What Am I?

"Yo, kid, welcome to Atlus," greeted Zue as he handed a cup of tea to Michael.

They stood in the penthouse that overlooked the city. It's large glass window, minimal furniture, and design. Michael walked across the long dark oaked flooring as he drank the tea. He felt across the bronzed walls, the two long couches that sat across from each other, with the massive flat-screen-tv hooked to the wall.

He sat down, as Zue and Yin sat across from him. Their hands clasped and confused. They looked at him. The hole in his head that was now healed, his blonde hair coated in a dark red shine.

"What are you?" asked Zue.

"What am I? I'm... I'm a human."

He sipped the hot tea.

Yin rolled her eyes, "you're obviously not a human."

"No-no, I was born a human! I promise you! I just... I got lucky, with the bullet."

Zue held out his pointer finger.

"You know who we are, right? If you don't tell the truth I will force it out of you," he threatened.

"No-no! I'm telling the truth! Look!"

He pulled out his wallet. A picture of his mother and two sisters.

Yin looked close, "well at least they're not vampires."

"True, they are in the sun. And he didn't react to the holy water I snuck into his tea."

"What?" he looked down in his tea.

Zue pulled out an iron dagger, he tossed it to Michael. He caught it by the backside of the blade.

"What! What are you doing?"

"Look he's not reacting to the iron."

"So he's not a ghoul or zombie."

"Of course I'm not! I'm a human!"

"Hmmmm..."

"Do you guys not trust me?" asked Michael untrusting of these two powerful strangers.

Zue stood up, his yellow blazer and grey shoes dancing across the floor. He walked to the other end of the room.

The perfectly flat bronze wall with no decorations or doors. He pressed against an invisible button.

Ring! Creak!

An invisible wall popped out revealing hundreds of stacked weapons. He searched through the ancient tools and sword. Past the glowing staffs and old shields. He pulled out a long blade made out of ancient teeth.

"You really think he's possessed by a curse, Zue?" asked Yin, her arms crossed, staring at the weapon he just pulled.

"Yes, he could be anything."

Michael got up in fear as Zue pulled up with a long blade made out of old teeth.

"Hey! Wait! I've had enough today! I've been a hostage, I was almost killed, I almost blew up the city. I even saved the city! Give me a break!"

"Sorry, kid, but I don't give breaks. You're the biggest confusion right now."

He pointed out the blade as Michael fell back onto the floor.

Slam!

The front door to the penthouse slammed open. A large red-headed built man wearing a dressed-up suit entered the room. He had ten rings, one for each finger, five for each hand. And he carried the decapitated head of a five-eyed monster. behind him stood two other suited-up strangers. One was a tall skinny man, with short glasses and pulled-back black hair. Next to him stood a shorter, fatter, funny-looking man, with dark blue eyes and a long nose.

"Zue what are you doing?"

Zue stopped.

"Bo- Bo- Boss. You're here?"

"Yes, and what are you doing?" he asked staring at the scared Michael cowering before the tooth blade above him.

Zue leaned back, "Boss I was just testing out a hypothesis."

"A hypothesis?"

He looked at him right in the eyes. His pure menace, the in Zue's eyes as he slowly backed away to the corner of the room. Yin leaned back, her eyes covered by the sight of her bosses glare.

"You two Yin, I will have a word with both of you after this... But first."

He turned to Michael.

"It's good to finally meet you Michael Orange."

"You know my name?"

"Of course I do. I know your father as well."

"My father?"

"My name is Bijou Anastatia and I am the leader of Atlus."

"Atlus... Bijou... Father..."

Michael sat back on the couch his confusion increasing.

"It- It's good to meet you."

"You as well."

---

Ten minutes later and the penthouse was empty again. The only two people remaining inside were Michael and Bijou. Bijou sat in his massive black swizzle chair that looked over the city below. He leaned forward on his desk as Michael leaned back on the long leather couch.

"Sir, Mr. Bijou... I have a question?"

"What is it, Michael?"

"Ummm... What am I?"

"What are you... That is a good question. I've known your father for years and I could never figure out what he was either, but... He did always tell me that he was a descendant of a distant and ancient bloodline."

"A bloodline... A bloodline of what?!"

Bijou sat up in his chair. His ringed fingers crossing into a checkered pattern as he leaned forward over his elbows.

He stared deep with dark red eyes.

"He was a descendant of God."

"God?!"

---

Meanwhile down the street. Zue and the fat guy from earlier sat on a bench eating sandwiches.

"Nicholas, can't you believe this. Bijou making us exit the building so he can talk alone with the kid. It's some silly bullshit if you ask me."

In a deep echoing voice, Nicholas said, "the kid needs it if you ask me. You were threatening him with a sword."

"Hey, hey don't make me the villain here. The kid survived a bullet to the head. There's something wrong with him."

"But he saved the city didn't he?"

Michael remembered the scene of the crime. The crashed car. The blood-filled streets. The hundreds of cops. And the White Rose.

"Yeah... I guess he did."

"Then we should thank him, not try to murder him."

"Yeah yeah... I'll thank him later... But..."

Zue looked up at the tall tower as he bit into his ham sandwich. The street lights turned on as the bright sun slowly set over the avenue. He turned to the walking and talking people as they moved through the streets. The trash-covered sidewalks, the telephone poles, the old phone booths. He looked back up at the building.

"You know, Nicholas. This is why I do it."

"Do what?"

"You think the Boss is gonna invite him into Atlus?"

"Why not, he has power right?"

"Yeah, but... He's just a kid."

Nicholas laughed to his oversized belly, "didn't you join when you were sixteen?"

"Shut up... Back then I was stupid. No one should do what I did."

"But you were like the kid. Unaware."

"Hey, stop talking about that stuff. It's sensitive."

"You mean with Mel?"

Zue turned serious, "I did what I had to do, to protect this city."