[POV – Michael | A Few Days Later | Darkom HQ]
Michael sat in the backseat of the car, the city lights reflecting off the window. He stared out into the night, not paying much attention to the passing streets. It felt like another night, another drive with Baines. He didn't mind the ride, but his mind was elsewhere—always moving, always changing . He was good at blending in. It wasn't that hard. Humans were predictable, and that was all Michael needed to know.
"You sure about this?" Baines asked from the driver's seat, his voice cutting through the quiet.
Michael wasn't sure if Baines wanted him to be sure, or if it was just a question to fill the silence. Either way, the answer was the same. "Yeah, I'm sure."
Baines glanced at him, eyes flicking up through the rearview mirror. "You'll be different after this," he said, his voice almost like a promise.
Michael almost smiled, but there was no real emotion behind it. "Maybe," he muttered, not bothering to explain what he meant. 'Maybe different, maybe the same,' he thought. 'What did it matter? The only thing that mattered now was continuing living his own life. No one even know who he truly was.'
[POV – Baines | Darkom HQ]
The building was sleek, modern—everything about it said "power." Baines was used to it by now. This was the world he had built. Darkom was a private company, yes, but there was a lot more going on behind the scenes.
He led Michael through the lobby, a casual but steady pace. He didn't need to rush; Michael would follow his lead. The kid had been different lately—quieter, more collected. Not that Baines was worried. Michael was his investment and he has the potential, even if he didn't see it himself yet.
"So, what do you think?" Baines asked as they passed the rows of cubicles. "This is where you'll be spending most of your time if you decide to stick around."
Michael looked around, but there was no excitement in his eyes. Just curiosity. "It's... impressive," he said, his tone almost flat. "Darkom. You said it's a demon-hunting company."
Baines chuckled, clearly enjoying the moment. "That's one way to put it," he replied. "We handle all kinds of...dangerous things. Things the public doesn't need to know about."
Michael glanced at him, but didn't respond right away. He was taking it all in. The walls, the floors, the people. 'This is all just a job to them,' Michael thought. A job, a routine.
After a few moments of walking, Baines led Michael into a larger area, a space with various monitors and equipment scattered around. "This is where we track targets. Demons, rogue entities, anything that poses a threat to human life."
Michael stood there for a moment, his eyes flicking across the equipment, his thoughts hidden behind his calm expression. He didn't really care about this. He wasn't here to learn how to fight demons, how to track them, or how to hunt them. 'I'm just here to keep blending in.'
Baines turned toward him, as if reading his mind. "You know, we have a few people who might want to test your skills," he said.
Michael blinked once, but kept his face neutral. "I'm not interested in being a circus monkey."
"Fair enough." Baines shrugged, unfazed. "Just a thought."
[POV – Michael | Darkom HQ – Later]
The tour ended, and Baines showed Michael to a small room off to the side. Michael barely glanced at the window, where the view of the city stretched out below. His thoughts were elsewhere. 'Keep acting, keep pretending.' That was all he had to do.
Baines dropped a folder on the desk and sat down across from him. "Think about what we've talked about. If you want to join us, you'll need to be fully committed. This isn't some game."
Michael nodded, though it was more out of habit than agreement. "I'll think about it," he said, his voice low. He didn't feel like going into details. There was nothing to think about. He wasn't here for the work. He wasn't here to hunt demons or deal with anything that complicated. He was here to fit in. That's all. Simple.
Baines looked at him for a moment, like he was trying to figure something out. "You know, we could really use someone like you."
Michael didn't respond. He just stared at the folder in front of him, thinking about what came next. He didn't need anyone else's opinion on the matter. He knew what he was doing.
[POV – Michael | Back at the House]
Michael sat back on the bed that evening, his thoughts quiet as he stared up at the ceiling. Everything had been laid out for him. He was already ahead of the game. Now all he had to do was keep playing it.
Baines would try to convince him that he had a purpose here, but Michael didn't need any of that. His purpose was simple. 'I need to keep moving,' he thought, his gaze drifting across the room.
No one could know what he really was, what he could do. He had a new life to live—no emotions to tie him down, no reason to look back. He had everything figured out.
The rest of the world didn't matter.