Chapter 2-The Old Man and His Boy

"There was a mass murder in the rural area of Bearsville, a married couple, and a dozen cops. The culprit is thought to be The Ghoul Greaver. The devil hybrid terrorist. In the past people like him have never been trusted due to their actions, and I don't think they should ever be trusted." A news reporter said.

The TV turned off. 

"God damn, these typa people are giving you a bad name, Aiden." Jacob said.

"Ya, I know, don't think I could change anyone's opinions on us, devil human hybrids will never be trusted." Aiden said. "Anyways, I'm going out, I'll be back by 10pm."

"Can I come with you?" Shiri asked, putting down her bowl of cereal. 

"Sure why not, I think you'd like it there." Aiden said. "Jacob, don't lock up, Dani and Arron are out running some errands."

Aiden and Shiri left the building. 

"Can we walk there?" Shiri asked.

Aiden contemplated, because of what Goyo said, but Aiden would've felt bad if he didn't let a traumatised kid have what she wanted. 

"Sure why not, but I hope you're willing to walk all the way to the suburban area." Aiden said. 

"Oh it's alright, I'll just hop on your back and have you carry me, or I'll just have Adenzia fly me there." Shiri said. Aiden laughed.

Meanwhile in the suburban area, an old african man sat at his table with a coffee. His house is nicely decorated with plants.

"Hey, Al, the lawn is mowed." A young boy said. 

The boy was wearing a custom purple jacket, with the letter P on one side, and on the other a star.

"Good job, Phin, come sit down." Al, the old man said. 

Phin passed by multiple photos of Al with some boy. The boy had brown hair, with a portion of it being white. The boy looked about Phin's age, 14. The boy was wearing a long purple trench coat. Phin sat down at the table.

"I still can't believe you know him." Phin said.

"I've known that boy for years, I've seen the boy grow, I treat him like a son, it's how I pay him back after he saved my life." Al said. 

There was a slow knock on the door. Al got up to go answer it. Slowly opening it to see Aiden at the door.

"Oh, Aiden, you should've called me to say you were coming." Al said, hugging Aiden.

"Ya, sorry Pops, I would hug you right now, but I got a kid I'm piggy backing." Aiden said, pointing towards Shiri, now on his back.

"Hi, I'm Shiri. Aiden and his friends saved me from a terrible man the other day." Shiri said, waving to Al, she then hopped off Aiden's back.

"Look at you Aiden, still taking in troubled people to this day, what a good kid."

"Wait… Aiden…. The….the… THE BOUNCY SQUAD AIDEN!!!??!!?" Phin said, peaking around the corner. "Holy fucking shit, I AM SUCHA BIG FAN." 

"Well nice to know I got fans. Pops, care to introduce me to your new kid." Aiden said.

"Aw, my bad. This kid is Phin, he saved me from a group of hell puppies the other day. He doesn't have a home, so I took him in." Al said.

"Sounds very similar to a story I know, it went the same exact way." Aiden said.

"What can I say, I like to help people who save me." Al said.

Aiden and Shiri walked in the house. 

"Uh Shiri, I need to talk to Mr Al for a sec, so how bout you go and play." Aiden said.

"Actually, how about she help Phin with the front garden." Al said.

Shiri nodded her head and went outside to help Phin.

"I saw the news." Al said.

"Look, I had to do it." Aiden said.

"Did you, the police too?"

"Maybe not the police, but the man I killed was gonna do it again if I didn't end him."

"But did you have to use Ghoul Greaver, you know how you are after you go through that, you know how Adenzia is when that happens."

"I know, but I did what I thought was right."

"I always questioned what you thought was right. Hurting yourself to make others more safe."

"Sometimes I have to do it, I didn't think Adenzia would join me. I didn't think I'd hurt her that time. I'm trying my best to stop, but it keeps calling me back."

"Look, son, you've gotta follow your heart, not your head. Do what you think is right, not what it thinks is right. 

"Ya, I'll try."

An explosion could be heard outside. 

"Pops, you stay here." Aiden said, running to the door. 

Shiri ran inside crying, she ran right to Al. 

"Adenzia, make sure she's alright." Aiden said.

"On it." Adenzia said, flying to help Shiri.

Aiden ran outside to see Phin defending the house from a bunch of hell hounds. Aiden took out the capsule and turned it into a gun, he started shooting the hell hounds off Phin. 

"Thanks for the help." Phin said, breathing heavily and clearly sweating.

"You did good holding them off." Aiden said.

"Thanks," Phin said. "I can't believe I'm working with my hero, dream come true."

A lady with an army of devil spears was approaching the house. The lady had tan skin, black hair, and was wearing a black hat and a black dress.

"Sorry ma'am, the goth convention is down the block." Aiden said.

A devil spear threw its spear at Aiden, he quickly caught it before it could hit him.

"No jokes, Ghoul, give me the kid." The lady said.

Phin looked confused as to why the lady called him "Ghoul". Aiden looked more stern now.

"So what, no introduction. Hi, I'm Aiden, leader of the Bearsville's best demon hunters, The Bouncy Squad." Aiden said.

"Fine, I am Athena. Fallen god, now underworld warrior. Now, the girl, hand her over." The lady said.

"If you want the girl you're gonna have to get through me, Phin, get inside." Aiden said.

"Nah." Phin said, grabbing a pipe off the ground. "I can help."

"I like the confidence." Aiden said. "Well, Athena, let's get this going." 

The demon spears charged the house. Aiden shot the one out of his reach. Phin started bashing them with the pipe. Athena seemed to be taking another route inside the house, Aiden noticed and quickly shot her. The shot only hit her arm, a hole started to burn in her arm.

"I always wondered what you used in your capsule." Phin said, still defending himself from the hounds.

"Holy water, infused with strong alcohol, preferably 90-100 percent, also includes a mix of strong drugs that can be found in a pharmacy but for a high price. Makes underworld beings burn when touched." Aiden said. 

"So fucking cool" Phin said. 

Aiden walked towards Athena. He turned the capsule into a sword. He put it beneath her chin.

"Tell me more about your plan with the kid." Aiden said

"Ha, like you're gonna kill me." Athena said.

"I thought you knew who I was." Aiden whispered, inching the sword closer to her neck.

"Heh, fine. The kid and another boy are the keys to setting free the highest demon in hell, a demon that once released will destroy the planet. A kid of pure light and a kid of pure dark. The boy is in Wild Shroom City. Me and my crew are going there in the coming days, we're gonna take the boy and then we'll take your girl." 

"Why are you telling me all this information?" 

"It's not like you'll be able to stop me and my crew, let alone Him." 

"Who's h-" 

Before Aiden could finish Athena jumped back up, kicking Aiden away.

"Might wanna help your boy over there." Athena said, running towards the house.

Aiden looked over at Phin. He was getting overwhelmed by hounds.

"Don't worry Aiden, I got this, you go stop her." Phin said.

Aiden ran after Athena. He turned the capsule into a hook and hooked Athena to the ground. He ran over to her.

"Call your army off now, and I won't kill you." Aiden said.

"Fine, Ghoul, you've won for now, but you won't win again." Athena said, fading into the ground.

All the hounds were gone. Phin was heavily breathing and had some bite marks on him. They both rushed inside to make sure. Adenzia flew back to Aiden, and Shiri ran and hugged him.

"Is everyone alright?" Aiden asked.

"Ya don't worry, the girl kept crying until it was over. Glad you boys are alright." Al said.

"Well I wouldn't say that, but forget me. THAT WAS SO BADASS MR AIDEN SIR." Phin said, wrapping his arms in bandages.

"Please, it's just Aiden." Aiden said.

"Sorry, but actually seeing you in action and fighting with you was so fucking sick." Phin said.

"Hey I can't take most of the credit, you did really well against the hounds. Hold on, I got something for you." Aiden said.

Aiden reached into his pocket, grabbing a Bouncy shaped pin, and putting it on Phin's jacket.

"Welcome to The Bouncy Squad." Aiden said.

"WHAT!!! HOLY SHIT THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE. OH MY GOD I'M SO HAPPY!!!" Phin said, jumping up and down in happiness.

"Pops, Phin will be coming with me, I'll need his help with all these demons, the more the merrier." Aiden said.

"It's alright son, I'll be fine, this old man still has fight in him." Al said.

Aiden and Phin smiled, Shiri and Adenzia laughed. The 4 of them said their goodbyes to Al and headed back to the tower.

"Aw, you didn't bring the Bouncy Mobile." Phin sighed.

"Wow, a fan who's done their research, and I didn't bring it because this little one wanted to walk." Aiden said, putting his hand on Shiri's head and messing her hair up.

"HEY!!! I only wanted to walk because it was a nice day, don't blame me." Shiri said.

They got to the tower and took the elevator up. The penthouse was a disaster. Tv, broken. Couch, ripped to pieces. Walls, filled with holes. Jacob, Dani, and Arron were cleaning.

"What the fuck happened here?" Aiden asked. 

"Well, while me and Dani were gone, Jacob got in a big fight with someone." Aaron said.

"Ya some fucked up lady in a black dress came asking for the 'Ghoul' and the 'Kid'. She had like an army of demons, I tried to hold my own, but they left after a while realising that they wasted time." Jacob said. 

"Athena…" Aiden said under his breath.

"Who have you got here?" Dani asked.

"Oh sorry. This is Phin, he helped me fight off a bunch of demons and helped me protect Shiri. Phin, I assume you know everyone." Aiden said.

"You're Arron, The Slick. You're Dani, The Mage. You're Jacob… The Lazy…. God it feels like I'm dreaming. This is so fucking cool." Phin said.

"Phin, how bout you talk with Arron and Jacob, I have to talk to Dani right now." Aiden said. 

Aiden brought Dani into the destroyed kitchen.

"The girl in the black dress Jacob was talking about, she came after me and Shiri, though she only wanted Shiri." Aiden said.

"Well at least she was with you and not with Jacob." Dani joked.

"I made her tell me more about Shiri. Black dress's name was Athena, she came for Shiri because Shiri is half of the key they need to set a demon free. The other half is a kid from Wild Shroom City, he's a kid of pure darkness, while Shiri is a kid of pure light. What I need you to do is find the fastest route to Wild Shroom, we're leaving tomorrow." Aiden said.

"You can count on me." Dani said, rushing to her room.

Aiden went back into what was left of the living room, Phin and Jacob were arguing about something while Arron was just trying to clean.

"Aiden, where's Dani going, we were gonna play together?" Shiri asked.

"Dani has to do something important. How 'bout you go play with Adenzia and Bouncy for now." Aiden said.

"Okay, now where is that silly bear?" Shiri said.

Adenzia flew after Shiri to look for Bouncy. Aiden stared at Phin and Jacob who were still arguing.

"HEY, old married couple, how 'bout you 2 start cleaning or else no one is getting any sleep today." Aiden said.

"Ugh fine." Phin and Jacob both said. 

Arron and Aiden laughed at the 2 of them. Aiden decided to help them clean. Everything was coming together well. The boys were fixing the house, the kids were chasing a teddy bear across the penthouse's rubble, and Dani was finding the quickest route to find and stop a crazy bitch from blowing up the planet. Just your average Bouncy Squad day.