Fortune and Fortitude Pt. 01

Her eyes narrowed. "Maybe. But this is not your first 'miraculous' recovery. A fall from a tree. A car crash."

Jared winced. "What are you getting at? I get it, my record isn't very good."

She shook her head. "You don't even question it, do you? Your fortitude. You think it's natural?"

Jared hesitated. "Unless you're suggesting I'm some sort of drug experiment, I guess so." He paused. "I'm a faithful church goer."

She pursed her lips. "I'm not stupid enough to believe that this was some divine happening." She took a breath. "If you're not opposed, I would like to take a blood test."

He tilted his head. "They already did that at the hospital. Several times, for that matter."

"Consider it a formality. I have... alternative equipment."

Alternative blood testing equipment? What kind of eccentric millionaire was this? "I mean, I guess... Will it take long?"

"No."

He shrugged. "Alright."

To his surprise, she grabbed a syringe off of the coffee table. "Hold still."

"What-"

She took his wrist and, in a fluid motion, stabbed into his vein.

He flinched, expecting a sting, but it never came. A moment later she pulled it out, filled about a quarter of the way with blood.

"This will just take a moment." She left, inspecting the syringe all the while.

Jared looked down to see where she had stabbed him. He could make out only the faintest mark. This was NOT how he was expecting this to go.

Should he have been more concerned at a stranger taking his blood? Probably. He wasn't thinking fully straight at the time, and he had been caught off guard. Still, what harm could it do?

She returned without the syringe and sat down.

"So?"

She didn't answer. He was starting to get nervous. "Do I have anything to be afraid of?"

She laughed at that. "Oh, yes. But not of what you are thinking."

She folded her arms and reclined into the seat. "I want you to shut your mouth and your brain and listen to me. This will NOT make sense to you, provided you are being entirely honest with me." She raised an eyebrow. "Are we clear?"

"Does this have to do with genetics?"

Her glare was his answer. "Alright. I'll listen."

She nodded curtly. "Your life is in danger. That was not a school shooter. That was an assassin."

Jared's eyes widened, but she held up a hand to silence him. "You were the target. Notice how it didn't stop at any other rooms? It went directly for yours."

He couldn't hold it. "But why? And how would you know this?"

She shrugged. "I can guess. As to why..." She hesitated. "You aren't ordinary. In fact, you're not even human."

Jared blinked. "Okay... If I'm not human, then I'm...?"

"A demon."

He stared at her blankly. "A demon...?"

"Yes." She pressed on matter-of-factly. "I think that's the closest word you have for them. A god. Demigod. Superhero. Faerie. Whatever."

He rubbed his eyes with his hands. "You're not making any sense."

She sniffed. "Then shut up and listen."

"They're all the same thing, you know. The human myths are based in truth, for the most part. Zeus? Likely a demon. Leprechauns? Probably. The point is your so-called 'supernatural' beliefs are completely natural.

"We've coexisted with humanity since the beginning. Unfortunately, we don't keep very good records." She rolled her eyes. "Leave it to the humans and their cooperative lifestyle to keep track of the past."

"Wait, wait, wait. So," Jared said slowly, "You're one of these 'demons' too?"

"Of course."

"You said demons are supernatural."

"Yes."

"So what do you do?"

She smirked. "If you're asking for a demonstration, I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint. I don't sleep with men I just met."

He blinked. "What?"

She waved her hand dismissively. "Not the point. I don't care if you believe me or not. Much. But I thought I'd give you fair warning... And a choice."

She leaned forward. "Your life is in danger. I have reason to believe that you are of a powerful breed. Unordinarily powerful. The blood test all but confirmed that.

"We demons are anything but cooperative, unlike the human society you have been raised in. I suspect this assassin was sent to eliminate you before you became a competitor. I can offer you protection and guidance... for a price, of course."

Chills went down his spine. His head was spinning. He wanted to believe she was lying, but she had no motive. She certainly seemed a far cry from a raving lunatic. Short of a ridiculous prank, he didn't know what else could be happening. Maybe a cult? Devoted to the idea of being demons? He didn't like the sound of that.

"I- I'll have to think about it."

She sighed. "I would expect nothing less. Wednesday evening, I am hosting an event for my proteges. If you wish to accept my deal, you would do well to attend. If not... I give you no guarantees. Understood?"

Jared nodded numbly. "I guess."

She stood. "I suppose we have nothing more to discuss. You probably would like to go home and think on this for a while."

He chuckled. "You could say that." He rose to his feet unsteadily. "You understand why I'm a bit skeptical, right?"

She shrugged. "As I said, it makes little difference to me. But yes, given your circumstances, this must seem strange. Think it over."

She escorted him to the door. Jared hesitated. "Thanks for meeting with me, Miss Senguine. I promise I'll think it over."

"The party starts at nine o'clock." She narrowed her eyes. "Try to stay alive until then."

The door closed before he could respond. Was that a threat? He shivered and trudged back to his car. It would be a long drive home.

*************

Not for the first time, he wished he had his phone. Quinn could make sense of this better than him. He had dropped by her house on the way home, but she wasn't home. So he settled for pacing to ease his frustration.

His wounds had nearly completely healed. Considering it had only been what, a week? No. Three days. Normally, he would just dismiss it and move on. Now?

He buried his face into his hands. He couldn't just join some sort of demonic cult, could he? Surely she was just trying to scare him. Yeah. That made sense.

No way in heck was he going to this party. Miss Senguine had given him extremely freaky vibes, despite her relatively peaceful appearance. If her 'proteges' were anything like her, he'd feel much safer being shot at. Okay, maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but he didn't like it one bit.

There was a knock at the door. Jared opened in expectantly but was disappointed.

"Hi, Mom."

His mother scowled up at him. Her short brown hair cluttered her face, and she smelt faintly of cigar smoke. She was short and stocky, with forearms thicker than his neck. He tried to stay on her good side most of the time, but it looks like he failed.

"I heard about the accident, Jared." Her tone held no concern. If anything, she sounded mad. "You KILLED someone?"

He winced. "It was an accident. I was just trying to-"

He cried out as she grabbed his ear. "The cops made it pretty clear this was no ACCIDENT. How could you?!"

"I'm sorry! Everything happened so-"

She slapped him. Hard. He flinched at the contact. His cheek stung fiercely, but it never hurt as much as her anger.

She released him and shoved him back. "Stupid boy," she muttered as she puttered back to the kitchen. "Troublemaker."

He considered closing the door, but he decided not to risk it. He sat down on his bed and rubbed his cheek. He had failed her. Again. So much for honoring his mother.

He took a deep breath as the guilt panged him. Or for not killing. Just two of the big ten commandments. No big deal.

He laid down and tried to clear his mind, but the stinging in his face kept echoing the words back to him. Stupid boy. You'll rot in hell one day. Troublemaker. Idiot.

Murderer.

It was a long time before he fell asleep.

************

Something was wrong. Jared struggled awake and quickly discovered that he couldn't breathe. He lashed out wildly and felt someone above him. Someone heavy.

In desperation, he pulled his feet up and kicked, trying to move them off. The intruder grunted and fell back, releasing the pillow from it's death grip on his face.

He gasped for breath as he shot up to look. In the darkness, he could faintly make out the figure with a slight glint in their hand.

They lunged at him with the knife, aiming wildly for his chest. On instinct, he grabbed at the hand and twisted. With another grunt, they released the knife.

They both dove for it, but Jared was faster. In a smooth motion, he turned and sunk the blade deep into his attacker.

His eyes widened. "Mom?"

Her eyes blazed with hatred. Her mouth opened to say something, but it never came. She slumped over.

"Mom!"

***********

By the time the ambulance arrived, she was long gone. Meredith Bertreck was dead.

Jared sat on the lawn as he watched them drive her away, the police lights flooding the scene in red and blue.

Mecham came over to sit beside him. "Kid, you know you don't have to feel guilty. She was trying to kill you, loud and clear. No one is going to-"

He stopped as Jared buried his head into Mecham's chest and wrapped his arms around him. Mecham sighed and returned the hug.

Poor kid. Mecham hadn't personally been responsible for any deaths. He'd known some fellow officers who had been, but none of them at this young. Much less their own mother.

Why did she do it? Her motives were entirely unclear. Everything about the scene matched exactly with what Jared said. Not that that was a surprise. He never lied during any of his shenanigans.

Mecham closed his eyes when he heard the first sob. He had only heard Jared cry once before, and that was when he was only 8 years old. He offered a squeeze before clearing his throat.

"I know this may not be the best time, but..." He hesitated. "This time, there's going to need to be a trial. You're going to need to-"

"No need." Mecham looked up in surprise as a man in a suit approached them. "Everything has been taken care of. You are hereby dismissed, Officer Mecham."

Mecham raised his eyebrows. "Sir, I don't know how you got in here, but this is a crime scene. If you would kindly-"

He cut off when he saw his boss mimicking a slice across the neck. "Uh, I mean, yes sir?"

The man smiled. "That's better. Now leave."

Mecham hesitated for another second. "I've got to go now, Jared. Hang in there. We'll talk tomorrow."

Jared nodded weakly as Mecham stood. He reluctantly left, leaving the man and Jared alone.

Jared looked up at him miserably. "Are you here to kill me too?"

The man snorted. "Of course not. On your feet." He grabbed Jared's hand and yanked him to his feet.

"I'm proud of you, kid. She deserved it." The man strode quickly to the house.

Jared followed. "You knew my mother?"

The man glanced around. "Kind of small, isn't it? This is where you've been living?"

Jared's shoulders drooped. "Not anymore." What was he going to do? Until he finished school, it's not like he could move into an apartment. Quinn's parents wouldn't be caught DEAD with him in their house past curfew.

"Huh." The man studied him openly. "Get those tears off your face. You're making me sick."

Jared quickly wiped his face. "Sorry."

"Stop being a wimp."

Jared looked up quizzically. "Yes... sir?"

"That's better." The man reached forward and dusted Jared's shirt off. "You're a huge mess. By now I would've expected you to be ruling the town. Heck, when I was half your age, I already had my harem put together. What have you been doing all these years?"

Jared eyed him warily. "School, mostly. And church."

The man cackled. "Church? Oh, that's a good one."

Jared blinked. "Who are you?"

The strange man merely laughed. "You're really that out of the loop, huh kid? Man, didn't Meredith tell you anything?" He leaned down to look into Jared's eyes. "Well, this should be kind of fun."

Jared's brow furrowed. "Does this have to do with what Miss Senguine was telling me."

The man raised his eyebrows. "You met Jess? Figures. She always had a soft spot."

Jared didn't like this so far. "She invited me to some kind of party. Offered me protection."

The man hooted. "As a protégé? You really are at the bottom of the chain if she's making you a protégé!"

Suddenly, his grin fell off entirely. "You're a... weakling?" He scowled. "Yeah, that's not going to do at all."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. After sorting through it for a few seconds, he found what he wanted. "Here." He extended a single silver debit card to Jared. "It's only got a few million on it, but it should be enough for a start."

Jared's jaw dropped. "Million? A million what? Dollars?!"

"No, a million penguins. Of course a million bucks!" The man scoffed. "And if it's not gone in the first month, I'm coming back for you. And trust me," he added, "You don't want that to happen."

Something in his tone made Jared's blood run cold. He was definitely with Miss Senguine. "Why-"

"Take this." He pulled a phone from his pocket. "It's relatively blank, so this should only take a second." He fiddled around with it for a few seconds. "Gotta put in some contacts for you. Some connections. This'll make it easier for you."

"Sir, what are-"

"Done. Ready for your use." He grabbed Jared's hand and smacked the phone and card into it. "Not much, but I ain't gonna coddle you. Speaking of coddling..." He leaned down again. "Go to the party, accept her offer. I won't tell you twice."

Jared shook his head. "Why are you doing this? I don't even know you."

The man grunted and straightened. "I'm your daddy, you moron. And you've got about ten seconds to ask for something before I leave you in your own puddle of stupid."

Jared's mind raced. He doubted he was bluffing. "Can I have the house?"

"Alright. Next?"

That was easy. Of course, he could be lying, but something told Jared he wasn't. "I can't think of anything."

His father snorted. "Okay, then that's all you get. Geez, kid. Get some greed going. You're not gonna survive long with that little good boy routine. Get some backbone."

Jared hesitated. "I'll try... Can I ask you some questions?"

He snorted. "Nope. I came by to confirm her dead and see how you were doing. Gotta admit, I'm disappointed in you."

Jared winced. "You're not the only one I've disappointed lately."

The man scoffed. "See? That's what I'm talking about. Don't worry about what I think. You're strong, kid. Stronger than you know. Afterall," he said with a grin, "You're my son. Go take on the world, and it'll be yours."

Jared looked up at him and smiled. "Aren't you supposed to be heading out?"

That earned him a laugh. "Right, get out of your hair. That's more like it! I'll be back to check on you..." He clicked his tongue. "Say, six months? If that card isn't empty, you're dead. Course, you'll probably be dead anyway."

On that note, he turned on his heel and walked out the door. "See ya round, kid!"

Jared stared after him. What a night. He stumbled back towards his bed, halfheartedly hoping that he was dreaming.

Maybe he would just wake up and everything would be back to normal.

************

He awoke with a groan. A quick glance to his dresser confirmed his fears. On it lay the sleek black phone and the credit card from last night. He fell back onto his pillow with a huff.

His father was a demon. He was a demon, whatever that meant. And unless his so-called father was lying, he just became a millionaire. And killed his mother. Both in one night.

He pulled the blankets up over his face to block out the sunlight. Thinking hurt too much. He wished he could just go back to sleep, but it would all still be there when he woke up. No, what he REALLY wanted was for someone to just come in and solve his problems.

He flipped the blankets back down. Maybe he could get the next best thing. Afterall....

He had a phone.

He snatched it from his dresser and quickly located the messaging app, before switching to a call. With practiced certainty, he entered in Quinn's number.

It only rang once before she answered. "Hello? Who's this?"

"Hey, Quinn. It's Jared."

Silence. "You got a new phone?"

"It's a long story. Listen, I really need to talk to you."

"Is this about last night? I came over, but the police were leaving. They said the event was being closed down. What happened? Are you alright?"

Jared sighed. "Can you come over? We'll talk then."

"But what about- You know what, okay. I'll be over soon."

The line beeped as she ended the call.

Jared took a breath of relief. He had time, afterall. And now, he had Quinn to talk it over with.

She arrived in record time, panting. He brought her in and sat down at the kitchen table, burying his face in his hands.

Quinn pursed her lips. "Whatever it is, you're really stressed out. When was the last time you ate?"

The muffin from yesterday afternoon. Goodness, that seemed so much farther away...

His stomach growled, giving Quinn all the answer she needed. "You talk, I'll make you a sandwich. Tell me EVERYTHING."

And so he did. Part of him wanted to leave out the strange or awful parts, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. She listened intently, asking only a few clarifying questions. By the time he was finished, he had hardly touched the sandwich.

"So what do I do? Do I really go to that party?"

Quinn sighed. "You've had two attempts on your life in the last two days. We can't just fool around anymore. One of them was your own mother, for goodness' sake."

"So I do go?"

She nodded. "Whoever this man is, even if he's not your father, he seems to have your best interest at heart. Or at least, your survival. I'm not sure I believe all this 'demon' bullcrap, but something is DEFINITELY going on." She leaned back and put her feet on the table. "And whatever it is, those two seem in the center of it."

That made sense. Better not buy into anything TOO quickly. "So do you think the card actually has a million dollars?"

"Several million, from what you said." Quinn smiled. "I guess there's only one way to find out. Up for going shopping?"

Jared winced. "What if it doesn't have any money at all?"

"Then I'll pay. We'll be reasonable. Plus, you can't be going to a real party dressed like that."

Jared looked down at himself. "What's wrong with the way I dress?"

"Nothing. For a high schooler." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "But this isn't high school. Whoever these people are, I doubt they'll be impressed by your, no offense, pretty poor clothes."

He sighed. "I guess I'll leave that to you, then." He had terrible taste, and he knew it. It was only thanks to her that he hadn't been ridiculed to an early grave.

"And Quinn..." He smiled. "Thanks. For listening. And... You know. Putting up with me?"

"Are you kidding?" She stretched her arms out. "I've always known you were special. Now, if you're finished, let's get going."

**********

He hated shopping. He tried to avoid it whenever possible, which hadn't been terribly difficult. Really, he had only needed to shop for clothes and the occasional groceries when Meredith had forgotten.

That was why he was surprised when Meredith took him to a different store.

"Quinn..."

"Relax. I told you, if your card doesn't work, I'll pay for it."

He scowled. "Shouldn't we test it on something less expensive first? A soda maybe?"

"Oh hush. Either way, you're going to need something nice. Better for me to make the decision with a hope that I won't have to pay for it."