Andrew got some good shut-eye in the barracks. Outside of the soreness, he didn’t have much else to complain about. He rolled up his sheets and laughed to himself. “Huh,” he chuckled. “I think I had a dream that I was back in boot camp.”
It was his time to be on shift again. He and Singh were up, while the other four were up to their own devices. With the sun barely kissing over the horizon, Andrew thought it was funny that they were wide awake before the average civilian. Well, the average civilian also didn’t capture a demon.
“I can’t believe we actually captured one,” Singh spat.
Andrew couldn’t believe it either. He shook his head before thoughts of the deformed green faces came back up. “Is it right?” he asked aloud. “If a mass murderer killed that same amount of people, they’d be shot on sight. But when we see this demon…”
Singh chuckled. “Don’t get all numb nuts on me—that’s Kang’s job. Besides, we usually blast those fuckers apart. I’m betting the Sergeant is expected to get some results, especially since she put those paramedics at risk.”
“What do you mean?”
“You remember, right?” Singh spat another wad of dark fluid into a plastic bottle. “She called in paramedics because she thought those unconscious bastards could be saved. Ended up almost killing them. I don’t think she was thinking to herself, ‘I gotta redeem myself now.’ She probably was trying to capture more demons from the getgo. A real professional, that Sergeant.”
Andrew nodded. That was something he agreed with. It was always funny how the professionals received the most political flak. Whether it be from television hosts, Reddit mods, or even upper officers, professionals always received complaints about doing too much or too little.
Maybe it was just part of the job.
“It’s weird though,” Andrew suddenly thought aloud. “I mean, I heard demons are usually incoherent, like dealing with a wild animal. But the last two we’ve seen… they’ve definitely got more…” He struggled to find the word. “Faculties…”
Singh spat another glob. “Yeah, they’re getting smarter. The lab probably knows that, but they’re trying to be all quiet on it. They wouldn’t want to panic the CDRs, let alone the public. Especially with all that Pentagramist talk going around, a leak would be insane.”
She took a deep sigh. “I hope we kill those demons for good. I’ll be out of a job, sure, but I’ve seen those fuckers do some heinous things. I mean, you saw what you saw last night. Those people died clawing inside of trees. That shit’s just inhuman.”
Andrew was blank as he nodded. “Yeah… it is…”
***
Like last time, Andrew joined Kang and the Sergeant on another lab visit. They still wanted the input of the newest member of CDR-4, even if it wasn’t much. Badging in as usual, he followed the other two into the basement.
Doctor Shiro and Hannah were there like last time. “Ah! CDR-4! A few minutes early, as usual.” He reached for a handshake, which the Sergeant took. “I’ve always valued your punctuality!”
The Sergeant was straight faced. She placed her can of monster on the table and handed him a packet of paper. “Here’s the report on the equipment performance. So far, we’ve used the AGT and the DRD,” she said, probably alluding to the gatling gun and the electric restraints respectfully. “I hope the format is to your liking.”
Doctor Shiro chuckled as he read the sheets. He seemed pretty impressed with the writing, and especially impressed with its performance. “Yes… yes, as you know, the Automated Gatling Turret was part of the proposed automated system, and the Demon Restraint Device was part of the move to capture one alive. Still, it’s quite bold of you to try using both in their prototypes.”
“We manage.”
“I see that,” Doctor Shiro said. “I suppose the Demonbusters are no joke. I will especially commend your boldness in actually capturing that demon. I’m sure the risk was insanely–”
“Negligible,” the Sergeant said. “I rigged it where a thermite grenade would roast it alive. The APE can withstand the blast for long enough to hold it in place, screaming and resistance included.” She took a sip of her drink. It was a Tuesday.
“I… I see…”
Andrew could swear he saw a glimmer of light fade away from the doctor’s eyes. He looked ten-times more fortunate to never see how or why the Sergeant knew that information. That was the benefit of being an armchair warrior.
“We need more tools though,” the Sergeant casually said. “These were good, but I gave you the necessary modifications. Namely, we’ll need the AGT to be easier to deploy and, hopefully, a way to differentiate between humans and demons. As for the DRD, we could make the thermite system inherent. Maybe safe enough for police to use it, but still dangerous enough to cause a deterrent.”
“I see–”
“I want operational drones for reconnaissance. A lot could’ve gone wrong when we went in there without good intel, and we’re lucky no paramedic was hurt. I doubt we can easily get to the point where we have automated CDRs, but this would alleviate pressure from the police.”
The Sergeant then ignored the doctor as she faced the intern standing next to him. Her face turned red as the Sergeant gave the usual stare at her. “Miss Kroeger, do you have anything you can suggest?”
The poor girl was put on the spot as she shook in place. She at least made the right decision of hiding her notebook, and her embarrassing drawings with it. “Um… I… we… um…” she stammered. “You could have… a vacuum… like in the movie…”
Kang snapped, “You mean the Ecto-Containment Unit Portable Trap from the Ghostbusters franchise. I’m afraid we’re not fighting wisps of air, so those won’t be as effective. Now, if you were talking about…”
Everyone looked at him. Even the Sergeant was giving him a sharp look.
“I duly apologize,” he said. “But something we could have is a smaller version of the APE suit that the average officer could wear. Their main complaint is that they don’t have any protection when coming in, hence their hesitancy. If we could have a smaller version that could still enhance performance, I’m sure they wouldn’t have any qualms.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
The Doctor nodded as he quickly jotted it onto paper. Sergeant Yang gave a solid look of approval. And Hannah was glad to be off the radar. This was a deal that left everyone happy.
***
They took a quick break in the breakroom which was the size of a massive cafeteria. Personally made food was cooked in the adjacent kitchen where one could find fast yet authentic food. “Get whatever you want,” the Sergeant ordered. “It’ll be on my dime.”
Kang got the japchae and Andrew got the ramen. It didn’t take long for them to be brought out in nice bowls, probably three times the portion that Andrew was expecting. “This is some gourmet sh…” Andrew paused as he remembered his public setting. “Stuff…”
The Sergeant only got a salad. It wasn’t even a big bowl, but more like one of those cups in school cafes. She picked at it without giving it so much as dressing. “Um… Sergeant…?” Andrew asked. “Do you think that’s enough for… you…?”
“What? Are you calling me fat?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“N-No! I was just trying to be… um…” Andrew shut his mouth after that. He felt bad for even mentioning the topic.
But after a moment or two, the Sergeant broke into a light chuckle. It surprised even the nearby scientists, who could’ve never imagined the Sergeant’s laughter. “I get what you’re saying. Don’t worry, I’m planning on eating a big dinner. Would you be more comfortable if I got myself a snack?”
Andrew lightly nodded. If whatever Singh said was true, then the Sergeant had plenty of baggage on her back—even if it wasn’t visible.
The Sergeant walked over to the vending machines where Hannah, coincidentally, was getting herself a diet coke. The drink got stuck; Hannah helplessly watched as the bottle was wedged between the drinks and the window. “No! No! No!” the girl muttered. “I really need this…”
The Sergeant suddenly came up from behind where she gently pushed Hannah out the way. Andrew watched the young woman’s cheeks go red as the Sergeant gave the machine a nice kick. In a quick thrash, the drink tumbled right out into the Sergeant’s hands. “Here,” she said.
Hannah was speechless as her hand clasped around the drink. Then she went running right off as the Sergeant paid her no mind. She was already ordering herself a protein bar.
“I think that girl has a crush on our Sergeant,” Andrew joked to Kang. He hoped that he would receive some lighter side of the man, since Singh and Gutierrez were jokers—hopefully it had rubbed off on him.
It didn’t.
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” he calmly said instead. “The Sergeant is a mature enough age to be older, borderline taboo, while also being the culprit in unveiling her drawings. I supposed it’s warranted.”
Saying it like that, Kang sounded more analytical than playful. It kind of sapped the fun out of the discussion, especially when Andrew was used to Singh’s banter and Gutierrez’s snark. “Y-Yeah, I guess so.”
***
Their next “tour” was even deeper in the basement where they were in what was essentially a futuristic dungeon. Andrew shuddered at the sight of countless empty rooms that glowed red, yet without a demon inside. Kang was more curious, than anything.
“I presume the lab expected a larger number of captured demons. They probably had plans of experimentation, dissection, and perhaps even weaponization of existing demons. But that was likely scrapped when they realized the volatile nature of what they were dealing with. Reasoning with one is impossible.”
“Until now,” Andrew interrupted. “The Sergeant captured one, right?”
She gave a look from the side, as if Andrew’s assumption was grossly off from the truth. Either that, or she didn’t want him jinxing their chances. “We got lucky,” she sufficed. “We don’t even know if the demon is planning something.”
They made it to the end of the hall where all the guards and scientists were concentrated. Either equipped with a rifle or a clipboard, they stood in a gaggle as the CDRs approached. “Doctor Shiro,” the Sergeant called. “What’s been happening?”
He pointed at the subject, which was still restrained in the DRD. It sat with crossed legs and arms—at complete calm with the given situation. “Well, I suppose it hasn’t tried breaking out because of the thermite grenade, but we haven’t been able to establish communication with it.”
“It’s not burying itself, is it?” the Sergeant asked. “When we were clearing the botanical garden, it tried luring paramedics in before sending in an attack. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was just another trick.”
Scientists whispered amongst each other as the doctor returned a wary smile. “I wouldn’t be afraid of that here. I’m very sure that our given protections won’t allow for such an easy attack. Each cell is lined with a layer of lead, steel, titanium, and even shock absorbers. Additionally, on top of your thermite grenade, each room is designed to incinerate itself in a given situation. There’s a higher chance of this demon roasting alive than of breaking out.”
The Sergeant paused for a second. Then nodded. At least the doctor passed her test. “What have you tried?”
Doctor Shiro looked through his notes. “We’ve done an interrogation, but the demon won’t do so much as give us their name. We were at least able to find the identity of who the person was prior to the transformation.”
“And?”
He flipped to the picture of a young smiling girl—a far cry to the blank faced demon behind the glass. She was sitting in a school bus with her friends lined up behind her. It was a sharp pain to realize what she had become.
“Emma Reddington was twelve years old at the time of the Transformations. Along with many other transformed children, she had turned in her own house and killed her parents. As you know, no one has been able to pinpoint the whereabouts of every demon after that time, hence your current job as CDRs.”
The Sergeant nodded. “Have you notified any next of kin?”
“Yes, we were able to reach their grandparents in the United States,” he replied. “They were glad to hear that their granddaughter was found, even in this current state. I’m sure that if that happened to me, I would at least find some relief.”
The Sergeant gave a good look at the demon. The demon seemed to look back. Their eyes interlocked in the strange way that two warriors would in both respect and animosity. “The glass,” the Sergeant asked. “Is it transparent or one-way?”
“One-way.”
“Hm.” The Sergeant finally looked away. “Interesting.”
She got all the paperwork in order with the help of Kang and the doctor. Andrew wasn’t able to provide much help, since he wasn’t entirely familiar with the process, so he was left staring at the green demon. It was strange to think that such monsters used to be human.
Andrew thought back to Singh’s comment. “I hope we kill those demons for good.” It felt so easy to say that and agree when they were lounging back at the station. But here, looking at a benign girl stripped of her power, Andrew could swear he saw the glimmer of humanity still left in her.
How many parents, grandparents, or even children lost someone in 2030? How many of them sobbed whenever they saw another corpse on TV? How many were waiting on a cure for their possessed family?
All of a sudden, Andrew didn’t feel as comfortable with the image of blasting a shotgun into them like some videogame character. Hopefully, one day, there would be an end to this. But as Singh said, he would definitely be out of a job.
“Cheng, we’re good to go,” Kang called. “We can grab some pizza for the CDR team as we get back.”
Andrew nodded as he gave a final look at the demon. Emma Reddington, her name was. It was funny that they said the glass was one-way. He could’ve sworn she was staring at him back.