Daniel's Dangerous Dynasty

Daniel decides to spend the next day helping Caim understand modern society much more better.

However, such a task is easier said than done. Especially since Caim's point of view may be a tad bit... outdated, due to his time spent in the Void.

*Beep! Beep! Beep!*

Daniel's alarm began to beep loudly. He yawned, before gently patting it on the head, having grown completely accustomed to it.

"Alright, Al, I'm up. Thanks." he mumbled, to which the alarm purred in response. He was then about to close his eyes again, when he saw that a notification was on his phone.

Curious, he picked it up and slid the screen into view.

"Mr. Daniel Banks, your UPS Delivery is currently under investigation due to a delay from your end. Please notify us immediately when you receive your package, as it promptly awaits your signature!"

"Huh... wait, my new Xbox is under investigation?" he asked, scratching his head in confusion. "Why's it under investigation?"

Suddenly he saw the door open on its own. From the other side of the hallway, he could see Caim with his sword drawn, and pointed forward towards something out of view.

"Master Daniel! Impeccable timing for you to be awake, as your presence is urgently needed!" he called out to his master.

Daniel's eyes widened in alarm. "Oh, don't tell me this is going where I think it's going..."

"Oh, it's even worse than I thought..." Daniel mumbled in his hands, which were currently covering his face completely.

The living room was alright. No signs of a break-in, at least. The door was also closed, so thankfully nobody could see what was going on inside. The kitchen was also not dirty.

The thing Daniel was beyond embarrassed about was his Guardian Angel, who still stood there with his blade drawn, and pointed towards a poor UPS Driver with a name tag that said "Hi! I'm Gary!"

"Gary... please explain." Daniel said, already knowing full-well the answer.

Gary was happy. He was a very good man,
and a great, efficient worker to live in this land.
He enjoyed his job, and he enjoyed his life.
He had two kids, and he had a loving wife.

His job didn't really pay much for the guy,
but he was still blessed with enough to get by.
And so, on this one delivery he had,
he didn't even know the situation would be bad.

"Deliver the box" his bosses did say,
until the door opened, and out stood a long blade.
"Halt!" the armed stranger did shout with a glare.
Poor Gary did not even have time to prepare.
So he dropped the box, turned around, and ran with a scare,
until the man with the sword was suddenly there!

"You've nowhere to flee!" the man shouted most scary.
The man with the sword did frighten poor Gary.
And follow his orders, Gary did do,
where he knelt to the ground, and cried through and through.

Then when he thought that all hope was lost,
he heard the door open! It must be this man's boss!
The boss looked quite shocked to see Gary's plight,
and for a brief moment, the boss showed his fright.

He placed his hands on his face and then muttered.
His face was now red, and his eyes were aflutter.
Then Gary was now in much better luck,
as the boss glared at the man, and shouted, "DUDE, WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"I-I was just delivering your order, sir! Th-then this man pulled the sword on me! I... I-I dropped it and ran, but then suddenly, WHOOSH! He was in front of me, between me and my truck! I swear, man, I saw nothing! Just please, l-let me live! I... I-I wanna see my wife and kids again!"

Gary was a mess at this point. He was weeping loudly, and Daniel was frowning heavily at the poor delivery guy.

Then Daniel looked at Caim, who was still looking blankly at the man, and pointed at the kitchen. "Caim! Kitchen! Now!" he ordered.

Caim lowered his sword and saluted Daniel. "As you command, Master!" Then he turned towards Gary and glared at him, before pointing his sword again. "Though I shall keep watch of you, man known as 'Gary'. And should I find any signs of deceit, or should you dare threaten my Master's life, I shall not hesitate to-"

"KITCHEN! NOW!"

"Understood, Master!" Caim replied again, before hurrying into the kitchen.

Daniel then sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose, before reaching into his pocket. Gary remained knelt to the ground, though, as he didn't want to push his luck.

Daniel then asked, "Gary, what's your last name?"

"S-S-Smith, s-s-sir..."

"Gary Smith... right, then. Mr. Gary Smith." Daniel said, as he pulled his checkbook out of his pocket and opened it. He slid the pen out of the top of it, and looked at Gary. "Listen, man, I'm really, really sorry you had to go through all that. Please, name the price, and I'll pay it. I swear, this won't happen again. I'll see to that, for sure."

Gary shook his head and closed his eyes. "I-I c-c-couldn't p-possibly! J-just wanna see my f-f-family again!"

Daniel nodded his head. "And you will. But please, I insist! Name the price, and you will be compensated for this misunderstanding!"

But Gary said nothing. Then Daniel sighed, before putting his checkbook on the end table and approaching the man.

Gary closed his eyes and flinched, before Daniel opened the door and pointed out.

"Fine, then... just, uh... go on, now. And, uh... thanks for-"

Before he could finish his sentence, however, Gary was already in his truck, and driving away in terror.

Daniel sighed, before closing his door and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Well, that's this house blacklisted, for sure... dammit! What else did I fucking miss?!"

He took a single step forward and heard a crack. Looking down, he somehow managed to step into his opened package, which contained numerous dismantled scraps of electronic pieces, which were stripped down to the motherboard, with all chips removed from it and everything.

"M-my Xbox!" he whined.

"Alright! Explain!" Daniel said angrily to his angel, who was standing in the kitchen with his eyes closed, and his sword held upwards. The handle was grasped in both hands.

"I am now tracking his movements, Master. Should he make a hostile move, and I can surely be there in mere moments."

"Caim! Stop tracking him, and open your eyes!" Daniel demanded.

Caim opened his eyes and looked at him in confusion. "Is... is something the matter, Master?"

"Hmm... something the matter? Jeez, let me think about- YES, THERE'S SOMETHING THE MATTER HERE!" He then raised the box containing the scraps. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

Caim looked at the box, then back at him. "The strange Gary person trespassed within your domain, Master, and he was carrying that container, which held that strange device. Worry not, for I have taken the liberty of disassembling it to search for any signs of traps or trickery. You shall be pleased to know that, thankfully, there was not."

Caim concluded, hoping that it pleased Daniel. To his confusion, however, Daniel only grew more and more upset by that explanation.

"Caim... this. Was. My. New. Xbox!" he coldly shouted.

"Xbox? Master, what is an Xbox?" he asked.

"It's a Game System! Or, rather, it was a Game System, until you broke it!"

"Master, you are shouting at me. Did... did I do something wrong?" Caim asked, almost sounding worried.

"Yes! Hell, you did a LOT of things wrong!"

Immediately, though, Daniel noticed Caim's expression change. For once, he saw the angel giving him a look of absolute terror.

Caim placed his sword to the ground, knelt down, and began to weep, which caused Daniel to take a step back and raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"M-Master, I... I offer you my most sincerest of apologies! I have failed you, Master, and have wronged you in a way I should not have. I beg of your forgiveness for these transgressions, as I knew not what I have done... but in doing so, regardless, I... I humbly accept whatever punishment you have for me, and shall never do this again! You have my word, Master Daniel!"

Daniel blinked and, for once, actually felt a bit bad for him. And so, he sighed, before placing the box on the table and motioning his hand in an upward gesture. "Caim, you can stand up, now."

"Y-yes, my Master! How shall I be disciplined? Lashings to the wings, perhaps, or... m-maybe banishment to the Void?" he asked worriedly.

Daniel raised a hand to stop him. "You were right. You didn't know what you were doing. And I fear it was my fault for not clarifying things for you last night, before going to sleep." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Caim, you are forgiven this time."

Caim bowed his head and sighed in relief. "Master, your... y-your mercy knows no bounds! I... I shall never forget this!"

Daniel sighed, shaking his head. "Dude, it's fine. But seriously, though. Times have changed now, Caim. You can't just go around pulling your sword out at anything that moves!"

"Then... how do we know that they are not spies, or rebels out to set a trap for you?" Caim asked concernedly.

Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, we don't know how for sure, but people have gotten more advanced over these years. People can track people down from miles away using technology! And plus, they've got ways to trace things like fingerprints to a suspect, and pinpoint their locations."

"I see... but what of that Gary man intruding on your sacred domain?" Caim asked.

Daniel sighed, before pulling out his phone. "I used this tool to, uh... to summon him here."

This made Caim's eyes widen in alarm. "Wait... h-he was answering a Royal Summons?!"

Daniel shrugged his shoulders and put his phone back in his pocket. He then closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I, uh... guess you can say that. I asked his bosses to bring me my Xbox, and he was the one chosen to deliver it."

Suddenly he opened his eyes, and was met with Caim kneeling before him yet again.

"Master! Though your mercy is graciously appreciated, I implore that you recall it, for I have disrupted a potential alliance, and as such, deserve nothing short of the worst kind of punishment you can think of!"

Daniel groaned and slapped his palm into his face yet again. "Ugh... fine, you know what? Stand up!"

Caim did as instructed, looking at him in fearful determination.

"As your punishment, I command you to, uh... to, uh..." Daniel then looked around, until his eyes were fixed on the box. He pointed at it. "I command you to fix my Xbox back to the way it was! Erm... maybe even better condition!"

Caim bowed his head. "Yes, my Master! And what other punishments do you wish to bring upon me?"

Daniel thought for a moment, until he saw that, despite the kitchen being clean, there was still a fairly sizable pile of dishes near the sink.

"Uh... you can also... wash the dishes!"

Caim knelt again. "Erm... as you command, though... is that not just a simple task for your servants to do, regardless?"

Daniel nodded his head and waved his hand loosely. "Yeah, but, uh... I don't really have servants here, so... I guess it now falls to you?"

Caim looked determined as ever. He saluted him and stated, "Then a servant I shall be! No mess shall be within this house, or anywhere else that you wish to have cleaned!"

Then Caim raised his hand towards the box. Immediately, the pieces blurred and reassembled back onto the motherboard in the blink of an eye. In a mere fraction of a second, the Xbox was back to normal, and the box was resealed, with the tape even restored.

Daniel blinked in surprise, as Caim then walked over to the sink, where he rolled his sleeves up and looked around it. A smile formed on the man's face, as he finally felt a hint of pride for the angel.

"Well, now! Guess he ain't a complete screw-up after all!" Daniel thought to himself, as Caim observed the area curiously. "Maybe having a servant ain't that bad! I mean, hell, teach 'em to cook, clean, and take care of the baby, and all those chores can be a thing of the past!"

Caim then gripped onto the corners of the sink and ripped the entire ceramic device out of the counter. There was a loud crack, as the pipes below it unhinged. Water immediately shot out rapidly, soaking Caim in an instant, and practically flooding the kitchen in mere seconds.

Then he turned towards Daniel, with his expression showing fierce determination, like he was about to investigate a serious crime at hand. His body appeared as if it were unfazed by the fact he was getting soaked up by powerful gushes of water. The stream did nothing to make him flinch.

Daniel, on the other hand, deadpanned and stared at him, now completely drenched as well from head to toe, with an expression that practically shouted, "Really?!"

"Master! There appears to be a strange torrent of water beneath your Cleansing Trough, and it is flooding the entire room! Be on your guard, for this could be a strange, new form of Magic, as I could not sense this water coming from anywhere! I believe these metal tube-like devices are a key factor to this strange puzzle, so proceed with caution while around them!"

Daniel's face was slapped, once again, by his own palm.

"Furthermore, someone may have damaged the trough to release the water prematurely, as there appears to be a hole within its base! Maybe they damaged it with these metal tubes? Master, shall I destroy these tubes for you? They might be dangerous!"

His second palm slapped his face, and he yelled inside his hands, while Caim just stood there like an idiot, holding the sink in his hands, and awaiting further instructions.

Daniel stepped out of the bathroom in fresh, dry clothes. He was still wiping his face off, and entered the Living Room, where Caim was just standing near the couch, no longer wet. The kitchen, however, was still soaked, though thankfully, through some miracle, the new Xbox was unharmed.

"Master, perhaps I can-" Caim began, but Daniel held his hand up to stop him.

"No... no more chores for you. You've, uh... you've done enough."

Caim looked confused. "But Master, the strange water has overtaken the-"

"Yes, but it's fine. I called someone else to take care of it." Daniel replied. He set the box on the couch and cut it open, revealing the mint-condition new Xbox system. "Now, then... if you're gonna be living here, we need some way for you to at least do something normal to occupy your time. And so, we shall start with the basics!"

Caim saluted him, before looking at the box. "Ah, yes, your prized gift from the Gary man. Your Xbox, I believe you said?"

Daniel nodded his head. "Yeah. And you remember what I called it?"

"A Game System." he replied, nodding his head. "A device that holds one's game, correct?"

Daniel raised a surprised eyebrow. "Yes, actually... huh... I'm surprised you knew that!"

Caim nodded his head once more, accepting the praise with refined dignity. "But of course, Master. I am at least knowledgeable of the basics of survival, after all!"

Daniel chuckled, shaking his head. "Well... don't know about that survival part, but yeah, I guess I couldn't have survived long without Game Systems like this one!"

Caim held a hand up over the device and gently rubbed the top of the frame.

"Incredible... to think that technology has come so far ahead... surely it must have taken a long time to develop such amazing tools like this one..."

Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "Actually, it's been going pretty fast lately! Sure, maybe a few delays because of Armageddon and all that, but now everything's picked up quite a lot since then!"

Caim nodded his head in understanding. "I see... Master, how does this Xbox tool work, exactly?"

Daniel smiled, patting him on the shoulder. "Well you see, Caim, it's actually got a lot of things that work together in order for it to function properly! Like, say, the Disc Drive, for example."

"Disc Drive?"

Daniel pointed at the thin slant on the side. "You see that slant?"

"Yes, Master, I see it."

"Well, you put the game in front of it, and the slant sucks it right in!"

Caim's eyes widened at that. "A slant as small and thin as that can absorb one's game?!"

Daniel patted him in the shoulder again. "Now you're getting it! The game goes into the Disc Drive, and the scanners read what's inside, then the whole process just starts to work on its own."

"Hold on, Master. It also processes the game you put inside it?!" Caim was growing more and more fascinated with this strange new device he has yet to truly understand the power of.

Daniel nodded his head. "That's correct! And then the game appears on the TV Screen. Then we start to play it, and have fun!"

"Play with... Master, surely you jest?" Caim asked, to which Daniel shook his head.

"Nope! We play the game on the TV Screen!"

Caim then looked back at the Xbox, before rubbing his chin in thought. "I... I suppose if one finds pleasure in such activities, then I have no right to judge."

Daniel nodded his head. "Yeah, just don't make it too much of a habit, and you'll be fine. Could get addicted to it."

Again, Caim looked a bit puzzled, but decided to go along with it.

"So, to be sure, one places their game in front of the Disc Drive?" Caim asked.

"Yes, that's correct!"

"Then the Disc Drive pulls the game inside the Xbox?"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Daniel was finally looking hopeful at his new angel friend.

"And then the game is processed, then sent onto the TV Screen, where one can play with it for fun!" Caim concluded. Daniel threw his hands in the air and cheered.

"By golly, I think you've finally got it!"

Then Caim smiled weakly, having finally pleased his master. "I am honored that you take such joy on my behalf, Master... though there is something that bothers me."

"Oh? What is it, Caim?" Daniel asked, as he lowered his hands, ready to help answer any questions the angel has on the Sacred Art of Gaming.

"Although it may somehow be able to fit a bird if it were prepared properly beforehand, how is there enough room for one to fit a deer inside it?" Caim asked, to which Daniel ended up looking puzzled.

"They... don't?" he asked.

Caim raised an eyebrow. "But you said one can fit their game inside it, Master."

"No... no, no, no..." Daniel said, shaking his head.

"No? Then what kind of game do you... unless you hunt the game with the Xbox?"

"Dammit, Caim, you almost had it!"

Caim then snapped his finger and gasped. "Of course! Now it makes sense! The Xbox is not the processing tool, but rather, like a cannonball! Master, it makes perfect sense, now!"

"By golly, you've completely lost it!"

Daniel deadpanned, as he sat in a chair in front of Caim, who was now seated on the couch, next to the Xbox. He lifted a game disc up and pointed at the cover.

"See this? This is a game!" Daniel clarified.

Caim tilted his head confusedly and observed it carefully. He then took it in his hands when Daniel offered it to him, and rubbed the cover with his hand.

He then brought it up to his teeth and took a small nibble on it, before spitting it out in disgust.

"Master! This strange 'game' you have is made up of aluminum, oils, and many things one can not digest! One could poison themselves with this!"

Daniel deadpanned at him, having watched one of his favorite games get nibbled on, then his face had a quick reunion with his palm again.

Death appeared at the front of his doorstep and whistled loudly, observing the kitchen.

"Damn, man! I'm glad you called me here, this does look urgent!"

Daniel shook his head. "No, that's not the urgent part, actually." He grabbed Death by the jaw and turned his head to face Caim, who was still staring at the disc curiously. "...THAT is!"

Death tilted his head confusedly.

"Umm... what?"

"So these are the buttons. These are the joysticks. And altogether, it makes the Controller, which as its name implies, controls what goes on on the screen you see, which is the TV!" Daniel concluded, to which Caim nodded his head.

"Ah... I see. So the controller is able to control what goes on on the TV?"

Daniel nodded his head. "Yes! But only when the screen is on the same 'Channel' as the Game System! Death and I will now demonstrate, by using the Controllers to make our characters on the screen move. Ready?"

Caim nodded his head. "I am ready to learn, Master."

And then, Daniel tapped the left joystick left. The fighter on the screen immediately moved backwards, to which Caim gasped at the sight of.

"Incredible... so even a being of such raw power within the screen still heeds to the commands of the Controller?" Caim asked.

Daniel nodded his head, while Death started moving forward.

Caim then watched in fascination, as they made the fighters start fighting each other. He was confused, though, by their methods.

"I do not understand the way they fight, though. Why do they only rely on such basic maneuvers and postures, when they are fighting for their lives? And when the Law man on the screen used his sword, how did it not slice his clone?"

Daniel only sighed, as his Law defeated Death's.

"KO! Player One Wins!" the announcer called out.

Caim gripped the sides of his chair and gasped. "Master! Somehow this 'Player One' figure has stolen Law's victory, yet there's no sign of their whereabouts!"

Death looked at Daniel and deadpanned. "Dude, you're right. This is an urgent emergency!"

Daniel then placed the controller on Caim's lap. "Okay, so now it's your turn to try!"

He had Law in Training Mode, where there was a practice dummy before him.

Caim held the controller and gasped. "Master, do you truly trust me enough to wield such a powerful device? To allow me the ability to control Law of the TV?"

Daniel rolled his eyes. "Yes. Now, figure out the buttons, and what they do."

Caim then looked at the controller for a few seconds, before nodding his head. "I have figured it out, Master."

"Good! Wait, already?!" Daniels asked, having only turned his head for a brief moment.

Caim nodded. "Of course, Master. By studying it carefully, I have determined that the buttons move down using a spring-like mechanism within, which then returns the button back up to its original position."

Daniel's face was a bit redder with each time he had to slap his palm into it. Death only shrugged his shoulders as he continued mopping the kitchen up.

"Like teaching a child, Daniel. Remember, you're gonna have to do this again someday!"

Daniel responded by raising his middle finger at Death, who laughed out loud in response.

Daniel's hair was practically sticking up from each side, as he almost ripped each strand out trying to teach Caim how to operate a controller.

"Master, I... I wish I could understand it more, but alas, it is just too much without a guide." he told his master. Truth be told, when Daniel said for him to move Law using the Joy Stick, Caim tried to make him move forward by pointing it towards the training dummy.

Law then started jumping in the air, while staying in place.

Daniel then had an idea, though, at the mention of a guide. He reached into the game's box and pulled out the Instruction Manual.

"Here, Caim. Read this. Wait, uh... you do know how to read, right?" Daniel asked.

Caim nodded his head. "Of course, Master." Then he accepted the book and held it up to his face.

He placed a finger on his own forehead, then flipped through each page rapidly, before closing it at the back in less than a second. Once done, he placed it back in Daniel's hand.

"I have acquired new knowledge, Master." he told him.

Daniel blinked in surprise. "Wait... you read through the whole manual just like that?!"

Caim nodded his head. "I can confirm that there are 728 sentences, and out of which, 4,798 words within it have been written. Among it all, I have learned which button does what."

"That's... that's amazing, dude!" Death called out, having witnessed him do so.

Daniel nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, man! Hey, wait over there!"

He quickly hurried into his room, before returning with a Gamer's Manual to "Fighters of Elroth VII", the game they were playing.

"Here, Caim. Read this." he said, placing the book down on the coffee table.

Caim lifted his hand up, and levitated the book into the air. He then placed his other hand on his forehead and rapidly flipped each page in a blurring speed, before sealing it shut and placing it on the table again.

"I have done as you asked, Master." he replied.

"Bullshit." Daniel said in disbelief, while Death rubbed his eye sockets.

"Alright, then, Caim. Hand me that controller." Daniel said, to which Caim obeyed, before Daniel placed the second controller on his lap. "Now, then. Let's see how you do against me with this game!"

"Against?! But Master! I can't just challenge you to-"

"Don't worry, Caim. Just think of it like a spar. You control one of the guys, and I'll control the other. We'll then see who can lead their warrior to victory!" Daniel said.

Caim gulped, before nodding his head. "A-as you command, Master. Though I'm quite certain you should win regardless, I shall do my very best!"

Death tapped on Daniel's shoulder to get his attention. "Daniel, man, mastering this game takes years of practice! Book or not! So, uh... you might wanna go easy on 'em, okay? I mean... giving it everything you got?! Man, it'll be just like beating up a toddler!"

Law flew across the screen, as Goroth the Lizard Man slid below the camera's view. Upon Law reaching the bottom, his head was kicked repeatedly, before Goroth straightened up and did an uppercut, repeating the steps as before, though this time he jumped beforehand for an additional speed boost, launching Law onto the left side of the screen.

"TASTE MY FURY!" Goroth shouted, before shooting a beam of light in the air, which repeatedly drained Law's health to a mere fraction.

Then, before Law could even land on the ground, Goroth shouted, "THIS ENDS NOW, MORTAL SCUM!" and launched another beam, this time across the screen horizontally, which hit Law directly.

Law's defeated yell echoed on the screen, as his flesh and muscles were peeled to the bone... again.

His skeleton fell to the ground, and Goroth hissed at the air in victory over his fallen opponent.

"FLAWLESS FATAL FINISH! Player Two Wins!" the announcer shouted on the screen.

Daniel was frozen, even after dropping his controller. Both he and Death just stared at the screen, slack-jawed, as the household's Reigning Champion bore witness to his warrior's untimely demise...

"Master! Somehow, even though my warrior has achieved victory ten times in a row, this 'Player Two' figure keeps stealing the credit from him! Might I suggest we call a truce and work together to find this 'Player Two' and defeat them, instead?!" Caim offered, before looking at his master's tear-filled face.

... by a fighter who didn't even know what a 'Player Two' was.

"M-my... my Win Streak..." he muttered in defeat.

Death corrected his earlier statement. "Y-yeah, man... b-by a toddler! That, uh... m-might've been raised by an undefeated god..."

After Death had to return to his own home, Daniel turned towards Caim, who had a look of confusion on his face.

"Alrighty, then! So, we've established that you... my friend... are amazing!" he said with a prideful smile.

Caim tilted his head. "You really think so highly of me, Master?"

"Absolutely! Now come on, I've finally figured out how we can make you normal for society!"

He brought Caim into his personal office and had him sit down near the desk.

"What are these strange buttons, Master?" he asked, eyeing the keyboard.

"That's the keyboard. You press the buttons, and whatever the letter is written on it will be put on the screen." Daniel explained.

"And what of this strange thing?" Caim asked, pointing at the mouse.

"Oh, that's just the mouse. You use it to-"

*CRASH!*

The left mouse button flew into Daniel's face, as Caim's fist sat there over the cracked wood of the desk.

"Mice... filthy vermin of Pestilence! No plagues shall befall you, Master, so long as I am here!" Caim said, looking over at his master, who in turn, deadpanned at him.

"... You know what? Maybe the internet isn't ready for you, just yet..." Daniel suggested, peeling the mouse button off of his cheek and sighing.

Daniel stepped into the office again, after making Caim restore the mouse to working order. He held up a large red book and said, "This... is a dictionary." He slammed it on the desk. "You read it to understand words, and their meanings."

Caim nodded his head in understanding. "I see... an excellent source of knowledge, Master! You have my utmost appreciation!"

"Mhm." Daniel said, at this point unfazed by any stupidity or appreciation Caim would bring up.

Caim then did as usual, reading the book by placing a finger on his forehead and flipping through the pages near-instantaneously. He then closed it, and raised an eyebrow. "Master, though I have read through the book, it only tells me of many words I know. However, it... does nothing to teach me of how the words I lack the knowledge of should be used. Perhaps we should go to a library?"

Daniel nodded his head and grabbed the key to his car. "Alright, then... let's get going."

Upon parking the car, Daniel looked at Caim. "Now, remember! No magic! No wings, and most importantly, no drawing your sword out at all."

"I understand, Master. You have my word, I shall not use my sword unless told otherwise." Caim replied with a salute.

When they entered the library, Caim's eyes widened in shock. "Wow... so many tomes... so much knowledge one could gain! Master, this library place is... phenomenal!" Caim said in awe.

"SHH!" several people spoke around him. He looked at Daniel confusedly.

"Master, why do they make such a strange noise with their mouths?"

"Yep. It's official. This was a terrible mistake."

Daniel nodded his head and approached the front counter. Caim followed suit.

"Hello, ma'am. We would like to stick around for a bit, if that's alright? We've, uh... got a few books to read."

The librarian nodded her head and smiled. "Of course, sir! And... oh, hello there! Are you a new customer?" she then asked, looking at Caim, who stared at her blankly, refusing to address her without permission.

"Caim, say something." Daniel said.

"Of course, Master... something." Caim replied.

Daniel planted his face in his palm. He then looked at the librarian and smiled sheepishly, while she looked confusedly at the two. "Nevermind, ma'am. Have a nice day."

After everything that happened today, Daniel couldn't take much more of it. He parked his car at a Gas Station, near the front door, and sighed.

"Just wait here for me, okay? I need to get a few snacks." Daniel said.

Caim nodded his head. "Understood, Master. I shall await your return."

"Thanks... and listen. For the love of everything, do not touch anything in here! Understood?"

Again, Caim saluted him. "Of course, Master. I shall keep my hands to myself."

"Good... oh, and Caim?"

"Yes, Master?"

Daniel sighed, shaking his head. "About what happened in the library... well... I want you to know that it's alright for you to speak to others if they're talking to you. You have my permission."

"I... I understand, Master." he replied nodding his head.

"And you know what? Honestly... you don't just have to do favors for me. If you see someone who needs help, feel free to help them out! You know... like, if an old lady needs help crossing a street, offer to help her. If you see a fight going on, try to break it up. Oh, but, uh... don't break it up by killing them, though."

"Understood, Master. I shall try to be more open for the public, then." Caim said.

Daniel smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Alright... well, I might've not been able to make you normal just yet, but at least we're finally making progress."

Daniel then opened the door and stepped out. "I'll leave the windows open so you can breathe in the fresh air. Alright?"

"Of course, Master." Caim replied.

Daniel then tapped the door a couple times, then walked into the Gas Station.

Daniel knelt down to look through the chips aisle in the back, when the bell on the door rang.

"Hey, there! Welcome to Gas Mart!" the kind old lady said, greeting the customer in a dark brown jacket and light blue jeans. He was wearing a black baseball cap.

The customer waved his hand. "Hey, ma'am! Can I get a pack of papers, please?"

She nodded her head and walked over to grab the man's pack of cigarette wrappers. Daniel noticed the man then pocket a small tin of candy, and shook his head.

"Damn... that ain't a good sign." he mumbled, before crouching down a bit lower.

"Can I get you anything else?" the lady behind the register asked.

He shook his head and smiled. "Nah, that won't be necessary. Thank you, though."

He reached in to his pockets and sighed. "Oh, shoot! I left my wallet in my car! Hold on, I'll be right back."

She shook her head and smiled. "Oh, it's alright, dearie. It's only a dollar."

This phrase made Daniel's blood run cold. Suddenly, this lady gave him a brief flashback of his mother, and how she always called everyone 'dearies'.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. She and his dad were out on their vacation, right now. And he was going to see them again eventually.

She took her own wallet out of her pocket and tapped on the register's buttons. Then, once the drawer opened up, the large stacks of ones, fives, tens, and twenties, all practically glowed before the man's eyes.

"Wow... that's quite a lot in there, ma'am. Don't you think it's a bit too dangerous to have that much money in a register?"

The lady placed her own dollar inside it and closed the drawer, nodding her head and smiling sheepishly. "I know it is, dearie, but because of my bad back, I can't reach the safe down there. So they told me that my replacement could take care of it for me on the next shift."

The man nodded his head. "Oh... is your replacement here, right now?" he asked.

She shook her head and her smile faltered a tiny bit. "I wish he was, but sadly, he's not gonna be here for another three hours. Oh, how I wish I could just do it for 'em instead, since he also has to clear the safe tonight, so that the boss can bring this week's earnings into the bank tomorrow. But sadly, I just have to deal with the high risk."

"Well gee, I... I hate it for ya, ma'am." he told her, reaching his hands into his jacket pockets.

"Well thank you, dearie, but it's alright. This city's very tight-knit, so most of us lend a hand out to each other in their times of need." she replied, giving him a brighter smile.

"I bet, ma'am. I bet."

"And I know why you're here as well, dearie... I can see the gun in your pockets. But I'm sorry, my back isn't in the shape to get you anything."

"Oh... well, then now I really hate it for you. I want you to get that register cleaned up for me, you hear? And if it ain't done in five minutes, I'll have no other choice but to do it my own way."

"Well, dearie, you're just going to have to wait a bit longer."

Then the man drew the pistol from his pocket and glared at her.

"And I said I can't wait, ma'am. Now start packing it, or I'll pack something into you!"

Daniel couldn't just sit there and let this old man rob this poor older woman, let alone murder her. And so, he stood up and held his hands out. "Look, man. There's no need to lose your manners over this."

The man jumped up a bit in surprise, before shifting the gun's barrel towards Daniel. "Where'd you come from?!"

Daniel shook his head. "It doesn't matter, so just... just put the gun away, before someone gets hurt."

"Sorry, kid. I've got a family to feed, and I don't plan on letting this opportunity pass up! They've been starving for about eight months, now, since this damn apocalypse hit!"

Daniel nodded his head. "I know your pain, sir. I've been there before. I know what it's like to be down on your luck. But trust me... I can help you. Please... just put down the gun, and I'll tell you my side of the story."

Caim was sitting in the car, observing his surroundings thoughtfully. He saw a skinny old man step out of the back seat of a green colored van. As he was walking inside, the van drove off. He noticed the man carrying an odd-looking instrument in his hand, with a small barrel on it, which he slipped into his brown jacket.

"Hmm... quite a peculiar object." Caim told himself.

He then looked at the man talking to the woman at the counter. He stared at them for a moment longer, until someone tapped on the door. He looked and saw a young-looking man wearing a beanie over his long, jet-black hair and a red jacket over a black t-shirt underneath. He was smiling at him.

"Dude, nice ride!" he said with glee.

Caim raised an eyebrow at him, before remembering that he was now allowed to speak to people. "Oh, uh... thank you, sir. It actually belongs to Master Daniel, though."

The man nodded his head and chuckled. "Oh! I knew that, man, but still! Your, uh... Master Daniel wanted me to move it over just a bit for 'em. Said something about it kinda looking suspicious to the lady at the counter."

Caim was a bit confused for a moment... but then he remembered that Daniel's orders were to help those in need.

And so he smiled back at the young man and nodded his head. "Oh! Of course! Please, do hop in!"

"Thanks, man! Hey, you wouldn't mind stepping out for me, would ya? I don't wanna accidentally bump into some else's ride, cause that could get us all in trouble, you know?"

Caim nodded his head again and stepped out. "Very well, then. I shall guide you over. Though, uh, how far did he need you to move?"

The man hopped into the Driver Seat and shifted the gear. "Oh, just a little ways away! Hey, thanks man!"

Caim nodded his head and waved his hand at him. "Of course, sir! Just tell me when you're at that point, and I shall let my Master know of your service for him!"

"Will do!" the man said before driving off in the car. Caim looked a little puzzled for a moment, though, when he went out of sight.

He heard commotion inside, and turned around. He saw the man holding the tool at the old lady, and tilted his head confusedly. "Hmm... that odd tool again. But why is he holding it like so?"

Then he turned his head over, and saw Daniel hiding behind the racks. However, upon seeing a bag of chips in his hand, he dismissed it as him simply going through the rack for more snacks.

But then, he noticed a magazine within a smaller rack, with a close-up picture of the same odd tool the man was holding. Curious, he decided to place a hand on his forehead and lift his other towards the magazine.

It subtly levitated, and its pages flipped rapidly, before he gasped and dropped it back into the rack.

"That is no tool... that is a weapon!" he thought to himself, before finally, he saw that the man has already turned the barrel towards Daniel. Immediately, his fists balled up, and he took a step forward.

"Then after that, I had to bury them by myself. I know, it's a bit crazy, but since the Apocalypse began, I've had to endure all kinds of crazy things!" Daniel finally concluded, all while the old man nodded his head in understanding.

"I believe ya, kid... I do. And, I... well, I'm sorry. You seem like a good kid, but again... I've got my family to take care of, and I'll be damned before I let anyone get in my way!" he said.

Daniel closed his eyes and flinched. He was immortal, but the impact of a bullet to the head still might be enough pain to knock him out cold.

*BANG!*

...

... but the pain never came. He opened his eyes and straightened his posture back up as Caim stood between himself and the old man.

The old man stared at Caim in shock, as he saw the bullet he fired grasped casually within his fingertips.

Caim glared at the man and asked, "Master, what are your orders?"

Daniel gulped for a brief moment, before noticing some red and blue lights at the corner of his eye. Then he replied, "Don't worry about it, Caim. The police are here, now. They'll deal with him."

Upon hearing the news, the old man gasped, before turning around. Sure enough, an officer arrived, bursting through the door with his weapon drawn.

"POLICE, FREEZE! DROP YOUR WEAPON!"

The old man then sighed in defeat, before dropping his pistol and holding his hands up. The officer cuffed him, quoted his rights, then dragged him away outside the building.

Caim then turned around and knelt before Daniel. "Master, I... I apologize for allowing him into the building. I saw him carrying the weapon, and could have stopped him, had I known what it was he was wielding."

Daniel blinked owlishly, then shook his head, chuckling a bit. "Caim, it's alright. In fact, I... I should be the one apologizing."

"For what, Master Daniel?" Caim asked, looking up at him confusedly.

Daniel patted him on the shoulder. "For trying to make you human. You see... I guess I've just been so focused on making you plain and normal, that I forgot you're still here on a mission. And that mission is to be my Guardian Angel, first and foremost."

Caim nodded in understanding. "So... what do you plan, Master?"

Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, I don't know... I've been so busy trying to normalize you all day... so I guess we can just head back home, watch some TV, and play some more games. After all, there's more to games than just senseless fighting!"

"I see... then we shall leave once the man in the red jacket brings your car back."

Daniel nodded his head. "Yeah, when..."

Then, his smile quickly dropped.

"... when what?!"

From the back of the police car, the old man just sat there patiently, with his fingers wrapped against each other. He was looking down, as if in deep thought.

The officer adjusted his mirror and asked, "Not gonna lie, Mr. Clydesdale... if that's even your real name... you seem a bit too old to be in the game. You ever think of retiring?"

The man looked up at him and shook his head. "No... not really."

The officer shrugged his shoulders, before looking back at the old man's Driver's License. "Well you know, I just ran your license number in the system. Showed up negative. Mind explaining where you got it from?"

"My boss, of course. He gave one to two of my brothers, and I." the old man replied.

The officer nodded his head. "Ah, a family business... I see." From in front of him, he noticed a green van and a red sports car blocking the path. They both looked like they were crashed, as they were bent up in the front. He quickly stopped the car. Nobody was seen within any of them, so he figured it must've been abandoned.

"Damn it! Guess I gotta make this call..." he said. He tried to phone the radio, but it seemed to be jammed. "Shit! Stupid car... fine, then, guess we'll have to go around."

He set the car to reverse, but then the engine suddenly died down.

"Well, shit... no radio, no engine... hold on, I'll go check the engine."

The door handle broke off upon him pulling it. "Really? Oh, come on, man..." He looked in the mirror, and saw that the old man was just sitting there casually.

"Guess we're kinda stuck in here, then..." the officer said with a sigh.

The old man nodded his head. "Yeah, but it's alright... I could use the company."

"Well, don't worry. Once someone swings by, they'll pick us up, and take you somewhere where company won't be a problem."

The old man smirked. "Good, good... so!" The old man looked at his watch. "Do you happen to have any more questions for me, officer, before help arrives?"

The officer thought for a moment, before nodding his head. "Matter of fact, I do actually. So you had two brothers that worked with you?"

He shook his head. "No, not two, actually... three. Sadly, we couldn't give him a license because of a bit of a... skin condition he has."

From outside the police car, the wheel's plates began to rust.

"Skin condition, huh? Sounds kinda odd, to not have a license because of that."

"Yeah, but it was a... a pretty bad condition, officer." the old man said, looking sincerely at the officer in the mirror.

The officer nodded his head. "Alright, alright, I'll bite. If he's got a condition, he's got a condition."

The bottom of the car began to rust up at a rapid pace from the outside.

"So did you guys have names, or did you just go by code names?"

The old man smiled. "Oh, we have names, alright."

"Well, since you've been captured already, why not go ahead and tell me yours?" the officer asked. He turned around just in time to miss a bunch of rust covering the front hood of the car.

The old man's smile only grew a bit more. "I guess you at least deserve to know it, officer... you see..." He looked up at the officer. "My brothers... my boss... hell, everyone basically called me... Famine."

The officer blinked a bit, before throwing his head back laughing. "And why, exactly, did they call you that, Mr. Famine? Because of your weight or something?"

Famine shook his head and chuckled back at the officer.

The officer's smile quickly faltered, and became a panicked frown as he saw the hood of the car, with the rust drawing closer towards the windshield. He looked inside the mirror and gasped, when he saw the old man's irises starting to glow a bright green color.

"No... it's because every time I have to get my hands dirty, I do such a good job."

He lifted his hand up towards the officer, who began to cough.

"So good, in fact, that it left everyone involved... breathless." the old man concluded.

The officer could no longer control his breathing, and exhaled sharply, and constantly. He continued to breathe out the oxygen in his body, causing the veins in his head to swell up. His stomach and his lungs rapidly shrunk, and his eyes began to sink backwards, until they fell inside his head.

His lifeless husk of a body slumped down onto the car's horn, which only beeped for a second, before dying out as well.

The back driver-side door of the completely rusted out police car fell down, and out stepped a skinny, young-looking man with dark brown hair, green eyes, a brown jacket, and light blue jeans. He brushed his jeans off a bit to get some of the rust off, and looked over towards the van and the car.

An unseen force straightened them out on the road, and from behind the van, the young man in the red jacket stood. He waved at the brown-jacketed man before hopping back into the red sports car.

As soon as he stepped into it, the body shifted and changed, fixing itself completely. The license plate read, "RU1N" on the back, and as it drove off, a small trail of fire emerged from the road.

Then the green van drove forward, with its front plate reading, "RAMPAG3". Once the van stopped, its back door opened itself up, and slid back, revealing only one seat in the center of it.

Famine then hopped into the back seat, with the door closing itself behind him. He gently rubbed the seat's armrests, and muttered, "See, Rampage? I told you I wouldn't be long..."

The van's motor hummed a bit louder, before it took off on the road.

Famine looked around the Gas Station, but could find no signs of where Daniel or Caim went. He frowned his head, before returning inside his van, where he decided to pull out his phone and, after taking a deep breath, tapping on the screen.

...

"Your Majesty. It's me."

...

"Yes, sir. War and I managed to find him. He told me the signs to watch out for. He was, in fact, the King of Hell. However... that's not why I'm calling you. You see, Your Majesty... something... well... something happened."

He began to grow a bit uneasy. He adjusted the collar on his jacket and, closing his eyes, he shook his head.

"No, Your Majesty. We... we couldn't catch him this time."

He leaned away from the phone, wincing at the roaring coming from the other side of the line, before returning it to his head after it calmed down a bit.

"It's not that we had a choice, Your Majesty! It was literally impossible!"

...

"Because, Sire... he... you may not believe this, but he actually had help with him!"

...

"It wasn't a Demon, Your Majesty."

...

"Yes and no, Your Majesty. It wasn't just an Angel... it was a Fallen Angel."

...

"You will not like this, Your Majesty, but... it was Caim."

...

"But Your Majesty, we can't proceed as planned with Caim on his side! It's... it's suicide, and you know it!"

...

"I... y-yes, Sire, I... I understand."

With that, he closed the call, before tapping a bit more on his phone, and lifting it to his head.

"War... change of plans. His Majesty wants us to take the Direct Approach. His orders are no longer of concern to us. We just need our brother back, so we can end this nonsense. So, I want you to regroup with Conquest. Both of you call me every day for the next seven days. Then, tell him that if I don't answer my phone, it is too late for me, and that you will be in charge."

...

"Don't worry about me, brother. I'm not going to face them alone, and I'm certainly not just walking in there like a fool. Need I remind you? My ride's got my back always!" he said, before gently patting his armrest again.

The van hummed, before passing the sign that said, "Welcome to Diamond Peaks! 5 Miles Ahead!" The sign began to rust up following the van's passing.