Both of them looked at me for a good ten seconds, trying to comprehend what just came out of my mouth.
"You wanna join us?" Billy sed with his eyebrows knitted together.
"Boy, you don't know what your asking for-"
Lisa spoke up.
"Yeah Jack, you don't know the danger of this job we have."
Billy stood up and walked up beside my chair, he leaned down and looked me dead in the eye. "Have you ever came face to face with something you'd thought only existed in a horror story?"
"I-"
"Because I have, she has too... Monsters, demons, ghost's, things you'd only see in nightmares. Things you can't comprehend, things that would make you doubt your own sanity. That's what we've faced. You really want that?"
Lisa spoke up once again.
"Jack, there have been people who've lost there life to this work that we do... "
I saw a pained look in her eye, I could tell she was recalling someone from her past.
"There loved ones have never seen them again, they have to deal with there loss. Do you wanna put your family through that?"
I sat in silence for a good minute. Trying to take in what they were trying to say.
I get why they were saying this, they didn't want me to get hurt, but...
I was given a second chance, a chance to make my dream a reality. These guys there living my dream. I wanna be like them.
"Why do you wanna join us anyway?"
Billy asked.
I looked down at my lap, trying to gather my words. "I... Wanna... Help people."
"What?"
"You guys go around protecting people from guys like the one that stabbed me and all kinds of other threats, I wanna do the same.
If I can learn arc- craft then I can use it to protect others and help them with there problems..."
He looked at me for a moment, studying my face. Then he let out a sigh and rubbed the in-between space between his bushy eyebrows. "Son-"
"Please-" I pleaded.
"I wanna be like you guys. I know you must live a hard life, but im willing to take that if it means I can help others."
He walked away from where I sat and looked at the map on the wall, placing his hands on his hips.
"... Give me one good reason why I should let you join."
"I'll give you three. One: like you sed I'm in danger already because of this 'seal' thing on my hand. If I learned arc- craft I can protect myself and my family. Two: there's power in numbers. I'm not sure if your church has anymore of you guys here, so adding myself to your ranks could be beneficial to you. And number three... I'll just keep on bugging you until you do let me join."
He looked back at me, and he seamed to chuckle at that last bit. He popped a grin.
"Heh, you seem like your gonna be a persistent one aren't ya?"
I smiled back.
"Yep, I'm pretty stubborn. When I want something I don't rest until I get it. And I promise if you let me I'll work as hard as possible."
He rubbed the back of his head, then he walked over to me and offered me his hand.
"Ok. Be here first thing Monday after school."
I shook it and grinned. "Thank you, you won't regret this."
At that moment Lisa stood up out of her seat.
"WHAT!?"
We both turned are heads to her.
"Huh-?"
"Lisa-?"
Lisa pointed at billy.
"Billy! You can't be serious! He's just a guy! He can't become a hunter like us!"
He crossed his arms.
"And why not? He gave some valid points. 'the church' hasn't sent us anymore hunters, and he definitely needs to know arc-craft just in case things get harry-"
"But-"
I stood up and looked at her.
"Lisa, please. Let me at least try."
She gritted her teeth and clinched her fist.
"Fine! You wanna be a hunter, go on! See if I care!" She began to storm off to the door.
"When you have your leg bitten off by a wolven' don't go saying I didn't tell you so-"
"Lisa!" Billy called out to her right before she left the library.
She stopped begrudgingly.
"..."
Billy turned his attention to me.
"Son, I think you should leave the library and wait for us in the foyer. Me and Lisa has to have a little chat."
I gave a nod.
"Right."
I got up and walked passed Lisa. I saw her glare at me as I passed her, I took in a deep breath and walked out.
I walked down the hall and sat on a bench and looked at the stained glass picture of one of the saints.
"What a night."
* * *
Lisa sat down at the table while billy stood next to her.
"Lisa... First off. We need to talk about what you did tonight, why would you go after Nikolai's henchman after I told you to wait it out."
"I... I just-"
"Lisa what you did tonight was reckless, and you nearly got yourself killed, and you got that boy hurt too..."
She looked up at him.
"I know."
She clinched her fist at her sides.
"But- don't you think it's a bit reckless what your doing too? Jack is just a random guy who's never dealt with the supernatural before, and yet your taking him on...
He could-"
Billy grabbed a chair and sat in front of her.
"I know he can get hurt, but I figured this might be better then just protecting him. Plus... That seal on his hand means that God has given him a power that can be of great importance. I don't know much about 'that' specific seal. But something tells me that we need to make sure he knows how to use it. By him joining us we can see that he does...
Lisa. I want you to keep an eye on him, ok?"
She looked at him for a moment. Then gave a nod. "Ok Bill."
"Good."
He got up and grabbed his large Bible and put it on a podium.
"Now you go ahead get out of here, I have more studying to do for this sunday's sermon, Be careful."
Lisa got up and walked to the door.
"Alright... Goodnight Bill."
"Goodnight Lisa."
Lisa walked down the hall and into the foyer.
Jack was sitting there with his earbuds on, starring at the stained glass with a look of contemplation.
She walked beside him and tapped his shoulder.
"!"
His head snapped over to her.
"Come on."
She gesterd him to follow her.
He got up and walked behind her to the big wooden door and exited the church.
The both of them walked down the steps and came to a stop near the crosswalk.
Once again there was an awkward silence between them.
"..."
"Jack-" the boy looked at the girl standing beside him.
"Be honest with me, what's the real reason you wanna join us?"
The boy hesitated for a moment then spoke up. "Im telling the truth, I wanna protect others and make sure people can smile-"
"You sound like a wanna be shonen protagonist."
Jack perked up at that.
"You watch anime?"
Lisa's face flushed a moment.
"M-maybe. What's it to you?"
"Nothing, nothing at all... I mean I'm an otaku so."
Suddenly she smirked.
"Oh really? What's the greatest anime of all time?"
"Hm?"
She walked in front of Jack and pointed in his face. "A true weeb knows this! If your truly an otaku then you will be able to name it! Otherwise your a poser!"
"W-well... I um-"
"You have three seconds to answer! Otherwise I'll permanently brand you as a fake!"
"Eh!?"
"One... Two... Three-"
He quickly gathered my breath and exclaimed.
"THE GREATEST ANIME OF ALL TIME IS NEON GENESIS EVANGELION CREATED BY HIDIAKI ANO IN 1997!!!!"
There was a pause.
Then the girl let out a giggle.
"Ehehe~ well, well, Jack Turner it seems you are a true man of culture."
Lisa's eyes traveled down to Jack torso, she walked up closs to him and gently touched the place were he was stabbed.
The instant her palm touched his skin shivers went down jacks spine.
"!"
"Hmm..."
"Uh, what are you doing?"
"Your shirt needs a patch."
She stepped back and placed her hands on her hips. "Come on, I have a sewing kit back at my place. I'll fix it for you."
Jack's face got redder.
"Y-your place?"
Lisa smirked then thumped Jack on the forehead. "Ow!"
"Don't be an idiot. I'm not gonna sceduce you."
"Right." Jack rubbed the spot she flicked, there was surprisingly a lot of power in that little finger of hers.
"Come on. Let's go, chop- chop- we don't have all night."
"Yes ma'am."
Lisa creeked a smirk to herself when he sed that, she couldn't help but like whenever he sed that to her.
* * *
We made it to her house after about twenty minutes of walking south, back towards are highschool.
Lisa's mansion was just three blocks away from there, it was a huge Victorian manner, built back in the revolutionary war.
It was made of stone, wood, and brick. It was about four story's high, it looked big enough to have at least seven or eight bedrooms in it.
This was the second time tonight Lisa had taken me to a grand historical building.
We walked into her mansion.
It was decorated luxuriously, and there were many many different pieces of fine art, from stone statue's to grand oil paintings on the wall, heck I think I even saw a Van Gogh.
We walked past the entrance towards her living room, but my eyes couldn't help but be fixated on the decore. Lisa took notice.
"Impressed?"
"Yeah, I knew you were rich but... I didn't expect your place to be so-"
"Lavish?"
"Yeah. It's like a museum in here."
She smirked.
"Well my family has been collecting art for generations, I soppose it's a family tradition of sorts."
She looked back at me and stopped in her tracks.
"You know I invited you over all the time when we were kids, how come you never came?"
Why? Well...
That's a complicated question, maybe I was being bullied so much that I didn't feel worthy to even be in her presence at school or the playground, let alone her own house.
Or maybe I was suspicious that she was only pretending to be nice to me so she can get me to her house to humiliate me.
Who knows.
Either way I couldn't tell her that.
"Uh... Well, my parents were always busy when I'd ask them to let me come over so it never really happened- you know how it is."
I sed awkwardly rubbing the back of my head.
"Well, your seventeen now right?"
"Yeah?"
"So you have no excuse, you can come over whenever you want. And sense your gonna be a hunter, it's good to learn from an upperclassmen. I've been one sense I was twelve so, I'll teach you everything I know as long as you come over at least once a week.
Deal?"
"Uh... Ok. Yeah, deal."
She smiled began to lead me to her living room. "Good."
We made it to her living room. It was surprisingly small compared to the rest of the house, the stares were right next to it.
There were two fancy looking reddish brown looking leather couches, a matching love seat and chair next to a cozy looking fireplace.
In the corner of the room was an old record player, and above the fireplace was a painting of an old man in a black suit with a long white Beard. There were also numerous family photos scoured about the mantle.
"Take a seat."
I sat down on the couch furthest from the fireplace.
"I'll be right back ok?, sit tight and make yourself comfortable."
"Alright, Thanks."
She walked behind me and into the back.
I sat there in silence for a few seconds, taking in my surroundings, after a minute I decided to take a look at the photos.
Just for curiosity.
I walked up to the fireplace and studied the one of the photos, the first was a family portrait of the whole Elwood family. Lisa's angelic mother, who Lisa seamed to be the spitting image of, she had long black hair and bright blue eyes, pouting lips and a rather curvy body. She was dressed in a fine gown.
She looked as if she were a princess in a fairytale. and Her grandmother, who also looked vary similar to Lisa and her mother, only she had blonde hair. I had met them both when I was younger. Just once through.
And Lisa herself at twelve, looking like the angel she is. Even at that age.
And what I assumed to be her father.
He was a tall, handsome man. He had a well defined jawline and sharp features, he also seemed to be a rather sturdy looking man.
His chest looked wide and his legs were long.
He wore a grey suit, his eyes were brown and his hair was cold black, and slicked back.
He had a scar over left eye.
Which made him look even more badass.
But I digress.
I looked at the painting above the above the fireplace, the old man's eyes seamed to be peering into my soul.
"Creepy."
"That's my ancestor your talking about."
"Eep!"
"Hehe~"
There Lisa was standing beside me.
Her arms crossed, a cheeky grin was apon her face. "You gotta stop doing that."
"Your so easy to scare, it's fun"
"Who is that guy?" I sed pointing upward.
"That is my ancestor, Leon Elwood. he was one of the founding members of the council of seven."
"Council of seven?"
"There the guys who run are little organization."
"I see... And that's your dad right?"
"Yep. Thomas Elwood. He was a great hunter, one that I hope to be like."
That's right, Lisa's dad went missing a few months ago. No clue on what happened to him but when he did disappear she didn't come to school for a month.
I better not press it.
"Um... So like, how's your mom?"
"Oh. She's fine, it's been tough without dad around but she's been managing. Though she's barely around. She's been at 'the church' in New York for the past couple of months. She took my father's place in the council."
"The church?... Lisa. I think your gonna have to explain to me all these terms. Like I wanna join you guys but I still don't have an exact idea what you guys really are. From what I've heard your a bunch of monster hunters who fight wizards too right?"
"Sort of. I'll explain from the beginning-"
I turned my feet towards her, and prepared myself for an info dump.
"So, are organization is called the bathazarian church. Or simply 'the church'. Are main headquarters is in upstate New York. And it's also called 'the church' but the term can be used interchangeably..."
"Ok."
"We're named the bathazarian church after are founder. William bathazar, he was a puritan preast back in days of the colonies.
He secretly studied alchemy and supernatural phenomena. Children in his village were going missing, he and a few others in his congregation investigated the disappearences, and they had found that pagan sorcerers had infiltrated there village and were sacrificing children to Baal, and they were extremely powerful. So powerful that they took over there village and destroyed his church. Him and a few congregants escaped...
Long story short, he did some experiments with a rare alloy he called arc- metal. He implanted himself with it. Creating arc-craft. He came back to the village and together with his congregation drove them off... "
"I see..."
Lisa walked over to the couch and continued.
"Over the course of 100 years the teachings of William bathazar along with arc-craft was past down, it eventually formed into a secret alliance between a bunch of different denominations in the u.s and across the world, eventually forming into the bathazarian church In 1900. In 1911 a businessman named nevel Ryanfeild decided to create are headquarters in new York, as well as a school for arc-craft called the seminary. He and my ancestor along with a few other notable hunters came together and formed the council of seven. The rest is history."
She sat down on the couch and patted the cushion next to her.
I sat down and took in a deep breath.
"That was a lot to take in huh?"
"I guess. But at least I know a little bit about the history behind you guys now."
"Good. Well then, go on and take off that shirt..."
I unbuttoned my dress shirt and handed it to her. She gently began to feel the fabric of it.
"Hmm... What kind of material is this?"
"Don't know."
"Hmm... Polyester, yeah. It's polyester."
She reached over to the coffee table, there in the middle of it was a black box filled with multiple types of material, patches, needles, threads, and buttons. She reached in and grabbed a black patch and began to sow.
I watched in silence as she meticulously and methodically did her work, and which such poise and vigor, she looked like she was ripped right out of a fairytale.
It took her only about five minutes but she finished quickly and efficiently.
"There." She cut the string and tied it.
"Perfect."
She handed me my dress shirt and gave me a warm smile. "Thanks."
"No problem..."
Her eyes fixated on the red stain on my white T-shirt I had been wearing underneath my dress shirt.
"You know, I could wash that for you if you'd like. Or at least get you a new shirt."
"Huh?... No you don't have to."
"No, I want to. Go on and take it off and I'll get you a new one..."
"Take it off?"
"Yeah. Go on... "
"Ok... I'll just head into the bathroom-"
"No no, just take it off here... "
I began to blush, what the hell was she saying! You can't just ask a guy to take off his shirt in front of you! Plus also I had never taken off my shirt in front of a girl before.
Hell this was my first time being at a girls house in the first place, my mind raced.
Noticing the look on my face she began to smirk once again. "Oh. I see... Someone's getting dirty thoughts?"
"Huh!? N-no! I swear!"
"Hehe, I'm just teasing... Don't worry I won't freak out. Go ahead. It's no big deal. I've seen movies were guys take there shirt off all the time... "
Why would she tell me that? Unless she wants me to know that she's never seen a guys shirtless in person, but why would she do that at all? Why would I care? Well I would care but still. Unless she wants me to know she's a virgin or something without actually telling me but why would she want me to know that? Does she like me? No way nope nada...
Ok. Maybe I was overthinking things.
"Well... Ok. If you say so-"
I hesitantly grabbed the bottom of my shirt and pulled it off and handed it to her.
"See... That wasn't-"
She froze as she looked opon my torso.
Her face went red, her eyes bulged.
"Lisa? You ok?"
"Yeah-" she sed with a tight throat.
"Ahem, I just... Never realized... You were so... Built."
"Y-yeah." I blushed.
"I um... I workout a lot."
There was a silence.
"..."
"..."
Lisa stood up.
"Excuse me."
She darted away and rushed up the stares.
Tat. Tat. Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Slam!
The door to what I assumed to be her room slammed shut.
"EEEEEEH!!!!!!!!!"
A high-pitched squeal rang out. As if for a popstar.
A few seconds later the door creeked open.
And a bunch of quick steps came down the stares.
Tat. Tat. Tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
She ran over to me and through a white T-shirt in my face. "Put that on!"
"Huh?!"
"Put it on now!"
"Y-yes ma'am!" I quickly put it on me. Lisa crossed her arms, she couldn't look directly at me the whole time.
Her face was blood red.
"Good. Now, i- I'll go get you a drink and then you can be on your way."
"O-ok." And with that she walked away into the kitchen. I sat there in silence trying to comprehend what just happened...
Lisa Elwood, the girl who I had a crush on for so long, the perfect girl.
She was just fawning over me...
'this is weird. Vary weird. But then again this whole nights been weird.'
I let out a sigh and sank into my seat.
* * *
Lisa surved me tea and biscuits, although I had told her I wasn't hungry or anything she insisted.
We sat and talked for about twenty minutes, but I told her I had to go home.
So she walked me to the door and saw me off. I walked down the steps and looked back at her. "Well, thanks for everything tonight Lisa... It was nice, hanging out with you I mean, I just wish it didn't have to happen the way it did."
She smiled at me as she stood by the door.
"Yeah, well it looks like we're gonna be spending a lot of time together now that your gonna become a hunter. So I guess we can do this again sometime yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Well..." She looked down for a moment, almost as if trying to figure out what else to say. "See ya... And Jack-"
"Yeah?"
"Please be careful ok?"
I gave a nod.
"I will."
She wasn't just meaning getting home, she was also talking about me becoming a hunter. I could tell she's seen things, things that's probably are hard to deal with.
I know she doesn't want me to be in danger, and she just wants me to live a normal life.
But...
I owe this to God, myself. And my grandpa.
The only thing I can give her is just that.
An "I will."
Much like the hollow promise I have mikoto, once again a pang of guilt rushes over me.
"I'll see ya." Lisa sed smiling and waving at me. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight." And with that she closed the door.
I let out a sigh.
"Man... Well at least I can go home now and-"
Then it hit me.
"Crap! Mikotos gonna kill me! I've been gone for two hours! Damn- damn- damn-!"
I ran down the street as fast as I could.
"Gimme' a break!"