A Hellish Encounter (Kait)

He shook his head. The name was nothing but noise to him. He had met many humans in his travels, slept with almost half of them, and their lives flickered so quickly that he never bothered to remember them, except a few that stood out in his memory.

"It is... entirely possible that I met her and knocked her up by accident, but... your mother must be some powerful psychic, if she were able to give birth to a creature like you. You might not be from this realm." He considered other possibilities. "It is also entirely possible that a creature bearing my powers gave birth to you, or enchanted you when you were an infant. Either way, it remains to be seen what you will be to me."

If she were smart — and indeed, she had the potential to be — she would realize that she had the power to destroy him, and the lineage to inherit all that he owned. It would be disadvantageous for him to let her live and let live.

Gears turned on his head, and he managed to hatch a brilliant idea. His kingdom is constantly expanding. Why not re-purpose a potential threat? Many supernatural beings create offspring or assign humans to do their bidding. If he were to take the girl under his wing, there would be two people with incredible power in his domain, and he would be the envy of many demon Lords — indeed, almost all of Hell.

He smiled, as close to genuine as he could muster. "Regardless of the circumstances of your birth, we need not be on opposing sides. You carry with you great power — my power. I'm giving you the option to follow your father's path. You need not be limited to..." He pointed at her unfashionable clothes, and then tilted his head to the girls that kept looking at their direction — her friends, perhaps? "Think about it."

Would he be the one to plant the idea that she could dethrone him into her head? Of course not. He wasn't stupid enough to be a Greek tragedy.

She was uncertain now, but with her natural curiosity and great potential, she was bound to meet another demon that would readily train her to destroy him. It was a story repeated throughout the ages. It would be smarter to get to her first and make her an ally, and then hunt her down if she denies him.

"You are of uncertain birth! You do not know for what purpose you were made. You may have some enchantment in you that would cause you to turn on me on your eighteenth birthday, or something like that," he said, telling her the partial truth. "In any case, I offer you an opportunity most people of your kind do not get. Are you simply going to let it pass you by?"

Mikhainon nodded. "You don't trust me. Good instinct. I'm a man of my word, but considering my actions so far, I wouldn't trust me either.

"If I can't to appeal to you emotionally, then let me appeal to that cute, big head of yours. Let me explain." Mikhainon ruffled her hair briefly and grinned. What a cute and smart daughter he has. He turned his attention to the beach and gestured to all the people. "Do you see that? I have a sea of potential clients, worshipers and slaves... but only one daughter.

"As my daughter, you could theoretically rise to my level — it would take you, say, a few more millenniums, but you'd get there. You'd also have rights to rule my domains in Hell. You could transcend mortality and decay. When this Earth crumbles, you would be able to leave your form and, if you so wish, find another dimension in which you could rule. You'd be able to help the people you love, see Wonders being made, and experience life to the fullest without any of the consequences. You'd be able to live like me.

"But... it all sounds too good to be true, you think. Why would I offer you something like that? What do I get, and what hellish price do you have to pay?"

The Duke climbed a couple steps up a nearby stair for a dramatic flair. "It's simple, really. I take the side of you that's human and free you from your earthly confines, and in return, you swear your loyalty to me, your father. My power will be yours and your power will be mine. Together, our domains would flourish."

The Duke pulled a calling card from his pocket and handed it to Chloe. It's just a blank, white card with a completely innocuous number on it. If Chloe were to call it, it would lead to the Duke's phone. If another tried to call him, it would call the number it was really meant to call. "I don't expect an answer right away. I'll give you a decade to decide."

The girl took the card.

In his experience, that was practically a sell.

Mikhainon needed Chloe to trust her. He gave Chloe a nod and slid back into Gabriel Baltimore, stepping forward and smiling charmingly at the snake woman.

"Gabriel Baltimore. Sorry, did you need Chloe for something? I'm a new waiter at that restaurant over there —" He pointed at the restaurant they came out of. "And... there was..."

He winced, circling thumb and forefinger together. "A teeny mishap earlier with some fish and some cake, luckily Chloe was there to help, she caught the plates all Jackie Chan style and completely saved my ass from getting fired back there and, can you believe it, she wouldn't even accept anything from me as thanks? Me! Look at how freaking hot I am!"

He smiled sheepishly, slapping his hands together and bowing slightly. "Please let me borrow your friend for a few more minutes! I just need her to accept my 'thanks for saving my broke ass' bouquet of flowers tonight. Girls love getting flowers, right? I'm sure it's something a lovely lady like you would understand."

Gabriel laughed. Teenagers were adorable. Humans in general were adorable, actually. "Nothing wrong with liking girls. I happen to like girls myself!" He waved at Kelly. "I'll see you around, Kelly."

Mikhainon smiled at Chloe and crossed his arms. He began speaking his earlier, lower register, though his other persona's smile remained. "I did promise 'Kelly' I'm only borrowing you for a bit. You had a question, and here is my answer: Fret not, I would not bestow upon you the power of the Gods without teaching you the ropes first. That would be stupid and irresponsible. Given your physiology, your lifespan would probably only last a couple more centuries, so it would be prudent for both of us if you give me an answer before you turn two hundred.

"I am not in a hurry. I am eternal and undying." Mikhainon smiled, and for people who didn't know him, it could be mistaken as soft and genuine. "But eternity gets lonely, and I want you, my only daughter, to be by my side. I'm willing to answer most questions you have in the days to come, but ultimately, the decision is yours. You have my number, in any case."

He tilted his head at the still curious Kelly and her gang. "Now, if you don't have any more questions for the time being, go enjoy the beach with your friends. It's a lovely day out. Tell them we settled on me getting you a slice of discount cheesecake from the restaurant."