Weeks later…
"I'm telling you, it wasn't me, McBride!!"
"Oh yeah? From what Gio told me, it sounds like you were part of it. I'm more inclined to believe him."
"No!"
A kid, just a bit older than Alfie, shouted as he lay on the ground, Alfie's foot on his chest.
Pah
"Shut up." Alfie leaned down and slapped him. "In the end, I don't really care. But I do like to beat you fags up every once in a while."
The kid Alfie held hostage at the moment ran with another crew in their new home, as this detention center had groups formed out of safety and power.
And as some prisons are, this detention center also has groups that are made up of the same ethnicities, but some go through worse things than others.
Like the Black or brown-skinned kids getting treated worse, especially by the staff in this institution.
Alfie had long given up on his education plan, as this asylum didn't give any chance for growth in careers.
Alfie had beaten many black and blue, quickly earning himself a reputation as a troublemaker in the detention center. But he also took beatings himself, as he had cuts and bruises on his face.
The older kids are a tough challenge he happily faced.
During his time here, he had also gotten closer to Giovanni and the others, which prompted some of the Caucasian crew to target him and consider him a traitor to the "whites."
Giovanni cashed in his favor and told Alfie to stick together with them, hoping to solidify his stance with them.
Alfie noticed that Enzo had his own crew in here with their own affiliates to the same Maggia, and as much as they are in the same Maggia, they seem to bump heads on certain things.
Especially Giovanni, who argues with Enzo almost every step of the way.
Alfie was confused until Angelo explained that Enzo and his crew work under a different Maggia member.
Just like how Giovanni and his crew "work" under Martin Rafforza, Enzo and his crew work under another.
Which explains why Giovanni and Angelo brought Alfie in with them, to not only bolster their numbers and strength but to face Enzo and his older crew.
Of course, it's not as if they would actually start scrapping with each other, but having someone like Alfie McBride in their crew made them feel more confident.
Meaning they won't always have to be looked down upon by them and other crews in the detention center.
In the end, it was only a bit of friction between Giovanni and Enzo; as much as their Maggia leaders compete for wealth, power, and prestige, they are still Maggia and are united.
Just as Giovanni and Enzo are always united against a crew targeting them.
But Alfie wasn't worried; it all seemed like foolish child's play compared to his current problem right now.
Every day is a day he slowly loses control of his emotions, and worst of all, he has a crazy amount of blackouts almost every day.
Waking up with too many gaps in his memory. Though he seems to wake up with more trouble than usual.
Bang
The door to the shower room banged against the wall as one of the keepers stormed in, heading straight towards Alfie.
"Why am I not surprised!" The keeper exclaimed as he grabbed Alfie and separated him from the other kid.
But before he could, Alfie made sure to give one good kick to the boy's face, almost knocking him down.
"Damn it!" The keeper fumed.
He dragged Alfie out before shoving him into the hallway, then tending to the boy on the floor.
Just as Alfie stood up, another pair of hands grabbed him, dragging him through the hallways.
He let himself get dragged; he suspected he was being taken to the solitary confinement where kids misbehave. He had been there more than a few times to be familiar with it, but he liked it.
Those who go in that room hate it; not only do they get lesser portions of chow, but they are stuck in a bland white room with nothing in it. The only thing they can hear in there is their own voice. It is almost completely dark as well; solitary confinement is enough to make the kids go crazy and fearful.
But those are the reasons Alfie liked the room; it puts a bit of quiet in his mind.
"Huh…?"
They didn't take the turn.
Where were they going?
The confinement was that way; why are they going this way?
"Hey mister, where are we goi—"
"Shut your trap, boy." The other keeper reprimanded.
He deflated, deciding to find out as they went.
Soon enough, Alfie found himself in the Day Room, a room where if your track record is good, then you can be in the Day Room. Basically, a room for the nice, not the naughty.
Seeing the board games, books, and various other fun things in here confused him.
"Stay!"
Was all he heard as he sat in that room.
He didn't know what was going on, but he didn't want to think too deeply about it. He appeared on the floor with a box of checkers in hand.
The others were quiet familiar, especially Monopoly, which evolved from the game The Landlord's Game.
As he set up a game of checkers, he wasn't even halfway through the game when he heard a familiar voice.
"Would you like to play me instead?"
Alfie jerked his head towards the door to see a man dressed in black with a white neckband, a man he didn't think he would meet again.
"It's you…"
"Yes, it is me, Alfie. Do you remember my name?" He asked with a genuine smile.
"Not at all." Alfie said plainly.
"Priest Kozh." He introduced himself once again, only for Alfie to stare at him.
"…"
"You might be wondering what it is I'm doing here." The priest strolled, ending up on the other side of the board game. "I just happened to hear that this institution is trying to add a religious program here, and I happen to have some time."
Alfie nodded, understanding that some detention centers have such programs. Though he couldn't help but feel that this priest is following him. No, he is following him.
Though it's weird or a coincidence, considering he first met this priest when he started having trouble some time ago.
He felt he should be cautious…at least that's what the voice in his head kept muttering.
Yet…his guts said otherwise.
"Help me…" he muttered.
"…what?"
The priest turned to the young boy who stared at him; he could see the frustration and tiredness in his eyes.
"You said you're an exorcist, so help me."
Priest Kozh turned serious as he began asking the boy questions.
"Can you tell me why you think you need help?" He asked, he knew the boy has troubles deep inside, the kind of trouble that involves his work as an exorcist. But he still needed to know what since Alfie seemed to be in control still.
"Because I'm fucking possessed!" Losing his patience, Alfie barked out. "Did you not say you were an exorcist?! Is that not why you've been following me?! If you've been planning it the whole time, then get it over with?!"
Priest Kozh, who tried to interact calmly since he didn't know what he was dealing with, stood up quickly, frowning at Alfie.
The moment Alfie burst out in anger, veins popped out of his temples, and his tone changed, turning somewhat thunderous, almost demonic.
But before Alfie could get up, Priest Kozh's hand blurred onto his face, grasping it and shouting: "Lech Mimakom Shebo Bat." (Begone from whence you came.)
Alfie, who seemed to blackout, felt his consciousness shoved out of his head before it sank down into what felt like the deep ocean. It was warm and comfortable. It made him feel like staying in that comfort zone, not caring about anything.
As he was lost in comfort, the situation in reality took a turn.
"Kugh!!"
Priest Kozh struggled, as an expressionless Alfie held him against the wall by the neck, his eyes turning completely dark.
"Begone!!…Demo—gugh!!"
"Alfie's" grip tightened, causing the priest to break his attempt to cast out this demon in him.
"Alfie" pushed him toward the floor, putting straining pressure on the priest's knees all of a sudden.
"Ani doḥeh otcha! Ani doḥeh otcha, b'shem Yeshua. Ani megaresh otcha meha'kel hazeh le'olam lo laḥzor shuv." Priest Kozh gritted out with all his being. (I repel you! I repel you in the name of Jesus. I banish you from this vessel to never return again.)
WhooTHOOSH
"Alfie" was thrown back by an invisible force, that invisible force being the Priest's chanting, as if it had power in itself.
Priest Kozh stood up panting; he grabbed a glass jar on a table near him before bringing it close to his mouth and started chanting and murmuring.
He put his thumb on one of his canine teeth and cut it; as it bled, he dropped it onto the bottle before chanting again in an unknown language.
The blood on the body of the glass bottle moved, forming a star before turning black.
"AAAGGHHHHHHH!"
"Alfie" got back up on all fours, growling like a beast—a demonic one—and then charged forward.
"Stubborn one, aren't ya?"
Priest Kozh put the bottle on the ground before he brought a wooden cross out, facing it towards the obviously possessed kid.
He then put both palms forward, gripping the air before pushing them forward.
Thoosh
"Alfie," who was in the middle of his beastly charge, was pushed back and floated into the air. His face morphed into shock and apprehension.
A slight smirk appeared on Priest Kozh's lips. "You're not going anywhere."
His arm, still stretched out gripping the invisible, jerked back as if pulling something.
"Kkkkaaaaggghhh!"
"Alfie" flailed about, as if wanting to run.
"Oh no you don't." The Priest was suddenly pulled forward due to the demon's possession; he lowered himself for better control and pulled once again.
"Kaaaghhhh!!" A shadow-like being was pulled out of Alfie's chest, but it fought hard to stay in. It suddenly growled. "Abhadra! A mere Priest like you dares to banish Me?!"
"I'm doing it, am I not?"
"Fool! Your cursed death will be painful!"
Instead of resisting, the demon flew out, but not towards the bottle Priest Kozh intended for it to be; rather, it flew quickly towards him with ill intent.
Thoosh
Priest Kozh let go of his hold against the demon, raising his arm to defend himself successfully, but the force with which the demon hit him was so strong he was thrown back onto the wall, knocking the air out of his lungs.
"Come here!" The demon growled as a dark hand shot out towards the priest.
"Agh!" Frustrated, the priest pushed his hand forward once more, pushing the demon back.
His anger rose; he bit his thumb and spammed his palm onto the floor, a dark pentagram star forming around him.
As if it gave him power, his movements became effortless.
A hand of his hung in the air, gripping nothing, yet the demon shadow floated in the air, struggling and screaming.
"No! Curse you, priest!!"
"Vile thing, begone," he muttered.
Priest Kozh then waved both his hands before pushing downwards.
"AAAAGGGHHHHhhhhhhh!!"
The demon swirled around before sinking towards the glass jar on the floor.
Once all the forms of the demonic being entered the jar, Priest Kozh dove towards it and screwed the lid onto the jar.