Shadowess

"You may want to reconsider the relationship you have with that Angel," Kodi answered him. He was sweating a little but relieved as he bent down to help Sterling to his feet. For a moment, he'd been genuinely afraid for his own life as well as Sterling's. "I need to get some Angel friends of my own to locate Clementine... I have a pretty strong feeling that I should try to find her before he does." He said as he looked at him. "he said he wouldn't hurt her, but I don't trust him one bit. Thanks for your help. At least now I know what I need to do to find her." he vanished. Although he was only an acquaintance, he intended to go to Gabriel for help. After all, it wasn't like he knew many more Angels. --- Kris kissed her back, and for once, the thought that she might try to take his soul didn't even occur to him as he lost himself in her. He playfully threw her onto the bed and crawled on after her while kissing from her belly to her neck. --- Feeling her push him into the room and hearing the door slam, he whirled around and dropped the blood bag onto the floor. "No, wait-! Salem! I'm sorry!" He cried after her and flung himself against the door. "Salem, please! I didn't mean to! I-" he cried, then stopped to look at the reflection of himself in the glass window. The small amount of blood that had sprayed onto his chin when he'd dropped the bag. 'why the fuck did I do that?!' he thought to himself angrily as he wiped the blood from his chin with his hand. 'I ruined everything! I have nothing now!' From there, his emotions spiralled. Confusion, guilt, self-hatred, shame... it all surfaced, all at once and became difficult for him to control. Roaring, he began trashing the little room. Throwing small objects at the wall or onto the floor, and flinging the table across the room. When there was nothing left to destroy, he broke down into wailing sobs as he collapsed to his knees. Eventually, he calmed down enough to curl up in the corner, weeping quietly to himself. --- "Nah, wait until you meet her," Viktor said with a smile. --- Catching the excitement in Lilly's eyes, Azrael held out a hand. "No," he said firmly. "Just to your father and me. Don't forget, you two have your own destiny to fulfil. Closing the rift. Considering how keen the intruders were to try to get their hands on one of you, I have a feeling that the rift is somehow connected to their presence. We can't risk you. Either of you. We'll take the location from you for now..." he looked at Death. "I think we'll need to come up with a plan before we attempt to confront them." --- Lilith gave a sad smile but shook her head. "I have no need for it. All I could even want has already come back to me," she told him lovingly. Tom's own heart melted a little at how she spoke to him. He couldn't help smiling at her, and for just a moment, he had forgotten the horrors that had happened not long ago. Lilith took Tom's arm and brought him over to one of the tables to sit with her. Only showing Tom this amount of affection because not only was he Nate's beloved, but he was also not an Angel. She also got the impression, disregarding his attraction to her son for a moment, that this man had absolutely no interest in women. Which in itself made her feel safer near him than any other man she'd come into contact with, other than her son. "Come talk to me," she said to him. "Tell me of yourself." "Well, uh..." Tom stammered, unsure of where to begin. "Well, I was born in the US, but my parents came from Egypt," he started, but her lost expression had him at a bit of a loss as well. She wasn't familiar with Earth and its various countries or continents yet. "We've been living in France for a few years. I learned how to speak French pretty well during that time." "French...?" "Oui, je parle très bien français!" Tom beamed, but then looked a little lost again as Lilith looked even more confused. "It's another language." Lilith gave a small smile and nod in understanding, then asked him something in an alien tongue. Now it was Tom's turn to look baffled. "I speak Infernal," Lilith said with a smile. "It's another language," she added playfully to mirror him. "Oh!" Tom chuckled. "That's so cool! What did you say?" "I asked if you speak it." "Ohhh…" Tom laughed, "I guess you know the answer." "I guess I do. Perhaps we can trade. I can teach you Infernal. You can teach me this French?" "Sounds like a good deal." Tom nodded happily. "I know other languages too, if you want me to teach you those?" - "So, you see the orange character? That's who you're controlling. Mine is the purple guy. We it's like a kind of wrestling game. You gotta either throw your opponent off the ledge or find another way to defeat them. Here, let me talk you through the controls..." After a minute of showing Abaddon which buttons to press and allowing him some time to practice, they started their first round. - "You're welcome." Shezmu smiled at him, and he then turned his head away as he heard Lucretia's pleas for help. "I must go. Return to your studies for now," he told him as he stood quickly before vanishing. --- Tilting her head back, Layla let out little sighs with each of his kisses as they sent excited shivers down her spine. She let her hand wander over his chest and around to his back, eventually working her way down. [Private Time] --- "Oh, is that why he was moodier than normal?" She mumbled then chortled while covering her mouth with her hand, not intending to find the situation amusing but unable to help it. "Don't worry about it," she chuckled. "He tends to get a bit snippy with everyone, especially towards the end of his shift. I'm willing to bet that if anything, you just showed him you're not the type to be pushed around when he's in a bad mood." She hooked her arm around his and started walking with him again. "Now, how about that pizza? I'm starving." --- Samael didn't stop after knocking Cain back. He flew over to him and kicked him back down when he tried to get up before pinning him to the ground with his foot. "Knock it off, Lucifer!" He snapped, then froze with wide eyes as he realised what he'd said. --- "What, for real?" Damien asked in surprise. He narrowed his eyes. "I thought they could handle themselves. That my methods were too brutal," he folded his arms and stared at Hades. "What even happened back there, anyway? I only saw some of the action." --- "Um, here," Yvonne said as she reached into her purse and pulled out a photo. It was of her and her son smiling for the camera. She had her arm around his shoulders. The boy looked strikingly like his mother. His hair hung in loose brown curls, just past his ears. His eyes were the same shade of brown as hers, and his skin tone was just slightly paler than hers. Yvonne passed this photo to Carter. "Keep that as a reference, if you need it. I have a copy at home..." She fidgeted anxiously with her sleeve again while looking at the photograph in his hand. "So, um, what kind of rate do you charge for this sort of thing?" she asked and then held up her hands whilst adding, "Money is no issue, just so you know. I'd pay anything to see him returned home safely." --- Amelia* grinned at him, then faced the crowd of her adoring and loyal followers as she stood. "Today we are victorious!" She announced to them. The partying members of the crowd cheered and raised their mugs in reply. "Drink! Enjoy yourselves! But be ready tomorrow! We have much more work to do before we conquer this new world!" She declared before turning to face Nate* and walking past him whilst indicating for him to follow her. She walked into a separate room, which was much quieter than the previous one. She glanced at the sleeping Oliver in his makeshift crib, then nodded to Lilith* in thanks for watching over the child whilst she conducted her business. She kept walking into another room and waited until Nate* joined her before closing the door behind them. "Your mother has settled in with us nicely." She commented pleasantly. "I am grateful for her presence. And yours." She looked at him fondly as she leaned against a desk. "The vampire that I tried to take control of. This Tim? No, Tom. That was it. I saw a few of his memories as I pressed into his thoughts. It seems the Nate of this world has fallen in love with this daywalking vampire. The fact that their Nate looks identical to you grants us an opportunity. If you're able to take his place and convince this Tom that you're his Nate, you would be in a unique position to infiltrate them from within. The bad news here is, you're going to have to pretend to be monogamous to him if you really want to sell it." --- Shezmu appeared next to Lucretia and was shocked by her injuries. "Lucretia!" He bent down to scoop her into his arms. "I'm here. I have you," he said to try to comfort her as he teleported back to the castle and set her down on his bed. He looked her over and quietly cursed to himself as he realised he would once again need to share his blood today in order to save someone. He bit into the side of his hand and held it over her mouth. "Take a little. It will help," he told her quickly. "Where did you go? How did you get away?" he asked her urgently when he pulled his hand away from her. --- Kasper held on to Phineas tightly. The dogs were all whining now. One was walking in circles and occasionally growling. They could sense something bad and that it was close, but they didn't know how to track or smell it out. So, they all walked over to their masters to sit next to them and growl at anything that tried to get close. --- John was a little concerned by Adam running to Clementine, but before he could go after him to eavesdrop, Daisy had approached him with the baby to ask for help swaddling him. John glanced at the door that Adam had gone through and then back to Daisy before reluctantly smiling at her and agreeing to help. By the time Adam caught up with Clementine, she'd pulled on a cardigan and begun pruning a herb for her next batch of the elixir. She looked up at him as he approached her. She had already wiped her tears away, but her eyes were still a little misty. "Is everything ok?" she asked him as she quickly put the herbs down to face him. "The baby-?" she began, worried that something had gone wrong and that it would be her fault.

Shocked at the ease with which the Angel had grabbed his tail and didn't seem to be bothered by the razor-sharp edge, Kodi stared at him with wide eyes. He tried to pull his tail free and eyed the Angel's spear warily as the Angel spoke. "Who are you?" he demanded. He glanced down at Sterling, then shifted his face back into its human shape as he looked at the Angel pleadingly. "Heal him. He didn't deserve that." --- Kris grinned as he moved closer to her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and teleported them both into his bedroom. "As you are," he said to her as he removed his glasses with his free hand and dropped them onto the bedside table. His eyes looked into hers as he cupped her chin. "No forms. No pretences. Just you and me and this bed." He kissed her deeply. --- Benny watched tensely as Salem opened the door and held out the bag for him. The room seemed to fill up with her scent. For a moment, he wondered if it was her perfume, but he quickly realised that the sweet scent he was smelling was her blood. His mouth watered, and he gulped nervously as he slowly moved towards her. His intention was to take the bag from her slowly and gently so as not to startle her. As he moved closer, he couldn't take his eyes off her. He reached out towards the bag, but his hand moved passed it, and his fingers caressed the back of her hand. He realised what he was doing and knew it was wrong, but he couldn't help himself. His body seemed to move of its own accord as he drew closer to her and stared into her eyes, willing her to be still without really meaning to. His fingers glided from her hand, to her wrist and down her arm as he stood close enough to kiss her. He even contemplated it as his lips parted ever so slightly while he stared at hers. Then he caught himself. Realised what he was doing and gasped as he quickly pulled away. No longer willing her to be still, he gently yet quickly took the bag from her before turning to walk away from her. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean-!" He breathed. Shaking a little. "I won't do it again. I'm sorry," he brought the bag up to his mouth and bit into it, drinking quickly as if quenching his thirst could also somehow quell his hormones that were now eternally magnified by vampirism. --- "I'd like to hear about those!" Viktor chuckled. He cuddled up to his side and rested his head on his shoulder as a contented sigh escaped him. --- "My love, I think you misunderstand," Azrael said to Death thoughtfully as he carefully took the book from Lilly and kept a hand on the page so as to stop the pages turning. "'their essence will be redistributed and processed into their successors, who will inherit their role and take their place. However, the process involves reincarnation and may take a lifetime or more before the new Council can reclaim its rightful place. During which time a power vacuum and chaos may reign in all realms.'" He re-read the section. "It's saying the new council members have yet to even be born or maybe even chosen at a young age, and that they must live a full lifetime before they can ascend to the position. While we wait for that to happen, there will effectively be no Council..." he explained. "And here, 'It is due to this dire possibility that the Council must remain at all times within the safety of the Council Headquarters, for leaving may inspire darkness to follow them home.'... this is a warning to council members not to leave the safety of the Council Headquarters, in case they'd be followed back by someone looking to overthrow them... Of course, Raziel wrote this. He had to have seen this coming to put that warning there. He was trying to prevent it." "If he could see this coming, then why didn't he warn us at the party?!" Lilly asked angrily. In her grief, she wanted someone to blame for what had happened. "He's a prophet. He's forbidden from directly interfering with Fate." Azrael said gently. "That's ridiculous!" Lilly said, outraged. She then looked at Raven when he spoke, and her desire for revenge rekindled in her eyes. "Where? Where did you see it?" she demanded. --- The Irish pub was looking a little more clean and homely by the time Nate arrived with Tom. Having been restless while waiting for her son to return, Lilith had been busy cleaning and exploring the little Inn. "My son!" She beamed when she saw them arrive and hurried over to throw her arms around his shoulders. When she stepped back, she looked at Tom curiously. "Your friend?" she asked, misunderstanding the term. "Boyfriend," Tom said nervously. "We're in love," he explained and then realised how he might appear, so he quickly tried to wipe his tears away. "Um, it's nice to meet you-!" Lilith surprised Tom with a hug that almost knocked the wind out of him. "Oh! um-!" he glanced at Nate with a small smile as he gingerly wrapped his arms around her. "I guess you're not a handshake person, then. Good to know." Lilith let him go and took a moment to take in how Tom looked before she looked at Nate. "You found love, my son?" - "Allies", Oscar nodded to him with a smile. "It's a way of bonding," he explained, hoping that putting it this way would help one as old as Abaddon to understand. "Here- why don't we start a new game?" He held his hand out to Leo to take his controller so that he could play the game with Abaddon. "We'll start on easy mode to get you used to the controls." - Shezmu reached out and touched Dariel's arm to stop him leaving. He looked at the boy carefully. Like a proud father taking a moment to admire his prodigy. "If this is something that you truly want, then I promise to turn you when the time is right. But you are still young. You're still growing and learning. If I changed you now, you would forever be... as you are now," he gestured to him in general, meaning he would forever be a teenager. "It is dangerous to turn someone who has not yet matured. Your emotions, appetites and lusts are not yet mastered, and my power would only magnify them tenfold. You would find even the smallest emotion difficult to bear. Do you understand?" --- Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, Layla let herself get lost in his kisses. --- "What, Niles?" May raised an eyebrow. "I know he can be a bit snarky, but he's not a bad guy. He's just new and getting used to the long hours, that's all." She explained. "Is everything ok?" she then asked him, worriedly. --- Due to Abel's light, Samael had been momentarily blinded and ended up flying past Cain, into a desk. He blinked his eyes rapidly when the light subsided to try to see what was happening. He just about made out the figure of Abel on the ground, bleeding. Then he noticed Cain's attack heading towards him and dove out of the way. "Enough!" Samael snapped and flew at Cain again to slam him against the wall. --- "What?!" Carol snapped. Without waiting for Hades, she'd already teleported to Hell's Library. Meanwhile, in his apartment, Damien was doing what he could to ignore his craving as he thought about what had happened in Death's castle before his confrontation with Samael. He was still pissed off with Samael, but he couldn't help worrying about those possessions. He knew something awful had happened, but hadn't been around long enough to get the full story. He wondered if he should swallow his pride and see if his sister needed any help. --- "What happened? Who took Oliver? Did you see them?" Carol asked as she appeared in the Library. "No, just a note," Amelia said, and she took the note from Charles to pass to her. Carol read and re-read the note while she trembled with rage. "We have to get him back!" "One thing at a time," David said and held up his hands when Carol glared at him. "You know as well as I do what kind of power it'd take to not only find but also destroy the Council. What chance do you honestly think any of us would stand if we went after him now?" Carol crumpled the note between her fingers in agitation, but David made sense. "Then what do you suggest?" she asked, seething. "They need training... and an army. Carol, I think it's time." He said to her seriously. All at once, Carol understood. She glanced at Amelia and Charles. She looked almost sad. "Shit..." she sighed. "I mean... shit..." --- "It's my fault." Yvonne sighed as she sat down and rubbed her forehead. "I should have told him sooner. You see, his father was a Trickster. A good one. We were different, but we didn't care. We fell in love. One thing led to another, and I had his child, my son. Glenn," she smiled sadly. "When Glenn was just a few months old, his father died. It was... gang related." Yvonne paused and fidgeted with her sleeve again. "Glenn turned seventeen last month. He has his father's talents and my heritage. It makes him quite special. To some, he might even be seen as- as... valuable." Her lower lip quivered. The thought that her son could be kidnapped and sold for a profit turned her stomach. "We got into a fight a few days ago. He found out how his father died. I told him I didn't want him growing up around that kind of lifestyle. That I took him away from all of that and didn't tell him because I wanted him to have a normal life. But he wouldn't listen. Said I'd lied to him and he wanted to find his father's killers. I tried to talk him out of it. Forbid him from seeking revenge and sent him to his room..." The woman covered her mouth to stop a sob from escaping. "I went to check on him a while later, but his room was empty. I tried going to the normal police, but they haven't found him, and I'm worried they won't take his case seriously because they don't know how rare someone like him is." --- "Do you delight in trying to make me jealous?" Amelia* asked Nate* playfully. She then turned back to Lucretia and smirked. "Well, this works perfectly. You're already under orders to serve this Blood God, so why not use this to our advantage? We will send you back to him. Bloodied and beaten, of course. After all, we don't want him thinking that your escape was too easy now, do we? You're going to continue working for him, but you will be our spy. Tell him that you managed to escape, but it was difficult, and you were outnumbered. You're so sorry, but you couldn't save dear Raziel, here. Serve the Blood God without arousing suspicion. My soldiers will be in touch, replacing this world's counterparts, to give you orders. Oh, and Lucretia? Don't even think about double-crossing me. I'll be watching," she winked, then waved a hand for a couple of Demon soldiers to drag her away. From there, Lucretia would receive a fairly severe beating to sell the story of her 'fight for freedom'. They would then cover her head so that she couldn't know where to locate Amelia* and her army before dropping her off at a random location on Earth, to leave her there so that she could call Shezmu for help. Meanwhile, as this was going on, Amelia* smiled evilly at Raziel. "Take him to one of the rooms and keep guard. We will question him soon." She said while waving a dismissive hand. She then turned to Nate* with a cunning smile. "How would you feel about a little espionage? The Nate that I saw in Death's Castle is a spitting image of you." --- Tears slid down Kasper's cheeks, and he began struggling to catch his breath from panic. He had thought being in Heaven meant he'd be away from violence for good, but now he didn't feel so safe anymore. He shuffled into a corner and hugged his knees. "Phin-Phineas!" One of the dogs began whining, growling and pacing. They could sense something was wrong, but they couldn't figure out what. --- "I-I-..." Clementine stammered as she looked at Adam apologetically. She was adept at science, not midwifing! She felt utterly helpless as she looked at him and hated that she had no idea what to suggest. "I can heal her, just focus on the baby!" John snapped at them. "This was a mistake..." Clementine said tearfully. "I shouldn't have- this is wrong." "Clementine, if you're not going to help, then leave the room!" John shouted at her angrily. A loud, final shriek came from Daisy, followed by a ripping noise before she fell back and passed out. From under her skirt, covered in blood and other fluids, John pulled out a crying baby boy. Clementine held her breath, staring at the baby. Praying that her calculations had been correct and that the child would revert to ageing normally after the birth. So far so good, as the seconds passed while John cleaned the baby up and urged Adam to cut the cord, the baby remained in the size and shape of a newborn. She watched tearfully once the cord was cut as John urged Adam to go outside and place the baby on the grass while he tried to heal Daisy. As soon as the baby's skin touched the ground, the flora around it sprang to life. This new life then spread out around them, bringing all manner of vegetation in the surrounding location to life. It wouldn't cover all of Hell, but it at least covered the area they were staying in. "What happened-?" Daisy groaned, bringing Clementine's gaze back to her and John. "A miracle. Your child is here." John said to her gently as he helped her to her feet and pointed her in the direction of the garden. "Go, be with them," he encouraged her with a smile, and she beamed at them both before running out into the Garden to see Adam and their son. Clementine watched her go and wondered if maybe she'd overreacted during the stressful moment, but seeing it now, maybe she'd been mistaken? Maybe there was some truth to Eden being brought back to life after all. She looked at John, and immediately her heart sank to see the furious glare he was giving her. He stood and gripped her arm tightly while whispering into her ear in an acidic tone. "What are you playing at?" "I-I-" she stammered and quickly glanced at the doors to the Garden, but both Adam and Daisy were out of sight and earshot right now. "Are you trying to sabotage this?" "N-No! I just panicked! I-" "Get it together and stop frightening them, or you're going to ruin this whole thing!" he shoved her away from him roughly. "Now, get another batch. We need more babies if we're to restore all of Eden." Shaking, Clementine rubbed her bruised arm as she hurried out of the room.

The Dryad 🙂

At first, Kodi was mildly annoyed at Sterling for standing in his way. Then his eyes widened in shock as he stared at the blood-stained tip of the Angel's spear sticking out of Sterling's chest. He watched the Agent fall, then stared at the Angel with a mixture of anger and disbelief. "You didn't have to kill him!" he snapped, then involuntarily semi-shifted into his dragon form. His tail shot out and coiled around himself defensively. He hissed, baring his sharp teeth as his reptilian eyes glared at the Angel. As the Angel spoke, he quickly realised that even if he could find Clementine, it would probably be best if he didn't. After all, if this Angel held such hatred towards his kind, he could only imagine what he'd do if he actually found her, seeing as Clementine had once been a renowned Demon who had made a lot of Angelic enemies in her time. "I can't let you do this!" he growled before lunging at the Angel, swatting at his spear with his tail while attempting to bite at him. --- "Really?" Kris glanced at the boys in the distance thoughtfully as they carried Blake away. "I'll talk to him... when he feels better," he promised. Then he turned to smirk at her. "Now, where were we before we were interrupted?" he asked coyly. --- "I get it." Benny shrugged. "But just... be careful, ok? Even if you love him, if things get too much..." he trailed off and looked away. He stared at the wall of his room for a moment before speaking again. "Hey... I'm still... I'm hungry. Could you bring me another pack? I promise I won't do anything. You can trust me." He stepped away from the door and held his hands up so she could see them through the little glass window. "I'll even stand away from the door while you come in." --- "Oh no!" Viktor laughed. "No, no, no! Don't you dare! You can't do that to me." his cheeks turned red, and he grinned while shaking his head, knowing that, despite her being blind, his sister would have more than a few embarrassing stories about him growing up. --- Lilly placed a finger on the page as she started to read aloud to them. "The Council of the Realms and Spirits, appointed by our Lord most high, govern and serve all realms and aspects of life in His stead. It is the duty and mission of this Council to uphold The Balance by any necessary means. The Council must always and eternally consist of one representative of each Realm: Life, Death, Saints, Infernal, Gaian, and-... Purgatorian?" Lilly glanced at Azrael and Death questioningly. As she had come from a completely different world, some of what she was reading didn't make sense to her yet. "To ensure the safety of His Council and deter any unsavoury ambitions, the headquarters of the council may only exist at a point where space, time, dreams, reality, and oblivion meet." Lilly paused, looking confused. "I don't suppose you know what that means?" she asked them. Azrael shook his head. "It sounds like a location only the Council is supposed to decipher." "And yet this entity found them..." Lilly sighed. But she kept reading, determined now more than ever that they'll find it. After all, if the entity could do it, why couldn't they? "Oh, this is interesting! 'Should the Council be defeated, their essence will be redistributed and processed into their successors who will inherit their role and take their place. However, the process involves reincarnation and may take a lifetime or more before the new Council can reclaim its rightful place. During which time, a power vacuum and chaos may reign in all realms. It is due to this dire possibility that the Council must remain at all times within the safety of the Council Headquarters, for leaving may inspire darkness to follow them home." Lilly paused, then brought her eyes back up to Azrael and Death's. "Transcribed by the Prophet of God, Raziel... That's it. That's all it says." --- "No!" Neva snapped. "We need to find him! He's just a little baby! We need to save him! We need to save him! We need-!" Neva had begun to throw an emotional tantrum, but just as she got started, she froze in place. Her eyes turned from brown to blue and glowed brightly for just a moment. Then they turned back to brown, dulled, and she fainted. A little mark appeared on her ankle. The scar simply appeared there without causing the girl any pain. Oddly, it looked exactly like the shape of a tree within a circle. The tree of life. --- "Wha-? Pub? Your mom?!" Tom gawped at Nate for a moment. Understandably, between finding Lilith, the Council meeting and the party, it wasn't like there had been enough time between those events for Nate to tell Tom what was going on. "Ok, you need to tell me everything, but first, let's just go there now. Please?" - "Well, uhhhh… " Oscar fumbled as he looked around the room, awkwardly trying to figure out how to explain this. While he thought, Atma moved over to one of the armchairs and sat down. Oscar then looked at the TV and then at his controller on the ground. He picked it up and stared at it thoughtfully. "The first thing I did, when trying to adjust to not needing to- well..." he stood and held out the controller to Abaddon. "I tried to find an outlet. Something to distract me for a while. A hobby, if you will. Mine is video games. I used to come to Earth even as a Punisher Demon when I had time to myself to just spend some time playing games and sort of forget what I was for a while," he explained. He frowned and looked down almost as if ashamed, as he admitted. "I didn't use to like what I was. It was a duty at the time... not something I chose to do. Something I just... was. It was expected of me. I needed something outside of that so that I could get to know who I am outside of my role, you know. It started with chess. Then, as time progressed, cards. Then video games came around, and I was hooked. In Hell, I was just a Punisher Demon terrorising damned souls for a living, but when I came to Earth? I became Oscar. Chess champion. Poker player. Geek. I became who I really am." He shrugged. "I- I don't know if that helps at all. I hope it does." - As soon as Dariel awoke, Shezmu teleported them back home. He would have to go back for Warren later. "A warrior is always interested in battles." He answered him understandingly. "But a good warrior chooses his battles wisely," he then scolded him gently. He brought his hand away and sat back to watch the boy carefully. "I had to dose you with my blood to heal you. You may become stronger and faster for the next few days, but this is temporary, and I will not be dosing you again, no matter how tempting it may be to you. My blood and the power that comes with it can become addictive. I do not wish to corrupt you in such a way, do you understand?" - Hannes sat on the edge of the bed and placed a hand on Jean's arm. "What we have always done. Our best." He sighed and let his eyes wander across the room. "Besides, something tells me those attackers will have little interest in the likes of us. They're going for the larger prizes. Death, Heaven, Hell... So we stay here and protect our people. For now." --- Layla blushed and smiled while looking into Nil's eyes. "It sounds nice, and I'm sure you'll be a great King. For me, though, just being with you is enough. I feel like I can be myself with you. I feel free." --- May was taken aback by the question and looked at James oddly as they walked. "Of course not. What's brought this on?" --- Samael had already been prepared to fight, but being compared to Lucifer was enough to tip his anger over the edge. "We're beyond talking." He growled to Abel before lunging at Cain. He was going to attempt to grab him and teleport into Hell to throw him back in, where he fully intended to beat the crap out of him. --- "We will," David assured Charles. "I've sent Hades to fetch Carol and Damien. The three of us know how to train you. We'll need to train others in the same way. If this-this interloper, for lack of a better word, has managed to find and destroy the Council, then they must have a vast and dangerous army at their back. Which means you'll need to grow one too. That's not going to be easy with the way Hell is split as it is, but we'll have to try." "There's no time for all of that!" Amelia turned her tear-streaked face to look at him while still keeping her head pressed against Charles's chest. "They have our baby! They'll be trying to raise him to do God knows what!" "There's a way," David said calmly. "Have you never wondered why or how Damien was trained so quickly?" he paused, allowing them to consider this for a moment before continuing. "I should wait for the others before I tell you more. But for now, whatever you do, do not use your telepathy to call out to others. Or even in the same room to communicate, if you can help it. If you know how, block your mind completely. We don't know if they have strong telepaths as spies listening out for us." - Carol closed her eyes and felt the effects of the spell. She sighed in relief before opening her eyes. "Well, I don't feel completely better, but I don't feel as horrid as I was feeling. Thanks." She said as she put the bowl of sick to one side and pushed herself to her feet. "Did you need something, hun?" --- The woman walked into the building, then turned to face Carter as they reached the living room. She fidgeted with her sleeve for a moment before speaking. "My name is Yvonne Peterson. I'm, um, well..." She became nervous but decided that showing him was the best thing. Before his eyes, the seemingly ordinary woman transformed. Her olive skin became rough and bark-like. Her hair became matted, flowering vines. Her clothes changed into neatly arranged leaves, moss and flowers. Her brown eyes became a pale orange and glowed faintly. "Don't be alarmed," she said softly. "I am a Dryad. It is forbidden for my kind to reveal ourselves to humans, but you are no human. You can help." She gave him a hopeful smile before quickly changing back into her human appearance. "It's my son," she explained. "He's missing." --- "Clever girl." Amelia* smiled as she swung her legs around to sit in the throne properly. She leaned forward a bit, resting her arms on her knees as she looked down at Lucretia intently. "Of course, there is a price. Nothing comes free. The Blood God that fought beside you. Who is he?" she demanded as her smile slipped. Realisation washed over Raziel's features. Of course, she'd be interested to know about Shezmu. Blood Gods were a Devil's natural predator. He would be a threat to her. Or any Blood God, for that matter. He glanced at Lucretia. Wondering how she'd answer. However, he found it interesting that this version of Amelia hadn't encountered her own Shezmu* yet. Did he even exist in her world? He couldn't help looking up at and staring at the familiar Angel standing by Amelia*'s side and wondering how this version of Nate had come to serve this version of Amelia. In fact, how had this version of Amelia turned out the way she had? --- "Infiltrated?!" Kasper gasped at the news. "By who?!" --- John glanced over at Adam and shouted at him in annoyance. "Adam! Your wife needs you!" He, of course, meant the one giving birth. Not the one who had run out of the room in tears. Clementine rushed back into the room with towels and handed them to John as Daisy continued to scream. She couldn't help but notice the blood pooling underneath her. Was that amount of blood normal? It wasn't like Clementine was experienced in childbirth to know, but she had a horrid feeling that something might have gone wrong. "Is she haemorrhaging?!" She asked. "No, she's fine." John brushed her off as he focused on trying to help Daisy. "C'mon, the baby is almost here. You're almost done!" he encouraged her.

At the Angel's words, Kodi had jumped to his feet and stared him angrily. His fists clenched at his sides. "Oh no, I don't think so." He answered Sterling without taking his eyes off the Angel. Seemingly forgetting where he was. "I promised I'd find Clem, and that's exactly what I'm going to do, with or without your permission, or your help. And I don't trust this backwards, racist Angel one bit!" --- Kris nodded to Violet after seeing Blake collapse. He scanned the small crowd of faces and noted that Audrey was no longer among them. She must've teleported shortly after he'd carried out the vampire's sentence. No matter. She never tried to stand in the way of how he ran things before, so he saw no reason that she would begin now. "Cecil. Drake. Take him back to the bunks and keep an eye on him, would you?" "Yessir." Cecil nodded obediently and took Blake from Violet. He wrapped his arm around his shoulder and pulled him across the docks towards the hideout. Although he was too weak to really help, Drake hobbled alongside him while exchanging a worried glance with Cecil. Once the boys were gone, Kris's eyes landed on Violet. "So, what did you think of the show? Not too brutal for you?" --- "He did all that?" Benny asked, glancing at her through the little window of the door. The window wasn't big enough to fit through, but it was eye level, rectangular and just small enough that they could see each other's faces. "I wonder where he came from... to have powers like that. Salem, I hate to say it, but what if whatever power he's got makes him dangerous? What if he doesn't snap out of it next time?" he asked worriedly. "I know you like him, and I do too," he then added quickly. "It's just... we don't know where he came from. What he's capable of. I've known you longer than I've known him. I don't want to see you get hurt, that's all." --- Viktor frowned but nodded understandingly. He was aware of how old Bryce was in comparison to himself. "I guess it was a different time," he commented. He thought for a moment before smiling at him and rubbing the back of his hand with his thumb. "The next time I go to see my sister, come with me?" He asked. "I just know she'd love you." --- Azrael listened to Death with a frown. His loving gaze never left his face as he let Death confide in him. He brought up his thumbs to gently wipe away his tears. "My love, you forget the miracle that happened before the disasters. We broke all expectations and traditions, and now we are married." He gave him a small smile. "So you needn't lead alone anymore. I am here. I always have been, and I always will be. This burden is ours to share, and if it means I get to declare my love to you in every waking moment, then I wouldn't have it any other way." He lovingly ran his hands through Death's hair before cupping his face and leaning his forehead against his. "They were bold when they attacked, but they made a grave mistake when they did. They underestimated our bond. Our love for each other," his eyes moved to the side to look at their children. "All of us." Lilly's lower lip wobbled when Raven spoke, but she refused to cry again. "None of us saw it coming." She said quietly. "We let our guard down... I won't make that mistake again," she said determinedly. She opened a book and her eyebrows knit together as she read the words. She then flicked through the pages quickly and seemed so enrapt in what she was reading that it'd be difficult to get her attention for a moment. Then, with a gasp, she lifted her gaze from the book while turning to look at them. "I found something!" - "Oh, you have a family?" Cass asked, sounding half surprised and half disappointed. "Right, yeah, me too," he lied, not entirely sure why he felt the need to as he stepped away from Ash and pointed behind himself at nothing in particular. "I er- should also go and- I should go. It was nice meeting you," he awkwardly lifted a hand to half-wave goodbye, then vanished out of embarrassment. --- "But you're my daddies! You're stronger than anything!" Neva said tearfully. "Oliver will be ok, right? We'll find him?" --- "Oh, great..." Tom sighed as he sat up and wiped tears from his eyes. "So, now I have a stalker too? Next, you'll tell me you have an evil twin or something!" he covered his eyes for a moment as a sob slipped out of him. Taking in a breath, he looked up at Nate. He was still frightened by what had happened. "Nate, I don't want to stay here. I don't feel safe anymore. Is there somewhere else we can go? At least until things calm down?" (Couldn't resist the foreshadowing xD ) - "What!?" Oscar dropped his controller. "I guess we're jumping straight to the point then..." Atma commented. "I was out of it for most of what happened, but from what I know, something or someone infiltrated and attached Death's castle during the party," she explained. "Oh, my God! Are you alright?" Oscar jumped to his feet, but by the look on his face, the news was still very much a shock. "I mean- Oh my God! Really? Someone attacked Death in his home? Who would even have the balls?!" "But that's not why we came down here." Atma pressed and looked at Abaddon expectantly. "It's not?! Because this sounds like a pretty big deal!" Oscar stared at them. "Abaddon is having trouble adjusting to the new Hell." She said plainly as she turned to look at Oscar. "I thought, who better for him to speak to than someone who used to be a Punisher Demon." Oscar was quiet for a moment as this sank in, and he moved his eyes to Abaddon. "Oh," he said in surprise, then scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "U-Um, alright. I mean, if that's what you want, but what about-?" "I'm sure Death and the others can manage for now." "Ok, um..." Oscar placed his hands in his pockets, still feeling awkward. "Then, I guess, what do you want to talk about?" - Shezmu headed back into the main hall, where he saw Dariel. His eyes widened; he had been sure the boy had only helped the poisoned ones while the fighting had been going on, and was confused by his injuries. He moved faster than any of the eyes in the room could register, and before anyone could blink, Shezmu was already kneeling at Dariel's side. "Dariel?" He said while bringing him into his arms. When he didn't get an answer, he hesitated before reluctantly bringing his finger up to his mouth. He hadn't wanted to risk getting Dariel hooked on his blood, but this would be the fastest way to heal the boy, and he had an obligation to keep him safe. He pricked his finger on his fang and then quickly brought it to Dariel's lips. While he waited for Dariel to awaken, he glanced around the room but couldn't see his guest, Warren, anywhere. Perhaps he'd fled during the panic? - "Alright, meine Geliebte." Hannes glanced across the room, seeing Shezmu attending to Dariel. "I expect our Blood God will be joining us at home soon," he commented as he brought Jean into his arms bridal style and stood. He teleported back to their room in the German castle and gently set Jean down on the bed. --- "Maybe we should go home? We can always come back to visit." Layla suggested as she blushed, wanting to have some alone time with Nil. --- "I can't wait to see what you make!" May grinned as they walked out of the building. She glanced over his shoulder and saw Niles smoking a cigarette and leaning against the wall. "Good night, Niles!" she called over to him. Niles looked over and saw them both. He stared at James first before nodding to May with an "mhmm," before turning his eyes away from them and taking another drag of his cigarette. May didn't notice any tension and turned her attention forward as she kept walking with James. "So, what shall we eat tonight? I was thinking we could grab a pizza on the way to my place?" --- Samael's wings shot out, and he leapt from the ladder before gracefully gliding to land in front of Cain. He swaggered confidently as he moved to stand between him and Abel. "You made a mistake coming to Heaven. You made a bigger mistake bragging about your plans," he told him coldly. "You're going to tell us what you know, and unlike your brother here, I'm not so forgiving." If there was one aspect of his appearance that Sameal shared too well with Lucifer, it was how menacing his stare could become when angered. --- Amelia buried her face in Charles's chest and sobbed as he spoke. As much as she wanted to believe Oliver would be strong enough to resist his captors, she was all too aware that he was still just a toddler. Devil or human, he was still developing, learning and growing. They needed to find him before his captors could twist or manipulate him to their will. "We're going to find him." She reaffirmed. Mirroring Charles's words. "And when we do, I'm going to destroy them for taking him from us!" "You will do no such thing in your current state," David said simply as he leaned against the bookshelves. "That goes to both of you. You're both very powerful and skilled, don't get me wrong. But you're woefully unprepared. Neither of you have been trained... As much as I didn't want to accept it, I knew this day would come eventually. It's time you both received proper training. Hell's kind of training..." He bit his lip before saying. "Lucifer's kind of training. And there's only a couple of us left that know how that training goes..." - As Hades appeared and asked her a question, Carol vomited into a nearby bowl. Still in Death's castle and sitting against one of the walls, on the floor. "Unfortunately..." She answered dryly. "Son of a bitch... Can't believe I was thinking about letting Uriel*-..." She paused and looked up at Hades. "Please tell me you brought something to take the edge off?" --- The woman at the door looked up at Carter as he answered the door. Her eyeliner and mascara had run from fresh tears, and she seemed confused when she saw the baby in his arms. She glanced at the frosted letters that spelt 'Carter's' on the front door to make sure she had the correct address. "Um, are you the-" she began asking and then hushed her voice to a whisper as if worried someone in the street would hear her as she finished "supernatural detective?" --- "God." Amelia* scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Like He cares. If he did, do you really think he'd let me take over the Heaven* of my world? And if your God cared so much, he would have smote me the moment I slaughtered your beloved Spirit Council. And yet, here I am!" She raised her hands with a smug smile. "So, obviously, even He wants me to win!" "Here, here!" A drunken demon cheered from somewhere behind them. Amelia didn't react, but her smile grew a little more. Raziel took this opportunity to look around the room. It was packed with Angels and Demons from this other world. Some were standing guard, and some were celebrating their victory with a few drinks. One thing was clear to Raziel: they were vastly outnumbered, and if this version of Amelia had really conquered the Heaven of her world, then she had an army so vast that it sent shivers down his spine to even contemplate. He turned his attention back to her as she continued to speak to Lucretia. "I remember you, you know. Not you you but the you from my world. You tried to fight me when I stormed Heaven's gates. You lasted a whole thirty seconds. It was pretty disappointing, actually." Amelia* grinned. "But maybe this version of you doesn't have to share her fate? Forswear your allegiance to God and pledge yourself to me. Not only will I let you live, but I will also grant you a role in my great and noble army." Raziel stayed quiet as he watched tensely, but even he suspected that this version of Amelia wouldn't just allow Lucretia to walk free, just like that. There had to be more to it. --- Frowning, Kasper moved over to hug Phineas. "Do we need to go anywhere, then? Should we hide?" Phineas's reaction was scaring him. If he didn't feel safe in Heaven, then where could they go? --- Clementine frowned at Adam but nodded. She took the beaker from the desk and gave a wary glance to John before turning to Daisy. Reluctantly, and with a shaking hand, she held it out to her. Daisy took it. She was also nervous as she held the glass for a long moment, wondering what would happen next. Worried that something could go wrong, but excited by the idea of it succeeding. Clementine was tempted to slap the beaker from Daisy's grasp, but, as if sensing this, John placed his hand on her shoulder and subtly squeezed a little too tightly as a warning not to interfere. Clementine winced a little, but her stomach was in knots as she watched Daisy bring the glass up to her lips. "Wait-!" She started, unable to stand the feeling that this wasn't right, but she'd spoken too late as Daisy downed the liquid in one smooth motion. They each held their breath and watched Daisy uneasily. "How do you feel?" John asked her. "A little funny..." Daisy answered slowly as she set the beaker down on the desk. Her hand then shot to her stomach, and she groaned. Visibly, her small stomach warbled and vibrated rapidly. She broke out in a sweat and dropped to her knees while panting as her stomach grew and grew before them. "What have I done?!" Clementine gasped. By now, John had let go of her shoulder and moved to stand in front of her while watching Daisy with a mixture of fascination and excitement. Within just a few minutes, Daisy's body had shifted through each trimester until finally, her waters broke and she let out a scream as her contractions started. Seeing this, Eve's face turned pale, and she ran out of the room. Jumping into action, John knelt in front of Daisy to look under her skirt. "Jeez! She's already crowning!" He looked at Clementine. "Go get some towels, now!" he barked at her. As Clementine ran off to find the towels, John started coaching Daisy between breathing and pushing.

Sure, I thought he could've been the one Raziel recognised who dragged Lucretia into the main hall with him. Maybe after forcing them to kneel before her, he moved to stand beside her? I'll leave that up to you 😄 I'm just typing up my reply now. Sorry for being gone for so long :)

Sweet, Alternate Nate's story would actually line up really well with being on Amelia*'s side. When overthrowing Heaven* she could've been the one to uncover the secret of Nate's parents. In return for him pledging his loyalty to her, she may have granted his mother protection as well as the opportunity for him to get revenge on Raguel*

No worries if you don't want to. If it helps I was just thinking like an alternate version of Nate, or Gabriel or any of your other Angels and how they might be if they chose to align themselves with Amelia* out of fear, loyalty, ambition or any other reason.

Hi, hope you're alright. I thought in the post with Raziel & Lucretia the Angel he sees pushing Lucretia around could be one of yours from the other world? 🙂 I thought I'd leave it open in case you like the idea

"Who are you?" Kodi asked, then realised his tone had come off more demanding than he'd meant. He had been caught off guard by the Angel as well as his words. Kodi didn't take his cool, analytical gaze from the Angel as he shifted in his seat awkwardly before asking, "How can you possibly know something like that right off the bat, with nothing more than a description? Seems more like a wild guess to me." --- Kris was still smirking to himself even as Violet complimented him. As he strode out of the hideout and towards the docks with her beside him, he glanced at her sideways and let his eyes wander briefly over her figure. "If you like this, then you're in for a treat," he said before turning his gaze forward once more. Drake, still bruised and exhausted, sat up in his bed as Blake had run into the room. "What is it? Did Kris find the Leeches hideout?" He asked eagerly. Convinced he'd left Benny to die at their hands, he wanted to make it up to his lost friend by getting revenge on the vampires that had attacked them. He jumped out of bed and wobbled dangerously before reaching out to hold on to Blake in order to steady himself. "I want to kill every last one of those rotten leeches!" he growled as he wrapped an arm around Blake's shoulders and began limping alongside him. Outside, Kris walked out onto the creaking wooden dock towards a beaten and bloody figure that was standing right at the very end. Drawn onto the wood around his feet was a large square rune with various symbols around it. It was giving off a faint, lilac glow. Most of the boys, Drake included, would recognise this rune immediately. It was a temporary prison that rendered its occupant incapable of leaving the small space. There was a large cinderblock chained to the figure's ankle. Kris held up a hand to signal to the rest to come to a stop. Audrey lingered near the back of the little crowd and watched passively, with an expressionless stare. When everyone else had stopped, Kris approached his captive before turning to look at the boys. He was no longer smiling as he removed his sunglasses to look at them all. He then held up a hand towards the vampire behind him. "This is the last vampire from the rats' nest of a hive that he came from. But he is not the last vampire in the gang that had attacked our boys. That turned our Benny!" "What?!" Drake gasped. "N-no! No! They didn't-!" He caught sight of the vampire peering at him through one bruised eye. His other eye had completely swollen over. To Drake, though, his gaze seemed mocking. Like he was taunting him just by looking over. His own eyes radiated rage in turn as he roared at him furiously, "I'll kill you!!" Cecil would help Blake to hold him back as it was clear that Kris wasn't finished speaking yet. "What these leeches have done will not stand!" Kris said. "A vampire killing a Trickster is a tragedy. But to turn one? To strip him of his powers and bring him down to their level?! An unforgivable insult! What's worse is these leeches have become bold enough to steal our powers from us!" Kris reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring, holding it high for the other boys to see. "A Trickster has betrayed us and is selling trinkets to these leeches! Trinkets filled with powers stolen from other Tricksters!" Kris opened his palm, the ring hovered over his hand, then began to glow a hot red colour. As Kris removed his hand, the ring's metal began melting into a molten puddle on the dock. "I will find this Trickster, and I will make them pay for their crime! I promise you this. For now, though, we need to set an example. We need to show the other leeches what happens to vampires who buy stolen powers from this traitor! We need to show them what happens when they dare to attack my family!" He turned to face the vampire who glared back at him through his one good eye defiantly. "Go ahead!" The vampire growled at him through gritted teeth. He was trembling all over, but his expression, what little could be made out among the bruising, was resolute. "Get it over with! Burn me already!" "Burn you?" Kris laughed darkly. "What kind of lesson would that be to your parasite brethren? That they can expect a quick death? No. I want them to know, just like you will, that crossing me is a one-way ticket to an eternity of pain." Kris smirked cruelly before adding, "Say, how long do you think you can hold your breath?" The vampire's eye widened, and he had just enough time to stammer out the word "No-!" before Kris had shoved the concrete slab attached to his ankle into the ocean with his foot. The vampire was violently and suddenly jerked into the water, but not before smacking his face onto the end of the dock, leaving a spray of blood across the wood. The loud snapping sound right before signalled that the force and speed of the concrete falling had broken the vampire's ankle as it had dragged him down. Silence followed. Kris frowned. He had hoped to see some bubbles at least. Maybe a little struggling as the vampire tried to swim against the weight dragging him down. But no, the impact had knocked the vampire right out, and he'd sunk without any resistance. No matter. Kris knew the practically immortal bastard would wake up eventually, realise painfully that his lungs were full of water and commence to be in a state of constant drowning. The thought alone was enough to bring Kris at least a little peace. He turned to look at his boys, half wondering what they might think of their leader now. "Now, back to the hideout, all of you. Our normal routine will be put on hold while I try to find this Trickster. Spend that time training each other. Look out for each other." --- "I'm a Trickster who's been forced into vampirism and stripped of my powers, family and home. But sure, let's talk about your problems." Benny answered sourly through the door. Then he grimaced and sighed. "Sorry," he said awkwardly. "This hunger, it's... I'm not used to it," he shrugged to himself. "Just, don't leave me alone? Please?... What did you want to talk about, anyway?" --- Viktor listened as he sat next to him. Hearing his story, he frowned and gently took his hand in his. "I know my life was different but, I get growing up in that kind of environment... Your mother sounds nice. I wish I could've met her." he gave him a small smile. --- Azrael glanced at them both briefly as he re-entered the room and closed the door carefully behind him. "Um, I'm not sure," he answered. "But we must search if we're to stop them." He turned back towards Death and placed a hand on his lower back while looking at him with loving eyes. "The grounds are as secure as I can get them. The guests are leaving gradually as they slowly feel better. I've got Reapers patrolling the castle in pairs," he said to him quickly and quietly. Then he paused and gently cupped Death's cheek with his hand. "Are you alright?" he asked in a hushed, tender tone. Lilly watched their fathers for a moment, but feeling the restless need to do something, she got to her feet. "C'mon." She said to Raven before walking to the opposite side of the room from their fathers to search the other bookshelves. Every so often, she'd quickly wipe a tear away as she tried to focus on searching the pages of the books, but she could barely get the image of Bob slumped lifelessly against the wall out of her mind. - "I'll drink to that!" Cass laughed as he shook his hand and then momentarily turned a pale shade of green as he winced. "Ugh, maybe not for a while yet, though. I just wish I knew what they put in our drinks. I might've known a herb or two that could counteract the effects..." --- Neva looked from Vincent to Elliot and back again with a worried expression. "You mean like, kidnapped?" She asked, looking close to tears. "But we're going to find him, right? Will Mr Carter help us? He was a police man, maybe he can find him?" --- At the question, Tom looked up at the bouquet, noticing them for the first time. "Um, no." he shook his head with a thoughtful look as he tried to recall seeing anything out of the ordinary at the hotel, but he could barely think of anything other than what had just happened. A terrified look crossed his features as he looked at Nate. "You don't think it's them, do you? Mocking us?" It was a wild assumption, but given what he'd just gone through, he couldn't help but wonder if the two were connected. More than likely, they might've simply been delivered to the wrong room. "What does the note say?" - The game in question was Gang Beasts, and Oscar was chuckling away at the floppy characters on the screen as they seemed to desperately try to grip each other and throw the other off a moving platform. Try as they might, various obstacles, including themselves, meant that they were struggling to get a good grip on each other. "Ohh, almost!" He laughed as he had very narrowly avoided Leo's character throwing him off for the fourth time. "Can't catch me, I'm too slippy!" Atma politely faked a cough into her fist to get their attention. "Um, Oscar and Leo, this is Abaddon." - Shezmu smirked as he stared off to one side. "He is almost a man and will soon be one of the greatest soldiers on Earth. He doesn't need a mother, and I'd rather you didn't get distracted from the mission at hand." He said, not intending to come off as stern as he did. "Besides, it's not him I'm concerned for. He may be young, but he is a capable fighter. My guest, on the other hand..." He looked at Eris and smiled while giving her a short bow. "But that is my concern. Please, I've kept you long enough. We must get back." - Hannes was shocked to hear that this entity, whatever it had been, had managed to almost kill Death. A feat he'd been sure to be impossible. Numbly, he wrapped an arm around Jean's shoulders to hold him close. "My love..." he said slowly as he looked around at the mess. "I think we might be out of our depth on this matter. Perhaps we should go home and protect it, as best we can." --- Layla's eyes widened. The glow of his wings reflected in her eyes as she stared at them, awestruck. "Nil! Oh, wow!" She gasped. She brought her eyes back to his and caressed his cheek, while her own cheeks blushed pink. "You're amazing!" she grinned, then kissed him. --- "Oh, James!" May smiled brightly as she took the sweater and looked at it. "It looks great!" she said before hurriedly pulling it over her head and running her arms into the sleeves. She looked down at herself and ran her hands down the sides of the sweater. "Thank you!" she grinned while throwing her arms around him again. She took his hand, entwining her fingers in his as they walked towards the exit. "I'm glad you found a hobby that you like. Do you have any ideas for other projects that you could knit?" --- Samael smirked at Abel with a raised eyebrow. "Look who's got a backbone after all!" he chuckled. He then looked at the mess of books scattered on the floor below before shrugging. "Well, what do you suggest then?" he asked as he brought his eyes back to Abel's. "If you have a faster way to find what we're looking for, I'm all ears." --- "You can start by telling me we'll find him!" Amelia rounded on Charles, and as she said this, her voice cracked and her eyes filled with tears. Her fury was laced with fear as she looked at him desperately for any kind of hope or comfort. In this moment, despite her fierce maternal determination, Charles would be able to sense her fragility. "Please? Just tell me we can find him. Tell me we'll save him. I need to believe it. I need to." David had covered his mouth upon learning what had happened. He knew without it being said that Charles was the only one in the room capable of comforting her right now. So, while they spoke, he thought desperately of ways that they could try to locate the young prince. He leaned against the bookshelf as his mind raced. A few ideas popped into his head, but he wasn't so sure about them, and one made his stomach churn at the mere thought. "Hades," he said quietly to her, in a serious tone. "Can you bring Carol and Damien here for me?" He knew he could just call them and they'd come running, but with telepathic callings, there was always a risk someone else could hear it, and right now they couldn't run that kind of risk. "You may need to find something to help Carol feel better after being drugged... and Damien might need some convincing. Do not use telepathy. Block your mind completely, if you know how. I'll explain why when you get back." --- Stevie grinned, both because of Carter's approval and because he'd offhandedly called him son. Not wanting to wake Rose up, he shrugged and pointed towards the staircase with his thumb. "I'll uh, I'll go and help with the nursery, then," he whispered before jogging as quietly as he could up the stairs. All the effort to be quiet was wasted, though, as a knock on the door caused Rose to stir and to complain with a cry at being woken up. --- "Destroyed? Certainly not. He's too important. Especially after our own Raziel* came to an unfortunate end." Clementine* shrugged. "No, our Queen wants him alive and obedient by any means necessary. You, on the other hand..." Clementine* walked over to Lucretia and stood in front of the stone slab she was pressed leaning over. She took out a small knife and held it under Lucretia's chin to force her to look up at her. Only as the metal would touch Lucretia's skin would she realise it was made of Demonic metal. "You might not be so lucky. After all, what's so special about you? You're just another lost Angel who failed in their 'holy mission'. In my world, your kind either bent the knee or were destroyed. Which will you be?" "Your world?" Raziel asked. "You... the portals! The rift!" he gasped "You're smarter than our Raziel* was, I'll give you that." Clementine* turned her head to look at him with a smile. "Clementine*. She wants them brought before her." A demon behind her spoke from a doorway, and Clementine's smile slipped. Her fun time was over. She withdrew the knife from Lucretia's chin, then nodded to someone standing behind them. Immediately, Raziel and Lucretia would be dragged to their feet. Looking over, Raziel could see Lucretia was being handled by an Angel... an Angel he recognised! But this one was one of the Angels from this Clementine's* world, not the one he knew. He wondered who it was that was handling him and dragging him towards a door, but he didn't manage to turn enough to get a good look. Before they passed through the door, Uriel looked up from his corner and locked eyes with Lucretia. He mentally sent her a secret warning to 'play along' if she wanted to survive. He then quickly broke eye contact with her and continued to hug the wall, terrified of what the others would do if they suspected that his spirit wasn't completely broken just yet. Raziel and Lucretia were both forced to walk into a wide hall filled to the brim with a mixture of rowdy, partying Angels and Demons. The crowd parted to let them through, and they were brought right to the end of the hall where a woman sat sideways on a marble throne with her legs hanging over one of the arms. She looked relaxed and... also familiar. "Amelia!" Raziel couldn't help gasping and immediately felt his captor smack the back of his head roughly. "Your highness or Queen Amelia*, to you!" he heard the voice of the man holding him growl into his ear. "Now, kneel!" He felt his knees kicked from behind, forcing him to drop to his knees. The same would be done to Lucretia next to him. He stared up at Amelia* in disbelief. She stared back with cold indifference. She then glanced at Lucretia just as coldly and pointed to her briefly. "I saw you through the eyes of others. You fought well... until Uriel* took your arm. From what I saw, though, you didn't seem to exactly 'fit in' with the others. Why is that?" --- Kasper looked over from where he was kneeling by the fireplace. He'd been having fun with the dogs and scratching their bellies up until this point. He frowned. "Is there something we can do?" --- "You're sure this will work?" John eyed Clementine warily. "It's not like I have any guinea pigs to test it on..." Clementine said nervously. She looked at Adam as they stood around her workspace. Daisy and Eve were standing nearby. "Please reconsider. If this goes wrong..." She tried to warn him. "Pregnancies have enough risks and complications already." "But it'll help Eden to grow faster, right?" Daisy asked. She was looking uncertainly at the beaker of pink liquid on the desk. "Theoretically, if it succeeds and you give birth in Hell, yes. But-" Clementine started. "But, this is why I was brought here, isn't it? The chance for a new Eden! This is my destiny!"

Kodi wasn't sure what to expect next, but he had his doubts that it would be an Angel that would appear. What Sterling described was blood magic, which was usually associated with dark magic and demons. Decorating the whistle with Angel blood, no less... unless the 'Angel' in question used their own blood? He'd be about to find out as he sat tensely waiting for this 'Angel' to appear. --- Audrey turned her eyes to each of them as they spoke. When Violet offered to work at the shop, she shook her head. "I don't need help with the shop," she said. Her tone was still stern and her expression unmoved. "You might've earned Kris's trust, but I'm not so easily won over." "Give her a break, Aunty." Kris's voice came from behind her. "She's not as bad as we thought." Audrey opened her mouth to speak and turned to face Kris, only to stop in her tracks at the sight of him. Head to toe, he was covered in blood, and there was something dark about his smirk. "Boys! I have a present for you. Follow me. Aunty, you should take Salem home. This isn't something you'll want her to see. Blake, go and help Drake join us," he commanded, and without further explanation, he turned and marched back out of the hideout. Aunty hesitated and quickly gripped Salem's arm to prevent her from following them. "Go to the shop. Don't let Benny out of the safe room, but keep him company through the door," she told her urgently. She was going to follow them herself to see what Kris was up to. --- "You haven't told me about your parents before." Viktor smiled and looked at him fascinatedly. To Viktor, this was a good sign. To him, it meant that Bryce had become comfortable enough with him to open up about his past. "What were they like?" --- He spoke sense, and Lilly hated that he was so right. Her anger boiled within her, but she could do nothing until they knew what they were dealing with or even where to find them. Taking a breath to calm herself, she nodded to Raven before wiping away her tears. "Where do we start?" she asked as she glanced over at the bookshelves. - Cass chuckled at Ash's reaction. "You should've seen it when the ceasefire was called. Most thought it was a false alarm because of how long the war had been going on. No one expected it to end." He got up and brushed himself off. He wobbled on his legs a little, but he shook his head and stood straight again, slightly annoyed that the drugged wine was still affecting him. "Personally, I'm glad it did." He continued. "Turns out some of you Hellions are pretty decent folk. Would've been a shame not to get the opportunity to meet you properly, instead of on a battlefield," he held a hand out for him to shake. "To new beginnings, then?" - David, still facing the bookshelf with his hand on the spine of a large book, paused when he heard her. He lowered his gaze and let out a heavy sigh. "I know what you mean. I feel the same way. Let's hope it doesn't come to that." He pulled out the large book and brought it over to the table. As he placed it down, he gave her a reassuring smile. "Come on, let's not lose hope yet. We might yet find something that could help us." He turned away from her, and his smile slipped as he went back to combing through the books. He'd said that to try to comfort her, but he wasn't so sure they'd find anything here. If the council had a way to be found, it likely wasn't hidden in Heaven or Hell's libraries. Especially not Hell's or Lucifer might've stormed their location himself aeons ago. But then again, would he have? As David thought this, a memory surfaced of Lucifer looking very friendly with Atma. She would've known the Council's location at the time, but he always showed her far more respect than he'd ever shown anyone else. If she'd ever told him where it was, he'd never given any indication nor bothered to do anything about it. Maybe he had respected The Balance more than David had ever suspected? Or more than Lucifer had ever let on, at least. As much as this revelation gave David hope that perhaps Lucifer hadn't been as brutal as he'd once thought, it didn't exactly help them get any closer to finding the Council's location. - Once they appeared in their home, Tom moved over to the bed and curled up into a foetal position. He was still shivering and sobbing quietly. In his distressed state, he didn't notice the large bouquet of red roses on the dresser that had been left there by hotel staff. The card attached to it didn't indicate who the flowers were for and only contained a quote from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliette; “Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.” - It was true, Atma needed to sleep off whatever had been slipped into the wine. Even as she spoke to him, her movements were still sluggish, and her words were a little slurred. But she shook her head determinedly. "Something awful just happened. I won't be able to sleep even if I wanted to. Besides, Oscar might know something that can help. He's usually in the living room playing video games..." She tried to stand, but she barely had the strength. - Shezmu was at a loss as he watched Eris transform into a chicken. He chuckled and shook his head. "You are an enigma." He said in amusement. "But one I am looking forward to working with. Now, my blood is strong, so you may not need another dose for several days. I suggest you use that time to assist in locating the intruders." He fixed his tie as he glanced away. His cool and calm façade masked his concerns. "I must check in on my student and my... guest." - "It?" Hannes raised an eyebrow and looked around the room as he realised he'd missed more than just a fight with Uriel*. He recalled the distorted voice booming from Unity before her head had exploded. "Jean, my love, what else happened? Why does everyone look so grave?" he asked worriedly. --- Nil's shot scored another goal for his team. "Come on, team! Get the lead out!" Layla shouted excitedly to her team as they tried to intercept the ball again. She ran alongside, trying to intercept it herself, but just as she looked up, she realised she and Nil were running at each other. With just a split second to react, she brought her arms up to grab him and slow their momentum just as they'd bump into each other while also aiming her body to one side to soften their fall as they rolled a bit across the grass. She landed on top of him and giggled as she lifted herself to look at him. "Oops! Are you ok?" Just as this happened, Nil's team cheered as they'd managed to score another goal. --- Several minutes passed by, and during that time, Nurse Niles walked past the waiting room wearing his coat over his scrubs. He gave James a side-eyed glare as he walked past to head out of the exit. A short while later, Nurse May hurried into the waiting room and grinned at James. Her hair was up in a bun, and after a long shift, it looked a little messy. May, herself, looked tired and a bit frazzled. But seeing James waiting for her made the long, difficult day worth it. She hurried over to him, and just as he'd stand, she'd throw her arms around him. As she hugged him, she felt all the tension from the day melting away. "You've no idea how much you've just made my day better!" she smiled as she let him go. --- Samael turned his head to raise an eyebrow at Abel. "I'm good," he said, then kicked his foot against the bookshelves to cause the ladders he was on to wheel around the circularly shaped library, away from Abel. When it came to a stop, he again started pulling books out of the shelf and flinging them over his shoulder. "Why don't you make yourself useful? See if there's a library index or whatever in the librarian's desk." --- Neva had jumped at the sound of Amelia's shout, and she turned her head to watch Charles hurry up the stairs. She looked towards Vincent and Elliot worriedly. Wondering if something was wrong with Oliver and if she'd be allowed to leave the corner to see what was going on. "Daddy?" she asked uncertainly. Amelia read the paper over and over. When she heard Charles, she looked at him in disbelief. The way he spoke sounded like he'd already given up. "They have. Our son!" She snapped at him. Her eyes were wide with worry and rage. But he was right. They had no idea where they even are, never mind how they'd be able to defeat them. And this truth just drove Amelia further into despair. She didn't know how yet, but she wasn't going to let them get away with this! "We have to get him back! God, he must be terrified! I won't let them have him! I won't!" She vanished. Appearing very suddenly in Hell's library next to David and Hades. "Amelia-?" David started, but immediately she went about yanking book after book from the shelves, flicking through them quickly and dropping them on the floor. "Amelia, stop- Amelia!" David marched over and put his hand on her shoulder. Then he faltered as she turned to glare at him dangerously. "What's happened? Amelia, speak to me! Tell me what's wrong!" he pleaded with her as she continued to pull more books from the shelves. Finally, she screamed furiously and simply began tearing the books from the shelves, throwing them across the floor. "Useless! Aeons and aeons of information, and it's all fucking useless!" she raged. David glanced at Hades, then back to Amelia, unsure of what was happening or how to help. "Amelia, just slow down and talk to me!" "They took him!" She cried as she turned to look at him and frantically ran her hands through her hair. "They took Oliver! I have to get him back! They can't have him! They can't- but how do I get him back when I don't even know how the fuck to find them?!" She threw another book across the room just as she'd said the word 'fuck' as if to emphasise the word. --- "We're home!" Sebastian half-whispered as he poked his head around the corner to look in on Carter and Rose. "I'm just going to take the stuff upstairs and set up the nursery." Stevie quietly walked into the room and held out a little fluffy pink teddy bear for Carter to take. "I thought she might like this one," he said with a small shrug, wanting to be nice but at the same time not wanting to look soft. --- Searing white-hot pain in his shoulder awoke Raziel. He screamed and writhed but found he could barely move. In this moment, the pain, smell and sensation of his skin burning muddled his thoughts so that he could think of little else. Then, relief as the hot metal was removed from his shoulder. Sweating, groaning and breathing heavily, he looked around. He found that he couldn't move because his hands were tied behind his back and he was kneeling, face down, over a cold stone slab. His knees pressed up against the stone. He saw faces around him. Some he didn't recognise. Some confused him as he'd seen them not long ago at Death's ceremony. Then he saw Uriel, beaten and bloody. Cowering in a corner. A metal collar around his neck with a metal chain linking him to the stone wall that he was practically hugging. And in front of him- was that a dog bowl full of kibble? The longer he stared at the pathetic, broken Angel, the more he realised that he was looking at the real Uriel. Not the one that had attacked them in Death's castle. Then the familiar faces around them made a little more sense. "Dopplegangers?" He murmured. "I suppose you could call us that. Not entirely accurate, but it's fitting all the same," a small voice came from in front of him. Raziel turned his head to look upwards and saw a little girl with short, black hair and equally dark eyes. "Clementine! But no- not- not the real one..." Clementine's smile slipped, and she glared at Raziel coldly. "I'm not the pathetic Clementine from your world, no. But I'm certainly real." She looked up at someone behind Raziel that he couldn't see and nodded to them. "Her next. Quickly," she ordered. Her? Raziel turned his head to his left and saw that Lucretia was in the same position as he was. Kneeling over the same stone slab, only she was still unconscious. "L-Lucretia! Lucretia!" he tried to wake her, but just as soon as he spoke, a red-hot branding iron was pressed against her shoulder, just like it had been pressed to his. Only now was Raziel able to get a better look at the brand. It was an odd shape. Full of runes and symbols. "That symbol!" "You like it? It stops our prisoners from teleporting away. Welcome to your new home. We have such plans for you two." Clementine grinned. "What about the doc, here?" Someone behind them asked. Raziel couldn't turn enough to see, but he heard the whimpers of someone he could only assume was the doctor from Heaven's hospital who had been possessed. It would seem the doctor had since regained control of themself. Clementine waved a hand dismissively. "Collateral. Feed him to her pet." "No, please no! No!" they'd hear the doctor begging, and his voice grew gradually distant as he was dragged away from the room.

"I-" Kodi faltered, caught off guard as the agent offered him a vial of his blood. "No, I don't need that," he shook his head. "And you might want to be careful who you give that away to. You don't want any black magic users targeting you with spells made out of your own blood," he gave him a knowing look before glancing away quickly. Regathering himself, he sighed and looked at the Agent again. "The missing person is a roommate of mine. She's got long, straight black hair. Dark brown eyes. Slim build. She's a little shorter than me, I wana say... 5'5? Give or take. Her name is Clementine. I didn't see her all day. I left for work early, before everyone else woke up. Autumn-" He paused, then smiled a little to himself as he said, "My daughter." It felt odd to say it out loud, but in a good way. His expression then became more serious as he continued, "She told me when I got home that Clementine had gone out to get groceries, but by the time I'd gotten home, she'd been gone for hours. Autumn was worried. So, me and Harris, my other roommate, went to go look for her. We went to the bus stop outside the grocery store, but all we found were her grocery bags spilled all over the ground." Kodi leaned forward slightly, looking Agent Sterling directly in the eyes, and although he didn't really need to, he found himself half whispering to him. "I picked up her scent there. Along with the scent of an Angel and... I don't know what else. There was another scent, but I can't place it; it's nothing I've ever come across before. The trail was cold beyond the bus stop, so I can only guess that she was grabbed by this Angel and their accomplice, and that they teleported away with her. I tried to teleport to her, but I couldn't. Something is blocking me." He sat back as he finished explaining the situation, then gestured to the Agent. "So, what do you think? Can you help?" --- As soon as Violet reintroduced herself to Audrey, the old woman's eyes darkened and narrowed at the Succubus. Her lips thinned, and her jaw clenched as she listened. "You can start by staying away from my granddaughter, Succubus," she said to her coldly. She then turned to Blake. "Where's Kris? Why aren't you boys being supervised?" --- "Never!" Viktor grinned. "First, I reconnect with my sister, and now I'm going to be living with the man that I love. Today couldn't get any better!" He chuckled --- Lilly sat in one of the armchairs by the fireplace and stared at Raven as he spoke to her. She glanced at Death, who was already beginning his search among the books. Now that Azrael was far enough from them, she could feel his aura fading and her fury returning. "We need to find them," she said bitterly as tears rolled down her cheeks. She looked at Raven again, her eyes alight with determination and anger. "I'm going to destroy them!" - "Well, I can agree with that." Cass sighed. Gingerly, he removed his hand from his arm as if half expecting it to fall back off despite it now being healed and reattached. "There. How does that feel? Can you move your fingers?" He sat back to catch his breath. "Astaroth... wait, THE Astaroth?! Man, I heard stories about you. You made quite a name for yourself back in the day. How'd you end up serving the newest Infernal Royals?" - "I think a lot of people here will be joining you in line to do just that," David said before nodding to her. "Come on, then. The sooner we find some useful information, the closer we get to bringing them to justice," he vanished to Hell's Library. There, he wasted no time and began wandering around the shelves, running his fingers along the titles. Whenever he found one that might be useful, he pulled the book out and added it to a pile on the table in the middle of the room. - "This wasn't Uriel*!" Tom gasped as he gripped Nate's shirt tighter. "H-he was just a soldier! The voice- the woman's voice- whoever she is, she's in control!" By now, Azrael had finished speaking to the Reapers and had walked back over to the couple. He hesitated before approaching and kneeling next to them. "Tom, I know you're frightened, and I hate to ask, but we need to know what we're dealing with," he said gently. "You said you heard a woman's voice. The link they had with you would have been a mental one. Did they 'show' you anything while they had control of you? Sometimes these things can be two-way. Did you manage to see anything on her end that might help us to track them down?" Tom stared off at Nate's wings and took several trembling breaths as his eyebrows knitted together. "N-no, I don't think... She just wanted me to watch what she was making me do..." Even as he said it, he recalled glimpses of images that he couldn't make sense of as the intruder had tried to seize his mind. "I-I don't know... I don't know..." he shook his head quickly before turning to bury his face into Nate's chest. "Tom, please. If you can remember anything-" Azrael pressed, but Tom's sobbing cut him off. "I don't know! I want to go home. Please, I just want to go home. Nate?" He pleaded, distressed. Azrael sighed and frowned. He glanced apologetically at Nate. "I didn't mean to press. Go and rest," he looked for a moment like he wanted to say something else, but he stood and turned to walk away. - Atma looked at Abaddon with a mixture of alarm and compassion. "No." She said, then shook her head and said it again a bit more forcefully. "No! That's not right. Don't say things like that!" She couldn't help herself. She wrapped her arms around his shoulder and cradled the back of his head with her hand while pressing her cheek to his. "I don't remember a lot, but I've learned a lot since I've been here. And I know that Devils don't live to punish. Not anymore, at least. Things change. Hell is changing!" She pulled back to look into his eyes and gasped as a realisation hit her. "I should introduce you to Oscar! He used to be a Punisher Demon! If anyone knows what it's like to go from that to having to adapt to a new Hell, it's him!" She looked at him with a small, hopeful smile. "Don't give up on yourself. I won't." - "Perfect," Shezmu smirked at the smiley face and snapped his fingers. The contract seemingly vanished into thin air. He stepped towards her and once again cupped her chin with his hand. "I hope I'm not being too forward..." he said softly, then pierced his lower lip with one of his fangs. A small amount of blood welled from the tiny wound, and he leaned in to kiss her. - "Don't let Shezmu hear you say that." Hannes chuckled weakly. He coughed and gripped his chest. "Ah, I think a few of my ribs have been broken," he winced and then smirked. "What I wouldn't give to have a sword like that, though," he half laughed. He looked across the room at the scene. "What happened to Uriel*?" he asked. "Did we win?" --- During the many moves, one elf kicked the ball and scored it into the goal. That elf was on Nil's team. Nil shouted, "We got this!" "Come on, let's show them who's boss!" Layla shouted to her teammates excitedly. She managed to intercept the ball and kicked it into the opposing goal, tying the score. --- Both nurses looked at James oddly. The male looked more offended than his co-worker. "Excuse me-?" he barked. "Niles, can you check on the patient in room 13, please?" The female nurse interrupted and proceeded to glare at Nurse Niles until he relented and walked away. She then turned her attention to James. "Have you ever worked in a hospital?" she asked him sharply. "Worked a fourteen, eighteen, or twenty-four-hour shift before? Had to tell a family that their loved one passed away and there was nothing you could do, been vomited on, been covered in other bodily fluids and then had to pull yourself back together to continue said long hour shift?" She raised an eyebrow at him with her arms crossed. Although her tone was stern, it was also gentle. She wasn't scolding James, but simply trying to educate him. "This job isn't easy. It's even harder when people judge us harshly for being human or when we get tired." She nodded towards the waiting room. "Go on," she said gently with a small smile. "I'll let her know you're here." --- "Oh, great. It's you." Samael said sarcastically as he threw another book over his shoulder. This one would land right next to Abel's feet, at which point Samael would turn to look at him with a cheeky smile. "Whoops, did I almost hit you? Sorry." He started looking at the books again. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Abel?" --- "Here, I'll go get him," Amelia said as she helped Charles onto the couch. As she hurried off upstairs, Neva turned to grin at him. She was about to approach when she caught Vincent's eye and remembered she was supposed to be in time out. Pouting, she turned back to the corner in a huff. There was a long pause of quiet from upstairs before Amelia's voice came very suddenly in a panicked tone: "Charles!" Upstairs, she was standing over the empty crib and holding a piece of paper in her hand, reading the words over and over again. It read: 'Don't worry, I'll make a better parent than both of you! Love, The Rightful Queen'

By the time Xenos had read his mind and ordered a different agent to escort him to someone else, Kodi had only barely calmed down and was somewhat disoriented. He watched him carry Reed away, hoping that the nervous and timid man would be alright. Then he turned to the new agent and followed him without a word to Agent Sterling. He stared with a mixture of curiosity, mild humour and incredulity at the various posters. He sat down when prompted and turned his attention to the agent. "Close. Demon," he answered him. "The uh, egg smell is usually a giveaway. It's sulphur. But then again, I could just be a human who happened to be around a few rotten eggs today." He half smiled and then sighed. "I'm looking for someone." --- Audrey's eyes widened at the scene. The second Blake's attack bounced off Salem's forcefield. She bristled and marched in front of her granddaughter. Being the wise old woman that she was, she knew that some situations required magic and some... simply required a shock to bring someone back from mania. So, instead of using any magic to stop Blake, she fearlessly marched over to him. In spite of her age and fragile body, she could move when she needed to. Once close enough, she brought her hand up and struck Blake hard across the face. "Enough!" She snapped angrily, her voice sharper than usual to really bring home the seriousness of the situation. In fact, it was said with enough assertion that it could've made an elephant feel as small as a mouse. When she spoke again, it was with the same energy as a parent or grandparent scolding a child for misbehaving. "Get a hold of yourself and look at what you're doing! You should be ashamed of yourself! Are you a man or a bully?! Apologise this instant, young man!" --- Viktor was taken aback by the decorations as he entered the home and set his bags down to one side. Beaming from ear to ear, he looked at Bryce and took his face in his hands as he planted a loving kiss on his lips. "It's perfect," he told him softly. He beamed again and bounced a little on his heels out of excitement. "I can't believe this is really happening. It feels like a dream. I can't wait to spend every day with you!" he gushed. --- "Father, no..." Lilly complained. She tried to sound assertive, but Azrael's aura was keeping her complacent, for now. He gently pushed her into Death's arms and kissed Death on the cheek. "I'll be with you as soon as I can," he told him. He then looked at Raven. "Look out for your sister. My aura won't keep her calm once you leave my presence. You know what it's like to feel the kind of fury and grief that she's feeling now. Help her through it." He'd watch them walk away before walking briskly towards the hall. - Seeing Ash in distress and knowing their resources for help were thin at the moment, Amelia felt torn between helping her guard and going to check on her son. She was about to rush over when Cassiel beat her to it. She gave him a thankful nod before turning back to Charles and helping him up. "Let's go," she said before vanishing with him. Cassiel was just about starting to feel better, having also been affected by the wine. He hurried over to Ash and knelt beside him. Having decided that it was no longer necessary to have his wings out, he'd tucked them away before his approach. "Geez, could you not have just brushed the feathers off?" he asked him as he plucked up the dismembered arm from the ground. He carefully picked all of the remaining feathers off and made sure it was completely feather-free before turning back to Ash. "Ok, hold still," he said as he pressed the arm against his shoulder and used his power to fuse it back onto him while also trying to heal his wounds. "Ok, oh boy, almost there... Just gotta-" He paused, still holding the Devil's arm, he used his free hand to lean on the floor as his vision swam. He took a breath and sat up again, using his free hand to continue healing Ash. Determined to help in any way that he could. "Aaand I'm back, don't worry. I've got you... I'm Cassiel, by the way. I don't think we've met." - David held the gift basket and sighed as he gently placed it onto the floor. He was in neither the right mood or mental state to even acknowledge the basket. All he wanted to do was focus on finding any way that he could to protect the ones that he loved. He looked at Hades. "I guess that means you're coming with me. Come on, we don't have any time to waste." - As soon as Nate got close to him, Tom jumped up and held onto him tightly. He was hyperventilating and shaking violently. "In my head! She was in my head! She took control of me! I-I couldn't fight her, I couldn't! I tried, but I couldn't! She took control and then made me watch! I heard myself talking, but it wasn't me! She-she told me-" he burst into tears. "She told me I-I was going to be her puppet and that when she was done with me she was going to- to-!" He glanced over at Unity's headless body and then hid his face in his hands as she began sobbing uncontrollably. It would be clear at this point that if Death hadn't intervened, then he would have suffered the same fate as Unity, and then there would have been two mortal deaths rather than just the one. Of course, unable to help overhearing this as he entered the hall to address the remaining Reapers, Azrael would pause in his tracks. Discreetly, he pulled out his Reaping book and flicked through the pages. He scanned a particular page carefully. With a frown and his eyebrows knitting together, he quickly closed it and put it back into his robe. He then approached the remaining reapers as he'd originally intended to do and gave them the orders to begin patrolling the castle and the grounds in pairs. He told them to watch each other carefully for any signs of possession and what to do if that should happen. - "What is it?" Atma said a little more worriedly. Her words were still slurred, but she seemed a bit more sober than she had been. "What's happened?" She asked while holding on to Abaddon. Of course, she had seen what had happened to Unity, but everything after that had been a blur due to the wine. She looked around the hall with a frown. She saw Tom having a panic attack and overheard snippets about being possessed. She saw Gabriel carrying out the body of a man who had been very lively earlier that day. She watched a Devil whom she hadn't even met yet tear his own arm from its socket to relieve himself of some agony. But most of all, from the general atmosphere of the hall, she felt a horrid sense of impending doom. Shivering, she turned to Abaddon and buried her face in his shoulder. "Abaddon, I'm scared. Take me home. Please? I want to go home." - Shezmu was continually taken aback and confused by Eris's forwardness. He noted that she said she was joking, but he wasn't so sure. Her mannerisms perplexed him. While he was usually confident and quite the smooth talker, he found her endearing yet baffling attitude was causing him to occasionally falter. Regathering his composure, he gave her a charming smile while taking her hand in his. "A Devil's contract must be bound in blood. Especially when the Devil in question is one such as myself." As he spoke, he brought her hand up to his mouth. While maintaining eye contact with her, he kissed the back of her hand. "Perhaps I can assist with this?" he asked and opened his mouth a little to let his fangs grow. He then selected her index finger and ran it over the top of one of his fangs. He didn't bring it to the tip of his fang, and his grip on her hand was loose. This was so that she knew she had the option of pricking her finger there or pulling away if she wasn't comfortable with this. - Hannes groaned awake. He felt as if he'd been electrocuted. "Jean?" he gasped as she sat up quickly and then winced. The last thing he remembered was trying to pick up Uriel's* sword. "What happened? Where is Uriel*?" --- "Don't expect me to go easy on ya!" Layla grinned at Nil. As soon as the game started, Layla was in her element. She ran around, dodging and weaving between them while dribbling the ball effortlessly between her feet. --- The new nurse behind the counter looked at James tiredly. By this time, the receptionist was nearing the end of a twelve-hour shift. "I imagine she's working." He responded sassily. "Be nice." Another nurse said as she rounded the corner. "Don't mind him. He's not used to the long shifts yet. Let me see here..." The nurse typed on a computer for a moment before looking back at James. "Oh, she's assisting in a minor surgery right now. All going well, she'll probably be a little while yet, but her shift ends right after. You can wait for her in the waiting room, if you want? We'll let her know you're here once she's out." --- Samael was in a hell of a mood after the confrontation with Damien. He had hoped he'd never have to run into Lucifer's student at all. Never mind everything else that had happened. "Stuck up little-!" He grumbled as he rifled through book after book while balancing at the top of some very tall ladders. Of course, with his wings, the ladders were a bit redundant, but he couldn't be bothered flapping them right now. Whenever he deemed a book to be useless, he simply threw it over his shoulder with little care or regard for the books. The sounds the books made as they landed far below caused the noise to echo through the whole library. THUD "Not my fault, he has daddy issues-" THWAP "And where does he get off telling me I didn't know my own brother?!" BANG "Sucker punching son of a-" He threw another one over his shoulder. --- At Elliot and Vincent's house, Neva was standing in the corner of the room with her arms crossed and a pout on her face. She had given Vincent some attitude earlier and was currently in 'time out'. As far as any of them were aware, Oliver had been set down to nap in a crib in the bedroom and was sleeping peacefully. What any of them had yet to discover, though, was that he was no longer in the crib, or even the house, for that matter. Elliot would not be able to pick up any strange scents in the house, either. Only able to smell his family as well as Amelia and Charles when they arrived. Of course, when they appeared, and Amelia was still helping Charles stay on his feet, upon first glance, they looked like they'd simply had a good time out.

By the time Dick had arrived, Kodi was having trouble resisting the urge to vomit molten bile all over the pimp Demon. After the other Demon had threatened to continue going after Reed, his grip on the pimp's throat had tightened. His body had become rigid out of sheer rage. He'd only given Dick and Xenos the briefest glance when they'd spoken before; he resumed his murderous glare on the pimp demon. Why should he put this wretched creature back into their custody? He was a Hellion, after all, same as he. Which meant he had more right, more jurisdiction to punish this Demon as he saw fit. But, as much as he wanted to tear him limb from limb, he couldn't bring himself to. Because he needed their help, and taking justice into his own hands would severely jeopardise that. So, just as the Demon would begin to turn blue, Kodi's grip on his throat relaxed, allowing him to breathe again. With great reluctance, he flung the Demon in Dick's direction to catch. He then took a moment to catch his breath and gradually shift back into his human shape whilst trying to calm down. He looked over at Reed, checking to see if he was alright. --- Although his features were hardened, Kris nodded at Violet, thankful to have her help in all of this. He waited for them to disappear before turning his cold stare towards the cellar doors. The surviving vampires had to flee somewhere, and with dawn on the horizon, they wouldn't have had enough time to find a new location to retreat to. Of course, he was aware that this may not be the only hive of theirs in the city, and there are likely more of them scattered around in other locations. But for now, he'll make do with getting his vengeance on this sorry lot. Today, the so-called Hex Fangs were about to learn why Kris was a feared gang leader in his own right. He marched towards the cellar doors and flicked his wrist. The doors were flung open so violently that they came off the hinges and landed on the alley floor. In a silent rage that made him appear eerily far too calm, he descended into the darkness. -To Be Continued- --- "It's not safe, dear," Audrey said to her granddaughter. She carefully took the tea from her and looked at it curiously. "I know I like it strong, dear. But one bag is usually enough," she said as she lifted the two tea bags by their strings. "No matter," she let go of the strings, placed the cup onto the counter and waved her hand. The teacup split into two identical cups, each with one teabag and the same amount of hot water. She passed one of the cups to Salem. Hearing a heavy sigh behind her, she turned to see that Benny had finished the bag and was staring at the floor with a faraway look in his eyes. "I can never go home again..." He said quietly. "Nonsense. You're one of Kris's boys, and you always will be." Audrey said quickly, but Benny shook his head. "He hates vampires! And now he'll hate me! I can't even use my powers anymore! I'm not a Trickster anymore!" he sobbed. There was a mixture of anger and despair in his voice. "I shouldn't even be here right now! I should have died! They should have just killed me! Why didn't they just kill me?!" He glanced at the shop windows, towards the sky, which was steadily turning violet. He stood. "No, boy," Audrey warned, her voice full of worry. "It's the right thing to do," Benny said in a broken voice as he let the empty blood bag fall from his hand. His eyes were still on the sky. He could feel it coming. The sunrise. Even from the safety of the shop, he could feel the air around them getting a little warmer. He took a step towards the door. Audrey snapped her fingers, locking the door. Simultaneously, the blinds on the windows snapped shut. Benny stopped in his tracks and looked tearily at the old woman. "You won't stop me," he half-whispered. "Kris wouldn't forgive me if I didn't," Audrey replied. "Sleep now." She snapped her fingers again, and the newborn vampire passed out. With a heavy sigh, Audrey looked at Salem. She thought for a moment. "Help me seal him in the basement. He can stay there until we can talk him around. Once he's safe from himself..." She nodded and placed her trembling hand on the girl's shoulder. "Then I'll come with you to Kris's place to check on Blake." --- Viktor teleported to Bruce's door and knocked. He had one bag hanging from his shoulder and the other in his hand. His heart was fluttering with excitement. His relationship with Bryce was a first, and moving in was yet another first for him. But it felt right. --- "I don't think I've ever seen anything on the council here." Azrael chimed in numbly. He'd pulled Lilly into a hug to allow Death freedom to move around. She was sobbing into his robe. He absent-mindedly rubbed her back to comfort her while keeping eye contact with Death and Amelia. He was in too much shock himself to really feel much of anything, but he supposed he needed to be this way to focus on doing whatever was necessary to protect his family. He turned his gaze to Death. "The attackers seemed to be determined to get one of our children. Until we can find a way to protect ourselves, I'd advise keeping they stay closest to you. Perhaps you could take them to your private library for now. They can read some of our histories-" "No," Lilly growled. Azrael looked down at her. "I want them dead!" Her eyes began glowing green, but she was still exhausted, so it was only a faint glow. "I want them to pay for this! For all of this!" "Calm, Princess," Azrael said in his soothing voice. He emitted his aura, and with her current exhaustion, Lilly couldn't help relaxing as her eyes glazed over slightly. The glowing subsided as bitter tears still hung in her eyes while she stared off at the wall. Azrael looked back at Death and gave him a look of concern. Their daughter was grieving and angry. His earlier suggestion of their little family going to the library for now would serve several purposes. They could try to look for an answer in the books. Death and Raven could help Lilly through her grief. Additionally, it would keep them out of harm's way, as the library acted as a sort of safe room. "I'll rally what's left of our forces and put them on a patrol, in pairs, around the castle." Seeing Azrael stepping up to protect his family and realm had Amelia thinking about her own. She frowned as she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Hugging herself, she nodded to them. "Sounds like you guys have things handled here. I'm going to check in on my own Kingdom. Keep us updated. We'll be in touch, too, if we find anything." She said to them quickly. She was about to turn to walk away when she paused and looked at Death's family once more. "Keep safe, alright?" she said sincerely before turning and briskly walking back to the main hall, where she'd make a beeline for Charles. "How're you feeling?" She asked him anxiously. "I-I want to check on Oliver." She said to him quietly. Quickly. "I don't like this. Nothing feels safe. Charles, I want to go and check. I want to know he's safe." David looked exasperatedly from Hades to Abel. Closing his eyes tightly, he lifted his glasses and pinched the brim of his nose as he thought quickly. With a sigh, he looked at Hades. "I understand. But we can do nothing until we secure everyone and find out where our attackers are holed up." He looked between Hades and Abel for a moment. "Alright, here's the deal. One of you needs to come with me to Hell's Library to find out any information at all on the council. The other one needs to meet Samael in Heaven's library to do the same. Decide between you who's going where and let me know." He said to them before turning to Nate. Before he could get a word out, though, Tom jumped awake suddenly with a shriek and flailed around so erratically for a moment as if he'd just discovered a large insect on himself. He then sat up breathing heavily, and looked around with wild eyes. "Nate?!" David looked from Tom to Nate and nodded to him. "Go, he's going to need you," he told him before turning to look at Gabriel instead. "Would you mind?" He gestured to the band, who were grieving over Bob. "Help them however you can. Maybe cover Bo-.." he paused, the name dying on his lips as he needed a moment to keep his composure. "Cover him. Please. Put him in a more dignified position for now." He looked away for a moment. Not at anyone or anything in particular. He stared off at the ground as the weight of what had happened really began to sink in. Composing himself once more, he cleared his throat to look back at Hades and Abel. "So, who's going where?" Abaddon walked to Atma and knelt down. Holding her in his arms, "Are you ill?" "The wine was spiked," Atma said groggily as she rested her head on his shoulder. For a moment, she was quiet and seemed almost sleepy as her head lulled to one side. Then her eyes rolled back for a second. When she looked back at him, she smiled. But the smile wasn't the same as he'd seen throughout the night. It was off. Like someone else was smiling at him through her. It was a smug, knowing smile. She leaned forward to whisper into his ear. "She likes you, you know. You could have her. But can you protect her? I can give you the means. I can give you the life that you crave. You would only have to pledge your loyalty. Think about it. I'll be in touch," she smirked and gently ran her teeth over his earlobe, pulling it a little before letting go to tease him. Then, just as quickly as it had happened, she slumped in his arms again. Her eyes rolled back again before she groaned quietly. "Wha-? Did I pass out?" she asked groggily. "Ugh, what was in that drink?" Shezmu took a moment to contemplate his words before he spoke. When he turned to look at Eris again, he waved a hand by his side to conjure one of his blood-inked contracts. "I assume you're familiar with these Devil Deals?" He asked her in a relaxed tone. "Out of respect for a fellow warrior, I will be as transparent and plain as I can be. And know that I have no intentions of taking advantage of you." He began as he stepped away from the contract to give her the opportunity to step forward and read it, if she wanted to. "I am inclined to agree with your reasoning for taking a portion of my blood." He said as he looked curiously at some of the Décor of the room. "But you must understand, there are some minor risks involved for both of us, considering that the blood you're looking to take from me has now intermingled with my own. This contract is to outline those risks so we may conduct our business in a safe manner. First and foremost, I am very powerful. I don't say this to be vain. I tell you this because granting even the smallest dose of my blood will heighten your own power immensely. Aside from its already addictive properties, power itself can become something of an addiction. So, I must be careful about how much I give to you. With that in mind, the contract forbids you from using this power against my student or me." he turned to look at her again and studied her carefully. "The rest of the contract is standard for all who hold a contract with me. That you vow to complete one task of my choosing to be determined at a later date, and finally, you swear to pledge the firstborn of each generation from your line to my servitude. The last one is mostly for formality; they may very well end up living their entire lives without ever meeting me." He stepped a little closer to her and lifted his hand to cup her chin. "This wouldn't be a one-time deal. Once you sign this, you will only have to ask, and I shall give. Sparingly, of course. There is a fire in you that I admire, and I must admit that I am intrigued to see what you would do with such power. Especially now, when more than ever before, we are in need of such fierce warriors." --- "Are you kidding?" Layla beamed. "This is my kind of sport!" Eagerly, she moved over to a nearby tree to lean against it while doing some stretches on her legs. --- "Fuck!" Damien exclaimed as he popped into his apartment and kicked the leg at the bottom left corner of his bed. Having momentarily forgotten his strength, the leg of the bed frame had snapped and flown underneath the rest of the frame somewhere, causing his bed to fall at an odd angle. Seeing this just frustrated him further as he let out another "FUCK!" before placing his hands behind his head and closing his eyes to try to calm down. "Why did I bother training you?" Lucifer's voice made him open his eyes, and sure enough, the familiar hallucination was standing near him with a judgmental stare in his direction. "Oh, shut up! You're not even here!" Damien snapped at him irritably. "And yet you continue to talk to me." The judgmental stare shifted into one of curiosity. "Why is that, Damien?" "Ugh!" Damien groaned and walked past him into the en suite, where he stood in front of the sink and began filling the basin with cold water. "But no, really, why did I bother? You inherited my throne for what? A few years?" "Shut up. You're not here." Damien mumbled as he stopped the water. He cupped some in his hands and began to splash his face with it. "It was bad enough that you allowed yourself to get destroyed, but now you're back, and you don't even bother to take my throne back. Do you know how insulting that is?" Lucifer's voice continued and moved around as if Lucifer was pacing behind him. "Shut up, shut up..." He splashed more water onto his face. "I chose you, you ungrateful twit!" Lucifer's voice growled into Damien's ear. Face dripping wet and eyes still closed, he gripped the basin. He tensed as if Lucifer was really in the room with him, and he was fearful of his wrath. He knew in the back of his mind that none of this was really happening, but in the moment, it felt and sounded so real. "What do you want me to do? Hmm?" Damien mumbled, though his bravery was wavering slightly. "She inherited it the same way I did, by succession, and he-... I didn't know you even had a- How do I compete with that?!" "Because they're not the ones I chose. They're not the ones I trained. And I trained you better than this." Damien opened his eyes, blinking away the water as he lifted his head slightly to look around the room. He was alone again. Running a hand through his hair, he counted himself lucky that James wasn't around to witness this. He wondered what was bringing on these hallucinations, but he didn't get much time to dwell on it. He shivered and looked at himself in the mirror. Although he looked completely normal, his veins were beginning to itch from withdrawals. He didn't want to be the one to always pop in on Samson, though. After all, he didn't want to appear to be desperate, and Samson had made it clear that what they had was casual, so he was waiting for his fling to call him this time. In the meantime, he'd just have to try and ignore his craving, figure out a way to keep his hallucinations at bay, as well as try to find out what the hell had happened back at Death's Castle. He glanced at his bed through the open door and considered that he could start by simply fixing what he'd broken.

Kodi heard the commotion from Reed and the man behind him, but his attention was on the other demon, who was still a threat. As he watched the Demon's hand plop to the floor, he found himself thinking 'What am I doing?! I don't have time for this bullshit! I need to find my friend!' He rounded on the pimp Demon and dove at him. Absolutely furious, he'd attempt to grip the demon by the throat and pin him against the wall. There, he would poise his tail tip over the demon's belly as a clear threat that should he try to break free, he would disembowel him on the spot. By now, his reptilian eyes had turned red, and their slit pupils were fixed on the other demon's face. --- "T-Tur-?" The word died on Kris's lips as he stared at Blake. He felt the unbridled rage building within him, but right now his boys needed him to be level-headed. He saw the pain in Blake's expression, and he lowered the shield as he walked towards him. "Let me look at you." He said calmly. Although there was a slight shake to his voice from his anger, he was making an effort to conceal it so as not to alarm or frighten Blake. He took the boy's face in his hands to make him look up at him. He looked carefully at Blake's eyes. He then took a step back and waved a hand over him, summoning a portion of energy to scan his body in search of whatever might be causing him pain. "Violet, someone needs to watch the rest of the boys back at base. Those asshat Hex Fangs will probably spend tonight licking their wounds, but I don't want to leave anything to chance. Someone armed them against our magic. Whoever that is might still be out there." --- As soon as Salem had vanished, Audrey turned to watch Benny carefully. If Benny could still move, he'd be looking at her sheepishly... or hungrily. He knew he felt ashamed of what had just happened, but at the same time, his hunger was very, very difficult to ignore. "I won't hold it against you, Benny. You're not yourself right now, dear." Aunty Audrey told him gently. "But once you've fed and you're feeling more like yourself again, I don't want to ever see you look at her like that again. Do you hear me?" she told him sternly. If he could have, Benny would have nodded. But Audrey's spell was surprisingly strong, so about the most he managed was a blink, hoping she would understand him. "Ha! One blink for yes. Good boy." Audrey chuckled. As soon as Salem returned, Audrey visibly relaxed a little. She hated the idea of her granddaughter surrounded by Vampires. Particularly given what had happened to Benny. "Good woman, that Blaire!" She praised as she walked over to Salem and took the bag from her. "Be a dear and make your Grandma a cup of tea?" she asked, wanting to subtly give Benny a little privacy for this next part, as she knew he'd have little self-control. Only when Salem would leave the room would Audrey place the blood bag into Benny's lap, take a few steps back and release her spell on him. Immediately, Benny would snatch up the bag and bite into it almost desperately and let out a quiet moan, which turned into quiet sobs as he began drinking. --- "I think that might be best." Viktor nodded and then saw the frown on Helena's face. "I promise, I will visit with him soon. I can't wait to tell him!" He beamed. Not long after, they'd be rinsed. While Helena and Allie would be in robes and getting ready for their massages, Viktor would be re-dressed and ready to leave. "I'll call before I visit. I don't want to drop in unannounced. I'm sure your security wouldn't appreciate that." He told them as he gave them each a hug. "Thank you," he said to Allie. "For looking after my sister. I'm glad she had someone around to make her feel safe and loved." He bent slightly to kiss his sister on her cheek. "I will see you soon." With that, he teleported back to the mansion, where he finished packing before texting Bryce to let him know he was almost ready to head over with his bags. Meanwhile, at Bryce's place, an envelope had been posted through his front door. Inside was a photo of himself, but taken from outside at an odd angle to capture the side of his face through the window, obliviously going about his business. On the back of the photo, written in what appeared to be red ink were the words; "Drink to me only with thine eyes, And I will pledge with mine; Or leave a kiss but in the cup, And I'll not look for wine. The thirst that from the soul doth rise." Whoever had posted this through the door was long gone by the time Bryce would find it. But the message would be familiar, as they were a small part of the song 'Song: To Celia ["Drink to me only with thine eyes"] by Ben Jonson, written in 1616. Under the quote were written some barely readable initials that seemed to be hastily scribbled out as the mysterious messenger had apparently decided against leaving them before putting the photo into the envelope. --- "Father!" Lilly gasped and immediately threw herself into Death's arms to hug him tightly. Relieved she hadn't lost her family but grieving over Bob, she broke down into sobs. Azrael stood and looked from his family to Bob and back to Death. Today was supposed to be a happy occasion. What had happened?! "Azrael." Samael's voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Give me a hand in Heaven's library?" "I-..." Azrael gave a lost look to Death and his family. "Have a heart and take someone else with you," David said to Samael. "His family need him right now," he added and then saw the lost expression on Azrael's face. "And I'm pretty sure he needs his family." "Well, who, then?" Samael shrugged his shoulders dramatically. "I'm fairly sure these doppleganger nutjobs aren't going to give us a break here. Time is of the essence." "I said I'd help!" Damien barked irritably. "You're the LAST person I want anywhere near me!" Samael snapped "I already know you're not Lucifer!" "But you were his doting apprentice! You actually looked up to that asshole!" "You didn't know him-!" "What, like you did?! I knew him better than you ever did, and I'm glad he's gone because now I can finally BREATHE!" "Enough!" Amelia snapped as she stepped between them just as Damien looked like he was about to square up to Samael. "Damien, back off! You're not going with him," she said, rounding on her brother. "Pfft! Whatever. He's right. He's no Lucifer. Lucifer wasn't a pussy." Damien scoffed sourly. "And yet, just like your daddy, he abandoned you. Face it, he didn't care for you! He only ever looked out for himse-!" "-Damien-!" Amelia shouted as Damien had shoved her out of his way, strode back over and before Samael could even finish his sentence he'd punched him in the jaw, knocking the Archangel to the ground. Samael cupped his jaw as he sat up and growled while glaring at Damien. Before he could get up, however, Shezmu had stepped in and with one arm had flung Damien down the hall, away from them. "Children!" He scolded them both in a sharp tone. "We have more pressing matters than your petty feuds!" he then gave Damien a stern glare and sent a secret, telepathic threat to him that caused Damien to tense up for a second. The spurned Devil then pulled himself to his feet, and in reluctant defeat, he turned away from them. "Whatever." He seethed before vanishing. "Some brother of yours." Samael huffed as he too pulled himself back to standing. Amelia turned and glared hard at him. "Like you helped matters," she hissed at him. "Besides, Shezmu is right. Isn't it about time you headed to Heaven's library?" Then, as Samael opened his mouth to speak, she added. "I'll pick someone and send them to help you." For a long moment, Samael stared back at her as she continued to glare. He then sighed and averted his gaze moodily. "Fine," he said before vanishing as well. "Well handled." Shezmu complimented her. "You too..." Amelia replied with a sigh as the tension in the air began to ease up. It would be at this point that Eris would approach Shezmu. For a moment, he looked at her as his own concerns over everything that had happened and the kidnapping of Lucretia clouded his thoughts. But Eris had raised a fine point. She could be helpful in the search for her and in fighting whatever enemies lay in wait for them. He considered her request, and admittedly, he was tempted to feed her small doses of his blood due to the added advantage of making her into one of his loyal thralls. "Come." He said to her with a charming smile and offered her his arm. "I believe we can come to an agreement that suits us both. Let's find a more private place to discuss the terms." Meanwhile, Amelia had turned back to the others. "What about your library?" She asked Death and Azrael. "Do you think there'd be anything there about how the council works? Where it is? How do they see or hear everything?..." She shivered as she glanced around, recalling how the others had been involuntarily used as mouthpieces for whoever their attackers were. "Anything that might help protect us from being possessed?" Atma was nursing her head in her hands with the rest of the guests back in the main hall. By now, Robb had stopped vomiting but was now snoozing against one of the walls. David had picked up the unconscious Tom and walked him back to the main hall to lay him down near the other guests. He looked at Nate quickly. "He's fine- or well, he's not injured. He was briefly possessed, though, so I guess 'fine' might be a stretch," he told him. He then stepped closer and whispered to him. "There's been a fatality," he glanced around and saw dust from where Uriel* and a few reapers had been obliterated during the fight. "Not just those..." he sighed and then glanced sadly towards Hades and the band. "I'm going to break the news to them, but please make sure none of the guests enter that hallway. It's not a pretty sight, and the others are currently discussing next steps. That being said, do you know anyone who could accompany Samael in Heaven's library? He's doing research on the council, or anything that might help us. I'll be going to Hell's library shortly to do the same." --- "Sure." Layla chuckled. "What kinds of games do you play?" she asked curiously.

I just wrote up an argument and a small fight. Didn't realise how it had affected me personally until I got up to get a drink and saw on my way back that my bf was giving me an odd look. I'd basically stormed off and back in with a grumpy look on my face and yet I'm perfectly fine xD Love being an empath sometimes hahaha

So, just as a heads up. I kinda have a plan for how the big bad gets taken down. It's going to take a bit of time and for this version of Amelia to get some serious character development first. Plenty of opportunities though for side stories, particularly as there's a literal whole other world of alternative characters that could be entering and causing havoc in the main world. With that in mind, I'm guna keep encounters with the main villain to a minimum. But her appearances will almost always be brutal/devastating. xD In the meantime, she'll mostly be sending her loyal lackeys to do her bidding.

As much as Kodi wanted to run and help Reed, he found himself staring down two red barrels. He hissed again, and his scaled mouth twisted into a savage grin. "Careful. Some guns are too hot to handle!" He said before breathing fire in his general direction, hoping to make him drop the guns. If the pimp demon tried to run away, he'd swipe the sharp edge of his tail at him in the hopes of striking one of his hands. --- The vampires and Violet weren't the only ones shocked by what had happened. Before Blake had appeared, Kris had been about to conjure a weapon from his armoury, but as he watched, the Vampires were ripped apart one by one. He stood slowly, his eyes landing on Blake. Before he could say anything, he saw the way the boy had turned to Violet, and he reacted quickly. "No!" he barked and clapped his hands before thrusting them at Violet, creating a barrier of light between them to keep them separated. While they were focused on each other, the few surviving Vampires gathered up their severed limbs and rapidly fled the scene. "Blake, stop. That's enough!" Kris said to the boy firmly. "Talk to me. Tell me what's happened. Is it Benny? Did you find him?" --- Benny sobbed and rested his head against Salem as she tried to comfort him, but her words were little use considering he was staring down eternity. At some point, he stopped hearing her, and another sound consumed his hearing almost entirely. The rhythmic beating of her heart. His eyes moved to look at her as she'd been staring at the place Blake had been standing but all he could see was the faint blue lines networking under her skin, transporting her blood around her body. He could smell it. His eyes moved to her throat, and unable to stop himself, he opened his mouth while starting to lean towards her. "None of that!" Audrey said quickly. She'd waved her hand at him, and Benny suddenly found himself unable to move. "Salem, be a dear and take this to the lovely young lady at this address." She said as she walked over and handed her an envelope containing money as well as a small note which briefly explained their situation and requested a blood bag. "Her name is Blaire. Don't stop to talk to anyone else, do you hear? If any Vampire tries to talk to you, you teleport straight back to me. If you can get to Blaire, she'll look after you. Just don't tell Kris about this. You know how that man is when Vampires are involved. Bloody gang wars. They're never good for anyone!" --- "Really?" Viktor asked in surprise. "Would that be alright?" "Oh, you must!" Helena squeaked excitedly. "I would love to meet him!" "Oh, I was- um..." Viktor hesitated as he remembered what he'd been doing shortly before he arrived for this surprise visit. "I was actually in the middle of moving in with him. But I could call and ask if he wanted to do this first?" --- "Good lad." Amelia praised Dariel. She then nodded to Shezmu. "Your mentor must be proud," she said with a small pat on the boy's shoulder. "Look after them, will you?" She added while her gaze landed back on the drugged guests. "Get them water and help them feel comfortable until the drugs wear off. If any of them start to act strangely, call one of us." With that, she hurried over to David as Gabriel was healing him. "So what's the verdict, doc. Am I going to live?" David asked Gabriel jokingly as he felt his wound closing up. He then looked at Amelia as she approached. "So, we're all in agreement that we're basically fucked unless we figure out a way to stop- whoever the fuck it is- from possessing and spying on people." She asked them quietly as she got closer. "I don't suppose either of you knows where the Spirit Council is based or how it works?" David shook his head. "The council have always been secretive about their base's location and verrry selective about who they let join their ranks. They were supposed to be the highest command over all realms, aside from God himself." "What about Metatron?" Amelia suggested. "She left here shortly before it all... happened. Do you think she might've survived?" "Hard to say." David frowned. "I think if she had, she either would have rejoined us sooner or more likely went into hiding, given that whoever these attackers are, they're organised and powerful enough to take down the entire Spirit Council within just seconds of attacking them. I have an awful feeling that whoever they are... they're not amateurs." "What do we do?" Amelia asked worriedly. "For now, we regroup. We make sure everyone here is safe, first and foremost- " He paused, looking around. "They were after Death's children and Raziel. Where are they?" With his strength, Eris's blows barely phased Shezmu as he gripped her tightly. In fact, he had to refrain from using too much of his own strength so as not to snap her like a twig. He hadn't had time to savour the drink, but once he'd taken the Angelic blood from her, he felt invigorated. He sat up as he watched Eris stretching. Smirking at her, he wiped some of the blood from his lips with his fingers before licking them clean. "You have a deal," he responded playfully before getting to his feet and brushing himself off. As he overheard David's question nearby, his eyes quickly scanned the room and he noted several people missing. Not long after this realisation, he and the others would hear Lilly's screams from the nearby corridors. "Lucretia!" He gasped and took off running towards the corridors, practically flying past the others. --- "Oh, now, now. There's no rush!" The doctor said a little too calmly while holding his hands up. This caused Raziel, who had been watching Lucretia worriedly until this point, to look at the doctor oddly. "Doctor?" he said slowly. "All I'm saying is, you need to slow down. You've lost an arm, for goodness sakes!" the doctor laughed almost cheerily. "And it's not like you can really stop them, is it? Otherwise, you wouldn't be running like piss-scared little ants." "He's possessed!" Raziel gasped. "Of course I am!" The doctor laughed. "I'm everywhere. I hear everything. I see everything. It really is great to be the boss, you know." He chuckled lightly as if this were a pleasant conversation. "Oh, don't strain yourself, sweetheart." He said while holding up a hand to Lucretia. "Just let the drugs do their thing. You'll be mellow in no time!" he grinned as he glanced at the needle that he'd injected her with moments ago. "And then you're both going to come on a little trip with me. It'll be fun, I promise." "We're not going anywhere with you!" Raziel growled. "Oh, yes, you are. And do you wana hear the great news? Not one of your little friends will be able to teleport after you. Not where we're going," he laughed darkly, and before Raziel could run for the theatre doors, the doctor grabbed him, spun around, grabbed Lucretia as well and together they all vanished. -to be continued when Lucretia wakes up.- --- Tom fell unconscious to the floor as soon as the entity was knocked out of him. The orb that Raven had caught was not the entity that had taken over the spirit council, but a small portion of energy that was being used to possess people. Of course, the true culprit was currently holed up in the main headquarters of the Spirit Council, which made possessing people more or less the equivalent of using an intercom to communicate. When the orb was pulled from Tom, the being's voice could be heard cackling through it. "Did you idiots actually think I was somehow physically inside your guests?" they laughed. Their voice no longer distorted, and it was that of a vaguely familiar female voice. "This is going so much better than I expected! Your Death even killed himself for me! I barely lifted a finger!" they mocked. As it spoke, Shezmu rounded the corner and quickly looked around at the various people. "Lucretia? Has anyone seen her?" "I have!" The voice chuckled. "She's a little out of it right now. But she and Raziel are my newest guests." By now, Amelia, David and Damien had also rounded the corner. "Who are you?!" Shezmu demanded. "You'll get to know me soon. I have so much planned, but for now, know this. I am your Queen, and before long, you will all kneel before me or die!" The orb popped. Ending the conversation abruptly. "David..." Amelia said while trying to catch her breath. "Head to Hell's Library. See what you can dig up on the Spirit Council's headquarters. In fact, anything on the Spirit Council at all would help." She turned to Samael. "What about Heaven? Do you have a library that might also have answers?" "Worth a shot. But I'm gonna need a hand. It's pretty big." Samael replied. "I'll go," Damien said a little too quickly. As soon as Damien had noticed who Samael looked like, he hadn't been able to stop staring. Up until Amelia had spoken to him directly, he had assumed that Samael was another one of his Lucifer hallucinations. "No," Samael said irritably. "But-" "I'm not him." Samael snapped. "I know who you are, and I have no intention of feeding any delusions you might get. I'll take someone else, but not you and not Carol." As they discussed this, Lilly had moved from weeping over Bob to weeping over Death. She was now desperately pleading with him to stay with them. Azrael had managed to catch up to them and fell to his knees beside Death as well. "I can't-!" Lilly cried. "I don't have enough strength left! We can't lose him! Father!" Scooping Death into his arms, Azrael tearfully held him close and spoke softly to him. "My King. My love. Please hold on. Your Kingdom needs you. Your children need you... I need you," he kissed him softly. He emitted his soothing aura, but now it was tinged with the magic that they had used to resurrect Azrael not long ago. --- Layla smiled and wrapped her arms around Nil, resting her head on his shoulder. At some point during the party, Greta had gotten up and left quite hurriedly to return home for her curfew.

On the one hand, my newest villains are practically writing themselves and I'm exicted to see this story develop. On the other hand - holy hell they're turning out way more brutal and dark than I had imagined! 🫠

"What the fuck?!" Kodi gasped as he instinctively stood in front of Reed. He partially shifted his shape. His face changed into a more reptilian shape, and he bared his sharp teeth at them. His tail, with its sharp point, burst from the bottom of his spine, and it coiled a little around his legs, ready to use. He hissed at the men, only recognising the pimp demon. "Go and raise an alarm, get help or something!" He said to Reed while keeping his eyes on the dangerous men in front of him. --- "Sure thing, sweetheart." The vampire laughed. "Not that it matters. I'm going to have fun with you either way. That's what you get for stepping into Hex Fang territory." "Hex Fang? Is that what you idiots are calling yourselves?" Kris scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Who came up with that? It isn't even intimidating!" The Vampire whirled around in surprise. Kris flicked his wrist, intending to send the Vampire flying into the wall. But the Vampire didn't move. In fact, nothing had happened to them at all. "Having a little magic trouble, Kris?" The Vampire gloated. "How-?" Kris began, but was knocked down from behind as another Vampire appeared. And then another. And then another. All of them laughed sinisterly as they surrounded Kris and Violet. "Here's what's going to happen. All of your territory is now Hex Fang territory. Any Tricksters caught in our territory will be beaten, turned or just straight up killed. Got it?" The Vampire from before said as he stood over Kris, who glared at him dangerously. "You're all dead!" Kris raged. --- Audrey ran, or rather, she shuffled quickly into the shop from the back room. The beads over the doorway clacked together as she burst through them. "What's happened? Turning into what, child?" She asked as she continued hurrying towards them. She looked carefully at Benny, who was no longer responding to any of them as he continued to rock and groan in pain from his curled-up position on the floor. Reaching for the glasses that hung around her neck, she brought them up to sit on the end of her nose as she looked the boy over quickly. Her aged and shaking hands gripped the boy's face, and she pried his mouth open to look inside. The shape of his canine teeth were worping slowly. There was a red tint covering his tongue and staining a few of his teeth. She let him go, and without a word, she hurried to the back of the shop, causing the beads to clack against each other once more. From there, she brought out a pestle and mortar, which she set down on the counter. She moved around the shop, picking up various ingredients which she also brought to the counter. Carefully, she measured out each ingredient before adding them to the pestle and mortar to grind them up. She ran to the back again and came back with a small mug of water, which she added these ingredients to. She gave it a quick stir before bringing it to the boy. "Sit him up." She told them quickly but calmly. "Here now, drink this." She told Benny, but as he was in no condition to drink it willingly, she had to force it down his throat. He coughed and spluttered, but once he swallowed, he felt the pain ebbing away. "That will help with the pain..." She told them as Benny caught his breath and lay limply against the shelves. "But I'm afraid a cure for vampirism is beyond even me. I'm sorry, dear boy." "They-?" Benny gasped, then groaned. The pain was gone, but he could still feel his body changing. "No, I wouldn't drink their blood! I wouldn't!" But as he said this, flashes of memory surfaced. After receiving numerous bites and a repeated dosage of venom in a short space of time, he'd been in a state of delirium when it had happened. He remembered hearing laughter around him as something was forced against his mouth. But that was all he could recall. Everything else was blocked out, either as a side effect of the venom or out of sheer trauma. "I don't want it!" Benny cried. "Autie, please! Please tell me there's a way to stop it!" Audrey frowned and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder before standing up and walking away to clean up the ingredients she'd used. "No..." Benny sobbed. He looked at his shaking hands. "I'll never be able to do magic again... I won't get any older than I am now... I-I can't do this! I don't want this!" --- "She's always been the brave one," Viktor said with a smile. "Well, just because I'm blind, it doesn't mean I have to live a sheltered life. Being sheltered is what almost got me killed, anyway. From now on, I live how I want to live, and I don't want to miss out on the best things that life has to offer!" Helena beamed, continuing to look in Allie's direction. Viktor gave a small laugh in surprise. "Well said, sister." "Tell me about the person you met. What is her-? his-? name?" "Bryce. His name is Bryce." Viktor blushed as he said his name. He then bit his lip a little before saying with some amusement at the irony. "He's a vampire." Helena turned her head to look at him in amusement and with her mouth in the shape of an 'O'. This look caused Viktor to burst out laughing. "Hey, what is with that face?" "From hunter to lover!" Helena laughed. "Shut up!" Viktor continued to laugh as his cheeks turned red. "It's like you would see in a movie!" "Stop!" "Or- what are those stories on the internet?" Helena laughed while turning her head to Allie to ask. "A fan-fiction? Like if Dracula fell in love with Van Helsing or something!" "Oh my god..." Viktor chuckled and was tempted to cover his face with his hands, but had to stop himself as he remembered that they were covered in mud. "I tease you." Helena chuckled. "But you're happy with him? You love him?" "I-..." Viktor paused. He hadn't been asked that before, and with how quickly the relationship had started, he hadn't really had time to stop and reflect on how he felt. He smiled a little to himself and blushed as he answered. "Yes... I think I do. He makes me happy. He listens to me." --- "Then take a well-deserved break." Amelia smiled at Ash. Though her smile was a little forced because she felt responsible for putting him in harm's way to begin with. She stood and tried to assess what they had left to deal with. Shezmu seemed to be busy with Eris, but in his own way seemed to have things under control. She saw Nate and Gabriel going around to heal the injured, although she was sure not much could be done for those who had been drugged. If there was one thing she learned from her years of binge drinking and smoking, it was that some things just had to be waited out. The Reaper Royal Guards had pulled the unconscious Andi to the side of the room to recover. Staring at him for a moment, it occurred to her that they were all still very much in danger of being possessed as he had been. Whoever had killed the Spirit Council now had access to the council's powers, their weapons, technology... everything. They could see and hear anything just by tapping into unsuspecting minds. This wasn't just bad. It was catastrophically bad. "We need a lockdown of some kind..." she murmured to herself thoughtfully. "Something to block them from taking control... from spying on us... to buy us time to regroup and assess the situation properly... hmm... " But there was nothing. At least nothing that Amelia was aware of. The Spirit Council, as far as Amelia was aware, had never needed such precautions before. They were thought to be an absolute power over all realms in order to maintain The Balance. "Well, so much for bloody balance..." She sighed. But still, she wasn't giving up. There had to be something they could do, but for now, they needed to focus on the here and now. She turned to Dariel once more. "Help the guests back into the castle. We need to lock this place down and keep everyone together until we can figure out what to do next." "Nate or Gabriel?" David grunted as he forced himself to stand while still holding the wound in his stomach. "If you'd be so kind... " Shezmu calmly and rapidly side-stepped Eris a few times, hoping that she would tire herself out without causing harm to herself or others. When it seemed she was beginning to slow down, he waited until she'd bolted at him again to side-step her once more. Only this time, just as she passed him, he'd turn and move to grip her from behind. He'd pull her towards him, wrapping his arms tightly around her arms and torso before attempting to bite her. Having determined it was the Angelic blood causing her to lash out, he assumed that taking it from her might return her to her normal self. --- The Reaper gasped for air but continued to smile twistedly at Abaddon. "I know you." The same distorted voice came from this Reaper. "Or, rather, I knew you. Abaddon." The new vessel grinned. "I know you crave violence. You want to squeeze and squeeze this Reaper until she pops, don't you? Go ahead, I won't stop you," the vessel laughed. "That's the same voice from Unity." Tom gasped. "Abaddon, don't listen to them. Don't let them go, but don't hurt them either. The Reaper that they're possessing is innocent!" Samael said to the Devil quickly. "Oh, go on. It'd be fun. The sound. The smell. The satisfying feeling of the bones snapping under your pressure." The vessel continued. Their steady gaze never once left Abaddon's eyes. --- "In here! Hurry!" One of the Angelic doctors said to them quickly and started to lead them to an empty operating theatre. "We can hide in here and take care of your arm." He said with a nod to Lucretia's stump and the blood-stained shirt tied tightly to it. "What's happening?" he asked as he closed and locked the doors behind them. He then went about preparing a needle for a local anaesthetic to numb Lucretia's pain. --- "What was that?" Lilly had gasped, and when Raven spoke, she barely heard him as her wide eyes fixed on Death the moment she'd heard him say Bob's name. "What about Bob? What- Does it have something to do with what we felt? What's happened to Bob?!" She began asking wildly as she threw herself to her feet. "Lillian-!" Azrael began, but Lilly had already run clear out of the room and was sprinting down the corridors. "Bob? Bob?!" She screamed as she ran. At the sound of Lilly's panicked screams, the vessel in Abaddon's grip grinned victoriously. When Uriel* had failed his mission, a new plan had been put into motion. The being controlling this Reaper had targeted Bob specifically for two reasons. It knew that Bob was still alive, and the impact of a death within Death's own realm would weaken the King and those related to him significantly. Not permanently, but long enough. The second reason, after having silently observed various realms to get to know what they'd be up against, they had discovered that this particular human was very important to one of the children who could potentially thwart their plans. So, naturally, the child would feel compelled to protect this mortal if they knew that they were in grave danger. As soon as Lilly had rounded the corner and was within view, the Reaper's eyes rolled, and her body convulsed momentarily before she fell limp in Abaddon's grip. Unconscious and no longer possessed. Just as she did, Tom gasped and stumbled to the wall. He leaned against it to steady himself and closed his eyes tightly as he suddenly felt an enormous pressure inside his head. Something, or someone, was trying to take control of him. 'Don't fight it,' he heard a woman's voice. It was almost soothing, but at the same time felt sinister. 'It won't hurt if you don't fight.' "St-stop!" Tom cried out as he clutched his head with his hands. "Don't!" 'Shhh. Don't fight. You can't fight. You're not strong enough to stop this, so why even try?' "Please! Please help me! She's in my head! Help me!" Tom shouted, but the pressure mounted to an unbearable amount, and he could feel himself beginning to slip into unconsciousness. 'It's ok. Just let go.' Is the last thing he heard before everything for Tom went black. As Tom was dealing with this, Lilly had reached the corridor and stopped when she saw Bob. For a moment, she simply stood there and seemed to struggle to breathe. Then she let out a loud scream and, without any sense of danger, she ran towards her friend, desperate to believe he wasn't really dead. That, like when he'd been a skeleton, he'd pull himself together again. She fell to her knees near him. She moved to touch the knife, then recoiled before taking him by his shoulders and gently trying to shake him awake. All while saying his name over and over again with increasing desperation. By now, Tom had been possessed and temporarily had the same abilities as the being possessing him. He straightened up to grin evilly at Lilly. He moved towards her, intending to grab her while she was distracted and teleport away with her. --- "Thank you", Layla said softly while blushing. "I'm glad I met you, too." She glanced around them thoughtfully. "Do you believe in fate?" she asked him. "Back before we met, I used to sneak out into the woods surrounding the compound a lot. Even before I was turned into a werewolf. I used to just like going for a walk under the trees. To get away from it all and find some peace beyond the trees. And then I meet you. I dunno, it just kind of feels like maybe we were meant for each other." She grinned bashfully. "Sorry, that sounded really cheesy."

"I could wear a bell?" Kodi joked. When Reed mentioned his teleportation sickness, he grimaced. He thought for a moment before walking to one corner of the room to pick up the waste paper basket that was lined with a white bag. He handed it to Reed before placing a hand on his shoulder. "If you gotta puke, do it in there," he told him while pointing to the basket. He then hesitated before placing two of his fingers on Reed's forehead. "We can only teleport to places and people that we know... and seeing as I've never been to the CIA base, I'm gonna need to pull it from your memory," he told him. "I'll only take what I need to teleport us there, ok?" He asked and then waited for Reed's reply, letting him know that he would only go looking into his memories with his permission. --- Chuckling quietly to himself, Kris waved a hand over his head and body. His shape shimmered for a second before he seemed to vanish. Still present but mostly invisible to the naked eye, Kris stayed close to Violet, ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. Although Violet wasn't facing the hatch during her little act, Kris was watching it closely. He saw it move ever so slightly, or at least it had looked that way due to the speed at which it was opened and closed. Quickly, Kris's eyes moved to Violet to watch her carefully. "A lady like you shouldn't be alone in a place like this." A gruff voice said from behind Violet. "I smell the magic on you, witch bitch!" the vampire growled. Kris smirked, knowing the vampire was confusing Violet's scent with his own. This was going better than expected and meant that the vampires would wildly underestimate her. "This is our territory," the vampire bared his fangs at her. "Maybe we should use you to send a message to your Trickster pimp?" And like that, Kris's smile slipped, and he glared menacingly at the vampire for insinuating she was a whore. His invisibility charm wore off, and he gradually became visible, standing behind the vampire now with a murderous look in his eyes. The vampire, whose full attention was on Violet, hadn't noticed him yet. --- Benny could barely hear them. Although Salem's chants were healing the various bite marks, cuts and bruises across his body, the churning pain persisted and gradually grew worse. He cried out while he gripped his chest and stomach. "It hurts!" he sobbed. "Make it stop! Please, make it stop!" But of course, they couldn't. Because what was happening to him couldn't be healed, and especially not with magic. Before long, he was curled up in the foetal position on the floor and tensed up, knowing nothing but pain. --- "Oh, uh, I have..." Viktor replied while looking at the butler and then the folded robe with uncertainty. "I've never done this before," he admitted. "Leo told me he had turned you," Helena said, her tone tinged with worry. "That's right, he did. I would have died if he hadn't." Viktor paused. "I- I don't want to talk about that," he said to her, knowing this would bring up the fact that it was their own family that had almost killed him in the first place. "Not yet." "So, don't talk about it." Helena shrugged. "Tell me about what you've been doing. Are you happy with your new life?" "Very. I met someone." Viktor couldn't help smiling as he said this. With the butler's guidance, he'd stripped down behind a wooden divider and had discreetly stepped into one of the vacant mud baths nearby. "This feels weird," he commented. "What a coincidence," Helena said playfully as she reached out her hand towards Allie's, wanting to take her hand. "So, did I." Viktor whipped his head around to look at them both in surprise. --- "No!" Amelia gasped, seeing Ash collapse. She hadn't realised that taking the Arch Angel's powers might hurt him. She tried to run forward, but a wave of dizziness came over her, and she broke out in a cold sweat. Arms caught her as she fell forward, and when she glanced up, she could swear the man who caught her could have been a slightly older version of Charles's first form. Then she realised she was looking at Samael, who, despite having rushed to catch her, now seemed to be avoiding eye contact with her as he helped her back to her feet. Wordlessly, he let her go and then began walking in the direction he'd seen Bob running in earlier. Moving a little more cautiously this time, Amelia walked over to Ash and knelt beside him to place her hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?" Shezmu smiled at Eris. "For my kind, it is a delicacy. If it bothers you so, I'd be happy to take it from you. It would be the least I can do after you helped us to take down this villain." His tone became sour as he said the word 'villain', and at the same time, he glanced towards Uriel* with a look of disgust. The villain in question was now on his knees and breathing heavily. His sword's flames had been extinguished, and the arm he used to wield it, which now hung limply at his side, was almost completely covered in large purple bruises that wrapped around in coils to match the way Ash's tentacles had been holding him before. That's not to mention the various cuts and bruises he'd gained from Nate and Shezmu during his struggle. Of course, lastly, there were the puncture marks on his throat from where Shezmu had attempted, and Eris had successfully managed to drink from him. The dark Arch Angel seethed through gritted teeth, but what anger he had was vastly overshadowed by the fear in his eyes as they darted from face to face. Of course, it wasn't these party goers he was so fearful of. "Forgive me. Please, forgive me. Give me another chance! I can still prove my worth to you!" he began to rave while his eyes landed on each person's face, as if searching for something. Finally, his eyes landed on Andi, and the second their eyes met, Andi's eyes rolled back, and he momentarily convulsed on his feet. When his eyes lowered again to look at Uriel*, his expression became cold. The Arch Angel shuddered but didn't dare look away. "I don't suffer failures, Uriel*. You know that. You pleaded with me to allow you to carry out this mission yourself! You assured me that you could handle it!" Andi told him in the same distorted voice that Unity had had. "What the hell is going on?" Damien blurted out, but both the Reaper and the Archangel were too enrapt in their own conversation to pay attention to those surrounding them. "Please, I-" Uriel* started, but Andi cut him off. "You know what you have risked in failing me, don't you? How important this was." "Y-Yes, my Queen, I-" "Queen?" David whispered the word under his breath as he looked on. From where he was kneeling, a small pool of his blood had formed under him. The wound inflicted on him earlier had not been able to heal due to the nature of the weapon that had been used. "And yet, you still failed." Andi snapped at Uriel* "I can do better! Please! Bring me home! Punish me! I can still serve you-!" "Serve me how?! You're powerless, you fool!" Andi scoffed coldly. "You're worthless now." "No!" Uriel* gasped. His eyes widened fearfully. His face turned paler, despite already being pale from blood loss. "I beg you! I beg you! Please!" "Disgusting display." Andi sneered. "You're boring me." He lifted his scythe, and before anyone could react or stop him, he swung it at Uriel* who gave out an awful scream before it, as well as his life was cut short. His head rolled across the floor, and within seconds, both head and body began to disintegrate into oblivion. Not even a second later, Andi's body convulsed again before he fell to the floor, unconscious. "What the hell just happened!?" Damien shouted. "A lot..." Amelia mumbled as she slowly rose to her feet. "We can discuss the next course of action when we know we are once again safe and secure," Shezmu said, using his commanding tone again. "Those with healing abilities, please see to the unconscious and the wounded at once." --- Meanwhile, in the corridors where Tom and Raziel had fled, they came to a sudden stop when they heard Lucretia calling out to them. Tom's eyes widened at the sight of the missing arm and the amount of blood dripping from the wound. He felt his fangs lengthen behind his lips, but he ignored the sweet scent as she drew closer. When she fell to her knees, Tom reacted quickly. He threw off his jacket and then took off his shirt to wrap it around her stump. He then removed his belt to fasten it around her arm tightly in an effort to stop the bleeding. "You're in no condition to protect anyone, but you can come with us until we can get you some help. We'll be safer together," he told her hurriedly and quietly as he did all this. Just then, Bob skidded around the corner and ran past them before skidding to a halt and looking at them. "Hey, I don't suppose you know which room Lilly is in?" he asked quickly. "What are you-?" Tom started as he looked at him in confusion. "Bob! It's not safe! God dammit... You're just as drugged as I am, so how're you so fast?" Samael grumbled between pants as he also rounded the corner. By now, he was covered in sweat from the effort of trying to keep up. "Just lucky, I guess!" Bob laughed as he turned to begin running further down the hallway. Before he could, a door opened in front of him, and a low-level Reaper had stepped out. "Oh, hey!" Bob greeted them in his usual cheery way. "Have you seen Lilly-ah-!?" He'd begun to ask, but then the Reaper had placed their hand on his shoulder, their body jerked ever so slightly, and Bob made a noise towards the end of his question as if the wind had been knocked out of him. The quiet that followed only lasted a few seconds, but seemed to stretch on as Tom had turned his head from Lucretia to look at them and at first didn't understand what had happened. But then Bob stumbled away from the Reaper and leaned his back against the wall. A small knife was embedded in his chest. In his heart. Bob tried to say something, but the only thing that left his mouth was a trickle of blood from the corner, which worked its way down his chin. He slid down the wall into a still, unmoving slump. His eyes stared ahead, but he no longer saw anything. "...Bob?" Tom asked stupidly. Unwilling to believe what he'd seen. It was Raziel's fearful cry that brought him back to himself, and his eyes snapped back to the Reaper to see them smiling in a twisted way while rushing towards Raziel. "Stay away from him!" Tom shouted as he sprang to his feet and tried to get between them. With surprising speed and strength, the Reaper back-handed him and knocked the Vampire to the floor. "Oh, no, no!" Samael gasped as he strained to force himself into a run. "Hey! HEY!" he yelled while running, hoping that anyone from the main hall would hear the commotion and run to help them. He also managed to fling himself between the Reaper and Raziel, but at the last minute, he turned and batted one of his wings at the Reaper to knock them onto their back. Out of breath and already feeling like he might've pushed himself too far, Samael leaned over to grip his knees and catch his breath. While he did this, he looked at Raziel. "RUN!" he barked at him. "I'll hold them off!" Raziel nodded fearfully. He turned to Lucretia and wrapped her arm over his shoulder to help her to her feet. He glanced at Tom, who had also managed to pick himself up, but the Vampire shook his head at him. "You go, I'll help Samael buy you guys time to get away!" he told them. "Go!" Reluctantly, Raziel attempted to run with Lucretia back the way they had originally come from. --- At the possibility that they could never use this power to help anyone else again, Lilly frowned but said nothing. She was simply happy that they'd managed to save Azrael and that they could finally be a family. Exhausted, Azrael had moved to sit next to Death and rested his head against his while they tried to catch their breath together. Lilly had moved to sit on the other side of Azrael and draped her arm across both him and Death while she rested her head on Azrael's chest. "What do we do now?" She asked while looking at Death. As Raziel had predicted, his children would now look to him for guidance on how to navigate what had just happened. Unfortunately, Raziel hadn't predicted what would immediately follow this. A sensation washed over all of them. It was an awful feeling, like the shock of missing a step on the stairs. While the others would be curious and maybe even mildly alarmed by this new sensation, for Death, this would be a familiar feeling. It was an indication that a living mortal had just died in his realm. --- "They are not blood drinker and they do not have horns," Greta replied with genuine innocence. "But the Kelpie that lives in my lake, he had horns and is very dangerous to approach." "Uh... we'll keep that in mind if we're ever in the area, I guess," Layla replied, slightly amused. She watched the little party and then looked down at Clover as he tugged at her hand. She bent down to let him place the little crown on her head and smiled at him, feeling flattered. "Thank you, Clover," she said to him, then looked up at Nil, and her smile grew a little more as her cheeks turned a little pink, wondering how he thought she looked.

Typing up my reply 😄

"I know." Kodi smiled. He gently pulled her into a hug. "Keep an eye on Harris for me, will you?" he asked her quietly. "He's taking this pretty hard. Call me if he tries anything drastic," he let her go before disappearing. He'd appear back at the precinct, ready to join Reed in reporting this to the CIA. --- Kris turned his head slightly to look at Violet. Then he smiled wickedly as he held out his hand for her to take. "Then let's teach them a lesson they won't forget." As soon as she'd take his had they'd teleport to the high street that Drake & Benny had been working. Behind his sunglasses, Kris's eyes scanned the streets. He quickly realised Violet stood out among this human crowd. "Change your shape. We need to keep a low profile," he said while standing in front of her to shield her from human eyes. As he waited for her to do so, he muttered a quick spell. Nothing happened visually, but like a walking metal detector, Kris sensed where his boys' magic had been used. The remaining energy in the air buzzed around him, and the closer he walked towards the alley in question, the stronger the sensation became. He snapped his fingers when they were in the alley proper, and immediately the buzzing ceased. He took a moment to sniff the air. His sense of smell wouldn't be anywhere near as strong as a vampire's or a werewolf's, but his kind of life had given him experience when it came to tracking supernatural beings. Looking around, he saw evidence of the fight. Burn marks in the brick walls and pavement from Drake's fireballs. Specks of blood here and there on the ground. With a low, angry growl, Kris muttered another spell. His eyes began to glow, and he removed his glasses to see his surroundings better. The spell had allowed him to see traces of heat left behind by both his boys and the vampires who had attacked them. Contrary to most fiction novels, vampires had a core body temperature similar to humans. After all, they weren't dead. Not really. Just another species. And blood, which makes up most of a vampire's anatomy, naturally holds a lot of heat. Smirking, Kris saw a cluster of fading heat signatures heading towards the other end of the alley and into a basement hatch. "Got 'em!" he chuckled as he glanced at Violet and then nodded towards the hatch. "Would you care to distract them?" --- Benny hadn't been sure exactly how he'd managed to get away. It had all been one awful blur. In fact, he could remember very little from when he'd been dragged out of the alley. He stumbled into the training room, unsure of why he'd chosen here of all places to go. A small part of him questioned why he hadn't gone straight to Kris's room. Or better yet called for help from the foyer. Had he even walked in through the foyer? Had he walked here, to this room, at all? He had no memory of it. Just the screaming. The pain. The feeling of helplessness and dread. Then, suddenly, opening the training room doors. He felt weak. Dizzy. He tried to respond to them, but he couldn't manage more than a groan as he fell forward. His whole body ached. His head pounded. There was an awful churning pain in his stomach that was quickly spreading out to the rest of his body. 'Oh, God...' he thought. 'Is this what dying feels like?' --- Feeling awkward, Oscar and Viktor quickly averted their eyes from the girls. "Viktor?" Helena called, and Viktor glanced at her, then smiled. "I'm here." He said to her. "Maybe we should let them catch up," Oscar suggested to Leo. Sensing this was going to be a somewhat emotional reunion. Viktor's eyes moved to Allie when she spoke to him and then looked back at Helena. "You talk about me?" he asked, genuinely surprised. "Of course." Helena shrugged awkwardly. "You're my brother... You saved my life." "But I also put it in danger," Viktor said, ashamedly. "I did horrible things. I was prepared to do so much worse, too..." "You were..." Helena glanced to one side to look at Allie, but stared at the space a little in front of her instead. "What is the word? brainwashed?" --- "Wait until you talk to him..." Amelia mumbled as she struggled again to get to her feet. Unlike most of the guests here, Amelia had the small advantage of being so used to putting harmful substances in her body over the years that she's built up a little tolerance. So, while everyone else was barely able to stand, she stood and slowly began making her way to the castle again. "Amelia! Where are you going?!" Carol called after her. "To do my duty!" Amelia called back stubbornly. Samael glanced from Bob, who had now made it back to the castle doors, then to Amelia and back to Carol. He rolled his eyes dramatically and sighed heavily. "I'll go get them, shall I?!" He announced as he forced himself to his feet as well and began following the other two. "Thanks, whoever you are!..." Robb called out just as sarcastically while giving Samael a sassy thumbs up before continuing to vomit into the bushes. Damien grunted and then growled furiously as Lucretia shoved him out of her way. "Watch it!" he snapped at her, then jumped back with a look of surprise when large tentacles shot past him towards Uriel*. He turned to look at Ash, and for the first time since his arrival, it occurred to him that he didn't recognise the majority of the people here. Uriel* let out a pained shout as Lucretia's sword pierced his shoulder. After he had swung his sword at her, Ash's tentacles had ensnared his sword arm. He glanced at Ash with a mixture of frustration and fury as he tried to pull his arm free. Hannes wouldn't respond. Having hit the wall hard enough to crack the stone, he was completely out cold. "King Jean! We cannot afford to lose focus! We will aid our wounded when it is safe to do so!" Shezmu called out to him while keeping his eyes on Uriel* who was now struggling to break free of Ash's tentacles while also trying to dodge Nate's weapon and kick him away. "Keep him in your hold!" Shezmu called out to Ash as he also attempted to get closer to the flailing Arch Angel. He hoped that Ash's hold on him, with the addition of constant attacks from both himself and Nate, would eventually tire Uriel* out. "Fuck off!" Uriel* screamed, though whether that was to Ash, Nate, or the approaching Shezmu was unclear. Likely all three. He continued to try pulling himself out of Ash's grip, and whenever Shezmu or Nate would get too close for comfort, he'd swing his free fist or kick at them. Tom was frightened but didn't like the idea of running away. He looked over to Raziel and darted towards him as soon as Lucretia had stepped away to try to fight Uriel*. "Come on, we should get out of here!" He said to him as he got closer. He'd glanced to Uriel* in time to see the Arch Angel's furious gaze land on him. As far as Uriel* was concerned, Tom was now also in his way, and he yelled furiously at him while continuing to try and pull himself free of Ash's grasp. Tom had jumped fearfully initially, but he quickly recovered and grabbed Raziel's arm before running with him deeper into the castle to find somewhere to hide until things calmed down. Andi and the remaining Reapers moved to surround Uriel*, together they formed a circular barrier around him, Ash, Nate and Shezmu. All of them held their scythes up end to end and displayed a rarely seen defensive magic only used by Death's Royal Guards. A translucent black dome emitted from their weapons. Anything trapped within wouldn't be able to escape, nor would any attacks from within be able to penetrate the energy field that had been created. Those outside the dome would still be able to pass through it or teleport in, but once inside, they wouldn't be able to leave until the line of Scythes broke. It was an effective method of capturing or subduing dangerous targets in a controlled way. Even as he cradled his wound from where he knelt, David found himself in awe as he witnessed something that he never thought he'd get to see in action. By now, not only had Bob completely run through the room mostly unnoticed due to the surrounding chaos and had run in the same direction as Raziel & Tom to try to find Lilly, but Amelia had also managed to make it to the castle doors, where she took a moment to catch her breath while leaning against the open heavy doors. She glanced at Dariel, then nodded back to the group who were still strewn about the lawn. "I think they're too weak to teleport anywhere. Keep an eye on them. Defend them if you have to," she told him. She felt weird giving this young boy orders like that, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it. Determinedly, she continued to stumble into the castle. When she got a look at what they were dealing with, she smiled to see that Ash had managed to grab Uriel*. "Ash! I authorise you to take his powers! He needs to be neutralised and interrogated!" she called out to him. "What?!" Uriel*'s eyes widened as he heard the order, and he paused from trying to fight Shezmu and Nate off again to stare at Ash. For a moment, he questioned whether this Devil was really capable of such a thing, but not wanting to find out, he began to fight even more desperately to free himself. Even going as far as trying to smack the Devil with his wings in the hopes that the sudden burns from his feathers would make him loosen his grip. --- Grateful, Lilly felt Death's and Raven's power being added to her own as she focused on pulling Azrael's essence back together. Worried for them, Azrael's eyes widened tearfully as he watched them all. "No! It could destroy you all! My life isn't worth it!" "Of course you're worth it!" Lilly cried. Her tears appeared green due to the energy surrounding them. "We love you too much to let you go!" Something ancient within her bubbled once more to the surface, only this time she was present and in control of it. Old, forgotten words poured out of her naturally in a rhythmic chant. Their powers combined, each of them acting as a conduit for the other, and Lilly's spell created the focus that their power needed to flow into Azrael. The air became electrified. The ground vibrated under them. Azrael's pendant hovered over his chest, and its healing magic added to theirs. "It's too much!" Azrael cried fearfully. "It's enough," Lilly replied, and with one last cosmic charge, she silently ordered for his very being to solidify. A strong wave of energy burst in the centre of them, pushing them all away from each other. In an instant, the aura dissipated. The electricity in the air subsided. Everything was still for a moment. Then, as if coming to, Lilly opened her eyes and sat up to look at them. All of them would be fine, if not a little tired. Azrael gingerly sat up and lifted his shirt. His wound was gone. He felt better. More than that, he felt a little different, but he couldn't possibly begin to explain how. But right now, he was just relieved and amazed that he'd been saved at all! "You... you did it!" he laughed as he looked around at them. "You actually did it!" He looked at Death as a realisation dawned on him. Before now, before these children had entered this world, not even Death himself would have had the strength alone to stop Obliteration in its tracks! This would change everything! Not to mention the effects it might have on The Balance if this power were to ever be misused. --- "I'm fine, Clover," Layla reassured him. "Today isn't about me," she smiled at Nil. "I'm just happy that after all we've been through, you finally get to know where you came from." "I will need to go soon." Greta pointed out while glancing towards the sky. "I am glad to have met you both! My sisters will be eager to hear of you."

"I know you do," Kodi said to her gently. "And I don't doubt for a second that you can handle yourself. But, if I can help it, I'd rather not put you in a position where you have to. Understand? We have enough to worry about with trying to find Clem... I don't want to have to worry about you being in danger, too. I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt." --- Kris had been about to answer her when she surprised him with a kiss. He froze for a moment, but as he realised she wasn't hurting him, he relaxed into the kiss while wrapping his arms around her. He could easily have lost himself to his desires there and then, but that would have cheapened his words to her. He wanted her to know that he genuinely saw her as a person and not a source of entertainment. So, he gently pulled back to look at her while caressing her cheek with his thumb. "You're welcome to stay here. Not as a prisoner. As my guest," he said to her while gently pulling away. He'd opened his mouth to say something else when the worst noise he could ever hear rang throughout his den. On the otherside of the hideout, Drake had returned from his duty of pickpocketing drunkerds along the high streets. He stumbled into the entryway and fell to his knees while crying out and then slammed his fist into the floor. He was shaking. His clothes were roughed up and torn in random areas. His hair was a mess, and he was covered in cuts and bruises. He was shaking from a mixture of rage and fear as his tears dripped onto the stone floor. His skin and clothes were specked with blood, not all of it his. As soon as he heard him, Kris teleported into the room and, for a moment, was so taken aback by the sight that he didn't react immediately. Then he spotted the telltale wounds on his neck, his forearm and his wrist. "Fucking leeches!" He seethed as he hurried forward and knelt beside Drake. "What happened?" he demanded. Drake didn't look up. Too ashamed to look Kris in the eyes. He closed his eyes tightly, more tears falling to the ground as he tried to talk, but the words just wouldn't come. Kris gave him a moment and then gripped his shoulders to make him sit upright. "Drake! Look at me! Breathe! Tell me what happened. Who did this? Where?" Breathing heavily, Drake opened his eyes and grimaced as he tried to regain enough composure to speak. "Th-they ambushed us, sir. D-down by the high street. We fought 'em off, but our magic didn't even affect them! They- they got Benny! They took him, and I couldn't stop them! I couldn't-! They-!" he half gestured to the bite marks. "I couldn't-!" his voice broke, and he looked in danger of breaking down completely. "Drake. Listen to me- Listen to me!" Kris said and gave the boy a little shake when he looked like he was about to lose it. "I need you to hold it together now. I'm going to get Benny back, but right now I need you to hold it together and tell me what happened." Drake nodded determinedly and caught his breath. "I didn't get a good look at them. They were moving too fast, and they were wearing masks. They'd swoop in, hit us and then they'd be gone before we could get a hit in. They pulled us into an alley. They kept toying with us. Mocking us. Said we were on their turf- but that's such bullshit!" "Focus!" "R-right. We tried magic. Benny put up a shield, but they passed right through it like it was nothing. I threw fire, but they blew it out like a fucking birthday candle! They said they were going to make examples out of us and tried to grab us. We fought with everything we had. They separated us. They-..." he placed his hand over the wound on his neck. "I managed to break free and made a run for it. I-... I couldn't get to Benny. There were too many of them. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Benny!" Drake broke down into sobs, and Kris watched him for a moment before getting to his feet. His boys being attacked so openly was concerning enough. Even more alarming is how these vampires had resisted magic, and it wasn't like Drake & Benny were inexperienced Tricksters. They were quite skilled for their age. More than capable of defending themselves, or so he'd thought. But there wasn't time for speculation now. One of his boys needed him. "Go with Blake and get cleaned up." He growled, barely containing his rage. Not angry with Drake, but at the nerve of the leeches who had so brazenly attacked their gang. Behind his tinted glasses, his eyes had a faint glow. "Lock the place down while I'm gone. I'm going to have a chat with our sanguineous neighbours," he added while moving his neck from side to side to crack it. --- "Sounds good to me," Oscar said while tightening his grip on the man as he struggled. "Quit squirming!" he said to him irritably. "I'm ready!" Viktor smiled widely. Thoughts of seeing his sister again filled him with hope. --- "I'm going to enjoy gutting you again, Lucy." Uriel* sneered at Lucretia. Not a fighter, Raziel moved behind her and continued backing away from them. Uriel*'s eyes darted around as he quickly realised he was outnumbered. But he didn't dare return to his leader without either one of Death's heirs or the prophet at the very least. Going back empty-handed would be suicide. He lifted his sword, and its flames brightened for an instant as he readied himself to fight them off. Hearing Jean's words caused him to laugh maniacally. "You think I give a shit?! I'm going to cut every last one of you down! Except you, Raziel! You're coming with me!" "Reapers, disarm and subdue him, if possible! I'm sure our King will have some questions for him!" Andi barked at the armoured Reapers. Each of them held scythes of their own. Not as large or grand as Death's scythe, but still as capable of causing serious damage. David, looking a little pale himself after having had a sip of wine earlier, otherwise looked as determined to bring Uriel* down as the others. Blood had dripped from his broken nose and coated his shirt, but he barely seemed to notice as all of his focus was on Uriel*. Hannes had also picked up a lime knife from one of the bars and had run over to join the fray. Tom, being a blood drinker like Hannes, Jean, and Shezmu, hadn't had any wine. So, unsure of what else to do, he stayed close to Nate. Outside, the rest of the party had floated onto the lawn. Hearing Dariel, Amelia struggled to her feet. "Like hell am I going anywhere." She said, sounding a little drunk, but of course, this was more from the effect of the poison in her system. She tried to march back inside but stumbled and fell to her knees as the world seemed to spin. "Fuck!" she seethed, knowing she couldn't fight in this state, but she also couldn't just leave. As a Queen, she had a duty to defend not only her people but those she hoped to build a stable alliance with. "Ash! The rest of our Royal Guard are drugged. I need you here!" she called out. She then racked her mind, trying to think of anyone else who could help them. Having been avoiding seeing him since his return, she had to steel herself as she brought herself to also call out, "Damien! I need your help!" Immediately, Damien appeared. He stared around their surroundings and then curiously at the gaggle of what appeared to be drunks strewn across the lawn. "Wow! Why wasn't I invited to this party?" He said with an eyebrow raised. Amelia looked up at him. Unsure whether to address her fury that he hadn't been to see her and her family since his return from Oblivion, or whether she simply wanted to get up and hug him. By the looks of things, her brother had an equal mixture of awkward feelings regarding their reunion. "I need your help." She breathed, trying again to get to her feet. Hopefully, by now, Ash would arrive so she could tell them both at the same time. She pointed towards the castle. "Rogue Angel. He looks like Uriel, but he isn't him. He's twisted. Wrong. And he's taking orders from someone. There's something bigger going on here, I just know it-" She paused when Damien grinned and held up his hand to quiet her. "You had me at 'Rogue Angel'." He chuckled darkly. "Leave it to me, sis." "We need him alive!" She barked after him as he began marching into the castle. Whether he heard her or not wasn't certain as he kept on walking casually without once looking back. Awkwardly, Amelia glanced at Charles. Wondering what he thought of her brother. Nearby, Robb had stumbled over to a nearby bush and began throwing up into it. "Ugh! It's like that night I got drunk in Vegas all over again..." he grumbled. "Lilly! I'm coming!" Bob yelled as he struggled to his feet and tried to run back into the castle. "Bob, get back here, you lunatic!" Sameal yelled after him. In the empty room, Azrael groaned in pain and clutched his wound while taking sharp breaths between his teeth. He could taste blood in his mouth as he lifted a hand to cup Death's cheek. Uriel*'s blade was famous for its destructive power. Like the weapons of many Arch Angels, and even like Death's Scythe, it was capable of not just killing, but also the utter destruction of the soul. There was no doubt in his mind. He was dying. More than that, he could feel himself coming undone as his very essence began to unravel. Tears fell from his eyes as he stared into Death's. Despair filled his voice as he wept. "No, it's not fair! Just when we found our happiness! We were just getting started!" Lilly's eyelids scrunched up for a moment before she opened them. Her head was pounding as she lifted her hand to her head. Completely disoriented for a moment, she looked up at her brother. "Raven?" She looked around, and her eyes widened as she saw Death cradling the gravely wounded Azrael. "Father!" she gasped. She saw the very edges of Azrael's physicality lifting, disintegrating. Falling away from him and vanishing. It was something she hadn't seen before, and for a moment she was mesmerised by the sight of it. But very quickly, the horror of what was happening to him sank in, and she gasped as she flung herself to kneel beside them. "N-no! What's happening? What's wrong with him? How do we stop it?!" Azrael looked from her back to Death sadly as he tried to hide his grimaces of pain. This was obliteration. Once the process had started, there was nothing that could stop it. Until only recently, coming back from Oblivion had also been impossible. It was the final death. The true end of an immortal's life. "Ch-children. Keep each other safe." Azrael choked out the words as he tried to hold back his tears. He wanted his final moments to mean something. He didn't want them to remember his fear or pain. Just his love for them. Even as his fingers began to feel brittle, he caressed Death's cheek. "Look after your father..." He strained to smile at him lovingly. "He's going to need you now more than ever. Be each other's strength." Lilly began to weep quietly. But even as she listened to him, she couldn't accept it. Stubborn as she was, she was determined to save him. She thought about how she'd healed Death during her training. She knew she was capable. Perhaps not strong enough and certainly not on her own. But she wasn't alone! She quickly lifted her hands over him and focused. "Lilly..." Azrael said softly with a sad smile and shook his head as if to tell her it wouldn't work. "No!" Lilly snapped at him. "I refuse to let you go! I refuse to believe this is how you end!" Her dark eyes became green, and her green aura began to envelope her. Then, as she willed it to help him, it sprang from her to Azrael. Enveloping them both. Even as it did, she felt her power would not be enough. If she continued, she would be destroyed along with him. "Help me!" she cried. "I can't do this alone!" Back inside the castle, the fight had already started. Andi's scythe had crossed with Uriel*'s sword. In one fluid movement, Andi had moved his scythe around in a circle to break his sword from his grip and send it across the room. As soon as the hilt had left its owner's hand, the sword's flames had died out. Immediately, Hannes had run to try to pick it up. But as soon as his hand wrapped around the hilt, an electric current shot through him and with an explosive bang, he was sent flying across the room. He struck the wall and was immediately knocked out from the force. The sword clattered back to the floor once more. As if it had its own sentience, it would only allow one person to wield it. Uriel*. Now disarmed, Uriel* ducked away from Andi and dodged the Reapers that tried to make a grab for him. He began running towards his sword, and David quickly stood in his way. David punched him across the face, making Uriel* grin. "That's all you got?" he asked as he spat blood on the floor. "I'm just getting warmed up," David smirked as he took off his suit jacket and tossed it to the ground. They exchanged blows. For the most part, despite the light dose in his system, David managed to keep pace with the Archangel. They blocked each other's punches, and each managed to get a good number of hits on the other. Just as David thought he was beginning to get the upper hand after knocking out one of Uriel*'s teeth, the Arch Angel growled, "Enough of this!" and pulled out a concealed knife that he used to stab him in the stomach. David gasped and groaned in surprise before falling to his knees. The burning sensation told him all he needed to know. Even the concealed knife had been made out of Angelic Steel. Grinning evilly, Uriel* had been about to aim the knife for David's heart this time when he was suddenly grabbed from behind. He hadn't felt strength like it, and pulling out of this hold felt immensely difficult. He felt the pain in his neck, quickly accompanied by the euphoric sensation and knew that the Blood God had managed to get a taste of him. This wasn't good for him. With blood came memories, and he couldn't compromise his leader's plans. Lifting his hand, he summoned his sword to him. It flew dangerously across the hall towards him, narrowly missing Lucretia as it flew. As soon as the hilt hit his palm, he gripped it tightly. Flames burst across it once more, and he jabbed the ball end of the hilt to the side of his head, smacking Shezmu's face and knocking him away. He turned rapidly while swinging his sword in a circle, catching a few Reapers along the way who had happened to get too close in that moment. They each fell, clutching their wounds and despairing as Azrael had been, as they each felt themselves coming undone. But they were not who he'd been aiming for, and just when he'd turned enough to strike Shezmu, he roared in frustration as the Blood God had already darted out of reach of his weapon. Seething and turning to see more of Andi's reapers attempting to surround him, along with Andi and Shezmu. His eyes darted to Raziel and Lucretia. Growing desperate, he teleported to them again. Distancing himself from the group and taking the small opportunity to attempt to try to grab the prophet again. He raised his sword, ready to swing it at Lucretia, when something hot sent him hurtling back. Coughing and feeling fresh burns to his face, neck and arms, he looked up furiously to see who had thrown the fireball at him. His eyes landed on Damien, who was grinning eagerly. His emerald green eyes glimmered as his red hair came alive with embers. "Fighting homicidal Angels... Now, this takes me back!" Damien laughed as he prepared another ball of fire in the palm of his hand. "The would-be heir to Hell's throne." Uriel* said mockingly as he began strutting over to him, gripping his sword tightly. Uriel* then smirked cruelly. "How did that work out for you?" Damien's smile slipped into a scowl, which only made Uriel* grin wider. Seeing this, Damien ran forward in a blind rage, throwing fireballs at Uriel* and barely dodging the swings of his sword as he got closer. If he wasn't careful, Damien could make a fatal error in his rage. It was only lucky for him that Shezmu's venom had slowed Uriel*'s reflexes and made his movements a bit more sluggish as he tried repeatedly to swing his sword at the cocky Devil. As they fought, for the moment, they both seemed evenly matched, and their fight could very easily go either way. --- "Clover, please be calm." Greta pleaded with her friend. "They didn't mean to pry. Let's just enjoy the day. You worked so hard to put this together!"