Austin vs the Pyromanic

The fight is happening so quickly, that it's hard for me to even make out what's happening. All I can see are various flaming bullets and orange Cursed Power bullets zipping through the air. Sparks fly as the bullets collide. All I can do is sit back and watch, and marvel at the spectacle.

Austin's fight with Mikey…it looks so much more impressive than mine.

"He…he's so far ahead of me!"

 I must have said that last line outloud, because Ella's ears perk up as she turns to face me. "Luis…" she says.

"I just…I can't keep up…" I sniffle. "As it stands now, I'm just so weak, even in terms of Junior Slayers."

"Hah...hah…" Mikey pants.

"You're looking a little tired there. Mind if I end this fight now?" Austin asks with a cunning smirk.

"HAH, that's my line!" Mikey cackles as he presses his two pistols together and aims them at Austin. "This...is my strongest attack!" Austin gets into a battle position, anticipating Mikey's attack. The bars of the meters on the side of Mikey's dual pistols begin to light up, as a fireball charges in between the two barrels. It's small at first, but then as the bars charge up, from dark green to light green to yellow to orange to red, the fireball grows larger and larger, and hotter, until it stands three feet in diameter! A fireball as grand as the sun rests in between the barrels of Mikey's dual pistols.

"Earth Core Cannon!" Mikey roars as he fires his attack towards Austin, the grand blaze streaking through the air towards him, like a Phoenix.

"Gunsmith: Grappling Hook!" Austin shouts as the assault rifle in his hands transforms into a grappling hook, which Austin aims at a sturdy branch of the tree above his head. Austin the fires his grappling hook, which wraps around the branch above his head, and zips Austin up, who climbs into the tree, dodging Mikey's attack

"Wait a minute, we're in the line of fire!" I cry as the fireball comes flying towards Ella and I. Ella shrieks and I scream. I struggle to stand up, but as a wave of pain shoots across my entire body, I'm forced to collapse back down to the ground on one knee.

"Oops, looks like I've gone overboard again," Mikey shrugs. I know that Nick said that the Pyromaniac is a menace to society who doesn't care about property damages or hammering civilians, but this is insane!

But just when I think that Ella and I are about to get toasted alive, a yellow and black flash zips in front of me, as the buzz of electricity rings through the air. The yellow and blakc flash pauses once it's in front of Ella and I, and there stands Nick, crackling with electricity. "Boy, you two sure are in a pickle!" He smirks as he turns and looks over his shoulder at us.

"My hero," I sarcastically reply.

"Ah, Nick…thank you!" Ella exclaims.

Still smirking, Nick then turns back to face Mikey, and, by using his bare hands, knocks Mikey's fireball away with a singular arm, and without even lifting a second hand out of his pocket. Mikey's fireball explodes against the ground besides Ella and I, but Nick shields us with a crackling wall of lightning.

"Ah, you again!" Mikey cries as he points to Nick. "The crazy old man who tried to make me his kid, or something!"

"You really are a problem child, aren't you," Nick sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose. "A perfect fit for this squad."

"Nick, why are you here?" Austin asks as he hops down from the tree.

Nick raises an eyebrow at Austin, probably wondering why he was up there to begin with. "Well, I thought that you guys were taking longer than usual, so I figured that you needed some help recruiting the Pyromaniac," Nick answers.

"Recruit?!" Austin cries.

"Heh, so it looks like I was in the right this time, Austin!" I laugh, earning me a piercing glare from Austin, causing me to sulk.

"I swear to GOD...if I hear ONE more person say that they want me to join their team…" Mikey growls. "I"M GONNA SHOOT UP THE @#$%ING MALL!"

"Oh, uh...I see he's still angry," Nick says.

"Yeah, he's been like that the whole time," I answer.

"Alright, fine! I'll bite, what are the perks of my becoming-bweh-a Pro Slayer?" Mikey asks. "Sorry, almost puked in my mouth."

"Pyromaniac, my boy, what's your home situation looking like?" Nick asks.

"None of your business," Mikey spits.

"He lives alone, no parents," I exclaim.

"Damn you…" Mikey growls, earning me a piercing stare from him this time.

Nick then kneels down in front of Mikey, so that the two are just about eye level, and extends a hand out to the boy. "Then join us!" Nick booms, causing Mikey's eyes to widen. "Join us and I'll give you a place where you can belong, just like how I've done the same for every member of this rag-tag squad! Everyone has the burden, their trauma, but in my squad…you can let go of that and become a family! You're strong, Pyromaniac kid, and under me…you can be strong enough to take your revenge."

Mikey's eyes widne, but when he catches himself looking hopeful -just for a split moment- Mikey wipes away his excited expression, and his scowl returns. "I'll never join you…" Mikey growls. "It's against my principles…"

"What about money?" Nick asks, shooting question after question.

"Money? You get paid for being a Slayer? How much?" Mikey asks.

When Nick says the answer, I'm speechless. Ella and Austin are, too.

One moment, Mikey is busy growling at Nick. When I blink, then open my eyes, less than a second later, Mikey is walking side by side with Nick.

"He threw away all of that annoying pride for money?!" I cry. I'm so shocked, I can barely speak.

"Where are you two going?" Austin calls to Nick.

"Going to turn this boy into a Pro Slayer! Wanna come?" Nick calls back. Ella, Austin, and I look back and forth at one another, shrug, then hustle after Mikey and Nick.

"Hey, so what's your name anyway, kid?" Nick asks as he peers down at Mikey.

"Mikey," he answers. "Michael Hakan."

"And what's your Cursed Ability called?" Nick asks. 

"My super power, right?" Mikey asks. "Yo, you over there, Luis, right? What did you call my pistol's power?"

"Uhh…exploding…flaming bullets," I sheepishly answer.

"Exploding Flame Bullets," Mikey answers as he turns and looks up to face Nick. "My Cursed Ability is named Exploding Flame Bullets."

Nick laughs. "Boy, you and Luis sure do suck at naming your abilities!"

***

A couple of days later, after everyone had time to recover, I sit with Nick, the rest of my squad, and an exam proctor, Slayer Kurāken, a woman in glasses and a lab coat, as we watch Mikey perform in his very own Slayer Exams in the very same arena that I got my ass beat weeks ago. Of course, the Slayer Exams are always biannual, but as Nick says, he has "special connections in this organization" and was able to get Mikey his own exam.

There are a multitude of demons scattered about the arena as well as a couple of Pro Slayers, who beg Mikey to stop killing demons after he got the necessary points to pass the exams, since they needed to save a few demons for future Pro Slayer exams, but MIkey doesn't listen. Mikey didn't stop until he killed every last demon in that arena, as well as beating the examiners to a bloody pulp. Ella, Grover, and I cringe as we watch Mikey single-handedly beat Slayer Haraki, although it was a close one.

"What the Hell, this Mikey dude…can he please stop overshadowing me already!" I whine.

"It looks like you found your rival!" Nick laughs.

"My...rival?" I ask.

Yeah, your rival! Someone that you can compete with in order to get strong! To push yourself to your limits!" He explains.

"Did you have a rival?" Grover asks.

"Oh, yeah...but that was a long time ago," Nick answers. "He's gone now."

Rivals, eh? I never considered myself getting a rival, much less needing one. I just figured that, throughout life, I would never need to push myself to my limits and that I'll just sort of...cost on by. Even upon joining the Pro Slayer Organization I figured that I wouldn't need one. I wonder what Nick's rival was like? Someone who could compete with even the strongest Pro Slayer back in the day. And if Mikey would even recognize me as a rival? Not that I want his recognition, I don't need recognition from a guy like him!

"His strength, speed, and even intelligence are off the charts! Though he is greatly lacking in the ability to cooperate with others and carry out orders. This boy… you sure did a great job with scouting, Hachi!" Kurāken swoons as she grabs Nick by the shoulders, shaking him back and forth.

"Oh, sure, thanks," Nick awkwardly grumbles.