Four Months Later
Phil stared out of the window of the moving van, watching as the rain outside hit the window before sliding down the misty glass. It wasn't pouring, but it was enough for him to not even want to get out of the vehicle.
He tuned out as the car stopped and the other people surrounding him, hunters, began grabbing weapons and other supplies before climbing out into the middle of the empty parking lot they had arrived. He was always the last one of them out, and the first one to get back in. He was just very wary of their intentions, worried they would figure him out too easily.
"You sure this is where they're hiding, yeah?" Chris said, standing next to him and staring up at the desolate building looming ahead of them. It was probably the sixth time Phil had brought them out of whatever hideaway they were residing in, claiming he had a lead in where the demons were. And so far, they had all been dead ends.
Phil nodded slowly, twisting the foot long blade in his hands idly. After a month and a half of trying to train him with a gun, the rest of the group had decided it just wasn't his forte, and armed him with an almost sword-like blade so he wouldn't drag them down during hunts. He honestly felt more comfortable with it than a gun.
After another moment of just staring, and mentally preparing themselves, Chris shouted for them all to go ahead inside, and Phil drifted towards the back of the group as they filed into the building.
It was dark and cold, and they all visibly shivered as they made their way further inside. A few of the hunters broke away from the larger group and went to check the other rooms in the first floor. Phil had never thought it was a goo idea to split up like that, too many accidents could occur that way. The rest of the continued up to the second floor.
Phil kind of hated these kinds of hunts. Not knowing what they could be walking into, unprepared and definitely not fully trained. It made his heart race in the most nauseating way, and once, he had vomited from the pressure building inside his chest. Which was by he tended to stay in the back of all the action.
But the building was empty, and after the whole group had been accounted for, they all piled back into the van and headed back to the derelict house they had dubbed 'headquarters'.
"I swear, Phil," Chris muttered from beside him. "Sometimes I think you're just giving us fake information about this. It's been a month, and we have nothing, no leads and no chance of finding them."
Phil sighed, pulling his phone from his pocket. "Look, I'm just telling you everything I know. It's not my fault the info isn't solid."
He scrolled through his messages aimlessly, angling the screen away from any unsuspecting eyes.
Phil: we're good, where are you now?
He quickly deleted the message and waited anxiously for a reply. The phone vibrated in his hand a second later, and he unlocked it hastily.
Unknown: just south of Brighton.
He sighed in relief; they were heading in the complete opposite direction, so everything was going fine. He deleted the whole conversation, stuffing the phone back in his pocket and making sure nobody else was watching him. This was the only chance he had to do something good.
Because they didn't know, the didn't know about his secret correspondence with the remain clan they were so adamant on hunting and killing. For the last four months, Phil had been acting as a sort of double agent, leading the group of hunters on different dead end leads concerning Zoe and her family, while simultaneously making sure Zoe and the rest of them were out of the line of fire. It had been very hard at first, convincing them that he was trustworthy enough to join them at all, and he was still struggling to remain unsuspicious, but he got by well enough.
He'd left without a moment's notice. No chance to pack anything, he hadn't even gotten to see how parents again before following this group of bloodthirsty killers of monsters. But he knew he didn't have any choice in the matter anyway; they had explained to him that it was better his parents think he was missing thank knowing anything about this kind of stuff, and he knew they were right.
His phone buzzed in his pocket again, and he pulled it out, slightly less cautious than before. Zoe wouldn't text him first, and now two times in one sitting.
Dan: when am i gonna see you again? :(
He smiled at the message, trying to think of how to reply.
Before he had left, he had made sure to slip his number into Dan's pocket. He figured the boy needed some kind of positive motivation in his life, or at least someone to talk to if things got bad. They had already developed a very close relationship, considering the strain on their already few interactions together. After the night they had first met, Phil had only seen him face to face a total of three other times, when the hunters grouped up again in Manchester and he was able to slip away for a few hours. So it was mostly texting and sparse phone calls that kept them in touch at all.
Phil: no idea but I'll try as soon as possible. we're not that far away but I can't exactly sneak off right now.
Dan: I hope so. I miss you
Phil: I miss you too. is everything okay right now?
There was small pause in the conversation after that, and Phil began biting his nails anxiously. He he hadn't really left Dan in the best situation; the younger boy had dealt with a lot of terrible things in his life, things that didn't go away so easily, and Phil was always worried about how Dan was doing.
Dan: everything's fine, you don't have to ask every time we talk.
Dan: but seriously, things have gotten... better. easier to deal with, at least.
Phil huffed in relief, trying to calm down some. He was a bit overprotective, but he just liked to make sure.
Phil: sorry. that's good, though I hope it stays that way.
Dan: me too :/
He didn't reply, realizing Chris was staring at him questioningly, and slid the phone back into his pocket. He really needed to be more careful, he couldn't risk anyone finding out about Dan. He wasn't supposed to have any ties to Manchester or his old life.
And he would never admit it, out loud it even to himself, that at first, he had only kept contact with Dan because he felt like he already knew him. From what he could tell, his Dan, and this not-really-new human Dan were pretty much the same. They still had the same taste in music and books, and Dan's wardrobe was just as consistently black. But where demon Dan was a lot more outspoken and loud, human Dan was more reclusive and less likely to speak his mind. And while Phil had gotten used to the demon's boisterous attitude, he had taken well to the quietness of his time spent with the human. He liked it, it was another aspect that intrigued him.
He jumped nearly a foot in the air when a hand landed in his shoulder, snapping him from his thoughts of black eyes and nervous smiles, and looked over to see PJ giving him a sympathetic look. Phil had learned in his time with them that Peej was usually to settle any arguments amongst the hunters, and that him and Chris were very close; if he didn't know any better, he would say they were dating, but Chris had made it clear he wasn't interested in any kind of relationship. He didn't know if PJ felt the same way though.
"He's hard on everyone like that." PJ assured him gently, gesturing vaguely to the hotheaded leader of their group. "He just takes this job a little bit too seriously sometimes."
Phil nodded in answer; he completely understood. Nobody had told him, but these people had become hunters for a reason. And he didn't know all of their backstories, but he did know Chris's. His entire family had been taken from him by a few rogue demons, and they'd made him watch the whole thing. And they would have killed him too, if two other hunters hadn't showed up and saved him. He had been eleven.
"I know." Phil said, running his fingers through his hair with a sigh. "I'm trying, I really am. But it's really not enough, I guess."
"You're doing fine." Peej said, nudging his shoulder playfully. "Seriously. It took me almost a year to learn how to properly use a gun without hitting myself in the face." Phil smiled at that, though he was sure he would definitely never learn to actually use a gun.
There were small moments, like this, that almost made phill glad he's joined the hunters. He had done it purely to protect the demons who had tolerated him during their time in Manchester.
But sometimes, he felt happy. His life before hadn't been a very social one, and friends were scarce, but this... they made him feel welcome, like family, almost. And he really couldn't say he hated it entirely.
So yes, he was doing this for Zoe, for her and the rest of her family. He was doing it so Dan hadn't been thrown out of his life for nothing, and so that the human Dan wouldn't have to go through something like that ever again.
But he was also doing it for himself.
***
a/n: THE END. THE END OF THIS STORY.
Okay, yeah, so Phil wasn't being a dick and hunting the demons. And yeah, demon Dan is gone forever (wink wink) and human Dan is gettin in there. Who knows. Maybe I'll write a sequel for this. I could see it. Would yall want that? Idk...
Yes yes, thank you all for sticking around for this ending. This story has been through a lot, it's been a literal year since I started it. But thank you or reading it and voting and commenting, seriously, it always makes me smile that people actually like my stories. Love you all, you're all my children.
I had a lot of fun writing it though, through all the writers block and s few negative moments, and it was really worth it cause I kinda love it now. And I hope you guys do too.
Okay yeah that's it, really. I'll see you guys later, hopefully, maybe. Read my other stories and all that, I'd love you 5ever.
:3 Peace.