The Devil's Crown

LIII Samael.

 Elfric slammed the door as he stumbled to his knees not even a foot away from the door. He felt his strength abandon him at the first sight of somewhat relative safety.

‘I told you that you have reached your end, Elfric Woods,’ Orathan bluntly said.

Elfric groaned as he forced himself to his feet. Clear that he didn’t approve of the demon’s tone. “Stop calling me like that,” Elfric evaded the question. Orathan might have done wrong to expose him to such power so soon. Yet again, if he hadn’t done what he did, would Elfric be here stinking with the smell of blood? There was no way around what happened. That was that.

Now that the worst is over – or that’s what Elfric planned. If everything went well and the Rebels cooperated with him, he expected to be out of her with all of them by his side. He was interrupted by a rough cough rocking his chest to the point he felt his insides clatter together. Elfric had no choice but to pull down his mask as the cough continued.

‘They are going to be here soon,’ Orathan warned. More worried about Elfric’s identity getting leaked over his health. Well, what was he expecting from a demon? (Obviously, he wouldn’t offer to get him some medicine).

But he still had a point. But the best he could do was turn his back to the door as he tried to calm down his breath. He noticed the stains of blood inside his mask and sighed, this has never happened to him not to mention that his body isn’t weak either.

“Are you sure this is normal?” Elfric chuckled humorlessly as he pulled back his mask. “I’m not dying and you are keeping it from me, are you?”

If Orathan wasn’t going to be the one to kill him, then the lack of breath from this mask definitely would. It was suffocating inside.

‘I have never lent a human my powers before but,’ Orathan paused. ‘But you aren’t dying that’s for sure.’

“Reassuring…” Elfric spoke sounding more like a question than a statement of fact. But there weren’t any facts. There was only so much that Orathan can help with. Orathan was more like a manual to refer to when he is stuck, that’s what Orathan was turning into inside Elfric’s head.

‘They are here.’ Orathan pointed out.

After a little focus, Elfric noticed it too after a little effort. He was barely able to strengthen his back and maintain his somewhat mysterious appears. At the second that he turned to face the door, it opened.

The view was obstructed by the heavy-looking body of one of the men that Elfric handled personally. From behind it came black hair. Allen, Elfric thought for a moment but after he saw the way the long lock untangle themselves and flow down a feminine body he knew it wasn’t him.

Allen wasn’t a girl, let alone a sexy girl. He chuckled inside.

The doorway was too narrow for that huge body to enter straight forward so they entered sideways. Elfric was finally blessed by the familiar figure of West who seemed to be doing worse than him, he suspected it must be his legs. He can’t imagine the pain that he is feeling underneath all that weight.

Elfric was especially aware of the stare coming from the female with black hair. Scarlet as he remembers from earlier. She couldn’t make it more obvious that she didn’t like him. Her colorful irises were digging holes into his flesh. Her perfect brows frowned in a perfect representation of fury.

“Well, I have to say the hardest part is yet to come,” Elfric spoke as he walked to the side giving space to place the ruined men. He didn’t even wait for the Rebels to catch their breath. there was no time for that. Soon the Generals are going to want answers.

“There is something harder than what we went through?” Allen exclaimed with an irregular breath.

If Elfric was right, then Allen was fond of him. Not that he was complaining. It’s good to have someone by your side.

“Yes, however,” Elfric turned to stare at a painting hung on the wall – fake he would say. “It will be rather easy if you cooperate with me.”

“I believe that we have done enough to show that we are cooperating,” West said as he helped himself to a chair. “What more do you want?”

“To get what you want I’ll have to ask you allow me to lead the speech out there with the General,” Elfric confessed raising a hand in almost excitement.

“No way, West is the leader who is you to take the lead?” Finally Scarlet spat out.

“He is the one that burned the Gotham Tower,”

It was a mumble from Allen but it was enough to get the attention of everyone in the room.

“What nonsense are you blabbing now, Allen?!” Scarlet rose to her feet, the tension in the cords of her throat.

“Don’t you think so West?” Allen ignored Scarlet. She wouldn’t understand, she didn’t see what they saw down there. She didn’t witness what this man can do. “Out everyone that you have seen. Is anyone capable of doing something like that other than this man?”

Allen turned to look at Elfric in fascination as if she has seen his muse. Elfric could almost see the amused grin on his face as he slowly untangled the truth.

“West knows every Rebellious group out there everyone that does the same thing we do but,” Allen added. “But none are capable of pulling something like what happened to the Gotham Tower. Unless there is someone that West wasn’t aware of…”

They all turned their heads to stare at Elfric waiting for a confirmation to the assumption placed. In West eye’s he couldn’t find another way around, but was it true? This man is the one that lit the Gotham on fire overnight. Thinking about what he saw down there in the hallway, there was a great possibility that indeed he was.

This was an opportunity. To have him on their side, not only to get them out of here but always…maybe then the death of their comrades would mean something. Maybe then their voices will be heard for a call of Rebellion and not terrorism.

“Are you the one?” West simply asked. Bringing his head up to look at the lone golden eye that shone so bright…

Elfric was silent.

‘Are you really going to tell them,’ Orathan asked.

Elfric wasn’t exactly in a position to answer, so he nodded slowly both to Orathan and to West.

“Excellent deduction skills, Alle,” Elfric smirked underneath his mask.

“I-Impossible…”Julian exclaimed for the first time. “You burned the whole thing down. The Gothams would be history if Shaw wasn’t alive.”

“So why did you do it?” West asked.

Elfric tilted his head to the side. “Isn’t it obvious? It’s for the same reason that you are doing this,” he answered. “For the same reason, other rebels are out there risking their lives. I want to change this world with what power I have. And you know that I can’t fight the world alone. I need an army.”

None could comment on that, because it was nothing but the truth.

“Why now?” West uttered. “Why are you now deciding to do this?”

Elfric chuckled. Would he believe that he made a deal with the devil to save the world just recently? “Because I just realized I can.”

“At least identify yourself!” Scarlet stated. “We can’t trust you if we don’t even know who you are!”

“Wise enough,” said Elfric. “However, I can’t. Just like how you all are here to protect someone. I have people I want to protect, and I’ll never be the cause of this misery. I’m a simple human from the slums of London, Scarlet. I believe that you would understand since you have your own family.”

She broke eye contact hate to admit that he was right.

Elfric couldn’t help but grin brightly, he has gotten them under his wing. The worst is now done. It was time to get back to the field.

“Now, since you somewhat trust me now,” said Elfric. “Should we get back to work?”

“What are you planning?” West asked as he gestured to the two knocked-down men.

“Kill them of course,” he simply said.

“Oh, but not like that fake stunt you pulled earlier,” Elfric asked. “They are going to really die in front of the world. The more brutal the better. The White Cross still believes that they can overpower you by acting smark. But we need to show them that we are in control. They are the ones who refused to cooperate so the blood of those men is on their hands.”

Elfric scanned their faces. “I guess your hands are not that dirty with blood,” he mumbled. “I will do the dirty work then. There is no room for hesitation.”

West nodded. Thankful for Elfric’s offer. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to kill them. Killing out of self-defense wasn’t the same as shooting an unarmed man in front of millions. ‘I’m not that brutal yet I guess’ West thought.

“One last thing,” Scarlet stood up looking him straight in the eyes. “What’s your name? Doesn’t have to be the real one. What is it that we are supposed to call you?”

Elfric grinned. He has been waiting for this moment. The moment that his life changes forever.

Somehow the topic was wanted by all of them, which was normal actually and Elfric understood that as well, and he was prepared.

He turned sideways, his hands dug into his pockets by habit, his eyes gleaming amidst the darkness of his aura. The only thing about him that seemed…warm, hope.

“Samael,” Elfric spoke. “Call me Samael.”