Static is Born and Demons Appear

"Ramon?! How's this even possible?" Max said surprised that the misfit was his best pal.

"Well, not everything that happened a year ago were all bad" Ramon said starting his narration.

"That stray lightning bolt that hit me a year ago was regarded as the worst thing that had ever happened to anyone in our family, but what others saw as evil, it was actually meant for good"

"That bolt of lightning turned me from a mere mortal to a superhuman in an instant. I was out of the hospital within a week which was abnormal, normally someone would spend months but i was out and that wasn't the only thing. My eyes became grey in sunlight and blue at night and that was only the beginning, suddenly I could see in the dark as if it were day. My strength and speed increased, and the best thing was that I could see charges, every object carries a charge and from that i could create a negative or positive charge to attract to it or repel. That's why I can stick to stuff or walk on walls as your friend saw and make huge jumps, and best of it all, I can produce bolts of electricity"

"When i discovered this, I wanted to tell you Max but then i remembered how you abandoned me ever since Jess died" Ramon said with anger in his voice.

"I didn't have a choice Ramon" Max answered with his head bowed.

"How could you say that? You abandoned me, I was your best friend, but you never picked my calls or even visited me when i was out of the hospital. Worse, you didn't come to my farewell party before i left for school"

"Trust me I wanted to be there but I just couldn't"

"Why is that, Max? C'mon tell me, tell me why the Maverick that protects everyone and is literally a god to everyone that lives in this city wasn't there for me when i needed you the most"

"I did it to protect you. Everything I did was to protect you. Every night when i closed my eyes for a year i saw that day, that picture of Jessica laying down on the floor lifeless. It pained me and I didn't want that to happen again. So I cut you off, the only reason why you and Jessica were caught in the mix of things was because you associated with me, and I don't know how i could live knowing that another person would die because of me" Max said moved to tears.

"That's the problem with you Max, you try to save everyone, but you have to accept the fact that you can't. Your parents and Jessica, they made a decision to be by your side no matter what even if it would cost them their lives. They all made the choice knowing what consequences that they might face" Ramon said walking up to him and putting his arm on his shoulder.

"I understand why you did what you did, but that was the moment we needed each other the most. I know you might think locking people out is the best way of protecting them, but it all falls down to what they choose and that's what really matters" Ramon said.

"I know that now" Max said fighting back tears.

"So, can we still be friends?" Max asked.

"Always" Ramon answered.

The two hugged each other while Ravage leaned on a wall and watched.

"I know you two just got your bromance back on and are eager to catch up but your friend still has to answer my question on why he was chasing and branding people" Ravage said.

The two looked at him done with their hug.

"I wasn't just chasing and branding people because I felt like it. Everyone i branded was connected to the secret project for Maverick standing here today and were also responsible for the creation of his evil brother Sun or as the public know him, Titan" Ramon explained.

"But more importantly, they were indirectly responsible for the death, of the love of my life" Ramon said.

"No wonder you marked them with a J, the J stood for Jessica" Max said.

"Exactly"

"There were better ways of dealing with your anger, like handing over all the evidence you gathered to the police"

"So that they'll what? Arrest them? That project wasn't just planned by some billionaire with money to throw around, it was created, planned and commissioned by the US government. Rather than rewarding me, I'll be put in a body bag and thrown to the bottom of the ocean for getting my hand on one of their biggest mistakes" Ramon said.

"Speaking of which, how did you track them all down? All the information of my creation was destroyed?" Max said.

"When you know the right people to pull the right strings, nothing is ever buried. The exact details on your creation is indeed lost forever with Dr. Quantum and that file your cousin has the last things that contain it, but the people involved in your creation is not" Ramon told them.

"I see" Max said.

"But even with that, you had no right to go around branding people" Ravage said.

"I know that now, I was blinded by rage and anger, it won't happen again"

"But seeing that you now have the whole package of powers and a cool costume, you could fulfill your greatest desire and become a hero" Max suggested.

"Well, the city does need an extra pair of hands with big boy Maverick taking on bigger and more global calls" Ravage added.

"It would be an honor" Ramon answered with a smile.

"Great to have you on board kid" Ravage said turning around and walking away.

"When do I start?" Ramon asked.

"Today" Ravage answered sticking out his hand and holding on to the back of a truck as he was pulled away.

"I'll make sure to call you tonight" Max said floating up to about eight feet in the air.

"I'll keep my line open"

"We have a lot to catch up on" Max said before blasting away.

"Indeed, we do" Ramon said looking at his friend breaking through the sound barrier in the air.

.........................

"So have you picked a name yet?" Max asked.

"No i haven't" Ramon answered.

The two were sitting in Max's restaurant having lunch that weekend so that they could catch up. The atmosphere was a bit busy and one of his waiters came to serve them their orders. She had Arabian looks with lush black shoulder hair and an impeccable physique that grabbed Ramon's attention immediately. He glanced into those black eyes of hers and he was stolen.

"Thank you, Ash" Max said as she served them their food.

He ordered fish and chips, and Ramon went for shrimp and prime rib, a man of culture he was.

Max dug in and glanced at Ramon noticing that his attention was somewhere else.

"Ramon" Max called but his friend did not answer transfixed on her.

Max turned around and saw his gaze on her as she took a customer's order. He snapped his fingers, and his attention was moved.

"Wha-what did I miss?" he stammered.

"Take your eyes of her man, she's my employee"

"That doesn't matter to me as I am just a customer" Ramon said before putting shrimp in his mouth.

"Bro, I won't feel comfortable with you dating one of my staff. What if she starts telling you about how she doesn't like some of my rules and then you start talking to me about changing some of them to change em?"

"Don't worry, I won't dabble into your business affairs" Ramon assured him.

"I hope so" Max said. "So, what names have come up with?" Max asked going back to their original topic before getting sidetracked.

"I've been thinking of names that could work with my abilities but haven't found any" Ramon answered.

"I can't believe that the Ramon who named me and is a hero data base can't come up with his own name"

"It's embarrassing I know"

"Well given your abilities, how does Static sound?" Max suggested.

Ramon thought deeply for a while before nodding his head.

"That's actually pretty cool"

"I figured since your abilities are based of static electricity, that should fit"

"It actually does"

"So, you are keeping the black suit or changing it up?"

"No way am I changing it up" Ramon said. "I'm not even going to put a symbol on it"

"If that's what you want. How's the fanbase management going? I've been seeing a lot of people with my merch lately"

"The fanbase is good, it's where i actually got the money for my new ride and all the money for my equipment"

"Wait, the Acura NSX was off fanbase money?" Max asked surprised.

"Yeah, that and i sold the Corolla, wasn't really my style to say the least"

"Actually. I know you always want to make a statement when you arrive"

"But hey, how's business going?"

"As you can see, we are making decent money. We made it to a two-star restaurant two weeks ago and top thirty in San Fransisco this week"

"Wow, that's incredible. This place must be moving in the right direction"

"I guess so"

"Your parents would be proud"

"Thanks Ramon"

"But I can't believe that the owner of a two-star restaurant orders fish and chips in his own place" Ramon said before giggling lightly.

"What can I say, it's one of my favorite dishes" Max said.

The two enjoyed their lunch catching up on lost time like Ramon in school now and Max telling him about some of his saves, Max paid for the dishes while Ramon gave Ash a 50-dollar tip and used his charm to get her number. The two were walking out to Ramon's red Acura.

"Ramon, Ramon, you always have your way with the ladies" Max remarked.

"They like what they see. Just surprised you haven't snagged one yourself"

"You know how I am; I don't give my time into all those type of things" Max said as the two stood next to his ride.

"It's always good to see you man" Ramon said as they hugged and patted their backs.

"Maybe I'll come visit you on campus one of these days" Max said.

Just as Ramon was about to walk into his car, there was a massive explosion and people began to run and scream as a car flew into a building.

"What the why so close to my Restaurant?" Max said angrily.

"No time for that, we have to move" Ramon said running to the trunk of his car.

"What's in there?" Max asked.

"I don't leave my house without my suit" Ramon said.

"Okay, you change out back, I'll go get mine from my office"

Max said before sprinting into his restaurant.

He immediately ordered for everyone to leave orderly, and he would lock up, he didn't want anyone's death on his hands. After locking up, he met Ramon in the street waiting for him.

"Alright man, let's go"

Max flew over with Ramon sprinting below to keep up with him, the two arrived seeing everyone in dismay running for their lives but couldn't see a source.

"Who or what could have destroyed this much?" Max wondered.

Another explosion went off and the two moved over to find the person or thing responsible for such acts.

"I swear when i find the person for this, they'll pay" Ramon said as they took a corner and what they saw will remain in their minds for the rest of eternity.

"What on Earth" Max exclaimed seeing the things.

There was a big blackish figure standing and breathing heavily with saliva dripping out of its mouth, it had old, battered wings with huge claws and red teeth. Red eyes and tail capped it all off with animalistic stature. The other things were smaller about six feet in height but without wings but the same looks.

"Is that what i think it is?" Ramon said.

"It is. They're, demons" Max said.

As soon as he called them that, the big demon pointed towards them and roared angrily. His little minions roared as well running towards the two without hesitation.

"I did not sign up for this" Ramon said getting into his fighting stance.

"Don't worry, I got your back. Just leave that big one to me" Max said flying at them without fear.

"Well, that was assuring" Ramon said with a sarcastic tone.

Max engaged the demons' throwing punches at them as they flew into one another, some pulled him by the cape and punched him, but he felt nothing powering his way through the minions.

"Oh, just run right at the demons with no strategic planning, very you Maverick" Ramon said running at a demon.

He side stepped the demon's attacks punching it in the chest then giving it an uppercut knocking it back.

"These things aren't so tough" Ramon remarked.

"Don't sound so sure" Max grunted punching three demons in quick succession as they flew into their pals.

Ramon jumped in the air performing a spinning kick sending a demon into a car, he parried one's arm before punching it in the side then elbowing it in the back of the head. He then caught the arm of another flipping it over and slamming it into the ground, seeing more gather around him, he spun that demon's body hitting the others. Maverick punched through more and more Demons even though they were trying to hold him down by pulling on his cape and body.

"Why won't you demons leave me ALONE!" he shouted pushing all of them away catching the attention of the demon boss.

"You look like a worthy opponent" the demon spoke with a deep husky tone.

"You talk?" Max said switching off completely as the demon slapped him with a car through a jewelry store.

"Yep" he said standing up from all the rubble on the ground. "Demons talk" he said.

He took to the sky as the demon threw pillars at him from above, he moved from side to side avoiding the pillars then punched the demon to the ground. The demon skipped on the ground then roared loudly vibrating everything around as Maverick flew at him. As the hero got close enough, he spun around tail swiping him through five stores.

"That's some incredible strength" Ramon remarked before getting kicked in the back.

"Keep your eyes on me human" a smaller demon said with its tongue dangling out of its mouth.

"Damn, your breath is nasty" Ramon remarked before running at the demon.

Maverick stood up slowly from a Ford Raptor that stopped him from flying any further.

"Looks like you need help" someone said from above him.

Max looked up seeing Cloud and Ravage hovering above him.

"Great timing guys" ax said.

"I wonder what could have you on the ropes like this" Ravage said.

"You'll find out" Max said.

Immediately the demon roared with its beating wings giving away its location as it broke through a meat shop in front of Max and the others. Cloud upon seeing it was lost for words and Ravage's eyes widened in shock.

"What the hell is that?" Ravage said seeing the fearsome creature.

"It's a demon, no mistake about it" Max said.

"Padre Nuestro, que estàs en el cielo, santificado sea tu Nombre; venga a nosotros tu reino; hágase tu voluntad en la tierra como en el cielo. Danos hoy nuestro pan de cada día; perdona nuestras ofensas, como también nosotros perdonamos a los que nos ofenden; no nos dejes caer en la tentación, y líbranos del mal. Amén." Cloud recited doing the sign of the cross twice in the process.

"What was that?" Max asked.

"The Lord's prayer in Spanish" Ravage said.

The demon seemed to roar even more after hearing that.

"It seems demon over here even understands that and now he's pissed" Ravage added.

"You two go help my friend contain his little henchmen four streets ahead, don't know how much more he can take. I'll handle wingy over here" Max said.

"Please do, I'm not going near that thing" Cloud said before jetting off to assist Ramon.

"It's you and me now" Max said.

The demon growled at him as Max flew at him. Four streets ahead Ramon was getting hit from all angles with demons having a field day. Getting frustrated and overwhelmed by their hits, anger swelled up in him.

"Wiil you demons leave me ALONE!!" Ramon yelled releasing a big charge of electricity pushing all the demons away from him.

"Awesome" Cloud remarked from above him.

"Great to see you have other skills other than sticking to things and running away" Ravage commented stepping of the cloud that brought him to the ground.

"How are we going to beat these things?" Cloud asked.

"I don't know, but the best we can do is contain them" Ramon suggested.

"Okay guys, let's move" Ravage said.

Ramon and Cloud at the demons using physical attacks while Ravage stayed back and fired at them. He soon found out that none of his bullets worked on the creatures.

"What the heck? Nothing of mine works on them" Ravage said.

"Then pick up something and start whacking them" Cloud said receiving a punch to his face. He replied with one gut lifting punch then one to the face of the demon.

Ravage looked to his side seeing a Ford Focus parked next to him, he opened the trunk picking the fire extinguisher within it and began to whack any demon that crossed his path. Max flew through a truck with the demon punching his face, annoyed by his punches, he threw him into the ground then flew down on him creating a big crater and began to punch him repeatedly. The demon snuck his tail up Maverick's back wrapping around his neck and throwing him into a Dodge Caravan. Before the human could recover, the demon flew him through the vehicle and threw him through a pet store and out a furniture on the other side. The demon ascended roaring loudly announcing his presence.

"Damn these things are tough" Maverick remarked before going at the demon again.

"Don't these things get tired?" Ramon asked whacking a demo in the head with a steel pipe.

"I don't know, they're demons I guess" Cloud said punching one in the face.

"More punching less talking" Ravage said kicking one in the groin then smashing the fire extinguisher he held in his hands on its head.

"Guess it was about time" he said. "These things are pretty durable against our attacks"

"They're supernatural entities, what do you expect?" Cloud said.

Ramon was tired as ever after fighting the demons the longest out of the three of them, he got sloppy and a demon bit into his left shoulder.

"ARRRGH!!!!" he screamed as the demon's teeth pierced his flesh.

Cloud immediately held the demon by the head and squeezed so tight that it's eyes almost popped out and flung it at the others taking five out.

"We have to get him out of here" Ravage said kicking a demon in the face.

Cloud nodded as Ravage ran towards Ramon who held his shoulder in pain, he was down on his knees in the middle of the street. Cloud made six arms appear from his back like tendrils and started hitting the now blood thirsty demons back. The influx of demons was just too much to deal with as Cloud resorted to making a circular rotating barrier around them to keep them safe.

"These demons a really persistent" he groaned as a demon's arm broke through. He casually kicked the demon in the chest sending it away.

"We have to look for a way out of here" Ravage said.

"Don't look at me, I got nothing" Cloud said.

"Wherever we go these things could track us. Hell, we don't know anything about these things, no experience at all" Ravage said trying to think of a way out.

"Look, the demons have stopped attacking" Ramon pointed out.

"What's going on?" Ravage asked.

"Maybe they've decided to leave?" Cloud said.

"No, look. Their gaze is fixed on something behind us" Ramon said.

The three turned around slowly and they saw a man, holding a sword in his right hand and a blood red cape beating into the wind. He wore metallic silver armor like a knight from medieval times with a cross engraved onto his chest plates, his eyes were black, ice cold if you stared into them. His gaze fixed on the demons in front of him as his brown shoulder length hair waved in the wind.

"It's actually him" Cloud said.

"It's the demon slayer" Ramon added.

The demon slayer charged at the demons and the demons at him with a battle cry. He held his blade with both arms and with one swing, five heads went up in the sky as black blood sprayed from their bodies like a fountain. With a glance from his eyes, he advanced swiftly as seven heads fell to the ground now.

"Holy molly, this guy is moving through them like they're nothing" Ravage said.

"He's a demon slayer. It's what he does" Ramon said.

The demon slayer balanced on his sword spinning on its tip and pushing of the ground flying over demons as he reached to his back with his left arm and pulled out an axe. He threw his sword in the air almost disappearing from their sight then reached to his back with his other arm pulling out another axe.

"Wait, is his sword suspended in the air?" Cloud asked not seeing it come down.

He thrusted his arms forward as the heads of the axes detached from their handles with chains attached to the heads. The heads of the axe's travelled through the bodies of demons killing them as the slayer moved his hands around changing their direction as the demons reduced astronomically in number.

"I need one of those" Ramon said in his mind.

The slayer glanced at Ramon as if hearing what he thought making feel uneasy, his gaze returned to the demons mowing them all down in seconds. Maverick was currently on the ground a street from them receiving a beating from the demon who punched him in the face and chest repeatedly.

"Why won't you die human!" the demon grunted.

"As many have found out, I am pretty hard to kill" Max responded cheekily.

His words angered the demon who punched him more furiously now. The slayer was done with the little demons with Cloud lowering his barrier, before anyone could speak, the slayer jumped in the air to his spinning sword suspended and kicked it. His sword travelled fast moving swiftly as it stabbed through the boss demon's head covering Maverick in its black blood. The body of the demon boss alongside its dead minions immediately turned to ash sinking into the ground never to be seen again.

The slayer's sword fell down with its tip aiming towards Max who instinctively reacted by covering his face. The sword stopped just as it was about to make contact with his arms only pricking Max on the finger and for the first time in his life since getting his powers, blood came out of his body. The slayer stretched out his right arm and his sword flew towards him.

"Hey slayer, I was wondering-"

Before Cloud could say anymore, the slayer caught his sword and immediately vanished from their sight.

"How in the world?" Ravage said taking his disappearance as strange.

"How rude" Cloud said a bit annoyed.

"Where is he?" Maverick said floating above them.

"He's gone" Ramon answered.

"What do you mean gone?" Max said.

"Vanished, disappeared, without a trace" Ravage said.

"Well, I'm glad he came, or things would have been way worse" the caped one said.