Shadowess

Denix Vames - October 8, 2022 Phineas blushed. "Oh..." He awkwardly smiled. "Maybe you should teach me more about modern words before I say something even more embarrassing." --- "Shut the fuck up and keep cleaning!" ,said the woman. "You belong to Donnie which means you belong to us! None of you souls will get respect unless you earn it!" Leo clenched his fists. "Shit! We might be surrounded by his followers." --- Gabriel gasped but flew back. He ran towards her and was ready to kick her when Napoleon screamed. It was Insanity who gripped Napoleon's shoulder so hard that his claws went into his muscles. --- Insanity grinned at Florian when he appeared and threw Napoleon at his feet. "I want you to tear the wings off of this pathetic Angel and burn them in front of him." He grinned. "I'm sure that reaper over there would love to watch." Napoleon clutched his bleeding shoulder as tears ran down his cheeks. He forced himself to stand. "I won't let you get away with this!" Insanity gripped his hair. Making him bend back so that he could face him. "This little swine is Napoleon Bonaparte. For some reason, people think he's a genius. Yet, he just another silly excuse for a soldier." "Shut up!" He forced him on his knees. "Don't even think about moving." Napoleon placed his hands firmly on the ground and silently cried. Insanity stood back and nodded at Florian. "Do it." "I think not." A man in black appeared. "Though it is not my place to take action, I grow tired of this game." "And who might you be?" ,asked Insanity. "I am the Grim Reaper. The leader of all reapers. Though I cannot stop you from torturing this Angel, I will not allow you to touch my reapers. I can see in your eyes the perversion that you have. You make me ill." Insanity laughed. "I'm flattered." He pointed at the Grim Reaper. "Change of plans. First, beat him until he begs for mercy." --- "I'm not better than anyone! I just learned to be a decent fucking human being!" Cory punched him. "You want to fight? Let's go!" Winters ran over. "No! Stop!" He stood in front of Cory. "Please! Just leave us alone!" --- Theron appeared by her. "You hurt people, didn't you? How did that make you feel?" --- "Well, that was....something." ,said Storm. Grim threw a blanket over Bob. "Looks like he's sleeping. I wonder if he'll be ok when he wakes up?" "We can only hope." ,said Pain. Grim and Storm brought Bob to a beanbag where they kept the blanket over him. Pain cupped Lily's cheek. "Are you ok?" --- Bryce smiled. "Alright. Get ready. I'm going to teleport us there." He closed his eyes and imagined himself there. Soon, they were in an abandoned village that was located in France. "I guess not every part of France was transformed into something modern." --- "Nah! I rather watch something. If we talk anymore then I'll just cry in front of you. That would be embarrassing." ,said James. --- "It's been a long day for both us. But I imagine things haven't been easy for you either. What's going on?" ,asked Carter. --- "Then what the hell is the point of the mafia when we can't even be it?!" Bern's tears hit the floor. "We were something! Now, what am I supposed to be? Things made more sense when we had power! The Don's just slowing us down now! He's someone else's bitch!" --- "I do know one. He has no morals and does anything that I order him to do. He is the perfect human weapon. I can send him in. His name is Nil which means nothing. It represents the fact that he can't feel emotions. I'm sure we'll have to change his name for this operation but I know he is perfect." ,said X. Nil wore glasses and had short-longish brown hair. He blankly stared at an agent who was expecting him to kill a prisoner without mercy. And like every other day of training, he sliced the prisoner's head off without objecting. His cold stare even scared other agents. Shadowess - October 9, 2022 (Quick question about the logistics just so that I know how to reply. Where is Insanity currently? Did he just teleport to Napoleon and stay there or did he teleport, grab him and teleport back to the clearing in the woods? Cos Azreal would have no reason to follow him considering he still had the old man's soul to take care of.) Denix Vames - October 9, 2022 (insanity basically teleported to Napoleon, grabbed him, and then came back to Florian) shadowess - October 9, 2022 (Awsome, thanks. I'll reply soon ) Denix Vames - October 9, 2022 (cool. glad to hear) shadowess - October 9, 2022 "Sure, I wouldn't mind. We've got all the time in the world to learn stuff like that." Kasper replied. He took Phineas's hand and started to lead him towards the couch. "Let's watch something. We can find out what kinds of shows we like together," he suggested as he sat down. --- The soul whimpered and tried his best to mop up the puddle with his shirt as quickly as he could. Oscar tensed and held Leo's hand tightly. "I think you might be right about that..." he said quietly to him. "We need to be careful here. At least we know which bar they seem to like hanging out in... maybe we can slip out and bring backup?" he looked at Leo nervously. Them leaving as soon as they'd arrived is certainly going to look odd but he really didn't want to hang around much longer. The soul gathered up the now sopping wet shirt and shakily got to his feet. One of the Demons stopped the soul by placing a hand on their chest and grinned at them viciously. "Where are you going, sinner?" "J-just t-to wring out my shirt, out the back?" he answered shakily. "But that's such a waste of brew!" The Demon announced. "Do you know how long it takes us Demons to make that stuff?!" "I-I'm sorry... I won't spill any again!" the soul said quickly. "Tell you what. You've worked hard today." the Demon pat the soul on the back. The soul's knees almost buckled from the motion. "I'd say you've earned yourself a drink." "R-really?" the soul looked up at the demon hopefully. He assumed he'd meant water and he was so desperate and tired that a little water could go a long way. "Yeah." the Demon smirked. "So go ahead. Wring that shirt into your mouth instead." The demons around him chuckled nastily as they watched the hope drain from the soul's eyes. "B-but I can't-!" The soul tried to object. He knew full well that Demon's Brew couldn't be consumed by humans. It was too toxic for them. Even if he was already dead, drinking the stuff would result in a painfully slow death and he would wake up elsewhere in Hell. Most likely to be found and dragged back to this bar to do this all over again. "Don't be ungrateful! You're insulting my generosity!" The demon snapped. "I said drink! Or should we cut you open and start drinking from you?!" The soul wailed in despair, much to the delight of the Demons who were watching. Trembling he then brought the shirt up to his mouth and squeezed it over him. The second he got a taste of the liquid, he gagged and spat the fluid out. His self-preservation reflexes betrayed him. "I said drink!" The Demon grabbed the shirt and shoved it deep into the soul's mouth until they could barely breathe and squeezed it hard. The soul choked and groaned, weakly gripping the Demon's arm. He continued to gag and choke on the liquid, unable to spit it out, until his eyes rolled back and his body began convulsing. The demon let him go and watched until the soul's body fell still before vanishing. "Well that was fun." he chuckled. --- Carol had been ready to block Gabriel's kick when she heard the scream as well and they both stopped what they were doing to look in Napoleon's direction. Although it had only been for a moment, as soon as Carol's eyes landed on Insanity's face she growled angrily and rounded on him. "You!" but before she could take action, they were gone. Carol turned to look at Gabriel with an air of urgency. "Well, you wanted to hunt down Insanity and his family. Let's go hunt!" she held a hand out for him to take. The significance of this gesture did not escape her. For years they fought against each other but today, for once, they were fighting alongside each other. --- Florian blinked when Insanity vanished then watched as he reappeared with a screaming Angel in his grasp. It was only when Insanity pointed him out that Azreal seemed to appear in Florian's peripheral view. Even Azreal was stunned by being seen that he stared at them both, unsure of how to react or what he should do. Interfering was one thing but there weren't actually any rules preventing Azreal from defending himself if it was necessary. Although Azreal had never been in this kind of position before so wasn't sure how well he'd fair in combat against what he sensed were two Devils in front of him. It was then that the old man's soul sat up from his body and looked around, terrified by what he saw. Azreal moved towards him quickly and pulled him to his feet before shoving him behind him. He had a duty to protect souls under his care until he'd delivered them safely to their afterlife. "What is going on? Who are you?... IS THAT ME?!" the old man panicked in German, looking at Azreal and then at his own corpse on the ground. He saw the axe wound in the back of his head and gagged. "OH, GOD! AM I DEAD?!" "Yes, but we have other problems right now. Stay behind me." Azreal told him shortly. Florian turned his gaze back to Napoleon and smirked. "Yes, sir," he growled, amused by what was happening. It seemed he'd been right about his new employer making his life more interesting. He gripped his axe firmly and took a step towards Napoleon. He then came to an abrupt stop when the so-called Grim Reaper appeared. Azreal immediately looked at the Grim Reaper with a mixture of relief and concern. Azreal wasn't actually a Reaper. He was an Angel who had been assigned the role shortly after his creation. The role had earned him the title "Angel of Death." Traditionally, reapers are souls who were chosen for their neutrality in life. The mortals who passed on after having committed an equal amount of good and bad deeds. Whereas Azreal was more like a gift from God to the Grim Reaper in an effort to win the Spirit's favour. At least...that's the rumour. Just like with Raguel, the Spirit that had just appeared was Azreal's superior. So when Insanity ordered his lackey to attack, Azreal darted in front of him and flicked his wrist. A second later, a large scythe made of black metal appeared in his hands. He pointed it to Florian who paused in his tracks to lift his hands warily. "This is a Reaper Blade. It cannot destroy you but it can send you straight back to Hell. I will use it if I have to." he warned them. Florian stood still while he sized up his opponent. He didn't seem worried. In comparison, Azreal was much smaller than he was so he felt confident that he could beat him, despite the weapon. He casually scratched his beard with the flat side of his axe. "That's a nice-looking Scythe." he grinned. "I will claim it from your corpse when I am done." Azreal tightened his grip on the handle of his scythe. "I'm warning you! Stay back!" His black wings erupted from his back and spread out, shielding both the Grim Reaper and the soul. --- "You fucking dick!" the bully known as Gord yelled furiously after being punched in the face. He gripped his freshly bruised eye for a moment before growling and balling his hand into a fist. Despite Winter's standing in the way, the bully wasn't about to hold back and he aimed another punch at them. Before the punch could land, Gord froze and stared at his own hand with a mixture of confusion and terror. Back at the table, Stevie had stood up and placed the flute into his mouth. He'd started playing melody and melody. One song led seamlessly into the next as if the music itself was just flowing out of him. His eyes had glazed over as he played and he was completely focused on the bullies in front of him. Gord let out a high-pitched squeal that sounded more like it had come from a small girl. He started to flail his hand around frantically as if trying to fling something unseen off of it. "G-get it off! Get it off! GET IT OFF!!!" he cried out while dancing around and shaking his arm about. "What are you doing?!" "There's nothing there, Gord!" The other bullies had started to call out at him. They had even started to laugh when Gord had wet himself. Then, one by one, the rest of the bullies started freaking out about one thing or another as well. What was perfectly clear though was that no one else could see what the bullies were seeing as they all ran out of the mall. It was only when they were no longer within earshot of the flute that the terrors they had seen vanished, leaving them bewildered and frightened as they each hurriedly made their way to the safety of their own homes. Once they were gone, Stevie stopped playing the flute and held it in front of him as he tried to catch his breath. As a little blood started to trickle from his nose, he looked up at Cory and smiled wearily. Relieved that he could stop the violence before things went too far. Around them, people were chatting among themselves about how awful it was that those school children "were clearly abusing drugs." Because to all but Stevie, Autumn, Cory and Winters, that is how it had appeared. --- The woman let out a yelp when Theron surprised her by appearing near her. She stumbled back, away from him and hugged herself as she quickly realised that running from this Demon would be useless. "P-please don't." she shook her head. Her voice quivered out of fear. "I-I don't know... I didn't-... I never thought about it..." she answered him while avoiding his gaze. In truth, she'd gotten a thrill out of the robberies. Not so much the violence, but the rush of getting away with stealing from others. She'd never once given a thought to their many victims. She brought her eyes back up to his and sensed his hesitation. Maybe he was new at this? She wondered if she could talk her way out of torture this time. "Please don't hurt me." she tried in the sweetest voice she could put on. "I know I did wrong but I've learned." she lied. "I can be better. Please, please help me." she dropped to her knees and looked at him desperately. If she could convince him to not only spare her but protect her too, she'd never have to worry about being hunted and tortured again. "I'll do anything." she faked a smile. "Anything you want. You name it. I'll be yours, ok? Your servant. I promise I'll be loyal and I'll do everything you tell me to. Please?" --- Lilly couldn't tear her eyes away from Bob's new appearance. She had wondered what he had looked like before he'd died. Seeing him with an actual face felt strange. "Um... yeah, I'm ok." she nodded while looking back at Pain. She glanced back to Bob with a small frown. "I just hope he's alright. He sounded like he was in so much pain..." At that moment, Bob began snoring quite loudly while scratching himself over the covers. Lilly quickly averted her gaze and rolled her eyes. "Never mind. Something tells me he'll be perfectly fine." "Excuse me, sir, I've misplaced my 'bone'..." Bob mumbled in his sleep and smiled widely. "Can I borrow yours?" "Oh, good grief... and I thought he was randy as a skeleton..." Lilly shook her head and smiled at Pain. "Perhaps we should let him rest?" --- As soon as they appeared in the abandoned village, Viktor felt cold. He looked around at the old, crumbling buildings and the burned-up vintage vehicles. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "Something awful happened here..." he said quietly while turning on the spot to look around. The landscape was uncomfortably silent. Everything was still. Although there were no actual ghosts here, the entire place felt haunted nonetheless. --- "I get what you mean." Damien chuckled awkwardly and pat the seat next to him. "C'mon then. I haven't had the chance to watch any TV since I came back into existence. I'm eager to see what shows are popular now." he grabbed the remote and turned the TV on then was immediately confused by the choices on the screen. "What are Netflix and Amazon? Are they TV shows? Movies?" he asked curiously. Streaming services hadn't become a thing until just a couple of years after Damien's destruction. --- "Damien..." Parker rolled his eyes and shrugged while stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Apparently he got attacked last night so River and Will are letting him stay at theirs for a little while. I don't want anything to do with him so here I am... Just until he's well enough to get lost again anyway." --- "Stop it!" Mon shouted back. his own eyes had started to water. "Stop it! You're scaring me! We can't turn against our own!" he took another step towards Bern despite his fears and tried to look brave. "Bern, listen to yourself! You're talking crazy! Please, just think about this!" he made a grab for his hands, wanting to hold them. --- The Officer nodded. He was aware of Nil's work. "Bring me his file and brief him on the mission immediately. Get a wire on him and I want around-the-clock surveillance. If those bastards so much as sneeze around him then I'll want a recording of it! We need to know who these people are and why they're so interested in the ADIEU files." Just as the Officer finished speaking they were approached by an agent with a remote control. "Sirs, sorry for the interruption but I think you should see this," he said quickly before pointing the remote to one of the smaller monitors and pressing a button. The display would then show CCTV footage of school students in a mall about to have a fight before the larger portion of children started freaking out and running from something that wasn't there. Meanwhile, to one side, a boy was playing the flute. "The civilian witnesses seem to think drugs are involved but..." he rewound the footage and paused it just after the boy placed the flute to his lips. "The other kids don't start acting strangely until that boy starts playing. How should we proceed?" "Monitor the situation. We can't assume he's supernatural from one incident but we also can't afford to assume that he isn't. Send a couple of agents to the school posing as drug awareness campaigners to gather intel." The officer answered swiftly while waving a hand dismissively. Given the previous topic, the Officer felt that the case with the boy wasn't as urgent as the matter with the thieves in Japan. "Yes, sir." the agent nodded and walked away. Denix Vames - October 9, 2022 "That would be nice. Let's see what's there." ,said Phineas. He picked up the remote and raised a brow. "How do you use this?" --- "We need to get out now." ,said Leo. He would make Oscar stand. They would teleport from the bar and appear in their mansion. The woman had laughed when she saw the soul struggling. She glared at the couple when they disappeared. She had no intention of going after them but if she were to ever see them at this bar again or anywhere in Hell, she would beat them for answers. --- Gabriel nodded and grabbed her hand. They appeared at the scene. "Enough of this! I will be your only opponent! It is time that you learn your place!" ,said the Grim Reaper. He stepped forward but walked past Florian. Instead, his eyes were on Insanity. If Florian were to try and attack him behind, he would grab the axe and throw him far by his sheer strength. "I have had enough of watching others being tortured and killed while my own kind cannot do anything to stop it! It is time that we help each other! Starting with you!" Insanity laughed. "Go ahead. Fight me." Gabriel grabbed Napoleon from the area. Bringing him to Carol. Napoleon was still crying and shaking. "It's true! I can't do anything!" Insanity said, "Theron? Sam? You're needed for something very important. Don't disappoint your father." Theron and Sam appeared when they heard him. "You can fight the others with our new pet, Florian. I'll take care of Death himself." Sam grinned. "Yes dad." "I don't like when there's so many people. It makes me feel terrible." ,said Theron as he ran towards Azreal with his sword raised. The Grim Reaper dodged Insanity's claws. He snapped his fingers and held his scythe which was made from the bones and flesh of the damned. It was a weapon to warn those who dared cross his path. Insanity appeared behind him and let out a belch of fire. The Grim Reaper jumped high and swung his weapon at him. Insanity moved aside and jabbed his claws into his stomach. The Grim Reaper's eyes widened as he coughed up blood. Insanity threw him to a tree. The Grim Reaper now laid under a tree with his scythe out of reach. He struggled but forced himself to stand. Sam ran towards Gabriel who merely knocked him out with a punch. "Dumbass." ,said Gabriel. --- Autumn covered her mouth in shock. Cory turned around and saw the flute. Winters was pale. Cory grabbed his hand and ran to their friends. Cory whispered, "We should get out of here and talk about what the hell just happened." Autumn was already standing. She placed a hand on Stevie's shoulder. She looked at him. "Please." --- "I'm sorry miss but I have to go." ,said Theron. He disappeared. --- "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea." ,said Grim. "I can understand not being comfortable around Bob right now since he's naked. If you want, you can hang out at my place for a bit." ,said Pain. --- Bryce frowned. "You're right unfortunately. But we can only hope that the people who lost their lives are resting peacefully now." --- "I know just as much as you do." ,said James. --- "Don't get the wrong idea because I'm always going to be on your side. But don't you think you should give him the benefit of the doubt? I get that he's done some things but he's still your father." ,said Carter. He raised his hands. "But hey, we don't have to bring this up. I'm sorry if I touched a nerve already." --- Bern let the bottle when Mon held his hands. He sobbed as he hugged him tight. "I-I never wanted to scare you! Mon....I'm so sorry. I just feel so lost. I don't know who I'm supposed to be anymore." --- Xenos raised a brow. "A flute? I guess it isn't uncommon to find tools that have the ability to command such actions like that." He teleported to his office and soon appeared by the agent. He handed him Nil's file. "I will talk to him about this mission." He disappeared. --- Nil walked past everyone as he intended to take on another task. Xenos appeared in front of him. Nil stopped and looked at him. "I have an assignment for you. Let's talk in my office." Nil nodded and followed.

Denix Vames - October 2, 2022 Phineas watched the sprinklers in awe. He placed his hand close to the water and smiled at its touch. "It's beautiful." --- The woman glared. She jumped before landing in front of their table. "Don't think that you can just ignore me. Besides, you two don't seem like the type to hang out at a bar. Especially if you're both in a relationship. So, what's the plan?" --- Gabriel jumped up and dodged her attack. He spun around and punched her. --- "Sure." ,said Autumn. After the group ordered themselves something and gave Steve a recommended cola, they went to a table to enjoy their meals. Winters smiled. "I never thought I would be here with you guys. It seemed like only yesterday that people barely noticed me. And when they did, they were always picking on me." "Well, that's gonna change. I can beat those asses into a pulp." ,said Cory. Winters chuckled. "Thank you." --- Theron continued to walk. "Hello? Anyone?" He thought for a moment then said, "I'm kind of lost. Can someone help?" He only hoped that this would attract lost souls. --- "Perfect!" ,said Hades as she picked up the book. "Alright. I need everyone to stand back so I can focus my powers on Bob only." Once the group walked away, she asked, "Now, do you want to be human or stay as a skeleton?" --- Bryce blushed when he forgot about that. "Oh yeah. Well, I guess we can go then. I mean I drank from you already. I think that should be enough." --- Will wrote all of this down. James described the driver right away. Will sighed. "A human driver? Why the hell did he want to kidnap Damien?" He stood. "Guess I'll figure this stuff out at the department. Just stay here guys. There's plenty of supplies for you both. If I hear anything new, I'll let you two know." He disappeared. James nodded at Damien. "You're my first friend so I'm going to protect you." --- Carter hugged Parker. He could hardly hold his tears. "I really appreciate what you said. I guess that means I have three kids." --- Bern was in tears and could hardly speak without his voice breaking. "I didn't want to call kill him. But the Don told me to. Tony was gonna tell the feds everything about us." He caught his breath. "For god sakes! He was begging me not to kill him. That he would disappear. But I didn't listen to him. I only thought about the order!" He rubbed his tears with his wrist. "What kind of man am I?" He took a swig from the bottle. --- Insanity appeared by the werewolf. "My oh my! I could definitely use you in my kingdom." He smirked. "My name is Insanity and I'm one of the Kings of Hell. Care to join my crew in torturing souls? Or you could have any position you desire. I'm sure you'll find all of them desirable." --- Xenos was frustrated but only showed it through his face. "Calm yourself officer. I understand your anger but if we're going to find these people then we need to stay calm." shadowess - October 2, 2022 "It is pretty neat." Kasper agreed with a smile. "It'll do that at set times of the day every day to make sure the crops get the right amount of water. I guess we just need to make sure the plants grow healthily and take out any weeds that try to grow here... but this being Heaven, I doubt we'll get any weeds." he shrugged. "What should we do now?" --- Before they could take a seat the woman had leapt over to their table to confront them. Instinctively, Oscar moved in front of Leo to defend him. "The hell is that supposed to mean?" he asked her incredulously. "Why would us being in a relationship prevent us from drinking, huh? We might be on a date for all you know. So, if you don't mind, we'd like to sit and drink in peace. That is if you're done wiping your feet all over the table we want to sit at." he snapped back. --- Carol brought her arms up and ducked her head to one side just in time to avoid Gabriel's strike as well as catch his arm. She'd then quickly turn her body with the intention of pulling Gabriel over her shoulder to slam him down on the ground in front of her. It would become clear very quickly why these two were once rivals. Despite their physical differences, they were surprisingly evenly matched. --- Stevie sat at the table with them and listened to Winters talk. He was surprised to hear that Winters had been bullied as well. When Cory said he'd beat up the bullies, Stevie couldn't help but smirk. The idea of Cory fending off their attackers even caused some excitement to pass through him. Enough that he had to cross one leg over another to subtly hide his 'excitement'. He picked up the burger and started to eat hungrily. He was so caught up in enjoying the food he'd never had before that he didn't realise the bullies across the mall had spotted him. They'd all started whispering to each other, pointing toward him and laughing among themselves. When Stevie finally looked up and noticed them, a few of the boys in the group started making crude hand motions over their crotches. Clearly making fun of him because they all assumed he was playing with himself in the halls at school earlier that day. The rest of the bullies immediately started laughing loudly. His face turned red with rage and humiliation as he quickly lowered his gaze to his burger. He swallowed what was left in his mouth. He was shaking and could feel his eyes watering. He suddenly didn't feel so hungry anymore and wished he could just disappear. The flute in his pocket demanded action but he tried hard to resist the temptation. --- No movement or sound came from his surroundings. If there were any souls nearby they were doing well at hiding from Theron and Sam. This part of Hell had a higher concentration of souls that were experienced in hiding from Demons by now. It was rare to find souls in this area that had only just landed in Hell. In a run-down and crumbling building, there was a thin and tired-looking young woman. She'd been in Hell since the 1930s and so far hadn't managed to find any souls that she could trust to watch her back while navigating Hell's landscapes. Hearing Theron's calls, she crawled over to the broken window. Being careful to stay low so that she wouldn't be seen and peered out towards where his voice had come from. She was tempted to run out and see if he was alright but past experiences told her that this could be a trap. So for now, she remained quiet and watched him warily. --- With everyone else standing behind Hades and Bob standing in front of her, he looked down at the small bit of flesh growing on his ribs. He then lifted his skull and raised his arms by his sides. "flesh me up, baby!" --- Viktor nodded then caressed Bryce's cheek. "And if you need any more, I'll be happy to feel you kiss again," he said then grinned and took his hands to pull him to his feet. "Come on!" he said excitedly. "Where should we go first?" --- Damien nodded to Will then looked over at James and smiled. "I appreciate that..." he said and looked thoughtful for a moment. "I guess I haven't had any real friends before either... at least not since my old mentor...Hell, you know more about me than most at this point thanks to our drinking game." he chuckled. "Speaking of which, you still got that bottle?" --- Parker was taken aback by the hug but couldn't help smiling as he wrapped his arms around Carter as well. "I-I guess it does." he chuckled. "Well, you know... you were there for me when I needed someone to look up to... You both were." Sebastian had been watching Carter warily but Parker's words and seeing the way Carter kept himself under control made him relax. He even smiled at the thought that Parker saw them both as his parents. "You can stay in the spare room. Are you hungry Parker? I'm sure there are still some frozen pizzas or something left in the freezer. I don't mind making one for you." "Nah, I'm good for now. Thanks though." Parker said as he pulled out of the hug and looked at them both. "Is everything ok with you guys though? Why were you acting so weird earlier?" --- "Tony? What- 'Short Fuse' Tony?" Mon asked as he stepped into the kitchen. "I thought the police got to him? But-but Bern, the man was psychotic. Don't you remember what he did to that family? I mean Jesus, the boss told him to send a message but what he did to them..." he shook his head and shivered. "That was dark even for us!" --- As he reached out once again for the axe, the wolf paused when Insanity appeared and he stared at him intensely while listening to the offer. He smirked and caressed the handle of the ace with his fingers. "I can think of a few desirable positions." he purred in a very thick German accent. He glanced back to his little hut and then to Insanity. Whatever work he had in mind for him was bound to be more entertaining than the life he had now. "I am Florian." the wolf told him directly then yanked the axe out of the tree stump and used it to point towards his hut. "I will accept your offer but first I will 'tie up a loose end.'" he smirked and began walking back to his hut casually. As he walked he'd whistle the same tune but at a far slower tempo to unnerve the man trapped inside. --- The officer nodded as he watched the team on the monitors quickly go to work bagging up any evidence that they could find and carefully removing the computers to bring back with them. "We need to nip this in the bud. We worked so hard on bringing those bastards down, the last thing we need is for them to start popping up around the world again..." the officer vented. "Especially if they decide to set up in a country that we have no jurisdiction in... Did you hear? The crazy bastard in North Korea sympathises with those fucks! This could be bad news for us if they decide to cross their border and seek refuge. If we thought getting rid of them before was difficult, it would be nothing in comparison to if they succeeded in crossing that border." Denix Vames - October 2, 2022 "Oh! I heard about this thing called Netflix and Chill? I think it's when you watch moving pictures with your friends." ,said Phineas. --- The woman growled. "I'll walk away. Just don't start anything. This is my bar. I get to fight." She headed back to the stool she was sitting at. She started drinking again. Leo rolled his eyes. "Someone's trying way too hard to look tough." --- His wings impacted the fall. He stood up and headbutted her with the back of his head. --- Cory noticed the situation. He got up from his seat and headed to the bullies. He grabbed one of them. "Get the fuck out before I make you!" --- Theron cut his own wrist. Allowing some of his black blood to slither around the area. It noticed a soul's presence. Theron turned his head and appeared in front of the woman. "Hello there. Please stay still. I have to punish you for being bad." --- Hades raised her hand as she chanted a spell. It took a lot of her energy but she continued until Bob was finally human again. She was about to fall when Storm helped her to a bean bag. --- Bryce thought for a moment. "Why not something less known? We should look at ancient ruins from France." --- James raised it. "Never left it." --- Carter frowned. "Donnie kidnapped me. Made me addicted to Devil's blood. It took a lot of effort for Sebastian to make me feel a little better. That's why he's worried about you being here. But the thing is, the urge isn't there. I think Sebastian taught me that my heart was more stronger than my hunger." --- Bern stood and glared. "That was how it was! We use to actually have real jobs. And now what? We babysit a fucking merman? Help this damn bitch called David to protect people without getting our payment? We use to be something! Fearless!" He slammed his fist on the counter. "It's time we take the Don down and regain that title. After all, I'm a Demon. He can fuck with me." --- Insanity smiled. "I'll wait right here, Florian. Take your time." --- Xenos suddenly laughed. "Do you really think that man can ever do anything right? He will always be a joke. Even if he tries to do anything, we'll just take him down like his father." shadowess - October 7, 2022 Kasper chuckled at Phineas's suggestion and hugged him. "Um... not exactly... it's when... well..." he blushed then leaned in to whisper what it was into Phineas's ear. He then bit his lip and looked at him. "But we can watch something together anyway if you want? And if..." Kasper walked his fingers up Phineas's arm playfully while shrugging shyly and grinning. "If you want to do anything while we watch it, then I wouldn't say no." --- "Yeah... " Oscar mumbled as he sat down. His eyes scanned the rest of the bar. "Something seems off though... I can't put my finger on it... like, I just know that something here isn't right." he muttered to Leo while still looking around them warily. "For starters, the bartending souls. They look Exhausted. Flustered. Maybe even a little scared." he paused, biting his lip nervously as he turned to look at Leo. "Like they're being tormented." Just as he said this, one of the souls collapsed while trying to carry a heavy tray full of pints out. Demons surrounding him jeered and complained when they'd been splashed by the spilt liquid. The soul seemed so weak and tired that he struggled to lift himself back to his knees. The other souls paused to look at him fearfully for just a fraction of a second before continuing to pour drinks and serve Demons. As if they were worried about the consequences of slowing down. "Please..." the soul on the floor wheezed as he looked up at the Demons. Particularly the woman. "Please, I'm sorry! I-I just need to rest. F-for five minutes! Just five minutes! I'm sorry! I'll clean this up, I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me!" he devolved into terrified sobs as he removed his shirt to start mopping up the Demon's Brew that was now in a large puddle in the middle of the inn. --- His head collided with her chin and she grunted as she stumbled back before regaining her composure. The smack had caused some memories to bubble to the surface, of a time when they had actively tried to kill each other. Every run-in, every showdown, every bloody fight. Then, just when it seemed like one would win, the other would find a way to escape. Living to fight another day. Carol grinned. She had lived for that thrill. Never knowing which fight might be their last but deep down hoping their confrontations would never end. The challenge was far too much fun. She laughed and darted around him, aiming a punch just under his ribs in an effort to wind him. --- "Get off me!" The bully shoved Cory. "You think you're better than us because you're sticking up for the freaks now? Fucking pussy!" "Kick his ass, Gord!" one of the other bullies gauded him Stevie was watching the confrontation from where he sat. His heart was pounding. His hand was in his pocket, caressing his flute nervously. --- The woman gasped and fell back from the window. She stared up at Theron for just a moment before her flight instinct kicked in. Her experience of being tortured by Demons for decades meant that she knew it was a bad idea to hang around or try to talk her way out of punishment. Without wasting any time, she jumped to her feet and with a whimper, she started to run towards the door. If he were to look into her past like Lillith had taught him, he would see that she had once been involved with a group of bandits. She would pretend to be hurt or lost along a road and when passing travellers stopped to help her, her accomplices would jump out from their hiding spots to rob them. Occasionally the people they robbed tried to fight them and a few of their victims lost their lives in the scuffle. On one such occasion, the woman was caught in the crossfire and lost her life. --- Lilly held Pain's hand tightly as she watched the process. At first, Bob simply stood there as the bit of flesh on his ribs started to stretch out and spread. "Heh, tingly..." he commented, amused. Then, rapidly, the flesh pulled itself over his bones and along the way it grew nerve ending after nerve ending. This resulted in Bob feeling quite a bit of pain as they would be completely exposed to the air until he grew skin over the new tissue. "Ah-! ah-! Not tingly no more! Not tingly no more! Pain! Lots of pain! Lots of-!" an otherworldy shriek erupted from Bob's skull and he gripped his head as flesh covered it and crept over his boney hands as well. When his vocal cords grew, they took over from Bob's familiar voice as he continued to scream, only his cries took on a completely different pitch to his skeletal version. Gooey white blobs formed inside his eye sockets and with a squelchy 'pop!', his new eyes developed. Feeling frightened but helpless, Lilly turned to Pain and hid her face in his shoulder, hugging him to stop herself from running to Bob's aid. A few screams, pops, and squelches later, Bob's transformation was completed. What stood before them now was a naked and woozy man whose age matched the age of Bob's bones when he'd originally died. He looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties. Brown hair with a small brown beard and blue eyes. Having just grown a brand new brain, Bob swayed on the spot for a good minute while his eyes rolled around and his mouth hung open. He tried to focus on the people in front of him. Wondering who they were, where he was and why he suddenly felt so cold. "Ifshhhbthhh..." he tried to speak, drooling as he did and looking very drunk. "Cob-cobble....fwib..." he blew a raspberry and then laughed before pursing his lips and blowing through them. "Brrrrrrrrr......" he giggled to himself while still swaying on his feet. "Yellow, hum, sing, ribbit, goldfish, smiling sausages, hold my banana hat!" he announced proudly before passing out and falling backwards. --- Viktor's eyes lit up at the idea. "There are ruins in France?" he asked excitedly. "Then let's start there! I want to see it all!" --- "You truly are a good friend!" Damien laughed. "You want to talk some more or should we watch something while we polish off the rest of that bottle?" --- "Shit..." Parker muttered when Carter told him he'd been kidnapped. "Well... I'm glad you're feeling better." he nodded, unsure of what else to say. Sebastian was looking at Carter tearfully, appreciative of his words. After all the stress and worrying about Carter, it was exactly the kind of thing he needed to hear. "You ok?" Parker's question snapped Sebastian out of his thoughts and he nodded to him with a small smile. "I'm fine." He answered as he started walking towards the kitchen. "I just need a minute. It's been a very long day." Once in the kitchen, he poured himself some of the blood that was still in the pot from earlier on, then leaned against the counter while taking some sips. --- "Bern..." Mon shook his head. He was shivering at the thought. "Sure we made more money and people respected us but that was only cos they were scared of us. Is that what you want? To hurt people? Bern, what Tony did... it wasn't right and you know it!" he took a step towards Bern with an imploring look. His heart was racing. "A-and we can't go against the Don! He's- he's our family!" --- Florian opened the door to his hut and stood there for a moment to stare at the old man with a dark expression. As soon as the old man saw the way he was looking at him, he knew what his intentions were and started to whimper while desperately struggling with the bars of his cage. Assuming that he was unseen by all as per usual, Asreal appeared in the clearing. He was looking at his book and lifted his gaze towards the hut with an unreadable expression. His place wasn't to judge. Only to guide. The old Steinheil in the hut was screaming in fright and begging, in German, not to be killed. Resuming his slow whistling, Florian opened the cage and stood back to allow the old man to make a run for it. He'd watch the Steinheil run a few steps from his hut before flinging the axe at the back of his head. The axe hit its mark with a sickening crack and the old man simply came to an abrupt halt. He stood there for a moment with a shocked expression, his face twitching ever so slightly. Then he stiffly fell forward, dead. Azreal had turned his head away and closed his eyes with a grimace. When he opened them, they landed on Insanity and he froze. He knew the trouble this man was causing and wanted so much to intervene but his job forbade it. While glaring at the Devil, Azreal waited where he was for the old man's soul to leave his body so that he could escort him to Hell. Florian didn't see Azreal as he swaggered out of his hut and strode over to the body triumphantly. He bent down and yanked the axe from the corpse before looking at his new employer. "What did you have in mind?" he asked him with a smirk. --- "Don't be naive, X." The officer said. "He might be a bumbling idiot but he's a powerful bumbling idiot with a brainwashed population and some of the best media censorship on the planet. That's not even mentioning the nukes. We need to tread carefully." he glanced at him sideways with an expectant look. "Covertly." he looked back to the screens. "Japan is huge. They might have packed up and moved on from that location but they would need a convoy of some kind to transport their tech across any borders. I expect they'd already know that we'd be looking out for that so they might be laying low somewhere in Japan until the heat dies down." The officer lifted his hand to thoughtfully stroke his short beard. "We need an agent to go undercover as soon as possible. If these bastards are sympathetic to what ADIEU stood for then our agent will need to be human. A human who can handle themselves as this will be a dangerous mission." He looked back at Xenos. "Do you know any human agents for the job?"

Shadowess - October 1, 2022 "I suppose you're right," Kasper replied, keeping his head down. He felt a little more guilty that he'd complained. "Come on, let's get this set up." --- Oscar shrugged. "Could be. But some demons are just rowdy. Take Carol for example..." He tilted his head to Leo with a smirk. "Or me back in the day." He chuckled. "We should try to listen out for conspiracy. Might be worth asking a few Demons what they think about Hell's royal family." --- Carol grinned eagerly. "I might not be out to kill you anymore but that doesn't mean I'll go easy on you, sweet thing." She warned him while settling into a fighting stance. "Show me what you got!" --- Stevie looked around, careful to not look in the direction of the bullies. He shrugged. "Maybe the burger place?" He suggested quietly. He was clearly nervous about his surroundings. --- Tony screamed initially. Then he groaned, feeling uncomfortably cold as his body went into shock. He was bleeding out but also dying slowly as none of his vital organs had been damaged. Rather, they spilled out of his torso. Lillith grinned, approving the method of execution. She walked over to Tony wordlessly and stared right into his wide eyes. She reached down and dug her hand into his open torso. Tony winced but made no sound while he watched her in helpless terror as she pulled out his liver and proceeded to take a bite out of it. What Lillith was doing was horrifying but it was not done out of malice. Not completely anyway. Eons ago this was how her species sustained themselves. So at this point, she only viewed Tony as food. After all, the human form she was currently maintaining was only an illusion. Naturally, she was a beast. A hunter. A predator. Tony could no longer feel any pain. Gradually both his hearing and his sight dulled as he stared off to one side. His mouth hung open and his breathing became laboured. He surprised himself as his last thought before taking his last breath was; 'I've been made to suffer worse. I was lucky this time.' His body vanished and Lillith stood while licking the blood from her fingers before it could vanish too. "Good children. It is your turn now. Hunt on your own. Prove you are capable of ruling your domain. I will watch closely." --- "Oooh... So you're like a hopeless romantic type?" Bob nodded. He was quiet for a moment. Whether he was contemplating Pain's words was difficult to tell without any facial expressions to read. After a minute or two, he lifted his skull and looked back at the building. "Y'know, I think something like that is just what she needs. You're a good guy, Pain. Something tells me that when you two eventually do hit it off, you'll be good for her." --- Viktor closed his eyes as he tried to think of what his kind of date would be. He smiled and sighed dreamily. "If time travel were possible, I'd want to go back to experience the kind of parties you told me about. To dance with you in a ball while wearing fine suits." He opened his eyes and looked into Bryce's. "Let's travel," he said suddenly. "Let's just go. Experience the world together. We'll start with Europe. I want to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Big Ben in England, The art museums in Amsterdam and the canals of Venice. I want to see the remains of Pompei, the Colosseum in Rome, and the Acropolis of Athens. Just you and me. What do you think?" --- River seemed to relax a little but still felt a little bad that he'd fallen out with Parker in the process. He decided he would try to talk to his brother later to make amends but for now, he wanted to focus on keeping his father safe. Damien nodded to Will thankfully then shifted on his feet uncomfortably while looking at him with a serious expression. "I'd like to give my statement now. I'd prefer to get it done so that you know who you're looking for as soon as possible." --- Sebastian hesitated and looked at Carter warily. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked him quietly. "Carter, him simply being this close to you while you're trying to recover is dangerous for both of you." he reasoned. "Please just stay in here. I'll go and see if he's ok." he got up and headed out of the bedroom. He practically jogged downstairs and only opened the front door by an inch. He peered out at Parker who looked back at him with a confused expression. "Hey, um... Is now a bad time?" "You could say that..." Sebastian answered as he glanced behind him briefly. "What's wrong, Parker? Is everything ok?" "...Actually no..." Parker sighed and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Can- can I stay with you guys? Just for a few days? Damien is crashing at Will's and I really don't want to be around the guy." "Your dad?" "He's not my dad." Parker quickly snapped back with a dark expression. He then sighed, put his hands in his pockets and looked around the front lawn awkwardly. "Carter was more of a dad to me than he'll ever be. Please, Sebastian. I don't have anywhere else to go..." Sebastian was quiet for a moment. He really wanted to help Parker but knew that it simply wasn't safe for him to be here. Especially this early into Carter's recovery. "I-I'm sorry, Parker. I really am. But like I said, it's not a good time. Look... here..." he opened the door a little more and dug into his pocket to pull out his wallet. "I'll give you some cash. Get yourself a hotel room..." "A hotel? But..." Parker looked up at the house sadly. "Why? What's happened? Where's Carter?" (Nice I love the Hellsing anime. Could be interesting if she was a follower of Donnie & his family. It's up to you though.) Denix Vames - October 1, 2022 "You can lead on this project. I don't know much about modern technology." ,said Phineas. --- (i think ill make her a follower) The demon smirked at Leo and Oscar. She kissed the air as she winked at them. "Maybe let's not start with her." ,said Leo. --- Gabriel chuckled. "Wait a minute. Shouldn't we do this in a more open area? Like a field?" ,said Napoleon. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea. Follow me." Gabriel disappeared. Napoleon would be watching the battle while sitting under a tree. Gabriel cracked his knuckles. "I'll let you take the first shot." --- "Sounds cool to me." ,said Cory. The group headed there. "What do you want off the menu?" ,asked Autumn. --- Theron was shaking. "But I don't know how to hunt by myself." "It's easy! Just have fun!" Sam laughed as he ran off. Theron walked as he kept an eye out for any soul. --- Pain smiled. "Thanks Bob. You're a great friend to be around." --- Bryce smiled. "Sounds like a wonderful idea. We just need to pack and teleport wherever. I still am partially vampiric so we'll need to go out when it's dark." --- Will nodded. He sat on the living room couch and took out his notepad. He had a pen in his other hand. "Just take a seat and tell me what you can." --- "I'm right here." Carter was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. "I went through some things but that doesn't mean I can't be strong enough for my friends. I know you're concerned Sebastian but you've proven to me that my own will can keep me from hurting others. I'll help Parker no matter what. So please, let him in." --- Bern was sleeping right next to Mon in bed as he dreamt of how he died. He could recall the glass shattering, the piercing pain, and the bullets which was weird. There were no bullets. That's when he saw Tony lying on the ground with bullet holes in him. He gasped awake. Frustrated with the nightmare, he went into the kitchen and grabbed a glass. He accidentally squeezed it. It broke into pieces as it fell to the floor. He sighed and just chugged the bottle of scotch. Shadowess - October 2, 2022 Kasper nodded and took the equipment out of the box. After reading the manual a few times, he managed to set up the sprinkler system. He stood by the outdoor faucet and turned it on. He then used a remote control to set the timers on the sprinklers. Moments later, the gadget came to life and formed a dome of misty water over their freshly planted crops. --- "Agreed..." Oscar commented as he stared back at her uncomfortably. Defensively, he took Leo's hand as if to make it perfectly clear to anyone who looked that this man was taken. He particularly wanted to make it clear to that woman. "C'mon, let's go and sit over here... We'll probably be able to eavesdrop on most conversations from there..." he said to him quietly while nodding towards a table in the corner of the room that had just become available. --- "Ever the gentleman." Carol purred as she stretched her arms above her head. Once she felt limber enough, she poised herself low before darting forward. About halfway to reaching Gabriel she vanished. Rapidly, she reappeared behind him, close to the ground, where she swept her leg at both of his to force him to lose his balance. --- Stevie looked up and was unsure of what he wanted. He never usually had this much of a choice. In fact, it was rare that he could ever even afford the luxury of fast food. "Umm... what about that big one?" he asked, looking at the largest burger on the menu. This might be the only time he could get something that big, he wasn't about to let the opportunity slip through his fingers. --- Lillith watched the boys but would offer no comfort to Theron. The way she saw it this boy was almost an adult and needed to harden up if he was to rule one day. She silently slinked off to the shadows and appeared to vanish completely but she would remain close to the boys, unseen, to keep watch over them. Effectively giving them a sense of independence while subtly ensuring that they both remain safe under her watch. --- "As are you." Bob nodded. "C'mon. I wana know how handsome I am with skin!" he said eagerly before marching towards the building at a brisker pace. His boney feet clacked against the pavement as he walked. "Honnies, I'm home!" he announced while swinging the door open before stepping inside. --- "Won't my blood give you some protection?" Viktor asked as he got up from the bed. He looked around. "None of this stuff is mine anyway. I'll bet all of my old belongings are in a landfill by now... or destroyed..." he shrugged. He'd been keeping tabs on his family home. After the murder of his parents was discovered by authorities, the house had become a crime scene. When the police found all of the old Steniheil weaponry, some with dried blood from previous hunts, the entire house and its contents were seized for evidence. Eventually, Viktor and his sister were declared missing and presumed dead when neither of them had come forward. Then the house itself had been auctioned off. Not that this mattered much to Viktor anymore. Once he realised how wrong his family had been and how close they'd come to making him into a murderer, he cut himself off from that life entirely. He had no intentions of looking back. "But that's fine. I can always buy new clothes and stuff while we're away," he said eagerly as he looked at Bryce. --- Damien sat down across from Will. River also perched himself on the arm of the couch that Will was sitting on as he listened in on his father carefully. He wanted to know who had attacked him as well. After thinking about what he'd say, Damien sighed and nodded while clasping his hands in front of him and staring at the ground. He took his mind back to his apartment. "I'd just gotten home. With everything that had happened with Carter and Donnie, I wanted to leave the country to try to make things easier for Carter's recovery. So I called Alex to let him know that I was coming..." Damien paused and glanced up at River. "Shit, he's probably worried..." "I'm on it." River stood and vanished. Once he was gone, Damien seemed to relax a little more. "I packed my things." he continued. "I was about to leave and opened my door. But there was a vampire loitering just outside. He looked... starved. Thin. Dirty too... I think he might've been homeless. He seemed jumpy... erratic." Damien's eyebrows furrowed. "He looked desperate. Um... short blond hair... blue eyes... He must've caught my scent and followed me. He broke in and..." Damien sighed heavily. Admitting or appearing vulnerable in any way shape or form was not something he was used to. His training heavily discouraged it. But he needed to tell someone what had happened. "He knocked me down. The last thing I remember is he was on me... drinking from me..." Damien intentionally left out the kinds of things the vampire had been saying to him. What the vampire had intended to do with him. There were some things that Damien was just not ready to open up about. "Then I remember walking down the street... I don't know how I escaped..." he looked down at his hands and showed Will his bloodied and bruised knuckles. "But something tells me that I fought like hell." he chuckled. "I think the only thing that stopped him from coming after me was the sun... When I came to, it was already morning. But my main concern now is that he's had a taste of my blood and if he really was starving prior to that then there's a good chance that he's now addicted. He'll hunt for me as soon as he's able to." Damien tilted his head a bit and scratched the back of his head. "Then of course there's the asshole taxi driver that tried to take advantage of my state..." he added then glanced at James. "If not for James... I dread to think what would've happened to me. I got in this taxi after I was attacked and asked to be taken to the airport. I must've passed out in the backseat from blood loss... then next thing I remember is waking up in James's place. I didn't see the guy's face...sorry." he looked at James, wondering if he'd weigh in at this point and describe the taxi driver along with telling them whatever he'd been doing at the time that James had caught him up to no good. --- Sebastian looked back at Carter uncertainly. Parker peered in with a mixture of caution and curiosity. Seeing the stubborn look on Carter's face, Sebastian knew he wouldn't win. He sighed and relented. "Alright, but at the first sign of trouble he has to leave," he warned as he opened the door more to let Parker in. "I won't be any trouble, I promise," Parker said quickly as he walked into the house. "Not you..." Sebastian mumbled as he closed the door and watched them both warily. Parker was puzzled but he didn't press the matter. He was a little more embarrassed as he realised Carter might've heard his comment about seeing him as a father figure. He headed into the living room with the other two. "I really appreciate it. I just needed to get away for a while, you know?" --- Mon heard the glass smashing and got up from the bed. He headed into the kitchen and saw Bern drinking. "Hey, Bern? You ok?" he asked him sleepily. "What're you doing up? And drinking?" --- In the German forest, just a few miles from the Vampire Castle, a newly built log hut was sitting in a small clearing. Shirtless, a muscular man walked into the clearing while holding three large logs over one shoulder. He was whistling to the tune of 'who's afraid of the big bad wolf?' and generally seemed content. Dropping the logs by a tree stump with an axe embedded in it, the man went to grab the handle when a pained cry came from inside his hut. He paused and smirked. Leaving the axe where it was, he walked back to the hut and opened the door to glare at a gagged, naked man who was crouching in an uncomfortably small cage. The man was the father from the Steinheil mansion. Kasper's father. The Steinheil had captured him and tortured him for months in an effort to make him subservient before his foolish son had released him. Now the Steiheil father was his captive and the 'Big Bad Wolf' was taking great pleasure in causing his suffering. Giving him a taste of what he'd put him through before he would eventually slaughter him. "What did I tell you about making noise?" he growled at him in German. Immediately the man in the cage froze and grew silent. He stared up at his captor in fear. "Should I whip you again? Hm? Will that teach you to be quiet?" The Steinheil father quickly shook his head and the Wolf's grin widened maliciously. "What? No to the whipping or no to teaching you to be quiet?" he asked coldly. Unable to answer the ridiculous question, the man in the cage whimpered desperately but the second he made a sound the wolf kicked at his cage and yelled at him. "I SAID NO NOISE!! SHOULD I RIP OUT YOUR FUCKING TONGUE?! HUH?!" This made the man jump and cry out fearfully while covering his head with his hands as much as he could. He started hyperventilating. "YOU MAKE ANOTHER NOISE AND I'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU REGRET IT!" the wolf snapped then slammed the hut door shut, leaving his captive in darkness once more. After taking a brief moment to breathe and calm down, the wolf went right back to whistling his tune and heading over to his axe as if nothing had just happened. --- Back in the CIA facility, the agents were still busy trying to clean up the mess that Warren had left behind when he'd infiltrated the building and stolen files. Now, by working together with the Japanese authorities, the control room was preparing to monitor a raid on the suspected hideout of the people who had hired Warren. An officer stood by with his arms folded as he watched the SWAT teams take their positions on the monitors. Xenos will have been called in to watch the operation as well. The atmosphere was tense as they prepared themselves for anything. They watched as the team moved in quickly. They swept through the place but met no resistance nor did they find anyone in the building. The place had already been cleaned out. There were obvious signs that the building had been occupied but they had recently packed up and moved on. The only thing that remained was a few computers that the suspects apparently hadn't had time to take with them. "Fuck!" the officer shouted as he threw his headset across the room. "Fuck!" he kicked a chair. They were too late to stop them. He marched over to his headset and placed it back onto his head. "Gather up those computers and see if you can decrypt wherever those fuckers might've gone! We have to find them! Get a forensics team in there asap. I want any prints or DNA that you can find. Give me SOMETHING!"

Denix Vames - September 14, 2022 "I never thought about it like that." Phineas tried to open the box. "I think we need a knife." --- Carter did his best to hold a strong smile. "Ok." He laid next to Sebastian and rest his head over his chest. "It's going to be ok. I know it will be. Because we're both here together." --- Leo nodded. "Lead the way." --- Travis laughed when Pickles licked him. He started rubbing his belly to see if dogs really did like being pet there. --- "I see. What did you think of my leadership? And what is rock music?" ,asked Napoleon. Gabriel appeared in front of them. "Sorry to interrupt but I have an offer for you guys. Would you both like to be in my search party? I have orders to look Donnie's family." He smirked. "It could be fun." "Donnie?" Napoleon glared. "That bastard and his army! They all deserve no mercy! The ruthlessness they carry is ridiculous!" --- Cory frowned but didn't say anything. He assumed that it was a really special item to him so he didn't pry. "An Ocarina? Like from Legend Of Zelda? That would be amazing!" ,said Autumn. The group continued walking. They would soon reach the local mall. --- Theron walked over to the mobster. His blood stopped moving. Remaining still. "Why did you hurt people? Mommy says I'm supposed to punish you because you're bad." --- Pain couldn't help but laugh. "Have you never heard of a Demisexual before?" --- Bryce blushed. "Oh. Well, maybe we could do that sometimes when we're really close?" --- "Parker." Will followed and stood in front of him when they were outside "I won't stop you from doing this. Just try to think about this in your dad's perspective, ok?" He gave him a quick kiss. "I'll visit when I can." --- James took his hand. He sighed. "God I hope this doesn't get awkward." shadowess - September 18, 2022 The box's flaps sprang open, revealing its contents just as Phineas suggested that they use a knife. Kasper paused with a contemplative look. "I don't want to complain and seem ungrateful but I hope we don't get everything just handed to us like this," he commented then pulled out some of the equipment. "That having been said, it looks like it's up to us to assemble the sprinklers." he chuckled. --- Oscar took Leo's hand and teleported them to one of the bars in Hell that he knew. It was full of Demons who were having drinks and mostly just keeping to themselves. Oscar rose his eyebrows at Leo and then moved his eyes around the room as if to say it wasn't normal for a bar in Hell to be this full. There was barely any room to move and the poor souls who had been tasked with tending the bar seemed exhausted from trying to keep up with the unending orders. Oscar had to lean in for Leo to hear him above the noise of the bar. "Wonder what's going on here. This is way busier than normal." --- Pickles' eyes rolled a bit, enjoying the feeling. He lifted his front paws to let Travis rub his belly more while he frantically licked the air, making 'nom nom' noises. --- Carol had opened her mouth to reply to Napoleon's questions when Gabriel appeared. When he proposed that they join his search party, her smile twisted into a wicked grin. Her eyes immediately burned red out of sheer excitement. "The Arch-Angel Gabriel! How long it's been! How's your 'daddy'? Still an old grouch?" she purred then realised he might not recognise her in her new body. "It's Carol, sweet thing." she winked. Back when Carol had been Lucifer's soldier, she'd had a few run-ins with Gabriel. Back then they'd been at war so a fight breaking out between them whenever they crossed paths was always inevitable. As much as they had once been rivals though, Carol had always respected him. There, of course, had also been a few rare occasions when she'd stumbled upon Gabriel and his 'brother's' having one of their chaotic parties and rather than fight they had put their differences aside temporarily to drink and get up to mischief without their respective bosses knowing about it. Only to go back to fighting the following day. But now it seemed Gabriel was looking for help and wouldn't you know? Carol was just in the market for some new purpose to fill her life with. "An opportunity to work at an old rival's side and take out a mutual enemy? How can a girl say 'no?'" she said coyly with a playful smirk. "Count me in, but first..." Carol stepped to one side, away from Napoleon and cracked her neck to limber up. "I'm interested to see just how rusty I've gotten. What do you say Gabby? A little sparring match for old time's sake?" --- "Oh, you like that game too?" Stevie's smile became a little wider and more genuine. "I've completed it three times. I'll make you an Ocarina! Like the one in the game. Maybe I could carve the notes for Zelda's Lullaby on the back?" he said eagerly. He followed the trio into the mall and looked around shyly. He practically hid behind the other three as they walked passed a group of kids from their school. Most of whom also liked to occasionally bully him. Instinctively, he kept his hood up and his head down, hoping they wouldn't see him. --- Sweating and aching all over, Tony rolled onto his side and groaned. "K-Kid, I swear, I was just doing what I was told! Don't hurt me again, alright? My boss told me to do it so I did it. Otherwise, he woulda killed me too." "And the rest," Lillith said coldly. "What-?" "You have only told part of the truth. If you were only following orders and coerced into spilling blood then you would not have awoken here upon your death. Why else did you kill? Why were you so meticulous in your tortures? You spent a great deal of time planning your attacks for someone who was just 'following orders" Tony gawped at Lillith. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times as his eyes moved frantically from face to face. "Wh-what do you want me to say, huh?! That-that I enjoyed it?! Is that what you want to hear?!" "Did you?" Lillith answered calmly. Her eyes bore into his. For a moment, Tony was quiet as he stared back at her. Then he shivered and looked down at the ground, whimpering as he hesitantly confessed. "...I-I did... I loved it... I was good at it." he looked back up at Theron. His eyes were wild with fear but he tried his best to regain his composure. "So, what now, huh? Now that you know. You're going to kill me right? Make me wake up somewhere else in Hell to do it all over again..." he stifled another whimper while shutting his eyes tightly. "J-Just do it then! Get it over with!" --- "A what?" Bob tilted his head to one side and continued to look at Pain as they walked. "That someone with a thing for Demi-gods?...Sounds hot." --- "I'd like that," Viktor said softly and bit his lip at the thought. He seemed thoughtful for a moment then glanced around the room with a small frown. He turned his head and looked at a mirror in the room that was very similar to the one he'd pulled Bryce through. He shivered at the memory. The desperate struggle to save the man he loved. The look on Insanity's face when he'd tried to stop them from escaping. He found it a little funny that just a few months ago the only supernatural creatures he was aware of were Vampires and Werewolves. If he'd been told back then that he would become a hybrid of both that was also part Angel and part Devil, he'd have laughed it off as a joke. But here he was... He knew Bryce was capable of reading his thoughts and probably already knew what was on his mind so didn't want to dwell on it much longer. Yet, with the trauma still so fresh, he couldn't stand to be in this mansion right now. Nor could he face going to Bryce's apartment after seeing... The image of Bryce having his throat slit in front of him had forced itself to the surface of his thoughts and his heart skipped a beat then ached. Even though he knew Bryce was alive and safe, he couldn't help feeling his heart ache at the memory. "Let's go somewhere?" he said suddenly and looked at Bryce. "Anywhere that isn't here. Just you and me." he lean forward and pressed his forehead against Bryce's. "It could be like a date?" --- Parker looked at Will and nodded wordlessly. He returned the kiss and then walked to his car without saying anything. He thought about Will's words as he drove to Carter's. Not long after Parker had driven away, River appeared in the Precinct with Damien and James. He glanced around at Will while letting go of their hands. "Hey... I'm sorry. I just-... he's my dad..." he tried to justify himself as he felt guilty for putting him and Parker in an awkward situation. Damien placed a hand on River's shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile before turning his head to look at Will. "I appreciate the help." he began then glanced around at James. "This is James. He got me out of a pretty bad situation a few hours ago and has been looking out for me since. I'd like for him to stay nearby if that's ok?" He turned to look back at Will. --- Sebastian wrapped his arms around Carter and rubbed his arm to comfort him. "We'll be ok." Sebastian agreed. "I won't let anything else happen to us. I'd do anything to protect you. Anything..." He sighed then closed his eyes, trying to relax himself enough to sleep. But he wouldn't fall asleep and only a few minutes later he'd catch a familiar scent approaching the house. Half human and half devil. Parker. Sebastian tensed and his eyes snapped open. He held his breath. This was the last thing they needed. "Stay here," he told Carter. "I'll tell him to go home, ok?" he said in a careful and calm tone just as the doorbell rang. Denix Vames - September 19, 2022 "It's Heaven, Kasper. They want all souls to feel good here. I don't blame thing since not a lot of us had great lives." ,said Phineas. --- "Another drink! Fucking bitch!" ,shouted a Demon who had a large empty glass with her. Once she got her drink, she drank some before kicking someone's head off. "Get your hands off of this body!" She grinned. "Now, that's what I call a homerun." Leo bit his lip. "What the hell is wrong with her? Please don't tell me she's one of Donnie's followers." --- Travis laid next to Pickles. He found himself calming down so much that he felt like having a nap. --- Gabriel smirked. "You're on." Napoleon raised a brow. "Should I wait somewhere?" "You could watch the fight if you want to." --- "That would be great. Thank you." ,said Autumn. At the food court, Cory said, "Which place do you want to eat at?" --- Theron raised his sword. "I don't like it when bodies are in pieces so I'll be more neat." He slammed the sword down and made Tony's body split in half. He suddenly grinned. Sam's eyes widened. He was impressed. "Whoa..." --- Pain shook his head. "It means it's a person who only has sex with someone once they get to know that person on a more personal. It usually takes a while but Lily really is something else. She's so amazing and strong. I've never met someone who I immediately had eyes for." --- Bryce smiled. "Sure. What's your kind of date?" --- "It's alright, River." Will shook James's hand. "Nice to meet you on better terms this time." "Likewise. And I'm sorry for the last time we met." "That's alright. Looks like you learned your lesson. Anyway, you guys can kick back at my home. Feel free to eat what's in the kitchen." --- "Wait." Carter sat up. "At least ask him if he needs help. I don't want to leave him in the dust." Denix Vames - September 19, 2022 (this is the woman in the demon bar. not sure but i think i might have her as one of Donnie's followers. what do you think her association should be?) Attached Image

Denix Vames - September 11, 2022 Phineas raised a brow. "It says one inch but also recommends a watering system? This wouldn't sound weird if it weren't for the fact that they mentioned something called automatic. What does that mean?" --- Carter bit his lip. "Ok but...I'm sorry if I made you worried." --- Gabriel appeared in front of Leo and Oscar. "No can do! You guys are going to join my search party. We need to find the rest of Donnie's family." Leo rolled his eyes. "Do you even know where they are?" "No but I am recruiting Demons, Devils, and Angels into my search party. I'm sure with everyone's help, we'll be able to find them in a split second." --- Travis nodded and mouthed out the words, 'I love you too.' He carried Pickles to the living room where he turned on the TV. Allowing him to be entertained and to explore his new home. --- Even with Kodi's words, Napoleon still felt terrible. He appeared by Carol's side. "Please don't leave. I would like to apologize for my behavior. My name is Napoleon Bonaparte. What is yours ma'am?" --- Autumn smiled. "So, what's your favorite kind of food? Also, did you have any stores in mind that you wanted to go to?" --- Sam grinned. "This is going to be fun." Theron and him slowly walked over to the souls. Once at close range, Sam jumped on top of Troels and stabbed him in the chest. Theron nervously looked at Tony before swinging his sword at him. "Please stay still. I don't know how to deal with moving things." --- "Then we should hurry back to the band and ask her." ,said Pain. "Well, sounds like ya'll are covered here. I'll be going then." Billy tipped his hat to Bob. "Call me the next time you need to talk. I'll be around." He disappeared. --- James stood. "As long as I won't be a bother to anyone. I don't want to make things awkward." --- Bryce grit his teeth. "The taste of his blood....I still remember. I need it. I need Damien's blood." shadowess - September 11, 2022 "A sprinkler system maybe?" Kasper suggested. "Maybe we can put in a reque-" a funny feeling washed over him and he looked a little dizzy for a moment before blinking and the feeling ended just as quickly as it came. Just as it faded away, the doorbell chimed. "Who do you suppose that could be?" he said as he walked over to the door and opened it to see an Angel in a pale blue uniform. "Sign here please." the Angel said in a bored tone while holding out a clipboard and pen. Behind him was a large box. "What's this?" Kasper took the board curiously and looked over the form. "Your order. One set of automatic sprinklers." "I-... I only thought about getting that." Kasper stammered in shock as he frantically looked over the form, trying to find out how much it cost. "W-we can't afford this!" "You're still new here, huh?" Kasper looked up. His face turned red from embarrassment. "Uh-! Yes..." he chuckled. "No money here. Don't need it. Causes nothing but misery. If you still want this just sign for it but if you've changed your mind it's not an issue, I can just take it back." "That's a relief" Kasper smiled then looked confused. "Wait...Back where?" The Angel shrugged. "Back," he answered vaguely. "Oh... ok," Kasper answered and took the pen to sign for their package. --- "Don't be," Sebastian said as he closed his eyes and simply savoured the feeling of holding Carter in his arms. He felt like he'd come so close to losing him that he needed to make the most of every moment with him now. "God, I love you so much. I don't know what I'd do without you." he sighed and buried his face in his shoulder, taking in his scent. --- "Which is all well and good but useless if they escape again," Oscar commented he then lifted his hands. "That's not to say that I don't agree with you though. I think it's a great idea for us all to work together but maybe we can share our plans so far and come up with something that has a better chance of working." He pointed upwards. "Desi is on Earth right now trying to replicate a potion that Clementine used to make. If it works and we find that family then we can deal with them without causing any suffering or death. It'll erase their memories and make them temporarily human. We can then use their amnesia to mould them into better versions of themselves." he explained. "But first we need a test subject. The only person who knew how to make that potion properly was Clementine and she was destroyed so now it's trial and error until we get the mixture just right and we need to test it on one of Donnie's followers in case...well... in case the first batch or two don't work right." Oscar looked at Gabriel imploringly. "Help us find someone to test the potion on and we'll help you look for the family." --- For a few minutes, Pickles was content to stay in Travis's arms as he got used to being in a new environment. Feeling Travis relax though helped Pickles to also become more relaxed and after a while, he jumped down from his lap to sniff around the room. Poking his nose up and down the couch, across the carpet, over the chest of drawers and the TV stand. His little tail wagged from side to side rhythmically as he moved around. He looked up at Travis to make sure he was still there, his tail wagged a little faster as he did then he shook his whole body, flinging the bathwater from his fur. --- Kodi watched Napoleon vanish and glanced out of the window to see him reappear in front of Carol before she could cross the street. He sighed then ran his hand through his hair while glancing at Parker and Will. "Poor guy'll get his heart broke. She's not a 'commitment' type of person." he commented a little sourly before heading into the break room to calm down a bit. Even after a few hundred years, he still wasn't over her. Carol stopped when Napoleon appeared. Unlike most people though, she didn't jump in surprise when he simply popped up out of nowhere. She was used to it. Lucifer would do so frequently. She placed a hand on her hip and rose a brow at Napoleon as he spoke. "I know who you are," she told him then glanced away as if contemplating whether she should listen to him. "Carol Magpie." she introduced herself then looked at him interestedly to see how he'd react. "You're one of Raguel's men, right? You might've heard of me," she smirked. She held out a hand for him to kiss. "Lucifer's Royal Guard, confidant, Bounty Hunter, etcetera. Or used to be at least. A pleasure to meet you." She said proudly. "So, how about that drink then?" she asked while taking his arm. "I know this cool place. Plays music all night long and the red wine is so good!" --- "Um, I like hotdogs and burgers, I guess," he answered then fidgeted with the hem of his hoodie. "Um, maybe somewhere that sells knives?" he said thoughtfully then realised how that must've sounded. "F-for carving! I like to make things..." he said quickly. "I-I find wood and I whittle it into shapes, like animals and... stuff." He put his free hand into his pocket and ran his fingers over the flute. "I made one that looked like a bear once. It's at home. I-I can make instruments too... Like... Like..." he hesitated and stopped walking to pull out his flute to show them. He'd keep a wary eye on them all and would recoil if any of them reached for it, not wanting them to touch it. "This is my favourite," he said nervously then carefully placed it back into his pocket to walk with them again. "I could make something for you if you'd like?" he offered to Autumn and gave her a sweet smile. --- "Too fast." Lillith scolded Sam as she walked over to them and watched the Viking soul vanish almost immediately after being stabbed. "You are to make them suffer. Save the death blow for last." she then stood by and watched how Theron would handle the panicking Tony who had jumped out of range of the sword. The mobster looked between the two teenagers and the woman in alarm which quickly shifted to a horrified expression as he realised this must be a mother demon training her brood. Something he hadn't seen in Hell before but certainly didn't doubt could be a possibility, nor did he want to be any part of! "You stay away! Stay away from me you monsters!" "See how the sinner tries to make you feel like the monster?" Lillith said calmly to Theron. "Never forget what he has done to earn his place here. You are not the monster here. Merely the punishment. Your purpose, my child, is divine." "Fuck this shit!" Tony squeaked before turning in his heels and trying to make a run for it. "Sam." Lillith turned to him, leaving Theron to deal with the fleeing soul. She gestured for him to approach her and held out her hand towards his bracelet. "You cannot use your full potential with such a hindrance," she said as she gripped the bracelet on two sides and rapidly pulled her hands apart, snapping the accessory in two in one quick motion. The bracelet let off a loud 'bang' as it was destroyed and she dropped the pieces to the ground. "Help your brother," she said to him privately. "Guide him in his task. He looks up to you." --- "Will do, daddio!" Bob waved then looked back at the other two. "Nice guy... strange clothes." "You're one to talk." Lilly rolled her eyes. "You're going to have to get into the habit of wearing clothes again. Especially when leaving the building." "What if the breeze feels nice on my new danglies?" "Bob!" Lilly groaned and turned to walk back towards the Band's hang-out. "What? This guy knows what I'm talking about!" Bob shrugged and pointed to Pain. "I'll bet he'd let his danglies swing all day long if he could!" "Bob! Stop it!" Lilly protested as she turned red and walked faster. "Have you seen his danglies yet?" "Oh my God!" "What? Everyone else is wondering too, y'know. Have ya even kissed yet?" "No- that's not- we're not- it's not like that- shut up, Bob!!" "Wow, really? Not even a kiss?" Bob tilted his head upwards and sighed. "Dammit... now I owe Storm five bucks..." he mumbled. Lilly didn't hear this but had turned such a deep shade of red that she flung her hood up and practically power walked back to the hangout. "I get it," Bob said to Pain when she was a fair distance in front of them. "She's always got her walls up and it's hard to get her to trust ya. Life hasn't been kind to her. Not until we got here anyways." he turned his skull to him. "In all the time I've known her, she's never let anyone get as close to her as you have. She lets you actually hold and cuddle her. She'd never let anyone get close enough to do that before. She likes you." --- "It's no bother, honest." River said with a shrug. "Besides, I'd-... I'd feel a little safer with you around." Damien admitted without looking at him. "Ok, I'll be back in a little bit to tell you how it went... Like I said though, no promises." River said to them before vanishing. Damien leaned against the wall and glanced at James awkwardly. "Uh... he's a good kid..." he said before taking a swig of his drink. --- "No, you don't." Viktor sat up and looked at Bryce worriedly, wondering how he could help. He recalled Leo telling him they were a mix of different species. One of them being Devils. He hesitated before sitting on Bryce's lap with his legs on either side of his hips. He caressed his cheek and looked into his beautiful yellow eyes. "Take some of mine instead," he whispered to him with his lips hovering just over his. "Just a little. Just enough to make you feel better. It can be our thing. My gift to you..." he moved his head to one side, leaning close and exposing his neck to him. "I trust you." he closed his eyes. --- River would appear in the precinct, looking at Parker and Will. "We gotta talk... it's about dad," he said. Immediately, Parker scoffed and turned away from him to walk away. "Parker, please! He's in trouble and needs our help." "Where was he when we needed him?" Parker asked coldly. "Whatever it is, he can deal with it on his own!" "Parker-!... Will, please? He was attacked. He looks pretty roughed up. He's safe now but he needs somewhere to stay." Denix Vames - September 12, 2022 Phineas walked over to the box to inspect it. "Amazing. Such a strange piece of equipment. To do things without actually working? It sounds grand but...lazy. Do all humans have such things to make them lazy?" --- Carter closed his eyes as he breathed slowly so that he could keep himself calm. "Sebastian...I love you too." --- "Sorry guys but I need to follow orders. If you won't join my party then that's fine. I'll just find some others that can help me out. But good luck with your plan." ,said Gabriel. He disappeared. Leo raised a brow. "Orders? He doesn't seem like the type to listen to his superiors. Or maybe I read him wrong?" --- Travis laughed as he got wet. He scratched behind his ears. He wished he could say anything to Pickles but the best he could do was be there. He frowned at the idea of not being able to speak. This trauma had been a curse to him ever since his parents were murdered. --- Napoleon kissed her hand then allowed her to guide him. "Well then, Miss Carol Magpie, please tell me how you know about my character? Have the French spread word about my tales?" He shook his head. "Forgive me miss but I have never been informed about your existence. I imagine with your title though that you were a magnificent soldier." --- Autumn chuckled. "It's ok. Me and Cory use to use knives for some not-so-great things. We weren't exactly kind to ourselves. But that does sound nice. If only I knew which instrument was meant for me." All three had stopped to look at the flute. Cory nervously rubbed his arm. "Is it ok if I hold it?" Winters eyes beamed with excitement. "You made that all by yourself! That's amazing!" --- Sam nodded at her but was reluctant to help. He appeared behind Tony and gripped his arms. "Make him suffer! But don't do it quick!" Theron shook but nodded. His sword reverted back to black blood which crawled over Tony's body and ripped into his skin. Digging deeper in until it was inside. The blood began to wriggle around and slowly rip every part of his body. Sam let go. Knowing that Tony would be in too much pain to escape. --- Pain blushed as Bob spoke but smiled. "Well, the truth is I like to take things slow anyway. I like to get to know someone first before I start dating them. So I can see that she does like me but I also don't want to mess things up by rushing in. Thanks for your thoughts though." He nodded at the path back to the warehouse. "We should head back. C'mon." --- "I can see that." James drank some. "I wonder if it would be a good idea to have my own family." --- Bryce hesitantly leaned in. He opened his mouth and gently dug his fangs into his neck. He began to drink a strange new flavor that he never had before. He pulled Viktor into a tight embrace as he continued to drink. When he felt satisfied, he licked the holes that he made and kissed him. "Thank you." --- Will nodded. "It sounds like he needs our help." He placed a hand on Parker's shoulder. "C'mon Parker. I know you both have your differences but he's still a person who needs help. I can't turn away from him as the Chief." Denix Vames - September 12, 2022 Napoleon smiled. "I'd love to have some wine and listen to music." shadowess - September 13, 2022 Once the package was signed for the Angel didn't hang around and left them to figure out how to use the new equipment on their own. Kasper turned to look at Phineas as he spoke. "It's not always out of laziness." he pointed out gently. "Some people might like to garden but not have time between work and other commitments. So, something like this might be useful to them." he opened the box and looked at the hoses and instructions. "Though this does seem a little complicated... What do you think? Should we set it up or stick with the watering can?" --- Sebastian held on to Carter just a little longer before pulling back and looking at him with wet eyes. "Right, come on." he sniffled and put on a small smile. "It's been a long day and we're both exhausted. Let's try to get some sleep." --- "I dunno..." Oscar sighed with a shrug. "I just hope he's careful. That family are dangerous enough but it's also not safe for an Angel to be wandering around in Hell." he looked across the landscape briefly before looking back at Leo. "So... pub crawl?" --- After shaking the water off, Pickles sneezed. His tail wagged fast again when Travis scratched behind his ear and then he looked up at his new owner. They say dogs can sense human emotions. Whether that is true or not isn't certain but Pickles was picking up on something and it caused the little dog to pause briefly before trying to jump back up onto the couch to get close to Travis again. Once Travis would pick him up, he'd immediately start trying to lick his face relentlessly. --- "Believe it or not, dear Napoleon, I was around on Earth during the time of your reign," Carol said proudly. "So, I had access to all of the propaganda and news articles of the time." she grinned when he told her he hadn't heard of her and speculated the kind of soldier she'd been. "Oh, I was formidable in my own way!" she boasted. "I'd have done anything for my King. Had he asked me to die, I wouldn't have hesitated. If you asked Raguel about me I'll bet he'd have a story or two for you! Of course, you have to bear in mind that there was an active war between Heaven and Hell back then so I fought my fair share of Angels during that time... There was never a dull moment." When Napoleon said he was happy to listen to music and drink wine, Carol beamed. "Oh, good! I hope you don't mind loud music. Tell me, have you ever heard of Rock music?" --- Stevie couldn't help but smile at Winters's compliment, then his eyes snapped to Cory defensively when he was asked if he could hold the flute. "I'd rather you didn't," he said in a monotone voice, his eyes looking dead for just a fraction of a second. Then he looked at Autumn and smiled as if he hadn't just said anything. "M-maybe I could make you an Ocarina? or pan flute?... They're the only instruments that I know how to make." --- Lillith watched them wordlessly as the mobster let out agonised screams. When the man was dropped, he writhed on the ground. Helpless and tormented. "Don't forget young ones," she spoke over his cries. "He murdered people. Tortured people for information. He tormented a family mercilessly before causing their excruciating demise. All in the name of power, wealth and vanity." She was quiet again as the male continued to scream until finally, he broke. "Make it stop!" He cried. "Please stop this! End it already! Enough! Just fucking kill me already! Please!" A twisted smirk grew on Lillith's lips and she lifted her eyes to Theron expectantly. "You are the one in control here. You make the decision. Has he had enough? Or does he deserve more?" --- Bob placed a bony hand on Pain's shoulder to stop him from rushing ahead. He may not have eyes yet, but he could swear he saw something in Pain that he might have been trying to conceal. Bob glanced in Lilly's direction. She was walking quite quickly ahead of them and was easily out of earshot now. "Talk to me, bud," he said to him quietly. "Why are ya really holding back?" he tilted his head. "You were hurt once. Weren't ya?" --- With Steinheil's genetics, a Vampire's venom wouldn't typically affect someone like Viktor and just like when Leo turned him, he would normally feel everything. But the effects of Damien's blood had made Bryce's venom more powerful than usual, which meant that for the first time in his life Viktor was able to know what it would feel like to be bitten by a Vampire like any other ordinary human. He tensed, gasping when he felt the sting of his fangs but then shivered and let out a soft moan when he felt the numbness spread throughout his body. He tilted his head back, relaxing into Bryce's grip then gasped and moaned again when his embrace tightened. Unable to contain the word "Yes...!" as it slipped past his lips in a trembling whisper. When Bryce let him go he was almost saddened that it had ended. He returned the kiss and looked at his beloved adoringly. "So that's what that feels like..." he whispered then smiled, blushing. "I... liked it," he admitted shyly while glancing downward. --- Parker stopped when he felt Will's hand on his shoulder and he gave him an annoyed look. "Parker, please." River chimed in. "If not for him then do it for me." "Don't do that," Parker growled, turning his head to glare at his brother. "What?" "You know what. Using emotional blackmail to try to get me to help him. I've had enough of my head being fucked with." "Fine then! You know what? It's just as much my home as it is yours! So I'm bringing him home anyway!" "The hell you are!" "Fucking watch me!" River vanished. Parker stared at the spot where River had been standing for a moment. He seemed a little torn but he was just as stubborn as his brothers and father. He looked at Will and shook his head. "I know you have a duty to make sure he's safe just like anyone else... but I don't want to be anywhere around him. I'll be at Carter's until he's gone..." he said somberly before heading towards the door. --- Damien shrugged. "Everyone is different. But I think everyone has the right to have their own family if that's something they want. The only person who can decide if it's right for you is..." he aimed a finger gun at James with a small smile. "You." River appeared, causing Damien to raise an eyebrow. "That was quick!" "Uh... yeah, Parker's pretty angry but I told him I was bringing you home anyway. I don't care what he thinks, I think you at least deserve a chance." River told them then stepped towards them while holding out his hands for the both of them. "C'mon, Will's guna want a statement about the vampire who attacked you." Damien nodded and took his son's hand.

Shadowess - September 5, 2022 Kasper took the can and moved to start watering their freshly planted crops but then hesitated and paused. "How do you know how much is enough?" he asked while tilting his head to look at Phineas. --- Sebastian's expression faltered and he looked away from Carter ashamedly. He'd been trying so hard to see things the way that Amelia and David did. To forgive people and give them a second chance. But after what had happened to Carter, he caught himself feeling angry and even somewhat vengeful. He hadn't been this scared of losing someone since he'd helplessly watched Patience being poisoned back when he'd been a prisoner of ADIEU. He felt he should just be thankful that he didn't lose Carter and move forward. But he was struggling to. Now that Carter was safe, it was taking every ounce of his restraint to stop himself from going after Donnie and hurting him in any way that he could. To make him feel as scared and helpless as he had felt when Carter had been taken from him. It had been a minute or so since Carter had spoken, but Sebastian was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realise how long he'd been staring off to one side wordlessly. A somewhat dark glimmer in his eyes that hadn't been there earlier. --- "Perhaps." Desi nodded in agreement. "It'd make sense. Hell has plenty of areas that have yet to be discovered. Makes for plenty of potential hideouts or lairs." "The downside is Hell is massive..." Oscar sighed. "And if you can't think of a specific demon or they happen to be hiding in an area we've never been to then it's not like we can just teleport to them. We could be searching for months." "I'm sure you'll figure something out." Desi shrugged and turned away to focus on the potion that he was trying to brew. --- "Pickles, huh?" Malone smiled and scratched behind the dog's ear. "Well, welcome to the family little guy." he chuckled then walked over to the reception desk. "Alright, what's the damage?" he asked jokingly while taking out his wallet. Once the dog's medications and checkup were paid for, Malone also bought some dog shampoo. "Ok, let's get Pickles home and bathed. Then we can pick up some food, a bed and toys for him." --- Irritation flickered across Raguel's features as Gabriel informed him that he'd delivered a prisoner straight to David instead of taking them to Heaven for questioning. Effectively going over his head about it. But he said nothing as he knew that Gabriel hadn't technically done anything wrong. He merely nodded, simply relieved that Gabriel hadn't been hurt or worse in the fight. "Good," he said simply then turned back to glare at Ember when she spoke to him. When they all vanished, Raguel scoffed. "Bloody spirits..." he huffed, in far too foul a mood after losing some of his men to be moved by anything they could have said to him. "Gabriel, I have a mission for you," he said as he turned to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Guiding him a bit away from the other Angels as they got to work cleaning up the debris, and bodies and wiping human memories. "Those Devils are still out there. That boy... I haven't seen power like that for centuries." he sighed. "I want you to set up a task force and lead it. Collaborate with David and set yourself up with a team of Angels and Demons. Whoever you think will be fit for this job. You will lead them on this mission. Hunt down and arrest that family! I'm trusting you with this. Can you handle this responsibility, son?" --- "I gave up on 'normal' a while ago..." Parker admitted then turned his head slightly to glance at the others. "Shit like this is our normal now. May as well just go with it." he folded his arms. "But you're right. We can't rule out demons either. I mean, there are supposed to be a plethora of different types out there... which unfortunately puts us right back to square one on our list of suspects... At least Napoleon seems a little too distracted to be worried by it now." he observed with an amused look as he watched the man looking around the precinct with apparent fascination. Carol giggled at Napoleon. "I could show you if you'd like." she offered while picking up a ruler from one of the nearby desks and running one end of it over her chest provocatively. "I could show you how to have a more modern night on the town. I hear the French love to party." she purred. Kodi marched over and snatched the ruler from her, making her gasp excitedly as her head snapped to the side to look at him suddenly. "Can I have a word with you?" he hissed at her irritably and unintentionally coming off as aggressive. --- Jumping a little at the voices, Stevie looked up at the small group and was immediately reminded of the bullies that would follow him home. He stared at them as they each spoke then blinked in surprise at Winters's offer. "You want me to come with you?" he asked in partial disbelief. He thought for a moment. Part of him was anxious that this was some kind of trick and that he would be walking into a cruel prank that would humiliate him for the rest of his school years. But he also really wanted to know what it was like to have real friends. The flute suddenly hissed words into his head, jealous and offended that he hadn't considered it a friend in that second of thought. This caused him to involuntarily jerk his head slightly to one side. He seemed uncomfortable for a second and to anyone who saw it would appear to be a nervous tick. "Uh-!" he stammered then nodded while trying a small smile. His body seemed a little less tense. "Y-yeah. S-sure, ok. What are we going to do there?" --- "Sire." The guards bowed their heads to Insanity, preparing to leave. "No." Lillith snapped and stood tall, looking at Insanity regally. She looked at Sam and smiled. "Hunt. Your kill will be more rewarding." she stepped aside and gestured to the vast word behind her. "You wish to one day be King? Grow to know your land then. Roam it's earth for it is your Kingdom." she told him. "I will hunt with you to teach you. But then you hunt alone. Now come." she looked at Theron. "Both of you." --- Lilly was baffled by Pain's reaction to Billy. Just like Bob, she had no idea who he was. "Shucks," Bob said and stood to face them. "Well, you can stop worrying about this bag o' bones. I'm just a lil' itchy that's all." he said as he scratched near the growing bit of flesh on his rib again. He tilted his skull towards Lilly. "At least now I have the perfect excuse for ya to not bury me when I annoy ya!" he announced and Lilly chuckled. "I guess not... So does this mean you want to let it keep growing?" "...Eh, what've I got to lose? I just hope I'm as handsome as I imagined!" --- "Ouch!" Damien commented when he saw the stump. He looked down at the ground for a moment as the words "terrible mistake" resonated with him. He took a sip of moonshine. "When I went off to train with Lucifer, my mom took my little sister... Jessica... to the Vatican to seek out some Angels. She hoped they'd have some way to break the contract and save future generations of our family from becoming Lucifer's servants. Turns out they did... they tried to kill my sister to end the bloodline. Almost succeeded too. My mom managed to fight them off and then rushed my sister to the hospital to try to save her but the Angels had poisoned the blade that they'd used to stab her. So she called for Lucifer to help save her. He was mad but he agreed and we came up with a plan to steal an antidote to save her..." Damien paused and took another sip. "Part of that plan involved me being left alone with Jessica to guard her while my mom and Lucifer got the antidote... but I wasn't just there to guard her... Lucifer ordered me to sign a contract with Jessica's blood while we were alone and she was unconscious." he sighed heavily. "I never disobeyed him. I looked up to him. So I did as I was told. I thought that maybe I could protect her better if our family stayed together. But when she died and woke up in Hell... and she realised what I'd done... how I betrayed her..." Damien had a faraway look in his eyes as he recalled the look on her face. "She threw herself into one of Hell's lava pits... I couldn't stop her. It's my fault." he took another sip of the moonshine. "I named my daughter after her, you know?" he gave a weak smile, though he was trying to hold back tears. "A-and she's real spirited too! and kind-hearted... Just like her aunt was." Denix Vames - September 6, 2022 Phineas raised a brow. "Honestly, we would always guess. We wouldn't put too much but not too little. Something tells me though that doesn't sound helpful." A smile beamed across his face. "I think this means we get to use the laptop." Before Kasper had the chance to say anything, he ran inside and sat in front of the laptop. He typed but with trouble. Since he was a beginner, he was using 'chicken fingers.' Poking at each key with only finger and not pressing another until he was done with the previous key. --- Carter was concerned when he saw him spacing out. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sebastian? Are you ok?" --- Leo looked at Oscar before rolling his eyes at Desi. "Yeah sure. Thanks for the pep talk." --- Travis smiled. As he held Pickles, he kissed Malone. Once home, he would turn the water on in the tub and stop it so that it wasn't too high. He gently placed Pickles in the tub. He turned to Malone with those puppy eyes. Hoping that he would join him on cleaning Pickles. --- "Absolutely sir. You can count on me. And maybe after our victory, I can finally get you to relax and party? Maybe at least a formal party?" ,asked Gabriel. --- Will let out a frustrated sigh as he rubbed his temples. "I swear I'm going to need like a million shots of espresso." Napoleon was red in the face as he stormed over to her. He raised his hand and was about to slap her when Will appeared and gripped his wrist. "We don't do that anymore!" Napoleon frowned as he looked at his hand. He wasn't sad that he got caught but rather ashamed of his actions. Will let his hand go. Napoleon sighed as he lowered it. "I shouldn't be here. People were right. I am a menace. I almost hit a woman. How can I serve my duties as an Arch Angel when I have such savage thoughts?" --- "Well, we can eat there. After that, I'm not sure." ,said Cory. "We should go to Hot Topic!" ,said Autumn. "Hot Topic it is then." Cory smiled at him. "C'mon. You'll love it." Winters grabbed his arm and jumped excitedly. "This is going to be the best day ever!" Cory chuckled. He kissed his cheek. "Easy there. Let's save the hype for when we get there." Autumn held out her hand to Stevie. "Let's go before my dad freaks on the bill he's going to have to pay." --- Theron seemed nervous. "Me? But I've never hunted before. I don't know if I should." He hugged his sword as a source of comfort. Sam raised his arm and shouted, "Woo hoo! Let's go fuck some souls up!" Insanity smiled. "Alright. But just make sure you keep them safe. Once they're done with their fun, I'll be back to pick them up from class." He chuckled. "I never thought there would be such a thing in Hell but here we are." Theron ran over and hugged him. "I'm scared daddy!" "Oh hush now." Insanity knelt down and placed his hands on his shoulders. "You're going to do a great job. I know you will." He kissed his forehead. "Now, go on." Theron smiled. "Thanks dad." He ran back to Lilith. --- "The problem is that stuff is going to get all over your meat and that's not a good idea if you want to be flesh. I hate to say it but you need to be somewhere contained where everything is clean. Having bacteria on your meat is a real bad idea." ,said Pain. Billy walked over to Lily. "Do you have some kind of protective spell that could keep everything away from him?" --- James frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. But it's good to hear that you still have family." He downed his glass of moonshine. "I never had anything like that. I can't even recall who I was before ADIEU. That's why I'm so fucking tired of just living, ya know? I made the only man who I ever love fear me. Not to mention, I made his friends hate me. Now, I have nothing." shadowess - September 11, 2022 Kasper watched Phineas from the doorway with his arms folded and a loving smile. He knew that the best way for Phineas to learn to type faster would be through practice, so he patiently watched him. Finding his excitement and concentration to be utterly adorable. When he would eventually press the enter key, Kasper would walk into the room and rest his hands on his shoulders while looking at the screen. "So, how much do we water them?" --- Sebastian blinked and looked back at Carter. For a moment he didn't react, then he pulled him into a hug and rested his head on his shoulder while running a hand through his hair. "I'm fine." he lied in a calm tone. "Just tired. We should get some rest," he told him. In his head though, he was already coming up with plans to get revenge. He rationalised that it would ultimately be for a good cause. That he would be protecting Carter and the child that they planned to adopt. All he needed to do was find a way to become strong enough to be able to fight back... but how? --- Oscar chuckled at Leo's remark and took his hand. After putting the bag with the dress in their room he teleported them to Hell and kissed him. "I have an idea," he said to him with a smirk. "Let's do a pub crawl in Hell." he chuckled. "I know a few we can check out. You can try Demon's Brew and I'm sure we'll run into someone sympathetic to Donnie's cause sooner or later. Then we pretend to be on their side, get them nice and drunk and bring them back to Desi. No resistance or fighting needed." --- Sighing with a small smile, Malone rolled up his sleeves and helped Travis to get the dog cleaned up. Which was far more challenging than they'd both anticipated as Pickles kept trying to leap out of the tub at them if they let go of him for more than a second, soaking them both. Washed and wrapped up in a towel, Malone gave Pickles to Travis as he remembered he was only supposed to be on his lunch break. He checked his watch. "Shit, I'm late." he groaned as he quickly dabbed the wet patches in his uniform with a spare towel. "I know I said I'd take you shopping for dog toys but I gotta go back to work. We'll go later when I get home. Ok? I think Pickles could use some time getting used to his new home anyway." he said as he hurried over to Travis and gave him a lingering kiss. "I love you," he said quickly then darted out of the door. --- "We'll see," Raguel said, reluctant to commit to anything. Appearances and his job mattered to him. He didn't want to risk any of it by allowing himself to lower his guard. He then saw the look on Gabriel's face and sighed. "Fine." he relented then lifted a finger at him in a warning. "But a formal party only. I will not tolerate behaving like animals for the sake of fun. The last thing I need is a repeat of Greece..." he said then gave Gabriel a sly smile. "Adonis." he jabbed playfully then turned and vanished before Gabriel could react. --- When Napoleon marched over, both Carol and Kodi saw the look in his eye. The moment he rose his hand, Kodi had immediately pushed himself between him and Carol, prepared to take the hit. The whole thing had happened so quickly that the two of them still looked surprised when Will appeared and stopped Napoleon from lashing out. When Napoleon spoke, Carol looked disappointed and pushed herself off the desk she'd ended up sitting on. "Hmph! I was only offering to take you out for a drink! Christ! You really need to learn how to loosen up!" she flicked her hair over her shoulder and strode out of the precinct in a huff. Kodi watched her leave with a torn expression then looked at Napoleon awkwardly. "I wouldn't worry too much. She has a knack for getting under people's skin. Besides, knowing her... Nah, forget it. You're better off not knowing." he shook his head and walked away from them as well. --- Stevie stared at Cory and Winters. His heart ached and jealousy threatened to rear its ugly head. But he maintained a calm expression as he looked at Autumn's hand and smiled at her. He took it and strained to ignore the flute which was now berating him for being foolish enough to believe that Cory had liked him in that way. He walked with them quietly and tried not to look at the other two boys as they made their way over to the mall. He felt awkward and nervous about being with a group that he barely knew and part of him was still convinced that this whole thing might still be part of some kind of cruel prank. --- Lillith waited patiently for Theron to rejoin their little hunting party. She nodded towards Insanity before turning and leading the way. As they walked, she glanced at Theron. "Have strength young one. This is our nature and responsibility," she told him. "The souls here are deserving of punishment. Like human executioners, it is our duty to be strong and not be distracted by the pleas of the wicked. Lest we become the victim." After walking for a couple of miles, she came to a stop and held her hand up to signal the boys to stop as well. She held a finger against her lips and crouched, hurrying over to a dark and concealed area. She motioned for the boys to stay low and to follow her. Once in the secluded area, she peered over a low concrete wall toward a semi-collapsed building. There were two souls inside. They had managed to set up a small campfire as Hell's simulated sun hung just over the horizon, threatening to dip below at any moment and blanket them all in darkness. Both souls had their backs to the wall they were hiding behind and were quietly sharing methods of surviving Hell. Both souls were not new to this realm but seem to have only just met. Lillith sniffed the air and motioned for the boys to do the same. "Take in their scents," she whispered. "Observe them first and use your powers to learn how they sinned," she told them then looked at Sam and noticed the Angelic bracelet on his wrist. She could tell just by looking at it that it was hampering his abilities and she glared at the jewellery in silent anger. She would need to remove it but doing so now would alert their prey to their presence. So for now, she would tell Sam what she saw. She looked back over the wall and focussed on one man at a time. "Troels is the name of the man with the long beard and large muscles. He was a Viking warrior who invaded countries. Thousands fell by his sword. He violently raped twenty-two women and thirty-seven men before an axe ended his life." her eyes moved over to the next man. "The thin man with black hair is Tony Bernardi. Or 'Short-Fuse Tony'..." Lillith's features contorted as she tried to make sense of the memories that she was seeing. "What is Mafia? and gun?... he died by one. Such an awful and loud noise. A man wearing blue had used it... before that this man had used such a weapon against dozens of people. His boss wanted him to send a message to their enemies, so Tony broke into the family home of one of them...tied them up. Raped the husband then set fire to the house with them still inside." Lillith ducked below the wall again to look at Theron and Sam. "You see? They deserve punishment. They deserve suffering. They deserve to live an eternity always looking over their shoulder in case a demon should hunt them. Today, they should be honoured to be punished by Hell's rulers. Now go children. Punish them in whatever way feels right to you. Be cautious as they will fight and they are dangerous, but you are the ones they should fear for you are Justice." --- "Eh..." Bob looked at Pain then down at himself. "I don't like it but you have a point. If I stay out here I might die of an infection before I can even finish growing skin." Lilly's concern grew as Billy asked his question and she shook her head. "I'm a necromancer, not a witch." she pointed out. "I only know how to animate corpses. Not bring them to life or heal them. I don't know what's causing this..." she gestured to Bob's ribs. "I just know that it's not me. I think it's this world. It must be..." she thought for a moment. "Hades!" she looked at Pain. "She said she could look in that book of hers to see if there was a spell to accelerate his healing." --- Damien listened to James with a frown. Casually, he lifted his glass up a little to stare at the liquid inside. Due to his blood loss earlier that day, the drink was affecting him more than it normally would. "Forgiveness is a funny thing..." he said thoughtfully. "My grandad would say 'You could do some horrendous acts but as long as you see the error of your ways and make an effort to change then forgiveness will almost always be within your grasp.' And you know what? After the shit that I've done and how far I've come, I'm starting to see what he means." He took another swig of his drink and winced a little at the taste before moving his eyes back to James. "I've got one more story for you. It's about my kids..." he then proceeded to tell James about the two women that he'd impregnated and was forced to leave behind. Then his sudden destruction. "So then I followed Donnie's essence from Oblivion and found myself waking up, in one piece, in Hell. And the first thing I wanted to do more than anything was to just hold my children again. But they had grown up without me and had grown to hate me for leaving them behind. I could've given up then. Left them to continue their lives without me. But I had to at least try." He ran a hand through his hair and sat back, relaxing against the wall while looking across the room at James. "I'm not going to lie. It's been hard. I'm not exactly the kind of guy to open up emotionally either. But I think I'm starting to get somewhere. I've started forming a bond with my daughter and at least two of my sons... Parker is being a little more stubborn but I can't exactly blame him..." he sighed. "My point is, if you want forgiveness then you've got to show that you're not the same person you used to be. Work for it. Earn it. No matter how hard things get. I've got a long way to go to get my forgiveness but I won't give up. And neither should you." As he was speaking, it suddenly occurred to Damien who he could call on for help in his current situation and make Alex aware of his predicament at the same time. He chuckled to himself. "God, what a day... I just thought of who I can contact. I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner but I guess between losing so much blood and just being exhausted in general, it's no wonder..." He took another swig. "You should come too. Once I'm rested up I wouldn't mind helping you out with your thing. It's the least I can do after you've looked out for me." Leaning against the wall, Damien staggered to his feet. "He's vampiric but don't worry, he's one of my sons. I trust him. Though, Parker isn't going to like this..." he grinned mischievously. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the spinning feeling he got immediately. He tried to focus on sending a message to his son, unsure of if it would actually work with the bracelet on his wrist. "River?" A moment passed and nothing had happened. "River? Can you hear me?" "Dad?" River appeared in the room and crinkled his nose at the strong smell of alcohol. He glanced at James, not recognising him but noted straight away that he was a werewolf. "What's going on? Are you drunk? Who's this guy and why are you hanging out in this dump?" "In order; I've had a rough day, yes, his name is James and this is his home so maybe don't be rude?" Damien answered with a slight slur. "Wha-? uh! Sorry..." River shrugged at James with an awkward smile. He looked back at his father worriedly. "I can smell blood on you. What happened?" "It's a long story and I promise I'll tell you the whole thing later. But for now, I'm going to need some protection. I was attacked by a random vampire and the things he said..." although he tried to conceal it, Damien had visibly shivered and looked uncomfortable as he recalled what had happened. "I have a pretty bad feeling that won't be the last I'll see of him. Thankfully James here found me, brought me here where I'd be safe and has been watching over me." "You did?" River looked back at James. His expression had shifted to one of admiration and relief. "Thank you!" "But listen, River. I need you to do me a favour..." "Oh no..." "I need somewhere secure to stay..." "Here it comes..." "And where better than the home of the chief of police?" "Dad..." River groaned. "River... I can give a statement and description to your brother for my attacker. I also need to let Alex know that I won't be arriving in the UK after all. I'll bet by now he's worried sick." "Parker isn't going to let you stay at his place. You know that, right? He's still pissed at you." "I know..." Damien sighed and stared at the ground. "Which is why I need you to talk to him for me." "What?! What makes you think he'll listen to me?!" "You're his brother. River... please... I need your help." River paused and blinked at his father. "You-... you said 'please'!" he said quietly in surprise. Damien kept his eyes on the ground. "Yeah..." He sighed, his cheeks turning the slightest tinge of pink from embarrassment. "Look, I know I have a lot to make up fo-" He was cut off and taken aback by the sudden hug from River. He tensed, half expecting to feel fangs but that didn't happen. It was just a hug. Cheeks turning redder, Damien chuckled awkwardly as he gently pushed his son away from him. "Sorry..." River chuckled then nodded a little. "Ok, I'll go talk to him but I can't promise anything." "It's all I'm asking for." Damien smiled at him weakly. River turned to James. "Do you need a place to stay too? I could tell my brother that you're my guest. As thanks for helping my dad." --- It had been several hours since Viktor had been rescued from Donnie's lair and only a couple had passed since Bryce had gone into the room to see him. He'd been so relieved and overjoyed to see Bryce alive and safe that he'd sobbed himself to sleep in his arms. When he awoke, he'd find that they were still in the same spot on the bed, with Viktor's head on Bryce's stomach which was growling and gargling angrily. He could feel his fingers in his hair, still comforting him despite his having been asleep for most of that time. Slowly, he lifted his head and looked up at Bryce sleepily. "You're hungry." he pointed out groggily while rubbing one of his eyes and yawning. "Do you want me to get you a bag from the fridge? Me and Leo don't drink as much so there's a few spare bags in there." When he opened his eyes again he noted the subtle beads of sweat on Bryce's forehead. "Are you ok?" he glanced around. "Is it too hot in here?"

Denix Vames - August 21, 2022 "With enough love and care, they will become massive." ,said Phineas. Once the seeds were in their holes, he would place the dirt back over them. He picked a watering can. "Would you like to water them? Now, don't put too much. Just enough." --- Carter sighed. "Yeah, I know. But...I wish I could take him down. People always say that revenge doesn't help but maybe this one time, it might." --- "We could try looking for one of them now. They're all probably in Hell." ,said Leo. --- Axe remained silent as he took his dog outside and into a car. He soon drove off. Travis put Pickles on a chair. He wrote in his journal, 'No owner. We can keep him! I already got him his shots and that microchip. I named him Pickles!' He smiled. --- Gabriel appeared. "Geez boss. Don't burn my ears off. I brought Warren to David. He's in one of Hell's Cells. He'll be stuck there for all eternity." Blake frowned. He turned around and placed his hands on Darcy and Ember's arms. Ready to teleport them. "Wait!" ,said Ember. Blake looked at her. "Raguel sir, do not blame this Spirit for me and my brother's idiotic actions." He glanced at Raguel but wasn't expecting a good word out of him. He disappeared with the siblings. --- "A Blood God? I mean, what if it's just a regular Demon who can take that form? Honestly, I don't know what to make of this. Suddenly, Napoleon shows up and now this? Can my workplace ever be normal?" ,said Will. Napoleon flustered. "Well, I never! I shall be going back to my duties as an Angel. Good day to you all." "No!" ,said Winters. "It's clear that you are the real deal. Can't you stay and hang out with us?" Autumn accepted the card from her stepdad. "Sorry Winters but it's only going to single us out if we had him around with us. Besides, he has important things to do." Napoleon smiled. "I like you. You would have made a great messenger for my army." Cory walked up to him. "Who even dresses like this?" He grabbed some of the material from his upper clothes. Napoleon smacked his hand away. "An Emperor wears this uniform." He was about to leave but found himself captivated by the building he was in. "Strange. There are no feather pens or papers. No candles either. I must learn about this." Autumn grabbed both boys by their hands. "C'mon. Let's leave him and have some fun!" --- The trio soon made it to the park. "Um who is he?" ,asked Autumn. "He's a friend of mine that I recently met. His name is Stevie." Winters smiled. "Nice to meet you. We've got Autumn's stepdad's credit card. Did you want to come to the mall with us?" --- "Ah I see. But where are we going to find wandering souls here?" Insanity looked at the guards. "I believe we are safe here. I want you both to find a damned soul for my son. Now!" --- Billy blushed. He nervously scratched his neck. "Uh Howdy?" Pain walked over. "I've seen your face on the internet. You're Billy the Kid!" "Yep. That's me." He smiled. "Can you sign my arm?" He pulled out a sharpie. Billy was surprised. "Sure." He took the sharpie and pulled the top off. He wrote his name down. "Oh my god! Thank you!" Pain quickly composed himself. He cleared his throat. "Sorry about that. But yeah, in all honesty, we really did come here to see if you were alright, Bob. I can't imagine what you're going through but we'll be there for you." --- James took a sip. "I don't remember my past. ADIEU had me for so long. I was to become another Super Soldier like Leo did. But things went crazy when a scientist and a guard decided to try and reveal the truth. The security guard was shot down as the scientist escaped. It got me thinking that I hated my damn room. So while everyone was distracted by the chaos, I escaped. I've been on the run ever since." He took another sip. "But when I found Leo, the man that I loved, I made such a terrible mistake. I used force to try to get him to love me. The only thing I did was made myself out to be a villain." He raised his stump which was where an arm would have been. "I attacked a werewolf too to get some answers about Leo. It didn't turn out so great."

Denix Vames - August 13, 2022 (forgot to add this) Billy held a small smile. He sat next to him and accepted the drink. "No actually. I'm a fallen angel." He opened the bottle and took a swig of whiskey. "Long story." shadowess - August 14, 2022 Kasper took the spade from Phineas and sat a short distance from him with it to watch how he dug into the soil. "Is here ok?" he asked, pointing to the dirt in front of him. Unsure of if the distance from where he was digging would be fine for the second pumpkin seed. --- Sebastian sat next to Carter, feeling terrible that he couldn't take his mind off things for a while and that he'd ended up reminding him of it instead. He placed his hand on his back and gently rubbed it to try to comfort him. "But you were forced to do that." Sebastian reminded him. "You didn't have a choice. Look, I-..." Sebastian paused, debating whether it would be a good idea to tell Carter that he'd seen Damien right before they'd left the mansion. "While you were sleeping, Damien spoke to me," he told him carefully. He figured that Damien should be out of the country now so it couldn't cause any harm. "He told me he didn't blame you for what happened. That he understands and forgives you. He also said that he knows how hard things will be for you so he's going to leave the country for a while to make things easier." he bit his lip then added a small lie hurriedly; "I don't know where he's going. Or probably even gone by now." he sighed and looked away from Carter, feeling awful that he'd had to lie to him like that. "He also said not to worry about him. That he'll be fine." --- "I won't dignify that with an answer," Desi replied in a sour tone. "Good, I see you have the ingredients that I need. While you were all out, I took the liberty of gathering the Gympie leaves for you. So you don't have to worry about getting stung." "Yeah, the Gympie Gympie is a bitch." Oscar commented. "I used to use it in some of my tortures back when I was a Punisher Demon." "You already knew about the plant?" Desi asked, raising a brow at him. "When you hadn't said anything before I assumed neither of you had heard of it." "Yeah, I was just nervous about needing to harvest it again. Glad I don't have to now though. Stung myself once a few hundred years ago. That shit feels like the part of your body that touched the leaf is being burned and stung at once... and it didn't wear off for a good year for me." "You must've gotten a high dose of its venom if it lasted that long." "A fist full." Oscar nodded and Desi cringed. "It was my first trip to Australia and I went to pick its berries to try them...tried to move the big leaves out of the way with my bare hand. My hand literally looked like a balloon for most of that year." "No wonder you were nervous. You should've said something before." Desi said while setting up the chemistry equipment. Oscar waved a hand dismissively. "Eh, it's fine. As I said, I used to use it in the punishments that I inflicted once I actually knew what it could do." "I see..." Desi replied but he was barely paying attention now as he began mixing ingredients. "Would someone mind fetching me some water? I hope I get this right... Without Clementine's alchemy books we have no way of knowing how she mixed these ingredients..." --- Malone looked up and smiled at Travis when he saw him leave the Vet's office. "Not until you keep your end of the bargain and now is your chance," he said to the man. "Apologise and tell him you won't press charges. Then I'll let you go." --- Raguel watched as Blake tried to talk the twins into surrendering. When it became apparent that they would not, he nodded at the request. "You are doing the right thing," he reassured the spirit as he snapped his fingers to summon more Angels who each had a bracelet with them. "Darcy and Ember, is it?" he addressed them. "If you come quietly then you will not be harmed. However, if you resist then we will use whatever force necessary to bring you both in." --- "I've missed quite a bit then... I wonder..." David leaned against the wall with his arms crossed as he pondered on this new information. "For that boy to have enough power to break an Angelic tool, he'd need to be far more powerful than any average Devil... even with those contracts..." he looked up at Gabriel. "Which means he's not a Devil at all. Or an Angel for that matter. This isn't good. It means Insanity has a powerful weapon at his side. He and Donnie have probably been spending all of this time building trust with him... making him loyal to them." He glanced at Donnie's cell and although he couldn't see him from the angle he was at, he was certain that he was listening in on them. "I have a feeling that I know what he is." He said to Gabriel quietly. He was careful to keep his voice low so that neither Donnie nor Warren could hear them. "We need to remember that he's just a boy who's been caught in the middle of all this. We must be cautious but we must also be delicate. Can your people modify the bracelets to dampen a Leviathan's power? Would such a thing be possible?" --- (Just to make things easier, the pirates Kodi ran with at the time & the ship will be entirely fictional. I tried to look up some pirates for that time period but the only ones I found were either in support of Napoleon or slave traders. Neither of which would have suited Kodi's history.) "Fire is Amelia and Charles's ability too and all Devils can turn their eyes red... But that doesn't sound like their Devil forms..." Parker said thoughtfully as he exchanged a worried glance with Will. "Will, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, wanting to voice his concerns privately. "Uh-! No, sir. Never been to France." Kodi answered hurriedly while averting his gaze. Just as he did he looked in the direction of the main doors just in time for Carol to come strolling in, holding Autumn's backpack. "Autumn, you left your backpack in my class you silly goose!" She sang cheerily, hoping to pretend to be one of Autumn's teachers then stopped in her tracks and broke into a wide grin when she saw Kodi. "Wait, Kog?!" "Oh God, no..." Kodi mumbled and looked down at the ground while his face turned bright red. "It IS you! You're the kid's stepdad?" "Step-?" "Oh, you sweet thing! Look at you turning yourself around! Come 'ere!" she dropped the backpack and wrapped her arms around an increasingly awkward-looking Kodi. "Awww! I missed you so much!" "Who are you??" Kodi gently pushed her off him and Carol seemed disappointed. "Oh, right! The body is different. It's Carol! Carol Magpie! Remember? I'm the Demon you gave a good Jolly Roger to on that big ship of yours!" Kodi hid his red face in his hands and groaned. "Please stop." "Why? What's the matter?" Carol asked, oblivious to Napoleon whom she currently had her back to and hadn't noticed yet. --- The woman was taken aback by the hug but she wrapped her arms around him all the same and gently ran a hand over the back of his head. She was tearful as she sniffed at his hair and skin, basking in a scent that she had almost forgotten. She wasn't his mother but she was a far distant relation. After all, she had spent millennia hiding in Hell's ocean in her natural form. She had been so convinced that she was the last remaining survivor of the genocide against her people that she was shocked to find that one of her own offspring had survived and procreated. That her bloodline had survived, evolved and adapted throughout time until Theron was born. She had spent most of her energy transforming herself into this human figure with the intention of destroying all Devils and reclaiming Hell. But now she looked up at Insanity tearfully, thanking him in her ancient language for giving back to her something that she had given up hope of ever having. She had intended on waging her own war against Hell but that was before she had anything to live for. Now she had Theron and she would protect him with her life. She might be a distant relation, but if Theron wanted to call her mother then she would not object to it. "Fam-il-y?" She repeated back to Insanity, trying to mimic the way he'd said the word. She then looked at Theron and smiled at him lovingly. She said something to him while brushing his hair out of his face and sighing happily. She placed her fingers on either side of his head and concentrated. She wouldn't hurt Theron but he would feel an uncomfortable pull in his head as she extracted just enough information from him to be able to understand their language and understand who was who. "Ther-on?" she said when she was done. She looked at Insanity. "Fa-ther." then she looked at Sam. "Bro-ther." She smiled at them and then placed a hand on her chest. "Lil-lith." Having fulfilled their most recent command, the Demons let go of Sam but watched him cautiously. Both their jaws had dropped. "Lillith?" "You don't think she's...THAT Lillith, do you?" One muttered to the other "She'd have to be crazy old by now if she is." The other muttered back. --- "I do, actually!" Lilly said, just now remembering how she and Bob are linked. "Since I brought his bones to life, we're bonded by my magic. I can sense whenever he's nearby," she explained then paused to concentrate. "He hasn't gone far. I think we could walk there." "What, did ya forget to pick yourself up again?" Bob asked jokingly. In truth, he barely knew what an Angel was, let alone a fallen one or what the difference would be. "I like long stories," he said as he turned his skull to look across the graveyard. "Beats eating worms anyways." --- "If you were a Demon I'd suggest Demon's Brew. But considering you're a mortal that shit would kill ya." Damien chuckled. "Honestly, I'm not sure. I usually just go for a decently aged whiskey. The top shelf stuff. But if we're talking black-out drunk strong? ...I'd say either moonshine or tequila." Denix Vames - August 14, 2022 Phineas smiled. "Of course. It's perfect." Once they were done digging, he brought a pouch of pumpkin seeds. "Let's place them in their new homes." --- "It doesn't matter what he says! I will never forget the taste! Hearing him die like that was just..." Carter sobbed against Sebastian's chest. "I can't stop thinking about what I did. But the thought of you being burned alive scared me." He looked at him. "Donnie promised me that he wouldn't kill you if I kept drinking from Damien. So I listened. And I'm surprised to see that he kept his word. I'm relieved though." --- "Sure thing." Leo went into the kitchen and poured a glass of water. He handed it to Desi. "Anything else?" --- "To be honest, pressing charges never crossed my mind. I didn't even know I could. But knowing now isn't going to make me change my mind." The man bit his lip before speaking again. "Travis, right?" Travis nodded. "I am sorry. You don't have to believe me. I can get that. But let's just say that I sort of get where you're coming from. My whole life isn't exactly great. I had my troubles too. So, if you want to hate me then go ahead." Travis raised a brow. He handed Pickles to Malone. He walked over to the man who closed his eyes. Waiting to be punched. His eyes widened at a sudden hug. They became filled with tears as he realized Travis was showing compassion. "My name is Axe." ,said the man. --- "Can you not hear? We have said that we will not surrender without a fight." ,said Darcy. "Ember! I need to tell you something before our battle begins." ,said Blake. Ember raised a brow. "Oh? What is it?" Blake stepped closer to her. He suddenly grabbed her head and kissed her. Surprising everyone. Ember was taken aback by the kiss. Her memories with him came crawling back. She turned to her brother. "Darcy, I think it is time we end this little game." "Are you certain?" "Yes. We have caused enough damage." "Very well." Both siblings held their hands out. Blake took a bracelet from Raguel. He placed it over Ember's wrist. Ember furrowed her brows. "To apologize for my behavior, I will make sure that you keep this bracelet on me for as long as it needs to be." "Ember? You're talking like your old self! Does that mean-?" She cupped his cheeks and kissed him. He smiled. Darcy said, "Will this impressive Angel cuff me?" He walked over to Raguel. "I am impressed by your skills." Though he never held an expression, he didn't hold any ill will towards Angels anymore. --- "Maybe. I would have to talk to some of my friends about that. See if there can be such an improvement. I'll return to the scene that I was at first to check on everyone. I'll see you again if we ever run into each other." ,said Gabriel who disappeared. --- "Sure." Will stepped away and followed Parker to a corner of the building. "What's up?" Autumn took the bag. She was about to give her the necklace back when Napoleon said, "Young lady! That is no way to talk to anyone!" He stepped between them. "How inappropriate for a woman of your beaty! Honestly, where did you learn your manners from? A dog?" Cory and Winters walked into the precinct. Cory chuckled. "Look at that guy! He looks like Captain Crunch!" "Don't be mean. His costume is amazing. It's almost like we're actually meeting Napoleon!" ,said Winters. --- "Lilith? But I thought you died long ago. Oh my. Well, it is wonderful to see you. Would you care for me to conjure a beautiful dress?" ,asked Insanity. He raised his hands and a red sparkly dress appeared over her body. Fitting her perfectly. Insanity grabbed Sam by his arm. Forcing him to her. "This child of mine has been plotting to kill me! You must help me think of a way to punish him. Would you do that?" --- "Great! Let's go." Pain would follow her. Billy sighed. "There's this rule. If an Angel dies in Hell, they become fallen. I'm a Demon now. I am exactly where people expected me to be because of all those tall tales that were told about me." He took another swig. "I heard from Heaven when I was still there that Pat Garrett had died. He was my killer. Some people either took his side or mine when that day happened. I guess someone didn't like the idea of me being shot so they shot him while he was taking a piss." He chuckled. "It's actually kind of funny when I say it out loud but yeah." --- "I don't think I've ever had moonshine. We should get it. I want to get fucking wasted." ,said James. Shadowess - August 21, 2022 Kasper dug the holes with Phineas. Occasionally he looked over to see how he was doing it to make sure he was copying him correctly. When Phineas brought out the seeds Kasper smiled at him. "I wonder how big these ones will grow." He said while taking some seeds and carefully placing them into the holes with Phineas's guidance. --- Sebastian frowned and averted his eyes from Carter's. He knew what it sounded like. He'd heard it when they'd both drank Amelia dry. He'd also heard it when Alex had been stabbed in the park and almost died. The sound of a heartbeat slowing to a stop. It was one of the most awful sounds that a vampire was capable of hearing. Still, he held onto Carter to try to comfort him. "So, the bastard keeps his word. Doesn't make him any less of a bastard and I will never forgive him for what he put you through," he said to him. Sebastian blinked back tears as he held Carter's face in his hands and looked at him determinedly. "We'll get through this. I know it's hard and I know you've gone through hell, but I will not give up hope that we can get back to some form of normality. We've made it this far, haven't we?" --- "Thank you." Desi nodded and took the glass. He then poured some of the water into a couple of the glass vials that were suspended over bunsen burners. "Not for now, thank you. This process is likely to take quite a bit of time and patience as I try to replicate the recipe perfectly..." he thought for a moment then hesitated before turning to look at them both apprehensively. "Actually, we might need a -er...'volunteer' to test the potion before we even attempt to use it on Donnie and his kin. We need to be certain that it'll work and won't come back to bite us in the ass later. Perhaps one of his followers or Demon soldiers? If you're able to get your hands on one?" --- Malone watched the exchange quietly. When the man introduced himself, Malone passed pickles back to Travis before turning Axe around to uncuff him. "A deal is a deal. Remember what I said Axe, I don't wana catch you pulling this kind of crap again. Next time I won't take it easy on you." Malone turned to Travis and sighed. "So, what's going on with the dog? Does it have an owner?" --- "Yeah?" Raguel rose a brow at Darcy. "Well I'm not impressed by how you massacred my Angels," he responded coldly while grabbing his wrist and slapping a bracelet onto it. He turned to Blake, still visibly angry. "Get them out of my sight! And I want to hear from your counsel as soon as they've been dealt with!" he said before turning to face what was left of his soldiers. "Let's get this mess cleaned up! I want the bodies of our fallen delivered to Heaven and the memories of any mortal witnesses wiped! Gabriel, report!" he barked the last order particularly sharply. Not because he was angry with Gabriel for not answering him earlier, but because he was worried something might've happened to him in the battle. --- Parker glanced at the others from their corner. Fortunately, they all seemed to be too occupied with Carol and Napoleon to take notice of their conversation. "The description he gave... it sounds familiar." he confided in Will. He hadn't seen Donnie's dragon form, nor Insanity's second form for that matter. So he didn't have many options for comparison. "Sounds like a Blood God to me..." he admitted. "Problem is, which one? and why? Last I heard Jessica and Ben were in Germany. It couldn't be River... I just can't imagine that he'd randomly pick a fight with Napoleon..." Parker then seemed unsure of himself as he scratched the back of his neck. "The only description that doesn't match though is the ability to control fire... I don't think any of the Blood Gods we know can do that. I certainly couldn't when I was one..." Carol grinned. She looked Napoleon up and down while placing a hand on her hip. "Well, well. Another blast from the past." she purred. While they had never met, she had been around during his time on Earth. "You're right! How rude I've been!" she faked a gasp, fanning herself with one of her hands. "Perhaps you should give me a good spanking to teach me a lesson, hmm?" she winked then turned on her heel and looked at Autumn. "I'll be taking my necklace back now, sweety. Thank you so much for taking care of it for me," she said to her in a gentle manner that was such a sudden and jarring change to her demeanour. "You've got a good kid, here." she winked at Kodi who was relieved when Autumn's friends arrived. It was an excellent excuse to keep her away from the walking bad influence that was Carol. "Yeah, she is. Um, Autumn? No chores tonight. Why don't you and your friends go and do something fun for a bit? Here, but I want you home before it gets dark, ok?" He pulled out his wallet and handed her his credit card. "Get yourselves something to eat while you're out too. I'll see you at home." A couple of blocks away, Stevie was sitting on a bench in the park. He couldn't stop staring at the yellow tape on the other side of the field as it swayed in the breeze. He could barely hear the traffic from the nearby road as the flute in his pocket whispered things directly into his head. "N-no... they're not like them... he said he was sorry... he wouldn't lie to me... would he? But, what if I like him?... you're just being paranoid. He won't betray me." he muttered quietly to himself. "I'm not calling you an idiot! I know you're just looking out for me... Ok! ok... I promise... I love you too... I'll never let you go, I swear it." --- Lillith let go of Theron and stood. She jumped and then looked down at the strange material that now covered her body. She curiously ran a hand over the fabric before looking at Insanity and nodding to him in thanks, although admittedly she had yet to understand why clothing was necessary. She then stared hard at Sam as Insanity presented him to her and she tilted her head slightly. Silently, she walked over to Sam with an air of calmness. She looked up at Insanity and shook her head. "Nur-ture," she said simply before kneeling and wrapping her arms around Sam. She brought him into a warm embrace before gently holding him at arm's length and looking at him with a calm expression. She placed a hand on his chest while not looking away from his face. "You are not angry with father," she explained to him. "You are..." her eyebrows furrowed as she searched for the correct word in their language. "Frustrated? You have desires for blood but no... outlet." she tried her best to explain it to them, although as she continued to speak her vocabulary gradually improved. "The boy must kill. But not meaninglessly." She glanced behind her at the barren expanse. "Punish the damned. It is a worthy method of building his skills." --- Bob turned his skull to look at Billy and he was quiet as he listened to him talk. "I don't know who you are." He admitted when Billy finished speaking. "All I know is you're the guy that was kind enough to come and sit next to a skeleton who was having an existential crisis. Call me naive, but even though I just met ya, I don't think you're a bad guy at all." he turned his skull and looked across the graveyard. "I came from a different world entirely, you know?" he told him. "It was kind of like this one... but more... hopeless. The sky was always dark and smoggy. If we had an afterlife, I don't remember it. Just the eternal dark silence that came before I awoke in my grave like this... The people there were so afraid of things like me. Of people like Lilly. They'd sooner burn them than understand them. But just because we seem scary, it doesn't mean that we're bad folk. We think, feel and learn just like everybody else. So who's to say we have to be evil? Why can't we use these powers for good anyways?" Bob turned to look at Billy again. "I think the same thing can be said for Demons... whatever the heck those are. What d'ya think?" "Bob?" Lilly called out from behind them. "Speak of the necromancer..." Bob said as he turned his skull all the way around so that it was backwards on his body. "What're you two doing here?" he asked her and Pain. "Looking for you." "Did I leave my pinky toe behind again?!" He quickly snapped his head back around and picked his foot up with his hands to check. "No..." Lilly sighed and glanced at Pain for support. "I was... worried." The graveyard was silent for a moment then the creak of Bob's bones broke that silence as his skull rapidly flipped backwards again. "Come again?" "I... was worried about you," Lilly repeated, though now she looked embarrassed as she looked away from him. Bob stared at her for a long moment. "Did you hit your head? Eat a funky mushroom? Sniff that sticky stuff? Smoke some of that weird-smelling plant?" "Bob-!" "Pain! My man! Did you give her more of that green stuff that makes her all sappy?" "Oh, for the love of..." Lilly pinched the brim of her nose in frustration. "Well, glad to know you're ok..." "I made a new pal! Meet Billy!" he gestured to Billy. (With Billy working with Azreal as an Agent of Death, I wasn't sure if he was only making himself visible to Bob atm lol I'll leave that up to you.) --- Once they'd buy the booze and settle back at James's place, Damien would sit with his back propped against the wall and pour them each a glass full of moonshine. He'd hand one to James. "Alright, I guess I'll go first," he said before taking a sip and wincing at the taste. "Damn, that's powerful." he chuckled while wiping his lips. "So, I was born into a family that had sold all of their future generations to the servitude of THE Devil himself. Lucifer. My mom was having none of it and she fought tooth and nail to try to stop him from recruiting me and my sister. Like, LITERALLY fought him. More than once... Only for me to agree to become his apprentice when I met him for the first time." Damien chuckled then laughed. "My mom was so PISSED!" he laughed. "Alright, your turn. How'd you fuck up?"

Denix Vames - August 10, 2022 Harris smiled and nodded. "Thank you." He headed to his room. --- "I'll go out and wait. You're going to love this!" ,said Phineas. He stepped out of the house. Heading to the field. --- Carter smiled. "Lead the way handsome." He allowed himself to be taken to the bedroom where he laid on the bed. "Go ahead. Do whatever you want." --- Leo blushed. "I'll see what I can do. I don't exactly dance." He stood. "We should get going. Let's find a corner where no one can see us disappear." --- Travis wrote what she said down so that he wouldn't forget. He nodded at her with a smile. He pet Pickles. The man frowned and sighed. "I'm sorry for being a jackass. I have issues and you know how it goes. And yes, I know I shouldn't take out my anger on other people. It's not like have anyone to talk to about this crap anyway." --- "I will not make the same mistake again. We must abide by the rules. He will be given to David. I will take him. You all must fight against these Spirits." Gabriel picked Warren up and appeared in front of David. "I know it's not safe but I had to bring him here as soon as possible. I couldn't waste time." --- The Spirits jumped back as more Angels appeared. "We were bored." ,said Ember. "We had to entertain ourselves. We never get to do anything." ,said Darcy. Another Spirit appeared who was dressed in such professional fashion. He had spiky black hair. He seemed concerned. "Stop! Please! Don't hurt them! I'll take them back. I promise." Ember looked at him. "Do not get involved, Blake." "Ember! What are you doing?" Blake placed his hands on her shoulders. "This isn't you! Just stop!" Ember punched his stomach. Pushing him hard enough that he nearly bumped against an Angel. He threw himself in front of the siblings. "You don't understand! I love her!" "They don't care." ,said Darcy. --- Autumn gave him a reassured smile. "I'm fine. But..." She looked at Napoleon. "I don't know what to think of this. Will he try to attack us?" Napoleon groaned. He slowly opened his eyes. With a hand on his head, he sat up. He looked around. "I had such a place like this in mind? How strange. I have never seen this building before." Autumn stayed close to Kodi. Scared by who she saw. Napoleon landed his eyes on her. He read her face and frowned. "I'm sorry. Was I really a villain? I was only trying to help my people." She bit her lip and said, "Was there ever a good side?" He looked at his hands. "Depends on which side you were on. I wonder now if I am deserving of such a title as Emperor." He sighed as he pinched the brim of his nose. "I became overwhelmed by the power that I lost control." "Wars happen. They're unfortunately inevitable. But what you did wasn't anything that you could avoid. If it wasn't going to be you, it would have been someone else." ,said Will. Napoleon shook his head. "I use to make everything about me. Now, look at where my selfish thoughts have gotten to me. I thought I could beat that Devil alone. How foolish of me!" --- Sam walked over to her. "What are you doing? Get back here right now!" ,said Insanity. Sam whispered into her ear, "If you kill them for me then I can help you." Insanity glared. "Take him away from her!" --- "Alright. Just let me know if you need anything." ,said Pain. Billy appeared by the bench. "I heard you were having problems involving Death. That's sort of my new job. Do you want to talk about anything?" --- James frowned. He scratched the back of his head. "I rather not bother the people that I hurt. It seems like they've forgiven me but I still feel guilty. I can't look at them without thinking about what I did." He held back tears. "I don't deserve a home." He smiled. "But a drink would definitely help." Denix Vames - August 10, 2022 (Blake's appearance is basically Bolin from Legend of Korra) shadowess - August 13, 2022 (Okie Dokie ) Excited, Kasper ran back into the house and a few minutes later returned with a pitcher of lemonade as well as a couple of glasses. He set them down on a green garden table made of iron. He walked over to Phineas and smiled. "Where do we start?" --- "Oh, I will." Sebastian chuckled as he removed his shirt before climbing onto the bed and leaning over Carter. He kissed him slowly while slipping his hand under his shirt to feel his chest. He then kissed across his cheek, down to his jaw then to his neck where he lightly pressed his fangs into his skin to give him a little more venom. In so doing, he accidentally got a taste of his Devil-tainted blood and pulled back suddenly while touching his own blood-stained lips with his fingers. He paused and closed his eyes, reminded of how good it had tasted whenever he'd borrow sips from Amelia. The way it had made him feel so strong and unstoppable. He shook his head to bring himself out of it and looked back at Carter. "I-I'm sorry..." he breathed then leant over him again, caressing his cheek. "I don't think I should risk tasting your blood anymore. At least, not until it's out of your system," he told him then bit into his own lip and let his blood drop onto Carter's mouth. "But that doesn't mean you can't taste me." he smiled and looked at him lustfully once more. --- Oscar nodded and walked with him to an alley. Once they were sure the coast was clear, they held hands and teleported back to the mansion where they saw an exasperated Desi complaining to Carol who was standing against the wall with her arms crossed. "And how exactly are we to return this equipment?! They'll have called the police by now! And where did-? Did you rob a student of their backpack too?!" "Of course not!" Carol rolled her eyes. "I traded it for an Angelic crystal." "You-?!" "And as for how we'll give it back. The same way I took it. Duh!" "How?! Have you even thought this little plan of yours through?!" "Where's the fun in that?" "How can you be so irresponsible?!" "Uhhhh, have you met me?" Carol chortled "I can't believe you! When you said you'd rob a school I thought you were joking!" "Well that's your fault really, isn't it?" "How is it MY-? You know what? No. We don't have time to argue." "Then why'd you start?" "YOU-!!" Desi stopped himself and pinched the brim of his nose. He took a deep breath to calm himself down before opening his eyes again and turning away from her. "Thank you Carol but I no longer require your help in creating this elixir." "Suit yourself." Carol shrugged with a smirk, having apparently enjoyed every second of making him as angry as possible. "Let me know when you need me to take that stuff back. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a backpack to return..." she said as she picked up the bag and walked towards the door. As she walked, she tilted her head towards Leo and Oscar. "I would say 'who shoved a stick up his ass?' but I think we all know he's only grumpy because he DOESN'T have one up there, am I right?" "BITCH!!" Desi shouted, red-faced, and threw a glass vial which smashed against the wall near her head. This made Carol jump, squeal and giggle mischievously as she hurried out of the door. --- "Thank you for bringing him in. Please call us if you need to." The vet said as she opened the door for them once Travis had finished writing down everything he needed to remember. Pickles wagged his tail and pulled his ears back while walking closer to Travis. He stood on his hind legs to rest his front paws on Travis's stomach and looked up at him. "Try a therapist," Malone commented coldly while sitting back again with his arms folded. He understood that this man had things hard but he was having a difficult time feeling sorry for him after the way he'd behaved towards Travis. --- Raguel didn't know that Gabriel had taken Warren to Hell. Nor had he even known he'd just had Warren in his grasp or he might've had something to say about it. He currently had his hands full with the wayward spirits that had begun killing Angels. He was even more infuriated when another spirit appeared and tried to protect the first two. "Look around you!" He yelled at Blake angrily. "Angels have been slaughtered! My soldiers! Do you not think they had loved ones as well?! Do you mean to tell me that these senseless murders committed by them are justified just because you love one of them?!" He stepped close to Blake and jabbed his chest with his finger while glaring at him intensely. "I strongly, STRONGLY suggest that you apprehend your CRIMINALS at once! Have your council punish them! Or Heaven will consider this aggression as an act of war!" Raguel had effectively given the spirits options that stuck them firmly between a rock and a hard place. If a war is started between the Spirit World and Heaven as a result of this attack then the Council will likely step in and punish all three spirits involved harshly to appease Heaven and put an end to the war before it can go too far. Or Blake turns the other two spirits into the council for treason which undoubtedly would result in far less bloodshed but at a cost of him turning in the ones he loved and losing them in the process. --- In Hell's Cells, David was standing across from Donnie's prison. Although Donnie was too weak to escape on his own right now, David stood guard in case any of his family appeared to try to set him free. By now Donnie had run out of insults to sling at his nemesis and no amount of threats seemed to break David's stoic stare. So he resigned to sitting against the far wall and glaring at him continuously while they waited for David's friends to gather and create the potion that would undo him. When Gabriel arrived with Warren, who was groaning in pain, David stood away from the wall and looked at them both in surprise. Just as David opened his mouth to ask who Warren was, Donnie gasped; "Warren?!" David looked over and saw a deep concern on Donnie's features for a fraction of a second. Then it was gone as Donnie caught himself and hid his emotions expertly. Still, it was more than enough for David to conclude that the pair were close. "Part of your twisted little family, I take it?" he asked and Donnie remained silent as he glared at David and Gabriel. Satisfied that the silence had answered his question, David turned his attention back to Gabriel and Warren. He walked over to a cell further down the hall and was separate enough from Donnie's that they wouldn't be able to see or speak to each other. He opened the door and gestured to it. "If you'd please, Gabriel. Thank you for bringing him to me. I appreciate the co-operation." "N-no! Please!" Warren cried out and struggled in Gabriel's arms. "Sire! Sire!" He reached out suddenly and gripped the bars to Donnie's cell tightly with both hands, refusing to let go. Donnie stood slowly and walked over to the bars, looking at Warren emotionlessly. "What will you do to him?" he asked David without looking away from his pet. David thought for a moment. "He's close to you and your family. He'll know where we can find the others and how best to trap them. We'll interrogate him." "Interrogate." Donnie scoffed. "You'll torture him is what you mean." "I'm not like you, Donnie. We don't torture people to get what we want." David said sternly then looked at Warren with a kinder expression. "We just want to talk to you. That's all. With our help, you'll realise that what your family is doing is wrong. But we can help you. We want to help you." "Lies!" Warren growled. "I don't care what you say! I'll never betray my family!" "Good boy, Warren," Donnie smirked. "You made him sign a contract, didn't you?" David asked Donnie in a dark tone. Donnie merely smirked at David, but this alone told him that his suspicion was right. "Shit..." he whispered under his breath. "Sire, I won't tell them anything." Warren wept. "I won't. I won't betray my family. I love you. I love you!" He broke into sobs. Donnie smiled and walked closer to the bars and gently placed his hands on either side of his face. "I know you do," Donnie said softly. "You've served us well, Warren." "S-Sire-?" Donnie kissed him through the bars and just as the kiss broke his lip quivered as he said to him. "They're going to take my memories, Warren. If you continue to be loyal to me then they will likely take yours too." He then turned his head to glare at David. "Am I wrong?" After a short pause, David shook his head. "He's right," he confessed in a sigh and looked at Warren sympathetically. "It would be best for everyone if none of your family remembered who they are or what they were capable of. You included." he gestured to the open, empty cell again but Warren's grip on the bars tightened once more. "No! Please... let me stay with him for a while?" Warren begged but David shook his head. His eyes were soft but his expression was stern. "I'm afraid I can't allow that. Your master has proven time and again that he can find ways to escape when he's not alone in a cell. We simply can't risk another escape." "It's going to be ok, Warren," Donnie said to him gently while stepping away. "Let go of the bars and be strong for me." Donnie winked at Warren subtly. Hesitantly but obediently, Warren's grip on the bars laxed and he sobbed quietly as he was taken to his own cell. He didn't know what would happen next, but he placed his trust in his master. He just had to have another plan... he just had to... Once he was locked inside, David let out a heavy sigh before turning to Gabriel. "So, how did you manage to capture this one? What've I missed this time?" --- "I don't know..." Kodi said to Autumn quietly while watching Napoleon warily. He watched the rest of the exchange without another word. A part of him sort of hoped he wouldn't be recognised. After all, Kodi had been around on Earth when Napoleon was around. Although he'd never taken a side in any war, he had built a bit of a reputation as a pirate during those times. His face had been plastered to most harbour towns under the name of "Kog." A nickname he'd been given by one of his captains after discovering Kodi's knack for downing pints of grog while simultaneously fending off enemies with his sword arm. Kodi had been in a dark place during those times and would rather have forgotten that it had ever happened. "Devil? Which Devil?" Parker asked, taking a step forward. After all the weird things he'd experienced, he didn't seem the least bit phased by Napoleon. "We know a few. I'm half one, myself." he shrugged. --- The woman watched Sam warily as he approached her. She then looked up in alarm as Insanity gave an order to separate them. The Demons ran towards them and she stumbled backwards a bit out of fear as they each grabbed one of Sam's arms and started to drag him back to his family. She looked at them all with a confused expression. Whether or not she had understood Sam's bargain was yet to be determined as she took a step towards Insanity, looking at him imploringly with her hands by her sides while she asked him a question in her language. Then her eyes landed on Theron. She smelled the air in his direction then gasped and broke into a wide grin. She said something in a tone that was overwhelmed with emotion then sank to her knees and pointed to him before patting her own chest. She stretched out her hand and concentrated, forming a purple orb of energy in her palm to show him. But she was too weak to maintain it and it faded rapidly. She fell forward, catching her breath. Lifting her head, she smiled at Theron and repeated her words while she sat up and patted her chest again. --- Lilly nodded but she still seemed anxious. "Do you think we should go out and look for him? Even if he's accepted for being supernatural, I couldn't help but notice that this world doesn't have other corpses walking around. Do you think he'd be safe walking around out there on his own?" "De-doy!" Bob gestured to himself when Billy said he'd heard he was having issues with Death. "Ya think?" he asked playfully. "Oh? You one of them Angel things that I keep hearing about?" he asked while offering Billy a swig from his still sealed bottle of whiskey, and by extension a seat on the bench next to him. --- "Yeah... I guess we all have something we're guilty of that we have to face sooner or later." Damien nodded and then smiled when James agreed to have a drink with him. "Then it's settled. We'll have some drinks and compete over who fucked up the most!" he chuckled. "Oh and I'm buying. It's the least I can do after you saved my ass and carried me across the city! Not to mention giving me somewhere to stay tonight. So, I guess I'll let you pick what we should get from the liquor store." Denix Vames - August 13, 2022 Phineas knelt by the garden. "With these spades, we should dig small but deep holes for the pumpkins. The seeds should be far apart from each other since we know how big pumpkins can get. It wouldn't work right if they were next to each other." He handed him a spade. He began digging into the dirt. --- Carter frowned. He gently pushed him off and sat up. "I can't do this right now. I'm still stuck with the fact that I drank him." He covered his face. Unable to look at him. "It hurts to even think about it. Fuck! I feel like shit!" --- "So, I'm guessing you guys had a great day together?" ,said Leo sarcastically. --- Travis nodded. He picked up Pickles and headed out of the room. The man raised his hands. "Can you take these off now? I'd like to go home." Travis glared at him. --- Blake turned around to face the siblings. "Please..." "We will not surrender easily." ,said Darcy. "Just why?! Why did you do this?" Blake clenched his fists as he looked down. "I can't believe it." "You once knew me as that Ember but I am not her no more. I have changed." He looked at Raguel. "Will you help me arrest them? It looks like they're not going to stop unless we take them down." There was sadness and regret in his eyes but he knew what mattered most. Even if it hurt him too. --- "We were attempting to capture the rest of the family. All seemed well but Theron has this extraordinary power. Somehow, he was able to break Heaven's bracelet. It was a shocking scene to watch. We were only take Warren since Theron flew away with Dariel. Insanity teleported as well after defeating Napoleon." --- Napoleon stood. He dusted himself off and cleared his throat. "It is a massive winged beast with eyes of crimson. It evoked fire and used its claws to damage my wings. Such power like that....I've never seen it in such a long time." He turned to Kodi. "Your face looks rather familiar. Have we run into each other in the past?" --- Theron's eyes widened. "Are you...?" Tears flowed down his cheeks as he ran towards her. "Mama!" He hugged her tight. Insanity raised a brow. "Oh? This is awkward." He walked to them. "If you are really his mother then I cannot take him away from you. However, I do want you to know that your son is an incredible man. You are welcomed in our family." "Seriously? That's his mom?" ,said Sam. He struggled against the demons holding him. "Let me go!" --- "It probably would be a good idea to go look for him. C'mon. I'll go with you." ,said Pain. He stood with her. "Do you know how to track him?" --- James smirked. "You're on." He asked, "What's the strongest liquor that humans have?"

Shadowess - August 6, 2022 "No problem!" The receptionist smiled at the pair and then grinned as she pointed to one package in particular. "This one here, the Cupid Package, is really popular with couples. It includes a massage of your choice, a complimentary bottle of wine and access to a private room with a double bed which also has a hot tub in the bathroom. Once again Clementine's face immediately turned red. "Uhm-! We're- we're not-... We're just-..." she stammered, unsure of where to look. "Oh! My apologies!" The receptionist said quickly, embarrassed. "I shouldn't have assumed-! uh, two single rooms then? I'll give you both the Diamond Package with a discount. It includes a massage, mud bath, facial, mani-pedi and champagne. You'll also have access to the gym and the sauna areas if you want to use those. Would that be ok?" --- Kasper nodded but he couldn't shake the existential dread that had just hit him. He wasn't sure how he could explain his fears to Phineas when he barely comprehended the weight of his realisation himself. As soon as Phineas mentioned a distraction, Kasper opened his eyes and looked at him while nodding eagerly. Yes, a distraction was exactly what he needed right now. "What did you have in mind?" he asked him. --- Sebastian sharply sucked in air through his teeth as he felt Carter's fangs plunge into his hand. He then shuddered and let out a sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a soft moan as he felt the venom begin to numb him. He felt a little light-headed but also amorous as he lost himself to Carter's kisses. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders and leaned against him, returning his passion. --- Oscar chuckled and sat next to him. "Well, I suppose..." he seemed, for a moment, to have an inner debate before handing the larger bag to Leo. "I uh... got you a present. It reminded me of the outfit you wore to the wedding and I thought it might look good on you..." he blushed and watched Leo a little nervously. Hoping he'd like the gift. --- The vet smiled widely. "Oh, wonderful! Would you mind writing your address and phone number down for me? I'll put it on the chip. I'll also need your name and the dog's name too." she said as she walked over to a cupboard and carefully selected a box of pills. "Then you know what it's like," Malone said. He gave the man a moment to think about this before he spoke again. "How about we make a deal? When he comes out of that room you apologise to him for giving him a hard time and give him your word that you won't press charges against him for lashing out. In return, I'll uncuff you and let you off with a warning." he then leaned forward a bit in his chair to give the man a very stern glare. "But if I hear so much as a whisper about you assaulting or attempting to assault anyone else, I'll come after you, I'll arrest you and I'll go out of my damn way to make sure you get the harshest penalty for it. Got it?" --- Seeing Theron grab Dariel and fly out of the window brought some relief to Warren. Knowing that he'd successfully aided in the Prince's escape and he had, therefore, obeyed his most recent order. His relief was short-lived as he knew he was currently alone and outnumbered. He saw Gabriel in his peripheral as he tried desperately to keep hold of the Angel he'd grabbed. With a flap of the Angel's wings, however, Warren was quickly knocked off and pushed to the ground where the Angel swivelled on his heels before kicking the downed Demon savagely and repeatedly. With each kick, Warren was caught between reliving the memory of the beating he'd taken in the CIA Facility and the dingy apartment corridor where he tried to crawl away from the Angel's boot. It wasn't until he was coughing up blood, groaning and begging for the Angel to stop that the kicking ceased. The Angel saluted Gabriel, though he still looked furious that the Prince had escaped after inflicting a serious wound to his comrade. "Archangel Gabriel, Sir! One of the boys managed to break his bracelet and fled." he reported urgently. "This wretch got in the way of their capture." he glared at Warren who cowered by the wall, clutching his stomach and ribs. Outside, Raguel had let out a battle cry before charging at the Devils. The Demons stood fast between what remained of their royal family and the enraged Archangel, holding the weapons raised. "Sires you need to go! It's now or never!" one of them warned, knowing that they likely wouldn't live past this fight. But if it meant they helped their leaders to escape their enemies then they were prepared to die. Letting out battle cries of their own, the Demons charged back at Raguel. As soon as they were both within range, Raguel brought the scimitar back before sweeping it around. One of the Demons reacted in time by jumping into the air and sprouting lime-green wings. The other Demon wasn't as quick and was struck across the side. The blade of the scimitar sliced through him like butter. Severing his arm and cutting straight through the upper half of his torso. With a sickening wet thud, the Demon's body fell to the ground in pieces. "NO!!!" The air-born Demon screamed then quickly regathered himself as he saw Raguel setting his focus on him next. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!!" he raged then sprouted what looked to be a set of snake fangs. He opened his mouth wide and gleeked a stream of venom at the Archangel who rapidly brought up his shield to protect himself before throwing his scimitar at the Demon as if it were a javelin. The Demon dove to one side, causing the weapon to soar past him, whistling from its velocity as it did. Beating his wings quickly to stay in the air, the Demon grinned cockily at Raguel. "Ha! You threw your only weapon and missed! Some soldier of God, you are!" Instead of answering with a retort, Raguel merely smirked as he brought his fingers up to his mouth, and blew a short, sharp whistle. Before the Demon could realise what had happened, Raguel's weapon was back in his hand, covered in blood and a short spray of blood had coated Raguel as well as some of the street in a straight line... which originated from the Demon in the air. His wings had stopped beating and for a moment he simply hung in the air before splitting perfectly in half, right down the middle and falling heavily to the ground. --- "Spirits?" One Demon questioned. Both Demons looked sceptical. "I thought Spirits couldn't get involved in Heaven and Hell politics?" The other Demon raised a brow. "Your, oh so special, Spirit Council forbade it back when Lucifer fell!" "Besides, like we're going to just take the word of two weirdos who turn up out of the blue. We've got our orders. Now if you know what's good for you, you'll both leave immediately before we report your asses to your superiors!" --- Blushing as Pain held her hand, Lilly looked into his eyes and nodded. She felt the same butterflies in her stomach that she always felt whenever he got close to her like this. "Ok," she said softly. --- "It's Angelic." Damien sighed. "When it comes to building magical weapons, armour and gadgets, they know their shit. It'd take a lot of power to destroy one of these and considering they can render a Devil like me powerless... it would have to be an insane amount of power..." He looked up at the sky and frowned. It was already the afternoon. Only a few hours to evening. He glanced over at James then scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Hey, I wouldn't normally ask but would it be ok to crash at your place? Just until I can get out of the country safely. I think I'd stand a better chance of not being attacked by random vampires if there's a werewolf nearby to scare 'em off." shadowess - August 6, 2022 (Oscar's present to Leo) Attached Image Denix Vames - August 7, 2022 Harris blushed. He awkwardly cleared his throat. "Um yes. That would be perfect. Thank you." --- "You and I could work in the fields together. Would you like to plant some pumpkin seeds with me?" ,asked Phineas. --- Carter brought his hands to his waist and slid them under his shirt. He caressed his chest as he continued to kiss him. Moving his lips to his neck then collarbone. --- Leo seemed surprised. "Really? Oh wow. Thank you. I can't wait to see it!" He took the bag and looked inside. --- Travis wrote down his information. He wondered what name he should give the dog. He was sure he had made one before but decided to make a new one now. He wrote the dog's name down as Pickles. The man quickly nodded. "Alright. I won't do that crap anymore. Just relax. Geez. Why are you cops always on edge anyway? Is it the coffee?" He smirked. --- Gabriel glared at Warren. "Is that so? Answer me this demon! How did the boy manage to break one of our most powerful tools?" He knelt and made sure he was close enough to him. "Tell me!" Insanity had taken Dariel from Theron's hands. He ran as Theron followed. He wanted to make sure that they were away from the fighting to avoid anyone teleporting with them. A white dome-like shield suddenly appeared. Trapping them in. Napoleon was in it too. "This ends here and now! I won't let you win!" Insanity laid Dariel away from the scene. "Keep him safe. I will handle this." "Be careful dad!" Theron ran to Dariel and stayed by his side. Insanity laughed as he stepped forward. "The so-called great Napoleon Bonaparte will be known in history after this as a short loser who couldn't defeat a King like me!" Napoleon smirked. "Did you forget, your majesty? I've taken down plenty of monarchies in my time." A blast of energy came out of his hands. Insanity flew as high as he could. Dodging the attack. He flew towards him with his talons out. Napoleon flew back. Insanity let out a swarm of fire by flapping his wings. Napoleon's eyes widened. He nearly dodged the attack. Insanity chuckled. "You forgot one thing." "Oh? And what is that?" He appeared behind Napoleon where he began to dig his talons into his wings. Making them bleed as their feathers floated off. Napoleon cried out. "I can teleport." He lowered himself to the ground where the fire spread towards him. Insanity picked Napoleon up by the back of his coat. "You really think that you're this great leader? You were always pathetic! Only ever seeking what you could never have. When you didn't get that, you decided to try and take the world." Napoleon grit his teeth. He glared as he tried to get out of his grip. "You are no better!" "That's where you're wrong, Emperor. I found love." Insanity headbutted him. Napoleon became dazed. "Goodbye little ice cream boy." The shield had disappeared. He couldn't focus anymore on keeping them there. Insanity let him go. He swooped down and grabbed Theron and Dariel before disappearing. As Napoleon fell, he began to question himself. Should he feel guilty or not for what he did when he was alive? Where should he go now? Through the roof of the precinct, Napoleon broke in and hit the floor. Autumn's eyes widened. "What the hell is happening?" Will had stepped out of the office, fully clothed. He walked over to the scene. "Well, I'll be damned. It's Napoleon. He doesn't look great either. Can somebody in here heal him?" Napoleon could barely open his eyes before passing out. --- Insanity had appeared with Dariel and Theron. Sam was disappointed but didn't say anything. "Who are you two?" Insanity walked over to the Spirits. Ember smiled. "The truth is that we have grown tired of simply doing nothing." "We wish to do something." ,said Darcy. "And how can I possibly trust any of you to help me?" ,asked Insanity. Ember and Darcy raised a finger. "Contract." ,said both siblings. "We are fully aware of the consequences." ,said Ember. "However, if you are to trust us then we must sign a contract." Insanity thought for a moment. He nodded. "Alright then." Two contracts appeared with two pens. "Sign down there." Both siblings did with no emotion being shown again. Insanity took a deep breath as he felt his power grow. The contracts disappeared. He suddenly laughed. "What is your first command?" ,asked Darcy. "Go kick those Angels ass!" The siblings nodded before disappearing. --- "Are you feeling hungry right now? We've got some food here." ,said Pain. --- "Yeah sure. I don't really mind. Honestly, I could use some company that isn't crazy or hopped up on drugs." ,said James. --- Ember and Darcy appeared. They raised their hands. Moving at the same time as each other and with such grace. Slicing through Angels like paper. Denix Vames - August 7, 2022 Leo blushed. "Oh! Um...It looks nice but I don't know. I'd have to try it on to see if it looks good on me or not." He smiled. "Thank you though. I really do appreciate it." shadowess - August 9, 2022 The receptionist nodded and brought up the total cost of the package after the discount was applied. After they had paid, the receptionist then walked around the counter and provided them each with a room key before opening a door for them. "Your rooms are upstairs. Check-out is at 6 pm. Feel free to call the desk from your room phone if you need any assistance. There will be champagne and robes in your rooms." she told them. --- "I'd love to!" Kasper smiled. Growing up with a silver spoon in his mouth meant he'd never been allowed to get his hands dirty in such a way. But now, ironically, his death had given him the chance at a new life where he could try all the things he'd once been denied. "I'll get some lemonade ready in a pitcher to bring out with us!" he beamed. They could just summon up such drinks of course but Kasper had found that making his own food and drinks somehow always tasted better. --- Letting out shakey breaths, Sebastian tilted his head back and enjoyed the feeling of Carter kissing him. He bit his lip when he felt his hand on his skin and moaned a little. "Oh, Carter!" he shivered excitedly. "Let's take this upstairs," he smirked and took his hand to lead him to their bedroom. --- Oscar really wanted to kiss Leo but he held himself back and simply smiled at him. "I think you'd look stunning in it," he said quietly to him. "Maybe you can give me a private fashion show once we're done gathering ingredients?" he smirked then glanced down at their little bags. "Speaking of which, we probably shouldn't keep Desi waiting." --- "Aww! That's a cute name!" The vet grinned when she got the information. "Suits him too!" After giving the dog a couple of pills and shots, the vet wrote up a prescription for more pills and handed them to Travis. "Obviously he'll need a bath when you get him home. I'd recommend taking things slow with that because it's not certain how he'll react to running water after living on the streets for so long. Plenty of patience and reward him with a small treat for good behaviour. He'll need to take these pills three times a day for two weeks to get rid of any parasites he's picked up. Oh, and you'll be able to pick up some flea shampoo at the front desk. I'd recommend the green bottle for a dog this size. Oh, and please don't hesitate to bring him back in if he gets ill." she pet Pickles behind the ear and chuckled as his little foot thumped against the table. "You be a good dog, ok Pickles?" "It's because we see all kinds of crap and get treated like crap for doing our jobs on a daily basis," Malone told him. "One day you're taking down a murderer, the next an entitled jackass is giving you hell for pulling him over for speeding, the next your giving a parent the bad news that you found their missing child's corpse. When you deal with shit like that every day, it gets kind of hard to not be on edge all the time." --- Warren glared back at Gabriel defiantly, despite quaking in fear. His entire body ached from the beating he'd just taken and he knew that in his current state he couldn't fight them. "I won't betray my family," he told him in a determined yet trembling voice. "I'll tell you nothing!" The wounded Angel on the ground suddenly gasped awake and spat out blood. The soldier that had beaten Warren glanced back at him but wouldn't aid him without an order from his superior. "Archangel, sir. If I could make a suggestion? Perhaps we should take this Demon back to Heaven for interrogation? He seemed to be closer to our enemies than any other Demon we've encountered. He might know weaknesses that we could exploit to finally bring them down." "No!" Warren gasped. If they did take him to Heaven he'd be tortured for information. Best case scenario, he stays strong but is tortured until he loses his mind. Worst case scenario, his spirit breaks and he betrays his family to avoid further pain. Either case was not something that Warren wanted to be subjected to. So, in spite of his pain, he jumped to his feet and tried to make a run for it... Only for the Angel to deliver a well-timed kick to the side of his leg as he tried to pass him, breaking it in the process. Warren screamed loudly as he hit the ground and gripped his leg. "Napoleon, you fool!" Raguel shouted angrily and with a subtle hint of worry in his tone. "Why did you try to take them on alone?!" he growled as he realised the Devil Family had once again evaded their grasp and out of frustration, he slammed his scimitar into the pavement where it made a small crack in the concrete. 'Gabriel, status report?' He sent the mental request while glancing toward the building. 'The family have eluded us again. We must tend to any wounded we have while we have the time, then regroup and come up with another strategy. I noticed the family had a couple of members missing. Did you manage to capture any-?" His thought was cut off when he saw the arrival of the Spirit Twins who began cutting down his men. For a moment, he was too stunned by what he was seeing to react. Spirits attacking Angels?! How? Why?! It dawned on him suddenly that the Devil Family may have recruited more than just Demons to their army. Quickly he pulled his weapon out of the ground and faced the pair. "Enough! Traitorous poltergeists! You've chosen the wrong side!" He yelled at them then focussed his telepathy to all the Angels that had gathered in and around the apartment building. 'All Angels to the front of the building at once! Surround and cease these Spirits! Use lethal force if necessary but subdue and capture if possible! Gabriel, if you have any prisoners have them taken to Heaven at once, along with any of our wounded!' --- Shortly after, Parker ran out of the office as well, with his shirt on backwards. "Woah!" he gasped when he saw who it was. An Angelic officer ran forward and placed his hands on Napoleon's chest, healing him. Kodi ran into the room and went straight over to Autumn. "Are you ok? You didn't get hit with any debris, did you?" he asked worriedly as he took a quick look over her arms and face to make sure she didn't have any cuts or bruises. --- The Demons who had been guarding Sam immediately bowed to their King upon his arrival and witnessed the Spirits signing the contract in silence. Only when the pair had vanished did one of them speak up while giving Sam a stern stare. "Sire, we have a duty to make you aware of-" "A naked woman?" The other Demon interrupted suddenly. "A na-? What? No! That's not what-...What the-?!" The other Demon stammered as he looked up to where his colleague was looking to see what appeared to be a naked woman in the distance. She was walking towards them slowly with crimson hair that fell down to her hips and hung over her shoulders to cover her cleavage. She seemed weary as she looked at them all as if she had been walking for some time. She stopped a short distance away and then said something in a language that was far more ancient than the Demonic dialect. She seemed to be asking for help. --- Lilly smiled but shook her head a little. "No, thanks," she said quietly. Truth be told she was now far too worried about Bob to feel hungry. Speaking of Bob, he had wandered to the nearby graveyard. Along the way, he'd stopped off at a local liquor store and bought a small bottle of whiskey. Once he was on the grounds, he walked between the graves and pretended to take swigs of the alcohol with the cap still on, so as not to spill its contents onto the soil. Every so often, he'd stop to read a headstone before moving on to the next. Eventually, he stopped at a stone bench, somewhere in the heart of the graveyard and he stared at the bottle in his hand. "Guess I'll have a liver to destroy soon enough... If I want a liver at all... Ah shit! Does this mean that once I'm a flesh bag I'll actually be able to actually die? That's a scary thought..." he said out loud to himself. He ran a couple of his boney fingers over the side of his skull. "Wonder what I'll look like... or rather, what I looked like." he lowered his arm and stared off across the graveyard. "I wonder if this will bring back my memories too. Of who I was before I died. Was I a crook? A baker? A family man? Will I regret knowing?" He sighed and slouched on the bench. "Will it change me? Will I even still be me anymore? What does all this mean? Why is this happening now? Why not before?" --- Damien rose a brow at James's comment. "How come you live in an abandoned building anyway? I get the whole roaming the streets looking for trouble schtick but does that mean you have to sleep rough too?" He then shrugged. "Not that I'm criticising or anything. I'm just trying to wrap my head around it. Hey, do you think we could grab something to drink on the way back? I know it's not smart with the amount of blood that I've lost today but given everything that's happened to me in the past- wow, has it really been 42 hours?- I could really use a stiff drink...or five." he smirked. "Maybe we could pass the time by swapping a few stories. I'm sure you have some interesting ones given your lifestyle and all?"

STORY CONTINUED HERE;

Denix Vames - July 17, 2022 "There really isn't. You may have to be naked or you can wear shorts to cover below the waist." Harris took out his wallet. He pulled out enough bills to add up to the price. He was about to hand it over to him when he noticed the black eye from the rearview mirror. "Are you ok? Who did that to you?" --- "Then I will pay a visit later to apologize. Good day to you both." Napoleon disappeared. Phineas raised a brow. "Apologize? He has nothing to be sorry. We wanted to help." --- When the kiss broke, Carter brushed his fingers over his lips. "The thought of Devil's blood isn't as strong anymore. Thank you." --- Leo smirked. "Sounds like a fun game. And I'm pretty sure I'll beat you." --- "Um...He is. But I don't know. I never asked him who he liked. When I get to the police station, I can ask if he likes guys or girls." Autumn looked from side to side of the doorway. Making sure that no one was there. "I've got to go. Bye!" She walked off. --- Travis was shaking as he held the dog close. He nodded at Malone but was still crying. --- "NO!" Insanity yanked his arm away. "Uh....I mean...." He nervously rubbed his arm as he blushed. "Please don't take Warren's life away from him. He was only doing what he was told. Just think about giving him mercy." Tears dripped down his cheek. "And don't take my family away from me. I know I don't deserve to beg but please." He could feel a different side of himself coming to light. One that he thought he never had. "I...I love them." His eyes widened. Surprised by the statement. "I really do." --- Theron kept running but stopped when he heard Warren calling for him. "Uncle!" --- Sam stood and placed a hand over his chest. "Something doesn't feel right. I think my family needs help but I don't even have that power to tell." He cringed. "Don't tell me I'm actually getting feelings!" --- Pain caught her and helped her to a beanbag. "It'll be ok. Just take some deep breaths and try to relax. You could smoke if you need it. Like we said before, it helps people calm down." --- "Alright. I know where to go then." ,said James. He picked him up and zoomed to the mansion. He knocked on the door. They both stood in front of it. Waiting for answer. Shadowess - July 18, 2022 "Oh!" Clementine blushed deeply at the idea of disrobing in front of other people and her eyes darted around to the window to hide her face. The driver noticed this and he'd seen this kind of reaction enough times in his line of work to know exactly what it meant. She was a virgin. Now, he knew better nowadays than to think this was significant in any way but there were still some creeps out there that would pay top dollar to take someone's virginity. If only she'd been alone. That would make things far less complicated but he supposed he could still pull this off if he was careful about it. After all, he now knew where they lived. His focus suddenly shifted to Harris as his eye was pointed out and he seemed concerned for him. The driver gave him a pleasant smile and waved it off dismissively. "This? Nah, it's nothing. Got into a fight in the bar last night, that's all. That's what you get when you have one too many and step on a big guy's toes, right?" he joked. --- "Maybe there's more going on here than meets the eye?" Kasper suggested then shook his head. "Ugh! Look at us! Getting caught up in the troubles of Earth again, just when we'd found our paradise! Yet I see such legends walk through our door and can't help but wonder if the idea of living our dreams in peace is no more than a fool's fantasy! Is this happiness that we've found doomed to be short-lived? Will it get boring for us? Will we end up doing things like becoming Angels and fighting just to keep some sense of purpose?" Kasper's head spun and he rested a hand against his face as he leant against Phineas. "I'm sorry... I-... I guess it's just sinking in that we're here for eternity and eternity has never looked so vast and uncertain... It frightens me..." --- Staring into Carter's eyes, Sebastian smiled as he heard his words and felt his fingers on his lips. "I could probably think of a few other things that would help to keep your mind off it," he smirked and kissed his fingers suggestively while maintaining eye contact. --- "You're on!" Oscar chuckled as he tore the list in two and handed one half to Leo. "And the timer starts...nnnow!" he chuckled and winked at him before darting off in one direction. --- "Hm, sweet kid," Carol commented to herself with a small smile. She then turned to face the chemistry tables and grinned mischievously while unzipping the backpack. "And now to crime!" --- The vet held the door open and gave Travis a warm smile as he'd enter her office. "Oh, don't worry, I'm sure everything will be ok with the little guy," she said, assuming that Travis was crying because of the dog. "Now, I was told you found this little fella on the street, is that right? Let's start by popping him on the table here so I can get a good look at him." Meanwhile, Malone took the leash for the man's dog and sat next to him. He offered him the leash. "I'm not an asshole, you can at least keep hold of your dog while we're waiting," he said as he sat back and folded his arms. "What's its name?" he asked and gestured to the dog, trying to strike up a casual conversation first. --- Warren followed the sound of Theron's shouts. He moved as quickly as he could with Dariel in his arms but the bracelet had even sapped his demonic strength, making it more tiring for him to do so. He could already feel the muscles in his arms and legs begin to ache from the exertion but he pushed on. All of the exits and fire exits had an angel guarding them, holding an angelic baton. When Theron stopped, the two angels that had been following him also stopped. One turned around just as Warren came rushing around the corner and held up his weapon threateningly, causing Warren to ground to a halt. He stood there, trying to catch his breath while looking past them at Theron who would now be trapped between the two angels and a third angel by the exit. "Th-Theron!" Warren said breathlessly, his voice full of worry. "Listen to me carefully. Don't fight them. Don't give them a reason to hurt you! But also don't tell them anything. We have to stay strong now, ok? We need to protect each other by not giving them any information!" "Quiet!" The Angel holding the weapon barked at him. "Hand over the boy!" "No!" Warren glared at them. "Don't separate us! Please! They need me!" "Grab that one. I'll take care of this one." The Angel said to the other who then proceeded to approach Theron slowly. "Come quietly, kid. We just want to talk, that's all," he said gently while holding out a hand. Meanwhile, the other Angel marched over to Warren and placed his weapon near Warren's throat. "Hand. Over. The boy." he growled threateningly. "Then you're going to tell us where the third one is." "I can't." Warren glared back, shaking violently. "Oh, but you can." the Angel grinned. "And you will. One way or another." --- The demons glanced at each other. "We can't leave you and we haven't been ordered to take you back yet either." "But if there's even a chance that he's right then we also can't just stand here while they need our help." the other demon commented quietly to his colleague who seemed to quickly agree with a short nod. "Alright, hang on." he briefly closed his eyes and a third demon appeared. "Our prince here suspects his family is in danger. Gather a group and make sure our Kings are safe." The third demon nodded and then vanished. --- Unmoved by Insanity's revelation, Raguel continued to glare at him. A part of him took delight in seeing his enemy realise his doom but mostly he was just angry that he still hadn't managed to properly subdue Insanity yet. "Too little, too late! Your family have committed treason, kidnapped and tortured people for your own amusement- including one of our Angels! You deserve this punishment! You deserve to be split up and your conspirators deserve destruction! Now I won't tell you again, GIVE. ME. YOUR. WRIST!!!" A second later, Raguel was taken by surprise when three burly demons tackled him to the ground. The bracelet dropped to the ground and rolled across the pavement. Letting out a furious roar, Raguel threw the trio off and rose to his feet while summoning his scimitar. Two more Demons appeared near Insanity while the other three kept Raguel busy. "Sire! Your family are in danger! We sent a scout to check on them but they couldn't teleport into the building. It's surrounded by Angels holding weird rods!" --- Lilly barely heard Pain as she stared across the room. "I summoned Bob completely by mistake..." she confessed. "I knew I was different but didn't know I had powers. I was scared and alone but I would never admit it because that would be a weakness... and in my world weaknesses like that got you killed... or worse. Then he- he..." She smiled briefly with tears in her eyes. "He popped out of the ground and said 'hey tuts, what'chya cryin' for??'" she laughed as a couple of tears fell. "I always thought I didn't want him around. That he was a curse. A mistake. I didn't understand why he kept following me around even though I tried to put him back in the ground more than a few times. But now that he might be turning human... regenerating... I realise that I summoned him because I needed someone." She looked up at Pain tearfully. "What if I'm doing this to him? Because I don't feel so alone anymore? Maybe he knows it and that's why he left as he did?" her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened as a realisation dawned on her. "What if he doesn't come back?!" It was at this moment that Lilly realised that despite all of her complaints about him over the years, Bob actually meant something to her. He was her friend. Her best friend. And she felt guilty as she assumed the skin growth had made him feel like he was no longer needed. --- When they reached the mansion, Damien couldn't help but burst into hysterical laughter. "Oh, man...! I just came from here!" he laughed then quickly stopped as he remembered who else he last saw in this building before he'd left. He visibly shivered. He had no idea if Bryce was even still in the mansion or if he might've gone home by now but after getting hooked on Damien's blood, he couldn't risk being here in case he caught his scent. "We need to leave." He said suddenly and nervously. "Now." Denix Vames - July 18, 2022 "I'll say. Just be careful next time. You might end up in a worse condition." Harris handed him the cash. Him and Clementine stepped out of the car. "Drive safely." In front of the spa, they stepped in. "Hello. Can we get two rooms? And please be gentle with her skin. It's her first time getting this kind of treatment and I don't want her feeling uncomfortable." --- Phineas frowned. "Come here." He cupped his cheeks. "We are safe here. We will never get hurt but that doesn't mean we should stop helping those who come to our home. You barely had to do much but put water on an Angel. I didn't do anything. Does that sound like we're in danger?" --- "I've got an idea for that too. How about we do that venom thing again? That would be a nice distraction." ,said Carter. --- Leo chuckled before zooming off with his half of the list. --- Travis placed the dog on the table. The man still didn't like Malone but took the leash. He bit his lip before saying, "Her name is Cheryl." He turned his head. Raising a brow at him. "Why are you trying to be nice? You just tackled me and said some crap earlier." --- Theron suddenly began to twitch as he laughed. Though he was laughing, he looked to be frightened. His blood oozed from his nose and eyes. He clutched his head and cried out. The bracelet exploded into pieces as the black blood could no longer hold back. That bracelet had become useless now. The blood wanted to kill. He pulled out his sword from his back and swung at the Angels in front of him. As he fought, he was smiling --- "If all of them are captured then you and the rest of my family's army will have no choice but to obey. I will become King of Hell!" Sam laughed. --- "Take me to the building as closely as possible! Now!" ,said Insanity. --- Pain sat by her. He placed a hand on her arm. "Lilly, it doesn't matter when he will grow flesh. Friends will always need each other. The rest of us have flesh and we definitely need everyone. Bob isn't going to leave you just because he's turning human. He's stayed by you for this long. Are you saying that he would just abandon you like that?" --- James let out a frustrated sigh. He carried him away from the mansion but stopped at an alley. "Look. Just steal some cash and use a damn payphone. Or steal a phone." shadowess - July 24, 2022 "No promises." The driver chuckled and watched them both step out of the vehicle. Clementine glanced back at the driver and caught him staring. She felt unnerved by it but couldn't explain why. She quickly followed Harris and as soon as they were both inside the building, the driver peeled off and rejoined the rest of the traffic. In the spa, Clementine couldn't help staring around her at the white painted walls, the seashell decor and the vibrantly green plants dotted around the room. This place certainly had a calming atmosphere. So much so that Clementine quickly forgot that she'd been feeling uneasy just a few seconds ago. The woman behind the counter gave Harris a small nod. "Oh, we're gentle with all of our clients! Which package would you like with your rooms?" she asked and gestured to what looked like a menu for various treatments. The more expensive ones had so many treatments that they'd surely last all day and came with complimentary glasses of champagne. --- Kasper let out a steady breath as he thought over Phineas's words. "N-no, you're right..." he closed his eyes briefly. "Of course we're safe and we have everything we could ever want. I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me..." --- Sebastian smirked at the idea. It had been a while. "Really?" he grinned. His heart fluttered from excitement as he slid Carter's index and middle fingers into his mouth and slowly pulled back while sucking on them. When the tips of his fingers would reach his lips again, Sebastian would gently lift them to press his index finger against one of his fangs, injecting a small amount of venom. "You mean like this?" he asked while staring at him lustfully. --- Several minutes later, Oscar would hurry back to their meeting spot with a large brown, paper bag in one hand and a smaller paper bag in the other. --- "Thank you. Ok, let's take a look..." The vet then proceeded to look over the dog very carefully. She checked its heart rate with her stethoscope, placed it on a set of scales to weigh it, checked for a chip as well as made sure it was otherwise healthy. "Ok, so this little guy looks to be about two years old. No chip, so possibly a stray or abandoned. He's underweight and malnourished. Doesn't look like he's ever had shots and will need to be de-flea'd and de-wormed. Poor little guy must've been struggling to find any untainted food before you found him." She gave Travis a patient smile. "If you're wanting to adopt him, I can start his treatments now and give him a microchip? If you're not able to then that's ok too. I can make sure he's cared for until he's well enough to rehome. What would you like to do?" "Yeah well, you tried to hurt the man I love for no good reason. I think you can understand my anger." Malone shot back and glared at the man briefly before letting his eyes soften a bit as he looked back at Cheryl. He let out a sigh. "His too. Do you have any idea how hard it must be for him already without jerks trying to rough him up for simply existing?" His tone was gentle, yet firm. --- Warren's eyes widened as he watched Theron's change. The Angel closest to the boy was taken by surprise and tried to move away as soon as he saw the sword emerge. Not fast enough though. A split second later, the Angel was knocked down. The sword had sliced straight through his chest plate and his own blood was pouring out of the gap. "NO!!" The second Angel screamed and turned in time to block Theron's blade with his own. "You evil little brat! I'll kill you!" he yelled angrily. "Theron!" Warren gasped then glanced behind himself, knowing Gabriel would likely have been on his tail. "Shit, shit, shit!" He looked back at Theron desperately. He could still make sure his last order was obeyed. He quickly and carefully placed Dariel down by the wall and wrapped his arm around the Angel's neck while also grabbing the Angel's weapon hand to stop him from using it. "Theron, take Dariel and get out of here!" he said quickly as he decided he'd stay behind to try to prevent Gabriel and his men from following the boys. "GO NOW!!" Meanwhile, just outside the building, the two demons who had been with Insanity appeared with him and they faced the building. "We're ready to fight at your command, sire." one of them said resolutely. Back in France, Raguel was growing increasingly angry as he saw Insanity vanish while he'd been trying to fend off his demonic soldiers. He manoeuvred his scimitar in his hand and spun on the spot. In one swing, he disembowelled one demon and beheaded another. The third demon narrowly escaped the range of the weapon and fell back. Luckily, Raguel wasn't interested in finishing his attackers off and had only one target on his mind; Insanity. He teleported after him, arriving a few minutes after they did so would be a short distance away when he appeared. "INSANITY!" he bellowed, his voice deep and commanding. Enough to send shivers down the spines of anyone who heard it. "Go to your family, sire! We will hold him off!" one of the Demons said quickly as they both turned and placed themselves between Raguel and their King. --- "You won't be King until your fathers pass that title on to you. Not before little prince." One of the demons told him sternly. "And you would do well to get such notions out of your head. I don't think your fathers will take kindly to you wishing for their demise." --- "I-..." Lilly looked at Pain. She wasn't so certain but she desperately wanted to believe him. "I hope not... It's going to be odd... I've never seen him as anything other than a skeleton... I wonder what he'll look like..." she tried a small smile. "I guess that's the end of plucking bones from him to use as weapons..." she joked. --- "I can't!" Damien complained as if he'd already thought of it. "I promised granddaddy dearest that I'd be a good boy so that I can get this bloody thing off and stop being so weak!" He gestured to the bracelet. "I mean, how do humans do it?! I can't even remember what it had been like to be this powerless before I got my powers. God, I miss them..." he kicked a can into the alley out of frustration. Denix Vames - July 24, 2022 "I'd like for something in a medium range price." ,said Harris. --- "It's alright. I don't blame you for being scared. I'm worried too." Phineas kissed his head. "But everything's alright. No one's here to hurt us." He caressed his cheek. "We should distract ourselves." --- Carter bit his lip. He smirked. "Exactly." He bit into his hand. Releasing his venom. He moved his lips to his. Kissing him with passion. --- Leo had come back with a bag too. However, he was panting and sweating. "Bad idea to wear leather here." He sat on the bench and practically slumped back. Resting against it. "I could go for anything cold." --- Travis smiled. He clapped his hands as he jumped. Realizing that the vet didn't understand him, he stopped. Blushing from his actions, he wrote down, 'I want to adopt him. Give him what he needs.' The man didn't look at him but slightly frowned. "Sounds like a real shit show. I've sort of been in those situations when I was in school." --- Theron's wings sprouted as he grabbed Dariel. He flew into a window which he broke. Flying out of the building, he flew towards Insanity. "Dad!" "Theron!" Insanity ran over. --- "If there's one thing that my fathers have taught me, it is to show no mercy to my enemies." ,said Sam. Two expressionless twins appeared in front of the demons. One had purple eyeliner while the other held a blank face. When they spoke, they were monotone. "Who are you? Speak now!" ,said Sam. The twins looked at each other then back at them. "I am Ember and this is my brother Darcy. We are both Spirits of Truth." "We are here to tell you that your leaders are being defeated as we speak." ,said Darcy. "It is best to hide or surrender." ,said Ember. --- Pain frowned. "Just give him some time. You both need to think. But while that's happening, I'll be right here for you." He held her hand and looked at her. "Ok?" --- "Can't we just destroy this damn bracelet? What's so special about it?" ,asked James.

Denix Vames - July 14, 2022 Corey smiled. "Glad you enjoyed it. See ya!" --- Harris stood. "We can take a ride there by cab. I know there's a Spa nearby. I just hope you'll like the experience." --- Frederick let out a sigh of relief as the water cooled his wings. He collapsed. "Insanity....But Raguel has him in his grasp. I know he can't beat him. Do not worry though. Heaven is well protected. He cannot enter here." Phineas's eye widened. "Is that Napoleon Bonaparte?" "Yes. He fell victim to Insanity's wrath but I was able to save him." Frederick passed out. --- Carter wrapped his arms around him. "I want to do something with you. Only if you're willing to agree. It's a big step but..." He gently pushed him back before getting to one knee. "I got this ring back from Parker." He took out a ring. "I kept my husband's ring to remember him by. Now, I want you to have it. Sebastian? Will you marry me?" --- "I'm thinking you should take charge and just show me how rough you want things to be." Charles passionately kissed her. --- "We should be able to get the ingredients in no time then. Lead the way." Leo smiled and winked. --- Autumn held the necklace close. She nodded. "I promise I will. If you need me, I'll probably be at the police station visiting my stepdad or going to the park with my friends." --- The man grit his teeth. "Fuck you! You better not hurt my damn dog!" Travis kept the little dog close to himself. Making sure that it wasn't near the big dog. --- Insanity stood with angry tears in his eyes. "I would never hurt them!" He snatched the bracelet from him and placed it on himself. "There! You see? I love them!" --- Gabriel and some of his men appeared in Warren's apartment. "Do not fight. Your leaders have already fallen to us. They are in custody. It is best that you surrender as well. We will not harm the children as Insanity has made us promise. However, we would like to know where the other child is? I am led to believe that there is another one." He nodded at an Angel. "Put the bracelet on him." Dariel shouted, "No! Don't take them!" He grabbed a vase. Gabriel raised his hand. Making him pass out before he had the chance to do anything. "You will join them as well. Don't think that I would separate you from your family." Theron sobbed. "I don't want to go! Get away from me! Where's my dads?!" "I have said before that they are safe." He ran out the front door. Gabriel nodded at two Angels. "Go get him. If anyone sees you, make sure you erase their memories. I want no mistakes." --- "So much for our dancing skeleton idea. Looks like you're going to become human." ,said Storm. "But if you're turning human then how are you going to keep your flesh safe? There's all sorts of shit around that can get inside you." ,said Pain. Hades opened her spellbook. "I can find a spell to reverse the effects or make the growth faster." --- "I can take you there if you need me to. I'm a werewolf so I think you know how fast I can be." ,said James. Shadowess - July 16, 2022 Clementine nodded. "I suppose it would be better for me to get used to doing human things for a change," she said, referring to the idea of getting a taxi. "How do we get a cab?" --- Frightened by what Frederick had told them, Kasper put the bucket down and glanced at Phineas before pulling Frederick into the house. He sat him up, with his back against the wall then ran over to Phineas and flung his arms around him. "Phineas, I'm scared. Wh-what do we do? Do we report this to someone? Is there an ambulance service in Heaven?" --- Surprised and stunned, Sebastian could do nothing but blink at Carter for a moment. Then as what was happening sank in, the flood gates opened and he started crying tears of joy while nodding, too overjoyed to form words until he finally blurted out the word "Yes!" Catching his breath after unconsciously holding it, he laughed while wiping away his tears and nodding again. "Yes, I will!" --- Caught up in the moment, Amelia kissed Charles back with the same level of passion. The only sounds around them were the occasional dripping and sloshing noises from the water. She ran her hand through his hair and gripped it firmly while slipping her tongue into his mouth and moaning softly into the kiss. Breaking the kiss, she moved to nibble his earlobe a little before whispering into his ear. "You know I like it when we get really rough." She grinned and her body started to warm up a bit. "Let's make it so hot that this whole pool evaporates by the time we're done!" she grinned mischievously. --- Oscar grinned and moved to take Leo's hand but then had to stop himself. "Ah... this might be a little harder than I thought." he then smirked. "Maybe it could be kinda hot though. Being secretly in love and resisting each other until we get home." he chuckled. Already he was coming up with all the ways that he wanted to express his adoration to Leo for when they got home later. He turned and lead them out of the alley and into the market. "Alright, let's try to find a spice stall..." he said as he looked around. As he did, his eyes landed on something utterly gorgeous. It was a red and gold Indian wedding dress. He couldn't help but recall the way Leo had dressed for Jasper's wedding and additionally couldn't help wondering how he might look in a dress like the one he'd just spotted. Clearing his throat awkwardly and tearing his eyes away from it, he tried to focus on the task at hand. --- Carol smiled and nodded. "Oh, don't worry. I'll find you again later." she took the backpack and then turned to face the chemistry equipment. "Now then... I got some science stuff to stea- [ahem] 'borrow'" she winked at Autumn to show he she was kidding. --- "What do you take me for?" Malone snapped as he marched the man back into the vets and made him sit down in one of the waiting room chairs. He then hurried over to Travis and cupped his cheeks. "Are you ok?" he asked softly. --- Raguel stared hard at Insanity for a long, tense moment. He stepped towards him until he was uncomfortably close and looked down at him with a stern expression. "Do you think me a fool, Devil? You will still be able to remove that bracelet yourself. Remove it and allow me to place it on your wrist. Now." he growled with his hand out, palm facing upwards. "I have lived far too long and seen too much in my time to be a victim to one of your tricks!" Behind him, the clown had stood and was glaring at the back of Raguel. Baring his sharp teeth angrily. He would only need a decent enough distraction to get the upper hand. --- Warren jumped to his feet and look at Gabriel in alarm. He watched the whole thing unfold so quickly that he barely had time to react. "Theron!" He called out worriedly as he watched the boy run from the apartment with a pair of Angels hot on his heels. "Leave my family alone!!" He growled at Gabriel defensively but felt intimidated by him and worried that Gabriel would sense his fear. Instinctively, he ran to Dariel and pulled him into his arms. He'd intended to teleport to Theron and then teleport the three of them somewhere else like he had before but much to his surprise, he remained standing in the apartment surrounded by Angels. "What's happening? Why can't I teleport?!" he panicked, sweat rolling down the sides of his face. Unknown to Warren, the same trap that had been used on Donnie was now also being used on them, where the building was surrounded by Angels holding magical batons that acted as a net to prevent anyone non-angelic from teleporting in or out of the building. "N-No! I can't fail! I can't fail!!" he tried mentally calling for help from Donnie and Insanity's demon army but the net kept them all isolated to that one point. He quickly realised that he was the only one able to defend the boys. He glared at Gabriel with a mixture of dread and anger. Bitter tears rose in his eyes and he breathed heavily to try to calm his nerves. "I don't want to hurt you. But I MUST defend the family." his lip quivered. "I can't fail..." He closed his eyes and took one last breath, letting it out slowly to steady his nerves before opening his mouth again to begin singing beautifully. --- Bob was unusually quiet and it caused Lilly to express an emotion that was rare for her. Worry. "Bob? Are you ok?" "Oh yeah..." Bob said without moving. His tone was sarcastic. "Just looking forward to having this incredibly sensitive and tender flesh growing on all of my bones." "Did you hear Hades?" Lilly tilted her head. "She said she might be able to reverse it." She watched as Bob looked over at Hades, then back at her. "Is that what you want?" "I-..." Bob looked over at Hades once more, then looked around at the rest of the band. Then back to Lilly. "Need to go for a walk... I need to think about this..." he started walking for the door then paused and glanced back at Lilly. Usually, whenever he'd say he'd need to think about something, she'd fire a quip at him along the lines of not having a brain to think with. But this time she didn't. She was watching him quietly with a frown. He turned back to the door and walked out. --- "Thanks but I've lost enough dignity today as it is without piggybacking a werewolf across town as well." Damien smiled as he tried to stand then immediately stumbled as the room seemed to spin and he fell to his knees. "Fucking vampire..." he hissed under his breath. He took a few steady breaths until the dizziness subsided then he looked up at James. "I don't think I can fly in this condition anyway. Pretty sure they have a rule about not flying after giving so much blood... and I apparently involuntarily donated quite a bit to a starving vampire earlier today." he rolled his eyes as he mentioned the vampire. "You got a phone I can borrow? My son will be worried if I don't tell him I'm not going to be flying anytime soon." Denix Vames - July 16, 2022 Harris led her outside until they got to the sidewalk. "Like this." He waved at a cab that was passing by. Once it stopped, he opened the door for her. Inside, he gave the address to a local Spa that he knew. --- Phineas gently ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know." Napoleon groaned awake. He lifted his head. "Where am I? What happened to Raguel?" He got off of the couch. "Frederick!" He ran to his side. "Why did you enter my fight? This was my business! And now you are hurt." He stood. Facing Kasper and Phineas. "I apologize. I should have done my duty as an Archangel but...I was acting foolish at the time." He looked at his hands. "I have heard that rumors were spread about me. Do people really think of me as this tyrant? Am I even helping?" He clenched his fists. "How could I even doubt myself for a second? I am a leader!" He gave a determined look to them. "I will take this man to where he can be attended to. I am grateful that you have allowed us to take shelter in your home. I will return to talk again." He lifted Frederick off the floor. "To show my thanks, do you two have anything to request?" --- Carter had tears in his eyes too. He stood and placed the ring over his finger before kissing him. --- Charles chuckled. "I like your thinking." He kissed her neck. Biting there to leave marks. He moved his hand to her ass. --- Leo rolled his eyes but smiled. "Now, you're making me want you." He followed him. "Wait a minute. There's one problem. Do we even have money for this stuff?" --- Autumn chuckled. "You remind me of my stepdad. He's got a good sense of humor too." The bell rang. "I should get going. Unless you need me to stay here." --- Travis nodded as cried. "Oh give me a break!" ,said the man. Travis had enough of people stepping on him. He wanted to be just like Malone. He stood from his seat and placed the dog on the chair. He stormed over to the guy and kicked him in the crotch. The man hung his head as he screamed. "Fucking bitch!" --- "Fine then!" Insanity handed over the bracelet. Before Raguel had the chance, he flew above and sent a ray of energy towards the clown. Knocking him down. Insanity lowered himself. "Do you believe me now?" He held out his wrist so that Raguel could place the bracelet on him. --- In a split second, Gabriel appeared near him and slapped the bracelet on him. "Do not think that I will let you take me down!" He backhanded him. Theron continued to run as he was being chased. "Leave me alone!" --- Hades frowned. She closed the book. "I hope he'll be ok." --- James blushed. "Uh....No. I don't have a phone. Sorry. But I could take you to a friend that does have one." shadowess - July 17, 2022 The cab driver was the same one who had tried to kidnap Damien. He had a black eye and a pounding head but was simply counting himself lucky that he had been able to walk away from the incident without consequence. He'd taken a few painkiller tablets already and waited patiently for his next fair to get into the vehicle. Patience sat in the back with Harris and glanced at him as the cab started moving in the direction of the Spa. "So, is there a specific etiquette we should adhere to when we arrive?" She asked Harris, paying the driver no attention. The driver had glanced at the pair a couple of times in his rearview mirror. Weighing his options. Still, he drove them to the Spa as they had requested. After all, he was still a taxi driver at the end of the day. "That'll be eighteen bucks," he said as they pulled up. --- The whole thing was still such a shock to Kasper that he couldn't help staring at Napoleon as he spoke. When he asked them if they wanted to request anything, he stammered for a moment and glanced at Phineas. Then he smiled and looked back at Napoleon. "Thank you, but I already have everything that I could ever want right here," he answered honestly as he hugged Phineas a little tighter. --- It all seemed like a dream. First, they decided to adopt Patience's baby and now they're engaged! Sebastian watched as Carter placed the ring on his finger and then sweetly returned his kiss. Eyes closed as he continued to savour the kiss, he reached over to the hob and turned the heat off just as the kettle had reached boiling point. --- Amelia smiled then tilted her head back as Charles kissed her neck. She let out excited moans as she felt him biting her neck as well. Not to mention where his hand was going! She wrapped her legs around his waist and ground her hips against his while running her nails across his back. Her body gradually got hotter as they grew more and more passionate. [Private Time] --- "Well, I imagine some stalls will have card-readers. So we should be able to pay by credit card... though I imagine the exchange rates and charges will be horrendous for doing so." Oscar commented. He then took out his wallet and looked around. "Or we could find an ATM and withdraw some cash that way. I think they use Rupees here. I know, let's try and make this interesting." he grinned. "You take half the list and I'll take half. We'll meet back here in about twenty minutes. Whoever got the most from their list, or got everything from their list first, wins." --- "You stepdad sounds like fun." Carol grinned. "He single?" she winked and chuckled. "Oh, no sweet thing. Best that you don't get involved in what I'm doing. Thank you though." --- "Hey! Enough!" Malone said sternly while gently taking Travis by the shoulders and pulling him away from the man. He eased him down into a seat on the opposite end of the waiting room and gave him a serious look. "Look, I know you're hurt and angry." he started as he knelt in front of him so he'd be at his eye level. "But that's not how we take care of this. He could press charges for assault now. Do you understand? Let me take care of him." A vet came out of her office and looked around the waiting room. "Malone?" he rested his hand on Travis's cheek. "I'll talk to him while you take the dog in, ok?" --- Humans were far too weak to withstand such a supernatural blast. As monstrous as he was, Patches the clown was still only human. So when the energy struck him, he let out a pained howl and immediately fell to the ground while writhing in agony. In seconds he was a charred mess as he rapidly perished. This was enough to cause Raguel to momentarily falter. He gripped the bracelet tightly as he stared back at the remains before turning back to glare at Insanity. His capability to cause so much destruction was all the more reason to subdue him and his family immediately. He moved to grab Insanity's wrist forcefully. Twisting it a little to cause him some pain. "You and your partner will be dealt with. Your children will be rehomed with other families. Away from each other and away from you. Their powers were stripped from them for good measure. They'll stand a much better chance at life if they're as far from you and Donnie as possible!" He then grinned maliciously. Seemingly taking delight in making Insanity aware of what fate was awaiting him. "And the best part? You and Donnie won't remember each other by the time we're done with you. You'll probably never see each other again." He opened the bracelet up, readying it. "And all of your followers, even that little pet that you keep by your side, will be destroyed for treason." --- Immediately after the bracelet was slapped onto his wrist, Warren's singing became slightly off-key and lost its power. He'd gasped, having been taken by surprise at how quickly Gabriel had moved. His head snapped to one side when he was smacked and the force of the blow caused him to stumble back. He almost dropped Dariel but managed to keep the boy in his arms as his back hit the wall, knocking things off the nearby shelves. He heard Theron's shouts and he looked towards the door helplessly before looking fearfully at Gabriel. It was over. "You can't break us apart." he shook his head. "You can't!" He was trying to sound defiant but he was also revealing a great fear. That his family would be broken apart and scattered in a way that prevents them from ever seeing each other again. He couldn't lose them. Not when he was just beginning to feel like he belonged with them. Terrified that the boys would be seized by these Angels, he made a run for the door. "THERON!!!" --- "I don't understand..." Lilly whispered as she looked down at her hands. "How did this happen? This couldn't have been my doing. I reanimate corpses... I don't heal them or regenerate them. That's not within my power... It doesn't make sense... What changed?!" she glanced around the room. "Is it this world? Something in the air? Has someone else cast a spell?" The room spun fast and Lilly found herself short of breath. She placed a hand on her head as she swayed on her feet, looking pale and ready to fall. --- "Shit..." Damien whispered as he sat back against a wall. He then nodded at James's suggestions. "Sure, I guess I don't have many other options. As long as we don't go anywhere near vampires."

Denix Vames - July 11, 2022 "You can wait further away from the police station while we visit." ,said Corey. --- "Well, we can do many things to relax like going to the spa or watching TV. There's so much to do when it comes to having fun." ,said Harris. --- Phineas sat across from Kasper at the table. He drank a sip of lemonade. "Now, this is real lemon." He smiled. "Her name is Clementine. She was once an enemy but now we understand each other. She feels guilty for letting Harris get away with what he did. Both equally have regrets for hurting me. I do have my regrets too. I know now that talking to my enemies is a better way to bring peace." He drank some more. --- Sam laughed. "Who said anything about aging? If you want power and a title then you must take it by force." --- Carter sank his fangs into the bag. Drinking until it was empty. He let out a sigh. "It doesn't taste so great but it is a decent substitute." --- "When you older, I gotta ask your mom and pop if I can teach you how to ride a horse. I think you'll like it." Jasper yawned. "Who would have thought it would have been tiring to watch over a little fella like you?" He laid on the bed as he kept holding Oliver. --- Charles smirked. "Don't tempt me." He threw his clothes off before jumping in the pool. He sprung his head as water splashed on Amelia. "Can I take off my good boy collar and be naughty tonight?" --- Leo frowned. He wasn't too happy about their views but he couldn't changed them so quickly. He sighed. "Alright. As long as we're only there for the ingredients." --- Autumn was walking down the hall to her locker. Some of the popular girls were calling her names and throwing paper balls at her. She lowered her head. Hoping that they would go away. --- "Of course. I believe I'm available for family time. Would you like to take a trip?" ,asked Xenos. --- Travis smiled at him. After some time, the very same man that had nearly punched Travis walked out of the door with his pitbull on a leash. Travis pointed at the man. "Malone! Malone!" The man froze. Realizing that it was the same guy he had interacted with earlier. He let the leash go and ran out of the clinic. --- Insanity flew back. "First, you have to catch me." He flew past him and fired his energy at Napoleon. Frederick got to his knees and sprouted his wings. Using them as a shield. He cried out as his wings began to burn from Insanity's powers. Yet, he was more concerned with keeping Napoleon safe. --- "Wait a minute!" Grim pulled out a bug spray from the corner near him. "We've got this for road trips." He began spraying all over his skeletal body. "There. Now, no bug will want you." --- James ripped the door open and lifted Damien out of the car. He headed off into an abandoned building. Keeping both of them in the dark. Shadowess - July 13, 2022 Stevie froze at Corey's suggestion. He hadn't said he was nervous about going to the police station. He'd lied and told Corey that he needed to help his mom with something after school so that he could avoid going anywhere near the police station. A wild and terrifying thought crossed Stevie's mind that caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end and a cold sweat to break out across his forehead. Did he know what he'd done somehow?! Yet, in his pocket, his flute vibrated gently and he was immediately calmed. Like he could hear words of comfort and encouragement coming from it. "Uh, that's ok. I gotta go help my mom with that thing anyway. See you at the park later?" --- "Spa?" Clementine rose a brow. "I've heard of them but..." she gestured to herself and chuckled dryly. "I was never big enough to try going to one before. I tried once, you know? The people behind the counter didn't take me seriously and thought I was a lost child who needed help... I teleported out after they'd given me candy and before the police could arrive. Didn't try again after that." --- "That's a nice name. Clementine. Like it should belong to a sweet person, not someone who hurts others." Kasper said thoughtfully then reached across the table to rest a hand on Phineas's. "I'm so proud of you, Phineas. What you did was brave and difficult. It was also the right thing to do and I just know that this Clementine will learn from your forgiveness and hopefully she'll use it to learn to forgive herself too." --- The demons exchanged another awkward and uncomfortable glance. They then looked back at Sam, continuing to watch him as instructed. Neither would talk to the Devil boy again but they were contractually bound to tell either Insanity or Donnie of his intentions as soon as they returned. --- "I know it doesn't taste as good anymore but at least your hunger is taken care of." Sebastian sighed in relief as he watched Carter finish the bag. Suddenly, he lifted a hand to cover his eyes as he started sobbing. He leant against the counter he was facing, with his free hand on its edge. He moved the hand from his eyes to his mouth as he stared at the wall. He was shaking. He removed his hand from his mouth and rested it against the counter too while opening and closing his mouth a couple of times. Like he wanted to say something but was struggling to find the words. "Sorry... I'm sorry, Carter. It's my fault. It should have been me. I shouldn't have let him take you. You shouldn't have to deal with this. I promised that I'd look out for you but I failed." --- Oliver cooed sleepily and kicked his little feet lazily as he tried to be more active but was struggling to stay awake. He kept sucking his fist, soaking the sleeve of his onesie in drool as his eyelids became too heavy for him to keep open for much longer. --- Amelia was too busy staring at Charles's new body when he jumped into the water that she wasn't prepared to be splashed and giggled as she shielded her face. While wiping some of the water from her eyes, she grinned at Charles. "You want to be naughty, huh?" she purred while swimming over to him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "That depends. Just how naughty do you want to be?" she asked playfully. --- "You will be. It should otherwise be no different from a shopping trip... if you minus the heat, the smells and the merchants trying to rip you off." Desi nodded, basing his assumptions on his previous experiences hundreds of years ago. He hadn't visited that part of the world since... not since he was stoned for trying to make a second harem on Earth there. "It'll be ok," Oscar said as he turned to Leo and placed his hands on his arms. "We'll teleport in, buy the stuff we need and teleport right out." "Barter for everything," Desi added casually. --- "Psst. Pssssssst! Kid." Carol whispered from around the corner, hiding in an art classroom. She'd teleported in but hadn't realised that school wasn't over for the day yet. "I swear I'm not a meth dealer but... Where's your science class? I need to erm- 'borrow' some equipment. You show me where it is like I'm your big sister visiting from college or something and I'll tell you how to get those bitches to stop messing with you. Deal?" --- Tia hesitated and glanced around towards the door to the spare bedroom. "What about Amelia and her baby? Shouldn't we stay to make sure they're safe? or we take them with us?" --- One of the nurses had grabbed the leash of the pitbull before it could run out into the street and it barked at Malone, growling protectively. This caused the little dog in Travis's arms to start barking and growling back at the bigger dog. "Police! Freeze!" Malone went after the man and took out his taser as he ran after him. He took aim and as soon as he was close enough he pulled the trigger. --- "Teleport home, Frederick!" Raguel barked as he turned to look at Insanity. He bent his knees a little then shot up towards him at an alarming speed. Hurtling his body at him like an oversized, heavily armoured bullet with the intention of tackling him so hard that the impact would knock him back down to the ground and also potentially break a few ribs in the process. --- "And no chick for that matter!" Bob joked then pretended to sniff his armpit. "Still, I suppose I've been sprayed with worse and if it stops the itchin' then I ain't complainin'." He looked back at Grim with his skull slightly tilted to one side. "You doing ok now, champ?" he asked him quietly. "You can talk to me whenever you feel down, ok? But just don't go hiding away as you did. Everyone goes through crap from time to time but the best way to deal with it is by surrounding yourself with people you trust. Who will support you. And buddy, you are certainly surrounded by some top-notch friends here." --- Having simply fallen asleep, Damien was completely unaware of what had almost happened to him and where he was currently going. For all he knew, he was still in the taxi and on his way to the airport. He'd been so exhausted that he slept through the brief struggle behind the cab and even slept through the door being ripped off the vehicle. He wouldn't wake up until they'd reached their new destination and before he'd even opened his eyes, he knew he was no longer in the taxi. He kept his eyes closed for a minute, pretending to be asleep and his heart pounded as he listened to his surroundings to try to fathom if he was in danger again. Hearing nothing but silence, he slowly opened his eyes to look around himself. He'd never met James before now, so as far as Damien knew, he'd just been kidnapped and brought to an isolated location by a complete stranger. Odd that he wasn't tied up or anything though. "Who are you?" he asked nervously, then put on a more authoritative tone. "Where am I? Why have you brought me here?" Denix Vames - July 13, 2022 Corey nodded. "I'll see you there. Let's get out of here before we get caught." --- "Well, now that you look like an adult, I don't think that will be a problem anymore." ,said Harris. "So, do you want to go to the Spa?" --- Phineas smiled. "Thank you, Kasper. I appreciate everything that you tell me." Frederick had teleported himself and Napoleon in front of their door. He shouted, "Help us!" Phineas ran to the front door. He opened it to find Frederick struggling to stand as he gripped Napoleon in his arms. "Oh my god! Kasper! Get some water!" He took Napoleon from him and laid him on the living room couch. "Frederick's wings are burning!" --- Carter gripped his shoulders as he looked into his eyes. "You and I both know that we would be doing the same things for each other. Because I know that if it had been you who got stuck in that damn room, I would be losing my goddamn shit too. Do you get it? No matter what, we're always going to get hurt because we love each other too much to let go. But that's alright. At the end of the day, we always win." He smiled with tears running down his cheeks. --- Jasper began to fall asleep as Oliver was too. --- "Oh I don't know. Maybe the kind of naughty in which you have to discipline me?" ,said Charles. --- Leo nodded. "Right. Let's get there now." --- Autumn nodded. "I can show you where it is but it's alright. I really don't want them to notice me anymore than they already do." She led her to the science classroom. "I'm going to leave soon. School's almost over and I've got to hang with my new friends. But if you need me to stay here, I can always text them." --- "Oh my! I completely forgot. I was so relaxed about everything when we were alone together. Let me knock and see if she wants to join us." Xenos walked over to the bedroom. He knocked on the door. "Amelia? We were thinking of taking a trip somewhere. Would you like to join us?" Jasper had to force himself off of the bed. He opened the door. "Sorry but Amelia and Charles are out on a date. I'm babysitting the little guy here." He yawned. "You seem really tired. Maybe we should take over for you." ,said Xenos. Jasper shook his head. "Nah, I'm good." He yawned again. --- The man cried out when he felt electricity burst through his body. He collapsed as he felt cuffs on his hands. "Fucking asshole! It's just a stupid mute! What the fuck's your problem?!" --- Insanity had not expected Raguel to have more power than him. Yet when he felt the blow, his eyes widened. He made indentation on the road once he hit the ground. He coughed up some blood. Feeling nothing but pain. He glared but knew that if he tried anything else, it surely wouldn't work. "If I surrender, will you promise not to hurt my family? At least give mercy to my children." --- Grim nodded "Yeah, I'm alright. I just didn't want to bring the band down with my personal problems." The band had arrived back with bags of groceries. Mainly, it was just chips, soda, and some microwavable dishes. "Hey, we're back. Who's excited for dinner tonight? Cause Pain makes a really damn good PBJ Barbecue and Popcorn chip sandwich." "You guys can add more to your sandwiches though." ,said Pain. --- "My name is James. I'm a friend of Leo's. I'm sure you've heard about him or at least ADIEU. We were once prisoners but escaped a long time ago. Now, I just roam the streets looking for trouble. In this case, your driver had bad intentions, so I knocked him out and brought you to my place. If you do need a ride, I would suggest staying on your guard." shadowess - July 14, 2022 Stevie nodded as well then peered over the machine to check if the coast was clear. "All good. We should be able to sneak out the same way we got in," he said quietly then carefully led them both out of the arcade. Once they were in the clear, he turned and grinned at Corey. "I've never done anything like that before. My heart is still going fast!" he laughed. "Well, see you later then!" he half waved then headed in the direction of his home. The part of the park that was swarming with police and tape was cleared by now. Although the tape remained to stop anyone from stumbling into the crime scene. The bodies were gone but there were blood stains on the gravelly pavement. Stevie stared into the area as he walked around the outside of the tape. His face was completely devoid of emotion. --- Clementine blushed and looked down at herself. He was right. The limits that she'd grown so used to were gone now. She could do anything she wanted without being spoken down to or treated like a child. "Yes," she said softly. "I'd love to." --- Kasper shot to his feet at the sound of shouting. He turned pale and started to shiver but he steeled himself and ran to the sink to fill up a bowl of water. He ran to the others with it while being careful not to spill it. "Quick turn around!" he said to Frederick before pouring the water carefully yet quickly over the burning parts of his wings. "What did this to you?!" --- Sebastian tried to steady his breathing as he looked into Carter's eyes. He nodded at his words and even smiled a little towards the end of Carter's speech. He moved into his arms and buried his face in his shoulder while running his hand through his hair. His other hand gripped the back of his shirt. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," he said in a quiet, quivering voice. "I'd do anything to protect you." --- "Oh?" Amelia giggled and slowly ran a couple of her fingers up the centre of Charles's chest while giving him a playful look. "Now you have me curious." --- In seconds they had teleported into an alleyway in the middle of a town in India. "Hmm, I guess things have changed since my last visit here..." Oscar mumbled as he looked around at the now unfamiliar surroundings. "Pretty sure this used to be a park... Anyways, I can't imagine we're very far from a market. Where there's a town centre, there's always a market. That much is true for any country at least." --- "Atta girl!" Carol beamed as Autumn agreed to show her to the science class. Once there, she smiled at the girl but shook her head. "I'll be fine, sweet thing. Although... I don't suppose I could borrow your backpack? Otherwise, I'll have to do this in more than one trip." she then winked. "I promise I'll bring it back to you." Carol snapped her fingers and then dove a hand into her pocket. "Tell you what. Here, keep hold of this for me. It'll motivate me to bring your backpack back to you. Call it a kind of security. It's very important to me, so keep it safe." she said as she showed the girl a necklace. A broken blue crystal on a thin chain. --- Tia chuckled at Jasper's tiredness. She knew all too well how contagious a baby's sleepiness can be. "So, this means Amelia and her child are safe from danger now?" she asked as she kept her eye on the sleeping baby. --- "My fucking problem, you piece of shit, is the guy you tried to hurt happens to be my boyfriend!" Malone hissed into the man's ear as he pulled him to his feet and started walking him towards the car. "And even if he wasn't, what gives you the right to go around assaulting people?! Did you think you'd get away with it?! Just because he doesn't speak much, doesn't mean he doesn't know how to tell me when he's in trouble! Now, you're going to sit quietly in the vet's waiting room until we're done and then I'm driving your ass back to the station. Got it?" --- Raguel landed heavily on the ground, next to Insanity and glared at him while he spoke. "I am not a monster like you. I will not hurt your children." he took the angelic bracelet out again and just as he did the scimitar vanished. "Gabriel. Assemble your men and apprehend the boys," he ordered without taking his eyes off Insanity. He then held out his free hand to him. "Now give me your wrist Devil and let us finally be done with this madness." --- Bob placed a boney hand on Grim's shoulder. "They're your friends. You won't bring them down. But they can certainly lift you back up." he said quietly then stood to greet the band as they walked in. "Welcome back! What did you buy for me?" he asked cheerily. "Noth- ew!" Lilly paused and pinched her nose. "What is that smell?!" "My new deodorant, baby! You like?" "Not particularly!" she huffed as she helped take the bags of groceries to the kitchen. "Ehh, you love it!" Bob waved his hand dismissively at her. Then feverishly scratched at one of his rib bones. "Ow! What the-!" he looked down at himself and flicked at a tough yet squishy red thing attached to his bone. "Well that's new..." he poked it. "Ow! and tender! What is that?!" Lilly paused and turned back to look at Bob curiously. She glanced at Pain worriedly then slowly walked over to Bob. "Let me see," she said as she gently moved his hands away from his ribs. "Careful, it hurts to touch! OW!!" Bob flinched as Lilly ran a finger over the red growth. "Bob... that's flesh..." She said, stepping away. "Was that always there?" "If it was, I sure as hell never noticed." Bob shrugged. "Say, you don't suppose I'm growing my own flesh suit, do ya?" he joked. "I don't know," Lilly responded seriously as she looked over the skeleton and for once, Bob was speechless. "But if you are... why now? You've been my irritating companion for ages... and reanimated corpses are supposed to continue decomposing, not... recompose!" --- "Yeah, I've heard of ADIEU..." Damien sat up with a grunt and regarded James for a moment. "My sister and I destroyed most of them a few years ago. Back when we were trying to find... someone. We'd break in, set the 'test subjects' free, burn the place to the ground then move on to the next one." At the mention of the cab driver having bad intentions, Damien tutted and ran his hand through his own hair in frustration. "I just really can't seem to catch a break lately... Thanks, man. I owe you one." he sighed then glanced around. "Oh, shit! What time is it? I was supposed to catch a flight to the UK."

Denix Vames - July 6, 2022 Corey decided to stick with Raiden since he had practice using that character. "You're on!" --- Phineas nervously rubbed his arm. "I've learned quite recently that violence doesn't solve anything. A very good man in my life has taught me that." He smiled at the thought of Kasper. "He's made me realize who I truly am. A hero." --- "Hey! I'm a Prince which means I'm above you two shit demons! Let me go!" ,said Sam as he glared. --- Carter clutched his head as he cried. "Just make it stop!" --- Jasper smiled. "Hey little fella. Didn't mean to wake ya. Your parents are busy but they left me in charge to keep an eye on you. You're safe." --- Surprised by the kiss, Charles nearly dropped her but kept a tight grip. He returned those kisses as he kept her supported against a wall. He ran a hand through her hair. --- Leo groaned awake. He looked at everyone that was in front of him. "Oscar? Hope I didn't give you a heart attack." He stood. "I'm alright. I've been through worse." He turned to Carol and looked at the paper. "Looks like we've got what we need to wipe that bitch's memory. Now, where can we find the ingredients?" --- Xenos cupped her cheeks. Looking into her eyes. "Then let's have a child." He kissed her. --- Travis smiled. He nodded. Following Malone. The sketch showed a man with no facial hair, black hair, and a buttoned shirt. Thankfully, he had the kind of face that looked different from everybody else's so he would be easy to identify. --- "Ah! I see. Where are my manners? Let me take care of him for you. I'll make sure he's weak enough for you to kill. Or better yet, and this is my suggestion, you pull his wings off. Make him bleed slowly!" Insanity stepped outside. He raised his wings and flew towards Napoleon with his talons. Napoleon raised a shield before his claws had the chance to attack. Insanity casted ray of his own powers which broke the shield in mere seconds. Sending Napoleon across the street where he slammed into a car. He stumbled to his feet before collapsing. Insanity wrapped an arm around Patches. He grinned with his other arm out. "Go ahead. Play with your new toy." --- Grim chuckled. "You're damn right! You got some good words man!" He took another sip. "Hey don't freak out or anything but can I kiss you? I think you're like awesome. Or are you into chicks?" --- James gripped the driver's shoulder. "If I were you, I would leave before I break your fucking bones." shadowess - July 7, 2022 "Alright!" Stevie started pushing the buttons as soon as the fight started. Now that Corey had some practice, he really had a challenge when it came to trying to beat him this time around. He was so focussed on the game that he forgot to check the time. Luckily he saw movement in his peripheral vision and glanced up to see the clerk walk around the wall to look around. "Shit! Duck!" he whispered suddenly and dove down behind the machine while pulling Corey's arm to make him duck down as well. His heart was pounding in his chest as he wasn't sure if either of them had been seen, yet he looked at Corey and couldn't help breaking into a wide grin from the excitement. --- Clementine stared at the photo sadly. "You're better than I am, then. I don't know if I'll ever see myself as anything other than a monster." she lifted her head as if pulling herself out of her thoughts. Tears hung in her eyes. "Apologies. Thank you for your forgiveness and kindness. I imagine you'll be wanting to get back to your own life. I'll be fine..." she glanced at Harris and smiled. "Harris and his friends will guide me in my new life and I swear that I will try to do better." --- "Your father is above you and he's the one who gave us the order, so that's not going to happen little prince." One of the demons told him. Both demons were watching Sam very carefully. They both had hardened expressions but there was a subtle nervousness about them as well that they were trying hard to conceal. They were only Demons after all, in comparison to Sam who was a Devil. "I'm sure he'll request your return soon enough. Perhaps you should spend this time to think over why he sent you here and how you can make it up to him?" --- "It'll be ok." Sebastian's voice broke as he stepped away from the door to place his hands on Carter's shoulders. "I'm here with you and I'm going to help you get through this, ok? Look at me. It's not going to be easy but you will never be alone. C'mon. Let's go to the kitchen." --- Oliver laughed at Jasper's strange accent. He didn't understand what was being said anyway but he recognised that Jasper was talking in a different way from how his parents spoke. He kicked his little feet excitedly and made a happy noise. --- Overwhelmed with passion and emotions, Amelia continued to kiss Charles. She shivered as he ran his hand through her hair and she pulled back a little to look at his face again. She caught her breath while caressing his cheek and taking in his new appearance. She looked into his eyes again and blushed while smirking and biting her lip. "Wana do it in the pool? The hot tub? Sauna?" she asked with a playful chuckle. Especially with a new baby, it wasn't often that they got to spend any time together like this so she wanted to make the most of this time. Even more so now after being so frightened of losing him. "We could make it extra steamy in there." she winked. --- "You had me worried." Oscar sighed but kissed Leo's cheek. "I'm just glad you're safe." "That's what I'd like to know," Carol responded to Leo's question while keeping her eyes fixed on Desi who stared back at them apprehensively. "This is David's plan? To erase Donnie's memories?" "Well, it's not the WHOLE plan. You're also going to put spells on him so that his evil little family can't find him. Then he's going to live a normal human life, making normal human choices." "And David thinks this will work?" Carol shrugged. "You guys have tried everything else. Why not induced amnesia too?" Desi took a moment to weigh his options. It seemed very morally questionable but this was Donnie they were talking about and Carol was right about one thing; they had tried everything else. So, what was the harm in trying this too?" He took a deep breath and sighed heavily before nodding reluctantly. "If it stops this madness once and for all, then I'm in. Let's see..." he took the list from Carol who stood back with her arms folded while she waited for him to read through it. "This looks like one of Clementine's old recipes..." "It is. Can you make it?" "I-I don't know... Clementine was very particular about the way she mixed her potions. She had this knack for combining alchemy and science... and it's not like I can ask her to be sure that I'll be doing it right... I guess we'll just have to start by gathering the ingredients and just take things from there..." Desi looked up at Leo and Oscar. "We'll need these specific herbs. Preferably freshly picked if you can get it." he pointed to a list of obscure and difficult-to-find plants. Then pointed to the last plant named "gimpy gimpy" and gave them both a very serious expression. "This one is found in Australia. Do not touch this one. At all. Not even with gloves. Use tongs and place them into a clearly labelled, heavy-duty bag. Understood? Its venomous spines are so small that you can't see them but they cover every inch of its leaves and are sharp enough to sting you through most fabrics. You really, REALLY don't want this plant to sting you." He then turned his attention to Carol. "I'll need equipment. Test tubes, bunsen burners...basically a whole chemistry set." "Rob a school science class, got it." Carol nodded and Desi squinted at her, trying to figure out if she was joking or not. --- Happy tears filled Tia's eyes and she smiled up at him. "Xenos!" she whispered and wrapped her arms around his shoulders while kissing him back. --- Malone took Travis to his car and once they got in he took out his phone. "Alright, let's see if anyone will see this little furball at short notice," he said as he started dialling a few different vets until he found one that would be able to see the dog right away. "It's a little out of the way but it's our best option," he said as he put his phone away and started up the car. He glanced at Travis and the dog briefly while he drove them across town. "Try not to get too attached to it... it might already have a home and a family who miss it. If that's the case then we'll have to return it." --- Patches drooled and chattered his teeth excitedly as he eyed the downed Angel hungrily. He'd never eaten an Angel before and he was very hungry. He hadn't eaten anything since his arrest as he couldn't stomach normal food anymore. Snarling and hunching over like a beast he ran forward, eager to find out what the Angel tasted like, only to be knocked back and sent flying across the street. Landing between Napoleon and his attackers, Raguel's wings were spread wide to shield Napoleon. He flicked his wrist and an Angelic bracelet appeared in his hand. "It's over Insanity. You can either come quietly or I'll destroy you. Your choice." --- "Neither." Bob chuckled awkwardly. "I'm a skeleton, Grim. I don't have the uh... equipment for romance. As much as I like to joke around that's all they really are... Jokes." he explained gently then scratched at his arm again. "Ugh... I think some insects might've made a home in my bones. Can't seem to shake this damn itch... Maybe it's mites or somethin'..." --- "That right?" The cab driver had frozen when James had gripped his shoulder. He hadn't noticed the man sneak up on him and couldn't be sure that he wasn't armed. Instinctively, he reached for the gun that was tucked into his belt. Denix Vames - July 7, 2022 Corey waited with him while his head was down. "After this round, we should head to the park. It's been a while now." --- Phineas smiled. "I can only ask that you do the best you can for yourself. I will see you another time." He disappeared. --- Phineas appeared in front of Kasper with tears running down his cheeks. Only he was smiling and feeling relieved. He hugged him. "I believe I've made a new friend and she is such a kind one." --- Sam rolled his eyes. "Damn piece of shit just hates the fact that I'll take over once he and dad dies." --- Carter looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Ok." He let Sebastian guide him into the kitchen. --- Jasper chuckled at his joy. He sat at the edge of the bed. "Wanna hear a story from my time? You're just a baby so I'll try to make this one more clean, ok?" --- "Pool would be just fine." ,said Charles. "Dear god, I've missed this!" --- "Let's work our way up then. Go from top to the bottom of the list. Oscar, you can help me find the ingredients." ,said Leo. --- Xenos smiled into the kiss. --- Travis frowned but knew that it wouldn't be right to keep the dog if someone else was looking for it. He hugged the little guy before letting it rest on his lap. --- Frederick appeared and lifted Napoleon off the ground. Insanity laughed. "Destroy me? I'll only come back you pathetic fool! And what's the point of protecting that useless Angel? He had his time to shine centuries ago. He is now worthless!" Frederick glared. "Hold your tongue!" --- "Oh crap! I mean we have cremes for these situations but when it comes to human. I'm not sure how you can deal with bugs. Maybe we could buy one of those ointments and see if it works anyway?" ,said Grim. --- James gripped his wrist. Forcing him to take out the gun which he grabbed and smashed with one squeeze. He let the broken gun go and punched him. Shadowess - July 10, 2022 Stevie had been staring at Corey while they'd been hiding but was soon stirred from his thoughts by Corey's suggestion. "Um-... di-didn't you say you had to go to the police station first?" he asked in a low voice so as to not draw attention to them. --- Clementine wiped the tears from her eyes and stored the photo safely in her pocket. "Well, that was... something." she laughed weakly. "What should we do now? What do you normally do?" --- Kasper hugged Phineas back with a warm smile. "That's wonderful news," he said in a soft voice. "Let's have some lemonade. You can tell me all about her." he took Phineas's hand and walked with him to the kitchen. --- The Demons exchanged a concerned glance in front of Sam. Then they both turned to look at the Devil-boy apprehensively. "You know Devils don't age, right?" one of them asked. "Deacon, maybe it isn't our place to tell him things like that?" the other quickly interjected while looking at his Demonic colleague. Deacon stammered, knowing he'd slipped up but seemed torn about whether or not the other demon was right. --- Relieved, Sebastian took a quick breath to calm himself down a bit as he walked with Carter to the kitchen. He took two blood bags out of the fridge and handed one to Carter. "May as well drink that one now, it'll help make the cravings subside," he said while taking out a kettle that they had bought specifically for warming up blood. He opened it up and poured the second bag into it before placing it onto the cooker. --- Of course, Oliver didn't understand what Jasper was saying. But his hushed and gentle voice, along with the kind smile made Oliver feel comfortable. He felt safe and also fascinated by the man in strange clothes who was holding him. While staring up at Jasper intently, Oliver began sucking on his own fist. He might not know what was being said, but that didn't mean he wasn't listening carefully to how each word sounded. Soaking up the language like a sponge. --- "Me too." Amelia breathed. She smirked at him while hopping down and stepping away. Giving him an alluring look, Amelia stepped towards the pool and began removing her clothes piece by piece as she did. She slowly dropped each article of clothing to the ground and turned to face the water as she got closer to the edge. Grinning, she sat down and removed the last bits before easing herself into the water. She left out a soft sigh as the water enveloped her, surprised but delighted to find that the pool was heated. She swam out a bit then turned onto her back to smile at Charles. "You coming?" she asked then added with a cheeky giggle; "Charlie boy?" --- "Sure." Oscar nodded and looked over the list. "I think some of these plants are found in the hotter countries..." "Yes, most of them are." Desi agreed. "Check the spice markets in India, Pakistan and Nepal." For a second he looked like he was finished speaking but then he quickly turned back to the pair while holding a finger up. "Ah! And when you get there..." he shifted uncomfortably. "Be careful. That area of Earth, the people have their own customs and traditions... and they're not as 'tolerant' of people like ourselves if you catch my meaning." "Don't hold hands in front of the bigots?" Oscar rose a brow. "Pretty much." Desi sighed sadly. "They're not like Europe and Britain. I don't believe they're even aware of other species yet. The last thing we need right now is to cause an incident." While they had been talking, Carol had vanished. There was a strong possibility that she was breaking into a school somewhere. --- Just as Tia was getting lost in the kiss, a now fully clothed Jack ran out of his room. He stopped in his tracks and grinned before making mock kissing noises. Tia immediately started giggling and pulled away from Xenos to quickly grab a nearby towel which she threw at Jack playfully. Jack laughed and ran down the stairs. Tia continued to giggle as she turned to Xenos. "We um, should probably wait until later." --- The dog licked at Travis's hand before curling up on his lap and yawning. They soon pulled up to the vets and Malone got out. He walked around the car and held the door open for Travis so that he wouldn't struggle to do so with the dog in his arms. They'd then walk into the vets and up to the counter to talk to the receptionist. "Hey, my name's Malone. I called about a dog we found earlier?" he said in a quiet voice. "Ah, yes. It'll be a few minutes yet if that's ok? There's currently another 'patient' being seen right now. Feel free to take a seat." "Thank you." Malone nodded and turned to face the rest of the waiting room. There were a few other people waiting as well. Each with their own pets either in their arms, on a leash or in a pet carrier. "Guess we gotta wait a little," he said as he turned to smile at Travis. --- Raguel smirked at Insanity. He was about to learn how ruthless and harsh Raguel could be. "Worthless, hm? And what are you worth exactly? If I recall correctly, you were a pathetic human murderer before your lover started giving you attention. On the run, because let's face it, you were sloppy! Artist? Pah! Nothing more than a deranged nobody. What exactly were you hoping to achieve with your murders anyway? Did you really think you were doing something great? That it all meant something? You were nothing. You ARE nothing." He lifted his free arm and a large, double-bladed scimitar appeared in his hand. The silver-white Angelic steel glistened in the sunlight. He pointed one end of it to Insanity threateningly. "And once I obliterate you, you will still. Be. NOTHING!" --- "Eh, it's no biggie I'm sure... should've seen the pet rat I had that one time. Little bugger kept nibbling on my ankles!" Bob said cheerily then grunted as he scratched at his arm a little more feverishly. "Ugh... but maybe some ointment or something could help me deal with the itching?" --- There was a short struggle as the cab driver tried to keep hold of his gun but then froze in utter shock and confusion when he saw James crush it with one hand. He was so taken aback by the stranger's strength that he didn't see the punch coming until it was too late and he fell to the ground, knocked out.

Shadowess - July 4, 2022 "Cool." Beamed Stevie. When the fight started, instead of going straight for his character, Stevie kept his own character distanced while he showed Corey the different combinations of buttons that he could press to achieve special moves. "Give it a try on my character. I won't move for this fight so you can practise, then the next fight will be fairer." --- A weight lifted. Clementine felt so light that she felt a little dizzy from it. It had seemed too easy but Phineas seemed to genuinely believe her. Gasping then sobbing out of sheer relief, Clementine quickly covered her face. Embarrassed about showing her own emotions. --- "Then simply be loyal," Warren said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Show him that he can trust you. That you'll follow him no matter how hard things get. I haven't been with this family for long but I've learned that they value our loyalty and trust." Happy to have helped Dariel come to terms with his new life, Warren looked back over at the family and frowned a little. He was worried about Donnie so he couldn't imagine how Insanity must be feeling now. He moved over to him and stopped at the end of the couch. Out of respect, he wouldn't sit with him unless he was invited to do so. "Sire? Forgive my approach," he said in a soft voice, trying to keep his voice low so that his words would be private. "I know you must be concerned for King Donnie. Is there anything that I can do for you? I'd like to help any way that I can." he said, hoping to comfort him in some way. --- "I-I don't know... I don't know where he is right now..." Sebastian lied and then hurriedly started to pull Carter towards the house. "C'mon Carter. Let's get inside before it becomes too much. You need to resist it. It'll only make things worse." --- Exhausted from all the fear and other emotions he'd felt from everyone else around him for the past few hours, Oliver was still sleeping soundly when Jasper talked to him. While he slept he sucked on his fist and dreamed of being in his mother's arms and hearing his father's french lullabies. His little mouth widened into a smile while he slept and he cooed sleepily. Filled with love from his dream, Oliver was soon enveloped in a pale blue glow while a pair of fairy wings made entirely of blue light shone underneath him. Unaware and unable to control his energy yet, it rapidly filled the house and made everyone inside feel utter affection. --- Just like the last time, the moment Charles kissed her she knew without any doubt that it was really him and that she still loved him despite his change of appearance. "It's ok. It's ok," she whispered to him shakily while running her hand through his hair and caressing his cheek with her other hand. "You're still you. You're still my Charles." she then let out a weak laugh. "But I have to admit, I'm going to miss that french accent." Carol sighed and frowned a little but couldn't help smiling at the couple. She was disappointed that she'd no longer get to torture Donnie but maybe this was for the best? As much as she would've loved reliving her past, she'd rather not put everything her daughter had built in jeopardy. "I meant what I said," she said to Charles. "I will always be your loyal soldier... no matter how you choose to rule." David had nodded to Charles's order. "Thank you." "No! NO!" Donnie was backing away again, towards the back of the cell. "You haven't won! My family will find me! They'll free me from your pathetic plan!" "Not this time," David said with a serious expression. "You're not the only one who knows how to cast spells. I'll have Desi cast a few on you to make sure they never find you. You'll live a human life, making human choices. You will only have your memories back when you 'die' as a mortal. Then we will see if the experience changes you." Donnie turned pale. "Oh, I get it now." he seethed. "You can't destroy me so you found an entirely different way to kill me!" he clapped slowly. "Bravo, my nemesis! Bravo! I have to admit, it's actually quite genius." "What are you talking about?" David frowned. His eyebrows furrowed. "He found a way to save your ungrateful arse, stupid!" Carol rolled her eyes. "No, don't you see?" Donnie chuckled. "He plans to erase my memory to give me an entirely new life with the aim of changing the way that I think!" "Yyyeah? And?" Carol placed a hand on her hip and stared at Donnie expectantly. "So, in a way, I will die." Donnie finished and placed a hand on his own chest. "This version of me. This Donnie will cease to exist." "And a new Donnie will take his place." David nodded. "With any luck, he'll be far better than you." "Fuck you!" "Charles, you were last to see Clementine's home before it was destroyed. I know you destroyed everything but I don't suppose you recall the recipe for the memory potions she used to make?" David asked as he turned to them and proceeded to ignore Donnie's insult. --- "Well, the..." Tia tried to remember the terminology the doctors had used when teaching her people werewolf sexual education when they'd still been in the facility. "Gestation? is fast but once they're born they grow at the same rate as a human." she then tilted her head and looked thoughtful. "But if you're not sure, then I don't mind waiting so that you can think it over." she smiled and kissed his cheek. --- "It's still not right." Malone sighed. "Travis, please. What if we let him get away and he hurts someone else? I promise we'll go straight to the vet once you're done." --- If Patches hadn't already been familiar with magic and the afterlife from previous experiences, he might've cowered when Napoleon's wings made an appearance. Instead, he was reminded of his master's murder and growled savagely at the Angel. Drool dribbled from between his sharpened and jagged teeth then dripped down his chin. His eyes were wide and his pupils were small. Other than the makeup and costume, he otherwise looked like a wild animal. The energy hit him square in the chest and he was knocked back, pinned against the back wall of his cell. He snarled and snapped his jaws at Napoleon in defiance before letting out an enraged roar. Patches simply didn't understand what he had done wrong. The way he saw it, he was a predator like any other animal and only killed to sustain himself...even if his prey happened to be the same species as him. But then, Patches had never thought of himself as being human, to begin with. --- It wasn't clear how much time had passed since Tristan had broken into his apartment. Everything seemed to happen so quickly. Damien had blacked out, assuming he was losing consciousness from the amount of venom in his system thanks to all of Tristan's little love bites. But then he came back to his senses and found himself stumbling down the street hurriedly. Covered in blood, a mixture of his own and the vampire's. His neck had small bruises, resembling hickeys. His breathing was ragged and every muscle in his body ached as he continued on, determined to get to the airport. Blood dripped from the long cut on his arm from the broken glass but he was so drunk on the venom that he barely felt it at all. He had no idea how he'd managed to escape Tristan's grasp, nor did he care to know. All that mattered to him now was that he catches his plane and get to the UK just as he told his son he would. He glanced around woozily and noted the reason he was squinting so much. The morning light had broken over the horizon... Damien's pace slowed and he let out a long sigh out of relief. The vampire couldn't possibly follow him now, even if he was capable of doing so. He stumbled over to a wall to lean against it so that he could catch his breath and think. He needed to get to the airport. Ideally, before nightfall when that crazy vampire might try to find him again. He certainly wasn't going to do that on foot. He glanced around and spotted a phone booth. 'They're still a thing? Whatever...right now, I'll take what I can get...' he thought to himself as he stumbled over to it and opened the glass door. Damien picked up the phone and placed it to his ear while searching his pockets for change. Denix Vames - July 4, 2022 "Alright." Corey began using the moves that he mentioned. "Awesome! I'm really kicking some ass!" --- Phineas turned around. He walked over to her. "I'd like to give you something to show that we are now friends." He took out the photo of himself sitting on a chair with his iron rod. "I know my lover may worry but if you ever need my help then please summon me through this photo. You can speak and I'll be there." --- Dariel nodded. "I'll do my best." Insanity shook his head. "There is nothing you can do but take care of my family. I must find a way to free Donnie somehow before it's too late." He held back tears but the sad expression remained. His eyes suddenly lit up. "I have a great idea! Stay here and keep an eye out. I'm going to fetch something." He disappeared. --- "It's not exactly easy! How the fuck did you ever deal with this?" Carter struggled to ignore the scent. When he got inside, he smashed the coffee table. Hoping to release his stress. He clutched his head. "I can still smell it! I have to go! I need it!" He stormed to the door. --- Jasper smiled. "Well, I'll be!" He lifted him out of the crib and held him close. "You and your family are just full of surprises, ain't ya?" --- Charles chuckled. "I really need to stop changing accents so often. I think it's become quite a bad habit." He turned to Donnie. "No. You'll still be you but you will know better. Hopefully, we can get your family to understand that what they've been doing is wrong." He faced Carol. "Then under my orders, I want you to work with David in helping bad souls become good." He turned back to Amelia. Holding a smile. "Let's go home to our son." --- "That's not what I meant. I would love to have a child with you but you have to understand this. A Blood God is typically insane. I am one of the few to be sane. I'm worried that the child we may have will harm others. I don't want to be responsible for so many deaths." He turned away. "And I shudder to think of killing my own child when I must save the world." --- Travis frowned but nodded. He did a quick sketch of the man and handed it to Travis. He would take the puppy and hold it close. --- Just as Napoleon was about to blast another swarm of energy, Insanity stood right in front of him. "Get out of my way! This monster must be destroyed!" Insanity smirked. "Sorry but finders keepers." He shoved him back. Napoleon raised his hands. Insanity blast his own energy at him before he had the chance. Napoleon was thrown against the wall. He collapsed but forced himself up. "Hello there clown. Patches, was it? Well, if you be a good boy and help my family free one of our members then I can take you to your master. Do we have a deal?" He unlocked the cell with just his nail. Opening the door. "You can play with this little guy first as an added bonus." Napoleon ran out of the building. Knowing how difficult it would be to battle in an enclosed space. --- Grim had gotten drunk and was crying. He was in the band's hangout place as he told Bob everything about his breakup with his boyfriend. "I mean who does that?! Breaking up in the middle of sex? That's so not cool!" The other band members had gone to get groceries. Not knowing where Grim had been and assumed he was sleeping in. Denix Vames - July 6, 2022 (forgot about this for a while) "Let's go home to our son after I write the instructions to making this potion down." ,said Charles. Shadowess - July 6, 2022 "You are now. But when the next game starts the real fun begins because then we'll be an even match." Stevie said as he let Corey practice using the special abilities until he won the game. While he was playing, Stevie glanced up at Corey to watch the way he focussed on the game. He felt his cheeks grow warmer so he quickly and shyly looked back at the game before Corey could notice. Once the game restarted, he selected his favourite character again and let Stevie decide whether or not to change characters before the next round. --- Clementine stared at the image in her hands then looked back at Phineas in surprise. "You'd help me? After what I helped to put you through?" she blinked back tears, moved by the gesture. "Thank you." --- Warren blinked when Insanity suddenly vanished while ordering him to stay. He couldn't help wondering what he was planning and what had caused the sudden inspiration. --- "I know... I struggled. But then Amelia always took herself far enough away that I could never find her even if I wanted to. So I never had the constant temptation." Sebastian admitted. He then looked at Carter in alarm when he started for the door and he ran to block his path. He pressed his back against the door to keep it shut while keeping an eye on Carter. "No, you don't! I know it smells good and I know you're craving it but it will only make things worse! Carter, you're so close. We can get you some human blood to satiate your thirst. I'll make it hot for you. It should tide you over until Damien manages to leave the country." --- Oliver cooed sleepily as Jasper picked him up. He sensed no danger though so he merely opened his eyes slowly to blink at him. His little expression reflected his curiosity at the strange man that was holding him before he broke into a wide, toothless smile. --- Once Charles had written the recipe down, Amelia hugged Charles tightly and whispered into his ear. "I thought I was going to lose you. Oliver is safe with Jasper. Before we go back though, I really need to get something out of my system." she smiled and teleported them both to a swimming pool. It was the break of dawn so the pool was still closed and there were no chances of anyone walking in on them. She bit her lip and smiled at Charles playfully while leading him towards a wall where she rested her hands on his shoulders before hopping up to wrap her legs around his hips. She kissed him deeply and passionately. --- David took the recipe and quickly read it while Carol knelt over Leo to look at him curiously. "Hello handsome," she smirked. "You're definitely not his type and he's already taken," David told her bluntly while not taking his eyes off the recipe. "Ugh! The cute ones always are..." She huffed as she lifted Leo into her arms with apparent ease. "You know him better. Where should I deliver him?" "You know Oscar?" "The punisher Demon?" "Former punisher Demon. He's his partner. Teleport to him and you'll be taking him home. Here, take this with you. I need these ingredients and the equipment to make the potion." "I'm not your damn errand girl!" "Charles said you have to help me." David grinned at her sassily and for a moment the pair looked more like siblings than friends. "Fine! But I'm doing this for Charles and not because you told me to. Got it?" "Got it." David chuckled as Carol snatched the list from his hand before vanishing. --- "Special delivery!" Carol announced as she popped into the mansion with the unconscious Leo in her arms. "Leo!" Oscar gasped as ran over to pull him into his own arms. "What happened?!" "He tried to fight Charles and got his ass handed to him. It was hilarious." Carol chuckled. "That doesn't sound too funny to me!" Oscar snapped angrily. "Oh, calm down lizard boy. Charles is back to his normal self now and Leo helped David to get his way in the end so I guess it wasn't all bad." "Lizard Boy? Who the hell are you?!" "Carol, sweet thing." she winked with a cheeky grin then looked over at Desi. "And he's going to help me find a few things for David." "Wait- Carol? Carol Magpie?!" Oscar gawped. "Ding ding." Carol sang while striding past him towards Desi. "So, how about it. Want to help me and David wipe Donnie's memory clean and make him mortal?" "Wait... what?" Desi blinked at her in surprise. --- Tia tilted her head to one side and regarded Xenos for a moment. "Who says all Blood Gods must be insane?" she asked. "It's like when the humans tell each other that Werewolves are like rabid, feral animals. They say so because they know we're stronger and they fear us. So they make us out to be these monsters that cannot be controlled to justify the cull of our race..." she bit her lip and hesitated before pointing out. "Since you freed us from our prison... you are the only one of your kind that I have met. So, maybe what happened to our people wasn't so different?" She fidgeted with her hands nervously. "I know what I'm asking isn't easy. I know that our kinds...mixing...it never happens. But, I can't help dreaming of having our own little family. Of Jack having a little brother or sister. I just..." she looked down at her arms, how empty they were without a child to fill them. "Jack is growing up so quickly and soon he'll be too big for me to pick up... I just want to feel that again." --- "Thank you," Malone said gently as he carefully passed the dog back to Travis before turning and walking over to Officer Hayward. "Hey, could you put out a BOLO for this guy? He attacked Travis," he said while passing the sketch to her. "Oh, my God! Is he ok?" Hayward jumped up from her desk to peer over Malone's shoulder in Travis's direction. "He's a little shaken but he seems fine. I'm guna take my break now and head out with him for a bit. You guna be ok with that?" he pointed to the sketch. "Uh, yeah. Sure. I'll get on that now." she nodded quickly before turning and hurrying off with the sketch. Malone turned around and walked back over to Travis. "Alright, let's take this little guy to the vets then. Make sure he's not lost or sick." he smiled while pulling his jacket from the back of his chair and putting it on. --- Patches stared at the stranger who was releasing him from his cell and cautiously skulked out when the door was opened. His eyes lit up with hope at the idea that his master could be freed. He watched Napoleon running and growled but knew he wasn't a match for people like him. He wasn't magical in any way so wouldn't be able to do much to defend himself. He gave Insanity a look and hoped that, like his old master, he could read his mind to know that he was afraid to fight the Angel. --- It wasn't like Bob had a lot of places to be right now. Especially not since Lilly had started spending all of her free time with Pain and barely acknowledged his existence anymore. Not that it wasn't nice to see her happy, but Bob was starting to get a little bored of the whole 'will they, won't they?' thing that they seem to have going right now. He'd already lost his bet to Storm about how long it would take for the pair to so much as a kiss. Almost a week since that bet was made and they still hadn't made any dang moves! Now Bob had to figure out a way to pay Storm five bucks... But right now, aside from a random itch, he was scratching on his radius bone, his attention was on the very drunk and upset Grim. "Nah man, try not to waste your tears on that no good cretin, ya dig? You're worth so much more and at the end of the day, it's his loss. He shoulda treated you better. Think of it this way, he's the one that fucked up so badly that he's lost any chance of getting to tap that sweet ass of yours again. Rise above it and live your life like you never even needed him in the first place! The best revenge is showing him how little you rely on him to get by. Trust me, it'll drive him nuts." he paused briefly before saying out loud. "...wink." --- After clumsily stuffing change into the coin slot and dialling the number for a cab, Damien rested against the glass wall of the phone booth until the taxi finally rolled up next to him. Relieved, he hopped straight into the backseat and told the driver to take him to the airport. Once they were on their way and he felt he could relax a little more, Damien passed out from exhaustion. The cab driver saw this in his rearview mirror and took a slight detour. People in this city went missing all the time and tourists were easy targets. The fact that the passed-out male already looked roughed up was an added bonus because it meant he was not only too weak to fight back but was also likely to be the kind of person that wouldn't be missed. He pulled into an alley, wanting to get a better look at him. He jumped out and opened the backdoor to look him over. No track marks so there was a good chance he wasn't a drug abuser, which meant his organs might be good for harvesting... the cab driver then got a better look at his face and smirked. Despite all the blood and bruises, he was quite handsome. So, he would likely earn more money over a longer period of time as a sex worker. But first things first, he'd need to deliver him to the port so that he could be trafficked elsewhere and forced to work. Whistling a happy tune, he walked around to the back of his taxi and opened the trunk. He opened a hidden compartment and took out a few zip ties as well as a cloth for a gag.

Denix Vames - June 23, 2022 Corey was trying his best to beat him but wasn't doing a very good job at it. This was his first time at an Arcade. "How the hell are you supposed to do anything with these buttons?" --- Phineas cupped his cheeks. "Of course I will." He kissed him. After saying goodbye, he appeared in front of Harris and Clementine. Seeing her made him glare as he nervously rubbed his arm. He turned around. Unable to look at her. "I'm sorry. It's just...you were there when he took me away from my family. I didn't even know if you were still around or not." Harris cleared his throat. "Clementine would like to say something." Phineas sighed. "Ok." He looked at her. "Go ahead." --- Dariel sat up. He sighed as he hugged his knees. "I was tired of everyone bullying me just for simply existing." He shut his eyes. Thinking about the incident. "I killed so many people at my school and then..." He was shaking. "I shot myself. I know it wasn't right but at the time I felt like that it was justice. I'm sorry. I wish I could take it all back." He looked at him. "Do I even deserve to be loved? Does Sam even love me?" --- Carter could smell Devil's blood. Though Damian was far, he could tell where he was. He covered his nose. Trying to suppress his urges. "You have to force me! That smell! I can't stop thinking about it!" --- Charles suddenly laughed. "You really have lost it, haven't you David?" He grabbed a fistful of his shirt and threw him aside. Leo let go of the body before running over. Jumping high and swinging a kick at him. Charles gripped his leg and slammed him on the ground. Leo groaned. Struggling to get up. "Donnie here will be punished for all eternity by this beautiful woman right here." He had his hands pointed at Carol's direction. "Charles....This isn't you. Stop...!" Leo forced himself to stand. Charles punched him. Making him fall over again. Leo pushed against the ground. Hoping to get up. But instead, he passed out. --- Jasper appeared in front of Amelia. "You've got to talk to your fiance! He's going to order that Donnie be tortured for the rest of his life! The thing is David saw that the compass was leaning towards grey just a bit. Donnie can be changed! I was watching from afar. Spying. Please Amelia. I'll watch the baby." --- "Grows up? I didn't think about that until now." Xenos looked at the frog. "I wonder what kind of man he'll be when he reaches that adult age." --- Travis gently brought the dog into Malone's arms. He began to write in his notepad. 'A man was going to punch me. I accidentally bumped into him. He got really made so I apologized with my notepad. When he found out I was mute, he pushed me. I was expecting that punch when this dog came and save me. It drove him away. We need to help this dog. Please.' shadowess - June 29, 2022 "There's a knack to it. If you press certain buttons in a sequence you can pull off special moves." Stevie told him as he managed to do such a move which resulted in brutality. He smiled and glanced at Corey. "Want to try again? I'll show you some buttons to press." --- Clementine was hesitant but she stood and held her hands in front of her while averting her gaze from Phineas. "The way that I treated you was wrong, Phineas. I was unkind to you and hurt you." she sighed and stared hard at the ground. "I apologise for the way I behaved and the way I made you feel. I was selfish and brutal. I understand if you won't forgive me but please know that I intend to make changes to my life. I don't know why I was given this second chance but I do know that I don't want to waste it by being the same cruel and vindictive demon that I once was. I want to change." --- "Of course he does!" Warren said in a soft voice. "This family, they just... show their love differently." he placed a hand on his own chest and could feel his scars through his shirt. He glanced at Insanity and felt his heart flutter at the memory of being together with him and Donnie. He quickly looked away shyly if Insanity glanced over. His cheeks were red. "Knowing that they love us despite our sins... that's all I need to give them my eternal loyalty. Think about it. If they didn't love us, they would have left us behind when our home was attacked. But they didn't. They scooped us up and brought us with them." --- "Smell? What smell?" Sebastian looked around, confused. Because he currently wasn't addicted and also didn't have any Devil blood in his system to heighten his senses, Sebastian could only smell the blood of those in the neighbouring houses. He looked at Carter worriedly. "C'mon. Let's get you inside." he got out of the car and then hurried around it to open the passenger side door. He gently pulled Carter into his arms with the intention of hurrying him into the house. "I'll make you some hot blood, ok? Just the way you like it." --- After hearing Jasper's plea, she got up from the bed. She didn't know if this really meant that Donnie could be saved and she was still furious with him herself but she was deeply concerned with Charles's state of mind. Especially after he'd been kidnapped. She glanced at Oliver, worried about leaving him alone again but she trusted Jasper. "Thank you," she said softly with a nod before vanishing. --- Eyes widening, David's back hit the wall before he stood and stared at Charles in shock. He opened his mouth to argue but much like Carol, he felt like he was back under Lucifer's reign. He hesitated, torn between his loyalty to Amelia and memories of an old life. Until he remembered how much of a pain in Lucifer's backside he used to be and smirked. "I was one of Lucifer's most annoying soldiers once," he said while straightening up. "But he still kept me around and trained me. Do you know why? Because I was always honest with him. Even if he'd rather not hear the truth, he knew that whenever I told him anything it was never to try and impress him or get anything for myself. He knew exactly where he stood with me. His motto was to never trust anyone... But I truly believe that he trusted me. Charles please, I need you to trust me too." "Charles?" Amelia's voice came from behind them. She was looking at the group in confusion, searching for the man who had been taken from her. When her eyes landed on Charles's face and she looked into his eyes, she was reminded of the moment when Charles had gotten his own body back before. She felt the same emotions she had back then when she recognised him despite his appearance and still felt love for him. But why did he look different now? She took a timid step toward him while staring at him. "Charles? What happened to you?" she asked as tears blurred her vision. "What's going on?" --- "He looks up to you." Tia smiled warmly as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I think he'll grow up to be a good man. Like you." she kissed him and then gave him a look while biting her lip. "I miss the feeling of holding him when he was smaller. Do you think we should try for another child?" --- Malone gingerly held the dog and watched patiently as Travis wrote down his experience. When he read the message he blinked and looked at Travis worriedly before glancing at the dog which was shivering in his hands. "Of course. We'll take the little guy to a vet. We'll have to make sure it's not sick or lost." he looked back at Travis and tilted his head at him. "But first, you're going to submit a statement so that we can catch the guy that assaulted you. Could you draw a sketch of him?" --- Bag packed, Damien sat at his computer to book himself a flight out of the US. The next flight would leave in a few hours. He printed his ticket and stuffed it into his pocket. Now all he needed to do was buy a new phone on the way to the airport and he'd be all set. Not wanting to waste time, he stood and flung his backpack over his shoulder. He marched over to his door and opened it. Then he froze at the sight of a stranger standing there, staring in at him with its hood up. Just a few minutes earlier, Tristan had been wandering the streets. Trying to stay out of sight of any cameras or people while he was still on the run after escaping the CIA facility. He had no idea that Janik was dead. The last thing he knew was that he had to run as far and fast from that facility as possible after witnessing Janik murdering Natali and knowing he would come after him next. His constant hiding had made it difficult for him to feed properly so he had gotten thinner and he felt constantly hungry. So, when Damien had walked past the alley he was in, he picked up his scent immediately and was intrigued by how sweet his blood smelled. He followed him. Carefully and quietly. He managed to slip into the barred outer door when one of Damien's neighbours had opened it. Then he silently followed Damien's scent all the way to the door of his apartment and waited. When the door finally opened, Tristan stared in at Damien, fascinated by his scent. "Who are you?" Damien's question and demanding tone stirred him from his thoughts. "What are you doing here?" Smiling at him weakly, Tristan's fangs were on show and gave away his hunger. "Guten Tag" he greeted him, trying to put on some charm despite his dishevelled appearance. A shiver ran down Damien's spine at the sight of those fangs and without hesitation, he attempted to slam his door on the vampire. Not one to take "no" for an answer, Tristan shoved the door back before it could close. The force of his strike caused the door to be knocked off its hinges and for Damien to be knocked backwards. He'd tripped and fell against the edge of the little wooden side table, breaking it. Groaning and taking a sharp breath in through his teeth, Damien sat up while cradling his arm. There had been a glass resting on the table, which had shattered in the impact and left a long cut across his arm. His scent suddenly became so much stronger and this caused the vampire to gasp excitedly. He took in a long breath to savour the smell. He hadn't known anything like it. With very little self-control, Tristan jumped onto him, pinning him down. "Don't-!" Damien tried to warn him then cringed when he felt Tristan's tongue running over his arm, lapping up the blood. "Trust me, you really don't want to do this!" "Oh, but I do." Tristan moaned as he lifted his head to look at Damien. "And so beautiful too." he gasped. "I thought I knew how love felt but could I have been wrong? Are you my match, Liebling? The one I've been searching for?" "Uh-!? No!" Damien's eyes widened in alarm. "Don't take this the wrong way buddy, but you're definitely not my type!" "We'll see." Tristan chuckled then leant down to kiss his neck. Damien groaned uncomfortably and stiffened. "I'm telling you, don't do this! I'm not human, you'll get- ah!" He gasped sharply as the familiar pain shot through his neck, then shivered and moaned as the venom started to make him feel more relaxed. After only a small sip, Tristan pulled away and stared at Damien in surprise while licking the blood from his lips. "Meine Gott! It must be true! Oh, meine love!" "Don't flatter yourself..." Damien growled. "You're just a vampire who got lucky. That's all. Get off me!" "Neine." Tristan chuckled playfully. "I'm just getting started. You will see. We are meant for each other." "You're a fucking lunatic!" "This time it will work. This time no one will take you from me!" "The fuck are you talking about?!" "I will make you love me!" "I don't even know who you-!" Damien cried out as Tristan plunged his fangs into his throat again. He tensed and groaned, writhing under him. Once more, Tristan only took a sip before pulling back. "Shhh... let my venom replace your pain with pleasure." he whispered into his ear and Damien shivered. "Stop..." he breathed, feeling tired from the effects of the venom. "Don't worry. I won't take too much. I don't want to lose you." Tristan whispered while brushing some of Damien's hair out of his face. "My beloved one." Denix Vames - June 29, 2022 "Sure. I wouldn't mind playing again." ,said Corey. The next character he would choose would be Raiden. --- Phineas suddenly sobbed. Overwhelmed by her answer, he nodded. "I can see that you truly have changed. I forgive you." --- Dariel nodded. "You're right about that. This is all a first for me so I don't really know what to do or say. I still want to impress Sam when he comes back." --- Carter gripped on Sebastian. His eyes widened. "I can smell it more now. But why? Is he getting closer or....did he get hurt? Either way, it smells so damn good." --- Jasper walked over to the crib. "Hey little guy. Looks like we haven't met yet but I'm Jasper. The Spirit of Fairness." --- "Amelia....?" Tears left Charles. He covered his mouth. "Oh god! What am I doing? I've forgotten all about my old ways." He walked over to her. "Amelia I....I'm sorry." He held her hand before kissing her gently. "Do what you think is right, David. I must return home to my family." --- Xenos blushed. "I don't know. Werewolves do grow fast, don't they? But....I wouldn't want someone to be stuck with my abilities. I'm not sure. It's a nice idea." --- Travis wrote, 'It's ok. I deal with this all the time. I'm fine. It's not like it's anything new.' --- Napoleon appeared in France. Having stood where that freaky clown killer was. "So you are the monster that I've been hearing about? Killing my own people. Well, I won't allow this to continue!" He raised his hands as his wings sprouted. His energy hit the clown like a ray gun.

Denix Vames - June 22, 2022 Gabriel gave him a hopeful smile before disappearing. --- "Thank you. You are far too kind. I am ever so excited to see my people. I wish to hear what they have to say. I wonder now if my actions have brought good things to them." ,said Napoleon as he followed. --- "Sounds cool. Uh...?" Corey looked over the characters. "I guess I'll pick this guy." He chose Sub-Zero. "They're almost matching except the colors are different." --- Harris blushed. "Oh! Um I nearly forgot. We can't go where he lives. He's in Heaven. I'll call him and see if he wishes to come visit." He closed his eyes. Giving his message to Phineas. --- Phineas was working on the field of wheat when he heard the message. He wiped the sweat off his forehead with his arm. "Kasper? There are some friends that wish to see me. They can't enter here so I must go to them. Would that be alright? It'll only be for a moment and then I'll come back here right away." --- Sam swung his knife at one of the Demons. Insanity gripped his wrist and forced the knife out of his hand. Taking it. "No more knife privileges until you learn to behave!" He glared at the demons. "You best hold him good! Make sure he does not escape." He grabbed paper bag from the kitchen. He stuffed two slices in there and a water bottle. He handed the bag over to one of the demons. "That's his meal." Sam struggled against the demons who held him. "You can't do this!" He held a look of pure hatred in his eyes. "Oh but I can. And I will." "No!" Dariel stood. He ran over. "Please! Just give him another chance. I'm sure that he's sorry." Sam smirked. "As if!" Dariel looked at them. "Oh my god...." He covered his mouth as he backed up against a wall. "Have I really been helping the bad guys? All those things that the man said when you were all fighting. Were they true?" Insanity wrapped a hand around his neck. "Listen here boy. You are to do whatever I tell you to do. Otherwise, I will torture you endlessly." He cut his cheek with one nail. Dariel cringed. "Do I make myself clear?" "Please stop. Just stop hurting people." "Hmph! You've got a lot to learn." Insanity let him go and sat on the couch where he began to eat with Theron. Dariel curled up and cried. --- Once Sebastian parked at the house, Carter slowly opened his eyes. "Sebastian? Where's Damien?" Tears dripped down his cheeks. "Oh god....Where's everybody? I have to tell him I'm sorry. They were going to kill you if I didn't...." He breathed heavily. "His blood tasted so damn good. I couldn't stop. I hate this feeling. Please make it go away." --- Charles chuckled. "Alright. I'll entertain your idea." He took the compass from Leo. He glared at Donnie. "Come over! Now!" Once he was close enough, he would grab him by his shirt and place the compass over his chest. Waiting for the result. --- Xenos lifted out of the tub and on the floor. He began to scrub the towel all over his fur. Drying him up. --- Travis gently took the dog in his arms. He walked over to the precinct which was not too far since that was where he was heading. He stepped inside. "Malone! Malone!" shadowess - June 23, 2022 "Ha! Cool. He's got ice powers." Stevie said and in moments they were both mashing buttons in an attempt to make their characters kill each other. --- "Ok..." Clementine nodded and clasped her hands together tightly on her lap out of nerves as she waited for Phineas to appear while trying to think of what she might say to him when he does. --- Kasper had just brought out a couple of glasses of freshly made lemonade when Phineas told him he was being summoned by friends. "Oh. Alright." he smiled. "Promise me you'll be careful?" he asked, showing he was a little anxious about Phineas leaving Heaven. Considering all Phineas had gone through, it was understandable that Kasper would be worried. --- Once Sam was taken away and Dariel had started crying in a corner, Warren walked over to stand beside him. He leaned against the wall with his arms folded and regarded Dariel calmly. "They're not evil," he said firmly but gently. "They're harsh but that's because they have to be. They're the royal family of Hell. They need to be strong to punish evildoers. Do you see? They're not evil. They PUNISH evil. I did evil things when I was alive. That's why I ended up in Hell. They were going to punish me too but they showed me mercy. They took me in and gave me a new purpose. For that, I love them." he tilted his head and gave him a curious look. "Why were you in Hell, by the way? What did you do to deserve to be there?" --- Sebastian tensed but listened to Carter with a frown. He'd been so tempted to reassure him that Damien would be safe with Alex and Gary but remembered his warning about telling Carter his location. He bit his lip and thought through his reply carefully. "He doesn't blame you for what happened, Carter." he began. "He wanted you to know that... and also that he'll be going away for a while until your cravings are gone, just to be safe. Everyone else is back at the mansion." Sebastian turned in the seat to face him and rested his elbow on the wheel. "Listen. I wish I could snap my fingers and make your withdrawals disappear, I really do. But it's not that simple. It's going to be hard but please don't think that you're alone. I'll always be here for you. No matter what. Ok? C'mon, let's go and rest inside." --- Eyeing David questioningly, Donnie stood and nervously walked over to the bars. Not because Charles had ordered him to but because he wanted to know what it was that David had up his sleeve. He automatically assumed that it was some kind of trick. After all, with a history like theirs, why would David try to save him now? He jumped when Charles grabbed him and pulled him closer to the bars and didn't resist as the compass was pressed to his chest. The last time a compass had been used on him, the needle had immediately dipped to the centre of black. But now? Now it was spinning wildly as if someone had flicked it. Everyone watched it curiously and Donnie held his breath. Finally, the needle landed directly on the line between black and grey where every so often it ticked towards grey and bounced back to the line again as though trying desperately to move into the grey area. "Wh-what is this?" Donnie asked while still staring at the needle. "I don't understand. What does that mean? Is it broken?" "The compass isn't..." David brought his eyes up slowly from the compass to Donnie's face. He then looked at Charles. "I thought something was different. Charles, I strongly believe that he has slowly been changing since his return. Earlier, when you were hurting Insanity, Donnie displayed something that I thought I'd never see in him. Empathy." In a deep state of denial, Donnie looked at David and then back to Charles. He convinced himself that the compass was a very convincing fake that David had made to try to prevent his destruction. "So?!" Carol rolled her eyes. "Even if he is changing now, he's done so much damage already! He hurt Patience and got her pregnant, or did you forget that?! "Of course, I didn't," David growled. He was shaking on his feet at this point and clung to Leo to try to stay upright. "But we've saved so many others who committed horrid acts before. Why can't we save him too?" he pressed. "Because he's an asshole whose family targeted ours! All for the sake of power! David, I really hate to say it but you've gotten soft!" Carol argued. "I'm just trying to support the values that Amelia holds dear!" David argued back. "He. Won't. Stop. David!" Carol gestured to Donnie. "You really think him growing some feelings is going to change his ambitions?! You're putting lives at risk. AMELIA, your daughter, is at risk. All so you can save HIM?!" "I have to try!" "YOU ALREADY HAVE!!" Carol yelled, exasperated. "And he threw your mercy back in your face by raping the woman that you love! David... some people... they just can't be changed... not when they're as corrupt as he is." Carol turned her head to glare at Donnie who smirked at her in defiance and blew her a cheeky kiss. "He's just too foul," she added in disgust. "Besides, even if we put him on the program, his lover will just find him and derail him again..." Donnie chuckled victoriously. They couldn't destroy him because he'd just come back and trying to save him was pointless. They were out of options. At first, David's shoulders dropped as Carol's words hit home but then his eyes lit up a little and he looked up at them hopefully. "Unless he doesn't recognise him." Donnie's smile quickly vanished and he glared at him but David pressed on. "It's a little unethical but it might be our last hope. What if we wiped his mind and placed him on Earth to live as a Human? A clean slate, so to speak? We could watch over him and subtly prompt him to become a good person. Maybe if we are careful enough...he'll be human long enough...that even if he remembers who he was...he'll realise how terrible he'd been..." David's speech slowed dramatically as he was trying to get his words out. Then he paused and seemed to turn a shade paler. "David-?" Carol took a step towards them, worried. "I'm dying... it's fine... honestly." David said breathlessly. "GET OFF ME!!" Donnie suddenly screamed and tried to pull himself out of Charles's grip. The idea of losing his memories and, by extension, his family, had shaken him to his core. He was panicking. Determined not to let them win. "YOU STAY AWAY FROM ME!! GET THE FUCK OFF ME!! LET ME OUT OF HERE!! I'LL DESTROY YOU ALL!! YOUR LOVERS AND YOUR FAMILIES!! I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET CROSSING ME!!" During Donnie's desperate and distracting ramblings, David slumped in Leo's arms. The last breath escaped his now lifeless body before it faded into nothing. A few seconds later, David reappeared standing next to Leo and fixing the sleeve of his suit. "Ah, that's better. Now then, I believe we'll need a potion. Much like the ones Clementine used to use. That is, of course, assuming you're on board with the idea?" he asked, looking at Charles. If he really was Lucifer's son, then the decision ultimately fell to him. --- Panting excitedly, Jack only stood still for about a minute before darting out of the towel. He ran by his mother who had to side step out of his way and she pressed herself against the wall to watch her son zoom around the house out of pure excitement. He ran up and down the stairs, around in circles and across the couches until he couldn't run anymore and collapsed, transforming into a naked boy in the middle of the living room floor, trying to catch his breath. Tia smirked and had to cover her mouth. She knew she had to pretend to be mad now to stop Jack from getting into a habit of running around the house and on the furniture like that again but she couldn't help finding it funny and she tried so hard to not laugh. Looking at Xenos, her eyes gave away her need to laugh as she struggled to stop the smile from spreading across her face. "I've got it," she said with a hint of a chuckle. Clearing her throat, she took a breath and stormed over to Jack. "Jack, we have guests in the house and I'm sure they don't want to see you naked!" she said in a firm but gentle voice. "and it's rude to run around the house like that! Look at the mess you made!" she pointed to the squished cushions on the couch and the flecks of water everywhere. "Go and get dressed." she ordered and when Jack groaned in annoyance she added a firm; "Now, please." which prompted her son to jump to his feet and run to his bedroom. Tia turned to Xenos and broke into a wide grin while shaking her head. "I'm going to miss these moments when he grows up." she chuckled. --- Hearing Travis, Malone knew immediately that something was wrong. After all, it wasn't often that he spoke, let alone shout through the precinct. He rushed up from his desk towards the foyer and then paused when he saw the dirty little dog in his arms. "Um... Is everything ok, Travis?" he asked as he brought his eyes back up to Travis's face. --- Damien was about to catch a bus when he realised he didn't have a phone or any cash on him. Not since he was kidnapped. With the bracelet, he couldn't simply teleport either. Sighing irritably, he trekked across the town to his apartment to pack a few things and grab his backup wallet. As he walked, his mind wandered and it occurred to him that Carter still had some Devil blood in his veins. He worried that he would realise this and come after him with his newfound, if only temporary, strength and powers. He also realised that Bryce wasn't exactly a normal vampire either and also had the ability to teleport to him if the cravings became too difficult to control. Meanwhile, Damien was practically defenceless to the both of them and to top that off he could no longer sense either of them if they began hunting him. In fact, he wouldn't be able to sense it if ANY vampire picked up his scent and started to hunt him. Anxiety quickly set in and he found himself walking quickly through town to get to his apartment. When he reached the gate he dialled the passcode for the door into the keypad hurriedly and quickly close it behind him. It wouldn't stop either of them but the action made Damien feel a little more secure and less open to attack. He ran up to his apartment and picked the phone up from the receiver, quickly dialling the number for Alex's phone. After hurriedly telling his son that he'd be taking a plane to the UK at the first opportunity, he put the phone down and started packing a few things into a bag which he placed on the foot of his bed.

Denix Vames - June 16, 2022 "Anyone can become an Angel. So long as you have the will to do so." ,said Gabriel. He laid a hand on his shoulder. --- "Yes." Napoleon lowered his head. "I don't know what came over me. All I could think about was the way things use to be. I miss being France's leader. I need to know if they are free. If they are not, then will you grant me permission to free them once more? I know that in my position I shouldn't be asking such a thing. You may decline my idea." --- "Sounds like a plan." ,said Corey. --- Harris smiled. "Thank you." --- "Can't I kill someone? I'm feeling so bored." ,said Sam. "Do you even care about them?! They're our dads!" ,said Theron. "So? Besides when they die, we get to become Kings." He shouted, "You're nothing but a selfish liar!" "That is enough!" ,said Insanity who appeared. "I should have known better to believe that you actually cared about us!" He slapped Sam who glared. "If you're going to eat then it won't be with us. Grab yourself some food and get out of my sight!" "Fuck you!" --- Charles stepped forward. He smiled. "Hello bad guys. I guess you all forgot who your actual King was. Don't fret about that. I'll help you remember." He cracked his knuckles before punching a Demon in the face. He began dodging and blocking attacks. He easily ripped off some limbs. Throwing a few demons here and there. He released a gust of fire to the crowd. --- Xenos smiled. "Yes, that's correct. Froggy." --- Carter was shaking in his hold. "Never let me go." Ricky gave her a small smile. Leo faced David. Reading his face. "Are you fucking serious?!" He grabbed Carter and shoved him in front of David. "Look at what they did! Donnie will never be saved! He can never be saved!" Leo let Carter go. He stormed over. "Do you really expect me to give you the compass for someone like him?" Denix Vames - June 16, 2022 Travis was walking down the street after buying a new sketchpad. He accidentally bumped into someone. "Hey! Watch where you're going!" He could only write down sorry to the man on his notepad. "What? You a mute or something?" The man shoved him. "Freak!" Travis fell back. He covered his face as he saw him raise a punch. Shadowess - June 20, 2022 Rickster stared at Gabriel for a long moment then slowly turned to face forward. His expression shifted as he became more resolute and he slowly rose to his feet while nodding. "I'll do it," he said decisively. "No matter how long it takes or how difficult it might be. I'll do it." he turned to Gabriel and looked a little less certain. "So uhhh... where do I go?... y'know, to do that?" he asked while looking around. As much as this place might resemble Earth, he had no idea where anything actually was just yet. --- "France is free. More so than it ever has been." Raguel reassured Napoleon. "They are aware of the supernatural and were one of the first few countries to establish laws that protect the rights of supernatural civilians. France is a shining example of how those laws should be upheld." he then sighed and stood while offering a hand to help Napoleon to his feet. "But if it would bring you comfort and put your mind to ease then I'm sure I can arrange a transfer for you. Perhaps as an Ambassador between Heaven and France to represent the Angelic civilians who live there?" --- Just as Stevie said, getting into the arcade was a walk in the park. Up until now, Stevie had never dreamed of breaking the rules like this but he couldn't help himself. The thrill of taking such a risk was quickly becoming addictive. "Alright, we just gotta be sure to duck behind the machines every hour on the hour and we should be good to game until school ends," he said as they walked around the arcade. "What do you want to play first?" --- Nodding and smiling, Kodi removed his hand from Harris's shoulder and then left the house. Clementine had watched the interaction intently and couldn't help smiling a little. "He seems nice," she commented and watched Harris's expression carefully. --- Warren looked at Sam in shock when he made the flippant comment. But not nearly as shocked as he was to see Insanity and two Demons appear in the already crowded living room. He sat by and watched the argument awkwardly. As much as he hated seeing this family at each other's throats, it simply wasn't his place to say anything. After all, the contract he'd signed promised his loyalty to Insanity and Donnie and technically not their sons. Warren looked at the Demons warily as he stood before turning his attention back to Insanity. "I'm glad to see you're safe." he began then his eyes widened at the sight of blood and he followed the trail to Insanity's hand. "Sire! You're injured!" he gasped. --- Carol was having a blast. Darting back and forth to avoid the weapons while swinging a few punches of her own. Her attacks were precise and resulted in several dislocations and broken bones. She ducked to avoid Charles's fire then grinned at the sight of the demons that had caught fire running around, trying to put themselves out before vanishing. But as the order had been given to defend Donnie and Insanity, the demons that fled due to their injuries or out of fear ended up bursting into flames that quickly destroyed them as soon as they appeared elsewhere. As they were obliterated, due to the contracts they'd signed and despite the ring on his toe, Donnie felt his power reduce slightly with each death. No doubt Insanity would feel this too. Gasping and stumbling away from the bars, Donnie fell to his knees. If this kept up, he'd have no followers left and besides, he'd achieved what he'd wanted to do anyway. Which was to help Insanity to escape. "RETREAT!!" Donnie barked the order over the screams. "RETREAT!! FLEE! RECOVER FROM YOUR WOUNDS!!" His minions quickly vanished, one by one. All of them were injured in some way and looked terrified of Charles and Carol. Carol whooped victoriously and then while still trying to catch her breath she turned to look at Charles. "Just as I once served your father, I swear to be your loyal soldier... slash bodyguard, slash interrogator, slash bounty hunter... etcetera." She grinned. "So Boss, what are your orders?" --- Out of excitement and without much warning, Jack rapidly transformed into his wolf form. The transformation caused quite a splash and as soon as he became a puppy, Jack started swimming after the frog toy. --- "Never," Sebastian promised then glared at Leo when he'd snatched Carter from his grasp. "Hey!" he snapped and stood, not liking the fact that Carter was being used as an example without any thought or consideration for how that might make Carter or himself feel. "I don't have time for this!" David growled; indeed, he was looking frailer by the second. "I believe something has changed and need to know for myself if we're doing the right thing. Please. I have a moral duty to at least check." Sebastian was about to pull Carter away and into his arms when he heard David's words. His expression darkened and in one swift movement, his fist collided with David's face, knocking him to the ground. Surprised and hurt, David sat up and stared at Sebastian while rubbing his jaw. Sebastian merely kept glaring. "And I have a duty to protect the man I love! David, I have never questioned you before but I swear, if you do anything that results in Donnie being let loose again then I will never forgive you!" he then rounded on Leo, his expression just as fierce. "And you! Don't you think Carter has been through enough without you pulling him about like a ragdoll just to prove your own point?! Get off him!" he slapped Leo's hands off Carter to make him let go then pulled Carter into his arms. "Hey!" Oscar's eyebrows furrowed at this but the death stare from Sebastian made him falter. Taken aback by the way he was glaring and unable to help feeling like Sebastian was challenging them in a way. "Take it easy..." he said in a deflating tone. "I will not take anything easy while those lunatics are still on the loose!" David's coughing interrupted Sebastian's tirade. David had rolled onto his side to stop himself from choking and coughed up quite a lot of blood. He grimaced at the mess he'd made. "Apologies..." he wheezed. "Your carpet..." He wasn't too worried about what was happening to him. The wound Insanity had inflicted had been grave but if it would've resulted in his obliteration then that would've happened immediately. He knew that he was simply dying and would re-awaken in Hell. He frowned, knowing this meant he was likely already too late to prove his point. "I just wanted to know..." he looked up at Leo. "The knife that Patience used on him to make him into a tree... it was ancient and with powers that even the oldest Angels barely understand. Since his return, Donnie has been acting strangely. Still his usual foul self but... different. It could be nothing. Or it could be the breakthrough we need to stop him permanently." He tried to sit up again but he shook. The amount of blood that he'd lost meant that his muscles were far too exhausted to hold his weight anymore. "My theory is that when he came out of the tree it was like a reptile or arachnid shedding its skin. He left the rotting piece of himself behind and came out renewed." --- (Thought we could use some comic relief lol) Out of the alley, right next to where Travis fell, a small white blur darted out and latched itself to the attacker's leg. The fluffy defender, although tiny, growled viciously as it nipped and snapped at the assailant's heel. It was a stray pomeranian that had been sniffing in the alley for scraps and had been hiding nervously when it had heard footsteps on the street. But seeing a helpless human in danger kicked its old protective instincts into gear and it leapt into action without any regard for its own safety. Denix Vames - June 20, 2022 Gabriel placed a hand on his shoulder. They appeared at Heaven's academy. "This is where you become an Angel. It takes some learning and patience but soon you'll be with him again." --- Napoleon was shocked. "Why do you show me mercy? I thought you of all people would have punished me severely for my terrible act. Do I not deserve such torture?" --- Corey shrugged. "Something to do with fighting?" --- "He is. He's a great friend." Harris looked at her. "Um...I was wondering if you wanted to visit Phineas? I think it would be a good idea to talk to him about everything." --- Insanity raised his hand. "Don't worry. I will heal. However, I have a little pest to deal with." He gripped Sam's arm and dragged him to a corner of the room. Sam pulled out his knife. Attempting to cut him. Insanity gripped his wrist. "You listen here boy! The only reason why you are alive is because you're part of our family! Start acting like it!" He shoved him against the wall. Letting him fall there as he walked back to the couch. "You two." He pointed at the two demons. "Find someone to babysit that mistake. He clearly needs to learn what it means to love a family. Take Sam away." "But-!" ,said Dariel. "You'll see him in a few minutes." Dariel frowned but nodded. "This is bullshit!" ,said Sam. --- Carter had fallen asleep. Becoming exhausted. Leo glared at David but sighed. "Fuck it." He lifted David off the floor. They disappeared. Charles smiled. He gripped the bars. "We'll throw him into one of Hell's lava pits." He whipped his head around. "Good to see you again, David. However, I've already made my decision as King of Hell. He's going to be sent to Oblivion." --- Xenos chuckled as he watched the scene unfold. He rinsed Jack's fur. --- "Ah! What the hell?! Get off of me!" The man shook the dog off before running away. Travis slowly brought his hand out. Letting the dog smell it. Shadowess - June 21, 2022 Rickster stared ahead at the building. He was anxious. What if he wasn't fit to be an Angel? What if he fell back into his old habits? What if-...? Rickster swallowed hard and took a breath. He closed his eyes, trying to quiet his worries. "For Ricky," he muttered before opening his eyes and marching towards the academy with renewed determination. --- "No," Raguel answered his questions simply while watching Napoleon carefully. "If I punished every child of Heaven for the crime of throwing a tantrum, we'd have no Angels left." Despite his very serious tone and expression, this was in fact Raguel's attempt at humour. He gestured to the cell's open door. "Come. We have a lot of paperwork to do to get you that transfer." --- "Mortal combat!" Stevie grinned. "Have you ever played it? It's so gory!" he said excitedly as he walked over to one of the older machines. "So, it's like a battle to the death kind of game and if you know the right buttons to press you can pull off some awesome fatalities," he explained as he pressed the start button, prompting them both to choose a character. "I like this guy," he said while selecting Scorpion. --- The question had caught Clementine off guard and she quickly looked at the ground while nervously fidgeting with her hands. "I suppose I should." She said thoughtfully. "I faced Amelia and Charles to atone for my past. The least I can do is show Phineas the same courtesy." she took a deep breath and let it out slowly to try to ease her nerves. "The sooner the better." she nodded while looking back at Harris. (They won't be able to go to Phineas in Heaven. Phineas would have to come to them.) --- The Demons nodded and wordlessly walked over to Sam to take him by the arms, intending on teleporting to a remote corner of Hell. There they'd simply watch over him until beckoned by Insanity. Back at the apartment, a knock on the door caused them all to look at it warily. "Pizza." Warren reminded them as he headed over and unlocked all the various latches before opening the door just enough that he could get the food and drinks through it without the delivery guy seeing what was going on inside. He smiled pleasantly and thanked the man before hurriedly closing the door and carrying the food into the room where he set it all down on the little table. He then walked into the open plan kitchen and took some glasses from the cupboards before bringing them to the little table as well so that the others could help themselves to the large bottles of cola if they wanted. "I hope this is all ok," he said nervously as he stepped back to give Insanity and his family the chance to get their fill first. He looked at Insanity. "This is my old home... It was the first place that came to mind when we needed to move locations. It's a little tight but it should be safe until we can find somewhere bigger." --- Lifting Carter into his arms, Sebastian walked out of the mansion and carefully placed him into the passenger seat of the car before buckling him up. He got into the driver's side and rested his wrists on the wheel for a minute as he tried to calm down and wondered if he might've overreacted. He worried that his fears might've caused him to push their friends away. He wiped away the few tears that had emerged while staring blankly ahead of him until he noticed Damien leaving the mansion as well. Sniffling and quickly wiping the rest of his tears away, Sebastian opened the door and stepped out to lean an arm on the top of the car. "Hey, Damien! Do you need a lift?" Damien stopped to look over and faltered as his eyes landed on the sleeping Carter in the passenger seat. "N-no, best not. Thank you though," he answered with a frown as he lifted his eyes back to Sebastian. Seeing the look on Damien's face, Sebastian's heart dropped as he put two and two together. But wanting to be sure, he asked; "What happened?" "They forced him to drink from me," Damien answered. "Until I died. Then locked us in a room together so he would get hooked." he sighed and scratched the back of his head while glancing back at the mansion. "Which is why I'm going to head to the airport and take the first flight out to the UK. I'll call Alex and Gary to let them know I'm coming. Look, I know they wouldn't want to hurt me but Carter and Bryce are going to have some pretty horrific withdrawals soon and without my powers, I'll be defenceless. So, it's best for everyone if I'm well out of reach of them both for a while." While watching Carter every so often, Damien took a cautious few steps closer to the car as he looked at Sebastian with a more sympathetic expression. "It's not going to be easy and it's going to get worse before it gets better but Carter is going to need you to stay strong. Be patient with him. Normal blood won't taste good to him for a while and he might even try to convince you to tell him where to find me. Please don't give him that information. Finding and drinking from me will only set him back. He might get angry with you. Lash out. Just remember, it's not him. It's the cravings. I'm-...I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." The sudden apology at the end took Sebastian by surprise and he blinked. A couple of tears fell as he slowly shook his head. "You were just as much a victim... this wasn't your fault. You shouldn't be sorry." "But I should be! If I hadn't been an ass to you-... to both of you..." Damien clenched his fists and averted his gaze shamefully. "If I hadn't broken your wall and tried to go rogue then I wouldn't have given David a reason to restrain my powers... and Donnie wouldn't have had that advantage in the first place..." "Damien..." "Take care of yourselves." Damien looked back at him then glanced back at the mansion. "Take care of each other. If there's one thing that Donnie's antics have taught me, it's that you all stand a far greater chance of beating him when you stand together. He and his family seem to have an awful habit of picking us off when we're alone." he looked back at Sebastian and gave him a weak smile. "Stay safe, Sebastian." he nodded before beginning his walk down the street. "You too..." Sebastian called after him before climbing back into the car. He wiped the tears from his face and started the ignition. --- Not wanting to be carried, David opted for wrapping an arm around Leo's shoulders so that he could stand with his help. He found himself staring wordlessly at Charles again, reminded once more of how fierce and ruthless Lucifer had once been. Donnie slowly moved backwards, away from the bars as he glared back at Charles. He was shaking and sweating at the idea of burning alive on Hell's molten rocks. It had been exactly how Lucifer had destroyed him before and it had certainly been no picnic! Yet, true to his training and despite his fear, Donnie refused to beg for his life so as not to give Charles the satisfaction of breaking his spirit. "So that he can come back again?" David questioned. "I understand that you want to see him punished for his crimes but there must be a better way? Charles, please hear me out." "And I was so looking forwarded to roasting marshmallows on his burning corpse..." Carol rolled her eyes. Ignoring Carol's flippant remark, David pressed on. "I'm not asking for much. Just that we consider all the options here. When Patience stabbed him with the ancient Angellic blade, I think it did more to him than just turn him into a tree. All I'm asking is that you test that theory before making your decision. Use the Angellic compass. Prove me wrong and I promise I will drop the matter." --- Jack snapped at the frog a few times in an attempt to catch it as he swam. Each time, the smooth plastic surface would slip out of his teeth and he was be left biting the water. He stopped after a few tries and swam to the edge of the tub towards Xenos while hacking some of the water back up that he'd accidentally swallowed. He was silently asking his father to lift him out as he was done with the bath. --- The dog barked and yapped at the attacker as he ran to warn him off. Once the man had gone, the pomeranian turned around to look at Travis. Its ears folded back and it tucked its tail between its legs. It jumped a little when Travis reached out but remained where it stood as it stared at him nervously. Slowly, it padded towards his hand with its nose up to sniff at him. Its eyes were fixed on Travis's face as it took a few sniffs of his hand. Its tail, still between its legs, began to wag and the little dog let out a high-pitched whine as it walked closer to Travis. As if asking him for help. Now that it was closer, Travis would be able to see the state that this little dog was in. It had clearly been living on the streets for a short while. It was smaller than it should be from being starved and malnourished. Its fur was matted and dirty and there were a few scars on its tiny black nose. Its little body shook out of a mixture of cold and adrenaline.

Denix Vames - June 9, 2022 Despite Sebastian holding him, his cries only became louder. Knowing that Donnie's family was still out there somewhere. Ricky cried as he hugged her. "I hurt Rickster because of what I did. I never want to see that look ever again. It was so painful to stare at." Leo shouted, "Desi!" He ran to his side. "Don't worry. I got this." ,said Nate. He placed a hand on his arm. Healing his wound. --- "Nate was a rebellious Angel. He attempted to find love so that he could get away from the harsh coldness that was our system. As Angels, we use to be told to show no emotions. Instead, it was our duty to do whatever task we were assigned to do without hesitation. I cannot tell you how many people I've killed because of His orders." Gabriel placed a hand over his own chest. "Love may come at a price but so does Loyalty. You are better off with love for it gives you freedom." He smiled. "I found love recently. It is a pleasure to have it everyday." --- Xenos chuckled. "That may be but you need to take a bath." He set Jack on the floor. He switched the bathtub on. "Now, get undressed and hop in. I'll bring you your bath toys." --- Phineas returned the expression. He kissed him. --- With Napoleon in a cell, Frederick had appeared in front of Raguel. "Whatever Napoleon did, I do want you to know that he only meant well. He's merely stuck in his ways. I'm sure you can relate to having old traditions for centuries only to have them suddenly change. Any blasphemy that he has said was merely emotional. Perhaps if you let him guard France then he will feel much better. I believe he misses his home. That is why he lashed out." Napoleon grabbed the bars. "Please! Someone let me out! I was doing everyone a favor! Heaven is a monarchy, is it not? Why should we allow this to continue?" --- Cory raised a brow. "I've only heard about them. They sound ancient. But sure. Lead the way." --- "That sounds delicious." Harris turned to her. "I think you'll like it." --- Theron started crying. Scared by what was happening. Sam and Dariel gathered a few blankets and sheets. Stuffing them into a bag. "I don't even know what else we would need but there it is." ,said Sam. --- Once Charles could move, he quickly stood. His eyes glowed. "That singing bastard!" He glanced out of the corner of his eye when he noticed David. Yet, he wasn't really here. "Hello? What's this?" He grinned. "I can see from such a distance? How incredible. Looks as though I have a Devil to punish." Charles appeared at Hell's Cells. Insanity dodged David's attempt and swiped at him with one of his claws. "Hello there." Charles stepped forward. Surprising everyone. "My name is Charles and you have just angered the King of Hell." He ran towards him. Insanity attempted to swipe at him but was meant with a hand gripping his arm. Charles grabbed his other arm. He headbutted him. Making him woozy. He grabbed a finger by his teeth. Ripping them off of his hand. One by one. Insanity cried out. Charles twisted his arm as he stomped his foot on his chest. He smiled. "Oh the things that I'm going to do to you!" He chuckled. "I think I'll torture you first then throw you into one of Hell's lava pits." shadowess - June 11, 2022 "It's ok. It's ok. It's over now. You're safe. You're home and I've got you." Sebastian tried his best to comfort Carter through his own sobs while running his hand through his hair and rubbing his back. "Oh, you silly man." Atma cried as she continued to hug him. "You scared us all here too. But it's ok. You were and still are in pain but we're here for you. We're your friends and we'll help you get through this. Rickster will forgive you, you'll see. I'm sure he knows that you weren't thinking straight. Just give him some time to calm down and he'll come around." Desi groaned and stirred. His eyes flickered open again and he looked up at Nate and Leo. "Thank you" he sighed. "But aren't you exhausted?" he then rose a brow at Nate, wondering why he wasn't too tired after he and Rickster had borrowed his energy to break the barriers. --- Rickster stared hard at the ground. "I shouldn't have yelled at him...I might not see him again for years and the last thing I did was yell at him...what is wrong with me?!" --- At first, Jack was ready to run when he was set down but at the mention of toys, his eyes lit up. "Can you bring my froggy?" he asked as he pulled off his shirt. The toy was one of his favourites. It was one that needed to be wound up and would then kick its legs to make it swim across the surface of the water. After showing her to the bedroom, Tia had left Amelia to settle in while she headed back to the kitchen to get a start on making dinner. Amelia's bag had been set down by the bed and a travel cot had been set up for Oliver by this point. Sitting on the bed, Amelia cradled the baby and caressed his cheek with her thumb. She smiled at him lovingly as she rested her back against the headrest. "I guess it's about time for your nap... you must be tired after all the...excitement..." Amelia sighed, moving her hand to wrap her fingers around his little fist. "Mummy is going to tell you a story," she said and her smile grew a little as she looked across the room with a dreamy expression. "This story is about how your mummy and daddy met. You see, your mummy was raised in a place called Hell." Amelia grinned. "Where you were born. And when your mummy grew up, she was put in charge of Hell very suddenly. This scared your mummy. Even though she had all of these big, ambitious ideas, she was also scared that she wouldn't be a good leader. That she might let down the people she was put in charge of leading. So, whenever things got really tough, she would run away to drink, smoke and do other naughty things... because she didn't know how else to cope. Because she was all alone. Sure, she had some friends but at that time, she thought that she was the only one of her kind left. But then, one day while she was trying to look for a friend, she bumped into a man instead." Amelia chuckled and looked down at Oliver who was staring at her, transfixed. "Your daddy!" she whispered and Oliver's mouth widened into a toothless grin. "Daddy cheered your mummy up and helped her to feel like she wasn't alone anymore. He promised to protect her and told her that she was beautiful. And mummy fell deeply in love with daddy. Together, mummy and daddy helped to stop a big war that had been going on since way, waayy before mummy was even born. And then they did something really amazing. They made you!" she lightly tapped Oliver's nose with her index finger, making the baby giggle. Amelia's smile slipped and she stared across the room with a faraway look in her eyes. "But now mummy is scared again. Scared because daddy was taken away and she's scared that he might not come back." Oliver's whinge brought Amelia's attention back to him and she saw that his lower lip was wobbling and his eyes were watering, threatening to cry again. She lifted him so that his head was resting on her shoulder and she rubbed his back while rocking gently. "Shhh. I'm sorry, squishy. I didn't mean to scare you too. It's going to be ok. Grandad went to save daddy so we have to trust that he'll be alright." --- Kasper barely noticed the chicken hopping down from his lap to explore the room as he lost himself in Phineas's kiss. --- Raguel's expression hardened at Frederick. "Why does everyone insist on testing my patience today? I can assure you that Napoleon will be given a punishment that best fits his crime. We can look into relocations IF he's lucky enough to still have his wings after he's been judged. For now, though, he will be left in that cell to cool off. Perhaps he can use that time to learn how to better control his wayward emotions? I would strongly recommend that you stick to your own profession instead of telling me how to do my job." --- "Awesome," Stevie said excitedly and looked around warily to make sure they wouldn't be caught leaving the school grounds. Once they were off the premises and walking down the street, Stevie relaxed and focussed on leading Cory to the arcade. "They're pretty old, yeah. But they've been popping up again recently. Only instead of paying per play, you just pay $10 at the desk for an hour and all the games are free." he then smirked. "Or we could just slip by the front desk and play for as long as we want?" --- Clementine glanced towards the kitchen then back to Harris and nodded shyly. "I could try it?" "Alright then. I'll swing by the butchers on the way home then and pick up a fresh cut." Kodi said as he walked back through the living room with a coke can in one hand and a bag of chips in the other. "Autumn will probably be coming by the station after school as usual. So, you'll have the place to yourselves for a few hours. Unless something catastrophic happens, I should be home for eight. Uh, Clementine? Things are a little tight here and I wasn't expecting to take anyone else in but I have some camping gear I can set up in the living room for you later? You're more than welcome to stay here if you have nowhere else to go." "I would appreciate that. Thank you." Clementine smiled a little, with a nod. --- "No, that's good. We might need it to keep warm." Warren said to Sam then turned to Theron, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be ok. Your dads are strong. Right now we all need to stick together and help each other, ok?" He then looked at the three of them and sighed. "Alright, everyone hold hands. Quickly." Once they did, Warren teleported them all to a place he never thought he'd see again. His old apartment. Thankfully, his father lived in a different place so the chances of bumping into him were slim. Since his death, it didn't look like the place had been sold yet either. Which made things far less complicated. It was only a one-bedroom apartment but at least it would be safe. "Alright, it's a little tight but we can make this work. There's a couch each for you boys. Sam and Dariel will have to share one, but something tells me that won't be a problem. Your dads and I will share the bedroom. This is only temporary until we can find somewhere bigger." he said as he walked over to the door and moved all of the locks across to stop anyone who might have a key from barging in on them. For all, he knew his dad might've hired realtors to show the place now and then. "Ok, the TV remote is on the table. I don't wana hear any arguing over the channels. You can take it in turns to watch whatever. Looks like I've still got power and heating, so that's good. I'm going to order us some food... hopefully my bank card hasn't been blocked yet." he sat at the computer in the corner of the room and turned it on. While he waited for it to boot up, he sent a telepathic message to both Insanity and Donnie to let them know where they were. Of course, Warren had no idea that Donnie had been made powerless as well. So didn't know that Donnie would not get this message. --- David was knocked back by Insanity's claw and wound up leaning against the bars while clutching the deep scratches that had been left across his chest. His now torn white button-up shirt was red and dripping within seconds. He had little time to focus on that however when a dark-haired male appeared and announced himself to be the King of Hell. He watched in shock as Charles quickly rendered Insanity incapable of fighting back. Before he could say anything, Donnie was reaching through the bars at them with a panicked look. "No!! Please!! Not him! Don't hurt him!!" Donnie's eyes quickly darted to David and he flung himself at him, putting his arm through the bars to wrap it around David's neck, choking him. "Let him go!" Donnie then said desperately. "Let him go or I'll-!" But before he could finish his threat, Carol had appeared and punched Donnie so hard that he was knocked back with blood spraying from his nose. Donnie fell to the floor and covered his nose with both hands while groaning as David stumbled away from the bars. Now clutching his chest as well as his throat and panting. Carol tossed her hair back with a satisfied smile. "Just like old times! I've missed this." she turned to Charles and tilted her head a little to him. "I think you and I are going to get along swimmingly." "Caro-? Char-?" David wheezed, trying to talk to them both quickly but was still winded. "What-?!" "Ohh, that's right. You don't know." Carol stared at David as her smile grew a little more. "Turns out Charles here is the rightful heir to Hell's throne. He's Lucifer's long-lost heir." "WHAT?!" Donnie's eyes snapped open and while still holding his face, he stared at Charles with absolute dread. "No, that can't be!" David had lapsed into stunned silence as his face turned completely white. He couldn't take his eyes off Charles and the more he thought of it, the more he realised how Charles had always looked familiar to him. "Ch-Charles..." He managed to mumble finally, still in shock. "Yes, yes. Charles is the son of Lucifer La Plague. Knew it as soon as I saw him!" Carol beamed. "Please!!" Donnie had gotten onto his knees and stared at Charles. "Please..." he swallowed hard, knowing that in light of this news and given their current situation, they stood very little chance of winning this time. "Have mercy?" Carol was still smiling but a fire had lit up behind her eyes at Donnie's grovelling. "The nerve!" she gasped but otherwise stayed quiet to let Charles have the final say. "It was me you were all after! I orchestrated everything! Punish me! Let my family go! I'm begging you!" Donnie pressed as he shuffled back to the bars on his knees until he could grab them. "Don't hurt them." Denix Vames - June 12, 2022 Carter whispered, "They're still out there." Ricky looked at everyone in front of him. He covered his face as he cried. "I was so stupid to do it in the first place!" "I...forgot...." ,said Nate as he passed out. Leo caught him. --- "You were only responding in the moment. Don't blame yourself. I'm sure he knows why you did it. Just like you know why he killed himself." ,said Gabriel. "And don't think of it as years. You may even return to him in weeks. It all depends on your will." --- "You seem highly sensitive about anyone giving you their own words. With all due respect, humanity is far stronger than Heaven and Hell combined. They are morally above us." Frederick turned his back on him. He slightly moved his head to glance at him. "If you really want to know why he said those words then I suggest talking to him like a real person." He disappeared. Napoleon looked at his hands. Thinking back to when he was a great leader. He realized now that what he did was terrible. Why did he want to bring God down? None of it made sense to him anymore. He got to his knees and gripped one of his wings. "I don't deserve these. I have betrayed God." He pulled hard. Crying out as he only pulled some of the wing off. Blood dripped down his uniform as tears ran down his cheeks. "I do not deserve mercy. Only torture." --- Cory smiled. "Sounds like a plan. How are we going to avoid the cashier looking at us?" --- Harris smiled. "It feels good to be like this. Talking to you as a friend." He gripped his pants. "That terrible version of me from before. I can still never forget him." --- Theron nodded. "Ok." Sam and Dariel sat at a couch. Theron sat at the other one. He hugged himself. Staring at the floor. --- "Oh?" Charles lifted Insanity off the ground as he held his arm. "And how do I know that your pesky family won't come back to free? To take out my soldiers?" He grinned. "Tell you what? Have your loverboy here wear an angelic wristband. They can stay useless in their own home. Begging for daddy to return." He let Insanity fall. He laughed at the sight of Donnie in fear. --- "Of course." Xenos soon returned with a few toys which included the frog. Once the tub was filled, he plugged it up and turn the water off. He poured some soap in which would make bubbles. He placed the toys in the tub. He twisted the switch on the frog and let it swim. With Jack naked, he placed him in the tub. He got to his knees and grabbed the sponge. Scrubbing Jack's back. Shadowess - June 16, 2022 Rickster didn't move for a minute as he thought over Gabriel's words. Slowly, he lifted his head and turned it to look up at Gabriel. "You really think someone like me could... could become an Angel?" --- Raguel scoffed at Frederick then glanced at Napoleon. He rose a brow at him and walked over casually. He waved a hand at the guards and they opened the cell for him, letting him in. He knelt beside Napoleon and stopped him from pulling on his wings by grabbing his hands firmly yet gently. "Do not be a fool. Those were a gift. One that you earned." he sighed heavily as he let him go. "Do you repent for your blasphemy? If so, I might be inclined to take it easy on you." --- "Oh, that'd be easy. We use something to distract them so that we can slip passed. Once we're behind the wall we can play all the games we want without them realising that we're even there. They poke their heads around once an hour on the hour too so that's the only time we'd have to duck down behind a machine. --- Clementine blinked at Harris, unsure of what to say. Kodi frowned then carefully tucked the corner of the bag of chips under the fingers of his hand which was holding the coke can. He then walked over and placed it onto Harris's shoulder with his now free hand. "You've come a long way since then. I'm proud of your progress. You should be too." he offered him a kind smile. --- "Oh, thank fuck..." Warren said under his breath as he checked his bank balance online. It hadn't been touched since his death. Seems like his father hadn't had the chance to clean it out yet. He quickly ordered pizzas for them and then moved over to the couches with the boys. He sighed and sat back, hating the fact that he couldn't help Donnie or Insanity but knew that protecting the boys was just as important. "I've ordered pizza. I didn't know what you guys liked so I got one full of meat and one pepperoni. There's cola and potato wedges coming too." he looked around at them with a frown. "I get it guys. You're worried about your dads. Probably wish you could go help, am I right?... me too..." he nodded. "But they ordered me to protect you. Because you're all important to them. Your dads are smart and powerful. I'm sure they'll be fine. For now, we just gotta lay low and look out for each other. Protect each other. Because that's what families do." --- Donnie flinched when Insanity was dropped and he stared at his beloved with clear, undeniable worry. David saw this. He'd always known that he was fond of Insanity but what he saw in Donnie now was something that had been absent in him when he'd first returned from Oblivion. Donnie was sympathetic to Insanity's pain. As if the very sight of his beloved in this state hurt him as well. David thought back to the day Donnie had been turned into a tree. Patience had said she'd done it because Donnie was pure evil and nothing else could stop him. But then he came back from that too and suddenly he was adopting children and was now showing empathy. David stumbled back as his eyes slowly moved from Donnie to Charles and Carol then back again. Then he vanished. Donnie was shivering, staring at Insanity. "Soldiers?..." He repeated after Charles then realisation flickered across his features. Followed by a malicious grin. "I almost forgot." he chuckled darkly then brought his tearful eyes up to glare at Charles. "Thank you for reminding me. WARRIORS!! COME TO DEFEND YOUR KINGS!" In seconds, the cell's hallway was filled with the demons that had signed Donnie and Insanity's contracts. A couple grabbed Insanity by his arms and pulled him out of Charles and Carol's reach quickly before vanishing with him. The sight of this happening brought a wide grin to Donnie's face and filled him with relief. At least now Insanity had a fighting chance of finding somewhere new to hide so that he could recover from his wounds in safety. Donnie had no idea if his minions would stand much of a chance against the likes of Charles and Carol, but considering the sheer volume, it was anyone's guess. But in the end, it was the very last trick Donnie had up his sleeve and right now he was desperate enough to try it. Meanwhile, Donnie's minions had Charles and Carol surrounded. Each of them wore old demonic armour and carried hefty weaponry. Carol backed up, away from the crowd and stood defensively in front of Charles. "JUST like old times!" she laughed nervously. "We've got this." --- Jack played with the frog happily while Xenos washed him. To gain some semblance of normality, Jack had recently been enrolled into a private school and had started to learn how to read and write. "Froggy! Froggy! Froggy!" he sang while dunking the frog in and out of the water as if it was diving. "Fuh-ruh-oh-guh-...ee?" he looked at Xenos questioningly. Once Oliver was finally asleep, Amelia placed him carefully into the cot. She moved to leave the room then paused and looked back at the baby with a frown. She knew they were safe here but she was still fearful after he was almost snatched. Her heart lurched at the thought that he could so easily be taken from her when she wasn't looking. It was enough to leave her breathless and shaking. Tearfully, she walked back over to the bed and sat on the edge, rocking a little out of anxiety while watching Oliver sleep. --- "And we're here." Sebastian pressed. "We've got each other. That has to count for something? Carter, I just got you back..." his eyes hardened while he gently ran a hand through his hair. "And I won't let them take you from me again," he growled protectively. "Ricky, please don't be so hard on yourself," Atma begged him then gave him a playful yet tearful smile. "That's my job," she added playfully. "Goodness!" Desi gasped as he watched Nate lose consciousness. "Well... Had you told me a year ago that I would be healed by an Angel, let alone be friends with one I'd have thought you'd lost your marbles..." he chuckled. A second later, David appeared and looked pale. He was still clutching his chest and his shirt was dripping with blood by this point but he seemed far more focused on something else. He marched over to Leo, stopping just a foot or so away from him. "The compass that Patience gave you. Where is it?" he asked with an air of urgency.

Shadowess - June 7, 2022 Oscar walked back into the room with Leo once Bryce had gone to Atma. He looked at Ricky's body and shrugged while shaking with head with a heavy sigh. "I don't know... I don't think there's anything we can do..." he answered while looking at the bullet wound. "He's gone... he's not in here anymore..." he pointed to the body. "We should probably take the body down to the morgue... plan a funeral. He was brought back to life as a second chance and his sins were forgiven... so he's probably already in Heaven and out of reach. The only way he and Rickster can come back now is if they decided to become Angels and from what I hear... that could take years." he glanced back to the door. "The main thing we should focus on now is those guys out there. They've all been through hell... so they're all going to need our support." he looked back at Leo and gave him a weak, teary smile. "I'm so glad I get to see you again." "He took me in..." Atma sobbed quietly and then turned to hug Bryce. "H-He helped me when I had no one... V-Viktor! We should go and see if he's ok!" Sebastian had heard the commotion and could smell death in the house. He'd rushed towards the room and stopped when he saw Bryce comforting a distraught looking Atma and the expression on Nate's face. "What's happened? Where's Carter?" he asked worriedly. --- "I asked you to do one thing!" Rickster snapped, his voice breaking. "Look out for Neva! How're you going to do that from here, huh?! I didn't want THIS!" he gestured to Ricky. "How do you think this makes me feel?! You've hurt me by hurting yourself! Do you realise that?! Dammit! I risked my life to try and make sure you'd still have one! To make sure you'd be safe!" Rickster covered his mouth and stared at Ricky for a minute as tears continued to roll down his cheeks. As if he still couldn't believe he was here with him. "I can't believe you! I can't-! No..." he turned away from him and sank to his knees, gripping the sides of his head as he sobbed. As much as he tried to be angry with Ricky, he actually did understand him. He couldn't imagine how he'd have reacted if the roles had been reversed. Still, he couldn't help but feel hurt that Ricky would throw his life away so quickly and after everything Rickster had done to try to protect him. He felt betrayed. --- "Fiance..." Amelia corrected Xenos. "We're not married yet. He'd proposed right before..." she trailed off, upset. Seeing this, Tia's expression softened and she nodded to Xenos. "I was about to make dinner. Do you like steak?" Amelia sniffled and wiped at her eyes. "Who doesn't?" she chuckled and Tia grinned. She walked over to Amelia and gently took the bag from her. "There's a spare room upstairs that you can use. I'll show you." "Thank you." Amelia then turned to Xenos and carefully took Oliver into her arms, just wanting to keep him close to her. The baby cooed and gripped Amelia's shirt tightly. Apparently, he also wanted to stay close to his mother for comfort. Smiling at them, Tia couldn't help but place a hand on Oliver's arm as she said hello to him in a quiet, calm voice. "I remember when Jack was this small!" she grinned. "It goes by quickly. He'll be running around and getting into everything he can before you know it. Cherish this time while you can." She missed being able to hold Jack the way Amelia held her baby and almost wished she could have another. She glanced at Xenos and blushed before turning to lead Amelia to the spare room to help her get settled. As both women walked away, Jack ran in from the garden. He was covered in dirt and holding a stick he'd found. A bandaid was on his left knee and was wearing a red cape which was velcroed to the back of his shirt. "Daddy, you're home!" he cheered and ran over to him. "I found a sword!" he held up the stick proudly. "I'm guna get all the bad guys! Like you!" --- Kasper chuckled at Phineas and shook his head a little. "I would but I don't want to hurt you," he said and put the list of jobs down on the coffee table. "Somehow I don't think he's the last celebrity we'll run into here." The chicken he'd been holding had made itself comfortable on his lap and he didn't want to disturb it so kept petting the feathers on its back. "They're cuter in person! I never thought I'd get to hold one!" he looked at the little leaflet that had come with the animals. "This one's name is... Brenda? Apparently, she lived on a free-range farm and had a happy life." --- "Not that lunatic..." Donnie muttered then smirked when he felt the familiar sensation of teleportation...until he was shoved into the cell and heard the metal door clang shut behind him. "What? No! Why?!" Donnie whirled around and glared at Balconi. "But I'm powerless!" he argued but seconds later, he was alone. Looking around wildly, he hoped he would be close enough now for Insanity to hear him. "Insanity!! Insanity!! I need you!!" he started screaming as loudly as he could. --- The armoured Angel lifted a hand and merely snapped his fingers. Prompting the appearance of two similarly armoured Angel's to appear on either side of Napoleon. "You were given those wings as a gift from Him." the armoured Angel spoke. "Entrusted to you so that you may protect Heaven and its millions of innocent souls. Not so that you can abuse your power! How dare you show such disrespect and ungratefulness! Take him to the cells to await judgement." Immediately the armoured Angels seized Napoleon and began dragging him away. David nodded thankfully to the armoured Angel for stepping in then looked at Balconi. "Thank you, River. If we're done here, I'll need to go and-" "River Balconi, I'm afraid I must arrest you too." The armoured Angel turned his stern gaze to River next and David stared at him, flabbergasted. "Pardon?" "He has delivered a prisoner to Hell without the proper authority or any backup. You are aware of how dangerous Donnie is, he could have escaped. He could have tricked River or worse." The armoured Angel turned to River with a stern expression but regretful eyes. "What you did young Angel, was foolish and naive. I realise that you meant well but it does not take away from the fact you disobeyed direct orders and put lives at risk." "Oh, come now Reggie-!" David began "Raguel" The armoured Angel snapped at him suddenly. "How many times, David? It's Raguel, not 'Reggie'!" David lifted his hands "Raguel. Apologies. But come on, he's as you say. A young Angel. He's got a lot to learn and he was just trying to do the right thing. Surely you can allow this one little transgression to slide? Being arrested seems a bit harsh, doesn't it?" "You do not tell me how to discipline my Angels!" Raguel barked. "You do not have the authority here!" "I know! I know!" David said hurriedly, apparently, even he was wary of upsetting this Archangel. "I'm not trying to take over or undermine you here. I'm just trying to offer some advice. As one leader to another. C'mon. I know you know that I'm right about this. Donnie is locked in one of our cells. He's not going anywhere and no one got hurt." "He was ordered to stay out of this and to help clean up a hospital!" David winced and gave River a sideways glance before looking back at Raguel. "Granted. But he was just doing what he thought was best. Raguel, please. He helped to avoid an incident between Heaven and Hell. Surely that can alleviate some of the punishment? And I really hate to bring it up, but who exactly was in charge when Donnie was captured and gave the orders to keep him here instead of handing him straight over?" he tilted his head at Raguel who quickly glanced away. "I won't press the matter further. Just take it easy on Balconi." David finished. Raguel stared at David for a minute before sighing in frustration and then looked at Balconi. "I thought I told you to clean up the hospital?! Get back down there and help those mortals!" he ordered. Although it seemed harsh, he was actually letting him off the hook almost completely and without losing face. This fact would be reaffirmed as David subtly nodded to River with a small smile to tell him to play along. --- Stevie nodded again and stared at his feet for a moment. "Can I try that again?" he asked, looking at Cory's cigarette. He then looked thoughtful for a moment. "Who said we have to stay on school grounds to skip class?" he started slowly then gave Cory a mischievous smile. "Why don't we go do something fun? Take some risks?" --- "I see." Clementine stiffened. She was a little agitated that she had been destroyed outright when she'd been discovered whereas it would appear that her closest friend had been offered a chance at redemption instead. But then, she supposed, it hadn't been Amelia who had destroyed her. "So, this Kodi is one of the Demons who assist others in bettering themselves?" "Part-time," Kodi answered while walking through the front door. "The rest of the time I'm a police officer." he smiled. "Harris mentioned that." Clementine nodded. "He said you're a father figure to a teenage girl, too." "Been telling my life story, buddy?" Kodi chuckled at Harris. "Who's your friend?" --- Carol blinked at the sudden change in Charles's accent. She stared at him and a wicked smile grew across her face when he gave her orders. It felt just like the days his father had given her orders and she lived for that thrill. "With pleasure!" she purred while turning to face Insanity and slowly rose to her feet as if ready to pounce. That was until Warren jumped her from behind and tried to strangle her with his arm. "Sire! Take the boys and flee! I'll hold them off!" he managed to shout before Carol threw her head back to headbutt him square in the nose. Still, he managed to keep a tight hold on her while she struggled to break loose. "Get off me!" She growled, struggling to break free of his grasp. Meanwhile, still learning about what kind of Demon he was, Warren felt a sudden and strong urge to sing. It was such a powerful feeling that he couldn't help but start humming a tune into Carol's ear. At first, the scene seemed utterly ridiculous and even Carol looked baffled by Warren's reaction. Then she looked panicked as every muscle in her body started to feel heavy and tired. She tried to speak but couldn't bring herself to talk over his humming. She somehow suddenly felt like his voice was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard. Enough to bring tears to her eyes as she reluctantly relaxed into his arms. Surprised that his humming could have such an effect, Warren grinned as he realised what kind of Demon he'd become. A Siren! Turning his head to look at Charles, he opened his mouth and began singing wordlessly at him, his power making every note that he hit sound smooth and utterly beautiful. --- Desi watched Carter's breakdown for a moment, half expecting him to pick up the knife again. When he didn't, he limped over to him and kicked the knife away with a pained grunt before slowly easing himself back down to his knees. He cautiously placed a hand on Carter's shoulder. "Hey, it's ok," he said gently. "You've been through a lot but it's over now. It's over. You're safe. You can go home now. I'll take you home, ok?" Denix Vames - June 7, 2022 Leo brought Ricky's body out of the room. Showing everyone what had happened. Ricky gasped awake. Causing Leo to nearly drop him. The bullet wound was gone. "What the hell?!" --- "I-I forgot! I just couldn't think of a life without you!" ,said Ricky. Gabriel placed a hand over his head. "I can bring him back. After all, it wasn't his time to go yet." Ricky began to glow. "Wha....? Rickster, I'm sorry." --- Xenos picked Jack up. He smiled. "Oh you sure are. But a good hero always keeps himself clean. I think you need a bath." He guided him to the bathroom. --- Phineas reached out to pet the chicken. Tears were in his eyes. "This reminds me so much of home. It feels wonderful to have a farm again. To have a home." --- Filled with hurt, Balconi clenched his fists. Tears streamed down his face. "I was better off in the cemetery as a soul." He disappeared. Napoleon struggled in their grasp. "No! Please! I was only doing what I thought was right! Give me mercy!" --- Cory chuckled. "Since when did you get so brave?" He passed the cigarette to him before standing. "Alright. Let's go. What's one place that you like to hang at?" --- Harris blushed. "This is Clementine. A very good friend of mine. I was wondering if she could stay here? She has nowhere to go." --- Charles attempted to cover his ears but it was already too late. He fell to his knees. "N-No....!" He soon fell over. Unable to cry out for help or move. "Tie them up and place them somewhere private. I need to fetch Donnie." ,said Insanity who disappeared. He appeared in front of the cell. "Donnie! What luck to see you here!" He placed one of his claws in the lock. "Let me just get this opened." --- Carter nodded but continued to cry. Shadowess - June 9, 2022 When Leo brought Ricky's body out of the room, Atma cried a little harder at the sight and buried her face in Bryce's shoulder. Sebastian was also in shock and felt tears stinging his eyes. "Where's Carter?!" he asked again, this time with a hint of panic in his voice. "He's here..." Desi answered, having just teleported into the hallway with Carter. They were both still on their knees with Desi's hand on Carter's shoulder, which he cautiously removed. "He's been through a lot." "Carter!" Sebastian ran toward him and landed on his knees, throwing his arms around him to hug him tightly. "Oh, Carter!" he sobbed. It was at this point that Ricky returned to life, shocking everyone. "Woah... That's not possible! You were totally dead and gone, dude! Like, cold already!" Oscar gasped and stared at him in disbelief. Atma lifted her head and stared at Ricky for a moment before running from Bryce's arms to wrap her own arms around Ricky. "You're back! It's a miracle!" "No..." Desi rose to his feet and glanced upward. "That's divine intervention." he sighed. "I see I missed quite a bit between you lot returning and us returning." he tried to walk away but staggered and leaned against the wall. Blood was still pouring from his leg and by now he was feeling woozy. "Hope you all don't mind..." he tried to walk again. "...But I sure could use a nap..." he fell forward, passing out. --- Still hurt and angry, Rickster couldn't bring himself to look around when Gabriel resurrected Ricky. He remained where he was, kneeling on the side of the road and sobbing with his head in his hands. In a way, he felt like it was his fault that Ricky had done what he'd done. That by loving him, Rickster had caused Ricky pain enough to end his life. "I hurt everyone that tries to get close to me..." he wept. "Am I cursed?" Rickster had always had his emotional guard up by default. It had always been difficult to get him to display any affection or sadness as he maintained his tough persona. But this? This had broken him. --- "No! I'm wolf-boy! I don't take baths!" Jack protested with a grin. "I hide in the mud and the bushes and sniff out the bad guys!" --- Kasper smiled at Phineas warmly and lifted a hand to caress his cheek. "Our home," he said softly. --- David frowned at Balconi's response and seemed troubled. Raguel however, merely shook his head. "I swear the humans get softer with each new generation!" he said disapprovingly then glared at Napoleon. "You will get a court-martial if I have anything to say on the matter! Now if I were you, I'd stop digging that hole of yours any deeper! Get him out of my sight already!" "Right, well... it was nice seeing you again Raguel. Forgive me if I don't hang around but I have some pressing matters to attend to. I suppose you'll be at the next peace talks?" David said hurriedly, fully aware that too much time had already been wasted here and he was anxious to save Charles before it was too late. "Of course. I will see you there." Raguel nodded. David nodded then vanished. --- Stevie didn't answer the first question. He blushed and shyly took the cigarette. The second time inhaling the smoke was a little easier. He smiled as he exhaled and passed the cigarette back then glanced around while thinking. "The arcade?" --- Kodi paused and stared at Clementine who looked away from him shyly. He'd only heard about her and had seen Harris having hallucinations about her. "Huh... Somehow I imagined you'd be much smaller." "I hit a growth spurt, it would appear," Clementine answered and Kodi chuckled. "Yeah, it's fine Harris. I'm always happy to help those in need..." he said then gave her a wary look. "Just don't get into any trouble," he added as he headed towards the kitchen. "I can't stay for long. I just came back to grab some snacks. Speaking of food though, any ideas for dinner tonight? I was thinking of maybe making a minted lamb joint?" --- Warren didn't dare stop singing. Somehow he knew that they would both immediately snap out of their trance if he did. Instead, he continued to sing while dragging Carol over to a chair, intending to tie her to it. As he started walking though, a figure appeared in front of him, causing him to stop in his tracks and his singing to falter. River had decided to teleport to Carol's location to see if they could talk things through and reconcile. He was surprised to see her in Warren's arms and at first felt intense jealousy, until he realised she wasn't reacting to anything at all and looked as though she'd been drugged. Rage quickly took over and before Warren could focus his singing on him as well, River had punched him square in the jaw. Knocking him back and causing him to lose grip on Carol, whom River caught before she could fall. Warren hit the floor, covering his mouth. Blood trickled down his chin from his lip. The few seconds that he wasn't singing caused both Carol and Charles to come back to their senses. River had been about to teleport away when Carol gasped and gripped his arm suddenly. "Charles!" she said and pointed in his direction. River whirled around to look at him and was taken aback by his new appearance. Still, if that really was Charles then they all needed to leave now before the Siren could start his song again! Just as he thought this, Warren jumped to his feet and opened his mouth while glaring at the trio. Wasting no time, River sped over to Charles and teleported the three of them back to Will's house before Warren could get out his first note. "No!" Warren cried out. He was angry that they'd escaped but also ashamed that he'd failed. He looked at the boys, then around the house quickly. "We're not safe here anymore," he said hurriedly. "Quick, pack whatever you think we'll need from here. I'll teleport us somewhere new and send a message to your fathers to let them know our new location. Go!" --- Donnie beamed at Insanity and rushed over to the cell door. "My love! They took them from me!" he said quickly then gestured to his foot, at the small band around his toe. "They took my powers! Hurry! That fool David will be here any moment to deliver me to Amelia. I'm certain she will destroy me." As if on cue, David appeared near Insanity and was surprised to see Insanity here. He saw what he was doing with the lock and immediately reacted. "No!" he rushed forwards to tackle Insanity, having no plan in mind but knowing he couldn't allow Donnie to escape again.

Denix Vames - June 5, 2022 When Damien would go near him, Carter would sit up and stab him in the leg. He laughed. He raised the knife. Attempting to stab him again. Shadowess - June 5, 2022 Not long after Nate appeared in the mansion, Oscar and Damien teleported into the kitchen. Atma was still in the kitchen with Bryce, drinking tea and had paused mid-sip to look up at them hopefully but then hesitated when she saw the grim looks on both of their faces. "Viktor-?" She asked quietly. "He's fine," Oscar said quickly. "Nate's bringing him home now... Where's Ricky and the others?" "I-I think they're still upstairs. What happened? Is everything alright?" Atma tried to ask but Oscar was already heading out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Meanwhile, Damien was staring at Bryce warily as he calmly and tiredly moved around the island counter to sit at the opposite end. Viktor was still shaking as he lay on the bed. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Bryce being murdered again. Which in turn brought back horrid memories of his parents being murdered. He broke into quiet sobs and covered his face. "Bryce..." --- Rickster stopped and stared at Gabriel for a long moment. "Why?" he asked in shock. He then shook his head and turned around to look around at the street once more, struggling to believe he was in Heaven. "I mean... Why me? I did awful things. I don't deserve to be here." he turned back around to look at Gabriel. "What about Ricky? How do I get back to him now?... Can I even get back to him now?" his heart sank at the thought that he might not be able to go back. He'd assumed that his death would just mean he'd stay in Hell. At least then he could've asked David to make him into a Demon, but now? He wasn't sure. --- Tilting his head back, tossing it this way and that, Parker strained to contain himself as the vibrations pulsed through him. His breaths became more ragged, particularly at Will's kisses. He reached over to his pants which had been thrown to one side and pulled the leather belt from them. He then folded it over and bit down on it to muffle the sound of his moans. His eyes alight with excitement, he grinned at Will. --- Kissing the top of Oliver's head gently, Amelia thought about X's words. By now Oliver's cries had calmed again into fearful whimpers. "I'll let you choose," she said finally then shifted Oliver in her arms. "Would you mind holding him while I pack a few things?" --- "I wouldn't know what I'd do." Kasper shrugged, referring to the idea of getting a job in Heaven. He then frowned and shared a looked with Phineas. "Please don't be sad. I'm sure you'll find someone." He sat in one of the wicker chairs. "When I died, I thought that I'd never find real love. But then I met Phineas and everything just sort of clicked into place. I don't know if there's such a thing as a soul mate, but the way I feel when I'm with him... It's like I'm finally, really home." he smiled. --- Having no idea that David was the reason behind Napoleon's departure, Donnie laughed loudly as he watched him vanish. He then sat up and moved over to the wall to lean against it and gripped his shoulder. He looked at it and grimaced. It wasn't healing. Of course, it wasn't. His abilities had been muted so he couldn't heal his own wounds anymore. David was a little surprised to see Michael's replacement. His surprise soon gave way to anger though and he glared at him. "On the contrary, the only rank above mine is that of my QUEEN and not any Angel in Heaven! and Donnie is a Demon, therefore not your jurisdiction! Any questions you have for him, feel free to make me aware of when you hand him over and I will be sure to question him for you," he argued back determinedly. --- Nodding and with a couple of tears dripping from his eyes, Stevie took some deep breaths until he felt better again. Wiping the tears away he laughed nervously. "Somehow, I never thought that the smoke would be hot... Seems really obvious now." --- With red cheeks, Clementine slowly let go of Harris and faked a cough into her fist as she tried to sit up straight. Going as far as to straighten up her clothes as best she could. She realised she'd been opening up to Harris almost continuously since they'd been reunited, which was understandable given everything that had happened but she felt like she was losing touch with who she was. Like she was becoming someone else entirely and by simply being around Harris, she was changing. "S-so, you said an officer and a child live here? Are they father and daughter?" she asked, trying to focus on something else. --- Carol wrestled to keep Insanity in a headlock and seethed at his words. "Too easy." she glanced at the staircase again and grinned. "Normally I'd be opposed to hurting kids but let's face it, those ones upstairs are only a couple of years off adulthood by this point. Maybe I should flay them? Do it in front of you? I'll hang them from hooks by their feet so that they choke on their own blood too. Unless of course, you reverse the curse on Charles and hand him over." she growled into his ear. "Oh, and I want to make this absolutely crystal clear. If Charles dies, I'm going to take your children from you one by one and dip them head first into Hell's lava. Do we have an understanding?" --- Crying out, Desi fell to his knees just as soon as he'd teleported into the room. Blood poured out of the fresh wound, leaving a small puddle on the stone floor. He looked at Carter in surprise. "Carter?!" He rolled out of the way just as he brought down the knife again and stared at him. He was half tempted to use his ability to convince him to stop but knew it wouldn't work. Especially not after Sebastian had already broken his spell once before and his second attempt had failed, resulting in a gruesome death. He highly doubted a third attempt would be beneficial. He couldn't simply take him back home like this either. He'd be a danger to anyone he came across, particularly if he decided to start hunting Devils for his meals. Desi had no choice but to try to talk him down. "Carter, listen to me. This isn't you. You've suffered a traumatic experience but we can help you! L-Look, the spells are broken and Donnie has abandoned this place! We can go home now! We can get you the help you need but first, you need to put down the knife and calm down!" Denix Vames - June 5, 2022 A sudden shot rang out. Bryce raced to the sound. He opened the door. Nate stood there in tears where Ricky laid on the floor. There was a bullet wound to his head. A gun laid nearby. Blood was around him. "He did it so fast. I didn't know. I couldn't....I'm sorry." --- "You have done enough good deeds to be considered someone who belongs in Heaven. You can return to earth by becoming an Angel. Someone can train you." ,said Gabriel. Ricky suddenly appeared. "Rickster!" He hugged him tightly. Gabriel frowned. "You shouldn't have done that. He would have gone back to you in a short time. But I guess now you are both here. So, I can give you both two choices. You can stay in Heaven or become an Angel so that you can go wherever you like." --- Will smirked. He pulled his own pants off. The fun was just beginning. (private time) --- "Of course." Xenos held him. He looked at the child with such love. "He reminds me of my son somehow." He held her hand once she was done packing. They appeared in Xenos's home. "My wife and child will keep you company. They're wonderful people. I'm sure you'll get along." --- Fred smiled. "Thank you both. You're truly kind. I can give you the list of jobs that we have here if you would like to take a look at them?" "That would be great." He pulled out the list from coat's pocket. Handing it to Kasper. "We keep the same jobs as on earth in order to have a societal home. It brings back memories of our time as a mortal. It can be very pleasant." --- Balconi forced himself to stand. He limped over to Donnie. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he began to heal him. "I can take you to Hell. But don't get any wrong ideas. I'm going to take you to David. I know he'll make you a better person." Napoleon laughed. "You are surely mistaken, British pig. I am not doing this for anyone but myself. You see, Heaven needs a better leader. One that can speak for the people. God is merely a pathetic King. Just like you have a pathetic Queen." He smiled confidently. "People still respect me enough to listen. Does anyone respect your English kind?" --- "Some people get used to it. I only started smoking because I needed to distract myself." ,said Cory. --- "Technically. He took her in. So, you could say she's his stepdaughter. She's really sweet but sometimes her attitude will come out to play. I don't blame her though. Before she met us, she had abusive parents. She almost killed herself when a different officer convinced her not to." ,said Harris. --- "Sam! Give Charles over! Right now!" Sam reluctantly laid Charles in front of Insanity. All while glaring at Carol. "This isn't over. We'll get the chance to win again. And when we do, I'll skin you myself." ,said Sam. "Stand back. Now, let me go. I'll fix this." Once he had some space, Insanity laid his hands on a very old looking Charles. He could feel him turning into ash. With his powers, he returned Charles's energy. He knew it wouldn't be enough so he cut his wrist. Allowing his blood to drip onto his ashes. The ashes burst into flames as the swirled around like a small tornado. In an instant, Charles appeared young but completely different. He had short black hair, five o'clock shadow, black suit, and brown eyes. "Is that you, Charles?" ,asked Insanity. Charles looked at his hands then everything else. "I think so." --- Carter continued to giggle as he stood. He walked over to him with the knife raised. Shadowess - June 7, 2022 Oscar had also run into the room and ground to a halt when he saw Ricky's body. "Shit!" He gasped then looked over at Nate. "H-hey, this isn't your fault," he said shakily. "Shit... what do we do? Can we do anything?" "What happened?" Atma's voice approached the door and Oscar darted out to stop her from walking in. After a few hushed words outside the room, Atma could be heard breaking into sobs. Oscar poked his head back into the room. "Bryce, would you mind comforting Atma for a bit? You two seem to get along. Also, Nate brought Viktor back earlier. He looked like he could use some comforting too. Nate, which room did you put him in?" Oscar then looked around and down the halls. "Leo? Leo, we're going to need your help!" he called before looking back at Nate. "Go get a drink, buddy. We'll handle this," he said gently. --- Rickster had been in enough shock as it was before Ricky appeared and hugged him. He barely heard Gabriel's words as he tried to make sense of how Ricky could be here too. Then the realisation dawned on him and he gently pushed Ricky off him to give him a hurt stare. "You didn't? Please tell me you didn't?!" Tears filled his eyes. "Wha-? Did you really think I'd be happy?! I would've come back to you, you fool! You made me a promise! I was counting on you! I trusted you!" --- Oliver calmed down in Xenos's arms and stared up at him curiously. His little eyes were still watery from crying and even though Xenos was a stranger to him, he didn't sense any danger as he had earlier. Amelia packed quickly and then hurried back to Xenos, who teleported them to his home. She looked around curiously just as Tia walked into the room from the direction of the kitchen. She'd heard Xenos's voice so had come into the room to greet him but paused when she saw Amelia and the baby. She looked at Xenos questioningly. --- Kasper looked at the list and felt his cheeks turn a faint shade of red. "I er-... I've never had a job before. I'm not sure what I would be good at," he admitted. "My parents wanted me to grow to be a 'hunter' like them but I could never bring myself to join them whenever they went out. Other than that, I generally had no need for a job. My family was wealthy and I lived in my parent's mansion... I never learned how to earn my own living." --- Donnie grunted from the pain and then rested his head against the wall with his eyes closed as Balconi healed him. He opened his eyes again to look at him when he said he'd take him to Hell then glanced towards the door before nodding. "Take me out of here, Angel," he said while looking back at him. "Before the lunatic comes back." David rose an eyebrow at Napoleon's words then noticed a certain, very heavily armoured Angel appear behind the prideful Angel. The armoured Angel looked incredibly angry with Napoleon but hadn't yet alerted him to his presence. "So much racism for such a little Angel." David's smirk grew a little as he spoke. "And blatant blasphemy too, here of all places. Isn't that a sin? Look, I don't have time for these games. Hand over Donnie now and we can avoid a diplomatic incident. One that I'm sure, after all the work we've put into achieving peace, we would all very much prefer to avoid." --- Stevie nodded but felt a little awkward so he stayed quiet. He knew what Cory was referring to and didn't want to remind him further by asking questions about it. "So, this is what you do? You come out here and just smoke until lessons are over? Doesn't that get boring?" --- "So young?" Clementine gasped, shocked to hear that the girl who lived here had once been ready to end her own life. "Then it's a good thing she's away from that life now. So, how then did you end up living with them?" she asked curiously. --- Warren had come into the room with Sam to watch over him in case Carol decided to attack. He stayed silent but glared at Carol continuously. "Promises, promises," Carol smirked at Sam's threat then watched quietly as Insanity tried to bring Charles back from the brink of destruction. She was already very angry after watching Charles turn to ash but to then see the way he was brought back she couldn't help but glare at Insanity. "What is this? What have you done to him? You've tainted him with your blood!" she snapped at him then hurried forward to kneel beside Charles. "My King, are you alright? We need to leave," she said worriedly while also revealing the reason she'd risked her life for him. She believed him to be Lucifer's son, which in turn made her loyal to him just as she had once been to Lucifer. After all, she had made an oath to stand by Lucifer and aid him 'by any means necessary'. So, why couldn't that oath extend to his family? She hadn't just been an interrogator as she had told them. She had been one of Lucifer's most loyal servants and skilled fighters. Always ready to defend her King from his enemies. She glared at Insanity once more but seemed to swallow a small amount of her pride. "A deal's a deal. I'll leave your children be and we'll leave peacefully." she then pointed at him, seething. "But this isn't over, usurper!" --- Desi scrambled away from Carter. His mind raced, trying to think of ways he could defend himself without hurting Carter. "Carter! Stop!" he gasped. He got to his feet with a wince and limped away from him while maintaining eye contact. "Carter, you don't have to do this! This isn't you! Think about this! What would Sebastian say if he saw you like this? You want to go home to him right? You can but first, you need to calm down and put down the knife!" Denix Vames - June 7, 2022 Nate and Viktor left the room. Nate would tell him where he placed Viktor. But first, Bryce went to Atma. Wrapping an arm around her. "It's going to be alright. We'll get through this." Leo appeared. When he saw who it was, he was reminded of his doubtfulness on Ricky in the beginning. He picked him up. "What can I do?" --- Ricky's eyes widened. Tears ran down his cheeks. "I'm sorry! I just couldn't think! When I heard, I was....! Please! You have to understand!" --- "These are some of my friends. This is Amelia and her son, Oliver. They need a safe place to stay in until the situation is over. Her husband was kidnapped and is possibly dying. Please make them feel at home." ,said Xenos. --- "You are talking to someone who was also born into a rich family. Yet, I still found a job here. I'm sure you can find one too. You just have to explore." Fred stood. Walking over to the door. "I should be going now. I'm sure there's more souls out there who have requested plenty of other animals." He smiled. "I hope to see you both again soon." "Come visit at anytime." ,said Phineas. "Thank you." Fred left. Phineas appeared to look like a fangirl who had just seen their favorite celebrity. "Can you believe it? Frederick The Great was in our house! Pinch me for I must be dreaming!" --- "Do you mean Napoleon? He's not a lunatic. I don't know where you got that idea." ,said Balconi. He grabbed his arm. They appeared at the cages. He threw him into one before locking it up. "Just have to be extra careful." --- Napoleon glared. "How many times must I say that I am not short?! And you will not be getting that pesky little demon! He is mine to punish!" He took some steps forward as he spoke. Balconi appeared in front of him. Surprising the man. "Don't worry, David. I've got Donnie in one of Hell's cells." "Wha...? How did you....?" "Also I'd apologize to your boss about that whole taking God down thing." He pointed behind him. Napoleon turned to find the Armored Angel standing there. His face became pale. He fell back and began pushing himself away. "Please! Have mercy!" --- Cory shrugged. "Sometimes I sleep or watch the day go by. Other than that, it's sort of like being in my own personal safe haven. I get to feel calm and happy for once." --- "Long story short? Amelia taught me a lesson when I was being the villain. Then I got so scared of the idea of a permanent death that I went into the program. Kodi is the officer who's making sure that I behave." ,said Harris. --- "Please don't bow." ,said Charles who covered his mouth when he suddenly heard a British accent coming out of it. "Oh shit..." He smirked then. Realizing that he truly was the King of Hell. "Carol, take these people down. Knock them out so that we can place them in the cells." He glared at her with glowing eyes. "Now." --- Carter nearly stabbed him when he heard the name Sebastian. At first, he froze. The knife fell out of his hand as tears left him. His smile turned into a frown. His laughter had become sobs. He collapsed to his knees where he covered. Sobbing louder.

Shadowess - June 4, 2022 "Shit man, sorry to hear it." Damien nodded. "Yeah, from what Lucifer used to tell me, He used to be an epic asshole. I wouldn't blame you if you're still pissed." He looked around the place and then down at the bracelet on his wrist. "Damn thing... I keep forgetting it's there and I'd be more helpful without it..." Desi and Rickster continued to work on identifying the spells that had been used. It would be another few minutes before Rickster's eyes snapped open and he lowered his arms. "I think I got it!" he said excitedly then ran over to Desi. They discussed the spells and what incantations would be needed to break each one before going about it. They each placed their hands on the walls of each room and chanted spells in unison. Considering how powerful Donnie was when he placed the spells, breaking them would require the power of both Desi and Rickster combined and even then... "It's not enough!" Rickster kicked the wall in frustration. "They're too strong for us both. We need something stronger. Something we could use as a sort of conductor..." Desi said thoughtfully. Rickster then glanced back at Nate, Damien and Oscar. "Or someones..." Desi turned and regarded them all thoughtfully. "We would need all of them." "So, let's do it!" Rickster "This could leave them all drained and exhausted. They'll all be vulnerable if we're attacked again after we leave." Desi warned. "It's better than sitting around here and waiting for them to come back!" Rickster argued then turned back to face the others. "What do you say? We need to link hands and 'borrow' your combined power to break all of the spells." --- Leaning against the desk, Parker let out a quivering sigh as he tilted his head back and enjoyed the way Will made him feel. He ran his hand through his hair and had to bite his lip a little to stop himself from moaning out loud. A small, quiet moan escaped him and he chuckled while blushing. "This is so hot!" he whispered. --- "Yeah, I had already come to that conclusion," David said seriously. "That's not what I need your help with. I have a sort of pass into Heaven so I'm going to go there to investigate." he then sighed and looked at Amelia who was staring at them while holding Oliver in one arm, biting the nail of her other thumb and rocking back and forth a little to try to soothe the still crying baby. "No," Amelia said firmly yet her voice was still trembling. "Amelia..." David tilted his head at her and gave her a pleading look. "I said no! I don't need a babysitter I just need my boyfriend back! I can handle myself!" "And what about Oliver? Amelia, he needs you and right now you're both vulnerable! What if he decides that Charles wasn't enough? What if, God forbid, he comes back and tries to take one or both of you? We can't risk it." David then turned to X. "They need protection while I'm in Heaven. Can you provide that?" --- Kasper shyly shook the man's hand and nodded. "I'm Kasper." he introduced himself in a quiet voice. He looked from Phineas to Fred, seemingly star-struck. "So many historic figures in Heaven... I know it is something I should have expected but I can't help but still be surprised." he smiled. "How did you come to care for animals in Heaven? If you don't mind me asking? Oh, and please let me take those off your hands!" He gently lifted the basket of chickens from Fred's arms and smiled at the poultry as they clucked at him curiously. He set them down carefully by the back door which led to the garden to let them roam and become acquainted with their new home. --- Donnie let out a sudden scream when Gabriel's weapon pierced his shoulder. The angelic steel burned him while the weapon itself pinned him to the wall. He was sweating now as Gabriel approached and threatened him with mutilation. He tossed his head to one side and tensed as the feather touched his chest. He struggled now to contain his pain. For a moment, he had an intense flashback to one of Lucifer's punishments back when he'd been caught conspiring to take over the throne during his reign. Lucifer had pinned him to the wall telekinetically and had burned the word "Liar" across his torso then an "X" on the other side. The flashback had been so vivid that for a second Donnie forgot where he was and whimpered as he recalled Lucifer's furious and dangerous glaring. Then he snapped back to reality and caught his breath. He turned his head back to look at Gabriel and glared at him. "Feathery bastard!" he growled angrily. "You touch me again and I'll be sure to make your beloved my next target! You hear me?! And trust me, I can find a dozen other things to violate him with!" he grinned, his eyes full of malicious intent. "How about I throw him to my followers and let them all take turns?!" he laughed. --- Stevie glanced at the bathroom door. He should really go to class. Maybe if he told the teacher he was sick they'd understand his lateness? But there was something so tempting and exciting about skipping class altogether to do something he'd always been warned against. Freeing, even. He smiled shyly and nodded while turning his head back to Cory. "Ok." his smile grew a little more. "Let's go." --- "Phineas?" Clementine's heart dropped. She remembered seeing him following Harris around. Clementine hadn't been involved with his enslavement but she hadn't stopped it either. Rather, she paid little to no attention except when Phineas could be used for one of her plans and even then, she had been cold and emotionless towards him. "He's free?" she asked nervously then glanced around. "I imagine he'd have a few things to say if he knew I was back... Oh, Harris..." she sat on the couch and buried her head in her hands. "I have so many enemies... So many people that I've hurt or crossed. How do I face them all?" --- Warren nodded to Insanity and hurriedly ushered the children further into the house to hide. Carol chuckled as she strode towards him. She didn't change form but continued to walk toward him with absolute confidence. "Something tells me you don't know who I am," she smirked then ducked out of his way, diving under his wings and sliding across the floor before springing to her feet behind him and aiming a sharp kick to the centre of his back. Her movements were both rapid and fluid as if she'd done this very move hundreds of times before. "My name is Carol Magpie. Royal Guard. Entrusted by Lucifer to capture and torture those who would conspire against him. And you, dear sweet birdie, are fucked!" Her eyes shifted to resemble the eyes of a goat and they began to glow red as they fixed on Insanity. "Unless of course, you hand over the man that you stole and release him of the curse you've placed on him. Then I will leave you and your family be... for now. At least until I'm ordered to torture and/or execute you all." she placed a hand on her hip and grinned at him. "Tik-tok," she added mockingly. Denix Vames - June 4, 2022 "If it means getting out of here then sure." ,said Nate. He let one of them hold his hand. --- Will chuckled at his comment. He unbuttoned Parker's shirt and began kissing his chest. He tugged on his belt before pushing some of his fingers under his pants. He kissed him slowly. --- "Of course. I will do anything to keep your family safe." ,said Xenos. --- "Well, I was looking for a job in Heaven because I wanted to help this wonderful place. Taking care of animals just felt right." ,said Fred. He sat on a chair where a soda appeared from his hand. He opened it before drinking. Phineas raised a brow. "What is that?" "Oh Phineas! You should have tried this before. It's soda. A rather great invention for delicious taste." Fred burped. He covered his mouth. "Excuse me. It also has quite a kick to it too. Care to try?" Phineas hesitantly took the drink. He sniffed it before taking a sip. His eyes widened. "Wow! Such flavor and energy! What is this?" "Coke." "It's amazing!" --- Gabriel pulled his weapon out of Donnie. Frustrated that he wasn't getting anything out of him. "You are not doing enough." An Angel stepped in. His uniform would be recognizable to anyone who had knowledge about this man. It was Napoleon Bonaparte who stood with his wings that were just as massive as his ego. Gabriel smirked. "Knock yourself out." He left the room. Napoleon walked over to Donnie. Never taking his eyes off and keep a cold expression. "I can assure you that what he did was child's play compared to what I can do to you. If you wish to not suffer then talk." --- Cory smiled. He was in disbelief. "Really? I guess we're both skipping class. Follow me." He led him out of the bathroom and to the football field. They sat behind the bleachers. He lit a cigarette and took a puff. "Do you still want to try? I won't make you if you don't want to." --- Harris sat next to her. He wrapped an arm around her. "By meeting them head on and talking to them. I know it isn't easy. Believe me. But if you just tell them how much you've changed and how sorry you are for what you did before, I'm sure they'll forgive you." --- Insanity laughed. "All you have done is kick me! Do you really think you are such a threat?" shadowess - June 4, 2022 Rickster took Nate's hand with a thankful nod. "Yeah, let's get the hell out of here." Oscar agreed and took Nate's other hand. Damien stared at his bracelet then smirked at Oscar's response. "No pun intended?" He chuckled as he took Oscar's free hand. "Of course it was. I intend all of my puns!" Oscar laughed. "Let's all stay focussed," Desi said while taking Damien's hand and then holding Rickster's with his free hand so that they all formed a circle. "Now then, for this next part, we will need you all to try to stay quiet so that Rickster and I can concentrate on our incantations. You will all start to feel your powers draining. You may even feel a little sleepy. That's normal and will take you some time to recover from when this is over." "Nothing a quick nap won't fix," Rickster reassured them with a wink. "What about my bracelet?" Damien asked. "It's already sapped my powers." "I'm not certain but my theory is that it has only halted your ability to utilize your powers but they're still there and we might be able to tap into them to charge our spell," Desi answered. "Fingers crossed then." Damien sighed. Together, Desi and Rickster began their chant. Within seconds, both Oscar and Damien felt the effects of the spell and began to feel tired, weak and even a little light-headed. To them, the spell seemed to go on forever but then, finally and with a loud cracking sound, the spells on the building all broke at once. Rickster and Desi stopped chanting and looked around the room warily before glancing at each other, then at the others. Both broke into wide grins. "We did it!" Rickster cheered. "All of you go ahead! I'll bring Cart-" Desi began but in a blinding flash that caused them all to cover their eyes, Rickster had vanished. "What was that?! Where's Rickster?" "I'll give you two guesses..." Damien sighed as he looked over at Rickster's dead body from earlier in the fight. "He was alive when he came to Hell with you guys, wasn't he? And those spells that you broke were keeping his soul trapped here... so now his soul has gone where it should've gone the minute he died." "Heaven! He sacrificed himself to put that bracelet on the child!" Desi gasped and covered his mouth. "Shit... I almost forgot he was still a living human..." Oscar admitted while scratching the back of his head. "Oh fuck... Ricky's not guna take this well..." "Oscar, take Damien with you," Desi said with a heavy sigh. "Nate..." he glanced back at Viktor who hadn't moved from where he was curled up. "Would you mind taking Viktor home? I'll-... I'll go and get Carter..." he said the last part apprehensively as he recalled the way Carter had behaved. --- "What was that?!" Rickster had shielded his eyes with both his arms and was now blinking as he tried to look around. "Guys?... Guys?!" he froze as he looked around. It looked like he was standing in an ordinary street but something felt different about this place. He felt... warm... light... safe. "Wha-? How-? N-no... no, no, no... I-I gotta go back! I can't be here! Why am I here?! I gotta go back!" he started to panic as he worried about the friends he'd left in Hell. For all he knew, they might still be in danger and in need of his help. --- It was taking all of Parker's willpower to stay quiet. He gasped then gripped the side of the desk suddenly and tightly when he felt Will's hand creeping into his pants. He kissed him back and another quiet moan slipped out of him. His hands moved over Will's chest slowly before reaching the buttons. He pulled at it, ripping it open and sending buttons scattering across the room. He wasn't too worried. He was pretty good at sewing so would likely fix them back on for him later. For now, caught up in the moment, he smiled into the kiss while his hands moved over his bare chest. --- "So, what? You want me to just 'sit tight' while Charles is in danger?!" Amelia stood and bounced Oliver a bit on her hip, still trying to calm him down. "For now, yes," David replied in a firm tone. "Amelia, please. Just go with X. He'll keep you both safe. Let me worry about getting Charles back." "But-!" "Amelia, the more time we spend arguing about this, the less time Charles has!" David interrupted her, effectively putting his foot down on the matter. When she looked at him defiantly with tears in her eyes, his own softened a little and he sighed. "Please. I'm asking you to trust me," he said softly. Although she clearly wasn't happy about the situation, Amelia sighed and relented. "You'd both better come back!" David smiled at her sadly and nodded. "I'll take that as an order." he chuckled then nodded to X. "Thank you." He vanished. Amelia wiped some tears away and continued bouncing Oliver in her arms a little for a minute before sighing and walking over to X. "I can't be here right now. Is there anywhere else we can go?" --- Kasper smiled at Phineas when he tried the cola. He turned his attention to one of the chickens that had wandered back into the house. He scooped it up, into his arms and pet its brown feathery back. He grinned, loving how soft the feathers felt and petted the top of the chicken's head with his index finger. "So, there are jobs in Heaven?" he asked, looking back at Fred in fascination. "I mean... I know the Angels here have jobs but I never realised that souls could get jobs too." --- Another agonised scream escaped Donnie as the weapon was yanked out of his shoulder, the steel burning his skin again on its way back out. He fell forward and lay on the floor, panting. Shakily, he propped himself up on his elbows as he looked up towards the sound of a new voice. When he saw who it was, he burst into hysterical laughter. "Oh, and what are you going to do, short ass?!" he laughed then spoke the next part in French. "You'll fail and when you do I will be ready to deliver agony so endless that you will beg me to send you to Oblivion! Winged pig!" --- David appeared outside the judgement halls of Heaven and marched straight into the main halls. "I demand to know if Donnie has been captured and brought here! He is a fugitive of Hell and must be handed over at once!" he barked, using a tone and pitch that he hadn't used since his days in the English Army, back when he'd been a living mortal during the second world war. It was enough to make the Angels in the room jump and whirl around to look at him. --- Stevie's excitement grew when Cory told him to follow him. He felt his heart racing as they snuck out of the school towards the field. He sat behind the bleachers with him and fidgeted with his hands nervously. If they got caught, they'd definitely be in trouble. Stevie had never been in trouble before. He was always that one kid that was somehow early to every class, kept his head down and got good grades. Doing something like this was wildly out of character for him but ever since he made his flute and killed those bullies, he'd been feeling different. Bolder, angrier and rebellious. Cory offered him the cigarette and an old part of Stevie told him to turn it down and just walk away. That it wasn't too late to go back to how things were. But that part of him was being drowned out by his newest desires. Why should he go back to how things were?! To being bullied on a daily basis, walked all over, and looked down on?! He was sick and tired of being treated like shit. All being good ever got him was a daily beating! But no more. Not THIS Stevie. This Stevie is going to do whatever he wants whenever he wants and if anyone tries to stop him... He thought back to the bullies and the effects his flute had on them and smiled. He then took the cigarette and looked at it curiously. "Thanks," he said nervously before bringing it up to his lips. He inhaled then immediately began coughing and struggled to stop. The hot smoke tasted horrid and hurt his throat while also making him feel sick. He passed the cigarette back quickly while still coughing into his free hand and blinking through tears. --- Clementine listened to Harris and the idea of confronting every enemy she'd ever made sent a shiver down her spine. She turned and hugged him tightly, wanting to feel that calming effect again that she had gotten from their hug before. "I'm scared," she admitted in a whisper. --- "Oh, darling." Carol shook her head and took up a stance. "I'm just getting started. As much as I would love to have a proper dance of death with you though, I'm afraid I'm a little short on time." she glanced towards the staircase where the others had run to earlier. "So, I'm just going to have to speed things up a bit." She darted towards him suddenly then jumped at the wall to kick herself off it and land behind him again. There she attempted to grab around his neck, trying to put him into a headlock. Denix Vames - June 5, 2022 Nate lifted Viktor off the floor and teleported him to a bedroom in the mansion. "You're safe now." He stepped out of the room. Knowing that he would have to tell Ricky the truth. --- "Your friends are safe. They broke the barrier. You are in Heaven now." ,said Gabriel. --- Will's wings sprouted before they vibrated. He pinned Parker to the floor where he unbuckled him. Pulling his pants off. He left a trail of kisses on his thigh. --- "There are two options. I could take you to my family's home or to the facility. Either one will be very private. No one knows where both locations are except for my agents." ,said Xenos. --- "Oh, I'm an Angel but I'm sure a soul is allowed to help as well. You can talk to someone about that. Or I could tell them about you. Making a suggestion for you both." ,said Fred. "That would be great. Thank you." ,said Phineas. Fred could hardly look at them suddenly. He appeared to have tears. "Frederick?" "Forgive me. It's been so long since I've had the chance to find love. Seeing you two like this reminds me of my previous relationships." --- Napoleon glared. He was about to say something when he heard David. He grit his teeth. "Damn Demons!" He appeared in front of David. "Before we can bring Donnie over to Hell, we will need to extract information from him. You will wait. After all, he has also deeply upset Heaven. And I am above your title. I did replace Michael after his death." --- "Just take some deep breaths. You'll be fine." ,said Cory. He took another puff. --- Harris frowned. "I know but I'll be there to help you." --- Insanity struggled in her grip. "Do what you will to me! There will still be another to keep my family alive!"

Denix Vames - May 28, 2022 Carter nodded. He slowly stood. "What can I do to help?" --- Theron looked around. "Are the scary people going to come for us again?" "They don't know we're here, you idiot!" ,said Sam. --- Will smiled before teleporting them both in his office. "Maybe we could say that this is my break time?" --- Insanity let him go. Dodging the shard in time. He covered his ears as he heard Oliver's cries. "I will have that child!" He disappeared. Leaving Charles on the floor where he was unconscious. --- "I like golden retrievers. What about you?" ,said Phineas. --- Balconi turned. Facing River. "I'm only doing this because it's what David would want. This isn't for you. Not really." Gabriel backhanded him with his weapon before he had a chance to dodge. Making Balconi hit the wall and leaving a bloody wound on his head. He wrapped a hand around Donnie's neck. "Now, where were we? Oh yeah. Where is your family? Talk!" --- Cory smirked. "I don't give a shit about class. You can go if you want. I'll be somewhere else." --- "Yes! I'm so happy to hear this!' ,said Harris. Shadowess - May 29, 2022 "Alright." Oscar smiled at him and then waved him over. "Probably best if we split up. We can't teleport out of the building but we can teleport within it. We'll each take an area of the building and patrol it. Make sure Donnie or any of his follers don't try to sneak up on us. If you see any of them call for us and we'll teleport to your location straight away. Sound good? Our main objective here is to give those two-" he nodded to Desi and Rickster. Desi had begun doing something similar to Rickster but on the other side of the room. "-enough time to break the spells on this place so that we can all escape." --- "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be on our guard," Theron told them with a serious expression. "Boys, if you see or hear anything strange while we're here I want you to tell me immediately. No matter how small. If needed, I'll move our location. I'll do everything in my power to keep you all safe, alright?" he walked over to them and placed a hand on Theron's shoulder. "I'd give my life if it meant keeping you all safe. Now then! We need to get this place cleaned up. There's likely some cleaning equipment in the kitchen. If we all work together, we'll have this place looking more livable than it does now. So, Sam, you're going to focus on the bedrooms. Remove all the sheets and bedding and bring it all down to wash. We'll have to do it by hand. Looks like the washer is...well..." he looked over at it. The lid was completely missing and the exposed wires looked fried. "Out of order. I'll help you. Dariel, you're in charge of the bathrooms. And Theron, you've got kitchen and living areas. Are we all clear on what we're doing?" --- Parker chuckled and bit his lip. "Maybe we could," he answered coyly then glanced at the door. "We should probably lock your door." --- "Over my dead body!" Amelia snapped back just as Insanity left. She remained where she was for a moment and looked around the room on high alert. Half expecting him to come back. The shard in the wall dissolved into glittering blue sand and left a hole in the wall. She turned her attention first to Oliver who was still crying and shaking and her arm. She held onto him now with both arms and rocked him a little. "Shhh, it's ok. It's ok. You're safe. Mummy's here. You're ok." she whispered to him and kissed his head lovingly. Although not completely calm, Oliver's cries reduced to little whimpers as he tried to calm down. Next, Amelia walked over to Charles and knelt beside him. She placed one hand on his shoulder and shook him a little. "Charles?" her voice trembled as she shook him a little harder. "Charles!" Not knowing what else to do, she looked around the room and rocked Oliver in her arms. "Dad!" she called then broke into tears. "DAD!!!" Immediately both David and Carol appeared in the room and looked at the scene in shock. "What happened?" David asked worriedly. "Oh, sweety!" Carol rushed forward and knelt next to them. She wrapped her arms around Amelia and cooed over the baby. "Insanity!" Amelia cried. "H-he's tried to take Oliver!" "What?" Carol sounded angry and she stood, facing David. "Ok, no. David, give me my powers back," she demanded. "I want them back and I want them back NOW!" "Carol, we JUST talked about this!" David argued. "That was before some psycho tried to fuck with my family!" Carol argued back. "Language..." Amelia sniffled and pointed to Oliver. "Sorry, sweet thing. Heat of the moment." Carol said in a gentler tone to Amelia then turned to David again. "David, you know what I'm capable of when I have my powers. You know I could protect this family." "I thought you didn't want to be tied down?" David rose a brow. "That the only Devil you'd ever serve is Lucifer. What's to stop you from taking off to try to find him or do your own thing and generally make me regret giving them back to you when all this blows over?" Carol paused and glanced at Charles. She bit her lip and glanced back at David. David had followed her eye line and looked back at her questioningly. "It's-... Look, I won't ok? I have no need to. David, please. I helped you to protect her once before... let me do it again." David seemed uncertain. "I'll think about it." He answered and Carol groaned. "David, we don't have time for this! What if he comes back? Do you really expect to be able to take him on alone?! I thought you were smarter than that!" "Dad..." Amelia was looking up at him and David pre-emptively shook his head at her. "Amelia... don't-" "She's right. Look, I know what kind of Demon she was. That was never exactly a secret. But I also remember her LITERALLY defending me with her life! She saved my life by sacrificing herself. I owe her for that. Big time." David sighed heavily and stared at the ceiling. He was losing this argument and he knew it. "Dad, please. For me. For Oliver." "Stop it." he rolled his eyes and looked at his daughter. "You can stop with the emotional blackmail now...damn, you're a lot like your mother..." he muttered. "I take that as a compliment." Carol winked. "Fine! Carol, let's go into the next room... I know what you get like when you endure pain and it's not for a baby to see." Carol giggled and glanced back at Amelia. "We'll only be a minute sweety. Shout us if he comes back." Amelia nodded and watched them both leave the room. She kept a hand on Charles's shoulder while rocking Oliver in her other arm. She strained her ears for hints of any movement and kept glancing around the room anxiously. Paranoid that they still weren't 'safe.' --- "I don't know." Kasper shrugged. "I've never had a dog before to know what I like. But a retriever sounds good. They're cute and intelligent from what I remember." he scribbled on the form and then read some of the conditions for adopting a pet. "Oh, the pets we adopt are already named. Of course, they are, they belonged to someone else on Earth before they passed away. But it looks like, -oh!" The form suddenly turned into a booklet in his hands. He opened it up and there was a long list of available golden retrievers. It listed their names as well as the types of lives that they had before their deaths. Quite a lot had been reverted back to their prime years as they had died contented at an old age, surrounded by loving families. Some hadn't had such lucky lives however and had died young for various reasons, ranging from abandonment to abusive homes. "Oh gosh... How do we choose?" --- Gasping for air, Donnie gripped Gabriel's arm and strained to shove him off. But the bracelet kept him as weak as a human so it was like trying to push off dead weight. He glared at Gabriel defiantly and spat in his face. "Fuck off!" he gasped. --- Stevie placed the flute back into his pocket and wiped his face with his sleeve to get rid of his tears. He unlocked the cubicle door and stepped out. "Don't you care about your grades?" he asked. "What do you even do when you're not in class?" --- Pulling away a little, she sniffled while wiping away some of her tears. She was still smiling. "Harris..." she glanced around the house before bringing her eyes back to him. "I don't need to hide anymore. We don't have to stay here. We could..." she shrugged. "We could go to your home if you want? You could introduce me to your friends and show me how to live like a human." she smiled bashfully. "I promise I'll try to keep a more open mind." speaking of which, her mind was literally more open to him now than it had been earlier. She didn't feel the need to hide what she thought or felt from him. Denix Vames - May 29, 2022 Carter could hardly focus on anything after what he went through with Donnie. He noticed a kitchen and stepped inside. He soon found a knife. Stepping out into the open, he began to laugh. "Carter?" ,said Nate who walked over. Carter looked at him with a crazed stare. He ran at him with the knife. Screaming as he did. He stabbed his chest. Nate flinched before grabbing his arm. In a moment, Carter was knocked out by his powers. He placed him on the floor. "What the fuck was that?" --- Will locked the door and made sure the blinds were closed. He placed a hand on Parker's waist. "Now, where were we?" --- Charles remained asleep as his body seemed to be slowly aging. Insanity flew as a butterfly. Landing on Charles. He soon transformed into himself. He grabbed Charles. "Fine. I won't take the child but I will keep this one. If you want your dear lover back then give back mine and leave our family alone." He disappeared. --- Phineas pointed to a dog. "This one has only one eye. I want to know this dog." He placed a hand over his left eye. "I want to remember." His left eye suddenly closed. Reverting back to what it had been before. "I hope this doesn't make you mad." He bit his lip. "I can always fix this if you really want me to." --- Gabriel glared. He threw him on the floor. His wings sprouted. He plucked a feather and stomped his foot firmly on Donnie's chest. He brushed the feather over his cheek. "Tell me now! What were you going to do with vampires? What pills were you attempting to make?" --- "Can't exactly focus on grades when your family sucks." Cory shrugged. "I just smoke and think." --- "Well, it's not my home. I'm staying with a few of my friends. But of course, I can bring us there." Harris held her hand. They soon appeared in Kodi's home. "Make yourself comfortable. I'm sure they'll like you. Right now, everyone's busy so they'll be back later." --- Everyone had nodded. Sam shrugged before making his way over to the bedrooms. Theron went into the kitchen while Dariel stepped into the bathrooms. Everyone was doing their part to clean this new home of theirs. Insanity appeared with Charles. "He is our hostage. Thankfully, he won't wake up until we get Donnie back. Plus the aging process which will turn him into nothing if his powers do not return to him." He grinned. "It's a foolproof plan!" shadowess - May 29, 2022 "What the hell?!" Desi's concentration was broken by the commotion and he ran over. "Are you alright?" he asked Nate. He then looked sadly at Carter and sighed. "Oh, I hoped my blood would satiate him for a while. I suppose he's suffering from more than just hunger..." he said sadly. He bent down and placed a hand on his arm. "I'll be right back," he said then teleported back into the room where Damien had been waiting. "What are you doing? What's wrong with him?" Damien shot to his feet. "Relax, he's unconscious... for now. I think it would be best if we swapped you. He'll be safer in here." Damien then pointed to Carter. "He's probably still got my blood in his system." "I'm aware. That's why I gave him some of my-" "Yeah, not the point I'm getting at." Damien cut him off and Desi gave him a questioning look. "He's got Devil and Demon blood in his veins. A lot of it. Which means, if he wanted, he could just teleport out of this room." "Ah..." Desi frowned. "What do we-?" "I duno..." Damien sighed. "Do our best to try to keep him away from me until we can leave, I guess. C'mon. Let's just hope he doesn't figure out he can use those powers when he does wake up." "Right." Desi nodded and they both teleported back into the main room, leaving Carter where he was. "Alright, so what's the plan?" Damien asked, placing his hands in his pockets while looking between Desi and Nate. "Defend myself and Rickster while we try to break the spells." Desi explained briefly before going straight back to work. "Easy enough." Damien nodded then looked at Nate warily. "Uh-..." he faked a cough uncomfortably. "Hope this isn't weird." he said, knowing he had a reputation in regards to murdering Angels back when Lucifer had been his teacher. --- "I think we were about here..." Parker purred as he placed his hands on Will's chest before pressing his lips against him. --- While Amelia waited for David and Carol to return, she had been sniffling while lightly brushing Charles's hair out of his eyes. It was then she noticed something that hadn't been there before. Right in the corner of his eyes. Crows feet. As she watched carefully, they seemed to get a little bigger and the realisation of what was happening dawned on her. "Charles? Charles! Wake up!!" he shook him again but he didn't wake. Just as she was starting to shake him a little harder, she noticed the butterfly and watched it land daintily on Charles before shifting into Insanity. Before she had time to react, he'd already pulled Charles into his arms. "No! Stop! DAD!!!" she screamed while reaching out for Charles. Oliver had started crying again and just as David burst into the room, Insanity had vanished with Charles. Carol had run into the room just in time to watch them vanish as well. She and David looked at Amelia in alarm. "Dad! We've gotta get him back! We have to! He was- he was ageing! We have to do something!!" Amelia cried at them hysterically. "Slow down, Amelia. Did he say anything?" David asked. "He said he wanted Donnie back. I don't understand! What does he mean? Did we capture him? We would know if he was caught, wouldn't we?!" Amelia panicked. David exchanged a dark look with Carol. "I need to find out. Carol stay here with-" "-Can't." "-What?!" David turned to Carol but she'd vanished before he could ask her where she was going. "Carol?! Damn woman is going to get herself killed..." he grit his teeth and then looked back at Amelia with a worried expression. "Hang on, alright? We'll get him back." he said to her gently. "Oliver needs you to stay calm right now. Take some deep breaths." He paced the room a little hurriedly then snapped his fingers. "X? We need your help." --- Kasper watched him with a small frown but said nothing. When Phineas said he could fix it if he didn't like it, he shook his head. "Phineas, I love you for you. Not for how you look." he told him in a soft voice. He kissed his cheek again and let it linger before pulling back and smiling at him. "If you're more comfortable being this way then that's what's important." he said then turned back to the form and put a tick in the box next to the dog's description. "There, now we've put in our interest. I guess we have to wait to find out if our application was successful." --- Muffling a groan, Donnie flinched when the feather touched his cheek and he inhaled sharply through his teeth as it burned his skin. He took a couple of breaths to try to keep himself calm and glared back at Gabriel. "Vampire viagra." he grinned. "So we could fuck 'em extra hard!" he laughed. This was obviously not the real reason he had been planning on making pills but Donnie loved seeing the fury in Gabriel's eyes. "Just like I fucked your little Angel friend!" --- Stevie kept quiet and didn't want to comment on family. Especially after lying that he needed to help his mother with something after school. Truth be told, he rarely ever saw his mother. She worked long hours at the grocery store to try to provide for both of them. He'd never met his father and his mother had forbidden him from asking about him. Said he was better off being oblivious to the truth... whatever that truth might be. He shrugged and lowered his eyes shyly. "Isn't smoking bad for you?" he asked then bit his lip a little. "What's it like? Does it taste like anything?" --- When they arrived, Clementine was admittedly a little disappointed that no one else was home yet. She looked around the small house. At the little ornaments that had been placed onto the shelves. "Who lives here with you?" she asked curiously while turning to look at Harris again. --- "Sire!" Warren, hurried over while wiping a little sweat that he'd worked up from his forehead. Cleaning bed sheets by hand was hard work. "You're back!" he smiled then looked at Charles while listening to what Insanity had to say. He grinned and looked at his King in awe. "That's genius! Now they'll have to release him!" It was then that someone knocked on the old, worn down door. It wasn't a friendly knock either. In fact, they were three sharp, slow bangs. Warren looked around at them all. His eyes darted between the boys and he placed a finger over his lips to tell them to keep quiet before starting to cautiously tip-toe over to the door. Before he could reach it, the door was kicked right off its hinges and slid across the foyer floor. With a cocky swagger, Carol stepped over the threshold and glared at Insanity while grinning. She looked about as insane as he was. Particularly when she greeted them in a sassy tone; "Ding dong." Denix Vames - May 29, 2022 Nate pulled out the knife and let it fall. He healed himself. "It really isn't off putting to have you here. I've had to kill my fair share of Angels too. It's a long story. Let's just say that God use to me as his chew toy." --- Will returned the kissed as he brought his hands under his shirt. He moved his lips to his neck. Biting there. --- X appeared. He raised a brow. "If Donnie was captured and you don't know about it then Heaven must have taken him first. Both Hell and Heaven want to destroy him. I can only assume that Heaven got to him first. You need to talk to them. They should have given him up to you long before this all happened." --- Phineas smiled. There was a knock at the door. "Could it really be? That was quite fast." He opened the door. Before his eyes, Frederick The Great II was standing there with a dog by his side and basket full of chickens. His eyes widened as he covered his mouth. "It can't be! Frederick The Great?" Fred smiled. "It's good to meet new faces. I believe these wonderful animals are for you two." He gave the leash to Phineas who was met by the dog's happy licks and wagging tail. "It's an honor to meet you sir!" Fred raised a hand. "Please. I'm honored to meet a man of your title. I see that you are living in a great home." "Oh please! Come in! Come in! I never thought I would be having a man like you here." "If you insist, I shall step in." As he stepped inside, he looked around. "Ah! I believe you are this man's lover?" He held out a hand for Kasper to shake. "I am Frederick The Great but you may call me Frederick or Fred." --- Gabriel threw him across the room. Just as Donnie hit the wall, he threw his spear at him so that he was stuck to the wall. He stormed over to him. "I know what kind of sick person you are! So I know that you will hate the idea if I were to simply cut off your genitals. What will it be? An eternity of suffering or to be released from here and given a merciful cell in Hell?" He ripped his shirt open. Placing the feather all over his chest. "This is a warning." --- "It can kill you but I don't really care. And taste? Well, I guess there is something. I can't exactly describe it though." ,said Cory. "Do you want to try it?" --- "An officer named Kodi and a high school student called Autumn. "I became good friends with them when we saved....Phineas." Harris awkwardly grabbed his arm. "Um....I'm not sure when I should let you talk to him. Phineas was in a very emotional state when I freed. He's been in Heaven ever since." --- "Sam! Take this man! I want all of you to hide!" Insanity turned to Warren. "Stay with them. Protect this family!" Sam and the others would follow Warren as he carried Charles in his arms. Insanity glared. He raised his arms. Letting his wings expand. "Do you really think that you can just waltz in here and take what you want?" He flew over to her. Aiming his feet at her. "I won't let you!" He swung his claws.

shadowess - May 26, 2022 "Tell me about it..." Oscar groaned as he gripped the deep wounds that Insanity's claws had left in his shoulder. "I was so damn close to getting the bracelet on him... Why the hell was that soul fighting for them? Who even was that guy?" Rickster was walking around the room with his hands up as if feeling out some invisible walls. --- Warren's breath caught in his throat and his eyes widened at Insanity's words. "I-It would be an honour, Sire!" he gasped. "S-Sire, if I may express myself? You and King Donnie gave me a home, love and protection. I would do anything for you both. I love you both with all my heart." he stepped forward. "For you, I will accept your gift and protect this family with everything that I have." --- "Hell no!" Parker laughed. "If anything she was being an ass! But I get what you mean. Seeing the way she looked when she realised Lucifer is really gone... I felt bad too." he shrugged. "I guess, maybe we could be a little more understanding... I know she's basically acting like a teenager but I don't think we can really blame her if she's spent most of her life stuck in other people's heads... It's a wonder she isn't completely insane... Maybe we should give her more of a chance? Help her out?" --- Amelia blinked and looked at Charles in disbelief. "Really?" she looked back at Clementine and looked her over sceptically. She was hesitant to trust her but she sighed heavily, knowing she couldn't turn her away when she was asking for forgiveness. It would be hypocritical of her to do so considering her entire life's work to this point had involved restructuring Hell in a way that redeems those who have previously committed sins. Amelia turned away from them and leant over the back of a tall dining chair as she thought privately to Charles. 'We can't destroy her... I'm still pissed at her but if she really wants to change then we should give her the same chance as everyone else.' Meanwhile, Clementine was waiting tensely for their judgement. (Maybe they could bump into each other later on? Doesn't need to be rushed. Just something to bear in mind. ) --- The professor shook the man's hand and then watched the way he left in amazement. He stood there for a long moment, staring at the spot in the ceiling that Phineas had vanished through. "I really gotta quit day drinking..." he mumbled as he slowly left the building. After this encounter, this professor would quit drinking altogether. As a result, he would live a little longer rather than dying young of liver failure. Somewhere in the world, in both confusion and astonishment, Azrael just witnessed a name vanish from his book. Kasper hurried over to Phineas and threw his arms around him. "Phineas! Come look!" he said happily as he walked into the kitchen with him and showed him a pink form that was on the table with a pen next to it. "I was thinking about the chickens when you were gone and this appeared! There is a system for pet adoption!" he grinned. "We can adopt any animal that has already died, within reason. It says large animals are off-limits for adoption as they prefer large open spaces to roam freely. But small animals are allowed, like cats, dogs, birds..." --- Hannes gasped in surprise as well then moaned at the vibrations. He grinned at Jean and began carrying him to the bedroom. "However you're doing that...don't stop!" he moaned. He reached down and unbuckled his pants, letting them drop to the floor while continuing to kiss him deeply. He wondered if he could do the same and within seconds he was letting out a louder moan as his own wings vibrated in unison with Jean's. "Oh Jean!" he breathed then dropped his underwear to the floor as well. (Private time) --- "We will turn him in to David." The armoured Angel assured River with a nod. "After we've gotten our answers! and you should know better than to disobey a superior Angel!" he then scolded him. "You can stay behind and help the mortals fix up the damage to this hospital!" The armoured Angel then turned to Gabriel. "I want a thorough interrogation done on him," he ordered. "Leave no stone unturned. I want to know what he was planning with those vampires. How he planned to create pills. Where his family are hiding. How many Demons are in his private little army? The names of those Demons. Hell, I even want his grandmother's name if you can get it! Do whatever you feel is necessary to make this bastard sing! Then report all the information you've gathered to me." he ordered. --- The cubicle was silent for a long, uncomfortable moment after Cory had apologised to Stevie. Then, finally breaking that silence, Stevie called through the cubicle door once more. "Hey, what are you doing tonight? After school?" --- "Not exactly..." Desi said slowly. "You're stuck here too, aren't ya?" Damien asked. "For now. But Rickster and I are working on a way out. I believe Insanity and the rest of his family just abandoned this place after we discovered their location. What's wrong with Carter?" "Withdrawals..." Damien sighed. "They made him drink me dry earlier." "Oh, dear..." Desi looked down at Carter thoughtfully. "Perhaps we should keep you two separated for a while then?" "Yeah, might be a good idea." Damien agreed. "Take him out. I don't mind being alone for a while until you get those spells broken." "Alright. We'll come and get you as soon as we can leave." "You'd better," Damien smirked. Desi smiled back and then bent down to help Carter to his feet. "Come on you. It's not as good as Devil's blood but I'm sure a few drops of mine will tide you over until we can get you home." he offered as he teleported them into the main room. Denix Vames - May 26, 2022 Nate shrugged. "I think he might be attached to them in some way. He seemed like he really wanted to protect that specific kid." He placed a hand on Oscar's shoulder. Healing him. --- "Come with me then." Insanity took his hand and guided him a bit further away from his sons and Dariel. "Hold on to my hand and never let it go. No matter how much it hurts, you can never let go while I turn you." He closed his eyes and took a moment to gather his energy. He held a tight grip just in case. Warren would soon become a Demon. --- Will bit his lip. "I guess we should." He awkwardly cleared his throat. "We didn't exactly get to finish what we were doing at the mansion. Maybe when I'm on break, we could step into my office and talk privately?" --- (yeah sure) "Alright. We won't destroy you. You will be entered into the program. This means we are going to keep an eye on your progress. Is that clear?" ,said Charles. --- "Dogs? Oh I love dogs! They're adorable." ,said Phineas. "What pet did you have in mind?" --- Balconi swung his weapon at Gabriel who clashed it with his own. "Be a good pest and listen!" ,said Gabriel. He pushed him back. Before Balconi could do anything, Gabriel wrapped a hand around his throat. Squeezing tight. "You have no idea what this bastard has done to one of our Angels. If it were Will who became victim to his insane antics then you would be merciless too. Now, go clean up this mess." He let him go. Balconi hit the floor where he coughed. Catching his breath. Gabriel walked over to the Angels that we're holding Donnie. "I expect him in the room when I return to Heaven." He disappeared. --- "I was going to hang out with my friends at the park. First, we're going to visit this police department. Apparently, Autumn's guardian works there. She wants to visit. You can come with us if you want." ,said Cory. --- When Carter was in a different area of the Brothel, he collapsed. He was shaking as he silently cried. Curling up like ball. "I-I'm sorry. I heard about what Donnie did but.....That bastard. He made me kill Damien! I thought I was going to have to....to do it again. I just didn't know when." shadowess - May 28, 2022 "Thanks." Oscar sighed in relief as Nate started to heal his wounds. He then glanced over at Viktor who had sat in the corner of the room, hugging his knees. "Wait... we already have a way out!" He gestured to Viktor. "Leave him be," Desi called over while shaking his head. "He's still exhausted and besides, that wouldn't solve the problem that my old harem is essentially a soul trap now. Currently, anyone who wanders in here will never be able to leave. We need to ensure that this is not the case when we're done here." "Dammit..." Oscar sighed "We will leave. Just be patient." Desi said before turning his attention back to Carter. He knelt down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "There, there. That's not going to happen. Here, you're going to need your strength." he held out his wrist. "We will need you to help Nate and Oscar guard this place while Rickster and I try to break the spells so that we can leave. Will you be able to help us? and don't worry about Damien. Lucifer chose him as his apprentice for a reason. He's strong enough to not be bothered by dying. I'm sure he's fine." --- Warren followed Insanity away from the others and listened to him carefully. He held his hands and tried to mentally prepare himself but nothing could have prepared him for the sheer agony that rapidly changing his biological makeup could bring. His grip tightened out of fear of what might happen if he let go and he tried so hard to conceal his pain but was soon reduced to crying out as he struggled to simply stay standing. The bracelet that Oscar had mistakenly placed on him was not designed to withstand such a drastic change in the DNA of its wearer, so just as Warren's transformation hit its peak, the bracelet splintered before exploding and crumbling into dust on the ground. Warren breathed deeply and raggedly while gripping his burned wrist when it was over. He watched in amazement as the burn began healing on its own then he'd look up at Insanity. "I-is it done?" he asked, unsure. Then gasped and clutched his chest as he felt his heart begin to beat again. He hadn't even noticed while he'd been dead that it hadn't been beating but now that it was starting to again, he definitely noticed! "I'm-?" he looked down at his hands, feeling a new sensation. Was that what power felt like? Physically, he had changed a little as well. His hair looked softer, fuller and a slightly lighter shade of blonde while his brown eyes seemed to have darkened slightly and yet somehow they also seemed to glisten a little more. --- Alex grinned at Will while blushing. "I'd like that." --- Clementine had never thought much of the programme but if it meant she could have a second chance at life, she was willing to try anything. "I- I understand." she nodded then bowed her head. "Thank you for this chance. I will not make you regret it." "You'd better not," Amelia warned with the same acidic tone. She then sighed and turned to Charles. "Let's go home?" she asked, giving him a specific look that told him she was anxious about being away from their son for too long. --- "I wasn't sure," Kasper admitted but then grinned widely. "But I think a dog is exactly what we need. We have more than enough room for them to run around!" he glanced out of the window at the field. "I'll request some chickens and a coop too." he giggled excitedly as he set the form down on the counter and picked up the pen to fill it in. --- The soldier holding Donnie teleported as well. The instant they arrived in Heaven, Donnie awoke to feel incredibly uncomfortable. Like pressure was being applied over his face, making it difficult for him to breathe. He looked around wildly and tried to hop out of the soldier's arms but a swift punch to his stomach caused him to fall to his knees before he could even try to make a run for it. He tried to speak. To shout at them to take him out of Heaven but the pressure along with being winded from the punch meant he couldn't get any words out as the soldier took him by the arm and dragged him into an empty, heavily armoured room. He was thrown in and as soon as the door was locked the pressure he'd been feeling lifted. "No! NO!!" he shouted, jumping to his feet and throwing himself against the cell door. "You can't keep me here!!" he slammed his fists against the door desperately. This was the last place he wanted to be! Being here meant that he was not only surrounded by creatures that could cause him a great deal of harm just from their feathers but also that he was also now completely cut off from his family. It would be impossible for any of them to find him, let alone teleport to him now. Donnie then froze up and held his breath nervously. His hair standing on end on the back of his neck told him he was being watched. He didn't turn away from the door. Staring at the metal as he swallowed hard to try to hide his fear. "There is nothing you can do to turn me against my family," he said without turning around or looking away from the door. "I spent years training to be one of Lucifer's best. You know what that means right? I was trained to withstand torture. So you're wasting your time." he had to conceal a shiver before trying his luck at negotiating his freedom. "But maybe, we could come to a deal? Hm? You let me go. Turn a blind eye and when I win the war, you can be the ruler here." --- "No!" Stevie answered a little too hurriedly and then faked a cough and said in a much calmer voice; "Uh, no. Sorry, I almost forgot that I gotta help my mom with something right after school. But I can meet you at the park later?" He didn't want to go anywhere near the police after what he'd done. He was paranoid that they would somehow see right through him. Denix Vames - May 28, 2022 Carter forced himself to sit up. He grabbed his wrist and pressed his fangs into his skin. Drinking some of his blood. He drank just enough to help himself. "I-I don't know. I want to help but nothing feels right." --- "This is what true power feels like. Now, protect our family while I go off in search for something to help us get Donnie back." ,said Insanity before he disappeared. --- "Wanna head back to the precinct and see what's going?" ,asked Will. --- Charles nodded. "Of course." He held her hand. When they did appear back home, they would sense a disturbing presence. It was Insanity who was holding Oliver in his arms. Charles head straight to his bedroom. He glared at him. "Get away from my son!" He stormed over. Insanity grabbed him by his neck and lifted him off the floor. "Shhh....You made the baby cry. Now, how is he going to sleep?" "Let him go! Oliver has nothing to do with this!" "Oh yes. He does. You see, you took away my children's father. I need him back or else Oliver will be given to Oblivion." Charles kicked his stomach. Causing Insanity to lose his grip. He grabbed Oliver and gave him to Amelia. "Find David! We have to get out of-!" Insanity gripped his head as he drained his energy from his body. Charles cried out. --- "It's been a long time since I've dealt with papers. I use to make lots of money from clearing paths for railroad tracks." ,said Phineas. He wrapped his arms around Kasper from behind. "It's satisfying to see you working." --- Gabriel smirked. "I'm not so easily manipulated." River appeared in front of Donnie. He held out a hand. "You're going to see David. None of this is necessary." Gabriel flew over and slammed River against the wall. River headbutted him. Giving himself time to swing his weapon. Gabriel jumped. They glared at each other. The fight had only just begun. --- A little puzzled by his response, Cory nodded. "Yeah sure. You'll see us when you get there. We won't be at the department for long." --- Harris burst into tears as he hugged Clementine. He sobbed. "I'm so glad that you're alright. I nearly thought they were going to send you away." shadowess - May 28, 2022 Desi grunted subtly, winced and turned his head away while Carter drank from him. He'd used to enjoy such a feeling in his Harem when he'd get the odd vampiric soul pass through but then he also couldn't help recalling the time Carter had drank from him against his will before crushing his skull... granted, Desi had deserved it at the time but it still left Desi with very mixed feelings about being bitten again. He pushed those emotions down, however, as he recognised that this was simply something that he needed to do to help Carter regain some of his strength. When Carter pulled away from his wrist, he tore off a small piece of his own shirt and wrapped it tightly around the wound. "That's likely your withdrawals talking," he said gently. "Your body is going to tell you that nothing feels right or that any other blood simply doesn't taste right to try and get you to hunt Devils. I'm sorry to say that the only way you'll ever feel normal again is by simply ignoring those feelings for a while... and even then you're still likely to get the occasional cravings whenever you meet one of our Devil friends." "C'mon man, we could use all the help we can get," Oscar called over, trying to sound encouraging. --- Warren watched Insanity leave and sighed dreamily. "Yes, sire." He then turned to the boys and smiled. "We should probably try and get this place cleaned up before your father's return. We don't know how long we'll be staying here and I'm sure you'd rather not sleep in filth." --- "Sure." Parker smiled and slipped his hand into Will's. He moved his fingers between his and caressed the back of his hand with his thumb. --- "Oliver!" Amelia gasped when she'd seen Insanity holding her son. Her voice shook in fright, knowing exactly what Insanity was capable of. She wondered where the babysitter was but was far more concerned at this moment by the imminent danger that her family was in. When Charles managed to get Oliver to her, she grabbed him quickly and rocked him in one arm to try to calm him down. "Charles!!" She screamed when she saw what Insanity was doing to him. Immediately she took up a stance. In one arm she held Oliver securely while a large, sharp shard of crystal formed in her other hand. "Don't you dare mess with my family!" she growled furiously and threw the shard at Insanity as if it were a javelin. She aimed for his shoulder and threw it with enough force that it would pin him to the wall if it hit. All while glaring at him dangerously to let him know that he'd be a fool to mistake her for a damsel in distress. As if that weren't enough of an onslaught, Oliver's eyes started to glow red. He too sensed the danger in the room and instinctively used his still developing powers to defend them. He continued to cry but his powers manipulated his shrieks so that only Insanity would find the noise to be painfully ear piercing. --- "I'm only filling out a form." Kasper giggled. He turned his head and kissed Phineas on the cheek. "What kind of dog should we get?" --- Donnie slunk away from the fighting Angels and kept his back pressed against the cell wall as he watched them both warily. The way he saw it, he had two options. One, stay here to be tortured for an unknown amount of time until he's eventually handed over to David or two, convince the rebelling Angel to take him to David straight away. At least if he's taken to David, he'd have a far better chance of being found and saved by his family. Although he also had to bear in mind the risk involved with being taken back to David. Considering how much he'd already put him through, there was nothing stopping David now from obliterating Donnie on the spot. It wasn't an ideal situation to be in, that's for sure! Still, he at least stood a small chance of survival if he reached Earth. This means that his best option so far would be to convince River to break him out of Heaven. So far, the way the Angels fought positioned them across the room from Donnie. River currently had his back to him while Gabriel would be able to see Donnie over River's shoulder. "You're right!" he called over to Balconi. He gave Gabriel a sly, cunning smile before continuing to manipulate River. "David would never stand for this! I should have a fair trial, like anyone else! David believes that everyone can be redeemed, does he not?!" --- "Ok. I'll see you guys at the park," Stevie called through the door. "We should probably head to class now though. We're both already pretty late..." he said, recalling that the class bell had run before he'd run into the bathroom. --- Overwhelmed with emotion and relief, Clementine hugged Harris back and caught her breath as a couple of her own tears fell. "Harris..." she breathed then broke down and sobbed into his shoulder. "I don't have to run or hide! I can live! I can live!" She both cried and laughed.