The Adventures of a Demon Cop and a Paranoid Hunter

[Guardian_Fairy_Navi]

The ride was a semi-quiet one. This was something Jed never thought he'd live through, taking a joy ride with a demon to dump a possessed gun into the fiery depths of the earth. The music spilling from the speakers nearly had Jed rolling his eyes. Fitting. Takin' everythin' in my stride. Don't need reason. Don't need rhyme-

"So your the one that proposed the deal in exchange for Zephyr's soul," Jed summed up, "and that's how everyone was released?" And no one thought to inform the victims of how it happened? Jed for one would have liked to have known! "Why?"

Ain't nothin' that I'd rather do. Goin' down. Party time. My friends are gonna be there too. I'm on the highway to hell.  

[Guardian_Fairy_Navi]

Jed bit down on the urge to groan. Leave it to Natalie to accept an arrangement like that. "Everyone is drawn to her," the hunter pointed out with a shake of his head. It was baffling. Look at him now! Any other day and Jed would have said 'screw you' and taken the box himself. But here he was, in a car with a demon riding a police officer to drop a possessed weapon into an active volcano.

Jed didn't even come close to touching the 'this world's version was male' story. Not with a ten foot pole. Nope. Didn't need to know.

"You made a choice to be turned into one," he countered, head propped up by wedging his arm against the passenger door. If anything, the man's posture screamed 'bored'. You only had to look at his eyes to see just how alert Jed really was.

"And if you go and try to hug me after spilling your sob story, i'll shoot you." Hey mumma. Look at me. I'm on the way to the promised land Jed shifted his position until his arms were crossed, the box in his lap. "I hope they were worth it." His eyes flicked toward Seth. "Whoever it was you made the deal for." There was no way Jed would believe a man who made a deal for personal gain would retain any ounce of humanity, but a man who sacrificed everything for someone else....? Maybe.

Of course Jed wasn't so sure Seth wasn't just playing a knight in blood soaked armor until his end game was revealed. Could be this whole thing was an elaborate ruse. Still, so long as this got rid of Zephyr, Jed could play along.

"And for the record, not all monsters are demons. Those ones are just harder to spot."  

[Guardian_Fairy_Navi]

That wasn't quite what Jed meant, but it did tie into the whole package. The demon's casual statement about shooting himself managed to pull a deep chuckle from Jed, his lips pulling upward without his express permission.

He let the 'i'm not so bad' strain of the conversation fall flat. He might be willing to admit Seth could have had a good reason to make the choices he did, but it was a far cry from jumping on the 'i'm a demon but a good demon, not like those others bad guys' train this picture seemed to be moving in.

"So sweet. Warm fuzzies and cute puppies all around." His finger lazily twirled in a circle. Whoop-de-doo. It put him in the running for the 'I wasn't as bad of a demon as I could have been' prize.

"Unless she has some kind of anti-possession protection lying around, I have no idea." Which was true. Mostly. So he had a theory or two floating around in his head, but without knowing more about what race Natalie was or running some trials, he had nothing concrete. It's not like he'd share such sensitive information with current company either.

Whatever protection the woman had, it didn't pass onto him in the family line. Jed had suffered possessions in the past, hence the ink to prevent it from happening again.

"Maybe her drawing people in also repels possession," Jed tossed out with a dismissive shrug.  

[Guardian_Fairy_Navi]

"I'll show you respect if you manage to earn it," the man stated bluntly. "And you are a demon possessing a man you'd like to keep in tact by the sound of it riding in a car with an armed demon hunter. Got a whole bag of tricks, and your arms are occupied." Sure he could snap his fingers and probably make this baby fly, but that would take a few seconds at least. Jed was the one holding the box.

"And don't be so sure about that last part. Seems the brewery has quite the reputation. And you know whose name pops up on most calls responding to disturbances at the place?" Meaning Jed knew there was something up with the cop. Perhaps not necessarily that the man was being possessed by Seth, but there were certainly too many lined up variables for it to be completely by chance.  

[Guardian_Fairy_Navi]

Jed grunted what could pass for agreement. Respect wasn't easy to earn and not just because the guy happened to not be human. Well that didn't help his chances much... Then the demon had to go and start playing head games. He reflexively nudged his bag away, so the cards didn't land in his duffle. Can't have demon magic mucking up his toys.

"Cute trick. Going to read my palm next?" The reply was snarky and guarded. Clearly Seth hit a nerve. Sure anyone could have put two and two together by looking up his history, but Jed got the distinct impression that wasn't the case here... Call it a hunch.

"Not based on the reports," he tossed out with a grin. "When you can compare them to the actual events." So Jed took a peek at some of the filed reports for the brewery.... Hey, a friend had been in town with access to such things. Of course he took advantage of the opportunity. With his loved ones camped out there so often, Jed liked to remain informed. "Everything that isn't said." Someone clearly in the know was handling it.

"For the record, my loyalty is like my respect. Gotta earn it." And who wouldn't change after learning all those things you told yourself as a kid not to be afraid of turned out to not only to be real but hungry? It was either retain his ignorance, which would have gotten him killed, or do something about it. Jed preferred doing things.  

[Guardian_Fairy_Navi]

Jed would feel a whole lot better if the demon behind the wheel was actually watching the road... "Oi, no eyeballin' my soul!" Jed snapped out, suddenly feeling a touch vulnerable. Too late.

Power. Patience. Fear. His paranoia.... Yeah he was a paranoid b*****d. Jed was well aware of that. It was a stressful way to live, not healthy in the slightest. But it did serve one purpose.

"Which is why i'm still alive." His voice was flat, eyes staring unfocused out the windshield until the three of diamonds obscured his vision. The hunter raised a skeptical eyebrow. Honesty.

"Would you get to the point?"  

[Guardian_Fairy_Navi]

"A regular soul peeping tom," Jed muttered, raw nerves rebelling against the idea that he was being lectured by a demon of all thing about being honest. "Wait.... Frank has what now?" All the hunter could think for one brief, shining moment was 'I want some....'

"Look, that's cute all with the mind games and heart to heart, but that's not going to miraculously-" Jed cut himself off, the smoke taking priority. No. No that wasn't engine trouble at all. Not a sputter, not a clank. Smoke shouldn't be spilling from the engine.

Jed sucked in a breath, holding the clean air in his lungs to avoid breathing in whatever the hell that black smoke was. Box with Zephyr tucked safely under one arm, Jed's eyes surveyed the billowing dark smoke. Rolling down the window wouldn't do much good, since the stuff was already outside too. He could gunk up the vents, but that would only buy them a few moments at best.

The hunter pulled a sour face, knowing what he was about to do was going to hurt. Jed threw the passenger door open, his duffle going tossed out first. Jed was rolling out a second later, the lead box tucked safely against his chest as he curled his body around it. No chance in hell he'd lose it while bailing out! Sorry Seth.... Box took priority. The metal corners dug into his skin as he rolled rapidly, fleshy bits meeting painful asphalt. Oooooh road burn.