Shadowess

"That doesn't even make any sense! Listen to yourself, Ortiz!" Kris snapped. He'd been about to take a step forward when he paused. He'd gotten the sudden sense of being watched. He narrowed his eyes at Ortiz. "What are you playing at?" he accused him then looked around in paranoia, expecting some kind of ambush. --- The trio arrived in one of Hell's many forests. This one was dense and the large trees blocked out almost all light. It was one of Lilith's favoured hunting grounds. By now the red dress that Insanity had gifted to her was filthy and torn in several places. Her hair was messy and hung around her shoulders as she crept between the trees. She had been hunting for her next meal when the angels had appeared in front of her. Azreal squinted, barely able to see Lilith through the darkness. He lifted his hand and summoned a couple of floating balls of light, which lifted from his palm to hover above them. Lilith shielded her eyes, hissing in anger at the sudden illumination that stung them. As her eyes adjusted, they landed on Nate's face. For a moment she didn't move. Then she cautiously moved towards him. She sniffed the air around him while continuing to stare at his face. She was about to speak in the original language, but recalled the newer language that Insanity had taught her during her brief time in his company. "M-mine?" She asked him as she reached up to touch his face as if unable to believe he was there. "My- My first? My Naoutha?" She brought her arms back to her chest and, for a moment, she cradled air before pressing her hands over her heart. She hadn't seen him since he was snatched from her when he was old enough to no longer need her breast milk to survive. "Come back?" --- Lilly looked thoughtful, but she'd never had a parent before and had spent so much of her life moving from place to place that she'd never stopped to observe a normal family. She looked at Raven, hoping he might have a better idea of what they could do. --- "I think I know a way to safely speed up the process of your wives going through pregnancy. I was thinking it over for a while but there's only one Demon that I know who is smart enough to concoct something so precise." John rubbed his chin nervously, unsure of how Adam would take such a proposition. "Her name is Clementine. She was once a fallen Cherub who could never age but she committed treason and got herself destroyed. Well, I was destroyed once too so I wondered if she might have also made it out of Oblivion. So, I tracked her down. She's back. She's human, living on Earth and she came back in an adult form. It seems her time in Oblivion granted her the ability to age at the cost of her Demonic powers. That's the good news..." he paused. He turned and grabbed a chair from the nearby vanity table and turned it around to sit in, then looked back at Adam. "The bad news is that in her return she's renewed her allegiance to Charles and Amelia. And, I don't know for certain, but she's sharing a home with two men. Either those men are together and she's their friend, or she's with one of them... or both. It was hard to tell just by observing and I didn't get a lot of time to gather any more information than that. I know you don't want to force anyone into living here and helping with building our new Eden, but maybe you could use that gift of yours to convince her to join us? We'd have to be careful about it. I'm just concerned that the longer it takes for us to create our new Eden, the more at risk we are of being discovered before we're ready. Ultimately though, the choice is yours and I will respect your decision." --- "Woah! Do they feel soft? Or sticky like- like cotton candy? I like cotton candy! I like the blue ones!" Jack rambled excitedly. Layla chuckled with her arms folded as she watched the interaction. She thought it was adorable. "And we love you, my superhero!" Tia smiled as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. "Now, come! I need to dish up the dinner before it gets cold!" --- "Nonsense!" Amelia exclaimed. "Abaddon, your skills extend beyond violence. Case in point-!" She gestured at May. "Like any other Devil, you are capable of good! Both of you are!" She looked between Ash and Abaddon. "And I would be honoured if you would both join me in my pursuit to make Hell what it was always meant to be- Not a place of torture, fire and bloody brimstone! But a place where troubled souls can find the help that they need to redeem themselves! In fact... I might actually have the perfect assignment for the both of you. If you're up for it?" She gave them a cunning smile. --- "I'm sorry to hear that," Tuzo said sadly as he poured more wine into Napoleon's glass. "I always admired humans, you know. They're certainly never boring." he chuckled. "It's why I retired to Earth to live among them the first chance that I got. I got so tired of Heaven's politics, the war... I just wanted a peaceful life." He took a sip of his drink. --- Lang smiled without turning to look back at Reed. "Well, then, you ask them if they'd like to go on a date with you," he said simply. --- The licking and nibbling sent shivers through Damien and he barely contained his sighs. He felt Samson's hand under his shirt and bit his lip. He gripped his hair and pressed his hardness against Samson's thigh. He then moved his hand down from his hair to lift his chin away from his throat so that he could look at him. He stared for a moment at his own blood on Samson's lips before kissing him passionately. Unbothered by the metallic-sweet taste. "Let me taste you too?" he whispered breathlessly with his lips still close to his.

"So, that's what this is about?!" Kris laughed. "You're jealous of a kid!? You're insane! I treated you well, didn't I?!" he scolded him. Taking a step towards him. "I protected you and those kids. Beat back vamps from our terf to keep you all safe! I trained you! Raised you up from nothing! And you choose to betray me for what? Pettiness?!" --- Azrael stood too and stared sadly at the spot where Raguel had been. He lifted his eyes to Gabriel and then to Nate. "We'll go with you. He said she was in Hell. We'll need to be careful." He waved his hand and his scythe appeared in it. It wasn't as grande as Death's but it was useful all the same. "In case we run into danger," he said. "Like old times..." --- Lilly smiled at him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's funny, isn't it? How fortunate we are to have all found each other?" she looked up at Death. "It seems almost like fate brought us to you." --- "Watching us?" Eve looked at Adam worriedly. "But could they have followed us?" "No, I made sure we're protected whenever we teleport here. No one can teleport in or out but us. Anyone trying to locate us also won't be able to. I've put up spells in every room of this place for our protection." John explained. "Oh, thank you, John. How lucky we are to have you!" Eve beamed at him. John blushed a little but avoided her eyes. He instead brought his own eyes to Adam's. "I've had an idea. Could we talk in private?" --- "Shit... How could I miss that?" Parker rubbed his forehead. "Of course, he'd want to be her dad too... he and River probably felt the same love that I felt when I saw her photo. But I know what I'm doing is right by Madeline. Besides, it's not like I'm forbidding him from being a part of her life... And you saw what he was like. We tried to talk to him but he blew us off." --- Meanwhile, River had arrived outside Alex's home in Britain. "You sure you're good?" he asked him uncertainly. "Stop asking," Alex said irritably. "Alright... call me if you need me," River said and reluctantly vanished, leaving Alex alone on his doorstep. Alex unlocked the door and walked in with a heavy sigh. --- "You been in a plane?! Did it make the neeeooooow! noise?" Jack asked, doing his best to imitate what he thought a plane sounded like. "Did you see the clouds up close?" Tia listened to Xenos without saying a word. When he finished, she continued to look at him but her expression wasn't angry. It was loving. She moved towards him and cupped his face in her hands while looking up into his eyes. "You're a warrior. A leader. My superhero." She smiled at him. A superhero is what Jack would regularly call him. "You are a good man, Xenos. That is why I fell in love with you. Good men can make mistakes but as long as you always try to do what is right, that's what matters." --- May was stunned by Abaddon's gesture. She stared at the cut on his neck and lifted her fingers to lightly touch her bandage. Knowing without seeing it that her wound was no longer there. "Thank you!" She gasped. She was still shivering slightly but more out of adrenaline than fear. Now, she was staring at him in awe. "What will you do now?" Amelia asked Abaddon. Concerned that he might try to take vengeance on Ash, which she'd prefer to avoid given Ash's own recent redemption. --- Tuzo sipped his wine and watched Napoleon curiously. "You had quite the life, didn't you? What was it like, being human? I've always wondered." He asked while walking over to the fine-looking couches and moving the velvet ropes out of the way so that they could sit down. --- (It's cool, I think we have a couple of Jacks in our rp but in all fairness, Jack is a pretty common name lol) "I mean, if you want to make it sound simple, sure," Lang commented from his seat in the car. "But I think there's way more to it than any book can cover. Trust me, you know it when you feel it." --- His roughness and the kiss made Damien want him more. Excitedly, he followed Samson's instructions and met him in his bedroom after locking the door. When he felt his fangs penetrate his throat, he gasped and shivered in ecstasy. A moan slipped past his lips as he stumbled back with him until he was pinned against the nearby wall. "Yes-!" He breathed while closing his eyes and tilting his head back. The feeling of being dominated by Samson thrilled him further and he was ready to give himself over to him. "Make it slow," he whispered into his ear, wanting to feel this sensation for as long as possible. His hand wandered over Samson's back and around to his chest. His other hand held the back of his head, his fingers entwined in his soft hair.

Kris arrived at the mall and walked calmly up the broken escalators. He glanced at the broken window at the top curiously and continued to wander around the mall. He could sense his former right-hand man nearby, but couldn't see him yet. "You had so much promise, Ortiz." He tutted while calling out. His voice echoed off the walls of the big, empty building. "I don't get it. Exactly what about this kid was so threatening to you? hmm? We've taken in dozens of kids over the years but this one... this one you had a problem with. Why?" he demanded. "I don't take kindly to those who would wish harm on kids. You know that. Yet you not only tried to hurt one of our own, you tried to pass the job off to one of the other kids!" He stopped and glared from empty shop to empty shop. "Come out here and face me, coward," he growled angrily. --- "Naoutha..." Raguel stepped towards the bars but Azrael appeared, standing between them while glaring at him. "You've done enough," Azrael told him coldly. He turned and knelt by Nate's side to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. Seeing his son like this brought pain to Raguel. He looked from Azrael to Gabriel and then back to Nate as his sins weighed heavily on him. "Your mother hates me." He told Nate quietly. I abandoned her out of fear that I would be discovered... I was selfish and she hates me for it. I tried to make up for it by watching over you but I see now that I failed you too." He took a step back, moving towards the centre of his cell as tears rolled down his cheeks. "You can find her in Hell. She has lost her mind and become wild but perhaps you can repair some of the damage that I caused. I'm sorry, Naoutha. I'm so sorry." he knelt now and bowed his head, clasping his hands together. "Father. Forgive me. I am the one who stole Lilith from Adam. I confess that it was my son that she bore. I accept my responsibility and welcome your divine punishment. I only ask that you grant Naoutha your mercy. The sin was mine, not his." "Raguel-!" Azrael gasped in shock. Within seconds Raguel collapsed to the floor of his cell as a great, invisible weight pressed him down. He grunted and gasped under the strain but did nothing to stop it. A second later, Raguel vanished from the cell without a trace. As shocking as this event had been, they each would get the distinct sense that Raguel had not been destroyed. Merely transported elsewhere. Somewhere unreachable. --- Lilly frowned at Raven's words and nodded to Death when he told her to talk to him. She walked over to her adoptive brother. "I know how you feel." She told him. "I felt exactly like that for so long that I buried my powers deep out of fear of what I'd become if I used them. But we don't have to fear them. We just have to know how to control them. I learned how to harness mine today and I learned that as much as I am capable of terrible things... I am equally capable of using my powers for good." --- After viewing a few houses, Eve got a good idea of how modern homes looked. John seemed to become increasingly distracted as he continually peered out the windows and over his shoulder. After some time, he leaned in to whisper to Adam so as not the alarm the pair. "I don't know for certain but I feel like we're being watched. We've lingered for too long. We should leave. Now." --- "Huh?" Parker stared at Will cluelessly when he'd said he recognised Alex's look. "What do you mean?" --- "And I didn't be a wolf like I promised!" Jack told Xenos proudly. It had taken some effort to integrate Jack into a normal school in order to give him some form of normality. But he seemed to have adapted to ordinary life very quickly. Tia was concerned by Xenos's words but nodded and turned to their guests. "Please, make yourselves at him." She then turned to Jack. "Be polite," she said firmly but gently. "I will mama!" Jack said sweetly. As Tia and Xenos walked to another room, Jack ran over to his plane and brought it back to show Layla and Nil. "Do you like planes?" --- "It's fine..." May said softly to Insanity. "I swore I'd take up this job to help those who need it. It was the right thing to do." She jumped when Amelia and Ash appeared, and as she witnessed the power transfer from Ash to Abaddon and then Abaddon's transformation. Barely comprehending what she was seeing, she had backed away from them until her back hit the wall as she looked on nervously. She began shaking when Abaddon awoke and tore off his restraints. When his eyes landed on her, she shivered fearfully. She particularly felt small as he stood. Then he spoke, apologised to her and offered her a wilted rose. Unsure of how to react, she slowly and gingerly accepted his gift with a trembling hand. "Th-thank you," she replied nervously, unable to take her eyes off him. "Abaddon, it's good to see you back to your old self." Amelia greeted him. She didn't mind Insanity perching himself on her shoulder. --- "With pleasure, Monsieur." Tuzo wrapped an arm around Napoleon's waist and vanished with him. After a brief stop to purchase a couple of bottles of Bordeaux, he teleported them to Mont St. Michel, where they managed to join a tour group at the last moment. After walking around and admiring the decor for a while, Tuzo looked around a particular room he liked the look of and just as the tour group started to file out of the room, he nodded to Napoleon for them to linger until they were the only two in the room. He'd found a sign written in French along the way that translated to 'Closed for Cleaning.' and had managed to pick it up without anyone noticing. As soon as they were alone, he hung it on the outside of the door and then locked them both in. Chuckling, he picked up the pair of crystal glasses on a nearby table that had been there for decoration and handed one to Napoleon. "This is thrilling," he admitted as he pulled the bottles of Bordeaux out of his bag. He poured them each a glass, setting the bottles on the table and lifted his own glass to Napoleon in cheers. "To the end of the war!" --- Damien couldn't help grinning at him playfully. "Excuse me, sir. I was wondering if you could help me. You see I have this awful itch that I just can't seem to scratch." he bit his lower lip seductively while lifting a finger to run it down the side of his exposed neck before toying with the loosened collar of his shirt. His eyes burned lustfully into Samson's "Just... here..." he breathed the words softly.

"They can be a pain in the ass at times, but they're good kids." Kris smiled. "I need to handle some other business, so I'll leave you to get settled in," he said, knowing it was about time he found and confronted Ortiz. He scooped up Violet's hand and kissed the back of it. "Goodnight, Violet," he said before letting her hand go and vanishing. --- "Well, that went better than expected!" Lang grinned at Luis. He then chuckled at Reed's comment. "Maybe when you meet the right person, you'll get it." He suggested. He checked his watch after realising how dark the sky was beginning to grow. "Oh wow, time sure has flown by today. My shift is over." --- Azrael stared at the spot their friend had just been and worried about what he might do. Especially after seeing him donning his armour. "Do you think we should go with him?" He asked nervously as he exchanged a worried glance with Gabriel. --- Raguel stared at Nate in surprise then narrowed his eyes whilst looking away and muttered "Damn it, Gabriel..." He quickly looked around to make sure no guards were around to listen in. "Keep your voice down, Naoutha!" he said quickly under his breath and then gave Nate an apologetic look. He'd been dreading this moment for centuries. Over the years he'd imagined how he might go about breaking the news, if ever. He'd never once thought that it might end up like this. "I-..." he faltered. All the speeches he'd ever imagined giving to Nate suddenly evaporated from his mind. "I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't expect you to save me. But please know that everything I ever did... it was to protect you. I didn't want you to feel that you were different. I wanted you to feel like you were equal to your peers." He stopped and lowered his eyes to the ground. All the morally questionable things he'd done. In an effort to convince Nate he was like the rest of the first Angels, he'd erased his memories of growing up and manipulated him to make him believe that he'd been created by God like the others. He'd even gone as far as to manipulate the memories of Gabriel and Azrael when Nate had started to bond with them so that they, too, would believe he had been created, the same as them. One of his many, many regrets was that he hadn't been able to save Nate from God's wrath. He had been unable to interfere when Nate had been assigned as an Angel of pleasure. Almost like God had done it to spite Nate's father for the sin of tainting Lilith. Then Raguel suffered to know that he couldn't save Nate when he had been cast into ADIEU's facility as a punishment for his defiance. Because doing anything to help Nate on either occasion would have certainly revealed him to be Nate's father, and thus would have doomed Raguel to a worse fate. "I know that it will mean little now... but for what it's worth Naoutha..." He said quietly as he brought his tearful eyes up to his son's. "I've always loved you. And I did... and still do, love your mother." --- Lilly chuckled and shook her head a bit when Death admitted he'd collapsed on purpose. But she was thankful that he'd gone about it in such a way that it forced her to realise her own potential. It made her admire him all the more and made him seem so much wiser in her eyes. She let go of him and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Yes, father," she said with a smile as she followed him to wherever Raven would be now. --- Eve looked in awe around them at the perfect little cul-de-sac full of freshly built and decorated houses. "Oh, I don't know!" she giggled excitedly while holding Adam's hand. "Let's start at this end and work our way around!" She suggested while pointing to the nearest house. John watched over them, following them as they enjoyed their day on Earth. Every so often he'd look around them warily. Worried they would be spotted by Angels but for the most part, they blended in with the other humans. --- "Dad's gone home. He was tired after today." Parker told Will. "And we're excited to be uncles, right Alex?" River beamed and nudged Alex with his elbow. Alex barely moved or looked at Parker but he nodded. "Sure. River, can you take me home? I'm pretty tired too." Parker stared at Alex, sensing something was off. "Everything ok?" "Fine," Alex responded coldly. "Just tired. Like I said." "Well ok... you can talk to us, you know. If there's something-" "I said I'm just tired." Alex snapped, bringing his eyes back to Parker's to glare at him. "I'll take him home. I guess you two will need some time to prepare for Madeline's arrival tomorrow anyway. Good to see you're alright, anyway." River said to them before placing a hand on Alex's shoulder. "C'mon then, grumpy," he said before vanishing with him. --- "Dad!" Jack dropped his plane and made a beeline for Xenos to hug his legs. "You're in time for dinner," Tia said as she stepped out of the kitchen with a pair of oven mittens in one hand. "You're... you're both wolves!" Layla said in surprise, having caught their scent. Then she realised why they seemed so familiar. "Oh wow! You're from that pack we saved in the Steinheil case!" Jack had little to no memory of that horrible place by now, but Tia stiffened at the memory before nodding a little. "Yes." "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean- I just wasn't expecting-" Layla trailed off, embarrassed as she looked at Xenos. She hadn't known he'd fallen for one of the wolves from a past case, let alone settled down. She'd just never thought he was the type to be a family man. "I made beef and vegetables," Tia told them, trying to relieve some awkwardness. "You're welcome to join us. "I got- I made a friend at school!" Jack told Xenos excitedly as if he'd been bursting to tell him all day. "His name is Ryan and he likes cars and planes and superheroes, like me!" --- "Um...?" May looked over at Insanity questioningly. "That's everything, right?" --- "How about Mont St. Michel?" Tuzo suggested, referring to the large, beautiful castle in Normandy. "We can admire the architecture. Perhaps we could even steal away to one of the twenty rooms when the rest of the tour isn't looking and... enjoy each other's company." He purred. --- "It's what I do." Amelia smiled as she shook his hand. She took out her phone when she felt it buzzing in her pocket. Looking over the texts and images, her eyebrows furrowed. "Speaking of redemptions... Ash, I'm going to need you to come with me. There's someone who needs your help specifically," she said as she brought her eyes up to his expectantly while turning her phone to show him the image of the unconscious and powerless Abaddon. --- Damien had walked a few blocks away from Parker & Will's house before he had to stop and lean against a nearby wall to catch his breath. His skin was crawling. Itching. And he felt an ache in the pit of his stomach that only one thing would ease. Venom. Having exerted himself to change Parker, he'd brought on his cravings at a much faster rate. He yanked the top few buttons of his shirt loose to cool himself off as he broke out in a cold sweat. He needed the venom. He needed Samson. The thought of his body pressed against his while he received his vampire's kiss was almost enough to drive him wild with desire. Without meaning to, he'd teleported to Samson's front door where he felt a sudden wave of dizziness from the effort. He paused. Not wanting to look desperate, he took a moment to straighten up his shirt and hair before knocking on his door.

"It's... different," Kris admitted with some shock. "That's not a bad thing, though." He turned his attention to Blake when he arrived and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We all come from a troubled past here," he told him. "The best Tricksters look passed petty slights to utilize a skilled potential ally. She could be of great benefit to us... eventually." He explained but then gave her a cautious glance. "As long as she proves that she can be loyal." "Hey, boss! We got the uniform you wante- who's the Leela looking broad?" Drake appeared and gave Violet a confused look. He was holding up what was clearly a 'sexy maid' costume, still in the clear plastic bag from a costume store. "Sir, I told him you were only joking and that we should get a proper maid uniform but he wouldn't listen..." Benny appeared as well. "Leela?" Kris looked at him, puzzled. "You know, from Futurama!" Drake said and when Kris continued to give him a blank stare he rolled his eyes. "The TV show from yonks ago?" "I don't watch TV," Kris said dismissively. "And Benny is right, I meant an actual maid uniform not... that." he gestured to the bag with a hint of disgust. "Ugh! But I already went through the trouble of lifting it!" "Which I also told him not to do..." Benny huffed. "Five-finger discount, mate." Drake laughed cheekily then lightly tossed the costume at Violet. "Eh, you might as well have it anyway. I'm going to bed! Night Boss. Night 'Leela'!" and with that he spun on his heels and started to strut away. Kris's lips thinned in agitation, and he lifted his index finger. Drake was still walking, but now on the spot as he stopped moving forward. "Wha-?!" He'd gasped and Kris twirled his finger a little, causing Drake to turn around while still walking on the spot. When Kris lowered his finger, Drake found himself walking back towards them before stopping and folding his arms. "So not fair that you can do that." he pouted. "What is it you kids say nowadays? Git gud scrub?" Kris responded sassily. Benny chortled, earning a moody glare from Drake. "Now, apologise to our guest and say goodnight properly," Kris said sternly. "But she's a succubus!" Drake complained and Kris lightly clipped him around the ear with his hand. Not hard enough to hurt him but enough to shock him. "Alright, alright!" Drake conceded and then made a dramatic bow to Violet. "Good night, M'lady!" he said sarcastically and playfully before looking at Kris. "Can I go to bed now, sir?" "Yeah, get gone, rascal," Kris smirked. "You two, too. Bedtime." He said to Benny and Blake. "G'night, boss!" Benny said before turning and running to catch up with Drake who was already halfway down the hall. --- "Jack, right?" Lang walked over to him and held out a hand for him to shake. "I'm Lang. I work in the same precinct as Luis, here. Could we maybe take a walk? There's something Luis wants to talk to you about." --- Azrael's face turned red and he rapidly looked from wall to ceiling and then he forced himself to look in Nate's eyes. For a moment, he struggled to answer Nate's question. Knowing what this would mean. He hesitated but knowing it was ultimately the right thing to do, he answered him in a quiet voice. "Lilith." He paused, giving it a moment for the news to sink in before he spoke again. "We're the only ones who know. Raguel told Gabriel in confidence not long ago. As soon as Gabriel told me we knew we had to be the ones to tell you. Nate, Raguel is in grave danger if this gets out. But we're your friends, so we'll stand by you no matter what." --- It seemed like such a small thing but the impact of Death's words on Lilly's confidence was profound. All her life she'd denied herself her own power out of fear that they made her some kind of monster. But Death had shown her that she was equally capable of using her powers for good. Overwhelmed with relief and happiness, she threw her arms around him once more to hug him tightly. Then a thought occurred to her and suddenly it seemed so obvious. Death was powerful. Too powerful to be taken so off guard and rendered so powerless by a mere novice. She pulled back and gave him a sceptical smile. "Wait, did you collapse on purpose to make me save you?" --- "As a matter of fact, there is." John grinned as he placed a hand on each of their shoulders. In a moment he'd teleported them close to a house where real estate agents were showing around potential buyers. --- They watched Will leave the room awkwardly, and then River turned to look back at Parker. "So, you going to tell us what happened?" He asked, barely containing his disappointment. After a heavy sigh, Parker went about telling them all about the social worker's visit. He showed them the photos of his daughter and concluded that he'd decided to finally accept Damien's offer to change him so that he would have the power to protect her. While Parker was speaking, Damien shuffled and fidgeted in his chair every so often, as if struggling to stay comfortable. "We're dads?" River asked in shock while staring at the photo in his hands. "Don't be weird." Parker rolled his eyes. "I don't wana confuse her. This family is confusing enough already. You're both uncles. I'm her dad." Alex was quiet as he too stared at the photo in River's hand. He hadn't spoken a word since it had all been explained. There was a silent, envious rage building within him that he was trying desperately to suppress. "Well, I guess..." River conceded. "I mean, it'd be a bit hard to explain... this." he gestured at himself. "So when is the little princess coming home? I gotta do my uncle's duties and spoil her rotten!" "Tomorrow." Parker chuckled. "But it might be best to introduce everyone to her slowly. I don't want to overwhelm her after what she's been through. So, if it's ok with everyone, I'd prefer it if just me and Will meet her tomorrow." "Sure thing. Let us know when we can come and meet her." River nodded. Damien stood from his chair. "Now that we're all calm and friends again, I'm going to head home. Making Devils is tiring work." He smiled at Parker. Alex barely concealed a glare at the two of them and had to quickly look away from them as he became aloof. "I can take you home if you want." River offered but Damien shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I think I'd like to walk home. I teleport so often that sometimes it's nice to just slow down and walk, you know?" he explained. "Thanks, Dad," Parker said to him, and Damien looked at him for a moment. As if taken aback by his sincerity. A small smile found its way to Damien's lips as he nodded to him with softened eyes. "You're welcome," he replied, then headed out the door. --- "I'm ready when you are." Layla agreed as she nodded to Nil. Back at Xenos's home, Tia was busy in the kitchen cooking up a roasted beef joint with some vegetables. Meanwhile, little Jack was running around the living room with a toy plane in his hand while he made plane noises. --- "Oh, I'm so glad I called you! Hang on, I'll get a photo now..." May said and lowered her phone from her ear. She quickly and carefully made her way from her locker back towards John Doe's room. All the while she kept her phone hidden and kept an eye out for her supervisors. She could only imagine the kind of trouble she'd get in if they caught her snapping a photo of a patient. She snuck back into the room and quickly closed the door behind her before snapping the blinds shut. "Ok, I'm here. Hang on." She whispered to Carter through the phone as she crept back over to the unconscious man. She'd nodded a little to Insanity to show she was in the process of helping with his request. Shakily, she held her phone over the man's face. She struggled to stop shaking enough to take the photo without it being blurry. Fear of getting caught was one reason. The other reason was the anxiety this man had induced in her from his earlier attempt to kill her. She cursed under her breath a couple of times as she took blurry photo after blurry photo and deleted them, before finally, she got a photo clear enough to send. "Got it! Sending now..." --- At the news that Raguel had gone mad, assaulted Azrael and been imprisoned, Tuzo had to try hard to mask his relief with a feigned look of shock and sadness. "I see. That is troubling news," he commented, but then broke into a wide grin, and he raised his arms by his sides. "Still though, peace at last! I honestly thought I'd never see the day!" he caught the way Napoleon gazed at him and smirked while looking the man over. After receiving some of the best news he'd had in a long time, he was feeling in a celebratory mood. "I don't suppose you'd care to join me for a glass or two of Bordeaux, Monsieur Napoleon?" he asked in his most sultry voice. --- "Baking can wait," Amelia said, although in the back of her mind, she was wondering how long her egg timer had left back at home. She marched over to the bathroom door. "Ash? Listen to me," she called through the door. "You need to pull yourself together. What was so wrong with your original form? You shouldn't need to change how you look to be a father. Just being here for your child is enough!" She hesitated and then sighed and turned to lean against the door frame with her arms crossed. "I'm going to tell you something personal. It's no secret that I love my husband with every fibre of my being. But did you know his appearance has changed three times in the time that I've known him? But how he looks doesn't matter to me, because whenever I look into his eyes I feel the same love that I felt when I first met him." She smiled to herself at the memory of waking up in Hell and seeing him for the first time in Vincent's original body. Of looking into his eyes when he'd woken up back in his own body and recognising him immediately. And lastly, when his body shifted into the dark-haired man he is now after Insanity had attacked him, but she still saw the man she'd always loved as soon as their eyes had met. "He's the only man to ever truly see me and love me for who I am. He makes me feel safe, respected, loved... equal. And I love him. That's all that matters."

Kris smirked when he saw Violet down her drink, much like he had done. His smile grew a little wider when she mentioned lavender. On his way to the door, he plucked up a few incense sticks from the top of a tall chest of drawers and held them out for her to take from him. The sticks were lavender-scented. "I find it relaxing," he admitted as he began walking out of the room to lead her down the hall. "Your room is your personal space. Decorate it however you want." After a couple of turns, he stopped outside a door. He waved his hand over the handle and a distinct click could be heard as the door unlocked itself. He opened the door and stepped back to let her walk in first. The room looked like it had been unused for some time. A thick layer of dust covered all the surfaces and even the bedsheets. "Ah, I guess it's been longer than I thought. Hold on." He said as he peered in at the large cobwebs covering every corner and crevice. He closed his eyes briefly and his features strained before he snapped his fingers. The dusk and cobwebs burned away yet the rest of the room would be undamaged by the magical embers he'd produced. "There, a little better. I'm sure you'll make it feel like home in no time." --- "Just keep your cool and don't rush it," Lang told Luis. "And try to talk to him in private, where unwanted eyes won't see you if you need to get your wings out to prove a point. --- Azrael smiled a little but at Gabriel's suggestion, there was some sadness behind his smile. "Any other time I'd be all for it," he told him quietly. "But this isn't going to be easy and he's going to need us to be supportive." he moved forward and placed his hand on Nate's shoulder, giving it a gentle shake. "Nate," he spoke softly, but the seriousness in his tone would bring a stark sense of gravity to the moment. Much like how one would sense something was severely wrong by a friend or family's tone of voice right before they brought news of a loved one's passing. "We need to speak to you. It's important." --- Death's words had been comforting to Lilly as she cried into his robe. Then she felt him slump heavily and she strained to hold up his weight as he collapsed. "Father? Father?!" She gasped, barely strong enough to stop him falling so she eased him down as she knelt next to him. "Oh, I'm sorry! I'm sorry, father!" she wept. Panicking slightly, she worried that she had hurt him too badly when she'd lost control. She contemplated running out to get help but part of her couldn't help wondering if she might be able to help him somehow. Her eyes darted from his face to the door and back again. Taking a few breaths to calm herself down, she closed her eyes and once again focussed inwards to try to locate her dormant powers. Now aware of how it felt, she managed to find it quickly. It was dormant but present. Cautiously, she focussed her mind and emotions. Summoning it. Commanding it. 'Return what you took.' she thought over and over. She felt her power swell and it startled her so much that she almost lost focus. But she remained steadfast and she urged it to return some of the energy that it had taken. She felt her power expand around her, hugging her like a warm blanket on a chilly day. Her power then expanded further to also envelop Death. Carefully, she began trickling her energy little by little into him. It amused her slightly to think she was measuring out her powers, in a way, to grant enough to Death to help him recover whilst also leaving enough for herself that she wouldn't exhaust or hurt herself in the process. Like adding flour bit by bit to a mixture to achieve the perfect consistency for bread. Of course, without realising it, this scenario had provided Lilly with the perfect opportunity to properly become acquainted with how her powers feel as well as how to get them under control. Feeling like she'd given him enough of her energy, she opened her eyes to see if it had helped. --- Eve frowned. Her eyes moved from Adam's to look at the world around them before she brought them back to his. "When Eden is reborn, then?" she said with new resolve. "You should be safe by then. No one will be able to deny you your rightful claim as Eden's rulers." John said confidently. "And it would be my honour to serve you both as Royal Guard." he thought for a moment and then smiled as he suggested; "Perhaps we could look at some 'open houses'? You could be posing as a newlywed couple looking to buy your first home and see the interior of some houses being sold." --- "Kombucha?" Damien repeated while he looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Never heard of that one. Tea is more David's style, than mine. I was always a coffee man." "So, that's where I get it from..." Parker commented with a relaxed smile. He ate his own sandwich heartily. He'd always enjoyed Will's food. "Did you seriously dip from the hospital and not even let us know?" River said irritably as he appeared in the room with a sudden 'pop!'. He'd been loosely holding Alex's elbow to bring him along, too. "What gives?" Parker's face flushed with a mixture of shame and embarrassment. He'd forgotten that they'd been at the hospital too, hanging out in the waiting room for news on his operation. "Shit. I-... I'm sorry. So much happened and-" "Your leg!" Alex gasped. "I thought they were amputating it? It looks fine!" Parker's face turned a slightly deeper shade of red. They'd really missed a lot. "Boys, calm down," Damien said calmly after finishing the last bite of his sandwich. "There's a good explanation for all of this." "You smell different too!" Alex pointed out, still staring at Parker. "You're a Devil now!" River gasped. "I can sense it!" "Oh, man..." Parker groaned. "I thought you were too high and mighty to take Dad's gift!" Alex protested enviously. "You fucking hated him a few hours ago!" "Enough." Damien snapped shortly, his eyes flashed red for just an instant. "Your brother has had a very trying day," he said a bit more calmly. "We can explain everything, but you both need to calm down and listen." Alex sulked but stayed quiet with his arms folded. River glared back at his father stubbornly. "Fine. But just for the record, leaving us to wait and wonder like that was a dick move." "Noted," Damien responded coolly. --- "Well, I mean... I kinda helped with that, but whatever." Layla said with playful sass. She then gave Xenos an appreciative look. "Thank you." She took Nil's hand and looked up at him lovingly. "In a crazy, roundabout way though... I guess we have you to thank for bringing us together." She said to Xenos. --- "I don't suppose you know anything about Demons or Devils?" May asked timidly. She was used to supernatural beings, but running into afterlife beings wasn't an everyday occurrence for her. "Apparently, a John Doe here is a Devil who's lost his memories and powers to another Devil called Astaroth. Um, his friend mentioned another name... uh, an Amelia. Apparently, she could help... whoever she is." --- "The French certainly are resilient," Tuzo commented with a nod of approval. "A selfie with The Napoleon? How could I possibly say no?" He chuckled as he took out his phone and stood beside him, holding his phone up to get them both in the shot. "Say Fromage!" he cheered before snapping the picture. After admiring the photo for a moment, he beamed at the fellow Angel. "I hope you don't mind my asking, Monsieur. I have been away from home for so long that I've fallen behind on current events. How does Heaven fare of late? I imagine it's as safe and guarded as ever with Arch Angel Raguel commanding Heaven's forces. I overheard some angels a while back mentioning the war was over. Is this really true?" --- Amelia appeared, wearing a messy green tartan apron. Flour was splattered here and there. On her apron, her arms and even a little on her cheek as well as in her hair, which was loosely tied into an equally messy bun. "Sara, what's wrong?"

"But then, who would I get to clean my underwear for free?" Kris joked and winked at her. Seeming to be satisfied with her answer, he got up and moved to sit a little closer to her. Still leaving her enough space so as not to feel crowded by him. "You were doing what you could to survive in a harsh world. I can respect that. We might not be the same, but we're survivors too." He told her, hoping it would help her feel that she wasn't quite as alone as she might've thought. "Thank you for being honest with me, Violet," he said quietly to her. "Look, I'm not going to take the bracelet off you now. You at least owe us for the trouble you caused, and you've yet to earn my trust. But that doesn't mean that bracelet has to stay on forever. I meant what I said before. I'll protect you for as long as you're working for me. Who knows, maybe when I finally do take it off you, you'll decide that you actually fit in here." he shrugged and drank the rest of his drink. Looking at the remaining dregs in his glass, he sighed. "I suppose I'd better find you somewhere to sleep. Preferably, a room for yourself," he stood and stretched a little. "Alright, come on. You can bring that with you. Call it a nightcap." He nodded to her drink. --- Audrey turned and smiled at the boy as he spoke to her. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and with her free hand she patted the top of his. "This one's a keeper," she grinned at her granddaughter. "Thank you, young man," she said, turning to Blake. She then let go of his hand and turned to leave the room while waving a hand lazily to them. "Good night, you two." --- Relieved that there was no longer any tension between them all, Lang smiled and nodded. Alright then. I guess we'd better get going." He led the way out of the precinct, assuming they'd travel over to the next precinct in one of their cars. --- Azrael was still reeling from the news, but if there was one thing he felt certain of with every fibre of his being, it was that Nate deserved to know the truth. Particularly as they were all close friends, it would be a betrayal to keep this from him. So when Gabriel said they'd tell him together, he nodded with a mixture of relief and resolve. "This won't be easy, but I'm ready when you are." --- Head tilted back and eyes skyward, Lilly couldn't see what Death was doing. Curiously, though, she could sense his every movement as keenly as if the air around them was an extension of her. She felt him struggling to his feet, fighting his way towards her, and then she felt his arms around her. She heard his words and desperately wanted to tell him that she didn't know how to stop. Tears rolled down her cheeks as her mouth continued to move, straining to form the words that she was chanting against her will. She realised with sickening clarity that if she wasn't able to get this under control, then she had the potential to not only destroy Death, but his kingdom along with him. 'I won't!' she thought to herself desperately. 'This is my power! Mine! It does not control me! I control it! I will not destroy my home! I will not destroy my father!' Her chanting became more strained until it sounded more like a mixture of growling and groaning. She focused on her mouth. Mustering the will to force her jaw to clamp shut and stop the chanting. She continued to growl, the noise now muffled behind her closed mouth. She felt the static in the room begin to fizzle. The power behind her spell weakened without the continuous chanting to charge it. Now that she had regained control of her speech, she focused her mind inwards. Focussing on the swirling, erratic, sharp and static power that continued to whir around them dangerously. She felt it within her and how it extended to every part of her body. In her head, her hands, her fingertips and right down to her feet. She was curious about how odd it felt now that she was aware of it. But she didn't have time to dwell on it if she wanted to save her father. Concentrating on this new feeling, she urged her power to stop and to restore everything in the room to how it had been before her 'awakening'. It wasn't immediate, and she felt she had to be stern with it, as if the power itself was a being all its own that was capable of reasoning but was too defensive and immature yet to listen to its host. Stubbornly, Lilly insisted on ordering this power to bend to her will until finally... it relented. All at once, the spinning razor-like aura evaporated into nothing. Everything in the room returned to how it had been before they'd begun. Lilly's feet returned to the ground, and as she gently landed, her arms shot up to hug Death tightly while she sobbed into his chest. Simply relieved that it was over, but also feeling guilty that she had hurt him. --- John brought his eyes back around to Adam's and nodded. "Food from Earth is tricky. It spoils faster in Hell for some reason, but we could work something out," he told them. "When it becomes Eden and can sustain life, though, it should be easy enough to bring livestock over with some seeds to plant crops. Then we'd be able to make our own." "We came to see the styles of the modern world," Eve said as she finished up her meal. "I am eager to see how people decorate their homes. With how things look out here..." she gestured to the world in general. "I'll bet homes are otherworldly on the inside!" "Alright, but we shouldn't linger on Earth for too long. We're already exposed out here. All it would take is for one Angel to see me and recognise you two, and our new Eden will be at risk," John warned them as his eyes scanned the surrounding area once more. Luckily for the trio, Heaven and its Angels were very much preoccupied with the current power vacuum to ever notice them at the moment. --- "Oh, that was thoughtful of you," Damien said. His way of indirectly thanking him. He accepted his plate and looked at the tofu curiously. "You don't like it?" Parker asked as he observed his father. He then smiled at Will when his own plate was passed to him. "Thanks." "No, it's not that," Damien replied. "I guess I kinda got so used to not eating that I'm not used to being handed food anymore," he chuckled lightly. "You don't need to eat?" Parker asked curiously. "Some of us just don't need to. Lucifer didn't. I thought I did at first, but then I wondered if I would starve if I didn't. I mean, not that it would've mattered if I had staved. I knew I'd just wake up in Hell with an annoyed Lucifer standing over me, calling me an idiot if I had. So, I stopped eating to test my limits. I got hungry out of habit to start with, but then the hunger pains kind of just stopped." Damien admitted. "But, you know what? I'll admit I do occasionally eat things to either fit in or try new foods. So, this is nice. I appreciate it." He nodded with a smile to Will before taking an eager bite of his sandwich. This would actually be the first time he'd try tofu. "It's good!" he said after swallowing his bite, then looked at Will curiously. "I duno why, but I never thought you were a vegetarian." --- Layla held her breath when Xenos vanished. She wasn't entirely sure what she was expecting to happen. It's not like she was there to witness it. After a moment, she moved around Nil to hug his side. "Do you think he will do it?" She asked him while glancing towards the door, half expecting him to appear again. --- After finishing her routine checks, May had headed to her locker to dial Carter's number. "Hey, it's May, the nurse from the hospital. You gave me your business card a while ago. I don't suppose you're still in the supernatural detective business? I may have a job for you." --- The French gentleman who had been knocked down stared in awe at Napoleon as he helped him to his feet and signed his notepad. "Merci!" he said almost breathlessly and blushed as he stepped back to let the next fan have their turn. Seeing this as an opportunity to find out the latest events in Heaven without risking stepping foot there, Tuzo had joined the line of fans, waiting to be greeted by Napoleon. "Bonjour!" He sang cheerily as his turn came up. "It's nice to see a fellow Angel enjoying the company of mortals. I love living among them on Earth. May I ask what brought you home, Monsieur Napoleon?"

Awesome. I hope you had a lovely time with your family :D I'll finish up my reply after work.

Oh, don't worry! There's no rush! I hope you're having a lovely time with your family 😄 Awesome, I'll give it a little while so we can finish up a few of the stories we've already got going before I start the new idea. Maybe after I have the Spirit Council call the next meeting cos there's a few things they want to address first 😉 But basically for this idea I thought we'd do another portal event but this time its from a more parallel universe to this one. Where everything and everyone is near enough the same but had minor events in their past happen slightly differently which caused a massive change in the timeline in that universe. So, for instance, in the other universe Lucifer didn't disappear and he was the one who found Amelia instead of David. Resulting in Amelia being raised and trained in Hell as one of his best soldiers until she was old enough to be changed into a Devil at which point she murdered him and Damien to take the throne for herself. This of course would affect Carter and Sebastian's story in this other universe as Sebastian would never have been rescued from ADIEU and Carter would likely have wound up being kidnapped and successfully turned by Bryce who had likely 'saved' him from being murdered by Vincent & Theo. But yeah, my general idea was having these 'evil' versions of our good characters stepping into this world and causing some absolute chaos xD

Also, I had a pretty wild idea for a plot that'll add a little chaos to our rp lol

Hiya 🙂 Hows you? I made a new thread to continue our rp and put my latest response in there. Don't forget to follow the page for updates 😉

Kris continued to smirk at her, but it was a little strained. "You'll call me 'Boss' or 'Sir', like everyone else here." He told her firmly. He considered her question for a moment. "Because I know what it's like to grow up being treated like a pawn in another man's game. Those kids have potential. Every one of them. They might grow up and branch off to become their own bosses. They might choose to do something different with their lives. Or they might stay and continue to work for me. So long as they're loyal and work hard, I will do everything in my power to protect each and every one of them from those who would mistreat them or use them for their powers." He took a swig of his drink and stared at the liquid for a long moment as he almost lost himself to dark memories. "Why did you come here, Violet?" he asked and turned his head to study her carefully. "Power, I get. But I'm sure there are other sources of power in this world that are older and more potent than me and my little tribe here. Why us? What were you looking to gain, really?" --- "Ah, young love." Auntie sighed dreamily as she watched the pair. "Salem, dear, I'm going to turn in." She said as she walked towards the back of the shop, feeling it would be best to give them some privacy. "Thank you for seeing us home, Blake." --- Lang slowly closed his eyes, his shoulders slumped, and he let out a low breath as Luis revealed he was considering leaving the force. "Oh, Luis. I'm sorry that I snapped at you like that," he scratched the back of his head, feeling awkward. "Don't go making rash decisions, though. Becoming an Angel is an adjustment. Maybe ask Will for some time off so that you can think things over, at least?" he suggested and then looked back at Reed and smiled a little. "And I'm sorry if it seemed like I wasn't taking you seriously before. I really was just trying to keep your spirits up, but I guess it backfired. Start over?" --- Azrael's lips tightened at Gabriel's comparison of Uriel and Raguel, but now that he pointed it out, he could see it. Both had a knack for politics and subterfuge. Only Azrael would argue that Raguel was much more skilled at the latter. He'd opened his mouth to comment on this when Gabriel's next words caught him so off guard that his drink slipped out of his hand completely, and he barely registered the rest of what Gabriel had to say. The glass shattered on the floor, sending tiny glass shards and brown liquid everywhere. But Azrael didn't seem to notice at all. His eyes were fixed on his friend. "What?" He'd gasped. He briefly thought to question whether this was some outrageous joke, but this wasn't something to be joked about. Not even between Angels such as Azrael and Gabriel. "He said that? You're certain? Does Nate know?! My God... Gabriel! Raguel will be destroyed for this... and Nate... fuck! We have to tell him. You know we do. He deserves to know!" A mixture of emotions rushed through him. A part of him was still angry enough at Raguel to see this as some twisted form of justice or karma. But on the other hand, Raguel had trained, protected and looked out for the trio for a length of time that would be unfathomable to mortals. --- Steeling herself, Lilly braced for Death's attack. As she felt the static in the air and the rush of danger approaching her, she closed her eyes, grimacing as she expected nothing but pain. Feeling the energy almost upon her, she felt nauseous and dizzy. She had assumed this was due to fear, but within seconds, she could feel a wave of something unknown yet familiar washing over her. Involuntarily, her eyes snapped open. They were completely black, just as they had been at the portal. She felt her body lifted just a few meters above the ground as her own green aura surrounded her. This all happened just in time for Death's energy to strike her, but instead of sending her flying back, it seemed to be sucked in and mingled with her own aura. The static in the air shifted and felt more volatile as both auras spun around her faster and faster. This created a shield that looked as volatile and dangerous as the air around them felt. Lilly wasn't in control. She was barely conscious, frightened and internally fighting to stop whatever was happening to her. Her head tilted back and, of its own accord, her mouth began chanting in a language from her own world. But every other word stuttered, strained and elongated as she tried to force herself to stop. At one point, she had managed to force herself to replace a strange word beginning with 'F' with "Ffff-Father?!" before the rest of the chant resumed just as stuttered and strained as before. --- "Tacos?" Eve repeated the word, fascinated by this new world and the new foods that their children had created. She followed him eagerly, and while the pair were enjoying their meal, John kept a wary watch. Despite the warm day, he pulled the hood up on his jacket. Fearful that a passing Angel might recognise him. He turned in to look at the first humans in time to see Eve copying Adam at opening their Coke can before taking a sip. She crinkled her nose with a delighted smile. "The bubbles tickle the tongue!" She giggled excitedly and took a much larger sip before burping involuntarily. "Oh!" she blushed, covering her mouth. "Carbonated drinks do that when you drink them quickly," John said to her. He couldn't help smiling at how adorably she was reacting to each new experience. He caught himself and worried for a moment that he might make Adam jealous, so he averted his gaze from her. Eve hadn't noticed at all. She was far too busy enjoying the taco she was eating. "Such wonders! We must bring some of these to our Eden!" She said excitedly to Adam. --- "Thanks." Parker took the note and went into another room. There, he dialled the number and went about explaining to the social worker that he had been discharged from the hospital, that he had a new prosthetic and was now ready to take Madeline in. "Oh wow! I only saw you a few hours ago!" The social worker commented. "Are you sure you're ready? We can arrange visits to start with. I understand that it is a large commitment, and with your condition-" "It'll be fine. The blood test came back positive, and I've made the arrangements." Parker cut her off. His tone was assertive. "Well... alright." The social worker sounded taken aback. "But just so you know, it might be an adjustment for her. It's going to take time for her to settle in and she-... she's still asking her her mommy is." Parker's heart sank at this, but the social worker continued. "We've told her her mommy is in Heaven, of course. But I don't think she fully understands that she can't come back." "I... I see." Parker sighed and rubbed his eyes with his fingers. "I'm sorry. I know it's not something you want to hear, but I just wanted to prepare you. We'll bring her around tomorrow to give her time to come around to the idea of living with her daddy. Would 9 am be alright?" "Uh, yeah. Yeah, that would be fine." Parker answered. Damien stirred on the couch and opened his eyes. He stared at the ceiling for a moment while thinking 'this isn't my place...'. Sitting up, he looked around at the familiar furniture that he'd only briefly seen before. "Huh... I guess he doesn't completely hate me," he mumbled to himself. Then he saw Parker emerge from another room with his mobile phone still in his hand. "Hey, how are you feeling?" Damien asked him. "I feel like I should be asking you that. I fully collapsed after we got to the hospital." "Overexertion." Damien shrugged. "It's something to watch out for, especially when you're a new Devil. I knew I was pushing my luck teleporting us, but at least you're home safe." "Thanks..." Parker nodded and sat in a chair nearby. "I uh... I actually feel pretty great," he admitted with a small smile. "I feel... strong. Alive." Damien smiled too, remembering how euphoric his first few hours as a Devil had been too. --- Layla hid behind Nil, huddled against his back while they listened to X, but she was less inclined to believe what he had to say. At least until he pointed out that he'd actually had ample opportunity to bring them in. Then her judgment of him faltered for a moment. When X suggested they could ask him for help, she piped up. "The other experiments at the CIA, like Nil. They need to stop, too. Or your words will be empty!" --- "I don't have any-!" May began to argue in a hushed and irritated tone as she leaned over John Doe to check his vitals. But as she spoke, she remembered something and trailed off. She turned her head to look at Insanity and then sighed. "I'll see what I can do." She conceded. "But I'm making no promises!" she added while lifting her index finger. Back in her locker, she still had one of Carter's embossed business cards. She recalled being told he was a private detective for the supernatural and wondered if this could be something he could help with. --- Having followed his newest romantic pursuit to Paris, Tuzo sat outside a Parisian cafe to watch Tom from a distance. Tom, having no idea he was being pursued at all, had taken a trip to the city of love to enjoy a day of shopping and sightseeing. Despite Tuzo's stalking, by a series of wild coincidences and near misses, he had never once seen Nate around Tom because he only ever saw Tom when he happened to be alone. Therefore, he had absolutely no idea that Tom was already involved with anyone. Yet, this Tom always seemed incredibly private and didn't spend a lot of time outside of the hotel. He had no social media presence, and looking up any information on him almost always brought up nothing. Tuzo found the mystery of him alluring, so he wanted to enjoy simply observing him for a while before making his move. Tom had been moving between shops when he saw the commotion nearby. He blinked, having not expected to see Napoleon himself in the city of Paris. Of course, being familiar with Angels already, he merely smiled at the clamouring fans and continued about his shopping. Tuzo was equally surprised to see Napoleon back on Earth. Especially as an Angel. Tuzo and Napoleon had never met, but Tuzo knew enough about Human history to recognise why he was so famous. He half expected to see Tom rushing over to but when he looked at where he'd last seen Tom, he was nowhere to be found. "Dammit..." he whispered under his breath at having been distracted enough to lose him. Sighing and sipping the strong French coffee, he decided to watch Napoleon for a moment instead. Comforted in the knowledge that he could catch up to Tom later. After all, they were staying in the same hotel. "Monsieur! Monsieur!" A young man tried to approach Napoleon with a pen and notepad but was shoved out of the way by one of the other eager fans.

STORY CONTINUED HERE;

The world was already chaotic with a secret society of supernatural creatures hiding their existence from humans to simply survive. Throw in the afterlife and alternate universes and you've got some realms in desperate need of balance.

"Then that's where we differ, little girl," Kris smirked as he took another sip of his drink. "It's not poisoned, if that's what you're thinking." He commented with a nod to her drink. Admittedly, he had been tempted to use the love potion, but considering she was already powerless, it had seemed wrong to use it. Besides, the potion had been disguised as a bottle of wine, not whiskey. "But if you really want me to treat you like a prisoner, I can always take that drink away from you and throw you into a cold cell in our basement for a while," he teased with another smirk, glancing at her sideways. He seemed playful, but the threat was very much real. --- At Blake's comments about Demons and Angels, Auntie smiled knowingly but said nothing. There was a lot that this old woman had learned over the course of her life. Much of which was not even common knowledge among their own people. When Salem asked if she could show Blake the dance, she laughed heartily. Her eyes alight with joy, she laughed a little harder at Blake's comment. "Show him how it's done, φίλτατη!" (φίλτατη = filtatos = beloved/dearest. I've decided Autie is going to be Greek xD Looking up translations will be fun hahahaha) --- "If you must know, he's upset because of cold, unwarranted comments like that!" Lang scolded Luis, finally tired of putting on a happy facade in an effort to keep the peace. "And I was trying to keep his spirits up, but that's not working, and I guess it won't ever work unless the general attitude around here changes! He's here to do a job, just like the rest of us. He's a human being who is just as capable of his own thoughts and emotions like anyone else here. Where he came from and who he works for doesn't matter!" --- Azrael chuckled as he accepted the drink. "You know me so well," he said before taking a sip. "Oh, this is much better." He commented on their being away from the prying eyes of the other Angels. "We haven't been together long", he explained. "But what you said, about finding love, you were right. If only I'd noticed sooner that he'd been right in front of me all this time!" He smiled to himself as he took another sip of his drink. It felt nice to be talking so openly about it to someone he trusted. "So, to the other news then..." he said, shifting to a slightly more serious tone. "Raguel... I could tell he wasn't acting himself. Has he said anything in his defence? I saw the way Uriel was behaving when we arrived... trying to suck up to Death's children as if that will earn him any favors. Made me sick. You don't suppose he'd actually get Raguel's job, do you? I can't imagine having to take orders from that prick..." --- His first few words had been comforting, but Lilly was shocked when Death told her to attack him. Trusting him when he said he was strong enough to withstand her attacks, she nodded nervously and tried to focus. She tried. She concentrated so hard on trying to conjure up the faintest bit of magic to use that it started to give her a headache... but still nothing happened. "I don't understand!" She said, frustrated. "This is just like on Earth when I had wanted to use my powers, but they just wouldn't come! My powers only ever seem to come to me at the most inconvenient times! Like back in my home world, when those men attacked me and I accidentally reanimated Bob's skeleton! Or back on Earth, when I'd sensed the dead woman in the taxi driver's trunk. Or at Raven's portal when he'd attacked me-... Ohhhhh..." She stopped as a look of realisation came over her. "All those times... I was the one in danger. It was... I was... I was using my powers in defence. But I don't know how. In the moment, it was like my powers were using me, not the other way around." --- Eve grinned at Adam excitedly. "Have you tried the new food?" she asked him before looking around. Now that they'd been standing in the same spot for a few moments, her senses had had time to catch up and begin differentiating the various scents around them. "What of this vendor?" She asked, pointing to a taco stand in a nearby park. "I smell strange spices. It's making my mouth water." --- "I dunno..." Parker said thoughtfully as he stared at his father's sleeping features. He realised there was still a lot about Damien that he didn't know. Perhaps he was partially to blame for that. "I don't even know if he eats. Some Devils don't need to." He turned his attention back to the photos. "I wonder what she likes... Maybe she's a pasta lover, like me." He smiled a little. Before he'd been terrified. But now that he had the comfort of knowing he'd be able to protect her, this all felt right. "Can I get that number she gave you?" he asked as he brought his eyes up to look at Will. --- Waking up next to Nil, Layla groaned at the sound of the knocking. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if it was one of the local vampires. She and Nil seemed to have made fast friends with their new neighbours. A few of whom had since offered to bring them food and gifts daily. "I'll get this one..." She said groggily as she sat up and pulled some clothes on. She then stood up and wandered over to the door. Upon opening it and seeing who it was, she woke up fully and slammed the door closed again, keeping her weight against it in the vain hope it would stop Xenos from entering. "Nil, it's X! He's found us!" she called over to him in a panic. --- May had signed herself in and changed into scrubs before heading into the rest of the hospital to begin her rounds. Despite the usual difficult conversations, she hadn't been able to wipe the smile from her face as she looked forward to seeing James again at the end of the day. When she reached John Doe's room, she paused before opening the door. She knew she'd had to check in on him again eventually, but remembering his attack brought a slight tremor to her hand as it rested on the handle. Steadying her nerves, she took a breath and walked in, wanting to get it over with as quickly as possible. When the small creature known as Insanity spoke, she lifted her eyes from the clipboard to him. She signed and held the clipboard to her chest. "I'm not sure how you think I can help you with that. I'm just an ordinary human nurse. The most I can do is make him comfortable and try to get him back to health. Beyond that... I'm sorry," she shrugged with a sympathetic frown. "I have a lot of work to do..." she sighed and hesitated a little before stepping closer to her patient to check the usual things, such as his blood pressure and breathing.

Kris turned to glare at Violet. Despite the sunglasses hiding his eyes, his stare was cold and menacing. He had been very tempted to backhand her across the face and then tell her to speak only when spoken to... but that's something his old boss would have done, and Kris was determined to be a better man. A better leader. What their jobs entailed may not exactly be legal, but that didn't mean they'd have to be evil in the process. Turning back to the boys, he nodded to them. "So... what happened with Ortiz?" After some quick explanations from Benny as well as some ramblings and remarks from Drake, Kris weighed the information quietly for a moment before speaking. "I'll deal with it later. Go and find a uniform for our 'involuntary volunteer'. Make sure you're back by curfew." He told them. Both boys stood to attention, nodded and then vanished. With a heavy sigh, Kris turned to look at Violet again. His hand was just as tight on her arm. He teleported them both into his room, and he pushed her down to sit on a cushion. "Don't bother trying to run," he said to her coldly as he walked over to his little bar and poured two glasses of whiskey. He placed the decanter down and paused for a moment while staring at the liquid. Then, he took off his sunglasses, folded the arms neatly and carefully placed them down. He picked up the glasses before turning to look at the Succubus tiredly. His lavender eyes studied her for a moment. He then walked over to her calmly and offered her one of the glasses. "Welcome to your new life. Follow my rules. Don't cause any trouble. And you might just like it here. I'm not a man who likes laying a violent hand on a woman, but I must warn you. You try to hurt any of my boys, and I will not hesitate to put you in your place. Do you understand?" He teased the rim of his glass against his lips with a thoughtful look as he walked to the other side of the bed, away from her and sat down. He was making it clear that he had no ill intentions for her here. That, despite how it might've looked to begin with, he'd brought her here to provide her with a little comfort. To spare her any humiliation. He was still in control here, but he also respected her personal space. He took a sip of his drink, then turned his head to look at her. "I can imagine how it must feel to be stripped of power. To suddenly feel helpless and at the mercy of a stranger." A fleeting smile passed his lips as he recalled how he had felt that way once. But in a moment, his expression was back to being serious as he continued to look at her. "As long as you don't try anything stupid or try to hurt any of my boys, I will protect you. I can promise you that." --- Audrey watched her granddaughter with Blake for a moment, and while they were distracted with each other, she pulled a dagger from her purse and held it loosely in her wrinkled hands. It looked to be made of pure silver but somehow seemed purer and lighter than silver could ever be. It was her personal dagger. One, she had gone to great lengths in her youth to acquire and kept on her at all times for protection against evil. She looked at it now and considered the gravity of what she had intended to use it for. If not for Kris stopping her, she had been fully prepared to use it on the Succubus. But, of course, he'd been right to stop her. By then, the succubus had been powerless and using the dagger would have been immoral. But Audrey was no fool. She'd lived too long and seen too much to know the danger had not completely passed yet. Unless Kris was able to get Violet to change her ways, they would always have to be wary of her potentially getting her powers back. They weren't out of the woods yet. She sighed. She knew what she had to do, but parting with the dagger was hard. After all her years of keeping it close, she was reluctant to let it go. "Blake, dear," she said softly while turning her head to look at the pair. "I want you to have this," she lifted her frail-looking arms for him to take the dagger from her flattened palms. "It's my 'Serenity'. An Angel's dagger. It wasn't easy to get a hold of," she chuckled a bit at the last sentence before continuing. "It will destroy any creature from Hell. I know Kris will have plans for the Succubus, but take this in case those plans don't work out. If she gets her powers back and she tries to get revenge, don't hesitate to use it." --- Lang shrugged, still smiling. "I'd rather be chipper than sullen," he replied simply, then turned to leave. "While you study to act human, I'll be in the kitchen, stuffing my face with delicious doughnuts," he chuckled. --- "It was that obvious?" Azrael whispered to Gabriel and glanced around warily to see if anyone else around them had noticed. "Let's go to your place to talk. I feel there are too many unwanted eyes and ears here." --- Lilly suddenly seemed nervous at Death's words, but Raven's comments made her smile. "My friends from Earth showed me that. My world had science as well as magic, but nothing so advanced. I must admit, I could scarcely wrap my head around it." She admitted, then looked back at Death and nodded. "I am ready to learn, Father," she said, trying to sound confident, but her voice was tinged with anxiety. She knew she had to learn to harness her powers, but the thought of having to do so always reminded her of what she had done on Earth. --- "We will have to do so carefully, if that's you're intention," John said to Adam as he watched Eve cuddle into her husband's side. "If we bring them all to New Eden too quickly, they'll taint it like they've tainted this world." "We can teach them, can't we? We can teach them to be good?" Eve asked, lifting her head from Adam's shoulder to look between them. When she saw the grim expression on John's face, her own features hardened defiantly. "We cannot abandon them. Not like we were abandoned! We must help them!" she pressed, and John couldn't help but smile at her willfulness, finding it endearing. "We'll figure it out when we get to that point. But first, we need to actually build your new Kingdom." He told her, then took Adam's arm again. This time, he teleported them to the heart of a bustling street. Surrounded by people, street food vendors, clubs, bars, restaurants, various stores and more. All of it was wondrous to Eve, who simply stared around them, awestruck. The vehicles moving past them or beeping in traffic made her jump every so often. She stared with wide eyes at all the flashing lights and the strange new fashions. New smells and sounds assaulted her senses relentlessly as she tried to make sense of it all. It was a lot to take in, and she gripped Adam's arm tightly while her eyes took in every bit of detail around them. "Welcome to the modern world," Adam said with a smile. She looked at him briefly before her tearful eyes went right back to looking around, and she laughed at the marvel of it all. --- Parker hoisted his father onto the hospital bed, and at Will's comment, he immediately looked down at himself. "Huh!" He chuckled at the sight of his new leg. He then glanced over at the little window to his room warily and hurried over to shut the blinds before a nurse or human patient could notice his 'miracle'. To Will's suggestion of letting Damien rest at their place, he was hesitant to agree. He wandered back to the photos of Madeline and picked one up to stare at it. "I guess I owe him that much," he said reluctantly. "I dunno how I'm guna pull off seeing the CPS lady again with a brand new leg... maybe we can tell her it's a hyper-realistic prosthetic or something?" He gathered up the rest of the photos and looked at Will. "We should probably teleport out of here." He didn't know how to do it yet and worried that, like his father, he might not be recovered enough to pull it off yet without passing out. --- "I'd say I have a lot of books, but they're mostly medical for my studies." May chuckled as she got out of bed and started to get dressed. "Maybe have a look online if there's some classes going on or something. I know a few places do yoga or painting, or pottery... It might be one of those things where you just need to experiment and find something that makes you feel good," she said. She hurried out of the room to grab her keys and handbag, then came back to kiss his head. "There's a spare key in the bowl on the table. My shift ends at 8 pm, see you then?"

"Shut up." Kris snapped at Violet when he heard her complaining. He glared at her and kept a tight grip on her arm to stop her running off. He stood and dragged her to her feet along with him. When he looked up, he saw Auntie Audrey marching over with a dark expression. He quickly stepped between the old woman and the now powerless Succubus while still maintaining his tight grip on her arm. "Stand aside, Kris!" She barked at him, but Kris stood his ground. "She's not a threat anymore, Auntie." He said sternly. "She kidnapped my granddaughter, hurt her and put her in a cage! How dare you protect her!" "I hear you, I hear you." Kris nodded. "You want retribution. I'm tempted too. But she's weak now. Defenceless. It'd be wasted energy," he then smirked. "Besides. I may have an idea or two on how she can pay us back for the trouble she caused." Audrey's lips thinned in anger, but her eyes moved to Violet and then back to Kris while she considered his suggestion to leave Violet to him. "See to your granddaughter, Audrey. Let me handle the nasty work." He pressed, and the old woman gave a relenting sigh. "Fine." She said shortly, then pointed a thin, wrinkled finger at the Succubus. "If you harm my granddaughter, Kris or any of his boys, there will be no one to save you, dearie," she growled, then turned around to walk back to Salem. Kris nodded to the boys. "Blake, make sure Auntie and Salem get home safely. Take today off and spend it with them. You've earned it. I want you home by curfew to get enough rest to start your training again tomorrow, though." "What about us, boss?" Drake asked, his eyes having lit up hopefully that he and Benny might have also earned a day off by coming to help. "You two are going to tell me what happened with Ortiz," Kris said seriously as he turned his attention to them. "And then you're going to go out and find a uniform for our new maid," he added with a smirk as he briefly glanced sideways at Violet. --- Lang gave him an amused smile. "Alright, alright," he said gently, holding his hands up. "Do your research, then. But you can't say I didn't try to warn you." He said, then smirked as he added playfully. "If you're wrong, you gotta eat a whole doughnut as well as your normal calorie intake, though." --- Azrael couldn't help but blush at Death's comments, and his softened eyes lingered on his momentarily while he smiled almost bashfully. If it hadn't been obvious yet to Gabriel that there was something between them, it was sure as hell obvious now. He then realised what Gabriel had told him. That the council were still processing the events of the earthquakes and portal closure. Which would mean, if they weren't aware already, that they'd learn of what became of Raven. His eyes landed on Raven for a second, then lifted back to Death knowingly. When the Council would eventually come to deal with Raguel's replacement, they would likely also call upon Death and Raven. Both of them would need to be ready for this. The council notoriously have no patience for emotional outbursts, so when called upon, they would need to be both concise and measured when delivering their perspective. Two days didn't leave them with a lot of time to put together their statements. "Sire, perhaps you and Raven should return home and prepare?" he suggested with a hint of haste to his tone. He then turned to Lilly, but before he could say anything, she spoke first. "I'd like to go home too. It's nice here and it would be nice to visit again... maybe when there isn't so much going on." "Ah- ever perceptive..." Azrael chuckled, then looked back at Death. "If it is alright with you, there is more I need to take care of here," he wanted to talk less formally to his friend and preferably in private. --- [Private Time] --- There was a brief delay from when Adam called for John to when John actually appeared. He seemed a little flushed but quickly shook that off to look from Eve to Adam with uncertainty. As if to silently ask him if this was a good idea. Eve was curious, but Adam's warning had unnerved her a bit. If their descendants are so lost that they needed to start over with a new Eden, then she worried how much of a dystopia the Earth had become. She hugged Adam's arm. "Keep me close," she said to him. After being without him for so long, one of the things she most feared was losing him again. She then caught the look on John's face and bristled. "Do not think me a meek child! You heard my husband! Show me the Earth. Show me what became of our children!" Her sudden ferocity took John aback a little, and he relented while giving Adam one last 'don't say I didn't tell you so.' look. He took Adam's other arm and in an instant, they were standing in a run-down-looking street. Shops were shuttered. Graffiti art was scrawled over every available inch of masonry. The streets were littered, and a half-starved stray dog with a foaming mouth was devouring trash nearby. A car alarm rang out continuously somewhere in the distance, along with the odd car horn and yelled profanities while a child cried. "Wha- What is this?" Eve shivered as she looked around, wide-eyed, while holding on tightly to Adam's arm. "The children that the rest of your children discard, neglect and forget about," John answered in a serious tone. "Where people struggle to afford the barest necessities and resort to theft or other underhanded tactics just to survive and then are punished for said survival efforts by the same people who look down on them from their large, warm houses." he turned his head to look at Eve sadly. "You wanted to see Earth. I thought it best you see what we need to avoid in our New Eden first. We can't help this world... but we can make sure nothing like this happens in our new one." "You're telling me there's no hope for them at all?" Eve asked in a quiet voice while her lower lip trembled and her eyes wandered across the dirty streets. --- Given how Damien would need to go about Parker's transformation, Will would have very much underestimated how long they would be gone. The moment Will had left the room, Damien wasted no time. He touched Parker's shoulder and teleported them into the Dead City's abandoned hospital so that Parker would land in another, albeit much dirtier, hospital bed. "Ugh, gross..." Parker complained as he flung the blood-stained sheets away from him. "Pretty sure that's some kind of biohazard..." "Not when you're dead." Damien chuckled, and after a brief sickly look from Parker, he quickly shook his head. "I'm not going to kill you. I don't need to. I can do the ritual Lucifer did for me." Not knowing much about how Damien was transformed, Parker could only take his word for it. "Fine... what do we need to do?" he said, less than enthusiastically. "We need to get you off the bed and onto the floor, first of all. C'mon..." Damien lifted Parker off the bed with ease, which surprised Parker quite a bit. "One of my powers," Damien said as he carried him over to a clear area. "I didn't figure it out until a random Angel picked a fight on Earth during one of my first few days as a Devil. Lucifer didn't show it, but I could tell he was impressed-" "Can we not talk about Lucifer?" Parker interjected, and Damien stopped short, looking a little hurt. "Sure. Yeah. No problem." He said as he gently placed his son on the floor. "Alright, it's really simple. You don't need to do anything but keep your hand in mine and endure. I'll do the rest." "Endure?" "I'm not going to lie, this will hurt. A lot." Damien elaborated a little with a regretful look. It was the only part of the transformation he wouldn't be able to shield him from. "Just focus on why you're doing this, hold on tight to that reason no matter what and whatever you do, do not let go of my hand." "A-Alright." Parker gulped and steeled himself as Damien took his hand and knelt in front of him. With a final deep breath between them, Damien began chanting. At first, Parker felt nothing but a little awkward. Then pain suddenly shot through every nerve, vein and muscle in his body. Even down to his bones. He let out a loud scream and instinctively wanted to pull his hand away, but Damien kept a firm grip on him, preventing him from pulling loose. The rest became a blur to Parker. He writhed and screamed and begged Damien to stop. All reason left him in these moments. It pained Damien to see his son like this, but he pressed on, knowing now it was too late to stop and they needed to see it through to the end. To both of them, it felt like it took an eternity. In reality, it took a little more than an hour to complete. And an hour further for them both to recover. Eventually, still panting and drenched with sweat, Parker opened his eyes. His body ached still, but he felt different. Brimming with new life and potential. He hadn't felt this strong since... He stopped the thought before he could complete it as the memory sickened him. But he wasn't like that anymore. This was a different kind of power. Fearful of what he'd see, he looked down at himself. He'd half expected to see his body as a blackened, charred and burned mess. But he was unscathed. He was surprised to see a large pentagram with infernal sigils had burned itself under him. Shakily, he looked over at Damien, who was watching him silently. Damien was also sweating and seemed exhausted as he sat sprawled on the floor with his back to the far wall. "Is-..." Parker started. "Is this what happened to you? Did it hurt that bad for you?" he asked him shakily. Damien nodded slowly before speaking in a tired voice. "Right before... Lucif-... He told me that if I wanted to be a Devil like him, I had to be strong, no matter how much it hurt. That I needed to try not to scream..." Damien glanced away as he recalled his own transformation. "So I didn't. I wanted so much to be like him. I looked up to him. So, I used every bit of strength I had not to scream... to show him that I could be strong, like him." "That's so fucked up!" Parker gasped. He couldn't have imagined trying to stay composed with that level of pain coursing through every limb like a raging fire. Damien shrugged with a short laugh. "That's just how it was then... we were at war, and he wanted me to be ready for anything. Even the possibility of being captured and tortured. My training was brutal, but... back then, it was necessary." Parker frowned. He understood a little more of why Damien was like he was now. He still wasn't ready to fully trust him, but he was starting to grow on him. "So, how long until I get powers?" "Oh, you'll already have those. Now it's just a case of figuring out what they are, but we have plenty of time for that. Now we just need to rest." "Can I go home and rest? The grungy ass floors in this place are grossing me out." Damien chuckled. "Sure," he groaned as he pulled himself to his feet. He walked over and helped Parker to stand. Although he now had two feet planted firmly on the ground, Parker had yet to even register the appearance of his newly grown leg. Damien teleported them both back to his room at the hospital on Earth before promptly collapsing and passing out, having used up too much energy for one day. Parker had moved rapidly, the short movement appearing to be a blur, as he caught Damien before he could hit the ground. --- Smiling with her eyes still closed, May savoured the feeling of James's fingers in her hair. "Mmm, and thank you for giving me multiple feelings last night," she joked, then moved her head to look up at him and a loving smile. "I love you, too," she said softly. She glanced at the clock on her nightstand and groaned. "I have to get up and get ready for work soon. I don't want to move, though," she chuckled. "I just want this moment to last forever."

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 🙂