to comfort the young shinigami. "Do you want to go into London tonight and eat with Eric and me?" he asked hesitantly. It was supposed to be a date, but given the circumstances it may be better to invite Ronald.
"No thank you, Alan-senpai." Ronald mumbled. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier. It wasn't right and you didn't deserve it."
"Hey, don't apologize. I know you didn't mean it. Why don't you just come with us and try to take your mind off of it." Alan wanted a romantic night with Eric, but he wasn't about to leave his friend desperate and in need of comfort.
"I think I will just go home and sleep." Ronald gave a half smile to Alan and a halfhearted wave as he entered his office leaving Alan to go find Eric. He plopped down in his chair and plucked a pen from his desk. Scanning over the paperwork once he began to fill out what had happened before signing it. William walked in just as he dated the paper and handed him the transfer papers. He really did not want to transfer, but William was giving no choice in the matter. Signing the papers he handed it all back to William and stood up. After stretching he grabbed his jacket and went home for the night. Tomorrow he would have a new job.
Alan sat propped up on Eric's couch in his office, the blonde male in his chair, filling out the field reports and telling Eric about what had happened. After telling Eric about what had happened in the field they lapsed into a comfortable silence. After a few minutes Alan added. "So William is making Ronald transfer."
Eric looked up in shock, his pen no longer scratching against the paper. "Why?"
Alan shrugged and said simply. "He messed up. I hate to see him go, but he did let a demon escape. Even though the demon was his lover we had to kill her. He knew this."
"He's just a kid, Alan." Eric tried to reason. He hated to admit that the brunette was right about that though. Seeing the look on Alan's face that said it was time to change the subject, Eric added. "Why don't we stop here tonight and go get dinner. You look hungry."
"Sounds good. I invited Ronald, but he turned me down. I just thought it would help to get out and do something." Alan laid his file filled with report notes on Eric's desk and exited the office. He paused outside the door and waited for Eric. Hand in hand the two made their way to the small diner in London that Eric had suggested.
Eric: Not much of a turn out on chapter one, eh?
Kuro: ….yeah rub it in.
William: It is what you get for leaving your readers hanging for a year.
Kuro: ….But I came back…..
Alan: Doesn't matter *shrugs*
Ronald: Please review?