D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

--- Kamiko ---

"Moving on from Church’s disgusting habits," said Ben ignoring the spray can, "Can we finally get to why the pipsqueak called us here? That’s not to much to ask is it?"

The twin Kamiko had decided was Chen stepped forward to speak up instead but Pip jumped in first and said, "Actually I CAN tell you that but… I’m not going instead, she is,"

That was the queue and Corela slammed the doors to the kitchen open with her cane. The rest of the crew in the kitchen had already hidden off to the side to preserve the shock and awe. Corela strode out like she owned the place, projecting a cranky air of authority that caused most of the people here to flinch back.

Ben, clearly lacking the survival instincts of the other people he glared at Pip and said, "We were voting on this! How dare you go behind our back and-"

He was cut off when, between one blink and the next Corela went from nowhere nearby to right next to him. Corela smacked him across the face and then before he recovered, had returned to her old position stunning everyone with her speed. "Pip didn’t call this meeting, I did,"

"Yeah but she still-" started Ben but Corela simply repeated her steps, shutting Ben up again. There was no a bright red handprint on both sides of his face.

"She did not do anything, and I do mean that literally. She didn’t wake me up. Instead…" Corela trailed off and that was the queue. The group from the kitchen exploded outwards. Meg took the lead with Hunter off to the side, both projected an air of authority.

Hunter’s was more of a ’get close to me and I’ll kill you’ why Meg’s was more ’If you touch me I’ll rip out your intestines with a smile and use them as a scarf’ while Bower was simple a cold professional and Kamiko hid behind them all because she could not do the face. Not out of combat mode anyway, and even then… not really.

"… these people are from the outside obviously. One is a native and the rest are demons. They are here for the crystal you found recently and are not taking no for an answer. This meeting is to decide what that means for us. It’s why I didn’t invite the people you call adults. They are useless and can just be left alone,"

"By what right?" hissed Ben.

Corela flashed forward, slapped him twice and stepped back. "The right of the STRONG boy. Demons do not, CAN not lie, but they do take commissions and are monstrously strong. They want the crystal? They get the crystal because we cannot stop them,"

Ben went to say something else but Corela didn’t even let him get that far, slapping him again. "Get some sense into your thick skull boy. You can’t keep running your mouth without power to back it up. I know we banned magic quite some time ago because of the issues it was causing us but that doesn’t mean you should just forget how strong it is.

I personally could kill all of you with a few gestures and they are all much stronger then I am,"

Kamiko blushed and hid further behind Hunter. Ben, apparently still not learning his lesson went to say something AGAIN but his girlfriend slapped a hand over his mouth instead. "Good. Now, does anyone have anything constructive to ask?"

"Why did magic get banned?" asked Church. At some point Brook had pulled out a brunch coat, one of the fluffy ones and draped it over the girl to preserve her modesty. Kamiko wasn’t sure it was doing much considering the girl didn’t bother pulling it closed or even putting her arms through the sleeves but it was something at least.

"I thought it was like… a myth or something used in our games and stories,"

"Well it was against my judgement but I was outvoted. The first generation born here in this closed loop wanted to magic up a solution to our problem… and it killed a LOT of people. Not straight away, they did have some research acumen hammered into their heads but they got sloppy. Magical catastrophes killed more than a few people and eventually it was deemed too dangerous to keep testing.

"As I said I voted against it… but I was overruled. So magic got banned… for the first time. People would keep practicing it over the years despite the edicts not to and with less and less teachers it got worse until someone nearly blew up the reactor core and killed everyone. They were executed and everything involving magic was moved onto a secure server and locked away,"

"And where IS that server?" asked Ben.

Corela glared at him, but decided it was a fair question. "It’s gone now. It was hidden away in that same floor the robots totalled,"

"So what, you’re the only one who can teach us real magic now?" asked Shen.

Corela shrugged, "Perhaps. I’m the only one who can teach it HERE. Do remember why the meeting was called. The chance to leave, the chance to go outside… and plenty of people can teach you there,"

Suddenly there was just a wall of noise as everyone was yelling. Some where trying to ask questions of Corela, others were talking amongst themselves some just wanted to make noise and Kamiko did not have the practice to pick out individual trains of conversation within the mess. It all blended together and nothing could be properly made out.

Pip slid her way over though and quietly asked Kamiko, "Do you think you could teach me magic?"

"Um… no I don’t use mana. I use demonic energy. It means we work on completely different systems of higher energy," explained Kamiko.

"Oh… do you think I could learn? Am I too old?" asked Pip.

"That… not really? Um… probably not? Some places do try to get everyone to start early but like… a lot of cultures go for around the age you are right now. I… I’m not sure how it is on this planet but Bower should know? I guess it depends what your affinity is and if you can use magic at all?"

"Wait can’t everyone use magic?" asked Pip.

"No. See, it’s like this…" Kamiko began explaining what she knew of magic to Pip while everyone else continued freaking out. Corela let this happen for a while. Hunter vanished at some point not wanting to deal with it, causing Meg to pout a bit and pull up a chair. Bower just looked tired.

Eventually, after a few minutes Corela slammed her walking stick into the ground silencing the group. "One question at a time. We’ll start at the back. You, Church,"

"Right so… obviously this is a big deal. Are you willing to teach us magic?" asked Church.

"Probably not. Teaching you would be a massive pain in my ass and you need to have matching elements for it to be worth it. That’s not even taking into account the fact not everyone can use it in the first place," answered Corela. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Is the outside safe?" asked Neoms.

Corela glared at Neoms and stepped over whacked her on the head with her cane and stepped back. "No it is NOT safe. It will never be safer then this place you get to enjoy right here despite the killer robots. You can be safe-ish and there is a world of opportunities but for many this is the best place you can be.

I doubt you properly appreciate it, but things are breaking down anyway and it might all explode tomorrow so…"

"Wait we’re going to explode?" asked someone. Kamiko wasn’t paying attention, as she was still speaking softly with Pip and only listening with half an ear. Still, it was obvious when the question set off another round of yelling.

Corela slammed her cane down once again to silence everyone. "It is unlikely to explode so soon but the chances rise exponentially every year and I’d say you’ve got two centuries at maximum. Absolute maximum,"

"So we have to leave then?" asked Malt. He got smacked for the question.

"What part of wait your turn do you lot not get? Still… it is a fair question. I really don’t know. Even as old as I am I don’t know what the right answer is here. It’s why we’re holding this big meeting. The older generation… probably best to just leave them here and hope they remain happy till the end of their days.

"Leaving is going to be hard. It’s going to be painful, and you will never fully recover from the horror… but it is a chance at life. A chance for big things. You may fail, you may die. This is not an offer where I promise you a paradise. I am giving you a chance to live… and living?

Well that’s PAINFUL and it’s something you’ll all have to deal with if you chose to leave the facility."