CHAPTER IX

"I'm in the marketplace!" Damian whooped. "Aw, yessssss!" He floated over to Addison's side. "Dude! I've never been outside the school up here on the surface! This place is colorful as shizz! It's—"

He broke off and jerked to his left. "—no way," he gasped. Then he took off at a sprint toward one of the many stands in the marketplace, screeching, "COMIC BOOKS!!!"

The others followed Damian as he plastered himself against the stand, placing his clawed hand on one of the comics. "Aww, man! Is this a new issue?"

"Mm-hm," the man running the stand replied, not looking up from his comic.

"Dude! Addi! Check this one out!" Damian threw an arm around Addison's shoulder and practically shoved a comic in his face. "You'd like it! It's got snakes n' stuff! You like that s**t, right?"

Addison prepared to offer a reluctant reply, but was interrupted when a strange, frantic, high-pitched voice cut through the sounds of the market.

"SINNERS!!"

The group spun around, startled, and stared at the stand across from the comic book stand. Sitting there was a white cat (or was that a dog?) with a wide, sharp-toothed grin. The words "The Saved" were painted on his stand, and propped up against it was a sign that read "God Hates You".

"Good evening, my young sinners!" the cat/dog screeched.

"...Excuse us?" Addison replied, confused and immediately miffed by the exclamation.

"Reading those blasphemous texts is a one-way ticket to eternal damnation, my friends!" the man declared, clasping his hands together. "The only text you children should be reading is the Holy Word of the Lord!"

"Yeeeeeeah... I doubt that entirely," Damian sneered at the man.

"Kinda rude to shout out random accusations, don't you think?" Addison said, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes.

"I have every right to judge you in the eyes of the Lord!" the man responded, his grin unfaltering. "As a member of the Saved, I just want to help you children change your awful, sinful ways, so you—"

"ENOUGH, DUDE!" Damian suddenly exploded, his tongue (which was black and covered in red eyes) whipping out of his mouth. He stormed over to the cat/dog, who was fearfully clutching his Bible, and snarled, "Seriously! Keep yer dumb, self-righteous preaching to yourself! They don't need any 'helping' from you!"

The cat/dog pulled back, but then suddenly narrowed his eyes. "You're..." he whispered. "You're a... DEMON!!!" He screeched out the final word, leaning toward Damian.

Damian's ears drooped as the cat/dog spat, "How dare you bring your filth to this pure place, you freakish abomination!"

"Hey, dude! Back off 'im!" Sahara snapped.

"Yeah!" Addison agreed, putting a hand on his hip and scowling.

"Get away from the beast!" the cat/dog screamed, holding up a crucifix. "Lest he steal your immortal soul!"

Seeing the holy object, Damian's eyes widened. He began to growl as black-and-red tentacles extended from his back, whipping around wildly. They pressed against the ground like flexible spider legs, lifting Damian into the air. "SHUT UP, YOU FILTHY F***ING LIAR!" Damian shrieked, black horns sprouting from his head. "You think you know me and who I am?!" He barked out a laugh. "You pretend to know everything, but you know NOTHING!"

-

Bozzwick peered around a corner and grinned as he watched Damian go beast-mode. "Perfect," he breathed. "This is gonna be fun..."

-

Damian scuttled forward, preparing to attack the street preacher.

BANG!

His friends gasped as Damian cried out, grabbing his shoulder. Crimson blood dribbled from a small hole in his arm, dripping down to his fingers.

"Freeze, demon suckah!" someone barked. "In the name of Safe Haven Authority!"

Heads turned, and those present spotted Safe Haven's two elite law enforcement officers—Po and Poe—about twenty yards away from Damian. Po's gun was smoking, denoting him as the shooter.

Undaunted, Damian turned on the officers, growling angrily.

Poe responded by aiming his capture weapon—a claw-like device—and the half-demon, locking it around his neck. "Don't fight it, demon!" the officer ordered. Then, in a lower voice, he snapped, "Po! Did you send the alert to Xirxine?"

"Yeah!" Poe answered in an equally quiet voice as his capture weapon latched around Damian's arms and torso. "Looks like they'll have a new test subject!" he snickered.

Addison and Sahara looked on in horror and dismay (and Bozzwick in cruel joy), helpless to do anything for their friend.

An explosion suddenly swallowed up Damian's cries, and what appeared to be a large pink robot with a massive buzzsaw for a hand leapt forward, slicing through Damian's bonds.

Damian fell backward, only to be caught by the fuzzy blue creature Cameron had encountered in Z.P.A.

Addison and Sahara's jaws dropped as the pink robot landed in front of Po and Poe, snarling, "Touch the prince again, and I'll tear you and your ugly-a-- twin apart—then tie your bits together and put on puppet shows!"

"What?!" Poe exclaimed.

"What the eff?!" Po cried at the same time.

"You heard me, dips**ts!" the robot sneered. "This demon is off-limits here! He was given permission to be in this place! So get with the program—and maybe keep in mind the s**t Zechariah tells you!"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake, making everyone turn around again. A huge, horned creature make of darkness and what looked like blood had emerged from out of nowhere, towering over everyone in the marketplace.

-

Bozzwick grimaced. Ooh. The boss, he thought, disappointed.

-

HOME. NOW! the massive creature thundered at Damian and his two caretakers, opening its mouth impossibly wide.

Addison and Sahara (whose jaws were still close to the ground) watched as the robot transformed into the attractive woman who served as Damian's "nanny" and carried him inside the creature's mouth, closely followed by the shamefaced blue creature.

-

Bozzwick let out a blue streak, looking away. Way to be a spoil-sport, big guy.

-

P.O.V. – Damian

"Nyngh! I told you! I TOLD you this all was a bad idea!"

Tentadora looked down at Damian, who she carried in her arms, as Styx complained. They were headed into the throne room, where the king and queen of the Underworld waited.

"DAMIAN!"

And impatiently, at that.

Damian hopped out of Tentadora's arms and withered as he shuffled toward the throne of his father. "Yes, Daddy," he whimpered, slipping into his original, more regal accent.

Lucifer rose out of his throne, transforming into a far more terrifying version of himself with a mouth that glowed like lava as the queen and captain of the guard—a cat-demon named Jillian—looked on. "What is the meaning of this?" Lucifer hissed, glaring at his son.

"Dad... I was just h-hanging out with my fr—"

"SILENCE!" Lucifer boomed (despite having just asked a question). "You are NOT permitted on the surface, and there are laws against demons in Safe Haven! You could have been KILLED!"

"Sire... we DID manage a direct appeal sometime ago with one of Safe Haven's head Peacekeepers," Tentadora reminded the king. "We—"

"SILENCE!" Lucifer bellowed once again. He leaned toward the nanny and major, snarling, "You two are Damian's caretakers and my heads of staff. You should know better than to make decisions like this without consulting me first!" The air around him heated up, glowing orange as he growled, "I am VERY disappointed in you two..."

"Dad! I begged them for months for this!" Damian blurted, stepping in front of Styx and Tentadora with his hands spread out defensively. "I hate it here all the time! I just wanted a little freedom!"

"YOU HAVE—"

Suddenly, Queen Narissa held up her paw, cutting off Lucifer's retort. She turned to her son and asked calmly, "Why do you hate it here, baby?"

Damian hesitated. "Well... I don't eel like... I have a life here," he admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"Well... I mean... like—" Damian stopped, gathering his thoughts. Then he took a deep breath and explained, "I love it here, my family and... it's cool and stuff, but... I'm not allowed to go out and explore here at all, 'cuz it's too dangerous! So I'm just stuck in the palace all the time... and learning about our culture n' stuff. But the surface world is just... so much bigger... and diverse... and y'know..." He trailed off, rubbing his arm. "I want a chance to explore my own life," he mumbled. "I'm... just... I'm sorry, Mum..."

Narissa fell silent, resting her face on her paw in thought. Then she turned to her husband and said, "Lucifer, my darling... Safe Haven is a place he would be safe in—if we ensure his safety with the Peacekeepers. And he could experience the mortals' sinful nature directly. Allow him to make his own mistakes." She looked the king in the eye, adding "Perhaps this is a worthwhile experience for him. After all, you gained more from the surface realm yourself."

Lucifer hesitated uncertainly, slowly returning to his normal form, then glanced at Tentadora and Styx with a scowl. "Once his safety is assured," he said at last, "I'll allow it."

Before the two could rejoice in being let off the hook, however, Lucifer transformed again and warned, "But if you two EVER act without my permission again... I will not be so lenient."

"Thank you, Daddy!" Damian whooped, lunging at his father and embracing him while Styx and Tentadora exchanged a nervous look. "Thank you so much!" He reached out and pulled his mother into the hug. "I love you guys so much!"

Tentadora finally allowed herself a smile, clasping her hands together excitedly. "Okay, soooooo... what did I say from the start?" she asked Styx teasingly. "Hmmmm?"

"Woman. Do not start," Styx growled, glaring at her.

-

Bozzwick reappeared outside the throne room with the Hell Sprites clinging to him and peered inside with a scowl on his face. Seeing the royal family embrace, he let out an angered hiss...

-

P.O.V. – Cameron

Cameron walked through Z.P.A.'s main lobby with her arms wrapped around herself. It was late, but she felt like she needed time to digest everything she'd learned. This place is so much... more than it seems, she thought, leaning against a wall and closing her eyes in exhaustion. And that's saying something...

"Cameron?"

Cameron opened one eye and saw Fabian walking up to her. She tensed up slightly, half expecting some kind of date request.

Instead, all Fabian did was offer, "Would you like to have some tea back at my room to help digest...?"

"Actually," Cameron broke in, "I kinda feel like getting some fresh air..."

"I'll walk you around the grounds!" Fabian suggested.

"Oh... n-no, it's fine," Cameron told him.

"I insist!"

Cameron realized there was only concern in the fox's voice, but she was still a bit uneasy when she answered, "Alright."

-

Fabian led Cameron outside, remaining silent for the first few moments. Cameron glanced at him warily, and suddenly had a flash hallucination. To her weary, overloaded, and frankly terrified mind, Fabian appeared as a feral creature, his jaws dripping with blood.

Fabian turned and began to ask, "So Camer—"

"DFVGBHNNNNNJ!!" Cameron shrieked, shielding her face with her arms.

Fabian paused, startled. Then his expression turned to one of pity. "Cameron," he murmured, "I know this place scares you... but you must understand. We all ended up here for different reasons. And many of us arrived feeling scared and lost as well." Fabian looked away, his gaze growing distant. "I know I did."

Cameron winced, feeling somewhat embarrassed for thinking she was the only one who'd felt that way.

Fabian turned back to her as one of the Fish of Peace rose into the air behind him. "But fate brought us here," he told her. "And this place I have found... is the most peaceful utopia I have ever known. You do not have to be frightened of harm here—truly!"

Cameron stared at the Fish of Peace—a sharklike creature bearing the yin-yang symbol on its head—in wonder. Then she looked back at Fabian, who looked feral again for a moment... before slowly shifting into his normal appearance to her eyes.

At last, Cameron smiled, relaxing a bit. "Fabian," she said quietly, "I think I finally want to see more of this place."

Fabian's face lit up. "We would happy to show you around!"

Cameron's smile grew, and she looked up at the Fish of Peace again. "I think... in time," she began, "I could really... get used to living here.

"I really do..."

-

That night, as Cameron sat up on her bed, staring out the window, KayCee materialized on her sheets, unseen by the distracted counselor, in the form of two eyes and a wide, sharp-toothed grin.