Devilish (Urban) - Slow Updates!

2. Exposure

"Now, where was I? Ah, the proposition. Controlling ninety percent of the street business in California is quite serious. I won't take so kindly to you laughing like you did with Lee. I'm surprised he let you live. I guess his near death experience gave him a bit of self control."

"No one has the power to control that much of the streets. I don't care what type of influence you have, its not possible."

"I mean...Damien has quite the influence. Especially after the immortal council decided he was worthy of the change."

"Man, what in the hell are you talking about?"

"Immortal council. No one really knows how the first one was changed, but he changed the valuable leaders of the next generation as they became OGs and so on and so forth. Damien is a fourth generation. He wants to start a fifth."

"I'm getting real tired of this immortality bullshit, spit something believable if you really want me to consider this damn deal y'all have been stressing."

"Something believable?"

The shadow stops completely, a deep chuckle reverberating throughout the room. I shiver slightly as a chill runs through my body.

Purple eyes are the first thing I see. Then the rest of his body follows, he's at least six feet tall, strange tattoos cover both of his arms. The only normal thing about him is his close cropped hair and street clothes.

"Man, you might want to get those things checked, I know a good eye doctor."

He laughs, "These babies are quite irreversible. But this isn't."

I'm horrified, sickened, terrified even. This crazy ass dude just ripped his own arm off. He doesn't even flinch as the blood spurts out from the stump that's left.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

"Wait for it," he says calmly. Before my eyes this dudes arm regenerates like the tail of a lizard but a million times as fast. His skin closes in to form over the muscle and tendons growing. I gag, watching as he smirks, moving the whole twisted mess around until he has a fully working arm again.

"One of the many perks really, comes in handy. We heal when stabbed or shot as well. But, ironically enough, we can be drowned, we can burn to death, our spine can be severed, our necks can be broken, and our heads are one of the body parts that don't grow back. The heart will always be the most important part of the body so that's vulnerable as well."

Ol' dude is standing here talking to me like this shit is normal. Like he didn't just rip his arm off and watch it grow back.

"Super strength, speed, heightened hearing, all that. It's a great life man. The purple eyes can't be explained really, just a crazy side effect I suppose."

I'm still silent, taking this all in, wondering if this some paranoid delusion.

"I feel the confusion oozing off of you, emotions are way easier to read in this state of higher living. That's what Damien likes to call it: a state of higher living."

His last statement triggers my vocal cords, "Is Damien--"

"Like me? You could say that. He's stronger though, as well as Lee. They've been living this life longer than me. They can appear completely normal while I can't get rid of this damn eye color if I wanted to."

Another bloodcurdling scream pierces from down the hallway. Reese.

"Take me to her," I demand.

"This is the authority that motivated Damien to act so sudden. You command respect and almost seem like you run something around here. However, you're here under our terms. Your girl isn't being harmed, just being exposed to the same thing you are. If she's going to be by your side she needs to know the true meaning of ride or die."