Interborough Competition, Part 2

"So, are you guys ready?" Jamie asks.

"Are you serious?!" Grover cries. "I've been ready even before I knew about the competition!"

"I'm just ready for the promotion that I'll get after winning the competition," Austin chimes in with a devious smirk.

"You mean that promotion that I'll get?" Jamie laughs, prompting Austin to shoot her a dirty look.

"I'm gonna win this competition so I can become the Chairman of the Slayer Organization!" Grover boasts.

"You guys are crazy," Mikey grumbles,who's leaning against one of the walls of the hallway with his arms crossed, leering at the rest of us. "I'm winning, I'll kill any of ya' if you get in my way."

Maybe I should just throw this competition on purpose. I don't really want to get promoted. I can get strong enough as it stands now. Especially since once I get promoted, I won't be a member of Nick's squad, anymore, and I need him to train me so that I can become strong.

"What about you, Luis?" Ella asks as she turns to face me with a small smile.

"Who, me?" I ask. "Well…I don't have any real goals…"

Ella frowns. "There's gotta be something, Luis," she says. "Even I have a reason to be here. It's like what you said to me all those months ago, I need to be strong to protect my family."

"Come on buddy, seriously?" Grover laughs. "No goals at all?"

"We all have reason to fight," Jamie chimes in.

"There's no way you don't either," Austin adds.

"Don't me a dumbass, dumbass," Mikey grumbles.

I take a deep breath in…and out, and with a sigh, I stand up to face my friends.

"I'm going to win this competition," I began to say. "To prove that I'm strong enough to protect everyone I care about!"

The rest of my friends smile.

"You're gonna have to become a lot stronger than us before you can say that, Luis!" Jamie laughs.

"Yeah, and as the future Chairman of the Slayer Organization, I should be the one protecting you!" Grover exclaims.

"Save your breath, you don't have to worry about protecting me," Austin smirks.

"Thank you," Ella smiles, and I smile back.

But before our conversation can continue, the overhead loudspeakers say: "Will all Junior Slayers partaking in the New York Interborough Competition please enter the arena? I repeat-"

"Well then…" I say with a sigh. "It's time, guys."

"Right!" Ella replies.

"Ohhh…I'm so excited!" Grover squeals.

"Let's kick ass out there!" Jamie cheers.

"It'll be a breeze," Austin smirks.

"I'm gonna win this competition," Mikey says as he turns to face me. "Not you, me. After I win, you'll be watching my back. And when we fight…you better go full power! Use your damn demon power against me, and I'll still take you out!"

I pause, and I stare back at Mikey for a moment. And then…my scowl curls back into a smirk. "I wouldn't have it any other way," I reply, before turning to face down the hallway once again.

"LET'S GO!" I shout. And with that, the six of us embark down the long hallway, finally entering into the center arena for the New York Interborough Competition.

***

After we exit the locker room, we find ourselves in a large, grassy field around the size of a football field. The field is circular and is surrounded by bleachers with a cheering audience. Above, is a sky box with an announcer and…Nick? There is what appears to be a huge scoreboard in the middle of the field.

"What's up, you guys!" Ralph booms as he waves at the six of us.

"Oh…that guy…" Grover grumbles.

"Just what is your problem with Ralph?" Ella sighs.

"Grover probably thinks that Ralph is too similar to him!" Jamie laughs.

"I just dont like guys with goals too similar to my own," Grover pouts. "He's my enemy, and I have to crush him!"

"So these are the nerds that y'all teamed up with during my vacation?" Mikey asks as he looks Ralph, Ivy, and Lycan up and down.

"Yeah, that's Ralph, Ivy, and Lycan," Jamie replies as she points each one out.

"Hey, I'm Ralph Shannon, Slayer Yajiri, the future Chairman of the Pro Slayer Organization-" Ralph begins to say as he extends a hand out to Mikey, who promptly slaps it away.

Ralph raises an eyebrow at Mikey, who glares back at him. "I'm not here to make friends, only enemies," Mikey grumbles.

"Well you sure are doing a good job at that!" Ralph replies.

"Oh…" Lycan sighs while holding his stomach. "I don't want to be here…I feel like I'm gonna puke…"

"There there, Lycan," Ivy says as she softly pats the wolf boy's back. "So long as I'm here, you'll never go berserk."

"What's that guy's problem?" Mikey asks as he jams a thumb at Lycan.

"I've got issues," Lycan answers, before gagging.

"Did your captain also force you to enter the competition, Lycan?" Ella asks.

"No," Lycan answers. "If I didn't enter, then Ralph and Ivy wouldn't be able to either. They wouldn't be able to compete without a three man team. And I make it a point to not trouble others, sooo…entering the competition was my best bet."

"Well Nick forced me to enter…" Ella pouts.

"Did you guys hear?" Ralph asks. "If you win or do good in this competition, there's a strong chance you'll be promoted!"

Grover perks up, paying attention to Ralph for the first time.

"Well I don't want to get promoted, that just means I'll have to fight stronger demons," Lycan sighs.

"Well don't get too ahead of yourself, because I'm winning this competition, and then I, Grover Bradshaw, will become the next Chairman of the Slayer Organization!" Grover booms as he jumps up in Ralph's face, jabbing his thumb into his chest.

"Well then I suppose that makes us rivals!" Ralph smirks as he peers down at Grover.

"Nuh-uh! Luis is my rival!" Grover snaps.

"Dude, we're just friends," I sigh.

"Everyone here is rivals, even your own teammates. The point of the competition is to try your best to stand out amongst the other Junior Slayers, under the eye of the Chairman and other high ranking Pro Slayers," Austin explains as he stands up. "So I won't hesitate to shoot any of you down."

"Not if I arrow ya' first!" Ralph replies.

"Ohhh…" Lycan groans.

"Welcome, everyone...to the three hundred and fifth annual New York Interborough Competition!" The Chairman booms into the microphone, and instantly, we all go silent. The crowd erupts in cheers. The Chairman is standing in the center of the field, underneath the scoreboard. "We'll start off today by announcing the squads of Junior Slayers partaking in the competition in order of prestige!" 

"Meh, we're probably last," I comment.

"Yeah, because someone decided to get kidnapped and disobey the orders of the Chairman," Mikey says as he turns to face me.

"You're the one who disobeyed orders and got kidnapped first," I replied, causing Mikey to shrug.

In last place, we have Bronx's squad!" The Chairman announces. The audience lets out a mild amount of uninterested celebration.

A squad of three uninteresting lookin' Junior Slayers frown as they step forwards, probably disappointed in their placement. A person who I'm assuming to be their Squad Captain walks onto the field and waves to the crowd, before complimenting their squad for their mediocre effort.

"Woah, we're not last!" I exclaim.

"Why would we be?" Jamie asks, oblivious to mine and Mikey's banter.

"Of course not!" Grover proudly boasts. "All thanks to my efforts!"

"In fourth place, we have Manhattan's Squad!" The Chairman announces, and another squad of three Junior Slayers step forwards as the audience cheers. And just as before, their Squad Captain steps into the arena and makes their way over to their squad.

"Pathetic…" a cute girl with creepy ass pink eyes and matching pink hair grumbles. "I'm one of the strongest Juniors here…this squad is holding me back…"

"And in third place, we have Queen's Squad!" The Chairman continues as the audience goes crazy.

"Aw man…only third?" Ralph groans. "I for sure thought we'd at least be second…"

"HAH!" Grover booms. "IN YOUR FACE, RALPH!"

"I'm sorry…it's probably my fault…" Lycan sulks.

"Don't worry, Lycan," Ivy replies as she pats the wolf boy's back. "The property damage wasn't your fault."

"This just goes to show how I will be the future Chairman of the Slayer Organization, not you!" Grover continues.

"Great job, you three!" Slayer Renzu says as she strolls over to Ralph, Ivy, and Lycan. "We may not have gotten first…or second…but top three is nothing to be ashamed about!"

"Aye aye, Captain!" Ralph saultes.

"Now, in second place…we have Brooklyn's Squad!" The Chairman announces, and the audience goes wild..

"No way…" I begin to say.

"Does this mean…?" Ella asks.

This time, a rather, uhh…interesting looking trio steps forwards. First, is a girl in a looong dark green dress covered in skulls, with a scaly black scarf that resembles a snake. She has long purple hair and black eyes with yellow pupils in the shape of a skull and crossbones. Second, is a girl with a similar looking face to the first, with short silver hair and gray eyes. She's wearing a skin-tight black jumpsuit from top to bottom, but is plated with metal armor across her chest, wrists, ankles, and joints. Finally, is a shirtless guy with curly black hair, who -other than his weirdly discolored dark red skin and bulging muscles- looks rather normal. And of course, as always, their captain comes to greet the trio, but looks far more apprehensive than the other captains.