4:19 p.m. PST | July 5th | Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe drive back into the city had been largely uneventful. L.A. traffic on the infamously congested 405 being what it was, Daniel found himself with plenty of free time to reflect. As KROQ-FM offered the light crooning of Adam Levine, the teen's mind turned over the events of the previous hour. It was unbelievable, he thought, how just two days ago he was nothing but a barely in-shape slacker, putting off college preparations and grinding the days away playing mindless video games. Now, here he was basking in the euphoria of twisting steel and crushing concrete in his bare hands.
Granted, Dan knew they weren't
really his hands, nor was the power now within him
truly his, but he saw no reason to let that stop him from making the most of things, and having a little fun while he was at it. Having that raw strength at his beck and command, after all, had to afford him some possible way to profit. Money wasn't a concern for him given his father's successful career, but the fame he could find after just a few displays of strength... the notion was certainly enticing to the young man. Daniel figured a little glory was the least he was owed after being forced to indefinitely share his body with a demonic entity.
He had been racking his brain for the latter half of the drive on how to achieve that without putting himself in danger. Astaroth had stressed repeatedly that there were otherworldy forces who would eagerly and gleefully slaughter Daniel to get to the treasure sealed within. Presenting himself to the public to garner fame was too high of a risk. Hiding his identity would be fine, but that apparently wouldn't prevent his demonic aura from being traced according to Astaroth. Which left him with needing to limit his time in the hybrid form to stay safe. Unfortunately, that didn't leave him with many options. Seeking the limelight didn't work quite as well when you had to run off every so often to change back to scrawny human form.
And then there was the
other issue. Daniel somehow doubted that the demon preaching about safeguarding his precious trident would approve of public grandstanding, especially not for the express purpose of thrillseeking. Dan's eyes flicked up to the rearview mirror. A habit he had already developed. Intellectually, he knew there was nothing but his own face there to see, but it just felt less awkward addressing Astaroth that way. It was as close to eye contact with the demon as he'd get, Daniel figured.
Not that there was much to address at the moment. Despite his best efforts, Dan had only managed to get a single, brief response from Astaroth since leaving Garden Grove. Shortly after pulling out of the abandoned, half-constructed building lot, Daniel had asked the demon why he had remained silent and offered no instructions during the quick abilities test when earlier there had been a promise made to assist him in training.
Astaroth's only comment on the matter had been: "
I must observe you, first. You will return to that spot again over the next several days and continue testing your limits so I may determine the best course of action. Only then will I actively prepare you to defend yourself against the inevitable attacks that will come your way." After which, he had remained silent for the rest of the drive.
Dan shook his head. There was definitely no way he could go about using these new powers for fame and glory without angering the demon, he thought. And while Astaroth had been fairly softspoken and easy to deal with thus far, Daniel had no doubt in his mind that pissing off an ancient being from Hell that permanently resided in his body was a bad move. Especially as Dan needed his cooperation and help if he wanted to survive this new reality.
Sighing in defeat, he reached over to adjust the volume on the stereo. If Daniel couldn't profit from this experience, he could at least distract himself for the moment from the disappointment by enjoying his favorite radio station.
"That was Maroon 5's latest hit single, 'Girls Like You,' featuring Cardi B." The radio host said, preparing to transition into an incoming commercial block. "Oh, man, let me tell ya. After yesterday's display in Gateway City with that crashing 747, I think Adam Levine should dedicate that song to this Wonder Woman. Strong, beautiful, and easily saving the lives of a few hundred people in as much time as it takes me to get dressed in the morning. Forget about Superman, ladies and gentleman," the host continued. "Of all these powered individuals and hero types rising up the past few months, I think I'm going to be following our very own Californian hero the closest. I'd love to know all of your thoughts, though, so tweet at me your own opinions on Wonder Woman. Next up, we have—"
Daniel tuned out the voice, silently chastising himself. Here he was trying to figure out the best way to utilize his new abilities for profit, and he hadn't even considered the most obvious choice. The rise of vigilantes and masked heroes the past six months had taken the world by storm. 'Cape Culture' as it had been deemed was all over social media; fans discussing and debating every new persona that popped up at exponentially increasing rates, new accounts formed purely to document and follow the exploits of each popular 'hero.' Dan himself had frequented several sub-Reddits dedicated to Superman and The Flash, and he often found himself scrolling through his Twitter feed to check for any more rumored sightings of that Spider-Woman in New York. So why the notion of trying his hand at vigilantism didn't immediately spring to mind the moment all of this happened he was unsure. But, what Daniel did know was that if he wanted his fifteen minutes of fame, there was one surefire way to go about it.
Now, he just had to figure out how to get the devil in his head to go along with it.
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