Shadowess

When Ortiz had snapped at him, Benny had flinched and looked down again. Then he'd looked nervously between him and Blake when his new friend displayed defiance. After Blake had vanished, Benny flinched again with a whimper as Ortiz pinned him to the wall. He stared up at him in disbelief at the order he'd been given. "Wha-what?!" He gasped. His face had turned pale. "That's it!" Drake growled from behind Ortiz and swiftly brought his knee up between the man's legs. It was a cheap shot, but at least it would be effective. As Ortiz would likely be writhing from the nut-shot, Drake kicked him in the back for good measure. "You had that coming asshole!" he shouted. "What did you do?!" Benny squeaked at Drake. He stared at Ortiz with wide, terrified eyes, expecting nothing but retaliation. "Forget him. Come on, we gotta go after Blake." Drake said while grabbing his arm. "Obviously, there's some kind of trouble, and we gotta help!" They both vanished, too. --- "Oh, my sweet girl!" Auntie had hurried over to Salem's cage as soon as they'd appeared while Kris kept a lookout for the Succubus. "Did that wretch hurt you?" she asked. "What the hell are you doing here?!" Kris snapped as soon as Blake had appeared. "Ortiz... you had one job, dammit!" He then muttered irritably. When Violet made her appearance, Kris glared at her and tensed. He wasn't sure how he'd resist her charms this time, but he was determined to fight her influence with everything he had. When she seemed to focus on Blake, he growled at her angrily. "Leave him alone, you bitch!" But then he raised an eyebrow at Blake when her power didn't seem to work on him. At first, he assumed Blake had some kind of special resistance, but then Salem spoke, and he couldn't help but smile at the pair. Seeing the Succubus making her move, Auntie chanted a quick spell to grant Blake a little extra protection. Both Drake and Benny then appeared just in time to see Blake sending Violet across the room. "Dude, wicked!" Drake cheered. "Boys?! Now, why are you two here?!" "Sorry, sir! We just wanted to help!" Benny said quickly. "Yeah, and Ortiz has gone off the deep end!" Drake added. "What-?" Kris started but was cut off by Auntie Audrey. "Kris, you can chatter with your boys when this is over. Put the bracelet on her before she wakes up!" She then turned to Blake. "Come, lad, help me with this cage!" "What about us?" Benny asked "Watch my back while I approach the Succubus," Kris ordered. "You can count on us, boss!" Drake said while walking with Benny behind him as they marched towards Violet. Kris took the bracelet out of his pocket as he walked and knelt beside her with the intention of sliding it onto her wrist. --- Frowning, Lang sighed and brought him his book. "It wouldn't have helped, you know. Research is nothing like the real thing. Life and people are unpredictable." --- "As much as it would be beneficial for the children to learn, you can have friends among your allies, you may have a point." Azrael conceded with a small smile. He watched as Death praised Lilly. "Perhaps we can talk informally later, then?" he asked, turning back to Gabriel. "If there are any other Archangels that I trust, it's you and Nate. I know what Uriel told me, but I want to hear it from you. How are things looking? He said the council still haven't made an appearance. Any word on when they will?" "Thank you, Father." Lilly continued to smile. She watched some of the exchange between Azrael and Gabriel. "You're friends?" She asked curiously, having overheard the first part of the conversation. --- Jessica tilted her head back with a gasp at his bite. The thrill shot through her, and she felt her fangs lengthen a little. She let out little sighs as his kisses and the feel of his teeth on her skin sent excited shivers through her. Running a hand through his hair and feeling his horns with her fingertips, she leaned into him. Nuzzled his neck before biting him in turn, drawing some blood that she flicked her tongue over before kissing his neck so that they were both kissing and biting each other's necks. Lifting her head a little, she moaned into his ear, "Make me yours." --- Eve looked at Adam, unable to begin to imagine how the world might have changed. "Magazines..." She sighed, then stopped walking. She turned to look at Adam pleadingly. "I don't want to learn from pictures on a flimsy parchment! I want to see it for myself! Adam, take me there. Please? I need to see how our descendants have built their world!" --- Damien had been searching for news online for any crimes in the world. A few had caught his interest. He hadn't been able to get his day with Samson out of his head. His veins had started to ache from withdrawals, but he ignored the feeling for now. As much as he'd drop everything if Samson called for him now, he'd prefer not to see him again until he'd picked out their next targets to 'punish'. James hadn't come home yet, so Damien assumed he'd had some luck with that nurse. Stiffening when Will's words entered his head, Damien tore his eyes from his laptop before locking and closing it. He stood and stepped away from the table before vanishing. Parker had watched Will summon his father, and for a second, he'd been tempted to quickly hide the pictures of Madeline. For a wild moment, he didn't want Damien to know he had a grandchild. But knew that after the fight he'd put up to avoid becoming a Devil, Damien would likely start asking questions now that Parker had suddenly changed his mind. Besides, he'd be bound to find out anyway. Reluctantly, he kept the photos on his lap on the bed. Damien appeared a second later and looked between them, worriedly. "Is everything alright?" "I-... Um..." Parker hesitated. He looked at Madeline's photo again to steel himself, and then he looked Damien in the eye. "I've changed my mind. I want you to make me into a Devil." Surprised, Damien looked from Parker to Will and then back again. "You were so adamantly against it, though. What changed?" Parker sighed and held up a photo for Damien to take. He watched his father look at the photo with a mildly confused expression. "Her. Madeline... I'm doing it for her. She's my daughter." Damien tore his eyes from the photo and stared at Parker in shock. The shock quickly melted to give way to understanding. He nodded to his son and handed the photo back. "Then we should get you discharged first. I can then take you to Hell to get it done." Parker wasn't thrilled by the idea of being taken to Hell to become a Devil, but he knew that if it meant he could keep his daughter safe, he'd do anything. "Will, can you do the paperwork and stuff for my discharge? Just tell them you'll help me with physio at home or something."

Drake had laughed at Blake's comment and had been about to say something when Ortiz stepped into their path, bringing the trio to an abrupt stop. The tension was thick in the few seconds before Ortiz would speak. Both Drake and Benny didn't dare speak. Benny averted his eyes from Ortiz, while Drake stared back at him defiantly. Both their hearts sank when Ortiz explained he would be the one training them today. Then they winced as Blake told him he wanted to learn combat, as they immediately knew what would come next. At the order, Drake removed his arm from around Blake's shoulder. He briefly nodded to his sparring partner before grabbing his arm and shoulder. In one fluid motion, he kicked the back of Blake's leg and swung his hips so that he flipped him onto his back on the ground. "Sorry mate..." he mumbled as he stood straight, then offered him a hand to help him up. The first form of combat any of these boys learned was hand-to-hand or martial arts. Because, as good as magic can be, it's not as effective or safe to use when within close proximity to an opponent. After watching Blake's swift take down and wincing again, Benny nervously looked at Ortiz. "Um, Ortiz... Sir, may I ask why the boss isn't training us himself?" He asked curiously, knowing it was unusual for him not to be present for the first day of training. --- As much as he hated not being involved in any of his boys' first day of training, this matter needed Kris's utmost attention. When Ortiz stepped out to stop the boys in the hallway, he wasted no time and vanished. He appeared in the little shop and saw that Auntie wasn't sitting on her stool as usual. "Auntie?" He called out. The old woman's face appeared from behind her curtained doorway and she stared at Kris for a moment. "Oh, Kris. Thank goodness. Get in here and help Auntie." Kris obeyed her, hurrying into the back of the shop where she seemed to be brewing something in a small cauldron. "I came as soon as I heard. What can I do to help?" He said as he looked over her supplies nearby. "Oh, you're a good boy. Hand me those quartz shards. The clear ones. Thank you." Kris helped her with brewing her potion and then asked. "So, what's the plan?" "The plan?" Auntie chuckled darkly. "The plan is we rescue my little Salem, and I come home with a new Succubus pelt! Now, stand back and prepare yourself. This may get messy. Did you bring the gift I gave you?" Kris produced the bracelet from his back pocket and showed it to her. "Good! Keep it close. You might only get one opportunity to use it." He nodded and placed it back into his pocket. He stood back as instructed and let Auntie Audrey chant her spell to locate Salem. When random images of a location popped into both their minds, Auntie reached out to him. "Take my hand, lad." he did, and after a few more chants from Auntie, they both vanished, aiming to teleport right next to Salem's cage. --- Lang followed him into the evidence room and folded his arms while leaning against some shelves. His whole demeanour was relaxed. "Hey, don't worry. Look, we all have a job to do, right? At the end of the day, we're here for the ordinary Joe to make sure he's safe as he goes about his nine-to-five life so that he can go home to his family every night. Right?" He gestured towards the door. "So, in the grand scheme of things, what they think doesn't matter. What matters is we're all here for the same reason. We just have slightly different roles to play in that, that's all. Besides. This is just day one, and a hard day one to boot. Give it time. Be patient. They'll come around when they see that you're just trying to help." --- "I'll tell you about it later," Lilly muttered to Raven in reply to his comment. She then looked up as the blonde Angel appeared and greeted Azrael. In comparison to Uriel, Gabriel seemed to be much more relaxed when talking to him. No pretence that Lilly could detect, anyway. "I was hoping we could talk about what happened." Azrael phrased it carefully, but what he really meant was, he needed his friend. Then Death appeared, and Azrael was relieved to see him. Happy, even. He couldn't hide the smitten smile that spread across his lips as his eyes landed on his beloved. "Your Grace," he greeted him warmly. "Precisely, you, Grace. Those were my thoughts exactly. Although credit where credit is due, this was your daughter's idea. You may have a diplomat in the making." "I uh, I was just curious about what Heaven was like..." Lilly mumbled shyly, her cheeks turned a little red while she awkwardly looked away. "She's being humble." Azrael smiled at her. --- Jessica giggled, blushing. She grinned at him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Maybe..." she smiled coyly. "I think you should give me a demonstration." --- "Perfect!" Eve said excitedly. "And we could have incense, some gold lanterns. Maybe a sheepskin rug. Oh, and those decorated vases, you remember how lovely they looked with the painted figures?" And with that, Adam may once again be reminded that Eve had no experience of the modern world. Not its styles, fashions or advancements. Most of what she had managed to learn had slowly been forgotten over time from the moment they had been banished to Hell and she'd found herself surviving, fleeing, and hunting with little more than the clothes on her back. Only ever knowing Hell's wilds. Its fields, forests, mountains and deserts. --- Parker took some breaths as the nurse left the room with a vial of his blood. In anticipation of Parker agreeing to the test and to make things a bit less stressful for little Madeline, a vial of her blood had already been dropped off at the hospital. In the meantime, Parker tried to keep himself calm, but every so often his eyes would drop to the photo and then to his stump, and he would feel the panic swell within him again. What if she gets into trouble and he can't help her in time because he only has one leg? It would all be his fault because he was too proud to accept Damien's gift. He was so stubborn in wanting to be human for as long as possible that he might be a liability when it comes to keeping his own daughter safe. These thoughts swam around and around in his head. Every so often, he'd catch himself beginning to spiral again and would shake his head, then try to focus on the fact that they didn't know anything for certain yet. The wait was excruciating. The nurses hadn't given him any kind of timeframe, so he wondered if he might not hear anything for weeks yet. Surely, something like this wouldn't be so quick? He vastly underestimated how many children had suddenly been put into a similar situation to Madeline because of the quakes, resulting in the strained CPS system doing everything it could to find willing relatives or legal guardians as efficiently as possible. The minutes felt like hours. Parker could swear the hand on the clock on the wall was broken. He bit the corner of his nails anxiously, starting to draw blood, when a small knock on his door finally pulled him out of his thoughts. "Mr Parker?" The nurse squeaked. She was a little smaller than the last one had been, and her scrubs were burgundy rather than the usual blue that most other nurses could be seen wearing. "Yes?" Parker sat up rigidly, unsure of what to expect. "I have your test results here." She said in a soft tone. "Would you like to read them yourself, or would you like me to read them?" She offered. Parker thought for a moment. He licked his lips and found his mouth had dried up from nerves. He turned to pick up the glass of water with a shaking hand and took a sip. Swallowing the water, he briefly closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them to look back up at the nurse. "Please, you go ahead." "Based on a comparison between your blood type, Madeline's blood type and a record of what Lucy's blood type had been... Madeline is your daughter." She told him, then paused to let the news sink in. She'd learned early in her career not to jump to congratulations when it came to news like this because it would turn out not to be a happy situation. "Tha-tha-thank you... nurse..." Parker breathed the words but felt a tightness in his chest. He was relieved to know for sure, but his earlier thoughts came hurtling back to him. In the state he was in, he wasn't fit to look after her... to protect her. And if he'd learned one thing since finding out his true heritage, it was that he and his family would never know a peaceful life. He had already come to terms with that before now, but that was before he knew he had a child to look after. Tears welled in his eyes, and he ran a hand through his hair. The nurse had nodded to them and left the room, but he was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed. He knew what he needed to do. Before, he would have fought tooth and nail to avoid it out of sheer pride. Or was it spite? Possibly both, if he was being honest with himself. But now there was an innocent little girl in the picture. His daughter. Even without the test and even without meeting her yet, he'd known she was his from the moment his eyes landed on the image of her face and the fierce paternal instinct to protect her at all costs gripped his heart. Pulling himself together, he wiped his tears away and looked at Will with a new determination. "Can you bring my father here for me?"

"Shit!" Kris hissed, glad that Blake hadn't returned yet. "No, don't tell him. We can't have him running off and springing the trap before we're ready. Stay here with the boys. Go over the basics with them. How to brew a simple healing potion. How to locate objects. You know the drill. I'm going to Aunty Audrey's to see if she has any leads or plans..." he said quickly, knowing the old woman always had some kind of plan up her sleeve. Meanwhile, the boys had just put their packs on and were ready to head out when Blake stopped them. "I'm always up for a day off!" Drake beamed. "Oh, this means training day!" Benny grinned. "You picked us? I'm honoured." "Of course, he picked us. He's a man of taste!" Drake wrapped an arm around Blake's shoulders and started walking with him towards Kris's planning room. "You'll learn some pretty basic stuff today, but maybe later we can show you how to make a pretty potent stink bomb?" --- Through the whole encounter, Lang glared at Luis. "You know better," he said to him quietly. His voice was tinged with disappointment. After all, it hadn't been that long since he'd talked to Luis about fitting in now that he was no longer human. Lang turned to Reed. "I'm sorry about that. Like I said, today has been hard on a lot of people. Try not to take it personally. Come on, I'll introduce you to the others." --- Azrael smiled at Raven. "You will find, as a Prince, there will be times when stepping out of your comfort zone will be necessary." He said gently, then turned to face ahead of them as he guided them towards a large building. Its bricks were massive and looked to be made of polished marble. A subtle sweet smell hung in the air as they stepped inside. A mix of earth and flora, like a warm field on a summer day. "Stay close to me, children. Don't speak unless spoken to, and let me do all the talking. The Angels here are outwardly friendly, but in this power vacuum, they will be looking for any opportunity to give themselves an advantage when it comes to a promotion." Just as he finished speaking, he noticed a familiar face walking towards them from the far end of the hall. "Speaking of opportunists..." he mumbled before Uriel could hear him. "Azrael!" Uriel greeted him warmly with open arms, then looked at Lilly and Raven in turn. "And the Heirs of Death! How lovely to meet you!" "Children, this is Uriel. An Archangel, like me." Azrael introduced him quickly, then looked at his old colleague with a serious expression. "What news on Raguel?" "Not good, my friend." Uriel frowned. Though Lilly squinted at him, she didn't say anything. But she glanced quickly at Raven, wondering if he'd caught it. The way Uriel spoke. His slightly exaggerated tone. The way he composed himself. She didn't know for certain yet, but she got the impression that every little movement and every word from this man was off in some way. Uriel's eyes were fixed on Azrael as he continued, having not noticed Lilly's scrutiny. "We're still waiting for the Spirit Council to grace us with their presence, hand down their sentence and choose his successor." "You seem certain he won't walk free." Azrael raised an eyebrow. "Are his circumstances so dire?" "My friend! He attacked you! Attacked one of our own, unprovoked! He is vicious. Dangerous!" "He made a mistake-" "I understand this must be hard for you. You had been close to him, and he hurt you. But you shouldn't worry about him. He can't hurt you anymore." Azrael stiffened. His jaw clenched, and his eyes bore into Uriel's, who looked back at him in faux sympathy. "Where's Gabriel? I wish to speak with him." "Oh, I-" "In private," Azrael added forcefully as he cut off his former colleague. Uriel seemed a little offended, his smile looking a bit strained as he stepped back and gave a small, disappointed shrug. "I understand." He said quietly, then looked at Raven and Lilly again. "It was lovely meeting you both," he said politely, then turned and walked away while mentally summoning Gabriel and letting him know Azrael had asked for him. "And that is how you carefully navigate a conversation with someone you'd rather punch in the face," Azrael told the children with a half-joking smirk. "Azrael!" Lilly gasped quietly, surprised but amused by his remark. --- "No, you heard what that Shezmu said. We'd both have to be human. But maybe once we've got our family, we don't have to stay human? Like I said, I like how I am now. I've never felt more myself. I just want a family, too." Jessica explained. "So, if you're happy with it, when we're ready to turn back, you could..." She paused and thought for a moment. Unlike her, they couldn't just ask any vampire to turn him because then he'd just be a regular vampire. They needed to be Blood Gods. So, they would need to ask a Blood God to turn him. "River. We trust and know River, so we could ask him to turn you. Then we make a romantic evening. Candles. Rose petals. Just you and me. Then you turn me too. What do you think?" --- Bringing her eyes back to his, Eve smiled brightly. "That sounds wonderful, husband!" she said excitedly. Falling back into her old habit of calling him 'husband' as a pet name. She took his hands in hers. For a moment, she felt like his carefree bride in Eden once more. When it had just been the two of them. "Where shall we begin?" --- Andi glanced around the throne room, then looked back at his King. "Perhaps they're still visiting Azrael?" he suggested, then paused to lightly press his fingers to his throat. "That's going to take some getting used to." He chuckled, referring to his own voice. --- Parker's heart was hammering in his chest from his anxiety. He looked at Will and took some breaths to try to calm down as he nodded. He glanced at Madeline's photo once more before looking back at Will. "The- The blood test," he reminded him. "They won't just hand her over unless we prove I'm really her dad." Referring to himself as a father felt weird. He still wasn't used to the idea. "Maybe we can get a nurse to take a blood sample straight away

"That's what I wanted to hear!" Kris praised him. "Alright, I assume you had the chance to talk to some of the boys already? I want you to go ahead and pick one or two of them to join you today. I find learning new skills comes easiest when you have pals to do it with. Plus, it'll give you the perfect opportunity to grow some close bonds here. Go and tell them they're excused from their normal duties today to join you in training instead. Then come back to me." Kris then turned to Ortiz. "Hey Ortiz, would you mind heading over to Aunty Audrey's?" he asked, not really asking but phrasing his order politely. "Grab some of the basics for me. Chalk sticks. Candles. Herbs. You know," he waved a hand dismissively. While they did need the supplies for Blake's training, Kris was also subtly sending Ortiz to check on the old lady and Salem. He was confident in his earlier words to Blake, but he also knew there was no such thing as 'too careful'. "Oh, and uh, don't break anything this time," he jabbed with a playful smirk. --- "You'll be fine," Lang reassured him as he patted him on the back and guided him to the first desk. "This is Travis's desk. He must be on a break or something. He's mute, but the guy has a big heart. He sketches perps for us." Lang explained and then guided him to the next desk. --- Azrael looked at Raven for a long moment, then at Lilly before closing his eyes and sighing heavily. "No, Lilly is right. As Death's children, you are both his heirs. And you will need to learn how to behave as such. Including forming a diplomatic alliance with our neighbouring realms." He conceded, then opened his eyes and gave a stern stare at both of them. "If you are to come with me to Heaven, then I need your word that you will both be on your best behaviour. That you will not leave my side for anything. This will be purely educational. Are we at an agreement?" Lilly beamed victoriously. "I agree." She said eagerly, then looked at Raven expectantly. Hoping he would join them. --- "How can I forget?" Jessica laughed. She shuffled closer to him and caressed his cheek. "That was the first night that I really felt seen," she said softly. She brought her fingers down to his chin, then traced the side of his mouth to one of his fangs. She was going to miss them, but already she knew how she wanted to return to what she is now. "When we-... when we've got our little family and we know we won't have any more kids... I think I want you to be the one to turn me back. Would you do that for me?" --- Eve hesitated for a moment and blushed as she reluctantly pulled away from him. She lowered her eyes to the ground to avoid looking directly at him. "I'm not sure. I could help you make things more comfortable here? Or I could teach you how to defend our home? I learned a few fighting techniques while I was surviving on my own..." --- The second Hades burst into laughter, and David struggled to contain his own. He laughed but quickly reverted his laughter to chuckles to try and save Andi the embarrassment. Of course, by that time it was too late as Andi realised immediately that they had all heard him and his own face had turned crimson as a result. "Sorry, I'm sorry. That was unprofessional of me." David said quickly between his chuckles, and he gently elbowed Hades to hint at her to stop. "I suppose you could say you feel like... a new man?" David then asked, unable to help himself and immediately he burst into laughter again. At Death's suggestion, Andi quickly nodded. "Yes, please," he mumbled. --- "I-I..." Parker tried but struggled to find the words. His eyes were fixed on the photos. "I was drunk... we were both drunk... I had lost weeks' worth of memories and was trying to piece together what had happened to me when we met. I was a mess..." he tried to explain. "And I made this little girl, and I didn't even know..." his voice broke as he started to cry. "Look at her! She's got my hair! My eyes! I don't need a test to see it! I should have been there for her. For them both. I should have answered those calls. Now I'm no better than my dad! And now... and now... " he breathed heavily as his eyes lifted from the photos to his stump. "Oh fuck! Oh god! I can't take care of her now! What good am I now?! I should have taken Damien's offer when I had the chance! Oh shit! Oh fuck! I fucked up!" He sobbed as he looked up at Will. "Will, I fucked up!"

Thankfully, the night had been uneventful as far as Kris could tell. He was in the planning room when Blake approached him. He's been leaning on the table with his hands, bent over to look at various city and underground maps. Hearing the name brought a sinister smile to his lips, and he glanced at Ortiz in amusement. "Rio the Wrong... Jeez, how long did it take the boys to drop that one? 12? 24 hours? Guess you won that bet," he chuckled, then looked back at Blake, his sunglasses catching some light as he moved. "Rio and I were trained by the same Trickster. He took us in much like I took you and the other boys in, only our boss wasn't as... nurturing as I am." He took his hands off the table and straightened up. He folded his arms and stared down at the maps. "I wasn't exactly close to Rio, but we were all we had at the time. We theived together. We swindled together. We killed together. In a way, we look out for each other. He got his nickname from our boss as a slight to remind him of how frequently he was a fuck up. As much as I hated my boss, he had a point, though... Rio would frequently give us false leads, walk openly into traps and then need rescueing, the idiot damn near brought an undercover pig into our den before our boss sniffed him out." Kris shook his head. "I always stuck up for him. As much as he annoyed the shit out of me, it was the closest thing to family that I had. I'd plead for our boss the forgive him, that he was just a harmless idiot and it won't happen again." Kris's jaw clenched as he recalled what had happened. "He was a rat! All the times he 'fucked up' he was actually attempting to lure us into traps. Get us arrested. Dismantle our whole way of life. Only instead of being a fuck up of a Trickster, he was actually a fuck up as a rat because every attempt failed and he was left to convince us all once again that he was just a clumsy idiot. Heh... kind of ironic, really." he looked back at Blake. "He lured me away from our home one day. Then he told me everything. He'd set it up for the police to raid our home while we were gone. He wanted to spare me because I always stood up for him. He thought we were friends... family. But I had other friends back at our hideout. They were my family, too. Like you and the other boys in there... can you imagine getting close to those other boys, seeing and embracing them as brothers every day and then one of them takes you aside and tells you he's sold out the rest of the family but wants to save you? I was just a kid. No older than you are now. But I was strong. I was skilled. I was betrayed, and I was livid," he said the last word in a growl. "We fought. Fists and fireballs were thrown. But in the end, I won. I knocked him out and then raced back to warn the others. By the time I got there, our boss had taken a few cops down, but the whole base was overwhelmed. It was a long and hard fight. We lost some boys... some real good boys. The human cops never stood a chance, but the ones who had been hiding their powers among them? They gave as good as they got. Like I said, I was just your age at the time. But I matched blow for blow the kind of power my boss and the supernatural cops were dealing. By the time the dust settled, there was only me and my boss left. He was so angry. He knew this meant our base was no longer safe. That he'd have to start again. To build his little gang again. With no one else around to blame, he blamed me. We argued. We insulted each other. But too exhausted to fight anymore, we chose to go our separate ways. That was the end of that era and the start of... this," he gestured to the base they now stood in. "I built all this on my own, starting at your age. I vowed never to be as cruel and greedy as my former boss. That my new family would be just that- family! And as for Rio... well..." he smirked and exchanged a knowing glance with Ortiz. "Let's just say he knows never to darken my doorstep again, if he knows what's good for him." Kris walked over to Blake and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think you need to worry about Salem. You didn't know her when the Succubus was around, so she likely has no idea she even exists. Also, don't underestimate Auntie Audrey. She looks like a walking raisin, but she's a formidable witch. If you like my stories, she's got enough experiences to tell you stories until the cows come home," he said confidently, then removed his hand from his shoulder and tilted his head a little. "Now then, are you ready for your first day?" --- "Well, crime isn't going to take a break just because we're having a bad day," Lang replied with a chuckle. Simply looking around, it would be clear that everyone had already gone back to their own work. Some had already left to respond to calls. "Want me to introduce you to everyone and show you around?" --- Azrael heard Raven's words, and as they let go of him, he saw both Raven and Lilly in a new light. Not just as Death's children. Death was his beloved, which made Death's children as good as his. Knowing these two had already survived such perils before their arrival here caused a feeling of protectiveness in him that was so fierce it almost frightened him. He would do anything for them. He would die defending them, if necessary. He watched Raven say goodbye to Conrad and felt his heart ache for them, knowing too well the longing that they both felt. Taking a breath, he flung the covers from him and winced as he got out of bed. Still in his black robes, he clicked his fingers. All at once, the various tears and holes in his robes stitched themselves closed. "Azrael, you shouldn't-" Lilly started with a gasp, but Azrael placed a hand on her shoulder while giving her a gentle smile. "Believe me, I am stronger than I look." He told her. Placing the amulet around his neck, he ran his fingers over it briefly before letting it rest on his chest. Regardless of its magical properties, he would cherish this gift for all time. "I have some business in Heaven," he said seriously. "I'm a Reaper. Death's right hand. But I am also an Archangel. I need to know what is happening in place of Raguel's command." Seeing an opportunity, Lilly glanced at Raven before speaking. "Take us with you." "What-? No." "We are safest by your side, and besides, if we are to take the titles of Princess and Prince, we need to be educated in diplomacy with the other realms, and who better to teach us?" Lilly argued. It was clear by her stance and hard stare that she was prepared to be as stubborn as possible. She glanced at Raven and barely concealed a cunning smile. "And Raven would be able to spend a little more time with Cornad without using up one of his passes." Azrael flustered and rolled his eyes upwards. He was very reluctant, but obviously considering it. Education-wise, he couldn't fault her logic. --- "I guess you'd have to anyway." Jessica shrugged with a chuckle. "We'll be human again, and we'll need money for groceries, rent, bills... not to mention a kid. Or maybe two?" She smiled at him playfully. "Oh my god... we'd actually be a 'normal' family." --- His arm around her. The feel of his warm skin against hers. His scent. It had been centuries, but she never forgot how good it all felt. She chuckled softly and nuzzled into his neck. "I've missed this." She sighed happily. "Paradise... Real paradise and this time it won't be taken from us!" --- Andi had closed his eyes and tensed, unsure of what to expect when Hades used her magic. He felt strange all over. Like his skin was rippling and moving. Shrinking in some areas while growing in others. It was unnerving. But when it faded and Hades spoke again, he opened his eyes then stared down in shock at himself. Where he was once very well endowed in the chest area, he was now practically completely flat. He glanced at the others briefly and awkwardly. "I feel fine-" he stopped and quickly brought a hand up to his throat as the deepness of his own voice surprised him. "Um... would you excuse me for a moment?" he asked, then quickly scurried around a nearby corner. A moment later, the group would hear him laugh. "OH MY GOD! IT'S HUGE! This is so surreal... It- IT MOVED! I MOVED IT! IT'S REAL! OH MY GOD IT'S FUCKING REAL!" A few moments later, he came back around the corner, trying his best to play it cool and hoping they hadn't overheard his little moment of celebration. David was still composed, but the twitching smirk on his face was in danger of giving way to laughter. His brief time as an amnesiac had brought back some of the humorous, playful man he'd once been. Andi cleared his throat awkwardly. "Thank you, Hades. You've no idea how much this means to me. I feel like I'm finally in the right body." --- "I duno. This lady says she's from social services." Parker answered as Will entered the room at seemingly just the right moment. "Sorry, you are-?" Penny asked as she blinked at Will's arrival. "This is Will, my boyfriend," Parker said quickly. "I see..." Penny quickly jotted something down on her clipboard. "What's this about?" Parker asked, visibly confused. Penny's pen stopped scratching against the paper abruptly as she thought about how to approach the subject. She glanced at Parker's leg but decided to ask about this later. "Mr Parker, are you familiar with a Miss Lucy Brunhill?" Parker shook his head with a blank look. The name kind of rang a bell, but he couldn't recall knowing anyone by that name. "She may have used a different sirname when you met her... I believe she also had a stagename of 'Candy' according to the information we have..." Penny explained as she flipped over a couple of pages on her clipboard before pulling out a photo. When she passed it to Parker, he felt a lump in his throat. He recognised her immediately. "Uh, yeah..." he answered awkwardly, then looked at Will. "Before I met you and after... You know... Bryce... I had a sort of rebound with her. She left me after one night, though, and I didn't hear from her again until..." he paused as the memories flooded back. The repeated missed calls from her as Parker kept hanging up. When he finally decided to answer, Bryce had been on the other end and threatening her, back before Bryce had changed for the better. As far as Parker knew, he had let her go after that, but he'd never heard from her again. "I'm sorry, what's this about?" Parker asked Penny again, this time looking a little paler than he had been. Penny braced herself to deliver the difficult news. She quickly fumbled and dug through papers on her clipbaord again until she had what she needed. "Did you say you kept in contact with miss Brunhill after your one night stand?" "No, not her. I was mistaken." Parker said quickly, then asked again. "Why? What's happened?" "So, she didn't contact you at all after that night?" "I just told you." Parker now started to sound a little agitated. Penny sighed and handed Parker some photographs as well as an official-looking document. Parker stared at these numbly. Some of the photos were of Lucy holding a baby. In others, she was holding a toddler with bright orange hair in little pig tails. There were ultrasound photos, and the document was a birth certificate for Madeline Brunhill. Under 'mother' was Lucy Brunhill, and under 'father' was Parker's full name. The date on the certificate would make Madeline approximately two years old. Parker stared at these numbly. Unable for a moment to comprehend the meaning of this. "Lucy didn't contact you at all about her?" Penny asked again, this time in a gentle tone as she saw the stricken look on Parker's face. "Uh-uh..." Parker mumbled as she shook his head a little. His eyes were on the little girl's wide, smiling face in the photo. "Of course, we will need to conduct a paternity test to know for sure. But I must tell you... If you are Madeline's daughter, then you would be considered her legal guardian. Lucy's family had disowned her some years ago, and when we approached them, they wanted nothing to do with Madeline." "A-a-and Lucy?" Parker found the strength the tear his eyes away from the photo to look at the social worker. "What happened? Why can't she look after her anymore?" Penny paused, her lips tightened for a second while giving him a sympathetic look. "Because she's dead, Mr Parker," she answered softly. "Wha-what?" "During the earthquakes. Her apartment building collapsed on top of her. She died instantly. Thankfully, Madeline had been at day care at the time, and the practitioners there had secured the children to keep them safe. But now she has no home. No mother. And she's too young to fully understand what has happened." "I can't-! I-I can't-! My leg is... How can this happen?!" Parker began to breathe heavily as tears ran down his face. "I understand this news will come as a shock to you. So, and given your... current situation..." she glances to his missing limb. "I understand if you will need time to process this and decide whether this is a responsibility that you want to take on. May I ask in the meantime that you consent to a paternity blood test?" Parker ran a hand through his hair, his eyes were wide as he held his breath, and he tearfully nodded. "Wha-wha-what will happen? If I'm not- or if I can't-?" he asked, his voice breaking from the effort to keep himself composed. He couldn't bring himself the finish the sentences, as if he couldn't quite bring himself to believe that any of this was real. Penny lowered her eyes sadly but answered his question. "If you're not her father, or if you decide you cannot take this responsibility... and Lucy's family have already made their intentions clear... then Madeline would likely end up going through foster care." Parker stared at her for a moment as he grappled with the reality of the situation before lowering his eyes back to the photo of the little girl. Penny took a card with her contact details from her clipboard and passed it to Will. "I'll leave you both to think and talk this over. Call me on that number when you have an answer. In the meantime, I'll ask one of the nurses to take a blood sample for the paternity test." She looked between them both sadly, then nodded to the photos on Parker's lap. "Feel free to keep hold of those for now. I can always pick them up later, if needed." She then left the room. Parker continued to stare at the photo and clasped a hand over his mouth as more tears fell. He mostly felt a numb shock. But another emotion he felt so keenly that it was difficult to ignore was guilt. All those times she'd blown up his phone with calls and he'd hung up on her every time... had she been trying to tell him? He tried to run the maths in his head, but the shock of it all was so overwhelming that he had to resort to counting on his shaking fingers a few times, but the maths checked out. Which meant she would have been in the early stages of pregnancy when she'd tried calling him... and when Bryce had taken her hostage. God knows what Bryce had done to her in that time or what he would have done to her to hurt Parker if they had found out she was carrying his baby. He felt sick thinking about it. It was no wonder she never tried to contact him again after that!

(Hahaha xD Glad you like it. I've been musing over this twist for a while and wanted to wait until juuuuust the right moment to bring it in lol Not sure if you want Will to 'visit' in time to hear the news?)

Cecil regarded Blake for a moment before answering, his arms crossed yet relaxed as he rested them against the wooden bed frame. Physically, he looked younger and smaller than the others. But with the way he carried himself, his posture and how he spoke, he seemed to be more like an older brother. His cobalt eyes were both sharp and warm, as if he held some hidden wisdom the others often overlooked. "You think this succubus might target you? For what reason? You're just as much a kid as the rest of us. The Boss, though..." He trailed off, not wanting to entertain the idea that their teacher and protector could be targeted like that. "But the Boss can handle himself. Did anyone tell you what he did to a rogue trickster who tried to overthrow him? The next time you get the chance, ask him about 'Rio The Wrong.' Kris is an honourable Trickster, but he knows how to play dirty when the moment calls for it." With a little grunt, he hopped down from the bunk and stretched his arms while making his way towards the door. "Oh, and don't dawdle. A cold shower is one thing, but breakfast is pretty competitive. If you don't get to the kitchen quickly, you'll be going hungry until lunch." --- "Humans are capable of more than they're usually given credit for," Lang commented. "Don't take it personally. Today has been a tough day for everyone here, so there's bound to be some friction. Give it time. They'll come around." --- Azrael looked up when he heard the door, expecting it to be his king. He looked at the trio with mild surprise as they approached the bed. Before he could speak, Raven gave him the amulet and explained its use. He looked at the trinket carefully while moving it between his fingers before looking up at each of them in turn, his eyes watering a little as the gesture touched him deeply. His eyes landed on Conrad as he spoke, and he nodded to him with a warm smile. "It's nice to finally meet you," he said, then looked between them again. "I don't know what to say!" he chuckled softly. "Thank you. All of you. This is so thoughtful!" Before Azrael could say or do anything else, Lilly had moved forward and wrapped her arms around him. Surprising him. "We know about you and father," she said to him softly, and anxiety seized Azrael's heart until she followed up with, "And I'm happy it's you that he chose." Relief and love overwhelmed him. Azrael laughed as tears dripped down his cheeks, and he hugged her back tightly. "Oh, children... what blessings you are!" --- "Ben..." Jessica let out a shaky whisper and then gave him a lingering kiss. When it broke, she rested her head against his and held his hands in hers. "This is going to be weird... going from this kind of power to normal humans... but we'll be starting a family," she grinned. "Our very own little family," she looked around the room, a little sadly. "I'm going to miss this place. But maybe we should move closer to our friends once we're human?" --- "It's not ours yet." Eve reminded him. "But it will be once we return it to its former glory..." She glanced around, noticing John wasn't lingering like he normally would be. For once, they were alone. "Do you believe it will work?" she asked Adam seriously. "I want to believe it, but I've survived all these years in this... nightmarish wasteland. Can it really be as simple as bringing in new life? What if those girls aren't enough?" --- "I'm not sure," David answered honestly. "Last I heard, she and her band were touring Hell and providing Demons with entertainment." He smiled proudly. "And it seems to be doing wonders for morale. Perhaps we can catch her between performances?" he suggested and offered his hands to them both to teleport. --- A nurse helped Parker back to his bed at the hospital after his physio session. It seemed learning to walk with one leg, both with and without a crutch, had its challenges. He was developing muscles he never knew would be so crucial to the task. Exhausted and sweating a little, he hopped into the bed and then gave a sigh of relief as his muscles relaxed. He had briefly mused to himself that this was enough life-changing events for one year, but a knock on his door by an official-looking woman with a clipboard pulled him from his thoughts. Ironically, she was here to bring him news that would add yet another life-changing event to his year. One that, if he hadn't already been sitting down, would have certainly knocked him on his ass. "Excuse me, are you Mr Alex Draven Parker?" The woman asked. She wore small rectangular glasses, a white button-down shirt, a formal grey jacket with a matching knee-length skirt, tights and a pair of polished black leather shoes. "That's me..." Parker answered slowly while looking at the woman curiously. "My name is Penny Ashford, and I am from Social Services. Could I come in? There's something important that we need to discuss." "Social Services?"

Just throwing a quick update on here cos I know I've been inactive for a while now. I basically got signed off by a doctor recently due to a combination of stress, depression and my migraines becoming too much regularly. I haven't forgotten our rp and I've been thinking up my reply while I've been off as I'm excited to come back asap. Just need a little time to work on myself first and then I'll be back in the swing of things soon 🙂

"Bad dream?" Cecil asked nonchalantly as he awkwardly tried to make his bed from the top bunk. The other beds were empty. "Drake, Benny and the others have already beaten you to the showers. Hope you don't mind cold water because there won't be any hot left by the time they're done." --- Henderson glared at Will as he shook him. He didn't say anything while Will spoke, but once the ultimatum was given, he shrugged off Will's hands and shook his head. "Guess I'm going home then," he grumbled as he walked past him. "You don't hang out with people often, do you?" Lang observed. "Let's make a deal," he said and gently pried the book from Reed's hands. "I'll promise to eat fewer dohnuts if you promise not to throw your head straight into a book whenever you're not sure how a social interaction works. If you're ever feeling uncertain, you can always ask me." He lifted the book with an amused smirk while gesturing to it. "Just think of this as your social dohnut, and I am your social salad." --- "You're right," Lilly said when Raven had said it felt weird. "I've never been more than a nobody, barely surviving on scraps. That felt odd... but exhilarating." She admitted with a small smile. Her smile grew until she was beaming when Raven said they should go and see Azrael now. "Yes, I can't wait to see his face when you give him our gift!" She led the way, heading to Death's private suite. Azrael was still lying in Death's bed. He rarely needed sleep, so he had spent much of this time being frustrated that he hadn't healed enough yet to return to his duties. He worried for Raguel's fate and longed to stand at Death's side again, but until his wounds healed properly, he was of no use to anyone. So, for now, he sat with his back against the headboard and watched the bruises on his arms as they healed. Though he had to admit, the way they changed colours before slowly blending back to match the colour of his skin was mildly fascinating. He'd never stopped to see that happen before. --- Jessica squeezed Ben's hands a little and bit her lip. She hadn't known how he'd react, but his answer caused her to falter. "We can go and check, but..." She looked away from him and took her hands from his. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "Ben, I don't want you to do something you don't want to do. You asked me to change you because you wanted to be with me, to know what it was like for me, and now that you've become comfortable, I'm asking you to change for me again. That's not fair. I'm not being fair to you." Tears stung her eyes as she brought them back up to look into his. In a fragile whisper, she asked him, "Are we incompatible?" --- A demon? An angel? Any other tormentor jumping out of the shadows? In a flash, Eve relived all the horrors she had endured during her time wandering Hell. Within the same moment, she realised the threat was no more than her ever carefree husband. Her face was still pale as he laughed, and for a second, her pupils shrank in anger. "Adam!" she snapped angrily, then placed a hand over her chest as she took a few breaths to calm herself down. Then, colour returned to her, making her face red from embarrassment as she chuckled. "Careful, husband. I may get you back one day," she said playfully. --- "You mean 'his' shape." David corrected him as he rose to his feet. Andi didn't speak but nodded at the Arch Demon in thanks. "I admit, I'm still new to the idea myself, but humanity seems to be taking great strides when it comes to this sort of thing. That being said, I know at least one person who has successfully managed to change their gender through magic." Andi's eyes lit up hopefully. When David had referred to humanity, he half expected to be told that he'd have to go about things the mortal way, via surgery and hormone replacement pills. Which would take years to complete. But at the mention of magic, he became excited at the idea that he could possibly change instantaneously. "Are you able to get us in touch with them?" He blurted out eagerly, then glanced at Death before lowering his eyes to the floor. "Apologies." David merely smiled at them and nodded. "It's Hades. My daughter. I'm not sure how she did it, but maybe there's a way she can help you?"

"Whatever." Drake chuckled as he got up from the floor. He brushed the cards from his bed, leaving them in a messy pile on the ground, as he climbed under his own covers. Benny tutted. "Really, man? That's the only deck we have with no missing cards." Drake shrugged his shoulders, and Benny scooped them up from the floor to put them away neatly before heading to his own bed. "G'night, guys!" "Shush!" Cecil grumbled, and silence quickly followed. Before long, Drake's snoring could be heard as the boys fell asleep. --- "I just- I can't believe they took over again! We made a deal, and they made us break it! It's not right!" Henderson vented when Will had stopped him. "And that prick, Xenos, who the fuck does he think he is?! 'Stay in your lane' he says, StAy In YoUr FuCkInG lAnE?! I'll show him what lane I'm in. That god-damn fast lane is what!" Lang turned to look at Reed with an eyebrow raised once more. "Word of advice? Don't tell people how they should eat. Ever. I know you mean well, but that's not a great way to make friends. Chances are people already know this information, but ultimately what they put in their bodies is their own choice, you know? Besides..." he smiled and leaned against the table as he plucked up a pink glazed dohnut that was covered in multicoloured sprinkles. He held it out for Reed to take. "One once in a while wouldn't kill you. C'mon, there's more things to enjoy and experience in life than what's written in a book." --- "Boys, are you forgetting something?" Lilly said coyly as she set her bags down in the empty room. She walked over to the door. "We're royalty now... and I've always wanted to try this." She opened it and looked into the corridor. When she saw a couple of Reapers walking by, she waved them both over. "You there! Would you mind taking our bags to our rooms, please?" The pair of Reapers hesitated for a moment and glanced at each other uncertainly. They knew these were the newly adopted children of their King but were unsure if they were supposed to drop everything to follow their orders just yet. But seeing as they hadn't been told either way yet, they didn't want to risk angering Death, and she had asked politely anyway, so both Reapers nodded with a short bow to her. "Yes, Princess," they said in unison. --- Jessica hugged Ben back then smiled at him while brushing some of his hair back with her fingers. "River told me something that might help us." She began. "I've thought about it... a lot. I want to have a family and settle down, but if we stay like this, we'll never have kids of our own." She took Ben's hand and pulled him over to the couch to sit down. She kept hold of his hand even while they were seated. "David found a cure for vampirism a while ago. Carter and Sebastian used it so that they could change into the same type of Vampire that Tom is. So that they wouldn't have to hide from the sun every day. I don't know if it'll work for us, given what we are... It might not. But if we want to have a family, it's worth a try, right?" She looked into Ben's eyes. Watching his reaction carefully. "I love being what I am... I've never felt more me, but... I don't feel complete." --- Without a word, John vanished. Eve lowered her arms and approached the magical barrier outside their home. She peered into the darkness with more intensity. She seemed restlessly alert. "Hmm..." Reluctantly, she turned away and crossed her arms again. Appearing to be lost in thought, she walked slowly back into the doorway, only taking one last glance towards the barrier before heading in and closing the door behind her. --- Death and Andi would find David on Earth. Specifically in London where they'd see him sitting on a park bench and watching a little cafe across the street going about its usual business. He had a reflective expression as he looked on. When he felt he was being watched, he looked up, and his expression shifted to that of mild surprise. "Ah, Your Grace." he grinned cheekily, knowing he needn't refer to Death this way anymore but thought it would be a humerous way to greet him after his last mission. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"I can think of a few things you could give her!" Drake laughed, and not content that it was doing an effective job, Benny threw down the pillow before tackling Drake. They wrestled while laughing loudly. "Guys, seriously, knock it off!" Cecil snapped at them, having now sat up to glare at them. "If Ortiz hears you're still awake and comes in, we'll all be in for it! I'm not collecting boil puss again just because you two have no volume control! Took weeks to get the stink out of my clothes..." --- Having been walking briskly, Henderson had already walked far down the road by the time Will had come out to look for him. He was still seething, and his mind was racing. Ideas of finding and breaking into the CIA facility kept popping into his mind, and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to do it. Even the idea that he could be shot down in the attempt was appealing to him, though he couldn't fathom why. Lang looked at Reed's book with an amused smile and a raised eyebrow. He chuckled and gently closed the book in Reed's hands. "It's not a bad idea, but maybe we could just start with something simple? Like, talk to each other over a coffee and some dohnuts?" he suggested. He then gestured towards the break room where there would already be some boxes of various dohnuts opened on the table. --- Andi hadn't met David yet, but if he had the answer she was looking for, then she was willing to give it a try. She nodded to Death, ready to follow his lead. Meanwhile, in the empty room, Lilly stood off to one side with Conrad as they watched Raven work. She was fascinated with the process and how easy he had made it look. When he was done, she smiled at the amulet. "He'll love it." She commented. "And you have to teach me how you did that!" --- Shezmu smiled and nodded to Dariel's thanks. He looked at the armour on the ground with an amused smirk. "I believe you will need to return it to wherever you retrieved it from," he told him simply. Meanwhile, across the castle, Jessica, who had been in a depressive state after the news that she couldn't have children, finally emerged from her bedroom. She'd washed herself up and gotten dressed up. Up until now, she'd had Ben and everyone else who cared for her worried as she had locked herself away and refused to speak to anyone. During his last visit with Shezmu, River hadn't gone straight home. He'd stopped by Ben and Jessica's place to check in and see if they knew about Shezmu. When he learned of Jessica's mental breakdown following the news that the ancient Blood God had brought, he'd stepped into her room to talk to her. It was some of his advice that had brought her back to herself, and she now held a determined look about her as she emerged and looked at Ben. --- Within the sanctuary of their new little Eden, John sat back on a large cushion, watching Daisy and Juliette babbling excitedly about their new lives and budding pregnancies. He glanced at the walls of their home and at the runes he'd carved. He wondered if there was any way to safely speed up the pregnancies to give them more of a fighting chance at succeeding in their endeavor before they'd be discovered. He didn't know of any spells or potions that would work, and in all his years, he'd only ever heard of one Demon that might've been intelligent enough to create such a thing. He'd heard of her destruction, but as he sat there pondering, he recalled the chaotic void that was his time in Oblivion. Most of his memory of that place had already faded by now, but he distinctly remembered sensing her there, and her presence remained even as his essence was yanked from the madness of the obyss. He had awoken on his own but with the distinct feeling that Clementine had also managed to escape Oblivion. He would need to locate and observe her before they approached her. He needed to know whether her mind had stayed intact the way his had or whether she had succumbed to madness from their time in the void. After all, she might be clever, but John wasn't about to risk everything they had worked towards so far if she was unstable. While the girls were chatting, John was lost in thought, and Adam was doing whatever he was doing, Eve stood outside the building. Still within the safety of the protection spell. The location here seemed to follow a timed illusion of night and day. Right now, it was night and the areas surrounding their home were shrouded in complete dark. Her arms were crossed as her eyes carefully scanned the field and trees close by.

Both Drake and Benny chuckled at Blake's quick defensiveness. "Man, chill," Drake said as he put a card down on the bed and drew another one from the deck to the side. "I mean, only a blind person wouldn't see that she was totally eye-banging you, but sure, whatever." "You're such a perv, Drake." Benny shook his head and then looked over at Blake. "Ignore him. He likes to push buttons." "Shut. Up!" A boy that had been snoozing in one of the bunks huffed at them. "Fuck man, do you guys ever sleep?!" "Yeah, I sleep right after I'm done banging your dad!" Drake laughed. Benny picked up the pillow from behind him and hit Drake with it, knocking a few cards to the floor and making him laugh a little more. The boy in the bunk gave an annoyed groan and turned over, pulling the covers over his head. "That's Cecil," Benny said to Blake while pointing to the boy in the bunk. "He's a snooty prick for a klepto. Keep an eye on your socks." Drake said, then leaned forward a bit with his mouth cupping one side of his mouth as he whispered loudly across the room. "He has a serious foot fetish!" "Drake! Stop being mean! You're going to scare away the new guy!" Benny laughed as he hit Drake over the head again with the pillow, sending some feathers flying. Drake laughed out loud again. --- Not wanting to risk a disciplinary, Malone didn't object but he wasn't happy about this arrangement either. Without a word he headed to the armoury to return his SWAT gear. Lang, having finished healing everyone by now, headed over to the new Agent and gave him a kind smile. "Don't mind the others. They're a prideful bunch, but they mean well," he said to him. "I'm Officer Lang." he turned to Will. "Sir, I can help Agent Reed here set up a desk and get settled in. I have a feeling Henderson might need to be talked down before he does something stupid," he said, reminding Will of how Henderson had been behaving manically before Dick had managed to knock him out back at the warehouse. --- Uriel said nothing as Gabriel left, but as soon as he was gone, his smile vanished and was replaced by a grim determination. Silently, he sent a private telepathic communication to his most trusted spies to keep a very close eye on his rival. Then he turned and also vanished. --- Lilly shook her head as well. Such a thing was unheard of in her own world. Andi had been caught off-guard as Death asked the group of teenagers about her very sensitive issue, and her face turned red from embarrassment. At least these teens seemed to be handling it in a mature way, and although none of them had any answers, she nodded to them thankfully all the same. "Maybe David would know?" Lilly suggested as she looked back to Death after seeing Andi's defeated expression. "I've only met him a couple of times but he always seems to know a lot." she then turned to Raven and Conrad. "C'mon. I'd like to see how your do your magic. Maybe you could show me how to do it too?" --- Shezmu paused and looked at Dariel with his head slightly tilted in confusion. Then he realised what he was saying and chuckled before shaking his head a bit. "No, no. You misunderstand. I mean, the event itself cannot be traumatising. It must be done in a peaceful environment and performed preferably out of love," he explained and then sighed. "In my time, I've regretably had to destroy one or two mad Blood Gods. Those poor bastards had been torn from their families, beaten bloody, likely feared for their lives as they were drank from and then had blood fed to them by a Blood God who could have cared less if they lived or died... either that or they were a half-Devil who was turned by an oblivious and cruel vampire master." He closed his book again and leaned back slightly in his seat while looking at his student. "It is how vicious rumours of our kind began. Now, many Angels, Demons and Devils believe we are always born mad when the simple, unfortunate truth is... when one mad Blood God is made, he inevitably begins a viscious cycle of creating more Blood Gods in the same violent way, which leads to more mad Blood Gods, and on and on. But no, if done right and if done safely, the risk of losing your mind is practically none." Shezmu stood and placed the book back onto the shelf. "And fear not, Dariel. You may have come from dark beginnings but you will always have a home with me." He turned to face him with a small smile. "I admit, I have grown rather fond of you." He then smirked. Now, if you don't mind, I believe you're beginning to stain my upholstry with your sweat and you may need to remove that armour before it rusts."

(Nice!) "It's fine. He gets on everyones case so we all get frustrated sometimes." the first boy shrugged. "Especially if the Boss gives you any attention." Drake chortled "But we're a family here. We give each other grief sometimes, but we still look out for each other. Ortiz included. I'm Benny, by the way. I've been here about six months. This is Drake." "Been here two years as of tomorrow," Drake told him with a nod. --- Henderson was a little shaken and furious from how Xenos had grabbed him and spoken to them. His head pounded as he stared at where he'd been standing just a moment ago. He then turned to glare at this new Agent and scoffed as he walked towards the door, aiming to 'bump into' the Agent's shoulder on his way past while calling over to Will; "I'm going to get some air!" then muttered under his breath; "Fucking god damn CIA bastards showing up, taking over everything and fucking us over... again!" At the Agent's question, Malone massaged his temple with one hand while pointing towards Lang with his other hand. "He's you're guy." Seeing Malone point at him, Lang squinted. "WHAT?!" he shouted, making Malone jump and the rest of the group groan from their collective headaches. "Lang, heal your damn ears!" Malone snapped "MALONE, WE'RE ON DUTY. WE CAN GO GET BEERS LATER." "No, ears- YOUR EARS, LANG!" "WHAT ABOUT ISLAM?" "EARS!!!!" Malone pointed to his own ears, then to Lang. "HEAL!!!" "OHHHH! RIGHT! GOTCHA!" Lang turned a little red from embarrassment as he placed his hands over his ears. A moment later, he removed them and made a few 'mawp' sounds to see if he could hear himself. "Oh, that's better." "Thank fuck..." Malone slumped back down and cradled his head in his hands. "Now, what were we talking about? Something about beer and Islam?" Lang looked at them all, confused. Malone groaned again in aggitation then pointed to the new Agent. "Fancy pants CIA agent asked if you can heal everyone." "Oh! Sure, I can do that." and with that, Lang jumped to his feet and started groing around the room to heal each officer. --- A flicker of irritation crossed Uriel's face for an instant before he went right back to his friendly facade. "I understand why you'd feel this way, but I'm trying to look out for you. I'm serious, if you know something and you don't come clean, you could also end up being investigated for conspiracy and treason here." He stepped back and raised his hands. "But I understand your concerns, so I won't press you. Just know that I only want to help you, so if you ever want to get... whatever it is, off your chest, I hope you'll come to me." he walked over to the office door and opened it, signalling that Gabriel was free to leave if he chose to. "You know how to find me," he said while giving Gabriel a caring look. --- Andi was a little disappointed by Death's answer, yet hopeful that he would at least look into it for her. She was a little surprised when he said that nothing like that had ever happened here but then again, although gender changes were at least a few decades old by now on Earth, she supposed that in comparison to centuries or even a millenia where such a thing wasn't even possible, that it wasn't too surprising for such a thing to still be unheard of in the after life. After all, what's a few mortal lifetimes but a meagre blip in an immortal's timeline. She nodded thankfully to Death, then continued to keep watch over him as his children entered the castle. "I've never felt like that before," Lilly commented as she placed her own bag down as well. It was heavy from the various gifts she'd received, and by the time they'd reached the castle, her arms were a little sore from carrying it. "Everyone was so excited to meet us. It was a little overwhelming, honestly," she said a little breathlessly while smiling at Death. "But it was fun." She looked over at Raven and Conrad. "We should give Azrael his gift." --- Shezmu watched the boy clumsily arrive in his room in metal armor. He held a small smile as he watched his pupil sitting down and removing his helmet. "You will make a fine warrior, yet," he mused with a grin. He stared at his book for a moment in thought as he tapped the cover with two of his fingers. "Dariel, you've been my student for a short while now, and so far, you have excelled in most of your studies. You have a tenacity about you that I admire and the potential to become one of the greatest warriors of this age," he said. Then he turned his head to look boy. Barely even a boy anymore. Almost a man. "What I mean to say is, I believe that were you to complete your training, you may become worthy of one of the greatest gifts that I can bestow." He quickly held up a finger. "I must be clear, I do not offer this gift lightly. I choose my fledglings very, very carefully. And I will not bestow my gift until you come of age but only if your consent has been granted. The choice to reject or accept my offer is entirely yours, and I do not expect an answer from you now. So, be sure to think on it carefully." He lowered his finger and turned his head with a faraway look in his eyes. "My kind is in danger of extinction. We cannot have children, you see. And there is great risk when creating a fledgling. It must be done out of love and compassion always, or you would risk condemning your fledgling to an eternal madness. A fledgling made out of violence and trauma will always be consumed by an unquenchable lust for power and blood." He closed his book and stared at the title. His fingers tracing the lettering on the cover as he continued to speak. "But a successfully created Blood God will have eternal life without the restrictions that the other vampires here live with. We can go out in the daylight. We can move faster and more silently than most Demons and Angels because we are their natural predators. We can fly and, on a healthy diet of Angel or Devil blood, we become a force to be reckoned with. We have the ability to kill our foes or destroy them entirely." He paused, realising that this might be a lot for Dariel to take in all at once. He gave the young man an awkward little smile. "As I say..." he opened his book once more. "Think on it. The offer is there for when you're old enough and trained enough."

"You're one of us now, bud." One of the boys replied. He was sitting cross-legged on his bed with another boy sitting across from him. They had been playing cards when Blake had walked in. "It's Ortiz you want to watch out for." The other boy commented, earning a nudge on the arm from the first boy. "Not so loud, Drake. He'll hear you." "And what? Crybaby wants all of "Daddy Kris"'s attention. I'll bet he's too busy jacking off with his ear to the Boss's door to hear us anyway." The boy, now known as Drake, chuckled. --- "What-? No!" Henderson gasped and then groaned as the sound of his own voice made his head throb. "Y-you can't lock Dick up! We agreed he'd get immunity if he helped us take down his boss!" He dragged himself to his feet to face Xenos. "You can't do this!" --- "Tortured?" Uriel feigned offence as he placed a hand on his own chest. "Why, Gabriel, do you think so little of me that I would resort to such barbaric tactics? No, dearest Gabriel. I will not torture you. But I must admit that I worry for you." he went on. If Gabriel's question had told Uriel anything, it was that he definitely knew something and currently had no intentions of sharing it. But Uriel was cunning. He walked over and closed Raguel's office door to give them privacy before walking back to Gabriel with a look of concern. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I worry because I know how close you and Raguel are. I fear he is manipulating you, my friend. If he's told you something and you fail to disclose it before his trial, you could be considered complicit in his crimes. He would drag you down along with him! I don't want to see that happen to you. You can trust me, Gabriel." --- Lilly smiled at the pair as they headed into the market. Learning how the trading system worked took a little practice, but the local residents were kind and patient enough to talk them through it. When the merchants realised they were speaking to the new Prince and Princess, however, they quickly began offering some of their items for free as gifts. Lilly had been hesitant to accept anything for free, but a couple of merchants seemed disheartened by her refusal, so she quickly changed her mind. Even Conrad was being given tokens and gifts just for being with Lilly and Raven. Jewellery, perfumes, gems and treats were being offered left, right and center. Making the trio absolutely spoiled for choice. --- Andi smiled at Death from her position. "They're in one of the safest realms there is, and their father is literally Death. If I might be so blunt, your Grace, they'll be fine. I'm sure they'd appreciate some time to themselves and it will help them develop some independance. If you're constantly around them, they might begin to feel smothered. Trust me, as someone who's been that age once, I know." She bit her lip momentarily as she worked up the courage to ask Death a question. "Sire, I know it's a little off-topic, and you have a lot on your mind already... I was wondering, when Azrael is well enough to resume his position, could I- that is, before I died, I was about to begin a um... transition. But I never got to even start when- my new life here began." She fumbled a little as she tried to explain as best she could. She sighed. "What I'm trying to ask is... is there any way for me to change, you know... into a man?" --- "You know of me?" Shezmu gasped as Ash revealed he'd been able to sense his power despite his attempts to conceal it. He watched the Devil leave, unsure of how to feel about the encounter. The idea that the two of them could be friends was novel, but by nature and from experience, he was dubious. He supposed there might be an opportunity here for friendship at some point in the future. But for now, he remained cautiously optimistic, especially now that their current deal had essentially just concluded. Leaving him right back at square one. With a thoughtful expression, he teleported back to his room at the German castle. At least now, he felt more or less like himself after such a nutritious meal. However, he noted that as soon as he arrived back in his room, he got a particular sense of relief. As if he'd sensed someone watching him while he was in Hell, but the moment he teleported, he was no longer being watched. He shrugged off this feeling, knowing Hell had always been a place of danger, so the feeling of being watched or hunted was fairly normal. Feeling a little more lighthearted, he picked a book from the shelf near the hearth and took it to his couch. He wondered how his pupil had been in his absence as he settled into his seat, ready to read.

Not drunk but not quite sober anymore, Kris answered his door and looked at the messily scribbled note as he listened to Blake. "Huh... Verrry interesting. That old woman is a wonder for collecting random magical relics. Thanks kiddo. Go to the bunks now, ok? Get to know your new brothers and get some rest. You've done good today, alright? But you need to be up bright and early tomorrow to start your training. Go chill." he put the note between the fingers of his hand that was also holding the half-empty bottle of rum, then used his free hand to ruffle the boy's hair before closing the door. He wandered over to the evergreen rug on the left side of his room and sat on it with his legs crossed. Insence was burning on a little wooden locker in front of him. He placed his bottle nearby and rested his hands on his knees as he began deep breathing and meditating. --- "Wha-What happened? Why does my head hurt so much?" Henderson groaned as he slowly came to. "Oh man, I feel hungover..." Malone said with a gag as he held his head in his hands. "Fucking gas..." "....WHAT?!" Lang shouted, making the officers around him jump. He was barely able to hear the others as his eardrums had burst from the siren. Meanwhile Xenos's agents were busy cleaning out the building, removing the sirens and the gas cannisters from the vents. They stormed the remote location and began decrypting and downloading all the files they could get from the computers. By the time they would be done both locations would be completely empty of equipment, cleaned from top to bottom and the bodies disposed of. Leaving no trace behind. --- "I see." Uriel said though he looked between the pair with suspiscion. Raguel glared back at Uriel. He didn't trust him at all and considering what Gabriel had told him earlier had a strong suspicion that he was manipulating Gabriel for his own means. "Gabriel, perhaps I could speak to you in Raguel's office for a moment?" Uriel asked him as he turned away from Raguel's white hot stare. "Why Uriel? Don't want me to hear you talking about me?" Raguel growled. Uriel merely glanced back at him and responded sassily. "It's classified and you're no longer my superior officer so..." he nodded for Gabriel to follow him before turning on his heels and strutting towards the door. Raguel seethed for a moment but as Uriel's back turned, he quickly looked at Gabriel. He pointed towards Uriel and mouthed 'watch out for him!' --- "Yes, your Grace." Andi agreed as she stood to the side. She was at ease but continually on alert as his guard. "I don't mind." Lilly chuckled. "Sort of. I came through a portal from another world, too. Long before you two arrived. But I was being chased by a Wraith. I'm so sorry, I think that's why the humans reacted to you the way that they did. They thought you might be another Wraith coming into this world. They are terrible, fearsome creatures. I wouldn't wish them on any world." Feeling a little awkward after explaining this, Lilly glanced around for a moment before showing him the flowers that they had been picking. "We were collecting these to trade for goods in the market nearby. We're trying to get a gift to cheer up our father's beloved. Would you like to help us?" she asked, and then, realising that these two might want to spend some time together after their ordeal, she quickly added. "But you don't have to. If you two want to catch up and go for a walk or something, I don't mind going back to the market myself." --- Shezmu didn't move. Knowing the strength of this Devil, he wouldn't risk getting too close just yet. Not until he could trust him, and he doubted that he ever truly would. Also, stepping so close and feeding would leave him open to an attack. With a small, cunning smile, Shezmu lifted a couple of his fingers and summoned Ash's blood from the small wound, lifting it into the air until it formed a floating mass the size of a golfball. He then levitated this ball over to himself and opened his mouth, allowing it to stream down his throat. He was a little sad that he didn't get much of a chance to actually taste it this time around, but at least he managed to get what he needed. Swallowing it with visible relief, he looked back at Ash. "Thank you. I had been quite starved of a proper meal for some time now." He walked casually towards the Library before stopping to admire the architecture for a moment. That this building was still standing after all this time was nothing short of a miracle. "A deal is a deal, and I am a man of my word. You wish to woo your wife? Earth has an abundance of gifts and sights that you can treat her to. Visit a florist. Select a bouquet of delicate and elegant flowers. Give these to her as a gift. Then, choose a destination to visit with her. Somewhere breathtaking to create a memory that she will cherish for all time. But most importantly?" he turned to look at Ash. "Use the time and her company to get to know her. As a person, not a conquest. Create a bond with her. Respect her as you would wish to be respected. After all, if she is to be your mate, then she is to be your equal in all things." He then gestured to Ash's appearance. "As for how a father should look. I'd expect that as long as she adores how you look as a husband, then she would logically like how you appear as a father." Meaning, if she already liked him as he was, then he didn't need to change anything.