Shadowess

I'll need to re-write up our character notes

lol Yeah, I just finished my post and got a bit carried away on Shezmu hahaha

MORE EXPOSITION! 😄

Damien paused to look back at James. His eyes lowered to the bear and softened. He sighed, accepting it as James handed it to him. The corner of his mouth twitch briefly into a warm smile then vanished just as quickly as he marched over to the cashier, trying to maintain whatever dignity he had left. Once paid for, he turned to James. For a moment, he averted his gaze. "It was nice to get away for a while. I'm tempted to just stay here. Part of me believes that Parker probably wouldn't miss me or he'd be better off..." he admitted while unconsciously holding the bear close to his chest and squeezing it a little. The smallest glimpse of the tender, anxious man within. "But I owe it to him to try. Maybe getting high was a mistake. I think it might be time to go back." He took a breath and lowered his arms by his sides, holding the bear by one of its arms. He brought his eyes back up to James's, a fire had re-ignited behind them. He was prepared to change if it meant that he wouldn't lose his son. "Ready?" --- Sebastian had been just as shocked by the news. Before it could truly sink in, Carter had dropped to his knees. Without hesitation, Sebastian knelt beside him and rubbed his shoulders to try to comfort him. "There was nothing we could have done to prevent it." He said to Carter gently. "The main thing now is that we're here to support him and he's going to need a lot of support." He looked up at River, trying not to focus on the remark about Damien. "Where is he now? Can we see him?" River shook his head. "He's already in surgery. I guess they couldn't wait around for too long." "How long has he been in?" "About an hour? An hour and a half-ish? It's been a little hard keeping track of the time and I don't know how long these things usually take." "Thank you, River... Is Alex ok?" Sebastian glanced over at Alex who had been tapping his foot and biting his nails anxiously. "He's been like that since we got here." "He can also hear you and speak for himself, thanks." Alex piped up irritably. "I just don't like hospitals, ok?" --- The children had been alert, wide-eyed and looking around. Cindy had been standing in front of them so that they always had a clear view of her. This seemed to keep the pair calm. The quake had spooked them both and they struggled to relax again despite Desi's rocking. Cindy had run over to hug Kite back when he'd arrived. She was still shaking from the adrenaline. She hurriedly kissed his cheek as they let go, relieved to be reunited with him after the chaos. When Kite's face appeared in front of their stroller, both babies whinged uncertainly. Simultaneously smiling from the comfort of seeing their father while their eyes watered, threatening that they might start to cry again. "It's good to see you're safe." Desi greeted him while still gently rocking the stroller. "We should get your family out of the streets. We heard glass smashing and some shouting down that way just a few minutes before you arrived," he said while warily looking around to their left, the opposite direction to where Kite had driven from. "If you have a place in mind, I could teleport us?" --- Carol grinned. "Sounds like my kind of plan. To Dead City then." She stopped walking and offered her hand to Eris, intending to jump them both straight there. "And be ready for anything." --- "Dad?" Amelia called out when they arrived. "Oh, it's you again," David replied in a curious yet relieved tone. Trying to ignore the hurt she felt from the fact that her father clearly still couldn't remember her, Amelia looked around them curiously. "Where are we? Why are you all here?" --- Nodding, John would have preferred to be with Adam when he chose his wives anyway. When he'd closed his eyes, he reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. He focussed on the image that Adam conjured and willed them both to teleport to the centre of that place. The moment they landed, he opened his eyes and looked around. It wasn't as cluttered with pillows and blankets as Adam had remembered. It was clean. Tidy. A hint of lemon-scented the air and the place looked like it had previously been occupied but the rotting apple on the dining table told John that it had since been abandoned once more. This was a relief, as the last thing they needed was to end up fighting for territory when they were so underprepared. Still, it was a large place and John wasn't ready to relax just yet. "Stay here. I'll make sure we're completely alone before I begin the spells to hide this place," he said quietly as he started to walk away. "Call for me with your mind if you see anyone but otherwise stay quiet and out of sight." --- Larissa pondered the suggestion before nodding with a wide smile. "Sounds good to me! Shall we go say hello?" "Perhaps later, Rissy," Bianka said quickly. "As you said, he's just come home from a very long nap and is likely disoriented enough. It might be best to give him time to adjust before introducing him to um... your level of... niceness." Bianka's cheeks turned a bit pink. "What's that supposed to mean?" Larissa huffed and folded her arms. "Nothing bad! It's just... you're very... what's the word I'm looking for? Enthusiastic? It might overwhelm him, Meine darling." "Fine." Larissa tutted with an eye roll. Then she grinned cheekily. "Then I shall overwhelm him enthusiastically tomorrow!" --- The way the new monarch carried himself and had addressed him left Shezmu baffled. He had returned to this home determined to take back his rightful place upon one of the thrones but it would seem much had changed since his reign. He walked calmly out of the hall as he contemplated how quickly this new king had simply talked him into avoiding violence completely. He had sensed the attempt to manipulate his emotions but, of course, such things barely affected him now. Even though he is weak from the gnawing hunger since his awakening, he was more powerful now than he had been when he'd fled to the crypt in which he spent the last few centuries in deep slumber. This was the result of several factors. His age was one. All Devils and Angels become stronger with age, even if it is only in the tiniest increments. The second factor was due to his feeding habits in the past. He had slain scores of Angels and Demons alike. Preferring their blood to mortals and devouring them until their true death in which their essence added to his own. The third factor to consider, like any Devil from his era, was the contracts he'd made mortals sign. Like Lucifer, Donnie and even at one time Damien had used whilst Shezmu had been sleeping. To strike a bargain with mortals and in return, the contract they signed would grant the Devil in question more power. Even now, after all this time, Shezmu could sense that some of his contracts were still active. Meaning the mortals that he'd bargained with long ago to include their bloodline in his pact, still had family living somewhere in the world. These mortals he would not bother and would allow them to go about their lives without intervention. Shezmu had already kept his end of those bargains and by simply keeping their bloodlines strong they were continuing to provide him with all the strength he needed. Given all this power, it would have been a simple thing for Shezmu to march in and take the throne by force. But as long as he had what he needed and was treated with the respect he deserved, why disrupt what was clearly a time of peace within his old home? And Shezmu, despite his reputation in his day, had always been a man of his word. A bitter, spiced scent hit his nose and the gnawing hunger almost caused the ancient Blood God to lose his composure. His fangs had sprouted and he took in another lungful of the smell as if savouring it. There was a Demon somewhere in this castle... and he was bleeding. Just about managing to control himself, he walked towards the source of the scent confidently. He soon found himself standing in front of a door leading to one of the homes. He sniffed the air around the door warily. One demon and no one else. Perfect. He moved to knock on the door but found himself standing on the other side of it in the blink of an eye. His hunger and longing to be in the same room as the source of the scent had caused him to teleport involuntarily. Fortunately, the Demon in the room had not noticed. He seemed to be preoccupied with the blade in his hand which he used to slowly glide across the skin of his chest, drawing blood which trickled down and mingled with the blood from other, similar cuts across his chest. The Demon's eyes were closed, though he was facing a full-length mirror and seemed to be muttering under his breath. "I deserve this. Please come back to me. I deserve this." Shezmu opened his mouth to speak but his mouth felt so dry and the smell of his blood was suffocating. In an instant, he was on him. Warren barely had time to gasp when Shezmu pinned him against the wall and sank his fangs deep into the man's neck. Warren's eyes rolled back and he immediately fell limp as a moan escaped him. He hadn't realised how thirsty he'd been until now and he lapped up the Demon's blood like a dehydrated man who had finally found the oasis in the desert. Memories shot through him, carried to his mind by Warren's blood. He felt it warm up every inch of his body. He heard Warren's heart slowing down and oh how sweet it would have been to keep going until it stopped. Until Warren's essence joined with his. But this Demon had done him no wrong. He had merely been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Using all of his willpower, Shezmu pulled his fangs out of Warren's throat then quickly bit his tongue and licked at the wound to seal it. Of all the memories Warren had unwittingly shown him, the most important to Shezmu right now had simply been this era's speech. Suddenly the way the others in the hall had spoken to him made much more sense. Lifting Warren into his arms gently, he carried him over to the couch and sat him down. The Demon's head lulled to one side and he groaned, struggling to remain conscious. "Forgive me," Shezmu said calmly. His accent had also been affected, adopting a subtle amount of Warren's Philadelphian notes. He lifted his finger to his fang to draw blood, then began tracing his bleeding finger over Warren's wounds over his chest. Each one closed up as his finger glided over them. "I had intended to introduce myself and to ask first. My hunger got the better of me. My name is Shezmu, it is a pleasure to meet you, Warren." Warren's eyes widened and he stared at Shezmu in silent fear. Seeing this, the Blood God shook his head. "I didn't mean to frighten you. Allow me to make it up to you, hmm?" he gave him a warm smile. Even his skin tone had changed from a sickly pale colour to a light, golden brown tan. Unfortunately, his new complexion had come at the cost of Warren's who had since turned several shades whiter. Shezmu looked over the man curiously then spotted the bracelet on his wrist and he smiled. "Ah! I know how I can make amends." he reached over and gripped either side of the bracelet, snapping it in two with little more than a strained grunt. "There! You are no longer restrained... though I probably should have asked why you were restrained first but I assume it has something to do with this?" he lightly tapped Warren's chest with his finger. "Why were you mutilating yourself, anyway?" "P-Punishment... I-I Deserve it." Warren stammered weakly. "I understand..." Shezmu nodded. "Y-you do?" "Oh, yes. I once knew some monks who would whip themselves raw for their transgressions. This is no different." Warren blinked at the strange Blood God and sat up slightly. "Everyone else treats me like I'm mad." "Is that why they bound you?" Warren nodded then glanced at the door. "I can't leave. They're always watching me so I can't risk being followed. But I need to know that my family is safe..." he looked at Shezmu pleadingly. "Please, would you find them for me? and let me know if they're safe?" Shezmu contemplated this. Of course, he'd seen who this family was from his memories. Warren's last memory of seeing his family was of them trying to escape the Angel's ambush in his old apartment building. He had no idea what had become of Donnie, Insanity or Sam. "And if I do this for you, what would be in it for me?" He asked finally. He knew a contract was out of the question. Warren had already signed away his soul to Donnie and Insanity. Though, neither of them knew yet that Donnie had been destroyed which rendered all contracts he'd drawn up, to now be null and void. "I don't have anything to give." Warren despaired as he stared at Shezmu. "Don't you?" The Blood God smirked and brought his fingers up to caress the Demon's throat. "The new King here informs me that the vampiric community is restricted to animal blood but my tastes are a little more... refined. I once had my own consorts. Willing thralls who would offer their blood to me whenever I grew hungry. It kept me sated then, it can keep me sated now." "Con-consorts?" Warren repeated apprehensively. "In a sense." Shezmu shrugged. "What you do with your body is still your choice, it is only your blood that I am interested in. Now, do we have a deal?" Warren hesitated as he weighed up his options but seeing as there wasn't much to weigh, he nodded. "Yes, yeah, ok, just please find my family?" "Of course. In a moment. First, we must seal our deal. Close your eyes, my tortured one." Eyeing him warily, Warren reluctantly closed his eyes. Once closed, Shezmu re-opened the tiny wound on his finger with his fang then squeezed a couple of drops onto Warren's lips. Warren had jumped a little and recoiled but Shezmu was already done and had stood up. Having been open slightly, a droplet of blood had slipped between Warren's lips and touched the tip of his tongue, sending a brief but powerful, almost electrical jolt of pleasure through him. He couldn't help but lick the rest off his lips and his eyes snapped open to stare up at the Blood God. "What was that?" "My blood. Without venom, a large dose would kill you. Venom and a large dose would turn you. Venom and a small dose binds you to me... for a short while." "I... wait, no. I read up on vampires from those ADIEU bastards. There's no mention of-" "It is an old trick. Primarily used by Blood Gods, though a vampire could pull it off if they wanted." Shezmu explained tiredly then turned away from Warren. "A deal is a deal. I will return when I have news of your family." he vanished. His first intention was to seek out Insanity as he had been Warren's main concern when Shezmu had briefly seen into his mind. --- "He'll kill you for this. You know that, right?" The taxi driver said darkly as he stared down the barrel of the gun into the hitman's eyes. "Look, I can't just leave. I have business in this city, same as you." he lifted the wad of cash that the hitman had just given him. "So, I propose we work together. I have contacts, access to weapons, drugs, vampire and werewolf venom, anything you need. After all, you've already paid me. So, what exactly is it that you need here?" --- "I was starting to worry." Tom moved over to hug Nate as soon as he'd arrived. He sat in the chair opposite and poured a glass of wine for him. "There's been riots all over the news. What happened? Are you allowed to talk about it?"

"But that's my point..." Damien said with a small frown. He traced his fingers over the shape of the stuffed animal's face. "He is an adult... and I missed him growing up. I missed being able to take him to a zoo. I missed being able to give him gifts and seeing his face light up. I missed it all. I don't know... I know it's stupid but... I'd like to think that getting him something like this might be a way of making up for all that lost time." He scoffed sourly and threw the teddy back into the bargain basket. "Or maybe I'm just high... C'mon, let's go then." --- Both Alex and River stopped to look at Carter when he spoke. Alex shook his head but stayed quiet. After all the times Gary had ended up mortally wounded, he'd grown some anxiety around being in a hospital. That, and every so often he'd catch himself staring at blood packs as they were being transported past the waiting room and they kept reminding him of what he used to be. Of what River could apparently be without losing his mind like he had. Meanwhile, River turned to face Carter and Sebastian with a frown. He walked over to them to tell them in a hushed voice; "He's going to lose a leg. Damien offered to make him a Devil to save it but Parker refused. I don't know where Damien is now. He left with James a few hours ago, saying something about getting stoned or drunk or whatever." He tried to hide it but he sounded a little bitter about the last part. --- "Just drive safely. There are riots all over the news." Cindy said worriedly. She was standing outside their apartment building, looking up at the ruin. Desi was standing close by, gently rocking the twin stroller to keep the babies calm. As soon as the quake had stopped his first instinct was to teleport to his sister to make sure she was ok. He'd found her out in the open, struggling to calm the twins down while also struggling to remain calm, herself. He'd run back into the crumbling building to get their stroller so that she could rest her aching arms and gave her his phone so that she could call Kite. --- "I'm definitely down for the getting drunk part!" Carol laughed. "I know this cool little place on Earth. Mostly caters to vampires but babe, you have got to try mixing their venom with liquor!" she does the chef's kiss expression. "Though I gotta admit, I'm not usually one for big speeches about being good and all that crap. That's more Amelia's shtick. I usually just throw punches and hope for the best." she shrugged with a grin. --- It was a lot of information to take in, but if it meant that she didn't have to think about Tuzo right now, then it was a welcome distraction. Amelia nodded, gently rocking Oliver in her arms to keep him snoozing while they talked. "That's awful, the poor boy..." she shook her head sadly. "Alright, at least we know Carter and Sebastian are ok. I'd like to check on my dad though. Vincent, Elliot, I know I'm asking a lot but would you mind watching Oliver for a little longer? I don't want to risk him seeing any destruction and I think he'd be safer with you two until this whole thing blows over..." she then winces and gives an awkward expression. "No pun intended..." --- John nodded. "Picture it in your mind. I'll see it and be able to teleport there to start preparation. Do you want to come with me? Or would you rather begin your search while I do that?" --- "What if he's just misunderstood?" Larissa asked naively. "You said he was ancient but you know, for a long time we all thought Blood Gods were extinct. Until X showed up and took the throne for a little while. What if he was slumbering all that time and we just all thought he was dead? I can only imagine how disorientating it would be to wake up to a completely different world and to a home filled with all new vampires." Bianka held a small smile for Larissa's words but she couldn't shake her concern. Even if she wanted to give a Blood God as old as that the benefit of the doubt, she'd still want to be wary of them. Afterall, learning the ways of the new world was not the same as choosing to adapt to them. Maintaining some caution around the Blood God would be the wise thing to do right now. She exchanged a worried glance with Theron. --- Once again, Shezmu was unaffected by Jean's aura but he seemed, for a moment, that he genuinely considered his words. He still didn't understand how words alone can be enough but if it brought an end to the centuries-long feud between vampires and Steinheils, then who was he to question it? "Thou art a curiosity of your time, Jean Poe," Shezmu commented. "I shall not pretend to understand thy logic, but I wilt attempt to open my mind to it." he nodded to him respectfully. "For now, if there is nothing else, I should like to wander these old halls of my home to find an unoccupied space that I can inhabit." He said as he turned to walk away. --- "I don't really care." The taxi driver replied simply. He was tense and constantly looking around in case the rest of the officers returned. "I would suggest that whatever you do, you do it quickly though. I was paid to make sure you escaped, I'm not being paid beyond this point so I'm out of here," he explained quickly then glanced at the hitman with a cocked eyebrow. "Unless, of course, you can afford to employ me further?" --- The champagne had long since arrived but Nate hadn't. Tom sat on the end of the hotel bed, checking his phone for messages but nothing had come through. Particularly after the earthquakes and the riots all over the news, even here in France, Tom was understandably worried. Meanwhile, Tuzo had settled into his own room and decided he needed a shower after the ordeal with Amelia. Once he was clean and feeling much fresher, he stepped out of the shower and placed a small towel around his waist. He stared at the distorted silhouette of himself in the misted mirror, wondering what he should do with his life now. Or rather, what he should do with his life once Amelia and her husband forget about him. It had become painfully clear while he'd been 'caring' for her that there was no future for him with her anymore. This left him feeling a little aimless since he'd arrived at the hotel. He didn't dare contact Raguel to make him aware he was back from Oblivion. He didn't want to go back to being his informant and with the things he'd done & learned, he didn't think Raguel would be too happy about him wandering around unchecked. So for now, he'd just have to lay low and figure out what he wanted to do. Tom's face flashed in his mind and he smiled a little to himself as he walked casually out of the little bathroom, into the bedroom. He wondered who the dark-haired stranger had been. Who knows? With some persistence and a little hypnotism, maybe he could spend a few years having some fun on Earth while he tried to stay off of Heaven & Hell's radar?

STORY CONTINUED HERE;

Shadowess - February 16, 2024 Taking a breath, he gave Will a thankful smile before nodding to the nurse. "You'll need to wait in the waiting room. We'll call you back in when the surgery is over so that you can be here when he wakes up." The nurse told Will in a reassuring tone while ushering him out of the room. --- Damien led them out of the hospital and down the street. It was the very early hours of the morning and he supposed they'd completely lost track of the time. "Damn... is that the sun coming up? Nowhere is going to be open at this hour... Fuck! That's right! I can teleport now!" He laughed while slapping his forehead. "C'mon, buddy! I know exactly where I can take us!" He beamed while placing a hand on James's arm. In an instant, they were standing in the red light district in Amsterdam. "Drinks! Weed! Women! or men, if that's what you're into." he chuckled with his arms outstretched in front of James. "And waffles too, if you're hungry. Here, dude." he gestured to a nearby pub. Inside its walls were decorated with an array of medieval armour and weapons. Heavy metal music played in the background. The pub itself was a little busy but not crowded. "I used to come here all the time when I first got my powers. When I just needed to get away for a while... What do you want to drink?" --- "Don't be a fool." Kat shook his head and sighed heavily. "Handing me in is the best chance either of us have of surviving this, and you know it. Your government gets the information they need to stop ADIEU, you might get a promotion out of it and if I'm lucky enough I'll get a second shot at life. Hell, maybe you can even be the one to check in on me now and then. But mostly, we'll be out of ADIEU's reach." Kat fell silent for a moment. Staring into their campfire as he tried to imagine leading a completely different life. He'd finally be out of organised crime. Maybe he'd settle down? Run a little shop or something? Even the idea of being locked away in a US prison sounded better than the alternative... He rubbed his face tiredly then removed his jacket, bunching it up into a makeshift pillow. He then removed his shirt and placed it carefully on the concrete floor before laying on it. He could still feel the cold from the ground through it and that might become a problem later in the evening but right now he barely noticed it as he stared up into the metallic rafters of the abandoned factory. His muscles seemed to ripple as the light from the fire danced across them, bringing life to the coloured ink of his dragon tattoo which coiled around his torso like a fierce emerald-opalite serpant. "Anyway, what we plan to do doesn't actually matter until we make it to the US. Until then, we need to watch each other's backs and make sure we're not followed. Or we're fucked." --- Oliver giggled at first and pointed at the ceiling. Fully expecting Carter to give in to his demands. When nothing happened he whined and jabbed his finger towards the ceiling in annoyance. Soon he realised he wasn't going to get his way and started to cry, scream, kick and slap. Despite being a full-blooded Devil child, he was still just a child. Which meant all of his kicks and slaps would only hurt as much as if it were a human toddler throwing a tantrum. Before long he'd tired himself out and with one last frustrated kick, he gave up. His screams dwindled into weary crying as he rubbed his eyes and rested his head against Carter's shoulder. Having no experience as a parent himself, Sebastian watched all this silently. Like Vincent, he'd been a little worried at first but he trusted Carter's judgement and observed the way the child was handled. When Oliver tired himself out, he gave Carter an impressed smile. --- Thankfully the Angels that Charles and Carol stumbled upon hadn't had enough time to make any plans. Their first focus had been on getting as far away from the cells as they could without dying and dooming themselves to become Devils. Seeing the pair arrive, the four Angels immediately had their backs up. "You expect us to believe you with her nipping at your heels?" One of them snapped while pointing a finger at Carol. Unbothered by this, she simply shrugged. "New King, new rules." The Angel that had pointed to her bristled, then quickly plucked a feather from his wing and pointed it toward her threateningly. They didn't have many options in the way of weapons but to Charles and Carol, an Angellic feather was already quite dangerous. "I don't buy it! Not for a second! What do you get out of this, huh?" "A clearer conscience?" "You're messing with us! Both of you! We're nothing but entertainment to you!" "Oh, stop stressing, would you! You're free! The war is over! Don't you sense it? You're not trapped in Hell anymore. You can go HOME if you want. No one is stopping you." The four Angels paused with puzzled expressions. They each exchanged wary glances as they realised the ethereal barrier preventing their escape had indeed vanished. They turned back to Charles and Carol with uncertain expressions. The first Angel had lowered his feather slightly. "We... can go?" "Sure can." "Is this a trick?" the second Angel asked. "Nope. Tell Raguel I said 'Hi!'" "And Lucifer... he's really gone?" Carol winced subtly before giving a slightly strained smile. "Gonzo! You don't have to worry about him anymore." The first Angel stared at Charles for a moment. "I don't know. It feels too good to be true. The war has been going on for centuries. You could've followed in your father's footsteps and kept it going but your Demon says it's over. Why? What do you get out of ending the war?" --- Bob stared at them all as they each spoke. The frown never left his face. Despite his concerns, they all seemed to assume that he was just upset that Lilly was gone. He felt he hadn't actually been heard. That his emotions were being dismissed. When they finished talking he sighed with a defeated and disappointed look. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and immediately became aloof. "I... need some time." He said as he looked away from them all. "I'm going for a walk." He then turned and headed towards the graveyard exit. --- Was this real? What if all of this was her mind playing out a made-up scenario and in reality, she was still bleeding out on the asphalt near the portal? Lilly was speechless. For a moment, her mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find the right words. The moment was tense. Azrael watched Lilly's reaction carefully. The way her cheeks reddened, her eyes darted back and forth as her mind was clearly racing, and her little frame trembled once more. "Miss?" He placed and hand on her shoulder and she seemed to come back to herself. Her face drained of colour instantly and she caught her breath while quickly gripping Azrael's arm for support. "I think I need to sit down..." she said quietly. "Of course, here..." Azrael carefully guided her to a nearby chair at the side of the hall. "This must come as a shock to you. Do you need anything? Water, perhaps?" She shook her head and took a breath to stop the room from spinning. She then looked up at Death. "I- um..." she stammered. It was difficult for her to open up. "In my world... I never knew my family. No mother to hold me. No father to protect me. Just an orphanage until I discovered my powers at age 11... then the road as I tried to hide or outrun people who would've burned me for being different. I spent 7 years on the road after I accidentally raised Bob from his grave... he was the closest thing to family that I knew..." she paused. Taking a moment to try to gauge Death's reaction before continuing. "What you're telling me... is that you want me to be your daughter. That I'm somehow like you. But you're a King... I'm just-... Just an orphan nomad necromancer nobody... I don't know how to be a daughter, much less a-a..." she trialled off. "A princess?" Azrael finished her sentence with a gentle smile. She glanced at him then lowered her gaze while nodding. "You can be. We can teach you etiquette. How to use your powers. Lillian, this can be your home. Your family. You would be valued. You would be loved. You don't have to be alone anymore." Lilly thought on this for a moment. Tears hung in her eyes but she wouldn't permit them to fall. She looked up at Death. "So, should I call you Death? Or father?" She asked uncertainly. Azrael beamed and stood back. Although she still seemed unsure, it was clear that she was open to the idea. Denix Vames - February 16, 2024 Will blew a kiss at Parker before leaving. He sat in the waiting room. Hoping that he would be ready to see the end results. --- James twitched a smile. He wasn't exactly use to smiling. But when Damien showed his fun side, that smile couldn't leave him. He said, "Got any hard whiskey?" --- Sawyer blushed when he saw Kat's bare chest. Immediately, he looked away. He squeezed his knees as he grit his teeth, "No. We can't go to him. My boss....He use to be understanding and happy. You think him having a family would have helped him keep that attitude but he's changed. I think it's because of what he is. A Blood God. Not an actual god but a mix of vampire and devil. Still, they're not known for kind gestures. They are bloodthirsty rage filled creatures. Not even those of the Supernatural want them. Typically, they're killed because they always start bloodshed. I wonder if being a boss made him thirst for chaos." He sighed, "All I'm saying is, we need to talk to a demon agent first. I need to ask someone if they can get the King of Hell to talk to him. Clearly, he needs help." Bitter tears ran down his cheeks. He hid his face, "Fuck! This is all my fault. Believing that everything we did was so fucking righteous. Like we were the good guys and nobody else. I'm just as bad as.....No, I'm worst than any crook out there. At least they have better reasons than I do." --- Carter smiled, "And that's how you do it." Vincent's eyes sparkled. "Wow! I can't believe you did it." He frowned, "It's really hard for me to be like that since you know?" Carter nonchalantly waved a hand, "That's fine. I can always help out. Just tell me when you need me." Vincent couldn't help but cry with a smile. He finally felt the love he had for Carter. A real kind of love that was true friendship. "Damn it! I'm such a softie." Carter handed Oliver back to him. Vincent looked at Oliver before hugging Carter. Elliot sniffled as he had his hat in his hand. "Ya'll really making me burst a pipe in my eyes." --- "Before I woke up, I stayed hidden because of so many reasons. One of them being Lucifer, my father. I didn't know at the time but even so, I'm sure he would have killed me anyways. Didn't like competition and all that. So, I am happy that he's gone. Otherwise, none of this would have ever stopped. My people would have kept getting killed by your hands. And your people would have kept getting killed by my hands. A neverending war? Who the fuck finds that shit amusing? Well, I don't. So go. Reunite with your people. Be happy for the first time in centuries. Let me make up for what my father did." He nodded, "I apologize for his childish actions." A black pool moved about it. Forming itself into what appeared as a devil with a deer-like features but had a suit. It laughed maniacally as it shapeshifted. Making itself become larger. It reached out to the Angels. Charles immediately fired his energy at the devil. Making it stumble back. He turned to the Angels. "Go! I can take care of this!" The devil growled. Glaring at everyone. --- Pain ran over, "Bob! Wait! Please be careful. Just yell if you need anything, ok? I know this is hurting you right now. I can't imagine what you're feeling. Just don't forget that you've got us." --- Death's ears perked up. Having heard a surprising a statement from her. He smiled because he knew his back was still on them. He quickly withdrew that smile and turned to face them. Looking composed as usual. "You may call me whatever you like. I rather not force you to call me a certain name if it makes you uncomfortable."

Shadowess - January 1, 2024 Parker held on to Will's kiss for as long as he could. He was understandably nervous about what was to come but knowing he had his support brought him some comfort. "Don't- don't let me sleep in too long. Bedhead doesn't look good on me." He said with a nervous laugh, trying to lighten the mood. He wasn't sure if he said it to cheer Will up, or himself. Damien's smile slipped. He hadn't meant to sound reluctant but he supposed, given his obligation to Parker, they would need to be quite a bit more responsible than Damien was used to being. "Huh... I'm not sure... " he sighed and thought for a moment. "We could still go get some drinks, we'll just need to be... sensible about it." He suggested and felt himself cringe at the word 'sensible.' It wasn't a word that he ever really used and for a moment he'd sounded a bit like David. He caught James's eye and realised he was still visibly cringing at the way he'd said it. He laughed quietly then nudged his elbow with his own. "Come on, I'm buying. You know any decent, quiet bars around?" --- Kat sat on the ground, on the opposite side of Sawyer. He shook his head with a frown. We might not get far on a stolen vessel. Especially if it's just us two manning it..." he ran his hand through his hair. It was a difficult situation but they would need to lay low for a few days before making any attempts to move anyway. So they had a bit of time to think things through. Kat's eyes lifted to meet Sawyers. "So, you're a fed... " he began, trying and failing to hide his disdain. "Who are you? Really? The Yakusa have clans all over Japan... why choose this one to infiltrate?" --- Once again, Oliver laughed heartily as Vincent grabbed him and he turned towards the floor expectantly. When Vincent didn't put him down again, he reached out to the floor to show Vincent he wanted to be put down. But when Vincent kept him in his arms instead, he began getting frustrated and fussy. He started wriggling, putting his weight down and whingeing. A tantrum was imminent. --- Carol paused in her tracks at Charles's command but she frowned as her eyes gave one last sweep over the debris. She couldn't see him and he hadn't responded to her calls so she prayed that he'd made it out safely. But as of yet, she had no way of knowing for sure. For all she knew, the poor lad could've been crushed. Her shoulders dropped and she lowered her head before reluctantly turning back to Charles. Inwardly she scolded herself for growing soft. Since when did one little traitor matter anyway? First and foremost, her duty was to her King. Always. "We'll find them, sire!" She called as she ran back to him. "They could have teleported by now. Most of the prisoners who escaped were either Donnie's followers or..." she hesitated to finish her sentence but he needed to know. "Demons and... A couple of Angels from what I can tell of the broken cells. Sire, those specific prisoners where locked away by... by your father. During the war. They won't know that the war is over and they'll likely see you as just as much an enemy as Lucifer had once been to them. Sire..." she stepped forward with an urgent look. "We need to find them before Donnie's followers do." --- At first Bob lifted his head to glare at Napoleon for being so insensitive to their pain. Then he realised what he was saying and his eyes widened. "Y-you're sure?" He asked uncertainly. "But we- Lilly and I- we come from a different world. I'm not even sure it's the same universe... our world's rules of death are so much different to here. How do you know she wasn't sent there? Or that her soul even still exists at all?" --- "Yes, Your Grace." Azrael replied as he took a quick breath to calm his heart which now beat so strongly for him. Within seconds, he appeared to be as professional as always. He placed the book back into his pocket and followed Death out of the throne room. Meanwhile Lilly and the Reaper who had since introduced himself as Garrett had just finished a quick tour of the local town. It was equally jarring and fascinating to her that the Reapers here lived a life that closely resembled human life... But from a time long since past on Earth. There were no electronic items. No vehicles more advanced than a horse and carriage. Gas lamps brought light to the grey, foggy streets. It might seem depressing on the surface but the gothic decor and architecture where hauntingly beautiful. The locals were warm and welcoming in contrast to their surroundings. Despite the gloomy atmosphere, there was a deep sense of peace here that settled even Lilly's heavy heart. They had stopped to rest by sitting near a stunning fountain, depicting a hooded figure holding a sun in one hand and a moon in the other ,located in the center of the town square. "That's our King." Garrett told her as they looked up at it. "The sun and moon represent our role in the universe. When the lasting darkness falls on the mortal soul, it is our duty to light the path for their final journey." "That's beautiful..." Lilly said then caught sight of Death and Azrael heading towards them. At Death's question, she nodded and looked around at the town once more. "I never imagined that the afterlife in this universe would be so... beautiful." She smiled as she turned back to look at him. The moment he'd realised Death approached, Garrett bowed deeply and waited quietly for further instructions. Lilly glanced at him hesitantly before asking. "Oh, um... should I be bowing too?" Denix Vames - January 2, 2024 Will smiled. "I'll be sure to do that when I get the chance." He suddenly frowned. "Sorry. Kind of hard to keep a confident face on, ya know?" Tears continued to drip down his cheeks. James shook his head. "I try to keep telling you. I was only ever a soldier. Do you really think I had a social life before meeting you?" Though he kept his typical cold expression, his voice gave a hint of hurt. Frustrated with the idea that he never had a life of his own. --- Sawyer couldn't help but smirk. "Well for one, I'm a CIA agent. And two, you guys were getting involved in business that was getting innocent people killed. Supernatural people to be exact. You see, that whole story about my wife dying from vampires? Not true. She did die but at the hands of ADIEU. She was used as a plaything for them to dig their knives into. I'll never forgive them for that. That's why I have to stop this from happening again." --- Vincent sighed. "Oh alright." He set him down. "I rather not make you cry. It would only make me cry as well." --- Charles sighed. He rubbed his forehead. "My father was quite the 'friend.' How exactly are we supposed to find anyone? Hell is a maze. Carol, surely there's some way to make this a little easier?" --- "Because she died here, she became a new resident to this world. She is currently being guided in the afterlife by Death himself." ,said Napoleon. --- "Not at all. You are above bowing to me. It may sound confusing but I will explain everything to you in private. Garrett, you are excused. Thank you for keeping her company." Death nodded at her. "Follow me back to my throne. I will tell you everything. Azrael, keep yourself near for possible support for Lily. She may need it once she is done hearing what I have to say." Death walked to his throne room. Once Lily was there, he slowly explained as best as he could. "It may be hard to comprehend but you are somehow like me. A being with powers associated with death. Far stronger than my own people. Equal to me. That is why I will personally teach you the ways of the reaper. Under these circumstances, I see you as...." He cleared his throat. "Perhaps that last comment would be impolite." shadowess - January 2, 2024 Parker took Will's hands in his own and gave them a gentle squeeze. "I know." he smiled sadly. "We'll be ok. It'll just be an adjustment, that's all." The nurse entered the room and made a small, polite cough to let them know it was time to prep Parker for surgery. Parker glanced at her and his heart dropped. He looked back at Will, holding his hands tightly out of nerves. "You'll be here when I wake up?" Damien faltered and looked away from James. "You did tell me..." he said and sighed while rubbing his forehead. "Sorry man, I've got so much on my mind right now. C'mon. Let's go find somewhere to drink." Not that Damien had realised it yet, but he had just apologised to James without stammering, cringing or generally any difficulty at all. This was a first. --- Kat listened to Sawyer quietly for a moment. As he mentioned what ADIEU had done to his wife, he averted his gaze. "I'm sorry about your wife..." he mumbled without looking up. "So, it's those guys you're after..." He thought for a long moment before looking up and staring hard at Sawyer. "So, what happens if we do manage to get out of Japan? You planning on handing me over to your CIA for questioning?" He scoffed and shook his head. "Fuck... that's what you're going to do, isn't it?... It's over for me... I have no gang to go back to... and those guys that chased us... Well, are you willing to guess who they were? Cos I can give you a hint, it sure as fuck wasn't your CIA. Like I said in the car... it's a 'clean up' operation. After a quake like that, the authorities are likely to use the opportunity to conduct raids. So, 'they' needed to plug any leaks before that could happen... You think they were brutal in your country?" Kat shook his head grimly and a couple of beads of sweat rolled down the side of his face. "You have no idea..." He shifted uncomfortably. It was clear by the way he was talking that he may have been working for this organisation, not just out of loyalty to his gang, but out of fear of what they'd do to him if he didn't. "I think I'm the only one of my gang who got away... they'll be looking for me. To 'take care of me' before I can become a problem for them. And they saw you with me... you're in just as much danger as I am now, even if I don't spill the beans on their operations to you." He bit his lip nervously. "I'll make you a deal 'Red Fox'. I'll help you get out of the country and I'll even hand myself over to your CIA. You can hand me in like a neatly wrapped gift for all I care. And... I'll talk... but ONLY once we reach the safety of the US. You're not getting another word out of me about ADIEU until then. In return... I want immunity, citizenship and a new name or whatever your guys have to do to stop those bastards from ever finding me. Deal?" --- Sebastian grimaced as he watched Oliver pop back onto the ceiling instantly with a roar of laughter. "I would say it might not be a good idea to coddle him but then what else can you do when he can teleport at will?" he commented then raised his eyebrows as Oliver rapidly started crawling across the ceiling and reached out to the wire of the light in the centre. "Oh, watch out!" "Silly Oliver!" Neva laughed. --- "My sister figured out all the shortcuts and she was just a soul at the time... But then it did take her a few decades and we don't have that long..." Carol shrugged. "But it should be easier for you. You're a Devil. And not just any Devil! Lucifer's son! Whenever I'd follow him on a mission, he'd always walk in a direction and end up right where he needed to be in a couple of miles. Let me..." Carol thought hard for a moment. Straining to remember if Lucifer had ever mentioned how he'd done it. "I can't be sure, he never said exactly, but I think he focussed on which part of Hell he needed to get to and... it was kind of like Hell re-arranged itself as he was walking... I think the same can be done for areas you've never personally visited. If you want to explore Hell's expanse, just... focus and walk?" She looked at Charles curiously. "Does that help?" --- Bob considered Napoleon's answer carefully before nodding. He ran his hand over the coffin and then stood while wiping the tears from his eyes. He hadn't stopped frowning. "Forgive me if I'm not exactly jumping for joy," he said sourly. "Even though I know she isn't gone for good, she still died. She died horribly. I saw her in her final moments and that knowledge is going to haunt me forever." He kicked a rock across the dry grass. "I'm supposed to be her friend. I wasn't even there for her when she needed me the most... And you... You talk about death as if it's no big deal. Are you so desensitised to it? Do you care at all?" --- Azrael nodded and followed them back to the throne room. He remained silent to allow Death to handle this without interruption and stayed close in case he was needed. Lilly followed them, curious about what Death had meant. How was she above bowing when other Reapers weren't? She stopped when Death stopped and she studied his features carefully as he explained what he'd meant earlier. Given all that had happened so far, she was already somewhat in shock and struggling to grasp that this new world was her life now. Or rather, afterlife. So when Death told her that she was like him, she was understandably stunned. "Me-? No, no, that can't be right. I'm just- just a necromancer." she stammered as she struggled to understand how she could possibly be like Death. Azrael gave her a small, understanding smile. This would take patience but at least now she was where she needed to be. Somewhere she belonged. After a moment of denial, she suddenly caught on to Death's last comment. "What do you mean?" Lilly asked curiously. "See me as what?" Denix Vames - January 3, 2024 Will kissed him. "I won't leave until you wake up and I'm the first thing you see me." James raised a brow. He nodded. "Lead the way." --- Kat looked at the fire. "Earlier, I would have done that. But now? Things are clearly different. You're not who I thought you were. It seems like I was completely wrong. So no, I won't turn you in. Guess that means I'm out of a job. Frankly, it's not like there was much to look forward to when I got back. But you? You're my real friend. Consider me a deserter from my own kind." --- Vincent immediately grabbed Oliver. Carter took Oliver from his hold and kept him in his arms. "Watch. I had to do this with my kids. You can't let them get everything that they want. No matter how much they cry. He's going to stay in my arms and not get on the ceiling. No matter how many times he makes a fuss." Vincent began to tear up when Oliver started crying. "Are you sure this is right? I don't know about this." "It's all about teaching them discipline." --- Charles thought for a moment. "I think so." He took a deep breath and thought about finding the prisoners from Lucifer's reign. He began to walk. Once he reached another area, he faced the old Angels who were clearly pissed. He cleared his throat. "The war is over gentlemen. I am the King of Hell. My name is Charles. Son of Lucifer you see. Unlike my father, however, I have come here to settle matters diplomatically." --- Napoleon cleared his throat. "Let me explain. I was once a human like all of you. I died long ago. Because of that, I became an Angel. It seems that there's a lot to explain. Oh dear. Well, the fact is that Lily will most likely become an Angel or a Demon based off of her forgiveness to herself. However, that does not matter now. Slowly but surely Angels and Demons have been able to cooperate with each other." Grim covered his mouth. His eyes widened. Storm facepalmed. "Oh shit! We forgot to tell Bob about the afterlife. We were so use to that we just assumed...." Pain frowned, "We're sorry man." --- Death's cheeks held a tint of red. He awkwardly smiled. "As my own daughter." He quickly turned around with his hands behind his back. "However, that title does not have to rest on you. You can choose to discount that idea. It is your decision." In truth, he felt embarrassed for having said it in the first place. Believing that he had offended her somehow.

Denix Vames - December 3, 2023 Will frowned. He sighed. "Ok. If this is what you want then I'll be with you through this." His brows furrowed. "I don't like this but pushing you won't help either. I'm sorry that I wasn't there to protect you." James smirked. "Sure, why not? Sounds like we both might be able to work this out together." --- Sawyer lowered the gun. He placed it back in his holster. He walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I thought that was the right answer. Turns out I don't know what to do." He looked out at the horizon. "Looks like you and I are going places. If you want to go to places with me. Despite everything that's happened, I want you to know that you really are my friend. So, I will protect you. Become your bodyguard. You still have the power to do what you want to do. Don't forget that." --- Adam ran his hands down to his sides. Getting lost in the kisses. His body suddenly glowed. He was like a shining naked ornament. A present ready to be unwrapped. He winked. "Get it in baby." --- Elliot sighed. "Neva sweetie. You're not a vampire. Trust me. I'm sure you would know already." He took out the cooler filled with ice from the hallway closet. Opening it to reveal blood bags. He took one out and handed it to Sebastian. "We kept this door locked just to be safe." Carter knelt by Neva. He ruffled her hair with a smile. "I appreciate the interest in vampires but don't drink blood, ok? Can you promise your parents and me that?" He held his pinkie out for a possible pinkie promise. --- 'I will work on this. For now, I must attend to our people. I need them to know that everything will be alright. I'll talk to you another time. I love you Amelia.' Charles opened his eyes. "She is safe. So is my child. Let's go and see Hell's people. I need them to be hopeful. I'm going to need their help." He walked past her. Finally making his way to the wide lands of Hell. --- Grim raised a brow. "I don't know. He didn't seem trusting." Storm shouted, "CIA guy! Come out! You owe us!" Xenos appeared. He glared. "How dare you think that you can order me around?!" Storm poked at his chest, "You led her to her death! You need to give her body to us! And get Hades back too!" Xenos rolled his eyes, "I can retrieve Lily but Hades is not anywhere near earth. She has been taken by Heaven to study her. Apparently, that portal did something to her." Storm glared. "What? Then let me talk to an Angel! Now!" "Talk to Napoleon. I heard he's popular." Xenos disappeared. Pain punched a wall. "Napoleon, where the fuck are you?" Napoleon appeared. "I'm sorry but she cannot come back. Not until we can find out if she is safe to be around others. For you see, she has become a Hellhound. One of Hell's lapdogs. As for Lily, she has already been taken care of. Her body is in a coffin at the local cemetery. I can take you to her." --- Death sighed. He rubbed his eyes. Parting himself from Azrael's hold. "It is not appropriate. Yet, I cannot stop my heart. It aches when you are around." He leaned against his throne. Gripping hard. He couldn't face him. "For you see, my heart belongs to you. Please do not feel as if you must stay with me. I understand that this sudden truth must be overwhelming." shadowess - December 3, 2023 "I don't think there was anything anyone could've done to stop it..." Parker said as he wiped away more tears. "Thank you. It means so much to me that you respect what I want." he fiddled with a loose thread in his blanket. "So, um... did you catch my dad's creepy stalker?" "I look forward to it." Damien nodded then glanced at the clock with a small frown. He sighed, turning away from the others to whisper to James privately. "They have to amputate his leg. The damage was too much. I offered to make him a Devil to save it but he turned me down. He says he wants to keep being human no matter what. I said I'd still support him and I will, you know? but... I'm still worried for him." --- Kat couldn't help but scoff at Sawyer's hopeful comments when right now, he felt like they were just a wrong step away from being spotted by whoever was chasing them. Not to mention Japan's police force, secret agents and, of course, the CIA. The thought alone was overwhelming but first things first, they needed to work together if they were going to survive this. He stood and carefully placed his brother's urn onto the bench before turning to look at Sawyer. Then he punched his chin. "Sorry, I needed to get that out of my system," he said afterwards. "And also you deserve it, you prick. But I... I need you. So you better not betray me again!" he offered him his hand to help him up. "Now come on, we need to stay out of sight and lay low for a little while. Who knows where those assholes went. We should consider making a small fire in there too. Not big enough to draw attention but enough to keep us warm at night." he nodded to the warehouse. --- When Adam glowed, John took a moment to stare at him in awe. Was he really about to do this? To take Adam, the first human man, for himself? It felt like it should be a sin. To defile one so perfect as he. Adam's words drove his passion over the brink and he lost himself again, unable to resist this sweetest of temptations. He kissed him deeply, passionately. All while unbuttoning his own pants and pulling them down. All thought left him then as pure, primal instinct took over. (Private time.) --- "Smart." Sebastian nodded to Elliot as he revealed the cooler. He then nodded in thanks as he took the bag from him. Neva pouted as Elliot told her she wasn't a vampire and continued to pout as Carter knelt to her level to talk to her. She stared at him for a moment, clearly listening to what he was saying. Reluctantly she wrapped her little finger around his. Her action alongside her continued pouting said that she would do as she was told but she wasn't happy about it. "What about when I grow up?" she asked him. "That's a long way away, you might change your mind by then." Sebastian pointed out before biting into the bag. "Nuh-uh! I'd make a pretty vampire. Like Mina in the movie! But my hair is white, not red..." she paused for a moment. "Daddy, can I have a green dress like Mina's for my birthday?" she looked at Elliot. Oliver was still giggling and trying to reach the ceiling as Vincent carried him around. Although he was getting a bit frustrated that he couldn't reach so he focussed on what he wanted and with a pop he vanished from Vincent's arms and appeared in the middle of the ceiling, sitting on it like it was the floor with his little blond locks falling downwards towards the floor. Making him look like he had his hair spiked up. He sat there giggling even more heartily than he had been, especially when he saw the shocked looks on their faces. --- Relief washed over Carol, quickly followed by determination. "Alright! Where do we start?" she asked and then snapped her fingers as she answered her own question. "Donnie's followers were locked in Hell's Cells. We should start there. If we can get them on our side then they can fan out to help the rest of Hell." Little did they know, that half of Hell's Cells had collapsed during the quake and most of the prisoners had escaped. Some were Donnie's followers. Some were Demons and Angels that had been locked away centuries ago by Lucifer and long since forgotten. Those particular prisoners could potentially seek revenge on Lucifer... or his progeny. --- Bob felt awful for Storm and Hades. He didn't have a clue what a Hellhound was but it didn't sound good. Then the offer to see Lilly's body was brought up and Bob nodded quickly. "Yes, please," he said hoarsely. "I need to say goodbye." he tried to lift himself to his feet. After spending so long sitting on the cold, hard floor with Grim, his legs had fallen asleep. --- Azrael stopped singing and his notes faded against the room's stone walls. He stared at his King in shock as he considered his confession. "Sire...?" he whispered. Then, he chuckled as he shook his head and looked away from Death. "Of course!" he chuckled as he rubbed his forehead. "Of course, it's you! It's always been you!" he looked back at Death, fully expecting him to be surprised by his reaction. "How did I not see it? I've dedicated my whole life to you and this job. I love this life, I always have. So much so that I've struggled to start any relationship that wouldn't be anything more than just a quick fling. I always thought it was because my dedication to my work would put a strain on whatever relationships I'd start so inevitably they'd end anyway. But that's not it. It's you. I don't feel right with anyone else because... they're not you..." He beamed tearfully. "Because I love you." Denix Vames - December 3, 2023 Will nodded. "And he's going to stay in that cell until somebody can get him to stop acting like that." James awkwardly cleared his throat. "We could go out and drink. We did that when we were in bad moods." --- Sawyer clutched his chin. Groaning at the pain. "I definitely deserve that one." He took his hand. Standing up and heading into the warehouse. "I'll find something to burn. I can start building a small fire." He grabbed a small wooden box which was empty. He began ripping it apart. Placing it in the middle as it was surrounded by rocks. He ripped his late wife's photo. Using it as fuel for the fire. He took out his lighter and lit the fireplace. --- Elliot smiled. "Sure thing pumpkin." Vincent's mouth gaped open. Everyone couldn't stop looking. He quickly grabbed Oliver and placed him on the floor. Carter said, "How the hell did he do that?" "I guess he really did want to touch the ceiling. Oh dear. How am I going to explain this to Amelia and Charles?" Elliot replied, "Oh boy. Looks like this little fella is gonna be a handful." --- "Alright then. Follow me." Once they reached Hell's Cells, Charles's eyes widened. "Oh dear. This is bad." --- Grim helped him up. Napoleon nodded. "Everyone. Touch my back." Once the whole group did, they appeared by a hole with a tombstone. The coffin was closed. Laying nearby. --- Death slowly reached out as he turned. He cupped his cheek. "Azrael..." He gently pressed his lips against his. "I am forever grateful to Heaven that you were given to me. Since that day, I do not regret our time." shadowess - December 4, 2023 "Good." Parker nodded. "Don't tell my dad, but I was actually pretty worried. I know what it's like to be preyed on like that." he shivered as the memory of Bryce's golden eyes flashed through his mind. "To feel hunted and helpless. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Not even my dad." Damien grinned. He was very tempted. He looked at the clock again. "I guess we could. His operation will probably take hours and it'll take him a while to wake up from the anaesthetic. But I'll need to be back here and sober for when he wakes up. I owe him that." --- Kat watched Sawyer head inside before lowering his eyes to his brother's urn. He sighed heavily, knowing what he needed to do and not feeling certain as to whether he was ready to do it. But it was necessary. The urn would only get in the way and there was always the risk that it could be shattered or lost while they moved around. He walked back to the bench and lifted the vase into his arms before carrying it to the ledge. He stood there for a moment, looking down at the intricate paintwork on the chipped lid. "I guess this had to happen sooner or later... I'm sorry that I didn't live up to your reputation. I guess I was never cut out for the Yakuza like you. I don't know what to do next but I know that I need to keep moving. So, I guess it's time to let you go... goodbye brother. I'll see you in the next life... if there is one." He removed the lid and scattered the ashes over the ocean. He watched the ashes dissipate and although he was saddened, an odd sense of relief washed over him. He threw the vase over the cliff with the lid and watched it hit the water with a splash. It bobbed on the surface for a moment until water slipped into the neck and he watched as it slowly vanished under the waves. It was done, he was gone and it was time for Kat to focus. He walked back into the warehouse in time to see Sawyer's campfire begin to grow. "We should think about our next steps. We'll have to do food runs while we lay low. When it's quiet enough for us to move, our best bet of escape will be to leave the country. We're pretty close to the harbour. Maybe we could stow away on a vessel? or tell the captain we're new members of the crew?" --- Oliver giggled even more loudly when Vincent grabbed him from the ceiling, flipped him around and placed him on the floor. "How did you do that, Oliver?!" Neva laughed. Sebastian had been just as shocked and even felt his stomach lurch in fright at the thought of baby Oliver potentially falling from the ceiling. "Well, he is mostly Devil with a smidge of Fairy..." he pointed out thoughtfully. "Maybe he inherited powers from both sides?" Just as he said this, Oliver was on the ceiling again, laughing loudly and holding his arms up (down?) towards Vincent. This was now a game to the child who had no way of knowing any better. --- Carol looked at the ruin in absolute shock. These cells were supposed to be indestructible! Now half of it is rubble! She'd already guessed that whatever had caused that quake had to be immensely powerful, but this? She dreaded to think which prisoners might've escaped or become trapped under the debris- "The boy!" she gasped suddenly and began running at full speed towards the Cells. Sure he was Donnie's son but he was still just a kid. He didn't deserve to be buried under heavy bricks! Carol was brutal when she needed to be, but she wasn't heartless. "Sam? Sam?!" she called out as she ran around the open corridors of the cells, not knowing that Sam had escaped with a large group of Donnie's followers earlier on. --- "She was going to be buried so quickly?" Bob asked as he looked at the coffin near the open grave plot. "Did no one stop to think she might have loved ones who would want to say goodbye?" he sounded a little offended. But all the while, he couldn't take his eyes off of the coffin. Knowing she was in there was unbearable. Her death suddenly felt very real and Bob's heart hurt as he stumbled over to it. He fell to his knees next to it and flung his arms over it, sobbing into the wood. --- "Nor I," Azrael replied as he placed his hand over Death's. His heart had fluttered at their kiss and as he stared into his eyes, he knew without any doubt that he truly loved him. "That out of all the Angels in Heaven, I was the one that was chosen to be your gift. I will forever count myself fortunate. Heaven is my heritage but you are my home." he whispered to him softly. Denix Vames - December 4, 2023 Will caressed his cheek. "I understand. Don't worry. I won't tell a soul unless you tell me to." He kissed him. "I'll be here when you wake up." James awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "You make it sound like we shouldn't. Is there something that we can do?" --- "We have to gather enough supplies and steal a boat. No one will fall for that trick." ,said Sawyer. --- Vincent grabbed him again. Keeping him in his arms. "Oh Oliver! What are we going to do with you?" --- Charles shouted, "Carol! We must find anyone who will fight alongside us! I cannot let these bastards potentially destroy everything else!" --- Napoleon smirked. "It was pretty obvious that she came from a different place considering her powers aura. I know that you all are the only ones she has ever known." Pain dropped to his knees and slammed his fists against the ground. Silently crying with anger boiling inside him. Napoleon rolled his eyes and sighed. "Would you all please calm down? Her body may be deceased but her spirit still is here. She is merely in the afterlife. She will return when she was become what fits her spirit." --- Death kissed him again. "Come. We must see her. I wish to guide her personally. You will be there to help." He walked past him. Heading out of the room. "Lily? I assume my fellow reaper has given you a good welcome."

shadowess - December 3, 2023 Layla quietly watched the scene unfold from the bed. Having not moved since Nil had stood up. Both Bianka and Larissa watched the transformation in shock. After a moment, Bianka chuckled. "Well, I guess we don't need to get him enrolled in school anymore." "They grow up so fast!" Larissa sniffled with a happy smile. Grinning at Larissa's humour, Bianka wrapped an arm around her and they both approached Theron. "We're happy if you're happy. If you ever need anything, you know where we are," she told him. --- "Uh... sort of..." Parker started as he squeezed Will's hand for comfort. "My leg was crushed really badly. I'm on so many drugs to stop the pain right now..." he told him with teary eyes. "They tried to save it but there's just too much damage. They're going to amputate." Parker burst into tears and covered his face. Damien was taken aback by James's display. Once upon a time, he would have welcomed James as a soldier and may have even promoted him to a Demon Bodyguard. But now? Now Damien wasn't a king anymore and he didn't have any need for a soldier. But a friend? Damien had almost forgotten what having a real friend felt like. "Man, please, don't do that." he grinned. Unable to help but enjoy it just a little. "I'm not a king anymore. I don't need a soldier. In fact, before I met you, I'd literally forgotten what it was like to have a friend. So, thank you for that. I guess I was so wrapped up in being Lucifer's apprentice and making him proud that I forgot how to live my own life." he offered a hand to help James to his feet. "So my new life starts today. I'm going to be a better person. A better father. And a best friend." --- They raced around the city. Drifting around corners and zooming through tight alleys expertly. Even when they had long since lost sight of the other vehicles, Kat kept going. Determined to not let their guard down for a second until he knew without any doubt that they'd really lost them. Finally, just as they were running low on fuel, he skidded into an abandoned fish processing facility's warehouse. Although the equipment here was no longer in use, the place stank of fish. Kat didn't seem bothered by the smell at all as he turned off his engine and took a moment to catch his breath. His adrenaline made him shake slightly. After a moment of pure silence, he turned his head to glare at Sawyer. Without a word, he opened his door and stepped out before slamming it shut after him. He took a step to the rear passenger door and opened it. Carefully, he lifted the old vase that he'd picked up from his ruined apartment building and held it to his chest. He then walked away from the vehicle, heading to a back area that was concealed from the view of the city and overlooked the ocean. Possibly a place where the people that once worked here could have taken a break? There, he sat on one of the benches and hugged the vase while watching the sunrise. Wondering how much freedom he had left and replaying the events of the night over in his mind. --- John blushed deeply, and when Adam again brought up his offer, his wings burst from his back out of excitement. "Um, sorry. I- uh..." he started stammering then caught sight of Adam's eyes and he stared again. Lost in them. "Oh, fuck it," he whispered then pressed his lips hard against his. He pushed his body against his, pinning him to the wall near the window and kissed him passionately as the song from the TV reached the chorus. He moved his kisses to Adam's neck then made his wings flutter and vibrate. --- Oliver giggled mischievously while being changed and tried to roll away a few times. When he was cleaned up and in Vincent's arms, he looked around the room interestedly at the new guests. He stared at Carter for a long moment. Taking in his facial features to commit them to memory. "AaaAAah!" He sang loudly while looking back at Vincent with a big grin. He lifted both his arms in the air and threw his head back. Wanting Vincent to play either by pretending he's a plane or tickling him. "I guess you're right..." Sebastian nodded. "Maybe Hell was hit and they have to prioritise their subjects?" he theorised. "Are you like Dracula?" Neva asked Sebastian. She'd walked over to keep herself occupied while Oliver's diaper was being changed. "Huh?" Sebastian blinked at the girl, confused momentarily by the sudden change in subject. "You said you're a vampire. I watched this funny movie about a vampire called Dracula. It was Dracula, Dead and Loving It. He was silly. But he couldn't go in the sun like you can." "That's because me and Carter are a special, new kind of vampire," Sebastian explained simply. "What about crosses? He hated those." "That's a myth. Some vampires are religious and like looking at crosses." "Do you have fangs?" "I sure do." "Can I see?!" Sebastian chuckled awkwardly. "I'm not sure that's appropriate." "Why? They're just teefs!" "You've got me there..." Sebastian grinned at her and allowed his fangs to show. Neva looked at them in awe then reached out to poke one with her finger but Sebastian gently caught her hand before she could reach. "No, no. Only look with your eyes. They're very sharp." "How do you brush your teeth?" Neva asked while bringing her hand away. "Do you go to the dentist? Do you ever accidentally bite your lip? Do you bite people?! Do you really drink blood? Do you-...?!" Curious Neva began bombarding Sebastian with question after question. To Sebastian's credit, he answered them all calmly and at her level so that she understood each answer. When she was done, she happily went back to playing with her toys as Sebastian took a breath and looked at both Elliot and Vincent. "I hope that was ok. What's made her so interested in vampires all of a sudden?" --- "What a strange... yet oddly endearing woman..." Carol mumbled as she strode over to inspect the puddle of liquid with her hands on her hips. Amelia had just started to settle down again, trying in vain to take a nap but with Tuzo in the next room to make her uneasy, it was difficult. Her eyes snapped open and she gasped when she heard Charles's voice. "You ok, in there?" Tuzo called out, having heard Amelia's gasping. "Yeah, I just said you're still an asshole!" Amelia responded. "... Ok, then... Let me know if you need anything." Amelia relaxed into her pillow and closed her eyes as she focussed on responding to Charles. She had no way of knowing if it would work until Charles would respond. "I am," she confirmed. "I think it might be Black Vein. I feel awful and I miss you. I miss Oliver. And Charles, don't be mad... the person that found me and is taking care of me... his name is Tuzo... he's an ex-lover from years before I met you. I hate him and I don't trust him but right now I don't have a choice but to let him help me." Amelia paused before adding. "Charles, I'm scared. I know you can't be here physically, but please stay in contact like this?" --- Bob looked up at Storm in alarm. He'd been so consumed with grief that he hadn't thought about Hades. "There was a lot of death around Lilly. I could sense it. I couldn't see or sense Hades among the dead though. Maybe she's ok? Isn't there anyone we could call to check? And maybe even retrieve Lilly's body for the funeral?" --- When Death confirmed that they would not only help her to learn to control her powers but that she would also be welcomed into this new community as one of their own, Lilly was overwhelmed with relief and hope. As another reaper stepped into the hall to guide her away, she couldn't help but fling her arms around Death to hug him tightly. Both Azrael and the reaper in the room tensed at the scene. It was unusual for anyone to be so forward, especially without seeking Death's permission first. They didn't know how to react as they watched silently. "Thank you." Lilly sobbed before letting Death go and turning to the reaper and following him out. As they walked, Azrael heard the reaper eagerly introducing himself to her and offering her a tour of the Kingdom. He smiled, knowing that Lilly would fit right in here. Once they were alone, he turned his attention back to his King. He was always amazed when Death seemed to know he wanted to talk to him without him ever saying anything. Perhaps he'd spent enough time serving him now that Death knew what he wanted by simply looking at his expressions. "Sire, I think you should see this." He wasted no time and produced the book from his pocket. "When Lilly was struck down, the book struggled to write her name in. I'm assuming that because she wasn't originally from this universe that it needed to sort of 'claim' her first. It was only when she accepted her fate that it was able to write her name in without it being immediately erased. But that's not the most interesting part! Look!" he opened the book to her name and showed it to Death. Her first name remained as 'Lillian' but her surname kept swapping and changing between languages. All with roughly the same meaning:- 'Of Death.' "I think it's trying to translate from whatever tongue or alphabet her universe uses." Azrael guessed. "But it's the same word over and over. I think, in her universe, she may have been a descendant of a Reaper. Perhaps even that Universe's equivalent of, well... you." Azrael looked at Death, eager to know his thoughts. He was simultaneously intrigued and in awe of Lilly's potential heritage. It would certainly explain why her powers specifically revolved around death. "I don't know for certain, I'm just guessing," he admitted. "But it just seems too coincidental to not be something. I don't know if it might be too soon to talk to her about it right now though. She has a lot to wrap her mind around already. It might be best if we wait before we ask." Denix Vames - December 3, 2023 Tears dripped down Theron's cheeks. His smile grew. He threw himself into their arms. "I'm glad that I came here." --- Will gripped his shoulders. "No! There's got to be another way! We can get Nate to heal you!" James looked at the stump that was once his arm. He sighed. "Maybe you're right." He took his hand. Standing up, he sighed. "I haven't exactly been a good friend to my fellow soldiers. You heard the story. Still, it feels weird not receiving orders." --- Sawyer frowned. He walked over but stayed across from him. "I'm sorry." He clenched his fists. "Before I ever even met you, I thought all gang members were cold heartless monsters. Now, I realize that you've been doing what's best for yourself and your friends. Some people don't have a choice. Just like me. You see, I may have signed up for the CIA but I didn't have a choice. Not really. I lost everything because of that day. I thought being in the CIA would help me somehow. Instead, I was forced to take tests to prove my loyalty. To show them that I could be a killing machine. Yet, something was already bothering me. I didn't know what it was until I met you." He sighed. "You don't have to accept my apology. I understand." He stepped close to the edge and pulled out his handgun. "I don't have anywhere to go now. Not after tonight. I'll make things less troubling for you and kill myself. I'll keep myself deep in the waters so no one will find my body." He nodded. "I know that's your brother. I just hope he doesn't mind me joining him." He smiled. "Sorry for the inconvenience." --- Adam gasped. He moaned as he dug his nails into his back. "Oh my! You really did want this, didn't you?" He moaned louder when those wings vibrated. "Oh! Take me!" --- Vincent lifted Oliver up and began making plane noises as he moved him around. Elliot shrugged at Sebastian. "She's always finding something interesting. It can be just about anything." Carter raised a brow, "That movie she was talking about. I'm pretty sure that's not meant for kids." Elliot blushed. "Well, I was there. So supervision and all that." --- Charles sighed. 'As much as I hate the idea of you being there, I trust you to be safe and stay on your toes. I will keep in contact with you. However, if anything does happen, let me know. I don't care how sick or infectious it is. I will be there!' --- Storm frowned. "I'm not sure. From the looks of things, everyone's all over the place probably. I mean, you guys felt that earthquake." "There has to be something we can do!" ,said Pain. "Does it look like I know magical people?!" ,asked Storm. --- Death looked at Azrael as tears started to slowly form in his eyes. He suddenly threw himself at him. Wrapping his arms around him as he sobbed. "Oh Azrael! So much has happened! I needed her to go, you see? For I cannot hold it any longer. This pain hurts me so! I must let it all out!" He caught his breath. "I shall treat her as one of my own after what you have told me. Nevertheless, I ask that you stay here for a moment. That you hold me like this. I need you by my side. I must have someone here to heal these mental anguishes." shadowess - December 3, 2023 "Why does everyone we know rely so heavily on magic and the supernatural?" Parker asked as he lowered his hands from his face. "It's not fair on our friends that we're always exploiting them like that! Sure, I'm scared and I really don't want to lose my leg but how many other humans go through something like this and have no choice but to just live with it?" He wiped away his tears and took Will's hands in his own. "It could've been so much worse but it isn't. I'm still here... mostly. I'll figure out a way to live with it. Maybe I could get one of those cool robo-legs or something?" he laughed dryly. "I just want more than anything to be a normal human, including all the hardships that come with that." "I hear you." Damien nodded. "It feels weird for me to not have to live up to Lucifer's expectations anymore. Maybe we can get used to this new beginning together, eh buddy?" --- Kat glared at Sawyer when he'd followed him. His eyes followed his movements to the cliff edge. Kat supposed that the earthquake had caused the cliff face to crumble. Taking the safety rails and wall with it. He watched him take out his gun. When he was finished speaking, Kat shook his head. "So, that's it, huh?" he asked. "You're just gonna leave me alone in this mess? A traitor AND a coward?" he questioned him angrily. But right now, he didn't know how else to react. "Just what the fuck am I supposed to do now, huh?!" he shouted. Tears in his eyes. "I have nothing now! No home! No gang! I'm on the lam! and now you're just guna fucking take the easy way out?! You asshole!" he tilted his head to rest it on the top of the vase as he suppressed a sob. "What the fuck do I do now...?" --- John lifted Adam and turned, flinging him across the room and onto the bed. His shirt was already ripped at the back from his wings sprouting so he gripped at his chest and tore it the rest of the way off, revealing his toned muscles as he marched over to the foot of the bed. He loomed over Adam for a moment, his wings arching around the sides of the bed as he again considered what he was doing. But the come-hither look in Adam's eyes was irresistible. He knelt on the bed and crawled over him as if under his spell. He moved a hand over his chest as he leaned in to capture his lips again. --- Oliver laughed and giggled loudly. "Oh! you're flying so high, Oliver!" Neva cheered as she looked up at them. While being lifted, Oliver kept trying to reach up to touch the ceiling. "I'm sorry, Elliot. But I don't suppose you still have a few bags of blood in the fridge?" Sebastian asked. "I'm still recovering and my head is throbbing." "Daddies hid them away." Neva shrugged at Sebastian before sticking one of her dolly's arms in her mouth to chew on. "What-? Why?" Neva shrugged. "I wanted to play pretend Dracula but daddies said 'no'. I was only pretending though! I wasn't really going to drink it..." she replied then not-so-casually moved her eyes away, making it obvious without meaning to that she might've actually ripped a bag open out of curiosity if she'd been left alone for long enough. --- Amelia smiled to herself as she heard Charles's response. "I love you so much." she thought to him. She then had a thought. "If Tuzo is here taking care of me then that means he's also stuck here in quarantine or he risks causing an epidemic. That gives us an advantage to figure out what he's up to. The last time I saw him was when Damien was ruling Hell and the war was still on. He sold me out to a group of Angels and they tortured me for a week before I... escaped... Sorry, but that's all I have right now. Maybe you can dig up some more info on him from out there?" Not being able to hear any of this conversation, Carol turned her back on the puddle to look at Charles. "Anything?" she asked worriedly. --- Bob flinched when Storm snapped at them but he understood the helpless anguish that he felt. "The guy that was here. The one who tried to take Lilly away. What was his name?" Bob recalled. "He said he was with the CIA. Maybe we can contact them somehow?" --- Azrael was shocked by Death's hug and his need for him in such a way. His breath caught in his throat for a second and then he wrapped his arms around his King to hold him. "Of course! Whatever you need. I'd do anything for you." he said softly. He really would. He'd served Death since his arrival in this realm and despite being an Angel, he hadn't been treated any differently by any of the reapers. He'd been welcomed as one of their own. In those first few years, Azrael had been shy around his King. Unsure of what to make of him. But as the years became decades and then millennia, his loyalty and appreciation for Death had only grown. He could no longer imagine having a different life or serving anyone else. He'd give his life to Death if he asked him for it. Hoping to ease Death's pain, he emitted his calming aura around them. While running a hand through his hair, Azrael began to sing a soothing melody. Apart from his wings, the only other giveaway he had that he was from Heaven was his Angelic singing. His high notes, coupled with the echoes of Death's throne room, made for elegant vocals that stirred hearts.

Shadowess - December 2, 2023 Layla smiled at the heartwarming scene as she rubbed Nil's back and kissed his forehead lovingly. "Excuse us!" Came Larissa's voice through the closed door. "Sorry if we're disturbing you!-" "Just her..." Bianka chimed in. "But we seem to have misplaced a very curious boy! He sort of vanished with a pop!" "There wasn't a pop..." "There WAS a pop! I heard it! It went-" a small popping sound came from behind the door followed by Bianka's exasperated sigh. "-And then he was gone!" Larissa finished. "Sorry to have disturbed you!" "If he is in there, we're not mad! Just want to make sure he's ok! It's all a bit disorienting, all these people that can just pop in and out of places like that. Whatever happened to walking?" Layla couldn't help but chuckle in amusement. "Who are they?" she asked Theron. "They seem nice." --- Damien had been sitting with his head in his hands when Will had approached him. He'd spent so long in the bracelet that he hadn't expected it to be removed at all. So when it was, he sat for a moment and stared at his wrist. It felt oddly naked without it but he was relieved to feel his power rushing back to him. He stood and looked at Will, about to thank him when his next words almost knocked him back on his ass. He grinned and let out a small chuckle as he nodded. "I'd be honoured to call you 'son'," he told him proudly. "But right now, I need to check in on him. I just have to know if he's ok." before anyone could stop him, Damien had teleported into Parker's room. The waiting room was so crowded and full of panicking people that hardly anyone noticed Damien's sudden disappearance. Any that did put it down to them just seeing things because everything was just so chaotic. The nurse in Parker's room had jumped and dropped her clipboard when Damien had appeared. She then threw Damien a dirty look as he snatched her clipboard from the floor. "You should be in the waiting room!" she scolded him. "Give me that! It's confidential!" "I'm right where I need to be," he responded simply while looking over the notes. Parker rolled his eyes at him "What the fuck are you doing?" He was in a hospital gown and sitting in a bed with white sheets draped over his legs. He was hooked up to an IV drip. Damien's smile slipped as he read the notes before the nurse finally snatched the clipboard away from him. "They're amputating?!" "Waiting room, now! You're stressing the patient!" "He's my son!" Damien snapped back at the nurse. "Only when it suits you!" Parker said angrily. "What do you care what happens to me?" Damien paused and took a breath to calm himself then approached Parker's bed. He sat on the side. "I haven't been a good father to you. I know that. But I want to be better. I missed your childhood and I'll regret that for eternity. I should have been there for you. All those times you needed me... I'm so sorry that I wasn't there. But I'm here now. Please, let me make this up to you. Let me help you." "How?" Parker asked, biting back bitter tears. Damien glanced down at his leg and sighed. "I can't heal you. I don't have that power. But I can take you to Hell. Make you a Devil." "So your answer to saving one of my legs is to kill me to hurry my transformation?" "You'd be whole." "But I wouldn't be human anymore! I already had my humanity taken away from me once." "This isn't like that." "Isn't it? Because in both scenarios, I don't get a choice! If you want to be my dad, you can start by respecting my decisions. I'll change when I'm ready to. But I want to be human for as long as I can be, first!" Damien paused and thought for a moment. "You're right," he said reluctantly. "If this is what you want-" "-It is." "...Then I'll do whatever I can to support you." He hesitated before gingerly taking Parker's hand. "Will is here. Do you want to see him before your operation?" Parker nodded tearfully. "Alright, then. I'll go for now and send Will in. You'll be ok. I know you will. You're strong, like me." he tried a smile and let go of Parker's hand to stand before teleporting back to the waiting room. He wondered if he should tell Will what was going to happen to Parker but decided Parker should have the chance to tell him himself. "He wants to see you. He's in room 11B." is all he said to Will before turning to his newest friend, James. "I'm going to be hanging around at the hospital for a few days while Parker recovers. You don't have to hang around here if you don't want to." --- "Oh, you must be a special kind of stupid!" Kat snapped as he drifted around a sharp corner. "Think about it for just two seconds, 'Red Fox'! Would your CIA buddies point-blank execute an unarmed man? He wasn't even running anymore! He was trying to warn us of something and my gut tells me we shouldn't let those fuckers catch up to us... so SHOOT OUT THEIR DAMN TIRES ALREADY!" he yelled the last part as a flurry of bullets took out his wingmirror. "This isn't an arrest, it's a clean-up operation!" --- "Yes!" John beamed as he stood from the bed. He walked over to the window as well to look out at the world with him. "We have much to do to make it happen." he turned his head to look at Adam, finding this view to be much more pleasing. He couldn't help staring at his features, his jawline and the way his hair framed his face as 'Cry Little Sister' began playing from the movie on the TV behind them. It struck him how perfectly beautiful Adam had been created. The way the colour of his eyes caught the light from the sun. He was the epitome of forbidden temptation and what John wouldn't do just to have a little taste... he caught himself and looked away quickly. Their mission was of the highest importance. They couldn't afford to be distracted. --- "So, I guess you want to know why I left back then?" Tuzo asked awkwardly from his chair. "Not really," Amelia replied coldly. "I kind of put it together after your Angel friends grabbed me." "Dammit Raguel!" Tuzo hissed under his breath as he covered his mouth and turned his head away. Between his whispering, covering his mouth and her stuffy head, Amelia didn't catch what he'd said. But she didn't care as she pulled herself into an upright position with a pained grunt to glare at him. "Do you have any idea what they put me through?!" "I can only imagine... Ameli-" "No! Just shut up! You don't get to talk to me after what you did!" She snapped. "I trusted you! I thought you were different! I thought you wanted peace, like I did!" "I did-!" "Stop it! Stop lying! Or is that all you know how to do?! I can't believe I fell for y-..." Amelia cut herself off and Tuzo raised his eyebrows slightly. "No, fuck you!" She said after a moment to catch her breath. "As soon as I'm feeling better, I never want to see you again! If you come anywhere near me, Charles or Oliver, I'll FUCKING RIP YOU IN HALF!!" "Amelia, calm do-!" "Fuck off!-" "No seriously-" "Don't you fucking tell me to calm down!-" "You're heating up-!" "Why the fuck did you come looking for me?!-" "The blank-" "After what you did, did you really think I'd be thankful that you-?" "-The blanket is on fire!" Amelia's eyes snapped to the blanket that was draped over her legs. Sure enough, a small fire had started and it was growing. Before she could react, Tuzo had already snatched it from her lap and thrown it into the sink. He turned the water on and the fire died out with a hiss. Some smoke puffed up, causing Tuzo to cough a little as he hit the extractor fan before turning and walking back into the living room. He looked over at Amelia worriedly. "Are you alright?" "Of course I am..." Amelia huffed quietly. A little embarrassed that she'd set fire to something unintentionally. "I'm fireproof, remember?" "Yeah, well, my furniture isn't. So unless you want to try getting better in a chilly, burned-out ruin, I'd suggest not setting fire to my things?" "Wait until I'm better, then. Got it." Tuzo couldn't help but chuckle as he walked out of the room to let her rest. "I missed your humour." "Go fuck yourself." --- Sebastian looked at the coke in Elliot's hand and couldn't help but smile in amusement. "I appreciate the gesture, Elliot. But I'm still very much a vampire..." "Daddies! Oliver smells!" Neva called out. Oliver giggled at Neva as she wrinkled her nose at him in disgust, thinking it was just a funny face. "So, wait, they dropped their son off without saying anything?" Sebastian asked worriedly. "That doesn't sound like Amelia. You don't think the earthquake hit their home too, do you?" --- Carol eyed the newcomer warily. After all, they had gone through a lot recently. Especially when it came to Donnie's followers. "I don't know about her," she said bluntly while looking Eris up and down. After hearing that Amelia might be seriously unwell, she was half tempted to teleport to her to check. But two things stopped her. If it was true, then she herself risked bringing the disease with her. The second thing was that she didn't want to leave Charles alone with this strange woman. As confident as she was that Charles could handle himself, she wouldn't be a very good bodyguard if she up and left her King with a suspicious transient. She then looked at Charles thoughtfully. "Amelia's telepathy isn't great, but yours is the most powerful I've ever come across. Maybe you could reach out to her mentally? Ask her if she's ok?" --- Bob nodded and buried his face in Grim's chest. He didn't have the energy left to continue crying. He blinked slowly and tiredly as he stared across the room. "We should have a funeral for Lilly..." he said in a broken voice. "Lots of purple and black... she'd like that..." --- "Foolish girl." Raguel merely commented as he glanced back at Hades. Though admittedly he was intrigued by the strange power that had caused her sudden transformation. "Take her to Heaven's hospital. See if there's anything our medical staff can do to help her," he ordered without moving. He continued to stare at the portal, pondering on what to do next. --- Being away from the carnage helped to calm Lilly down a little but her heart was still racing. She barely heard Death's words as she couldn't help thinking of what she'd done. She was shaking and whimpering while staring off into space. The sight of her in this state caused Azrael to worry. He stepped forward to lightly place a hand on her shoulder. This action caused her to flinch and look up at him with wild eyes. Then she blinked as if now realising they had moved. As if a simple touch had brought her back from her spiralling. If only for a moment. "What is this place?" she asked. Her voice was a dry whisper as her throat stung from her screaming earlier. "This is Death's Kingdom," Azrael told her slowly and gently. He realised that in her current fragile mental state, there may be a necessity to take their time with her so as not to overwhelm her. Even if that meant repeating what Death had already told her. He gave Death a swift, knowing glance. As if confirming this with him without saying it out loud. "Your new home." Lilly's eyes dropped to the ground as she allowed this information to sink in. She wanted to object. To tell them she already had a home. With Pain, Bob and the rest. But knew what they meant. She couldn't go back. She had really died and this was her new beginning. Whether she'd been ready for it or not. "Death has offered you a valued role among his subjects." Azrael reminded her gently, wondering if she'd even heard Death speak before. "A reaper..." Lilly muttered. "Yes. Such a title is an honour," he confirmed, hoping that this would help to cheer her up, or even give her the slightest bit of hope. He then hesitated, glancing again at Death as he wondered whether to say something about what he'd seen in the book now or tell Death in private later so that he could decide what to do with that information. Considering Lilly had yet to adjust to her new unlife, he decided it would probably be best to talk to Death in private once Lilly was taken to her new home to settle in. Just as he'd made this decision, Lilly turned to face Death and looked up at him with a guilty expression. Her lower lip shook and her eyes watered again but she dug deep to find what little strength she had left as she opened her mouth to speak. "I'm sorry." a couple of tears dripped from her eyes. "You even tried to warn me but I didn't listen! I just wanted to help. Before I came to this universe I would never have dreamed of using my powers. I would have been hunted for having them. They would have called me Monster. Witch. A Wraith Whore. If I'd been caught they would have burned me. I was so careful to never use my powers to hide them but I always felt that it was such an injustice... I couldn't help having what I'd been born with... but now?" she shook her head and lowered it while closing her eyes tightly. Her hands balled into fists by her sides as she strained to stop herself from crying more, but she couldn't stop the few tears that dripped onto the floor. "I AM a monster! They would've been right to burn me! I bring nothing but pain and death! You were right to strike me down! I deserve it! I swear, I will never use my dark powers again! I swear it!" Azrael was taken aback by the outburst and his heart ached at her story. He looked at Death briefly before stepping forward. "No," he said firmly yet softly. "You lost control the way that you did because you had no idea how to use your gifts. You've spent your whole life suppressing them, it's no wonder they overwhelmed you when you finally tried to use them! You're no monster, Lillian. Just a girl who was never given the chance to flourish. Your death was not planned nor did it bring us any pleasure." He looked back at Death and emphasized his next words, aiming them more at him as a way of comforting him simultaneously. "But it was necessary and unavoidable." He turned and placed a couple of fingers under her chin and gently lifted them to make Lilly look at them again. "This isn't the end for you. It's your brand new beginning. But this time, you have us to teach and support you. You don't have to go through this alone, Lillian." Lilly stifled a sob as she moved her chin off of Azreal's fingers and she looked between the two men briefly. Her eyes landed on Death once more as new hope began to fill her. "C-can you teach me how to control my powers?" She asked. Denix Vames - December 2, 2023 Nil smiled. He opened the door. "It's alright. He was no trouble. In fact, he's a good kid." Theron backed away as he gripped his own arms. A kid is all he will ever be. He knew that now. Yet, that's not what he wanted. He needed to be ready to protect everyone. He dropped to his knees and clutched his head as black blood dripped from his mouth, eyes, and nose. Nil walked over. He knelt. "What's wrong?" "I want to be strong." "You already are." "I mean....I want to be the real me." He nodded, "I see. Then go ahead. Be the real you." He stood back. Giving Theron some room. Theron realized then and there that he could finally start making his own decisions. He stood up and closed his eyes. His body glowed before he suddenly transformed. He became an adult man with purple robes. He had short black hair with a tinge of grey. He opened his eyes. Wondering how everyone would think of his new appearance. Yet, already he was assuming the worse. He looked at his hands and twiddled his thumbs. "I wanted to be a grown up so I became one. I hope that's alright." Nil took his hands. Surprising Theron. Nil smiled, "It's perfect because it's who you want to be." Theron held a small smile. --- Will nodded. "Thanks." He entered Parker's room. He smiled with tears in his eyes. He held his hand tightly. "I'm so glad you're awake. What did they say about your condition? Are you alright?" James nodded. "I understand. However, you are my first friend. I am loyal to you until there is nothing." He got down to one knee and bowed. "I will call you sir if that's alright with your orders. I was once a soldier for ADIEU. Now, I am your soldier." --- Kat knew well that the CIA could do just about anything and see it as a right. Nevertheless, he fired at each tire. Never losing sight of his targets and never missing. --- Adam chuckled. "You sure do know how to make a man feel special." He tiptoed his fingers on his shoulder. "You know, that offer is still up on the table." --- Elliot blushed. "Oh yeah. Right. I forgot." Vincent took Oliver. Placing him on a towel where he changed his diaper. He held him in his arms. "There. Clean as a whistle." Carter shrugged, "Charles and Amelia have been through the worst before. Seems like Oliver wouldn't have shown up unless one of them had come here." --- Charles nodded. He closed his eyes. 'Amelia! Hear me! Are you ill?' Eris gave two thumbs up to Carol. "If you guys ever need me again, just let me know." She sank into the ground. Turning into a liquid as she was soaked in. --- Storm nodded. "But first, I need to find Hades. I have to know she's alright. She was with Lily. Who knows what might have happened?" --- Napoleon nodded. He lifted her off the ground. Appearing at the hospital where he placed her on a bed that a doctor offered to place her in. Once they did do a basic check on her, they would soon quickly find out that she had become a Hellhound. --- Death wanted more than anything to run away and sob in despair at his throne. Yet, this was not the time. He took a deep breath before nodding. He held her hands. "You will never have to worry about your powers instability. I and my fellow reapers shall be your new companions. Your people to look to for guidance when you will need it. However, if it's not too much trouble, I need you to stay with another reaper for now. I and Azrael must discuss some matters in private." He nodded at a reaper. "Please take her away. Give her something to busy herself with. I shall return."

shadowess - October 28, 2023 Layla glanced at Theron and then at Nil. She took a breath. Just as this was all new to Nil, Layla was learning how to help Nil cope with his new powers. She patted Theron on the shoulder for reassurance then hurried over to Nil and sat beside him. She pulled him into her embrace and ran her hand through his hair in a gentle way. "It's ok. It'll be ok. Don't forget, the great thing about nature is that it's resilient." She said to him in a soft voice. "There's going to be earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural weather that will affect the forests. We can't save them all but we can help it all regrow, can't we? And I'll be right here with you, always." --- (I figured Will would overhear what Tristan said about Parker xD ) Damien looked at Kite irritably. "Do you have kids? How would you react if it was your kid?" he asked. "What's worse is I wasn't even there for him for most of his life. I wasn't there when he needed me. Now I'm here but I can't do a damn thing because of this GOD DAMN BRACELET!!" he yelled angrily then kicked a couch before growling at the pain in his toes. "I hate this. I feel so fucking helpless." Alex rushed up to Gary and kissed him deeply. "I'll be back as soon as I know he's ok. Ok?" He said hurriedly before running back to River. With a final worried look, they both teleported to the hospital. "Dad! Is he ok?" Alex asked as he ran over the Damien. "I don't know," Damien answered in an exhausted tone as he sat on the couch and held his head in his hands. --- Hearing the click of Sawyer's gun, Kat froze without looking at him. Slowly he lifted his hands from the wheel while staring out of the windscreen. "You're a rat?" he asked then cursed under his breath. "I vouched for you. I thought-..." he trailed off and shook his head. He looked over at Sawyer, angry and betrayed. He then noticed something odd about the "police" who were slowly surrounding the vehicle with their weapons drawn. They were all wearing black, armoured clothes... with no badges or identification. For a second he wondered if this was because it was some kind of SWAT squad, but then the backdoors to one of the black vans burst open and one of Kat's gang jumped out, trying to make a run for it. The gang member caught sight of Kat and Sawyer in the car and yelled at them in Japanese to run. He was clearly in a blind panic and looked as if he'd been badly beaten. Bang. Blood and brain matter splattered Kat's windscreen and he watched between the dripping mess as his former friend dropped dead. Without hesitation, he switched gears and slammed the vehicle into reverse. "They're not police!" he said as he did this to alert Sawyer that this wasn't an attempt to flee the authorities. Their lives were in danger. Whoever those people were, they weren't messing around and Kat did not doubt that Sawyer was in just as much danger as he was right now. A rain of bullets struck the car as it smashed between the two vans that had parked behind them. He swung the car around, switched gears again and sped away while zig-zagging around debris from the quake. He flicked a switch near the steering wheel and water sprayed the windscreen while the wipers tried to clear off the bloody mess. Within seconds there were several black vans on their tail, continually trying to shoot out their tyres as Kat tried his best to see through the red gunk and avoid their shots. "Sawyer, use that damn gun! Shoot their tyres! Engine! Anything!!!" --- "Wasn't so bad?" John scoffed. "He was an ass! He obliterated me and my followers when we came looking for you the first time. And he took your kingdom from you! Hell-no- EDEN is rightfully yours! It was created for you! He had no right!" John stopped himself and took a few breaths to calm himself. "I'm sorry, please forgive my outburst, Adam. I just get so angry when I think of the way you were wronged." --- Amelia's head was throbbing. She opened her eyes and found herself in a new location. An apartment by the looks of the layout. She was lying on a couch with a blanket over her. The last thing she remembered was standing in the ruined Library in Hell. But the air here smelled like Earth. How did she get here? She tried to sit up but her muscles felt exhausted. "Easy there, Little Devil" came a familiar voice. Smooth as silk. "Tuzokath?" "I still prefer just Tuzo," Tuzo replied as he walked around the couch into Amelia's view. He was smiling at her, seemingly unphased by her glaring while holding a glass of water. His brown, loose curls fell just short of his shoulders and his eyes were intense, dark pools that you could very easily lose yourself in. His smooth, pale skin seemed to gleam with a dull radiance. He was utterly gorgeous. Amelia knew him as an Angel but not just any Angel. In much the same way that some Demons were Incubi, he was the Angelic equivalent and he had always relished in this fact. He thrived on primal passion. He placed the glass down on the coffee table nearby before turning back to face her. "Would you like some help sitting up?" "What did you do to me?" "Ouch!" Tuzo feigned being insulted before chuckling and shaking his head. "I wouldn't hurt you. You know that." "I thought I did." Amelia snapped in an acidic tone. This caused Tuzo to falter momentarily. "I'm sorry for leaving," he said quietly. "But I'm not to blame for what you're feeling now. You're sick, Amelia." "Devils don't get sick." "Yes. They do. Newborn Devils, that is to say, Devils who are less than a century in age, can catch a particularly nasty illness that is highly contagious to other Newborn Devils..." Tuzo explained as he resorted to sitting in a chair across from her. "Black Vain..." "That's the one..." he nodded with a grim look. "Am I going to die?" "That's up to you... or well, it's up to how strong you are. But you don't want to be going anywhere near that precious little boy of yours anytime soon." "Oliver!" Amelia tried to sit up and winced as she struggled to find the strength to do so. "He's safe," Tuzo reassured her. "And just how would you know that? Have you been stalking me?!" "Sort of," Tuzo admitted calmly. He didn't seem the least bit guilty or ashamed of himself. "I was in the area and sensed your presence. I wanted to see you but knew you wouldn't want to see me. Not yet, anyway. So I kept my distance. Watching. He's beautiful by the way. He has your eyes." "Where is he?!" "Safe," Tuzo repeated. "I'm not your enemy, Amelia. That sickness ravaging your body is. Oliver is with your friends. The pair with the little girl... I didn't have time to catch their names... I hope they didn't mind that I dropped in and placed him in their living room then just left. The girl seemed happy enough to see the little tyke." Amelia relaxed on the couch. She was still uncomfortable in Tuzo's company but knowing that her son was safe with Elliot, Vincent and Neva was a relief. "Why now, then?" Tuzo shrugged. "I was on the fence about approaching you. I didn't want to bring up the past when you seem to be making a new future for yourself." he pointed to the wedding band around her finger. "But then the quake forced my hand. I saw you were busy dealing with the Ancient Devil at the Library so I teleported to make sure your child was safe first. When I came back, I found you face down in the rubble. At first, I thought it was the Ancient Devil's doing but when I checked you over..." he pointed towards the back of his neck and Amelia got the impression he'd seen something on the back of hers. She placed her hand on her neck but of course, she couldn't feel anything different there. "You're in the early stages. It's going to get worse." "I'm surprised you know so much about it." "The library helped." Tuzo chuckled. "Your husband should be safe from the illness. We were nowhere near him in Hell but I could sense him... he's powerful and quite old. But if you want to keep your son safe, it'd be best if you stayed here. Away from both of them. If he visits you, he runs the risk of carrying the disease back to your child." --- "What about Ricky's mansion? or your old house? We can check in on the others while we're there and make sure no one else got hurt." Sebastian suggested. --- Carol stopped skipping and humming to look at Charles in alarm. "I teleported straight to you after the quake... I had assumed they'd be with you," she admitted with a lurching feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was frightened for her daughter and grandson. She also felt ashamed that the thought of them hadn't occurred to her after she'd teleported to Charles and worried that he would be disappointed in her as a result. --- Bob held on to Grim and sobbed into his chest. For a long time, he'd be utterly inconsolable and unable to bring himself to speak again. Just when he felt like he was calming down, he would realise again that Lilly was gone and would begin to sob again. He only began making an effort to stop when his eyes became sore and sensitive from the amount of crying he'd been doing. At this point, he noticed a smell in the room and his eyes landed on the source. The dead girl in the chair. "Sh-she's starting the smell... we need to move her." He said numbly. --- At first, Raguel had given Napoleon a very dangerous look as if he was considering lashing out at him for getting in the way. But then he blinked and looked back at Lilly just as Death reached her. He shook his head a little, as if coming back to his senses and he stepped back from Napoleon, pulling his weapon away from his. He glanced away, breathing a little heavily as he considered what had almost become of him. He looked back at Napoleon and nodded without a word. A way of thanking him without saying it. He then looked around at the other Angels who had been floating nearby and watching them tensely. "Angels! Secure the area! Clean up the bodies! And do not allow mortals to wander in. We need to figure out how to close this damn thing before it gets any bigger!" He commanded them then looked at the portal that was still humming and crackling with unknown magic as if trying to look for a way to close it. Lilly's surroundings were a blur but as Death came closer and knelt beside her, he came more into focus. She moved her tearful eyes up to look at him. When he spoke to her and caressed her cheek she felt her fear evaporate, if only slightly. His words were confirmation that there was something afterlife and that she wouldn't be alone there. She felt her strength return and the blood vanish from her lungs. She even felt the feeling in her legs return. Moving slowly, she took Death's hand and let him help her to her feet. It was then that she looked back and realised why she no longer felt any pain or that she could stand at all. She gasped and gripped Death's arm tightly while lifting one hand to cover her mouth as her eyes took in the sight of her own corpse. The blood and organs glisten on the road. The eyes were still open, staring vacantly across the street. When she couldn't bear to look at it any longer, she tore her eyes away only to see the dozens of corpses that her powers had disturbed and mangled beyond recognition. She shook and sobbed, not knowing where else to look or what to do. She could feel a scream rising within her that she knew she wouldn't be able to stop. All of this, the horror of it, was her fault. She could only feel hatred and disgust at herself. 'I am a monster! A wretched agent of evil!' She thought to herself as she wept. The moment Lilly that had taken Death's hand, she had accepted the end of her life. In doing so, her soul was able to step out from the body and the book that Azrael had been watching was finally able to write her name in without it being erased. He looked up with a sigh of relief. While this had been a tragedy for Lilly, at least now she would be able to learn her powers in a controlled, safe environment, and she could not ask for a finer teacher than Death himself. He looked up from the book and frowned as he watched Lilly's turmoil. She'd screamed and screamed, looking around them at the mess she had made. Azrael jogged over to them and looked at Death. "We should take her away from here." Denix Vames - October 29, 2023 Nil nodded. He leaned into her hold. Theron slowly made his way over. Nil lifted a hand, "Who are you?" Theron nervously rubbed his arm. "I-I'm Theron. Are you a real fairy? My family told me about you. They said you protect the forest. Is that true?" Nil held a small smile. "Yes it is. I'm Nil." "Th-Theron..." "Theron. You don't have to be scared. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way." Theron reached out, "I'm always nervous but I want to not be." Nil hooked his finger over his like they were doing a pinkie promise. "Then consider me as a friend. I can teach you what I know about fairies." Theron smiled, "Thank you." --- Will appeared in the waiting room. Kite ran over to him. "Will! You have to give him his powers back!" Will frowned. He walked towards Damien. "I think it's safe to say you've been wearing this long enough." He took the bracelet off. "Parker will be alright. I know this because he's going to be my finance. I just need to wait for the right moment to propose. And I'm sure once that's done, you and I can talk about anything. Eh father-in-law?" He winked with a smile. --- "Stop Kat! They must be secret agents! I work for the CIA! They'll listen to me!" ,said Sawyer. --- Adam frowned. He sighed. "I can't blame you for feeling that way. Guess I never thought about it since it's been forever." He walked over to a window. Looking out at the city. "I do miss a lot of things." He looked at his hand. "You're right. We have to take Eden back. And this time, I won't let anyone take it away from me again!" --- Charles said, "I must look for them!" "Don't worry! You won't have to do that." He looked around. "Who said that?" A lady appeared in a red dress. She had long grey hair, a grey eye and yellow eye, and appeared to be young but old in some sense. She raised her hands, "Now before we go crazy here, let me explain. I was just created by this power that was left sealed. When I just showed up, I decided to sneak everywhere and listen to everyone's conversations. Sounds like to me that shit's getting chaotic." She gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Now, I don't know if you'll believe me or not. You can ask Amelia yourself. But she's sick. And I mean you can't go near her kinda sick." "And who are you to this situation that we are under?" "Somebody who wants to help out and have fun. Just call me Eris." Charles raised a brow, "Carol, what do you think?" --- Carter nodded. "Let's go see Elliot and the others." He zoomed towards his old house. Once there, he ringed the doorbell. Vincent opened it. "Carter? Sebastian? Is everything ok?" "Yes and it looks like everything's fine here. We just need to rest. Can we come in?" "Of course. This is still your house." Carter stepped in and placed Sebastian on the couch. He noticed Neva playing with Oliver. "Where's Amelia and Charles?" Vincent frowned, "We're not sure. Oliver just appeared." Elliot handed a coke to Sebastian. "There ya go buddy." --- Pain and Storm carried her out into the backyard. Pain grabbed a shovel from the shed before handing another one to him. They started digging. Grim continued to hold Bob. "It's going to be ok. We'll find a way to move on. Right now, let's just stay here like this." --- Death nodded. All three disappeared. Hades yelled, "NO!" She raised her hands. Throwing her energy at the portal. Putting all her anger into it as she forcibly tried to close it. Suddenly, a blast of energy hit her back. Knocking her off her feet. Her skin began to grow fur as her body transformed. It seemed like she had become a type of wolf. Only she was two legged and somewhat resembled a Hell Hound. Napoleon ran over to her side. He touched her arm. "What has the portal done to her?" --- Death, Layla, and his right hand man appeared in Death's throne room. Death had tears running down his cheeks. "Forgive me for my hasty judgement of you. I can only now help you in this afterlife as a means of apologizing for the wrongs I have done. May you be alright with it, I would like to have you as one of my reapers. A being who's only role is to guide the dead to their afterlife and treat them with such kindness."

Shadowess - October 22, 2023 (To save my computer/phone throwing a fit when trying to load the page xD ) "My love..." Hannes breathed as he caressed Jean's face. "I am so glad that you found me," he said sleepily before falling asleep. Layla watched the boy patiently. She pulled a nearby chair away from the desk and offered it to Theron while sitting at the end of Nil's bed. "You're not the bringer of death." she began then held up her hands. "I know, right? How could I possibly know? After all, I just met you." She lowered her hands and gave him a small smile. "Because that's what we were led to believe about ourselves." she gestured to herself and Nil. "We were trained to be emotionless, obedient killing machines. Him more than me, admittedly. Neither of us really had a family either. Mine all died when I was young so my work was the only family I really knew. I'm fairly sure the same can be said for Nil. But you know what?" She shrugged. "Whether you're raised or trained as a killer, at the end of the day the decision to change is still your own. If you hate hurting people and you know in yourself that isn't the type of person you want to be then it's never too late to break free and start walking your own path. That's what we did. We broke free. Because we want to help people, not hurt them. And yeah, it's going to be tough to learn how to trust people after being used for so long but that's natural after what we've been through. It doesn't mean that everyone we meet is going to be bad. Be careful about who you trust, sure. But don't go isolating yourself, OK kid? Because loneliness can also mess you up." --- "Damien?" Tristan paused. This was the first time he'd heard his name. He closed his eyes and smiled. "Damien..." he said again as if savouring the way it sounded and the way his lips moved to form the name. He focussed on the image of him in his mind. His strong jawline, fiery red hair and shockingly green eyes. "Damien..." he said dreamily and envisioned the way the name suited the face perfectly. Without meaning to, he'd tapped into the remaining Devil power in his blood and jumped as the sound of cries and beeps suddenly surrounded him. He could see Damien as though he was in the hospital with him. Watched him pace around the room. "I see him!" he gasped out loud, no longer aware of Will's presence. "God, he's beautiful!" he grinned then frowned as he saw the torment in Damien's eyes. "He's in pain... beloved, why are you in pain?" he asked and as he did he could feel a mild connection to Damien's emotions. Two words sprang forth. "Parker's hurt?..." Tristan tilted his head. "Who's Parker?" he asked and again, as if Damien was unconsciously answering his questions, Tristan heard a single word. "Son..." Then he was gone and Tristan felt very dizzy as he felt the last of the Devil's power evaporate, leaving him hungry and weak. He collapsed, barely conscious. --- Damien barely heard Kite as he paced back and forth while waiting for news. When he realised he'd spoken to him, Damien looked at him briefly and then shrugged while shaking his head. "This isn't your fault," he told him flatly. "You did the best you could just by simply bringing him here and getting him the help he needed. For that, I'm grateful." He said then realised he may have sounded distracted and irritable as he'd spoken so he stopped pacing to look at Kite properly. "I mean it. Really. Thank you." he reassured him. Every time a nurse ran by, Damien caught himself looking up anxiously but right now it was far too early to hear anything about how his son was doing. He placed his hands behind his head and continued to pace the waiting room. As he did he couldn't help remembering the day he'd been born. The first time he held him. Trying to care for him in secret before being found by Lucifer. The day he had to say goodbye. He felt tears sting the corner of his eyes and for no other reason than needing to release his frustration due to feeling utterly helpless, he growled and punched a nearby wall. Then cried out in a mixture of pain and frustration as he felt a few bones in his hand break. But then, without breaking stride he went right back to pacing. --- "River?" Alex called out when he noticed his brother appear in the midst of the chaos. "Hey, you two ok?" River jogged over to them. "Yeah, just about... Gary sensed it and knew to get us out before I could make sense of what I was sensing." Alex explained. "I'm still not used to all this wolf stuff but at least it saved our asses. What're you doing here?" "Dad sent me to see if you're ok." "We're fine. Why didn't he come himself?" Alex sounded a little disappointed as he asked. River hesitated. His eyes darted between Gary and Alex. "Parker got hurt. Badly. He wanted to stay with him but also wanted to know if you and Jessica were alright. Jessica is fine too. She's pretty much doing the same thing you two are doing in the place that she lives." he explained. "Wha-?" Alex stammered then looked at Gary. He glanced at the people who needed help then looked back at Gary as if asking permission. "He's my brother..." was all he could say. --- Kat smirked. "Easy Fox. Save the smooth talk for when we get a chance to rest." His smile slipped as they rounded a corner and saw a dozen men in black suits with shiny black vehicles. Behind them, a building was burning. Kat cursed in Japanese as he slammed on the brakes. Before he could set the vehicle in reverse, two more black vans pulled up, blocking their route. The men in front of them aimed their handguns at them and barked orders for them to get out of the vehicle. Kat could see members of his gang being cuffed and escorted into the vans in front of them. His heart was racing. "Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! What did I tell you? Like damn roaches! Coming up out of the cracks! Hold on!" He said as he switched gears and prepared to drive across the field near the road to get around them. It would be tight but Kat was panicking and prepared to do anything to escape. --- John eagerly turned his whole body to face Adam. He couldn't mask his excited smile as he began asking question after question. "I know the Garden was originally Hell. Was it as beautiful as the stories make it out to be? What did the fruit taste like? Whatever happened to Eve? Are the stories about Lilith true? What have you been doing in Hell all this time?" John had to force himself to stop and coughed awkwardly into his fist. "Uh, sorry. I never thought I'd get this opportunity. I'd heard rumours that you were still in existence somewhere but when I came to Hell to search for you the first time... well, let's just say Lucifer found me first." --- Amelia watched the pair head out on their first step towards redemption. She couldn't help but smile, glad that she had been given the chance to create such a system to help those who wanted to better themselves. Her smile quickly slipped as she worried for the safety of her family as well. She would need to make sure Charles and Oliver were alright, then she'd need to check on David and the others... she paused halfway out of the library and lifted a hand to her forehead. For a moment she'd gone extremely dizzy and needed to lean against one of the still-standing walls of the library to remain on her feet. She felt a little out of breath and hot. But that just had to be stress, right? Devils can't get ill, right? She thought these questions as she tried to take a few deep breaths. She attempted to walk again but that would be the last thing she'd remember before passing out. --- "We should get out of the street... and find somewhere safe to recover." Sebastian pointed out as he became a bit more aware of their surroundings. --- Ever the proud and loyal servant, Carol skipped cheerfully alongside Charles as they headed off to rebuild his kingdom and convince Demons to serve him. All while humming a merry little tune. --- "Me too, man..." Bob agreed with a sigh. "Me too..." Only mere moments after saying this, they would get their answer. Both Bob and the girl in the chair let out agonised cries. Bob fell to his knees. First, he clutched his abdomen, then his chest as pain shot through his entire torso. Bob looked towards the others for help but then caught sight of the girl in the chair and his eyes widened. She was already dead and slumping in the chair. Her skin had already turned blue. Breathing heavily, Bob groaned and grit his teeth as he felt the pain in his chest again and this time he understood. His heart was failing... which meant... "Li-lly!" he gasped as he slumped forward against the cold floor while clutching his chest with both hands. In flashes, he could swear he saw her as if she were lying across from him in the room. She wasn't, of course. But the connection between them caused him, for just a few moments, to see her. Her usually sleek and neat black hair was a mess and covered in dust. There was a red pool gradually growing underneath her as her already pale face somehow lost more colour. She was gasping for breath but staring back at him sadly. He saw the tears welling in her eyes and though he couldn't hear her he recognised the words 'I'm sorry' as she mouthed them. She then gave him a sad smile and he felt something break then suddenly she was gone. Just as suddenly, Bob's body jerked and he started gasping as though he'd been holding his breath for some time. He coughed and sat up quickly, feeling life flood back into him and he gripped a nearby empty chair to steady himself while looking at the others. "She... she broke it... the tether binding us... she- released me... she saved me. I saw her... she-..." Bob began to sob as he looked up at the dead girl. "She was dying." he wept. "I lasted longer because I was older and stronger... but I would've died... So she broke our connection to each other... But she- she..." he shook his head and broke into uncontrollable sobs. --- The sudden agony and spreading numbness snapped Lilly out of her trance. With no memory of what had happened, she dropped to the ground as her hips separated from her torso. She'd gasped from the pain and then began to shiver violently as shock set in. Heavy, wet thuds drew her attention and she moved her eyes to the source of the sounds. The corpses were losing their connection to her and one by one they dropped, returning to their former, lifeless state. 'Had I done this?!' she thought to herself with a mixture of horror and guilt. Unable to find the strength to speak or even lift her head, she looked around in the hopes of seeing someone she knew for comfort but her vision was fading fast. If she was truly responsible for this nightmarish scene then she felt awful. She also felt alone, cold and frightened as she realisation of why she couldn't move began to sink in. Azrael watched the corpses around them drop like flies. He looked over at Lilly and no longer saw the terrifying necromancer she'd been just moments before. Now he just saw a frightened and confused girl. He glanced over at Hades, apprehensive about how she may react to all this, before returning his gaze to Lilly. In the short time they'd communicated he'd gotten the impression that although she was stubborn, she wasn't inherently evil. All of this may have been an accident brought on by a simple lack of training. He couldn't help but pity her. Perhaps if she'd had the correct guidance... the correct teacher... perhaps all of this, as well as her unfortunate fate could have been avoided. He looked to Death sombrely. It was a look that Death would know well by now. It was his way of silently imploring his King's mercy. After all, considering she wasn't naturally from this universe, there's only one place that her soul would likely end up- which would soon make her soul their responsibility. Speaking of which... out of curiosity, Azrael took out his book and looked at the last place. There he watched as a name began to write, erase then re-write itself over and over. As if the book itself was fighting to claim this person into the realm of the dead. 'Lillian Morte' As Azrael watched the book in fascination, Raguel managed to catch his breath and bring himself back to his feet. He growled angrily while brandishing his own weapon. He glared at Lilly with a new, dark and murderous look as Donnie's bloodlust momentarily took control. He began marching towards the already helpless and dying Lilly, intent on making her end as bloody and violent as possible. Denix Vames - October 22, 2023 Nil suddenly gasped awake. His eyes glowing green like that teenage boy from across the world. Theron jumped. He hid behind Layla. Tears suddenly ran down Nil's cheeks. He sobbed uncontrollably, "The trees and the plants! They're hurt from the earthquake! I can hear their screams!" --- Will raised a brow. "Yeah, I'm gonna go. I'll question you when you're awake." He walked away. --- Kite placed his hands on his shoulders. Stopping him. "Hey, calm down. It's going to be ok. You just need to relax. Try to take some deep breaths." --- Gary nodded. "Go. Me and the rest of the firefighters got this." --- Sawyer bit his lip. He aimed his gun at Kat. "Kat...Put your hands up. I'm with the government." A tear ran down his cheek. Regret was in his eyes but he knew that this was part of the job. "Get out of the car and please don't try anything stupid. I don't want to pull the trigger." --- Adam chuckled. "That's alright. Anyways, Eden sure was a beautiful place. Like nothing anyone has ever seen! And the fruit? Well, it tasted freaking sweet! Something you would definitely put on bread. Lilith and I were a thing until God realized she wasn't going to be obedient. Then Eve showed up and we sort of got a long. Long enough to break the rules. Now, that was fun." He thought for a moment. "Lucifer huh? That guy wasn't so bad. I mean I get the idea of being overprotective. God wasn't exactly being merciful to anybody. Not even his own angels." --- Carter got up and kept Sebastian in his arms. "Where should we even go? Everything's a mess!" --- Charles suddenly stopped. "Before we go, are my wife and child safe?" --- Grim dropped to his knees and hugged Bob tightly. Crying along with him. Hot bitter tears ran down Pain's cheeks. He let out a scream of frustration. "NO! This can't be happening! I just met her! I barely got to....!" Storm could only watch on as everyone seemed to be at a loss. --- Napoleon shouted, "Stop!" He appeared in front of Raguel. Clashing his sword against his. "She is already suffering! Her death will soon come! Just let her be!" Death ran over to her. He knelt by and looked her over. He touched her blood. Seeing what had become of the battle. Shame and regret reached his heart. He frowned with trembling lips, "I'm sorry. I wished I had seen it sooner. You and I could have understood each other. If only I had just...." He caressed her cheek. "I will make it up by helping you through your afterlife. Please let me guide you personally. For I am Death itself." Denix Vames - October 22, 2023 (forgot about this) Jean smiled. "I am glad too."

STORY CONTINUED HERE;

Shadowess - September 1, 2023 Hannes's lip quivered and he stood as tears dripped from his eyes. He turned and wrapped his arms around Jean, burying his face in his neck. "There is nothing to forgive. You were right Meine Geliebte, I should have handled things better." "You can teleport? You're not a vampire, are you?" Layla asked as she looked up at the teenager. She didn't move from Nil's side and continued to hold his hand in hers. "Are you ok?" --- "Gregor Smith." Tristan gave a fake name that he hadn't needed to use for years. He hoped Will would buy it. A shiver ran down his spine as he briefly considered the possibility that the CIA could find him. His stomach growled and he winced at the pain. Damien wasn't the only one suffering withdrawals. All Tristan could think of was Damien's blood. It's taste, thickness and heat. His throat felt dry from thirst and he generally felt uncomfortable as the blood gradually left his system. It was like his every vein was itching horribly. --- Damien thought about James's words for a moment. "If you'd like to get out of staying in abandoned places, you're welcome to move in with me. It'd be the least I could do for all you're help." He suggested before turning to River with a nod. "Alright, let's check on your brother." River nodded in return then held his hands out for both of them. Before they knew it, they were standing near Kite in a very chaotic hospital. Damien and River's hearts sank. Damien tried to get the attention of a couple of nurses as they whizzed past but the injured patients around them took a much higher priority. "Where's Parker?" He asked, almost afraid of the answer. "Where's my son?!" --- "Sure, I just didn't want your corpse the stink up my car." Kat joked as he started up the car again. He started to drive with speed, skilfully avoiding cracks that had opened up in the road as well as debris. "The first safe house is close by. You stay in the car and keep a lookout while I run in and grab the assets. No doubt the cops or our rivals might try to use the situation to their advantage." --- John glanced over and couldn't help grinning at Adam. "Like you just stepped out of the 80's" he chuckled. "But I'm pretty sure that look is still in style so you're good. I like it anyways" he commented, barely able to conceal his blushing cheeks as he turned back to the tv to turn the sound down. "That earthquake has caused some chaos across the world. We might need to postpone going out on the town until everything calms down." --- Amelia listened to Abaddon and was a little shocked by his confession but she also understood that Abaddon simply came from a different time. "Things have changed since your time and I intend to change them further, for the better." She told him. "I'm trying to change Hell from the hopeless realm of pain and torture that it was, into a place where souls can have a real chance to change themselves. To become the best version of themselves and earn their way into Heaven." She glanced around sadly at the destroyed library before bringing her eyes back to Abaddon. "You can't take back the things you have done but you can strive to be a better person. To help others who might know what you feel. It's never too late to do the right thing." As she said this, it was as if she was indirectly telling Insanity the same thing. --- "What?!" Sebastian gasped and tried to get to his feet but he was too weak. "We should be there with him." He breathed but it was clear that Sebastian wasn't healed enough yet to be going anywhere. --- "What's with the pity party?" Carol asked, folding her arms. "You're the King of Hell! Son of Lucifer La Plague himself!" She gestured to the glass-less gothic castle window. "The souls and demons depend on you to help them get through this. Amelia is counting on you to bring Hell into a new era of peace and prosperity. Your son- Charles, think of Oliver. What kind of throne will you raise him to sit in? He's got an opportunity to have something you didn't have- a father to raise him. He's going to be looking up to you as he grows up to learn what being a good leader is all about." --- "Maybe." Bob shrugged nonchalantly. "But I'll try talking to her. She's like me now so I guess that kinda makes her my sister." It was then that Bob stiffened and his wondrous smile slipped. At the same time, the girl awoke and started looking around frantically while beginning to hyperventilate. "It's Lilly," Bob said gravely. "Something's wrong. She's calling us to her. Summoning us..." he shivered and shook his head. "It sounds like her but it feels wrong. I don't like this." The girl started wrestling with her bonds and screamed angrily. Bob's attention snapped back to her. He was puzzled as to why he wasn't behaving as mad as she was but he had no time to ponder on it. He jumped to his feet and knelt in front of the girl. "Stop, stop! Look at me. At me. Who are you? Hmm? Think about it. Focus on it. Try to remember." He said quickly. He knew she would have difficulty with this. After all, he couldn't remember his life before death at all. But perhaps this could serve as a strong enough distraction to prevent her from breaking free and trying to tear them all apart. She tried to ignore Bob at first but the more he implored her to try, the slower her movements became as she gradually realised that her memories, the very person she once knew herself as, were gone. She slowed to a stop and stared at Bob, dumbfounded. She tried, she strained and she struggled to recall a single aspect of her former life. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she continued to stare at Bob. Her face was a reflection of the absolute terror that she felt. "Who-?... Who am I?! WHO AM I?!" "It's ok. It's going to be ok." Bob said softly as he wrapped his arms around her. "I know what you're feeling and you don't have to go through it alone. My sister." --- The burst of energy had sent Lilly flying backwards. When she landed, she hit her head on the concrete pavement and lost consciousness. A moment later, her limp body rose from the ground as though she were a marionette being lifted by invisible strings. Her head snapped upright and her body twitched, jerking from a sleeping power that leaked from her in the form of a green aura. Her eyes opened and although they were shining emeralds, they were lifeless. Devoid of emotion, she began to chant but her spell was not being directed at the corpse in the boy's arms. It would take several seconds for any of them to realise what she was doing and by then it was too late as fresh corpses shambled sluggishly from the wrecked, burning buildings that surrounded them. They were gasping and wheezing as their recently expired lungs suddenly began to work again. Some moaned in agony from their horrific wounds and burns. But they all marched out into the open and towards Lilly as if drawn to her in a hypnotic daze. As they limped and staggered in droves, the ones who drew closest to Death, Azrael or even the boy hissed and growled at them threateningly. None of them knew who they had once been. Only that they are now the soldiers of the floating woman and would defend her without hesitation. Denix Vames - September 2, 2023 "But I shouldn't have been so cold. Oh Hannes. I love you." Jean kissed his head. Theron shook his head. "I'm a Leviathan." He clutched his chest. Trying to catch his breath. "I'm sorry. I've never met a fairy before. I'm really scared." --- Will raised a brow. "Look man. You can either be honest with me or stay stuck there. What's it gonna be?" --- "I wouldn't mind you as a roommate." ,said James. Kite turned around. "Guys?!" His eyes widened at the sight of James. James awkwardly scratched the back of his neck as he looked away. Kite said, "Look, Parker's alright. I gave him to some doctors. He should be fine. I don't know if you'll be able to see him since everything's gone crazy." --- "How do we know they're not too busy losing their shit too? Seems like everyone is confused and panicked." ,said Sawyer. --- "That's not a problem. I need to rest anyway." Adam sat on the couch. He let out a sigh of relief, "Now, this is relaxing." --- Abaddon held a small smile. Insanity flew to his shoulder and sat there. Abaddon said, "Is there anything that you need me to do, your majesty?" Insanity shook his head, "Things are very different. You don't have to call her that. Just say Amelia." Abaddon raised a brow, "Oh?" --- "We're going to stay here until you get healed up. Don't worry about them. I know Parker is in safe hands with Kite. They'll both be fine." ,said Carter. --- Charles smirked. "Always was the motivational soldier. Though I'm going to need suggestions. What do you believe I should do?" --- Everyone looked at this scene with a frown. Concerned about Lily and the woman right before them. Pain stepped forward. "Look, you have nothing to worry about. We're Lily's friends. We want to help too. She has help with her right now. If she really needs our help then we can figure out a way to go to her." "Are you insane? We're human!" ,said Grim. Pain glared, "We can't just leave her!" Storm raised his hands between them. Keeping them separate. "Enough you two! Arguing isn't going to help!" --- The teen began blasting his powers at the walking undead. Death stood up and took a step back. "Azrael! Bring out your scythe! We must stop her!" Napoleon and a few angels appeared. They slashed at what looked to be undead minions. "Angels?" ,said Death. "This must be affecting all of the kingdoms!" shadowess - September 9, 2023 Despite his exhaustion, Hannes was so emotionally overwhelmed that he lifted his head and kissed Jean deeply. "Meine Geliebte. I love you too." He cried between kisses. Layla stood from Nil's bedside and took a cautious step towards Theron. "There's nothing to be afraid of." She reassured him. "Nil is a kind man. We both came here to help because we heard the castle collapse." Layla then tilted her head slightly while giving Theron a kind smile. "You know, I've never met a Leviathan before either." --- His withdrawals, growing desperation, along with the fact that Will seemed to know he was lying had made Tristan very irritable. He scratched at his arms and neck feverishly while gritting his teeth and growling at Will in frustration. "That IS my name!" He snapped. "You cannot hold me here! You have nothing on me! No evidence of a crime! Let me out of here!" He slammed the cell bars with his fists. --- Damien listened to Kite. He frowned, looking around with his heart beating fast. He felt so helpless. "I shouldn't have left..." He mumbled as he walked over to the waiting area and began pacing. "River?" He paused and River walked over to him. "I can't leave your brother like this. I don't care that he hates me. Please go check on Jessica and Alex. Let me know if they're ok." "You got it." River nodded and then vanished. He'd quickly check in with Jessica but seeing that she was fine and otherwise had her hands full, he'd then teleport to Alex. --- "Because if we're calm and collected enough to go get our assets then we can't rule out the possibility that they'll send a squad to seize the opportunity before we manage to move it all." Kat explained simply. "Besides, and I didn't tell you this, but our boss suspects the US are trying to get involved. When you arrived we thought for sure you'd be a rat but you've proven that you're trustworthy. Get your gun ready, we're almost there" --- "Adam? I have so many questions... would it be alright for me to ask them? I realise you must get this all the time." John asked while turning to look at him in wonder. By this point, the movie had gotten to Sam being approached by the vampire hunting teens in the comic store. --- Amelia was taken aback by being referred to so formally and when Insanity corrected him she nodded in approval. "Yeah, I actually prefer just my name rather than title. Makes people more comfortable around me." She shrugged. She looked around and sighed. "I know we will have a lot of rebuilding to do but first and foremost, I'm worried that there are souls and demons alike out there that might be trapped or hurt after the quake." She turned back to Insanity and Abaddon. "So your first official task for your rehabilitation is this; help as many as you can. Pull them to safety. Comfort the distressed. Let them know that they aren't alone or forgotten in this tragedy." --- "Carter..." Sebastian sobbed as he clung to him and peered sadly over his shoulder. "Your office..." --- Carol grinned, happy to have brought Charles back to his senses. Even happier still that he trusted her enough to ask for advice. "That quake has done a number on Hell. But, and forgive me for being a little blunt here, this disaster could be an opportunity to win back the trust and loyalty of the Demons that had sided with Donnie. I propose you seek them out and implore them to join you in confronting whatever force was the cause of it as well as help to repair and rebuild Hell. Seeing you at their side in a time like this, even after all they had done, will be sure to win back their favour." --- "I hate to say it but Grim has a point." Bob said reluctantly. He turned to Pain with a sympathetic look. "I want to be able to help her too but think about it. Once we get there what would we do? Myself and my new sister here have no idea what we are capable of but the rest of you are human. I believe that if anything were to happen to any of you because you wanted to help her, you especially, she would never forgive herself." --- The moment the boy began attacking the risen dead, they retaliated. Rapidly and violently, the ones closest to him shifted into hairless, fleshy dog-like shapes. Their teeth were jagged and sharp and their eyes had turned into deep pools of pure darkness. They encircled the boy, growling and snapping visciously. Just waiting for an opening to tear him to shreds. Azrael lifted his arm to summon his scythe as instructed. Once it had materialised he'd noticed the ones around the boy. He flew over and swiped a few that had been about to lunge. Preventing the boy from falling victim to them. As he struck them down though, more around them shifted just as violently. "Your Grace, the girl is the source. Stopping her would surely end this madness?" He called out to Death while pointing to Lilly. As he did, one of the necro-hounds dove at him. It clamped it's teeth around Azrael's arm while throwing it's own weight this way and that. Azrael let out an agonized cry then struck the hound with his scythe. He clutched his bleeding arm briefly then grit his teeth as he prepared to fend off more of them. Raguel arrived with his army of angels. He saw the chaos unfolding from his vantage point in the air and quickly assessed that Lilly was the cause of the evil he was seeing. He swooped in, drawing his sword and prepared to strike her down. Seeing him coming, Lilly lifted her arm towards him and sent her green aura to ensnare him. Raguel was stopped in his tracks and plummeted to the ground while clutching his head. His eyes shut tightly, he writhed around in pain as Lilly's aura tried to command control of the 'dead' soul of Donnie that was now trapped within Raguel. As Raguel resisted, all of Lilly's concentration was on trying to overpower him. This would give Death an opening to try and stop her. (Please excuse any spelling/grammatical errors. I'm replying from my phone \ud83d\ude01) Denix Vames - September 9, 2023 Jean lifted him off the floor. Holding him close. "You should rest now. Let me help my people. I need you to regain your strength." He appeared in their room and placed Hannes on the bed. He kissed him. "Don't worry now. Everything is alright." Theron looked at the floor. "Um it's not like there's much. I learned that we bring death. That's what I saw whenever someone got close to me. They would always use me. But now these people want to be my family? I'm trying to be happy but it feels like they're tricking me." He cried into his hands. "I've never had a real family!" --- "We got eyewitness reports about you assaulting Damien! And let's not forget the fight you had with James! So stop your temper tantrum or I'll stop it for you!" ,said Will --- Kite walked over to Damien. "I'm sorry. I pulled him out of the debris but I couldn't keep him from getting hurt." --- Alex would be with Gary. Attending to those who were hurt in the earthquake. Because of his abilities, Gary was able to sense the incoming earthquake. Getting himself and Alex out of the house. --- Sawyer took out his gun and nodded. "Frankly, you're not so bad yourself." --- "Ugh! I use to. Honestly, it'd be a real treat to answer any questions that my number one fan has. So..." Adam smile with a snap of his fingers. "Ask away." --- Abaddon nodded. "Yes Amelia." He stood up. Showing just how tall and lanky he was. With Insanity on his shoulder, he walked out of the library. Searching for anyone who needed help. --- Tears dripped down Carter's cheeks. Destroyed by the fact that his office was gone. However, he was more grateful that Sebastian was here. "I know I know. It's ok now. All that matters is that you're alive." He caressed his cheek. Looking into his eyes, he kissed him deeply. --- Charles hopped off of his throne. "Then you and I will seek out the hurt together. I need someone by my side in case anything should happen." He walked ahead of her. Knowing that she would follow. --- Pain clenched his fists. "I know I don't really know her. For all I know, she doesn't need me. But...I want to know if she's ok." --- Death grabbed Azrael's scythe and swiped at Lily. Cutting her in half. The teenager saw all the chaos and used it as an opportunity to teleport himself and his fallen lover to a location. Anywhere far from the battle. (that's fine. i think you did a good job)

Shadowess - July 19, 2023 Layla noticed the vines starting to slack straight away and turned to see Nil collapsing. "Nil!" she called out after helping another vampire into the safety of the castle and she ran out to kneel by his side. Bianka had walked over to Theron with a smile and nodded to him approvingly. "Well done, Theron." she praised him then turned to Larissa who had run over to them. "Do you think he's one of them?" she whispered to them excitedly. "A forest folk?" she turned to look out at Nil and Layla. "They came out of nowhere to help and he commands nature like they do in the stories." Pulling her wrist away from an injured vampire's mouth, Jessica let the cut heal before flying over to Nil and Layla. "Thanks for your help, both of you." she said to Layla who nodded in response. "It was the least we could do." "Come on, let's bring you both inside to rest. The vampires here are incredibly welcoming and I'm sure they will be eager to thank you both once they've healed up properly." Between Jessica and Layla, they both lifted Nil and carried him into the castle. Hannes was also beginning to feel faint after giving out so much of his own blood to help vampires to heal. "Let's move the wounded into the infirmary. Guards, cordon off this hallway until we can rebuild the wall. We don't want to risk vampires wandering through here during sunlight hours." he ordered as he leaned against a wall. He then re-cut his wrist to feed to another vampire and stumbled onto his knees as he became light headed. --- James sighed, "Ain't that a fucking sigh of relief. Your kids are something else." He helped Damien up. "I think it's safe to say we can relax. At least I hope." Will cuffed Tristan. He forced him to walk out and into the car. "You have a lot to answer for." He got in, made sure the doors were locked, and nodded at River. "You coming?" "They're good kids..." Damien said breathlessly. He shivered, having broken out in a cold sweat. He stood but looked around warily, half expecting Tristan to appear again. He looked at James and smiled. "Thank you, by the way. I've only known you a day and you risked so much for me. You've been a true friend." he then grimaced and held his stomach, groaning. He leaned against the wall, barely stable on his feet for a moment until the pangs subsided. "Man... this isn't good. I've been bitten so frequently in a short space of time but several different vampires... I'm pretty sure I'm having withdrawels from all the venom. When Tristan appeared just now, I kind of wanted him to bite me... I know that must sound wierd." he scratched his arms and looked away from James out of shame. --- "Yeah, I wana see this through for my dad." River answered as he climbed into the passenger side of the car. Tristan sat in the back. Although he knew that the sun wouldn't harm him, he was instinctively terrified and stared wide-eyed at the horizon as he watched the light filling the sky. He realled seeing Hannes engulfed in flames when he'd burst in on him and Jean. Glancing at the passenger wing mirror, he caught sight of River glaring at him continuously. Feeling a shiver run down his spine, he quickly averted his gaze. He wondered what would become of him now. How they would charge him as a vampire, especially when he'd eventually need to be kept away from sunlight. It wasn't like he'd be able to attend court at two in the afternoon... Then another thought occurred to Tristan that make him break out in a nervous sweat. They would have to log his arrest onto their system... which means taking his name... which means his original captors, the CIA, would immediately know where he was... which means X would come for him. He remembered the screams from the facility and knew that a lot of the escaping prisoners had died at his hand. He started to hyperventilate at the thought and looked up to see River, another Blood God, was still glaring at him in the wing mirror. There was no escape. --- Kat glanced at Sawyer worriedly. "Hey. Hey! Red Fox! Wake up, man!" he snapped his fingers near him to try and make him more alert but noticed he was slipping out of consciousness. "Shit." he pumped the break and pulled up on the side of the road. Removing his seatbelt, he leaned over and took a look at Sawyer's wound. "Sorry about this..." he said before jamming his fingers into the hole. After about a minute or so of not feeling the bullet, he pulled his fingers out and wiped the blood onto his pants. He then gripped Sawyer's shirt and quickly ripped it open reveal the wound. He took the lighter out of it's port near the radio and looked at the red hot end. "This is going to suck but we need to stop the bleeding." he said, unsure of whether sawyer could even hear him. He stuffed some of Sawyer's shirt into his mouth so that he could bite down on something if he woke up and then pressed the hot end of the lighter against his bullet wound to cauterize it. --- John stood and looked at Adam with pure adoration as he told him he wanted for him to see him as a friend. "It would be an honour." he told him. He glanced over his body before quickly looking away and gesturing towards the bedroom. "I'd be happy to show you my collection of clothing. We can find a style that suits your human form. The human of this world prefer to cover themselves and only reveal their bodies to their lovers." he informed him, unsure of whether clothing had been a thing in Adam's era. He and Eve were always depicted in the nude, after all. --- "Abaddon?" Amelia repeated as she watched him walk into a corner of the room. "Where have I heard that name before?" she rose a brow at Insanity's words. Abaddon's behavious was odd, considering he'd greeted them with violence. Still, she wanted to know more about this other Devil. She had so many questions about their kind and he was the only other Devil like her that she'd met. She slowly appraoched him again and placed a hand on his shoulder. "My name is Amelia." she told him. "I'm the Queen of Hell. You're the first Devil like me that I've met. I think there's just us two left. There are other Devils but they're different. They came from Angels. They didn't originate from Hell." she removed her hand and looked him over. "There is so much that I want to ask you. I don't know where to begin." --- Seeing the state that Parker was in, a few medical staff hurried over and took him from Kite's arms. Parker cried out from the movement as they carefully transferred him from Kite's arms to a stretcher and carted him off to the operating room without any delay. The hopsital was buzzing with activity and it would soon become apparent to Kite that Parker wasn't the only person in the city that had suffered horrendous injuries during the earthquake. Sebastian groaned. His eyes were still closed but he coughed up a small amount of blood as his ribs snapped back together. "Cart-? Carter?" he wheezed, feeling the unpleasant sensation of the deep wound in his head starting to stitch itself back together. "What... happe-...?" he struggled to speak while he continued to heal slowly. --- Carol watched Frederick lift Napoleon then became aware of the screams around them as he told her to help. She removed her heels so that she could stand and she ran out into the hallway. She expected to still see Raguel leaning against the wall and everything running as normal. But Raguel was nowhere to be seen and the rest of the hospital was in chaos. Without wasting any time, she hurried to the first Angel that she saw who needed help. Breathing heavily after his transformation, Raguel stood and stared at the tipped over, empty hospital bed. He didn't understand why Donnie had given his life for him but he didn't have time to ponder it. He heard the screams all around him as he stared at his own hands. He could feel new power filling every part of him, right to his finger tips. Slowly, he lifted his hand, bringing his fingers together and then snapped them. In an instant, everyone in the hospital was standing outside. The wounded had been healed instantaniously. A power like this should have immediately tired him out but Raguel still felt energized. He looked around at the others. His eyes landed momentarily on Carol who had obviously been trying to help prior to being teleported with the others. In this moment, he felt no animosity towards her. "Arch Angels!" he called out in a booming voice. "To me!" --- Bob sat across from the girl and stared at her curiously. "I wonder if I was ever that crazy in the beginning..." he said outloud. "I wonder why I'm not now... I wonder if me and this broad are brother and sister now because we were both raised from the dead..." --- "Of course!" Lilly rolled her eyes angrily. "Because that's the right thing to do, isn't it?! I can bring the living back from the dead so that MUST mean that I'm evil and need to be gotten rid of, right?!" she snapped at Death, glaring at him as she rounded on him. Azrael also turned, apparently forgetting for a moment that the portal was even there. "You do not speak to him that way!" "I'll speak to whoever I want however I damn well please!" Lilly raged. "Especially when the other person threatens me!" "Stop! Please, stop!" The other reaper begged them, watching the portal warily but the others didn't seem to hear him. It almost felt like their bickering was helping the portal to expand. "Well if you feel so strongly about my life, I'M RIGHT HERE!" Lilly yelled at Death, raising her arms by her sides. Then she decided to use a word from this world for the first time. A word that the band had taught her was an insulting one but in this moment she felt it was the right time to use it. "Fuckface!" Denix Vames - July 19, 2023 Theron smiled shyly. "I-I'm glad I helped. It felt good." He watched Nil being carried away. "Is he ok? Why did he pass out? And how did he know where to find us?" Jean placed his hands over Hannes's shoulders from behind. "Rest my dear lover. Let someone else share the burden of giving blood." --- James shook his head. "Not really. I mean, you're talking to the guy who thought he could take over the world and make a werewolf army. So, weird isn't the word I would use to describe you." --- Will looked in the rearview. He glanced at River. With a smirk, he said, "Save the shitting in his pants party for me too." They soon reached the department. He got out of the car. Escorting Tristan inside and to the cell room. --- Sawyer suddenly cried out. Biting down hard on his shirt. His eyes were wide open. --- "Oh really? Well, I'd like to try your clothes on. I'm so excited!" ,said John. --- Abaddon cocked his head like a confused dog, "Why aren't....you scared? Everyone runs. Screams when I am there. They know what I do." Though this was something that he was once proud of, it began to feel like an obstacle over time. In fact, he seemed sad when he told her. --- Kite's wide eyes looked at everything that was happening around him. "Jesus christ....!" Carter caressed his cheek. "Hey, you're ok. You're gonna be ok. You were hit by some debris during the earthquake but you're healing nicely." --- Every Arch Angel appeared. Standing in line and awaiting orders. That included a very confused Napoleon who recalled being badly injured before. --- Storm tapped his shoulder. "Uh I hate to break this moment but what do we do when she wakes up?" --- Death raised a brow. "Evil? Nonsense! I merely wished you didn't disturb the balance of life and death!" "Would you two shut up and get ready?!" ,said Hades. Suddenly, two teenage boys in robes jumped out from the portal. Instinctively, Hades threw a ball shaped mass of power. Hitting the teenager with dark brown hair. "NO!" ,said the other teen with lighter brown hair and freckles. The injured teen coughed up blood. Gasping for air as he hit the ground. He clutched his wounds. The teen knelt over him. "You're going to be ok! I promise!" But just as the injured teen looked at him, he soon passed away. The teen slammed his fists against the ground. Tears were in his eyes as he cried out. With hatred in his heart, he turned around. Facing everyone with glowing green eyes. He raised a hand and blasted his powers at the reaper standing by. Turning him into nothing but dust. "Wait! It's my fault! Don't hurt anyone else!" ,said Hades. The teen shouted, "Are you kidding me? Because of you, my lover is dead! You all deserve to die!" He raised both hands and threw a ray at them. Hades raised her hands and created a shield. Blocking his powers. Death seemed utterly confused. Having not expected the one crossing into their world being two kids. He was only ready for a monster. "Azrael, we must place that boy into a deep sleep. I need to know what he is. I must examine him." shadowess - July 19, 2023 At Jean's touch and his gentle words, Hannes's lip quivered while tears stung his eyes. He lifted his hand to hold Jean's on his shoulder and turned his head to kiss it tenderly. "Meine Geliebte. Have you forgiven me?" "I guess he tired himself out," Bianka suggested as they watched Jessica and Layla carrying him into the castle. "That wolf girl came with him. They have really good hearing. Maybe she heard the wall fall and our cries for help?" Larissa pointed out. "It's possible... wow... an actual Fae." Bianka couldn't help staring in awe until she heard a triumphant fake cough come from her partner. She rolled her eyes at her. "Alright, fine. I admit it. You were right and I was wrong." she said then smirked as Larissa whooped in celebration. Jessica held Nil's legs while Layla supported his torso. Together they carried him into one of the rooms, out of the way of curious stares. Jessica was strong enough to have carried him on her own but Layla seemed like she wanted to be of some help and Jessica knew all too well how awful it was to simply stand by, watching and feeling helpless. They eased him onto a bed and Jessica gave them some space. "You should both be fine here for a while. I'm going to go and help the others. I'll come back later to see if you need anything." "We appreciate it, thank you," Layla said as she sat on the bed next to Nil and took his hand in hers. Jessica smiled at them before leaving and she shooed away a couple of curious vampires that had followed them to the room. --- River barely contained his smirk at Will's comment. Tristan stared up at the precinct when they pulled up. He felt nothing but pure dread as Will pulled him out of the vehicle and began walking him inside. "Please, don't do this. You will be killing me," he begged them in a trembling voice. "Should've thought of that before attacking my dad," River replied coldly. He assumed that Tristan was just overreacting to being arrested and had no idea of what had happened to him previously. Once Tristan was thrown into the cell River glared at him through the bars before patting Will on the shoulder. "Your turn, I guess. I'm going to check up on my dad and make sure he's ok," he said before vanishing. Tristan was shivering as he looked back at Will. If he hoped to avoid being found by the CIA he'd have no choice but to give a fake name when questioned and hope that these officers would take his word for it. --- Damien half laughed at James's remark. "You're alright, James. If I ever get my powers back and you need help, give me a call. I kinda owe you after all this anyways." He winced as he stepped away from the wall and gripped his stomach. "Well, I guess I don't have to worry about my stalker anymore. I'm kinda worried about my other kids too after that quake though. It was pretty bad... I should check up on them." River appeared near them and immediately looked worried as his eyes landed on his father. "Are you ok? You don't look so good." Damien waved a hand dismissively. "I'm fine. I'm guessing he's been taken care of?" "If by 'taken care of' you mean locked in a cell and probably having the shit beat out of him? Sure. He's not a threat to you anymore." "Good," Damien said with a sigh of relief. He then scratched at his neck feverishly and seemed generally uncomfortable. "You sure you're ok?" River rose a brow. "Fine," Damien answered shortly then gave James a look. Silently hoping he wouldn't say anything about his withdrawals. "I was just saying to James here, we should check on your siblings after that quake. Make sure everyone is ok." "...Yeah, I guess we should." River agreed, reluctant to drop the matter but also eager to confirm that his family was safe. "I could teleport us to them? Who do you want to check up on first?" Damien thought for a moment before glancing at James and then back at River. "I know he doesn't want me around but, I'd like to see if Parker is ok. Then we should visit Jessica and then Alex." he looked at James. "I understand if you'd rather go home now but you're welcome to come with me, if you like?" --- Kat was used to hearing screams so he paid this little attention as he kept the lighter held firmly against his bullet wound. When he was sure it had been long enough, he pulled it away and looked at the burned blood and flesh that had dried against it. "Oh... this is going to stink out my car for a while..." he complained as he stuffed it back into its port. He sat back in the driver's seat but didn't start the car up again yet. He sat and let Sawyer catch his breath. "Welcome back. You had me worried there for a second," he told Sawyer with a small smile. "Sorry about that." he pointed to his wound. "We kinda ran out of options. I had to improvise." --- "Right this way, then." John smiled and led him towards his old bedroom. He opened up the large, walk-in wardrobe and then gestured to the clothes filling up the shelves and hangers on either side of them. "They might be a little dated. I was destroyed back in the '90s. But I think you'll still be able to blend in. I'm pretty sure some of this stuff is still in fashion. Take your pick." He stepped out of the wardrobe to give Adam time to look around at the clothes. There were a few magazines on the dressers in there that Adam would be able to use to figure out what kinds of outfits looked good in the 90s. John headed over to the TV that was in the bedroom. It was a big heavy box with a built-in VHS player. A rarity in this day and age. He took a tape out of a drawer and popped it in to watch a movie while he was waiting for Adam to dress himself. The movie happened to be The Lost Boys. --- Amelia was hesitant to ask but if she wanted any chance of getting closer to this Devil, she had to know what his history was. "And what exactly is it that you do?" she asked then nodded to him encouragingly. "It's ok. I'm braver than I look." she smiled and winked at him. --- "Earth-Earthquake?!" Sebastian gasped. He tried to open his eyes but his eyes felt sensitive to the natural light around them. He blinked and squinted at Carter. "I don't remember... I was... What was I doing?... The last thing I can remember... Kite was at the door..." he looked around quickly, trying to see Kite if Kite was still around. He also recalled Parker had been in the house. "Kite? Parker? Are they ok?" he asked, looking back at Carter. --- Carol was equally confused that she had been teleported outside and that everyone around her was suddenly uninjured. She looked over at Raguel and immediately noted the change in the colour of his feathers. Something had happened to him but she had no idea what. She looked over at Napoleon and was relieved to see that he was fine. She gave him a small smile. In much the same way that he must serve Raguel, she had a duty to serve Charles. Given that Charles had yet to make his appearance and there had just been a large quake, she had an obligation to make sure he was safe. She blew Napoleon a kiss and then vanished, teleporting to wherever Charles was. Raguel paced in front of his Arch Angels and barked orders at them. First, he split them into several different groups. He ordered one group to fly across Heaven to make sure all of its occupants were safe and got the help that they needed after the quake. The second group was ordered to head down onto Earth in the guise of various emergency service workers to aid the mortals in any way possible. The last group he ordered to follow him to Earth to investigate the portal that no doubtedly had caused the quake in the first place. --- Bob looked up at Storm and then back at the girl with a frown. "Uhhh... good question. I have no idea." he laughed. "For all I know she might be strong enough to break free of those bonds. I guess we'll just have to try and keep her calm. Tell her that Lilly is safe or something." --- Lilly was far from safe. She watched everything play out and felt helpless to stop any of it. She felt awful for the poor boy that had died and was shocked that Hades had been so quick to attack. But considering the last time a portal opened up, a Pestilence Wraith had stepped out, she supposed the reaction wasn't too big of a shock. Azrael was shocked and angered that a reaper had been struck down. He obediently nodded to Death's order and his black wings burst out of his back. Emitting his signature calming aura, he flew closer to the boy but maintained a cautious distance. "Listen to me. Hear my voice." His voice was soothing and almost hypnotic. "Feel your anger ebbing away. Let go of your hatred. Feel the welcoming embrace of slumber. Submit to your desire for rest." Azrael's voice was so soft and beautiful that even Lilly was tempted to lie down for a nap. But she resisted. She had a goal of her own as she struggled to take her eyes off the dead boy. "I've done it twice now... I can do it again," she told herself then glanced uneasily at Death. When she'd catch his eye she'd smirk at him cheekily before raising her middle finger to flip him off. "How's this for disturbing the balance?" she said to him before darting off towards the corpse. There was just one problem. She had no idea how to use her powers or what had even triggered them the first two times. She stood over the dead boy and became too aware that she was standing just feet from the boy that had reduced a reaper to dust. A boy that may not know or understand her intentions. Of course, the second danger to her was the King of the Reapers himself whom she likely had just pissed off further. But she had no time to dwell on any of that. She forced herself to focus on the corpse and held her hands over his torso. "Come on... come on! I can fix this, I know I can!" but as much as she tried to summon up the power that she knew she had, nothing happened. No trance. No chanting. No green aura. Nothing. "I don't understand! I KNOW I can do this!" Denix Vames - July 20, 2023 Tears ran down Jean's cheeks. "I should be the one asking for forgiveness. I'm sorry for what I said before. You were only trying to protect everyone here." Theron suddenly appeared in Nil's room as he had been thinking about him and what he could do. "Huh?! Why am I here? Uh! Sorry! I didn't mean to be here." --- Will pulled out a notepad and pen. "Alright. What's your name?" --- "That home is only an abandoned dump. I think I'll stick with you guys." ,said James. --- Despite the pain, Sawyer smirked. "You were worried about me?" He caught his breath. "Thanks for not letting me die by the way." --- After looking through some magazines and checking over all the clothes, Adam finally came to an idea. He walked out wearing a white shirt, blue jeans, and a leather jacket. "How do I look?" --- Abaddon hesitated, "I would bring destruction on any that God allowed us to. And even when he didn't, I still did it. Taking great pleasure in killing any sinners." Insanity frowned. Knowing that he had done things like that not too recently. --- "They're fine. Kite took Parker to the hospital. Parker got badly hurt. More than you." ,said Carter. --- Napoleon smiled at her before she left. --- Charles was sitting in his throne. Wondering what the hell he could possibly do. He saw Carol appear. "Honestly, this shit show is giving me a headache. Maybe I should let everyone else deal with it." --- "I don't think she'll like us after this. She might try to kill us." ,said Grim. --- Just as Death was about to run after her, the teen's hands were filled with power. He said, "GET AWAY!" A radius of his power blasted everyone far away. When he was alone, he dropped to his knees and held his dead lover close. "Oh Conrad....I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you. I should have never brought us here." He sobbed.

Shadowess - July 18, 2023 Layla ran straight to the first vampire that Nil's vines had freed and attempted to help them to their feet. As soon as the vampire caught a whiff of Layla's wolf blood, he recoiled from her and hissed defensively. At first, Layla was taken aback and backed away a little. Then she noticed the fear in his eyes and her expression softened as she raised her hands to show that she wasn't a threat. "I just want to help." She said and the vampire hesitated, looking at her sceptically before allowing her to help him walk back into the safety of the castle. Bianka and Larissa stopped when Theron did and watched in awe as he used his powers to help stop the trapped vampires from burning. "Atta boy, Theron! Try to keep it up while we help our people!" Bianka praised him with an encouraging pat on the shoulder before she ran past him to help pull vampires from the rubble. "You're a hero, Theron!" Larissa smiled at him before joining Bianka in the rescue effort. Jessica helped to heave large bricks off the vampires as well. When Nil stepped in with his vines she was simply too grateful for the help to question it and started carrying wounded vampires inside. Hannes tended to the vampires that had suffered severe burns by feeding them small amounts of blood from his wrist. Warren arrived at the scene, seemingly oblivious to the self-inflicted wounds on his chest. Without hesitation, he tried to offer help to the nearest vampire that was badly burned. Their wounds had left them ravenous and desperate for blood though. With his uncovered wounds, the smell of Warren's blood was too much to bear and the usually docile vampire lost control. They lashed out, clinging to Warren tightly while digging their nails into his arms and lapping at the cuts. "Stop! N-no!" He gasped while trying to push the vampire away. The vampire was quickly torn away from him by Niko, whose eyes were bruised from crying. He said something to the vampire in German and they immediately calmed down. Additionally, they seemed to be horrified by what they'd done and, also in German, they started apologizing to Warren profusely. "What's he saying?" "He feels terrible that he tried to harm you." Niko replied. "He's injured and blood helps vampires to heal their wounds. He reacted out of instinct to survive. It was nothing personal." "Oh..." Warren looked thoughtful then offered his wrist to the vampire who reacted in alarm and immediately pushed his arm away while shaking his head. "The vampires here only drink deer blood if they can help it. Kind of like veganism for vampires." Niko shrugged then pointed over at Hannes and Jessica who were offering up sips of their own blood to other wounded vampires. "Besides, it looks like the more powerful vampires have got it covered. Save your strength. If you want to help, stay away from the wounded with those open cuts and move some of the heavy bricks." --- "Wasn't that a safe house?" River asked Will, confused. He then looked around hastily with a concerned expression. "Dad!" he gasped then vanished. Damien had been feeling a little rough but had put it down to being hungover. When Tristan appeared though, his stomach lurched more and his head pounded painfully. He started to sweat and even became a little breathless. He looked at Tristan in alarm when he'd tried to wrestle him from James's grip. Yet he couldn't take his eyes off of his fangs. "The fuck is wrong with me?" he mumbled after watching James kick Tristan away. He shivered as his skin started to crawl and he felt an extreme need for...something... "James... hurry..." he mumbled, frightened about what might happen if Tristan caught up to them again. He wouldn't have to worry though. Just as Tristan had managed to jump back to his feet, he was grabbed by an angry looking River who had teleported into his path and then teleported away again. River re-appeared near Will and pinned Tristan against a wall that was still standing. He glared at him angrily. "You know what I am?" He asked in a low growl while baring his fangs. His eyes flashed red and immediately Tristan was reminded of X. He knew what he was without needing to be told. Haunted by the memory of his imprisonment and how he'd escaped, he began to tremble while slowly nodding. "Good, then I don't have to bother explaining how much shit you're in!" River snapped. "You stay the fuck away from my dad, do you hear me? If I so much as catch a whiff of your scent anywhere near him, I'll drink you out of existence!" Tristan was too frightened to argue. He opened and closed his mouth as if wanting to say something but he didn't have the nerve to say it. Instead he gulped then reluctantly nodded as tears slowly slid down his cheeks. "Good. Turn around." River barked at him as he stepped away to give Tristan room to move. Tristan stared at River in confusion for a moment and only managed to stammer the word "B-but-?" before River cut him off. "I said turn around!" River grabbed Tristan's shoulder and forced him to face the wall, pressing him against it. "Will, I need some cuffs." "But the sun!" Tristan finally managed to say, having felt the air around them start to grow warmer by the second. "Isn't going to burn you. I can still smell my dad's blood in your veins. You'll be fine until it's out of your system. In the meantime, you committed assault. So we're bringing you in." "He-... his blood is... it's protecting me?" Tristan found comfort in that thought. Which only angered River more. "Fuck you asshole! You STOLE his blood. You're lucky I'm not beating you to a pulp right now." --- (It just occurred to me, would Sawyer be able to understand Kat and the Yakuza when they're speaking Japanese? It might work in his favour if he can cos they'd always assume he can't and he could listen in on important intel xD ) Kat stared at the apartment building in silence for a minute or so before numbly walking over to the wreckage. He kicked small broken bricks out of his way as he wandered through the piles of rubble, as though searching for something. After a few minutes of wandering, he turned with a deflated look before catching sight of something that caused his eyes to widen and he ran over with a renewed sense of purpose to an ornate, red jar. It had gold letters around it and an image of a golden dragon circling the neck of the jar. He lifted it carefully and thoroughly checked it for cracks or breaks. One of it's two handles had snapped off and there was a large chip in the lid but by pure luck, this utterly fragile piece of pottery was otherwise untouched. Letting out a sigh of relief he held the vase close to his chest, cradling it in both arms. Without a word he walked back to his car and carefully placed the jar in the backseat foot well, making sure that it was propped up securely. While he was adjusting it, his phone rang and feeling that he already knew what the call was, he answered it. He spoke in his native tongue for a minute or so before hanging up and gesturing to Sawyer to get back into the car. When they pulled away, he kept his eyes on the road as he spoke. "We haven't had an earthquake that bad in decades... The boss got hurt. Bad. Most of our safe houses have collapsed so we're gathering what assets we can and moving it all to the only location still standing. We're headed there now to see what we can do to help. I'm sorry but you're going to have to sit with that bullet for a little longer. We should be able to get it out at the safe house though." --- David stood and looked around. He dusted himself off then came to a chilling realisation. He was calm. He hadn't panicked nor was he freaking out like the podgy man who was practically running down the staircase towards them was. Mon ran down the stairs, two at a time and flung himself into Bern's arms. "What was that?" "I believe it was an earthquake. I'm guessing those aren't native to this area?" David replied. "No!" Mon replied. --- "Occasionally." John answered, then realised that he was still hugging the now naked and human Adam. Blushing, he quickly stepped away from him before kneeling before him with his head bowed. "King of mankind. I would lay down my life to protect and serve you." he said before lifting his head. "There is a studio style bedroom upstairs that was once mine. I would be honoured for you to make it your home while we conduct our work on this Earth. My clothes are yours. My home is yours. My loyalty, sword, advice and service is also yours. All that I ask in return is to have a place in your new Eden." --- Amelia was in shock and overwhelmed with grief. She had to deal with half of Hell's demons taking Donnie's side in what was fast becoming a civil war which was putting the peace treaty with Heaven, that she had fought so hard for, in jeopardy. Now on top of that her father had lost his memories and now her childhood home was in ruins. She was extremely tempted to do something that she hadn't done since she'd met Charles... something that she used to do to escape her responsibilities when it all became too much. To run away where she couldn't be found so that she could drink her problems away and get so high that she'd barely remember who she was most days. But she watched the strange Devil and Insanity trying in vain to fix the library, despite it being well beyond repair, while wiping away the tears in her eyes before they could fall. She looked at the book in her hands then cautiously walked towards the Devil and timidly tapped him on the shoulder. "Y-you're... like me." she said, wondering if he could sense it. She also wondered if he could even understand her. "I haven't met anyone else like me... who are you?" she asked, staring at him with nothing but absolute fascination. Perhaps it was simply because they were the same type of Devil, but she inexplicably felt drawn to him. Like there could be a sort of kinship between them. --- Shiva yelled and groaned from the pain as Sam managed to pull him from under the rubble. Once he was clear of the debris, he rolled onto his back and took in several deep breaths. His ribs were certainly broken and his entire lower half from his hips were crushed. "Prince... do me one more kindness? Kill me..." he sobbed. "Don't destroy me but kill me so that I can regenerate in a new body. This one is broken and burned. I swear... those things I said... I take it all back... I won't harm you. I promise. Please help me. Kill me." --- Being moved brought agony to Parker but it was better than being pinned under debris. He let out a sharp cry as Kite pulled him from the wreckage and he looked down at his leg. Immediately, he wished that he hadn't. It was a mess of blood. Sharp bone had broken through his skin and the flesh below his shin was starting to turn blue. His face turned a pale shade of green from the sight and as soon as they were outside he quickly turned away from Kite to vomit onto the asphalt. Groaning and weeping from pain, he turned to Kite. "I-I need a hospital." Sebastian was out cold in Carter's arms. His body was bruised in various places from being struck by rubble. There was a large gash in the top of his head from the ceiling collapsing on him. It was gushing out blood but slowly starting to heal. --- "Hello? Hello?!" Donnie shouted from his fallen bed. He struggled against the restraints but it was no use. He was stuck, strapped to the bed at an uncomfortable angle. All he could do was listen to the screams and commotion on the other side of the doors. "Hello?!" he shouted again. The door opened and Donnie looked up, expecting to see one of the Angelic hospital staff. Instead, he saw a blood spattered and eager looking Lillith. "What are you doing here? How did you escape?" he asked as she ran over to him. "Whose blood is that?... Lillith, what did you do?!" But Lillith didn't answer. She knelt beside him and began unbuckling his restraints. "No, Lillith you need to go! Charles will be here any minute to destroy me and you can't be here! Just go! Just run! Lillith, listen to me!" But she ignored him and after undoing one restraint, she got to work on his other wrist, despite Donnie now trying to push her away with his one free hand. Suddenly Lillith was grabbed from behind and dragged to her feet by Raguel. "Lillith!" Donnie shouted and helplessly watched their struggle until Lillith managed to grab a scalpel from a nearby table full of medical equipment. She turned and slashed at Raguel's throat with it, catching him off guard. With a shocked expression, Raguel stared at Lillith. Shakily, he lifted a hand to touch her cheek, leaving his bloody fingerprints there and, for just a moment, Lillith seemed to regret her actions. But it only lasted a moment. She re-gathered herself and glanced back at Donnie with a cold expression before vanishing. Leaving Donnie to stare in shock at Raguel who slowly lowered himself to his knees and then fell forward to lay on the floor. There he stared back at Donnie until the lights went out behind his eyes. Donnie knew that this wasn't an ordinary death. That Lilith had the power to destroy a soul and that this was exactly what she'd intended for Raguel. The fact that Raguel's body wasn't vanishing was all the more proof of his inability to regenerate. Barely containing his sobs, he wrestled one-handed with the restraint on his wrist until he got it loose. His feet were still restrained but he had no time to undo those. Crying out from the pain of his burns, he used his arms to drag himself and the heavy bed along the floor until he was close enough to Raguel. "Why am I doing this? You were going to let me die!" He sobbed as he huddled over Raguel's body. "But if there's one good thing I can do... it's this..." his body lit up. After the blast he took from Charles and Insanity, he didn't have much power left. But what he did have left he poured into Raguel, giving him everything he had. He could feel his body breaking down from the effort and the process was agonising. He grit his teeth, refusing to stop until the job was done. Finally, with one last burst of energy and letting out a loud cry, Donnie's essence fell into Raguel. Leaving his empty hospital gown and bandages behind. Silence fell in the room and a few minutes later, Raguel gasped awake. The slice in his throat having healed. He looked at the gown and bandages laying near him with a puzzled expression. He hadn't had time to realize what had happened before he felt a surge of pain shoot through every fibre of his body. His wings burst out of his armour and the feathers began to turn from gold to a dusky purple colour with specks of black throughout. He fell to the ground, writhing and screaming as his genetic make-up shifted to combine both Angel and Devil DNA. --- Carol had flinched when the light snapped off the ceiling and flew towards her. She was then taken by surprise as Napoleon pushed her out of harm's way. Momentarily disoriented, she looked over just as the tremors ceased and saw the aftermath of what had just happened. "Napoleon!" She gasped and scrambled to his side. With surprising ease, she threw the heavy light away from him and looked him over with a combination of worry and confusion as she watched his wounds begin to heal. "Oh, what did you do that for? You silly sexy Frenchman..." --- Back at the van, Bob was disappointed that his concrete surfing was brought to an end. Then he looked around and noticed that Lilly was no longer around. "Erm... what did I miss? Where'd they go?" "Th-th-they vanished!" The dead girl gasped, looking around with a distraught look. "Well, yeah, you saw some of them appear. Did you not think they could disappear too?" Bob shrugged. "But they took mistress!" The girl replied and Bob rose a brow. "Uuuuuhh... say what now?" "Mistress! The life giver! Death defiant! They took her! I need to be near her. I NEED to protect her!" "Ok, I get it. You're grateful she brought you back. I was like that too when I was first brought back but you need to calm-" "I MUST PROTECT THE MISTRESS!!" The girl screamed. Her voice had become dark and monstrous. As she'd screamed, her face had contorted and shifted into a terrifying sight. It had only lasted a few seconds but her face seemed to stretch vertically. Her teeth changed into rows of sharp fangs. Her eyes had become deep black pools with just a pin-sized white light in the centre of each. Bob was immediately taken aback by the brief transformation. He looked the girl up and down for a second while thinking of what to do. Then he relaxed his shoulders and gave her a cool smile. "So we'll just go then, ok? There's no need to freak out. We're all on the same side here." "R-really? You know where they are? Can we go now?" The girl asked him, looking hopeful. "Sure thing, baby. Oh, before we go. Mistress might get hungry. What's say you run in and grab her some snacks?" "An excellent idea! Where's you're kitchen?" "Just through there and take a left." Bob pointed behind her and just as the girl turned around to run inside, he quickly bent down to snatch up a loose rock then threw it at the back of her head. Once she was out cold, he looked at Grim and Pain. "Well don't just stand there, fellas. Let's get crazy-tits tied up so she doesn't hurt anyone." --- (The spare reaper is 'disposable' ) "FOR WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO?!" Lilly shouted angrily at Death. She didn't understand why she'd been brought along for this as she assumed that her only power was to bring the living back from death. "Watch your tongue, mortal!" Azrael snapped at Lilly over the roaring winds being caused by the portal opening. "You're already on thin ice with His Grace, so don't push your luck!" "Well 'hIs GrAcE' needs to learn some manners!" Lilly retorted mockingly as she kept her eyes on the portal. "Stop bickering! We should be working together!" the reaper with them shouted over the noise. Denix Vames - July 19, 2023 Once everyone was moved to a safer location, Theron's blood went back into his mouth. Nil had been holding on to the debris for so long that he began to felt tired. He struggled until finally collapsing on the ground where he fainted. --- James sighed, "Ain't that a fucking sigh of relief. Your kids are something else." He helped Damien up. "I think it's safe to say we can relax. At least I hope." Will cuffed Tristan. He forced him to walk out and into the car. "You have a lot to answer for." He got in, made sure the doors were locked, and nodded at River. "You coming?" --- (that would make sense. yeah sawyer definitely knows japanese) Sawyer hopped in the car. Though he fought it off, his face was pale. He didn't tell Kat but the wound had been hit against a car as he got out of the sinkhole situation. The bullet had fallen out as blood dripped from his wound. He leaned his head against the window. Trying to keep his eyes opened. "All that matters is the boss. Don't worry. I-I'll be fine." He closed his eyes. Drifting away into a deep sleep. --- Bern glared at the sky. "This isn't good. Something ain't right." --- Adam stood. He smiled. "I appreciate everything you've been doing for me. But I still want you to see me as a friend. Not just a king." He held his hand. "Of course I'll let you live in my Eden." --- The devil spoke but no one could understand. Insanity climbed up on him until he sat on his shoulder. He whispered to him. The devil nodded. He placed a hand on Amelia's shoulder. In a flash, he learned English. "I-I'm....Ab...addon. Abaddon." He backed away when he suddenly became nervous. Insanity flew off of him. Abaddon went into a corner and hid his face. Insanity whispered to her, "I think he's shy." --- Sam glared. "When I kill you, don't ever come back to me. I'm not worth anything." He grabbed a heavy rock and smashed it into his head. --- Kite kept a tight hold of Parker as he ran into the direction of a hospital. Once there, he jogged into the building. "Can somebody help us? Please!" Carter caught his breath. He held Sebastian close. "It's going to be ok. I promise. Whatever's happening, I won't let you go through any more pain. Not after this." --- Frederick appeared. "Napoleon!" He lifted him into his arms. "Get anyone else who's here out! We need to help them!" He ran past her and out of the hospital. --- Pain, Storm, and Grim looked at each other. "Weirdest day ever." ,said all three. Pain and Grim carried her inside the house. Storm grabbed a belt and tied her wrists to a chair that she had been placed on. --- (good to know) Death glared at her, "You are a naive pestering bug that I should have destroyed the moment I heard about your meddling with death!" The portal opened wider.

Shadowess - June 18, 2023 The consequences of the portal opening, even by a small amount, would be felt all across Earth, Heaven, Hell and the Realm of the Dead. The only creatures who would feel it before it happened would be werewolves as they would hear a low rumbling noise. Giving them only a few vital moments to prepare. --- Warren was alone in one of the rooms of the vampire castle, having been left to calm down after his nervous breakdown earlier on. He was still deeply in denial and refused to believe that the love he felt for his Kings was fabricated. Having finally calmed down enough to wander around the room and take in his surroundings, he numbly picked up ornaments here and there to observe them more closely. Yet his mind kept wandering back to that first night with them. He vaguely remembered feeling trapped and frightened but he quickly pushed those thoughts away, rejecting them outright. Eventually, he'd wandered over to a full-length mirror where he stared at himself for several silent minutes. He removed his shirt and stared at the long scars across his chest while tracing his fingers over them. He brought his eyes back up to stare into his own. "You failed them," he whispered numbly then his face contorted with anger as he pointed to himself. "You did this! You failed! They trusted you and you failed and now they don't love you anymore! You deserve to feel pain! You deserve to be punished!" he punched the mirror, shattering it. He stared at his bloodied knuckles and then at the large shards of glass on the ground. "You deserve to feel pain..." he mumbled, his tone reverting to numbness. He bent down to pick the shard up. "You deserve to be punished... Yes... That was it. I haven't been punished. Only then can I be loved..." he told himself as he brought the shard up to his chest. He looked back at what was left of the broken mirror. His reflection was broken up by cracks and a few missing chunks. He stared into his own eyes again with an emotionless expression. Slowly, he pressed the shard into his skin. Wincing from the pain, he dragged it across his torso before stopping to catch his breath. He watched himself start to bleed, seemingly forgetting that every vampire in the castle would smell him, and he smiled at himself as a couple of tears fell. "That's it. Just like that. Just a few more... then maybe he'll love you again..." he whispered to himself in a reassuring voice before he brought up the shard and started cutting another part of his chest. That's when the entire castle started to shake. When it was over Warren's room was a mess but was otherwise untouched. However, the distant sounds of crashing followed by screams told him otherwise. Snapping back to reality, Warren dropped the shard of glass and ran out of his room towards the sounds of chaos. Frightened that Theron might've been caught in the destruction. --- Cindy had just nodded off in the armchair near the children's cribs. Their cries woke her with a start and she looked at them both in alarm. By now she knew the difference between their hungry cries, their tantrum cries and their tired cries. This was none of those. These were shrieks of pure terror and had caused Cindy to jump to her feet. She looked around briefly and noted that Kite wasn't home yet. She looked back at her babies and something in her gut told her they weren't safe here. Thinking quickly, she scooped both children into her arms and then vanished. Only a second or two later, the entire apartment building shook so violently that the floors above collapsed, demolishing their apartment in the process. --- "Unfortunately, I believe they are simply a part of the fairy tale," Bianka told Theron gently. "I don't think they are. And if what we assume of our King is true then they might've returned." Larissa commented. "Either way, I'm afraid that Larissa and I cannot leave the castle right now. The sun is still up." Bianka pointed out but then saw the disappointment in her beloved's expression. "But, I suppose we could pass the next few hours playing some board games and then put a picnic basket together to take with us for when the sun sets." Larissa's eyes immediately lit up with excitement. "You hear that, Theron? We can go look for the forest folk when the sun goes down!" The castle shook with a boom and the heavy tables in the dining hall bounced around like they were weightless. Instinctively, Bianka wrapped her arms around Theron and Larissa protectively. Larissa hugged them both and whimpered out of fear. When it was over, the dining hall was still standing but they could hear screams coming from another corner of the castle. "A wall must've fallen! We have to help! The sun might burn vampires trapped under the rubble! C'mon!" Bianka gasped as she ran towards the screams. Sure enough, in the east corner of the castle, an entire section of wall had crumbled. Some vampires managed to flee back into the shade and only gained minor burns, but some unlucky few had become trapped and cried out in anguish. Within seconds, Hannes and Jessica appeared. They, along with Ben and Jean would help to shield those trapped vampires with their wings while working together to remove the rubble that was trapping them. Hannes wanted to reconcile with Jean but right now he needed to focus on helping their people. --- Lilly had no idea who Death was and not only was she surprised by his sudden appearance, but also that he seemed to know who, as well as what, she was. This wasn't comforting to her, however, particularly as he'd just threatened her. She felt something that she had almost forgotten. A very specific kind of fear that she had once felt back in her own world. It was a unique combination of the feeling of being hunted, judged and isolated. The added sense of intimidation that she got from Death didn't help matters. Despite her fear, she stood her ground and maintained eye contact. She didn't want him to think for a second that she would allow herself to be pushed around. "I just said that I don't know how to close it. I don't even have the power to open one. Who are you, anyway? What gives you the right to judge me when you don't even know me?" She demanded defensively. Azrael had appeared shortly after Death but did not intervene. He kept his distance, having only followed to make sure his King was safe and to be ready to serve if he was to be called upon. Once again, everything shook. Only this time it was far more violent. The van practically bounced up and down. The road moved in waves. Lights went out everywhere and wires from the telephone poles whooshed as they swung up and down. Lilly lost her composure and whimpered as she struggled to stay on her feet. Bob pretended he was surfing. The dead girl stared at Bob like he was a madman while she too struggled to stay on her feet. Azrael and the other Reaper moved to Death's side to make sure he was safe. "Your Grace, what should we do?" Azrael asked him. --- Layla's kisses matched Nil's passion and she let out little sighs while pressing her chest against his. All that they had gone through and the growing tensions between them bubbled to the surface as they lost themselves to each other. Suddenly, Layla pulled away and looked around in panic. "Another one!" she gasped. "It's bigger this time! It's so much bigger!" They only had time to redress themselves and dart out of their home before the quake hit. The way the earth heaved the trees up and down was both mesmerising and terrifying. It was a miracle that most of the trees remained standing by the time it was over. Only a few trees fell but that wasn't all that seemed to have been affected in this forest as Layla's ears soon picked up the sounds of desperate cries. "I can hear screaming!" She told Nil as she gripped his hand and looked at him fearfully. "Oh god... I can hear them... they're being crushed... and burning! We need to help them!" --- Relieved that he could make a move and avoid the sunlight, Tristan wasted no time. He scaled down the wall hurriedly by digging his nails between the bricks. He then darted around to the back of the safehouse and silently climbed in through a conveniently open window. He snuck into the living room where he saw who he assumed to be Damien sitting on the couch, facing away from him. Cautiously, slowly, he snuck up behind him. Confident that they were alone, he quickly wrapped his arms around him and clamped one of his hands over his mouth. "Hush, meine love," he whispered into his ear. "You must come with me now. Don't be afraid, I won't hurt- agh!" he let out a surprised yelp and then leapt back to stare at the hand that he'd held over his mouth. There were two fresh puncture wounds there and he could feel the familiar sensation of vampiric venom pulsing through his hand. Wincing he looked up in confusion then his expression switched to horror as River stood and turned to face him. "You're not meine beloved!" "No," River replied while wiping the small amount of Tristan's blood from his lips. "I'm his son, you sick fucking pervert!" "Son-?!" Was all Tristan could say before the entire room was upheaved by the massive quake. They stumbled around, struggling to keep their footing but the quake wasn't the only thing worrying Tristan. If that's not Damien, then that means that Damien was out there somewhere... in this! He felt helpless and wished with all his might that he could just know where his beloved was so that he could try to protect him from this disaster... and that's exactly what happened. Without knowing that he was capable of doing so, Tristan teleported right into the path of James and Damien. "Wha-? No!" River gasped as he struggled to stay on his feet and looked up warily at the ceiling as large amounts of dust started to fall, giving the impression that it could cave in on him at any moment. Meanwhile, although he was shocked to have teleported, Tristan took the opportunity to take James by surprise and try to wrestle Damien off of him with the intention of teleporting away with him, despite the utter chaos of the quake still going on at that point. --- Kat was quiet for a long moment as he drove. He took a long drag on his cigarette as he considered how to respond. The silence was just starting to become uncomfortable when he finally broke it by saying in a quiet voice; "Sorry." Only a couple more minutes of driving and they arrived outside a tall apartment block. "We're here," he said as he pulled into the parking lot and turn off the engine. "C'mon, let's get that bullet out of you-" The quake hit suddenly and without any warning. The road heaved up and down like an ocean of concrete. Street lamps fell over. Car alarms went off. Lights went out, plunging them into darkness. Kat had only had enough time to run around his car to wrap his arms around Sawyer and then cling to the side of his car. "If this thing opens up a sinkhole, we're fucked!" he yelled over the noise but there was nothing else they could do but wait until it was over. By the time it was, the street didn't look the same. Houses had collapsed. Half of his apartment building had fallen off from the other side. Large cracks had opened up in the pavements and the road. Thankfully though, Sawyer and Kat would be shaken but otherwise unharmed. "Damn! Where the hell was the earthquake siren?!" No sooner as he said that than the sirens went off around them, along with alarms going off on both of their phones. "Fat load of good that is now!" Kat complained as he looked at his phone and then looked up at his apartment. "Shit... It's gone... It's all gone..." he said in shock as he stared at the large hole in the side of the building. --- "I can't say that I have," David replied as he followed Bern into the kitchen. "What do we need-?" The entire house shook violently, taking everyone by surprise. The electricity had tripped out during the earthquake, leaving them in darkness. It seemed to last a lifetime but eventually, the quake broke. "Bern?" Mon's voice came from upstairs. "Bern?!" he screamed, sounding panicked. --- "I-..." John looked around them warily but when it seemed that neither the Devil nor Amelia were following them, he turned back to Adam and nodded. "Yes, you will need to blend in now that you're among mortals," he told him and took a small step back so that he could see Adam entirely. He held up a hand with his palm facing Adam and let out a slow breath. A bright light erupted from his palm and enveloped Adam completely. It was a painless process but by the time he was done, Adam would have changed into a nude human man. The light faded and John blinked at Adam in awe. "Oh, wow... You're-... " he mumbled breathlessly while smiling. He then lunged forward to shield Adam's body with his own until the earthquake subsided. Thankfully, the warehouse had been built well and the decor was minimal, which meant the only damage that had occurred was to their power as the lights had gone out. --- "What the-? Oh, that's just gross!" Amelia complained when the Devil's tentacles wrapped around her and she struggled the break loose. The suction on them was too strong for her though and she stared at the way they had erupted from the Devil's mouth with a combination of horror and disgust. She even tried to raise her crystal weapon to strike at them but they'd wrapped around her arm and kept it held in the air as she struggled to bring it down. She was beginning to get desperate and her body had started to warm up rapidly when the Devil suddenly tossed her aside like she weighed nothing. Her body struck a large bookcase which in turn fell on top of her, showering her with heavy books. Angry and frustrated, Amelia teleported out from under the bookcase in time to see Insanity looking different and jumping onto the Devil. Having no time to question anything, she ran at them and aimed a flying kick at the Devil's head to knock him down and out. Panting, she didn't dare take her eyes off the Devil and half expected him to get back up. "Who the hell are you?" she whispered to herself between shaken breaths. She then turned her attention to Insanity and although she felt some pity for him, she was also far too aware that this was neither the time nor the place for him to have a meltdown. "Look, you want to make up for the bad things you did, right?" she asked him bluntly. "Then start by setting things right! There are dozens of souls and demons that your family coerced into signing Devil Contracts. Start by setting them all free. Seek them out and set them free of their obligations so that they're no longer bound to you and your family." She told him quickly while keeping her eyes on the unconscious Devil. "When you've done that, come back to me and I'll help you redeem yourself, deal? In the meantime..." She cautiously walked over to the Devil and knelt next to him to get a better look. "I have some questions of my own for this guy..." Amelia stumbled forward as the ground shook, almost falling onto the Devil in the process but she managed to hold herself up on her hands and knees. She was unable to move through its duration however and had to watch helplessly as the Library, her childhood home, collapsed completely. "No!" she gasped, staring at it with tear-filled eyes. --- "You're a waste of atoms!" Shiva growled darkly. "Just wait until I get out of here. I will tear you limb from limb, even if the contract destroys me!" Then, for the first time in history, Hells Cells took monumental damage. The quake rocked the building and caused the brick wall on one side of the cells to fall. Leaving a large hole in the wall for Sam to escape through. Another hold formed in the wall of the next cell along...Shiva's cell. Unfortunately for Shiva though, as well as a few other demons who happened to be in that cell, a part of the ceiling had also collapsed. Trapping and crushing Shiva and a few other demons. Shiva coughed up blood which sprayed a few inches in front of him and he gasped for air. Only his upper torso was uncovered by the large bricks that held him down. He cried out in pain and reached out for Sam. "Please! Help! I didn't mean it! Please help me!" --- Parker frowned, unsure of what to say or do. He knew the story from his short time in the police force, but it was rare nowadays to see Carter be affected in this way. Sebastian had come out of the kitchen in time to see Carter marching out of the backdoor. "Carter?" he called after him. He glanced at Kite and Parker questioningly, wondering what he'd missed then turned to follow Carter into the backyard. "Cart-?" He hadn't made it to the backdoor. He'd placed his hand on the handle when everything shook. He'd only had time to gasp in surprise when he heard a loud crash and everything went black. One moment Parker was standing, watching Sebastian walk towards the door and the next he was thrown up and then onto the ground where a large wooden beam had fallen from the ceiling and crushed his leg. He felt his bones crunching under its weight and let out scream after scream in pain as a puddle of blood pooled under the beam. He looked back but couldn't see his leg for the beam in the way. He had an awful feeling that it had been severed but he wasn't sure. He couldn't feel his toes anymore but that could just be from the weight cutting off his circulation. All he could feel was pain from his shin to his knee. He gripped his thigh and writhed, screaming as the room continued to shake. He looked over at where Sebastian had been standing but couldn't see him anymore. Only rubble from where the floor above had collapsed on top of him. "Kite! Carter! Help! My leg! Sebastian! Oh fuck! Oh, God!" --- Donnie watched Insanity leave the room and he felt tears rolling down his cheeks. Once more, he looked towards the ceiling and glared at it. "Did you enjoy that, Father? Was that justice enough for you? No, I suppose it's not enough. I'm a danger. A threat. We all know how you deal with threats..." he mumbled bitterly then turned his head to one side, biting his lip as he tried in vain to suppress his despair. The room shook but Donnie could only grip the sides of his bed tightly and wait for it to stop. His restraints stopped him from getting out of bed to seek safety. The room bounced his bed so much that it fell onto its side, making Donnie cry out in shock and pain then look around with wide eyes as he watched everything continue to shake until it finally stopped. "What the hell is going on?..." he muttered to himself once it was over. --- "Oh, come on now my French stallion, don't go ruining it." Carol purred playfully while the Doctor left to give them some privacy. "I'm here on business. Wherever Charles goes, I go and he'll be here soon to deal with Hell's fugitive. I just wanted to stop by real quick to let you know that the sight of you fighting that brute back in Hell got me all hot for you." she ran a finger over his chest while smirking at him. "So, when you feel better, if you want 'round two', well... You know where to find me." she winked before turning on her heels to walk out of the room, purposefully making her hips sway as she walked to give him a bit of a show on her way out. Before she could reach the door, the hospital heaved and swayed. While red heels certainly looked good on Carol, they didn't help her keep her balance when the quake hit and she fell to her knees. She struggled to get back onto her feet and heard something snap above her. She looked up to see one side of the ceiling light had snapped off and the other half was swinging dangerously above her head, ready to fall. Denix Vames - June 19, 2023 Theron ran to the scene from inside. Nil and Layla had ran over to the scene from outside. Nil raised his hands. Vines from the ground picked up the debris that was on the vampires. Theron's blood came out of his mouth. Transforming into a makeshift wall. Keeping the sunlight out. Jean shouted, "Get them away from here! Somewhere safe!" --- Death fell over. Once the shaking had stopped, he stood. He looked at Lily. "Forget any punishment. As far as I'm concerned, you are free. Right now, we need to work together to stop whatever is going to come out of that portal. We might be able to sense its energy and bring ourselves to it." --- James kept his balance against the earthquake. He kicked Tristan back before running off again. --- Will jumped past the stairs and grabbed River. He kicked the door out. Throwing himself and his brother out of the house. He looked back only to find that the house had collapsed. He fell to his knees, "My home...." --- Sawyer frowned as he looked at the state of the apartment. "I'm sorry too." --- "Down here! We're alright!" ,shouted Bern. --- Adam closed his eyes. Ready for anything to fall. He opened them when nothing hit him. "Geez! Is that what humans deal with?" --- Insanity looked at her guiltily. "B-But I don't know how." He ran over to the collapsed shelves. He tried to lift one up but he was too small and weak. The Devil was stirred awake by the earthquake. He looked around at the wrecked Library before landing his eyes on Amelia. He tilted his head like a curious dog. Confused as to the water coming out of her eyes. He looked at the debris then her again. He knew now she was sad that it was all broken. He hesitantly grabbed a book. Looking at it for a second before bringing it to her. He watched Insanity struggle until he crawled over. He lifted the shelf up. Placing it on the wall. --- Sam wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want to do anything at this point. Maybe though, helping out was the next best thing. He ran to Shiva. Moving many bricks until he could pull him out of the cell. --- Kite threw the plank of wood aside. He lifted Parker off the floor before running out of the house. Carter had followed along while carrying Sebastian. --- "Carol!" Napoleon ripped the needle out of him. He tossed her out of the way. The ceiling light hit him. Keeping him on the floor as he passed out. --- At the portal, Death, Azrael, the other reaper, Lily, and Hades appeared. The crack began to grow wider. Death shouted, "Ready yourselves!"

shadowess - May 29, 2023 "According to the story." Bianka shrugged. "It totally is!" Larissa beamed excitedly and Bianka chuckled. "Some parts of this story are true and some are embellished to make it more interesting." "I refuse to believe that any part of this story is a lie! Forest Folk are real! We just haven't seen them in a few dozen generations, that's all..." "Can I continue with the story?" Bianka rose a brow with an amused smirk. "Don't know why you stopped, to be honest..." Larissa responded playfully. With a short sigh, Bianka continued. "One day, while the troll was sleeping, the Forest Folk visited the Vampire Castle. Fascinated by their beautiful butterfly-like wings and shimmering light, the Vampires could only stare in wonder as these creatures appeared in their halls. The leader of the Forest Folk met with the Vampire Kings of the time and they made an alliance. The Forest Folk would destroy the Troll and in return, the only thing the Forest Folk asked is that we simply respect their home. Only cut down trees if necessary to repair parts of the castle or craft weapons. Only hunt deer and rabbits when we need to eat. Most importantly, always welcome a Fae and protect them as if they are our kin." "After the alliance was formed, the warriors of Vampires and Forest Folk headed to the Troll's mossy bed and began their attack. The fight took almost all night but by sunrise, the warriors returned to the castle. Bloody but victorious. Sometime later, the Forest Folk left the woods. The humans had started to hunt them as well so they left to prevent our castle from being found. Though, they promised to return one day. One of their elders predicted that one of their heirs would return and unite the Forest Folk with the Vampires once more." Larissa leaned across the table to whisper. "I think it's King Jean. No one here remembers what a Forest Folk or Fae looks like. But he has wings and he's beautiful, so I think it's him." "Rissy, it's just a bedtime story." Bianka chuckled and shook her head. "Well, I like to imagine a world where it's real. Wouldn't it be magical if it was?" "Can't argue with you there. Anyway, how's the food? Do you feel a bit better now?" Bianka asked Theron. --- Lilly was taken aback by the statement, as well as the question. Nervously, she shook her head. "I wasn't the one who opened the portal that Bob and I came through," she admitted. "That had been a friend of ours... he-... he died trying to open that one. The power needed to achieve something like that was too much." Her expression shifted to worry. "If it's a portal from my world then we need to find a way to stop it! The wraiths can decay everything that they come into contact with!" The Reaper had reappeared nearby and was pacing around anxiously, unseen by all of them. He knew his orders but had no idea how he was supposed to fulfil them. To deliver this girl to the realm of the dead, she would need to be either dead or as close as possible first. No living being can step foot in Death's realm. Of course, Reapers only reap souls from the already deceased. They do not kill. Which posed quite a bit of a paradox for this Reaper. He supposed he could find a way to put her into a coma, but then he'd run the risk of accidentally killing her, which was forbidden. Then there's the matter of the girl that was practically a zombie...can he kill her? She's technically not dead anymore and her name isn't in the book any more. How was he supposed to get her name in there? His head was hurting just trying to figure this out. --- Layla's cheeks had turned pink as they shared their first kiss and she felt her heart fluttering in her chest. Lost in his eyes, she nodded and caressed his cheek. Slowly, she recaptured his lips with hers, savouring the feeling. --- "I'll have to be." Damien shrugged. "Man, this is why I miss having my powers. I could've just thought of us being there and 'Pop!', we'd be there!" he complained while rolling his eyes. "Alright, let's go. Hopefully, I can sleep this off while they deal with that crazy-ass vampire." Tristan ran alongside the car while remaining hidden in the alleys. Even River was feeling unnerved at how quiet the ride seemed to be and was questioning whether the plan was working when he heard the first howl. His eyes widened and he looked over at Will with hope in his eyes. It was the first confirmation they'd had that they were being hunted by the vampire. The wolf had startled Tristan as he'd rounded a corner and almost run into them. He smelled the wolf immediately after and hissed at her in defence. It being close to a full moon, it wasn't out of the ordinary for werewolves to pre-change and roam streets at night. So when Tristan stumbled on an already transformed officer, he was still oblivious that there was any kind of trap in place. The wolf rounded on him when he hissed and she started barking, howling and snapping at him. Spooked, Tristan darted away from the wolf and down another alley. Then another wolf jumped out at him and howled. Then another. He was starting to panic so he climbed a pipe on the side of a building, nearly tearing it off the hinges in the process, until he was running across the rooftops. He continued to follow the car until they finally pulled up to the safe house. Out of breath, he crouched down so that they wouldn't see him if they looked up and he peered over the low wall on the roof to watch them enter the building. Heart pounding, he wanted to wait until it would be safe to sneak in but he could already feel the air becoming warmer. It wouldn't be long before the sun would rise and he'd have to find somewhere to hide. Keeping his head down, River got out of the car and went into the safe house with Will 'escorting' him inside. He wasn't sure where the vampire was but he could practically feel his eyes on him as he headed inside. He stayed silent, knowing the vampire was probably listening and he moved quickly to pull all the curtains closed before nodding to Will as if asking him if he was ready. He got out his phone and sent a text to Will. 'Can't talk. He'll hear. Pretend to leave me alone to temp him in.' --- Kat caught the packet and let out a laugh. "You sly-handed dog!" he chuckled as he slid one out of the pack with his teeth before tucking the package away in his pocket. He pulled out a lighter and lit it up before cracking his window open. He put the lighter back in his pocket while taking a long drag on the cigarette, then exhaled out of the open window. As they drove, he glanced briefly at Sawyer in surprise. "You're married?" --- "What kind of dish are we making? You know, I've spent a little time in Italy. It was only for my honeymoon but we met some lovely people there. They gave me a couple of tips on making sauce properly but I was drinking red wine most of the time, so I've probably forgotten them." he chuckled. --- "Move!" John gasped as he dove onto Adam, tackling him out of the way of danger. He'd been surprised by the Devil's speed. Only a second later, Amelia had appeared, having returned to help Adam as she'd promised earlier. She saw Adam being shielded by an Angel that she was unfamiliar with. But the Devil took her most by surprise. She could sense him and it felt strange yet oddly familiar. Immediately, she knew why. He was a Devil, but not like the usual Devil that she was used to. He was the same type of Devil that she had gotten her powers from. Like the one that had given up it's energy and destroyed itself to make Amelia what she was. Other than the one that had temporarily possessed her at Hell's Beach, she had assumed that the Ancient Devils were otherwise extinct. Despite her shock, she only had a fraction of a second to act as it seemed that this Devil intended to harm Adam and the Angel. She ran between them and grew a crystallised weapon from her arm. She had been trying to grow a sword but somehow got a scimitar instead. "Dammit, am I THAT out of practice?!" she growled before looking back at the Angel. "I don't know what you're doing here but you and Adam need to get out of here, now!" she said quickly before returning her gaze to the Devil. "No fighting or hunting in the Library!" she barked at him angrily and pointed her weapon towards the door. Alarmed that Amelia had come back but relieved that she was giving them an exit without questioning his intentions, John gathered Adam in his arms. "Come on, we'll talk more somewhere safe," he whispered to him before vanishing. Taking Adam straight out of Hell and gently placing him down in a warehouse that had been renovated into an open-style, urban art-themed house. --- Shiva had been about to step into the Cell after him when Carol gripped his shoulder and slammed the cell door closed behind Sam. Locking him into the cell on his own. "Oh no, you don't." Carol chuckled as Shiva glared at her. "What?" "Don't 'what?' me, I saw the murderous side-eye you've been giving him since the apartment. He's a pain in the ass but no kid is getting hurt on my watch. You're going into the cell with the other demons. Your would-be prince is just going to have to stay in a cell on his own until the rest of you learn to play nice. Now git." She shoved Shiva towards the other cell. Once he was locked away as well, she playfully swung the keyring around her index finger with an air of superiority. "Now, if you'll excuse me, fellas. I have to be somewhere..." she smirked before vanishing. Meanwhile, Shiva turned to lean against the bars that separated him from Sam. He continued to glare at him. "This is your fault. You and your family," he growled venomously. --- "Sure." Parker beamed as he stepped off the stairs to join them. He noted that Carter seemed a little quiet. Sebastian was giddy with excitement. "Oh! Just a moment, I'll grab a couple of bags for Carter and me before we go." He said before darting off to the kitchen to place a couple of blood bags into a small bag to bring with them. There wasn't any risk of them being hungry and stuck with no source of food but you can never be too careful. --- Donnie stared numbly at Insanity for several moments. "Why?" he whispered in shock before his eyebrows knit together in anger. "Those powers were my gifts to you! Why would you do this?! What were you thinking?! I can't-! How am I supposed to love you like this?!" Even as the question left him, he knew the answer. He couldn't. He'd fallen in love with the adult, psychotic version of Insanity. But now his beloved had changed so much and so drastically that he may as well be looking at a stranger. As much as this realisation broke his heart, he knew that even if there was some slim chance that he would survive today, his relationship with Insanity had come to an end. But maybe that's for the best, he found himself thinking. At least, without him, his family have a chance to survive and find their own happiness. Donnie was now faced with an awful choice. Try to berate Insanity into getting his old body back, free him and find their sons to carry on their deranged mission to steal Hell's thrown .... or convince Insanity to leave him in a way that made Insanity believe that he would be better off without him. So that he wouldn't feel any regrets over his destruction when Charles would inevitably come. "Get out!" Donnie screamed at Insanity furiously while biting back tears. "I can't even look at you, right now! Just get out!" --- "Yes, your Grace!" The Reaper yipped before vanishing with a little 'pop'. Troubled, Azrael gingerly stepped forward. He maintained a respectable distance from the throne as he looked at Death. "Your Grace, it might be a stretch but what if this isn't a coincidence? Never, since the creation of Earth have all of the realms shaken as one. And the only being in existence with the power to strike names from the Reaper's books has always been you... until now. As unlikely as it seems, what if these two events are linked somehow?" --- Carol appeared in Heaven, just outside the hospital. "Huh! So, it's true! I really can come and visit Heave-!" She then collapsed to her hands and knees as she felt a great, unseen weight pushing her down, rendering her unable to move. It was like the gravity around her suddenly increased and she even found it hard to breathe. "Oh, it's you." Raguel's voice came from nearby. "I haven't seen you since you gave me a few scars and destroyed a few of my Arch Angels." "Hey, Raggy." Carol wheezed. "and in my defence, you guys attacked me." "You didn't seem all that upset as you carved up my men. In fact, as I recall you were laughing... a lot." "Ah! That? That was old Carol." "So you don't get off on inflicting pain anymore?" Carol was quiet for a second before answering "I mean... It's kinda part of my job." "Why are you here, Carol? Your beloved Master has been missing for quite some time now and I doubt he's up here. Or did you have a change of heart and tell me all of his secrets?" "Fuck you." She growled in response and the weight immediately increased, making her gasp and almost buckle. "Dammit Raggy, I serve Charles now, ok?! Now let me up!" "Charles? How did he manage to reign YOU in?!" Raguel sounded surprised as the weight around Carol suddenly lifted and she gasped for air. Climbing to her feet and dusting herself off, she glared at Raguel. "I happen to be Amelia's mom, that's how." "Pardon-?!" "Yeah, surprised David left me out of his little story of how she was raised. I helped hide her away from Lucifer. There, ya happy? Or do you want me to tell you my entire life story while I'm at it? Spoiler alert, I'm not going to. Now, If you don't mind I came here to visit someone. One of your Angels, in fact. Turns out not all of you are assholes. Go figure... Hey! Does this hospital have a bar?" "What do you think?" "Well, I mean, it's Heaven, so I'd hope so! Speaking of which, why does Heaven even HAVE a hospital? Actually, don't answer that. Pretty sure, I'm part of the reason." she laughed cockily as she turned to walk in. Raguel watched her leave, unsure of how to feel about the situation. Every fibre of his being screamed at him to stop her and arrest her for past crimes but if what she said is true and she's serving Charles, then that might cause more complications in regards to their peace talks. He let out a large sigh and pinched the brim of his nose in frustration. "Do I have any authority anymore?" he mumbled as he followed her inside, deciding that the best course of action would be to supervise her to ensure she didn't cause any trouble. Carol had walked towards the right room when she glanced back and saw Raguel following her. She rolled her eyes. "You can follow me in if you want but if he's feeling well enough, I might decide to mount him. Haven't decided yet. Anything could happen really. Unless you're into that kind of thing? Is that it, Raggy? Are you a regular old cuckold?" Carol teased with a snide smirk. The remarks caused Raguel's face to turn red. Whether that was from rage or embarrassment was anyone's guess. Regardless he responded by folding his arms and leaning against the wall to show that while he wasn't going to follow her in, he wasn't going to leave either. This was fine with Carol. Part of the reason she said the things that she did was to get Raguel to give them some privacy. And also because she got a thrill from seeing his face turn that shade of red. Shrugging, she stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. She then stepped up to the side of Napoleon's bed as the doctor was injecting him with a strange white liquid. "What's that?" she asked curiously and the doctor glanced up at her. "To help him grow new wings. All souls who pass their trials and become Angels get a dose of this stuff to get their wings." Denix Vames - May 30, 2023 Theron became fascinated by the tale. He blinked out of his thoughts when Bianka asked him a question. He smiled. "It's delicious. I feel good now. Thank you. But...I want to look for the Forest Folk. They must be here. It would be nice to meet them." --- Death appeared. "You may close the portal but afterwards, you will come with me. For all the damage that you have done to the balance of Life and Death, you will be punished!" Hades pinched the brim of her nose, "Ugh! Another problem? Seriously?!" --- Nil ran his hands down to her hips as the passion in those kisses grew. --- James lifted Damien off the floor and ran to the abandoned building. Will nodded. He went upstairs and into a bedroom. He would pretend to sleep. --- Sawyer turned to look out the window. He didn't want to show his grief but his voice already said it anyways. "Was. Before those damn vampires took her away from me." --- Bern chuckled at his story. "We are making Risotto. Have you made it before?" --- The devil opened his mouth. Allowing tentacles to reach out and grab Amelia. He threw her across the room. Adam let out a sigh of relief. "Glad we're out of there. Mind turning me human now?" --- Sam glared back. "Good! I'm glad! This was a waste of time! I am a waste of time!" He turned away and sat down. --- Carter crossed his arms. He bit his lip. "I-I don't know. I don't know if I can see them." Kite frowned. "Why? What do you-?" "You know why." "But that was long ago! C'mon Carter. Just try for our family." Carter sighed. "I don't know. I need a minute to think." He stepped out into the backyard where he lit a cigarette and took a puff. Silent tears slid down his cheeks. "God damn it..." --- Insanity was shocked to hear this from his lover. With tears in his eyes, he ran out of the hospital. Taking himself far away from everyone. He suddenly appeared in front of Amelia. Seeing the devil attacking her, he got on top of it. Distracting it long enough for Amelia to knock it out. When he hit the floor, he sat up and sobbed. "I'm so sorry! For everything! I made you feel terrible! I hurt everyone! I'm a monster! That's why I got rid of my powers. But that isn't enough, is it? Please! Just throw me in a pit!" --- "I dread to think of such a thing but I fear you may be right." Death nodded. "It appears that I have confused one of my men. I must go." He disappeared. --- Napoleon slowly opened his eyes. "Carol? I didn't know you cared to visit. I thought we were seeing each other as mere toys to be played with?" --- The portal wasn't opened. Only a crack of it appeared. Slowly but surely, if the portal isn't stopped then something or someone will come into their world.

shadowess - May 10, 2023 "See!" Larissa said triumphantly while gesturing at Theron. "Only a couple of years short of manhood!" "Rissy, the world doesn't work that way anymore. He's actually more like five years away from manhood." Bianka explained. "No, because then he'd be middle-aged!" Larissa countered, clearly confused. Bianka chuckled softly and shook her head. "According to our human visitors in those black suits, humans actually live longer than they used to and age slower because of it. This is a good thing, Rissy. It means he still has some childhood left. Now please go and get him some milk instead." Larissa was shocked by this news and awkwardly fiddled with her fingers. "Maybe half a cup wouldn't hurt him?" "Rissy..." Bianka rolled her eyes with an exhausted sigh. "But we're acting as his parents so we can supervise him!" Bianka gave Larissa a frustrated look before shrugging in defeat. "Fine. Half a cup. But only if Theron wants it. You still need to bring him some milk though." Jumping to her feet and clapping excitedly, Larissa skipped away from the table and back to the kitchen. "It's a drink that adults sometimes have to relax or have fun. If you drink too much too quickly, it'll make you drunk. Being drunk feels fun in the moment but it can make you do things you might regret later and then leave you feeling unwell once it wears off. But if you're mature with it, you can still enjoy some without losing control of yourself or becoming sick. Just make sure to drink it slowly and sensibly." Bianka then explained to Theron patiently while sitting back in her seat and letting him enjoy his meal. "Now, where was I? Ah! The Vampire families had fled into the woods. They needed to make themselves a new home so deep in the woods that they would be hard to find and they needed to build their new home quickly. Before the sun would rise. So they got to work. They cut down trees and gathered large rocks and took it in turns watching their young while the others worked together to build the first room of what would eventually become this castle." "But as they worked, and chopped and hammered, they awoke a monster that had been sleeping nearby, under a great blanket of peat moss. The monster was a troll. He was large, ugly and smelled rotten. He raged at the Vampires for waking him up. He raged even more when he realised they were trying to make a home in HIS woods. The beast was too strong for the Vampires to fight and they were running out of time to build their home. So the Vampires begged the troll to let them stay." "I'm back! Where are you up to in the story?" Larissa asked eagerly as she sat down again and set a second cup on the table near Theron. This one was filled with fresh milk. "The deal." "Ohh! It's getting good!" Larissa grinned at Theron excitedly before turning to Bianka and listening intently with her head resting on her hand again. "Anyway. The Vampires begged the Troll to let them stay. The Troll agreed and even offered to help them build their home faster under one condition. Every month, under the light of the full moon, the Vampires must bring their youngest child to a large cave in the woods and leave them there as an offering to the Troll." "He was eating them." "Shh! Let me tell the story. Desperate and frightened, the Vampires agreed to the deal and with a snap of his bulbous fingers, the rocks and trees in the area moved magically and rapidly. Reshaping themselves and binding themselves together until this great castle was built. And just in time too as the Vampires only had time to run through the door and close it before the sun peeked over the horizon!" "Years went by and true to their word the Vampires dropped off one child every month to the Troll and they were never seen again. One day, a grief-stricken father went for a walk into the woods to mourn the loss of his child. He wept and wept into the bark of an old tree. He told this tree his woes and his regrets and wished that there was some way that they didn't have to keep giving this Troll their children anymore. What the father didn't know was that the forest was listening to him. The forest felt his pain and pitied the Vampires in the castle who had turned to the forest for safety so long ago but had been tormented by the evil Troll instead. A strange wind blew through the forest that day, carrying unheard whispers from leaf to leaf until they reached the keen ears of the Forest Folk." Bianka smiled at Theron, checking to see if he was still interested in this story while also giving him a chance to actually eat his meal. --- Once the blood had receded from the Agents, they both jumped when X had appeared and started to tell them off. "Uh-! But- we-we did say that, sir. They were still resisting!" One of them tried in a defensive, yet very flustered way. "Dude..." The other agent mumbled to the agent disapprovingly while holstering his gun. This was the first word this particular agent had uttered since their arrival. "Sorry boss..." "Hiya pal!" Bob greeted X as well. Lilly cautiously approached him, being careful to keep her distance. The way the other two agents had threatened them before had caused her to feel less trusting towards the CIA. "What is this about?" she asked. Her voice trembled with a mixture of anger and nervousness. --- Her heart had been beating so fast through all of that but as Nil became defensive of their new home, Layla immediately felt safer. She was then surprised as Nil seemed to backtrack on his words by suggesting that they move elsewhere. "No." She said softly as she lifted her head to look at him. Her face was close to his as she stared into his eyes. "I'm tired of running. This is our home now and I would fight to defend it... and you." --- Keeping his head down, River followed Will out to the car and got into the passenger side. He took a quick glance around but couldn't make out anything that was out of the ordinary. He debated saying something but decided to keep quiet. If the vampire was listening in, his voice and accent might give them away. Instead, he opened his window by a crack and took the vial out of his pocket, being careful to keep it hidden. He popped the top loose so that the scent of Damien's blood would be stronger around the car as they started to drive away. The plan was in motion and although he was still well hidden, Tristan had already locked on to the scent coming from the car and was moving swiftly yet carefully through the alleys to keep up with it. He'd noticed Will and something about his scent seemed strange. Tristan had never encountered a Leviathan before so he had no idea what he was up against. All the more reason to move cautiously. "I just hope they break a few of his bones while they're at it." Damien chuckled. "Asshole might be nuts but he still... attacked me." He then winced and rubbed his temples with his fingers. "Ugh, I think the hangover from the moonshine is finally kicking in. That was only a matter of time," he smirked at James as he pulled his own hood up. "Worth it though. We should get going. Hanging around here is making me feel uneasy." --- Kat hesitated before answering. "I wanted to be like my brother," he said simply before pulling up to a strip club. "We're here. The club is a front. All the business is done in the VIP suite." he got out of the car and headed towards the bouncer who lifted the red velvet rope to let him through as soon as he saw him. He was about to put the rope down for Sawyer when Kat stopped and told him in Japanese that he was with him. The bouncer reluctantly lifted the rope and let Sawyer through as well. Kat motioned for Sawyer to keep following him and lead him through the club. They passed a lot of girls in small, tight clothing who walked around serving drinks, dances and private dances. There were a few girls on the stage, dancing around poles or around each other suggestively. Men and even a few women in sharp suits were sitting on chairs in front of the stage. Drinking and cheering on their entertainment. Kat seemed utterly disconnected from his surroundings as he walked towards the VIP section without so much as a glance at what was going on. They'd climb a set of stairs and get past another bouncer before reaching the VIP section. It was a little quieter here and not a single dancer was in this room. Only a group of men in sharp suits, drinking hard alcohol in short glasses. Their leader was sat on his own, in the centre of the group. Kat bowed his head respectfully before he handed him the money that he'd managed to get from the old man's apartment. The leader asked him something in Japanese and Kat took a moment to regard Sawyer carefully before answering in the same language. "Good!" The leader smiled and sat back in his seat to relax. "Keep him with you. Let him learn our ways from one of our own. Be sure to tell him the consequences of failure. Now get out. I'll call you when there's another job." Kat bowed his head again before turning and gesturing for Sawyer to leave with him. Once back at the car, he let out a long sigh and went to grab his packet of cigarettes only to remember he'd run out earlier that evening. He cursed under his breath in Japanese before starting the car. "Alright Red Fox, let's get that bullet out. We'll have to do it at my place but then we can go grab that drink after." --- David was still in shock from all the news he'd had to take in and the choice that he now faced. But when Bern mentioned pasta, he couldn't help smiling and shrugging. "I love a good pasta," he said, completely unaware that he hadn't needed to eat any food for a few decades now. Amelia nodded with a smile. "Then it's settled. I need to go. I have a few things to clear up but I'll be back soon to see if you've made a decision." she kissed David's cheek. "See you both later," she said before vanishing. --- John looked out of the window of the Library. He'd never noticed that river there before. But then again, it was hard to see anything outside of this building with it being so dark all the time. He stared at the Ancient Devil with a mixture of concern and confusion. "I don't even know them," he said as he placed a hand on Adam's shoulder and stepped away from the window cautiously. Bringing Adam with him as he moved. "Stay behind me," he told Adam while tensing and preparing himself for anything. --- While relieved that they wouldn't be destroyed or subjected to torture, Shiva felt an overwhelming sense of shame that he'd had to beg for mercy. He couldn't stand that feeling so he quickly diverted it into rage towards Sam and his family for failing to live up to their promises. He remained silent but glared at Sam continuously as Carol yanked him back to his feet. "Good boy." Carol teased with a smirk as she pulled Shiva up. She then took Sam's arm and teleported the three of them to Hell's Cells. By now, a couple of the cells were crowded with Demons who had been at the arena. She opened up an empty cell near them and gestured into it. "Get in," she ordered them in a cold tone. "And do try anything stupid." --- "Oh! That's a wonderful thought!" Sebastian cooed excitedly. He turned to look at Carter. "We should go and say hello to the little ones." he beamed. "You guys going out?" Parker asked as he descended the stairs, having overheard Sebastian. He looked like he hadn't long woken up. --- Donnie stirred sleepily as he slowly came to. Despite the pain relief in his system, his entire torso felt sore and tender. The upper half of his body, as well as his upper arms, were completely wrapped in clean bandages. His mouth felt dry. Likely from the anaesthesia. Groaning, he turned his head and blinked at Insanity with a puzzled expression. "Am I still drugged?" he asked in a quiet voice. --- "Your Grace, I can only apologise for the Arch Angel's attitude," Azrael said quickly, trying to calm Death down. "He has a short temper and seemingly a shorter memory but he means well, I assure you," he added, unable to resist the subtle dig at Raguel's inability to let the matter of the books go. The Reaper that had been waiting anxiously was watching all of this tensely. Seeing Death so angry made him even more nervous about the news that he had to deliver. Knowing it might anger his superior further. But duty was duty and this was far too urgent to put off. He tried to quietly clear his through but it was already so dry from nervousness that he let out more of a frightened squeak before recovering with a much more believable cough. "E-excuse me, your Grace? Th-there's something that you need to see... Um-..." he said before stepping forward and opening his own book to show Death the hole that had been burned in the page where a name had clearly once been. He offered the book to Death so that he could get a better look. "I was going to reap this soul but then something weird happened. This girl... she looked like she was in a trance. She chanted something and the recently deceased... well, she wasn't so deceased anymore. Then the book lit up on its own and the name of that soul was forcibly stricken from it! I couldn't stop it. I've never seen anything like it." Azrael stared at the book in disbelief and waited with bated breath to see how Death would react. In all the centuries that he'd worked for Death, he'd never seen anything like this either. Denix Vames - May 10, 2023 Theron had eaten during her story. He hesitantly picked up the cup of wine and sniffed it before taking a sip. His eyes widened, "Is the forest here really alive?" --- "We believe there's a portal that will open at some point somewhere. Do you know anything about closing portals?" ,asked X. --- Nil smiled. He gently kissed her. "Then I guess it's settled. I think we deserve some rest now." --- Will tensed up. Wondering if the vampire was already following them. James nodded. "You good with my speed? Can't imagine a hangover is a good mixture for a fast ride." --- Sawyer took out a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket. He tossed them to Kat. With a smile he said, "Got them while no one was looking. Had a feeling you might need more." He got in the car. "So, your brother huh? I guess for me....It was always my wife who inspired me to do everything. Even now too." --- Bern waved him over to the direction of the kitchen. "You are going to love this dish! If you want, we can do this together. Just follow my lead." --- The Ancient Demon ran towards them. Having gone through the doorway, he jumped high. Aiming to take down John and his friend. --- Sam bit his lip at her cold tone but walked into the cell. --- "Hey Parker! Wanna come with us? You guys get to see my kids!" ,said KIte. --- "You're not. I drained myself of all my power and placed it somewhere hidden. I didn't realize until I was done that I would become a child." ,said Insanity. --- Death looked at the book before glaring. "This cannot happen again! Find this girl and bring her to me! And find a way for that name to go on the list again! Balance must not be destroyed." He slammed the book closed and gave it back to the reaper. He sat on his throne. "First that pathetic Angel pokes at me and now this woman?! Is everyone trying my patience?"

Shadowess - May 8, 2023 Bianka looked over at the tables with a curious expression which quickly melted into a warm smile as she recalled the first time she'd seen the dining hall. The tables were long and very old. They had been carved out of the sturdiest trees long before most of the castle's inhabitants had even been born. The chairs were wooden as well and most of them had soft cushions tied to them. Walking with Theron, she glided her fingers over the polished surface of the table. Tracing the lines in the wood as she walked, she let Theron choose which chair to sit in before sitting next to him. "Here's another story for you. I don't think it's anything other than a fairy tale, well, most of it anyway, but it's a favourite among the oldest families here. I'll do my best to translate it into English for you." She smiled warmly at Theron. "A long, long time ago, vampires and humans were at war. Vampires back then had the upper hand, for no human alone could match a vampire's strength and speed. But Vampire's pushed their luck and after a few centuries of warring, the humans started to birth stronger and faster humans. Humans that did not easily succumb to a Vampire's venom. They trained them. Honed their new strengths into unmatched skill. Then, these new humans began to hunt Vampires and they were very good at it. So good, that they ended the war. But these humans were so full of anger and hatred towards Vampire kind that they continued the bloodshed long after Vampires had been pushed into hiding." Bianka lifted her hand to brush some of Theron's hair from his face. "This is the history of the castle, but don't be sad. That was a long time ago and things have changed a lot since then," she said as she glanced around and grinned at Larissa who was walking towards them from the direction of the kitchen. She was holding a plate full of food in one hand and a large pint of liquid in the other. She seemed quite proud of her haul. "Anyway, after several failed attempts to hide among the humans, several Vampire families, desperate to seek a safe place to live decided to journey into the dense, dark woods." "What's this?" Larissa asked as she set the plate and pint down in front of Theron. A large slab of medium-rare steak took up almost half of the plate on its own. The rest was filled with vegetables, roasted potatoes and mashed potatoes with a drizzle of gravy over everything. This wouldn't be like any meal served anywhere else in the world. The meat had been hunted earlier that evening, while the vegetables, potatoes and even the herbs had been grown in the castle's grounds and prepared practically straight from the ground. Even the gravy had been made from scratch. Not a single part of this meal had come from any sort of packaging. "I was just telling him the Troll story-" Bianka answered her. "Oh! I love that story!" "-But never mind that, what's this?" She then pointed to the pint, which was more like a medieval pitcher than a cup and it was filled almost to the brim with a dark, red liquid. "Wine," Larissa answered, obliviously. "Rissy, this isn't the 18th century anymore. You can't give a boy his age wine!" "Why not? I don't see the harm in it. Besides, he doesn't look that young to me. He looks just a couple of years short of becoming a man. How old are you?" Larissa asked Theron as she sat down opposite them and rested her chin on her hand with her elbow on the table. "Old enough for wine, right? Or would you prefer that I fetch some milk? It's alright if that's the case." --- The agent let out a frustrated sigh when Grim stood between them and Hades used her power to prevent them from moving. Lilly hugged herself, shivering as she glared at the agents. The girl watched anxiously from where she was sitting on the curb. She didn't understand what was happening but she felt an intense instinct to protect Lilly, if necessary. The agent lifted his hand to his earpiece. "Sir, We have Lilly in our sights but she's resisting. Her friends are protecting her and they've pinned us. We can't move. Please advise?... No sir, the skeleton isn't here." "Yes, I am!" Bob sounded offended that none of the agents had recognised him. "Yes, sir." The agent said, ignoring Bob then looked back at the group. "Look, we don't have a lot of time for this so the choice is yours. Either release us and Lilly & Bob come with us peacefully, or we use knock-out gas and our backup comes to take them anyway. If you're going with the second option then everyone here will be arrested for obstruction. Do I make myself clear?" "But... It was an accident. I didn't know I was doing it. I-It was like I was dreaming..." Lilly pleaded and the agent rose a brow at her. "Ma'am, I can honestly say that I have no idea what you're talking about." He said and for a moment Lilly seemed a little relieved. Until the agent followed up with;- "But I think we'll need to talk about that later, too." "But, then...why?" was all Lilly could manage to ask as she stared at the men in confusion. "Come with us and we'll talk about it. As I said, it's classified. My boss would eat me alive if I gave out government secrets while out on a mission." he replied then chuckled to himself while mumbling "Literally..." He then glanced at his partner and nodded before looking back at the group and holding his gun up with his hand open, keeping the gun hooked onto one finger to stop it was falling to the ground. His partner copied his movement. "What I CAN tell you is that you're not in any trouble. We just need your help understanding a few things, is all." "Then why threaten my friends?" Lilly asked, folding her arms. "Why point those guns at us? You let an evil man get away, do you realise this?" "He's not our mission and like I said, we don't have a lot of time to waste. Speaking of which, you've got about two minutes to make your decision before we make it for you." "That! Threats like those are why I don't trust you!" Lilly pointed at them, a fire alighted behind her eyes. "One minute." "Leave her alone!" The girl had jumped to her feet, having seemingly recovered from her shock. "Can we all just calm down a second and talk?" Bob darted between the girl, Lilly, Grim and the agents. "Why the big hurry, fellas? It's not like the world is going to end!" he chuckled. "30 seconds." The agent pressured them. "Fine!" Lilly said finally and raised her hands. She looked at Hades. "Please let them go. I don't want any of you to get hurt just to protect me." "Party at the CIA? I'm in!" Bob cheered then offered up his wrists to the agents. "Cuff me, officers!" "We don't need you." "Yeah man, Lilly and Bob. I'm Bob." "Bob is a skeleton." "Not anymore." Lilly sighed. "Grew me some skin... and hair... and nails... and organs... and this big dangly-" "BOB!" Lilly yelled suddenly, cutting Bob off and causing him to pause as he'd been just about to undo his trousers. "What?" For the first time since their arrival, the agent looked flustered. "That's- That's ok, sir. I'll er- take your word for it... Now please get in the van." --- Layla rested her head on the soft, mossy pillows. The fresh earthy smell rose around her and she found it oddly relaxing. Within moments though, she was tense again as Nil told her about the other werewolf. She held onto him nervously as she turned her head to stare at the tightly threaded vines that made up the walls of their new home. After a couple of minutes, she caught his scent. Then she heard his footsteps as he marched through dried leaves nearby. Briefcase in hand, Florin marched through the woods at a brisk pace. If he intended to lay low, he would need to be cautious about how much energy he used. If he needed it at any point to defend his life or flee, he would need to retain as much of his energy as possible. As he marched on, he caught a new scent. One he hadn't detected in these woods before. A new wolf. This forest, particularly this section of forest, was his territory and over the years he'd torn a few werewolves apart in order to keep it that way. But now, he supposed, he wouldn't have to anymore. He wouldn't be able to come back here for a very long time. The more he walked, the more he noticed that he was naturally walking towards the scent. The closer he got, the more he picked up. He recognised the scent as female and couldn't help but grin as he detected the heightened hormones. Whoever she was, she was in heat. No wonder, considering how close they were to a full moon. His pace slowed to a stop as he found the clearing with the curiously shaped little home. He couldn't help staring at it in awe for several seconds. Whoever the wolf was, she was inside. He stepped towards the door, almost as if drawn to the scent but then stopped with a look at disappointment and agitation before he could touch the handle. There was someone else in there. Male. Not a wolf though. He growled but took a step back and shook his head. What was he doing? He needed to get out of these woods. Whatever this was and whoever these people were, they weren't his problem anymore. Once upon a time, he might've destroyed the house, killed the male and conquered the female as a way of reclaiming his territory. But this wasn't his territory anymore. He was leaving it behind. In an unintended way, he guessed he was passing it on to these newcomers. He stepped around the house and walked about halfway around it before stopping and leaning against the wall to take in one long breath of their scents. "I know you're listening to my movements. You're lucky to arrive when you did. Enjoy your new home while you can. I am immortal and this is MY forest." he said through the vines. "One day I'll return and you will give back what is mine or I will take what is yours." Without another word, Florin stepped away from the wall and continued on his journey. When his footsteps and scent faded away, Layla let out a sigh of relief and realised just how tense they'd been. She sat up and looked at Nil, thankful for his presence. She wrapped her arms around him, seeking comfort. --- "Christ! Are you both mad?! You could've hit an artery!" The forensic officer gasped after he saw James dig the knife into Damien's wrist. Damien barely winced and simply let James fill up the vial, displaying an amount of trust that was rare, even for Damien. "Here, the cap..." The officer handed it to James to close up the vial once it was full. "I'll go get some bandages." Meanwhile, Damien was looking over the sketch with some scrutiny. "Almost... His nose was slightly more crooked but it's mostly right." River reappeared in the room, bringing a slight smell of hair dye along with him. "This was the closest shade I could get," he announced. The difference was only subtle though, as Damien's hair was only a little darker. "Oh! And-..." he lifted his wrist and shook it the same way Damien had earlier to show off the bracelet. Only this one wasn't angelic, but a pearl-coloured stone that had been shaped into a fashionable accessory. "I snuck it out of Jessica's jewellery box... She wasn't home or I would've asked but I'm sure she'll be ok with it when we explain it later." "I don't want your sister to know about this," Damien said defensively. "But-" "That's the end of it!" Damien snapped as he stared hard at River then sighed at the crestfallen look he was getting. "...I just don't want to worry her. Ok? I'm so-..." He sighed again out of frustration. As small as it seemed to be, the word 'sorry' wasn't an easy thing for him to say. In fact, he found it immensely difficult to express any regret. "I shouldn't have snapped." River nodded. "Alright. Are you ready?" "As ready as I can be. James has my blood and this sketch is looking better." "No problem, then let's get going." River walked over to James and took the vial, tucking it into his jacket pocket. He turned to the other officers. "Werewolves, head out into your positions and remember if you see him chase him like your venom is still toxic to him. Try to get him to run towards the safe house." River turned to Damien and James. "Wait until Will and I are out of sight before you head out." he then turned to Will while pulling his own hood up. "I'm ready. Remember, we can't teleport there. He's got to follow the scent from the vial, so you'll need to drive me there and pretend I'm powerless. If you have to talk to me at any point, call me Damien. He might be listening to us as we move." --- Kat glanced at the bullet wound in Sawyer's arm before pulling the car over to the side of the road. "It's in the trunk. I'll get it," he said as he took the key out of the ignition and got out of the vehicle. He walked around to the back and opened up the trunk. A moment later, he closed it and got back into the driver's seat, passing a small, black box to Sawyer before starting the car again. The box contained simple bandages, gauze, disinfectant wipes and other little medical tools for on-the-go. "Is it a through and through?" He asked as he pulled the car back onto the road and accelerated back to the speed limit. "If the bullet is still in there it'll have to wait until after we hand this money over the to boss. I can get it out for you. Wouldn't be the first time I've had to fish a bullet out." He admitted while lifting the side of his shirt with his free hand to show Sawyer several scars on his side. A large dragon tattoo on his back was slightly visible until he lowered his shirt again, keeping his eyes on the road. --- "I-... am?" David turned to look at Bern with a surprised expression. "A lot of people owe their lives and second chances to you, Dad." Amelia agreed. "You believed in me and supported me when I said I wanted to change how Hell was run. You alone have saved countless souls from eternal damnation and set an example to other demons that it's not impossible. With the right words, the right attitude and the right amount of compassion, Hell can become a realm of second chances rather than punishment. And not just in Hell, here on Earth too. Bern, his boss and his men were on the wrong path until you stepped in and showed them that they were capable of better things." Amelia paused and glanced at her drink thoughtfully. "It's like, you never took a day off. You would always manage to find someone who needed help but you were ready to do whatever was needed to save them..." Amelia trailed off, as though just now realising why that was. David seemed to come to the same conclusion as he leaned against the wall by the window and stared at the ground. "Because I couldn't save her..." he whispered. "I would've felt compelled to save as many people as I could." Amelia lifted her eyes from her glass and then said something that shocked even herself. "Maybe this is a good thing?" David looked at her in alarm and she waved a hand quickly. "Hear me out. You've done it all. Like I said, you helped me turn Hell around. You've set an example to other demons. You've saved so, so many souls... If I'd asked you yesterday, when you still had your memories, if you wanted to retire, you would have told me no. That you're not done yet. But now? Dad... I think it's time." "What? To- to retire? Retire to where?" David laughed. "Do I get a pension? A house on the beach? Drinks with those little umbrellas for all eternity?" Amelia simply smiled at him tearfully, sort of glad that his sarcastic sense of humour had been revived in the wake of his amnesia. By the time Amelia was found, David's sense of humour had become more or less dry. "No pension but apparently you don't need any money in Heaven, so you should be ok." David's mouth fell open. "H-Heaven?" he shook his head. "Wait a second, I'm a DEMON. Am I even allowed up there?" "You've been there before." "I have?!" Amelia nodded with a chuckle "It's like Bern said. You're a hero. You're welcome there. Just remember to come and visit your family every now and then, ok?" David ran his hand through his hair. He was shaking and his eyes were wide. "I-... I don't know... All of this is... I don't know!" "Dad, you don't have to if you don't want to. The option is just there." Amelia reassured him. She bit her lip and stood up before walking over and hugging David tightly. She then let him go and wiped her tears from her eyes as she looked at Bern. "Can he stay here to think it over? Regardless of what he chooses, I think some time away from everything, surrounded by friends will do him some good." --- John seemed unsure of Adam's words. "You will need to blend in with the rest of humanity if we're to pick out your spouses without drawing unwanted attention." He said then shrugged. "But let's see just how different you are first. I'm sure we can apply some masking spells to trick mortal eyes while we're on Earth if necessary." --- Shiva's eyes widened as Sam spoke. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. They were in grave danger and the Prince that he'd hoped would lead Demons into a new age was cowering like a frightened child. In Shiva's mind, Sam was dooming them both despite Shiva's efforts to save them. "B-but sire-!" he gasped but then let out a sharp cry and Carol's high heel struck the small of his back and pinned him to the ground. The point of her shoe felt like a burning knife being pressed into his already sore flesh. "Why you sucker-punching son of a bitch!" he heard her rage as she dug her heel in more and made him cry out again. He clawed at the carpet in desperation. When Charles appeared Shiva's screams quickly died out and became pitiful whimpering. "What shall we do with them, sir?" Carol asked Charles as she lifted her head to look at him. "P-please." Shiva whimpered. "H-Have mercy?" --- "We're fine here," Sebastian said. "It was just a little shake, I don't think anything even fell off the shelves. How are Cindy and the kids? I'll bet you both barely get any sleep anymore!" he asked, eager to talk to Kite about his new family. They hadn't heard much from Kite or Cindy since the twin's sudden arrival. "Do you need help with anything? You only need to ask, you know. I'd be happy to babysit if you two need a break every so often. Can I get you anything? Coffee?" --- "No! Insanity! Please! Don't leave me! Come back! Do you want me to change? Fine! I'll change! I'll be what you want me to be! Just don't go!" Donnie erupted into sobs. He looked up, towards the ceiling with a mixture of desperation and anger. "Is this a game to you?! Huh?! Is this my divine punishment?! Are you enjoying this?!" He broke down into sobs and then lifted his head to bang it against his pillow a few times out of frustration. His panic then worsened when the doctor re-entered the room. He tried to get up but the restraints kept him in place. "Please. Please. Not yet. He- He's coming back. I need him here. I'm not ready! I don't want to be alone!" The doctor shushed him gently. "It's alright. You're safe and we'll take care of those wounds for you." "Safe?!" Donnie laughed sourly. "After what I've done? How do I know you're not my executioner?!" "I don't know you." The doctor said bluntly with a shrug. "My job is to help ease pain and heal the sick. If I burdened myself with every moral dilemma then I'd never get any work done and then I just wouldn't be doing my job, would I?" "You-you don't know who I am?" "Not a clue, now count backwards from one hundred." The doctor said while placing a breathing mask over Donnie's mouth and nose. "W-wait-! Insanity?" "Is that the name of the man who was here with you?" Donnie nodded. "That's-... quite a name... I'm sure he'll be back around the time you'll be waking up from the anaesthetic. Now just relax and breathe. This'll be over before you know it." Donnie tried to relax but his mind was racing. Would he ever see Insanity again? Would he even live to see another day? Would he-? Before he could think of another question, he was sleeping soundly and the doctor wheeled him into the surgery room. --- Raguel's hands balled into fists and his knuckles cracked as he strained to keep himself composed. He gritted his teeth. "Listen here, you-" he started to growl but seeing the situation start to escalate, Azrael acted quickly and stepped between them before bowing slightly to Death with his hand on his own chest. "-Your Grace, I apologise for the interruption but I sense there is a Reaper in your throne room with urgent news and it would seem this meeting is over anyway." he lifted his head and glanced back at Raguel. "Isn't that right, sir?" Raguel glared between Death and Azrael before huffing in defeat. He stepped away from his desk to turn and look out of his window. "Yes, this meeting is over. Thank you for your swift attendance, Death. I will forward any more news on the portal straight to you." Denix Vames - May 9, 2023 "I'm fifteen." Theron held a confused look. "Wine? What's wine?" --- Hades encased both agents in black blood. "C'mon everyone. We're going to the CIA together." She got in the driver's seat. Once the whole gang was in the van, Hades freed the agents from their prisons. "Now, you can either hop in and give us directions or we can-" Xenos appeared. "What is the meaning of this?!" He sighed as he massaged his temples. "I know I said to keep this classified but did you two really have to act like those typical agents in Hollywood movies? The least you could say was we need her help for something important!" Hades waved at him with a smile. "Hey X!" --- Though angry, Nil stayed with Layla. "This land doesn't belong to him. If he returns, I will make sure he knows that." He looked at her. "Are you alright? I'm sorry I didn't notice him until now. Maybe we should find a new forest." --- Will sighed. "Well, here we go." He walked with River to the car. Once inside, he started the drive. James smirked, "That pesky vampire won't know what hit him." --- Sawyer flustered when he saw his torso. He kept his eyes on the road, "Why did you join the Yakuza anyway? Is it because you had to? I only joined because of a stupid reason. You already let me know that." He shrugged. "But maybe you're right." He checked his wound. "The bullet is sitting there. Guess I'll have to wait." --- Bern smiled. "Of course. We'd be happy to have him here. I can whip my mother's famous pasta." --- "So, do I just stand here and let you turn me back into a human?" ,said Adam. An Ancient Devil had swam out of the waters. He transformed into a pale man with black eyes, black lips, and black nails. He had short hair and an outfit that matched the colors of his features. He crawled towards them and hissed at John. Adam pointed at the man. "Uh I think someone's mad at you." --- "Put them in a cell. David can deal with them." Charles glared at them. "And if I hear that you two fought against my right hand woman, I will not show mercy." He disappeared. Sam stood and walked over. "I won't fight. Just take me back." --- Kite's eyes lit up. "Well, actually I wanted to show you two our babies. I think Cindy would love it if you guys came over to visit." --- Once Donnie would wake up, he would see a bird-child that resembled a lot like his partner. Insanity smiled. "I'm glad you're ok. I'm sorry I left. It's a long story but I'm here now." --- Death glared at Raguel before nodding at Azrael. "Then I shall take my leave." Both men disappeared. Once he was back in his throne room, he let it all out. "Who does that pompus angel think he is?! To talk to me like that?! He should be grateful that I help at all!"

Denix Vames - April 8, 2023 Theron was silent for a moment before he suddenly laughed. His eyes had lit up at the visuals in his head. --- Hades slammed him against the car. "And who exactly do you work for?" Grim said, "Awesome!" Pain placed a hand on her shoulder. "How are you feeling?" --- Nil nodded before sobbing into her chest. "I fear for them as much as I fear for us." Vines grabbed him. His aura glowed as his clothes fell off. Replaced by large leaves which formed as sleeves, underwear, and shirt. He smiled at the vines. "They wanted to make me feel better." --- "Then how about my place?" ,asked James. --- For the first time, Sawyer genuinely smiled. "I don't think you're selfish. It's clear that you care enough to give me advice. I wouldn't have thought you were anything but a person if I didn't take that bullet for you." --- "Sure thing." Bern soon came back with a bottle of scotch and two glasses. He poured into each glass. --- "But why would I want to ruin this place? Seems alright to me." Adam raised a finger. "And no to that. I don't miss being mortal." --- When Sam was grabbed, he suddenly slapped her. Instead of trying to run or fight, he only shouted, "You're just like my pathetic family! Cold and heartless! Not even my real dad was any better!" He crossed his arms. "I thought Hell was the answer but apparently not." Sabrina shrugged. "Suit yourself." She walked away. Charles laughed as Florin died. "You'll bow soon enough." --- "I know that we've been through a lot but it didn't feel good to leave our friends to deal with everything." ,said Carter. He lifted his head when there was a knock at the door. It would be Kite. --- Insanity frowned. "I can't deny that. But this is different. You have never said such things before. This proves that you are slowly changing. However, it is difficult to be near you. I'm sorry." Fred nodded. "Thank you. Oh thank you. My fear has weakened from your words." --- "If there is anything strange with our books, I can assure you that you will be the first to know. However, no one other than the Reapers are allowed to look inside. Need I remind you this everytime we meet?" Death gripped his chair. "You do know how to puncture me with your curiosity." shadowess - April 23, 2023 "It's good to hear your laughter," Bianka commented and ruffled Theron's hair. "Perhaps we can share more stories with you while you eat? This is the dining hall." They paused outside the large, double doors which were almost always left wide open. "Oh! I'll go and ask the cook for their biggest, juiciest steak for you!" Larissa said excitedly and before any of them could say another word, she'd darted off towards the kitchen. "Always so full of energy, I've no idea where she gets it all." Bianka laughed then nodded towards an empty table. "Would you like to eat here to take the meal home?" she asked with a smile, purposefully implying that Theron could live with them if he chose to. --- The woman that had died and been brought back to life was staring around at the commotion. She didn't understand what was happening. She couldn't remember how she'd gotten in that car or what had happened to her. Although she was shivering from the cold, she felt numb from shock. She flinched at Pain's touch then recovered when she realised he wasn't a threat. "I don't remember what happened..." she mumbled. "Who are you people? Where am I?" She glanced up at Lilly when she heard her vomiting. Immediately she realised that she not only knew Lilly's name but also felt a curious connection to her. Like an ethereal string had bound them together. She looked over at the bloodied man who seemed to be grinning like a lunatic and realised she felt the same connection to him as well. "Ow! Fuck! Calm down, brat!" The taxi driver writhed in Hades's grip after he'd been slammed against the car. His back hurt from the impact. "What're you so pissed for? She'd not hurt! And I don't even want her anymore. So just let me go, alright?!" he complained, dodging Hades's question in the process. During this commotion, a large black van sped down the road and screeched to a halt near the group. All doors opened and several agents in suits stepped out. Lilly turned, wiping her mouth on her sleeve and immediately recognised the suits and badges being flashed. The CIA. Her heart sank. Did they turn up because of what she'd just done? "Lilly, where's your skeleton friend? Your presence is requested as a matter of urgency." One of the agents said. "Why?" Lilly asked, defensive. The agents took one look around the group before one of them answered. "That's classified. Come with us and we'll explain everything." "Explain it to me now," Lilly demanded and the agent shook his head. "Afraid it doesn't work that way." "And if I refuse?" "You don't really have a choice." "No! You can't do this! You told me I could live here! You made a deal with David that I could have a life here!" "That's really not up to me, ma'am. Now you can either come willingly or if you continue to resist we can use force, if necessary." While all the focus was on the CIA and Lilly, the taxi driver would use the distraction to his advantage and shove Hades away with him with every bit of strength he could muster. He'd then jump into his cab and speed away. None of the agents would react to the taxi driver. They were only given orders to collect Lilly and Bob. "Surely we can just talk about this? What's this all about, fellas?" Bob asked as he took a step towards them. One of the agents lifted a hand to signal to Bob that he shouldn't come any closer. "As I said before, that's classified. We only came here for Lilly and Bob the skeleton, so you and your friends need to stay out of this." "I'm Bob the skeleton." "Very funny, sir.-" "I am!" "-Look, we don't have time for this. You can either bring the skeleton to us or we'll find him ourselves. In the meantime, Lilly needs to come with us now." The agent took a step towards Lilly, who in turn took a hurried step back. "Leave me alone!" She snapped at them in a quivering voice. --- Taken aback, Layla wrapped her arms around him to comfort him. She then gasped when the vines removed his clothes and her face burned red as she quickly averted her gaze. When he was dressed in various foliage, she looked over him and then at the vines. "Oh, this is going to take some getting used to..." she said as her head spun and she placed a hand on her head. It was too much, too fast. She felt like she'd stepped straight into a fairy tale and the sudden shift from dark, gritty CIA life to this was enough to make her very light-headed. "I think... I feel... " she said breathlessly while leaning against Nil for support. Elsewhere in the same forest, Florin appeared near his old hut. The grounds were still a mess from the fight that had taken place in this clearing. Broken trees, twigs scattered everywhere, bodies and blood stained the grass. But Florin barely paid any of this his attention as he strode towards his hut, grabbing his axe along the way. He was no fool and had lived long enough to recognise when it was time to get the hell out of dodge. He kicked his door open and marched inside. He yanked a heavy-looking briefcase out from under his bed and opened it. It contained some money and his passport. He wasn't sure how long it'd been since he'd last needed it, but he could use it, all the same, to obtain a newer, more up-to-date form of identification and start a new life elsewhere. For now though, this old home of his wasn't safe anymore. He'd made enemies during his short time helping Donnie's family, so now he needed to go into hiding until things cooled down. He closed the briefcase and stepped out of the hut. --- Damien considered the run-down place James had taken him to in the wake of his being attacked. It wasn't a five-star hotel, but it was definitely safe. He smiled and nodded at James. "That could work." "Then we have a plan. Let's put it into motion while it's still night." River nodded. He looked over at the officers. "Anyone from forensics got a spare, clean vial we could use? We'll just need a small sample of Damien's blood." he then looked back at Damien. "I'll head over to your place to change into some of your clothes now." "Don't forget, when you sneak out pretending to be me you'll need to pretend you're powerless." Damien reminded him while shaking his wrist a little to make the Angelic bracelet jangle a bit. "Got it. I'll be back in a couple of minutes. In the meantime, someone get that sample of blood and make a sketch of the vampire." River vanished. One of the forensic officers headed out of the room and returned shortly with a small vial, although they seemed a bit unsure of how to collect the blood. "Uh- don't we need medical tubes and stuff?" they asked as they brought the vial over to Damien. "I'm not a pussy, just cut me somewhere," Damien remarked impatiently as he turned his attention to the other officers. "Who do I need to describe this vampire to for a sketch?" he called out. A few minutes later, River reappeared wearing Damien's clothes. "How do I look?" he asked while giving them a twirl. "Looks good. There's one slight problem with your get-up." Damien said then used his free hand to lift a couple of strands of his own, very red hair. "Ah... yeah." River paused with an awkward chuckle. "I keep forgetting that I'm blond now. I'll er-... be right back." he vanished again. --- For a long moment, Kat was quiet as he drove. He glanced at Sawyer for just a second before returning his gaze to the road ahead. "You're alright, Red Fox. I had my doubts but..." he trailed off, debating his words carefully. "Look, after we hand this money over to the boss, do you want to go get a couple of drinks? I know this little place in town that does pretty good saké." --- "Thanks." Amelia handed one to David who raised a brow at her. Then stared at her worriedly when she downed her own drink before requesting more from Bern. "I'm guessing, some of what you're going to tell me isn't all happy memories?" he asked as he watched her take another sip of her drink, cringed at the taste and then shook her head in response. "I'm afraid not, no..." She answered finally and took a deep breath while hesitantly looking at her father. "I guess we should start from the beginning. What's the last thing that you remember?" "Me? I was living in London with my daughter. We're not... we were not on good terms. I'd-... done something horrible and she wouldn't forgive me for it." Now it was David's turn to feel hesitant about sharing. He dreaded Amelia's reaction to telling her about what he'd done to his real daughter. To his surprise and relief, however, she already knew. "You'd held her down while Lucifer forced her to sign his contract." She said, leaving David with a shocked and shameful expression on his face as he nodded. "I had to..." He began to defend himself but Amelia held up her hand to stop him and shook her head. "I know, I know..." she said gently before pressing on. "Well, from there..." Amelia began telling David all the details that he'd previously shared with her. They drank some more, she answered a few of his questions and explained everything to him to the best of her knowledge. Neither of them would mind if Bern sat with them to listen in. Several hours later, when Amelia would finally be done telling him everything, David would be sobbing into his hands. Although it had actually happened decades ago, he was so struck with grief when he learned of Sara's destruction that he could do nothing but weep. "I'm sorry, dad..." Amelia said in a broken voice as she watched him with tears in her eyes. He lowered his hands and looked at her. He didn't hold this against her. Without being able to remember it, he knew simply by how she spoke and held herself that he had raised her. He knew without any doubt that he loved her like his own. But he was just so overwhelmed by the news that he'd never again see his real daughter, or hold her in his arms. The pain felt new, raw and very real. He reached across the table and took Amelia's hand to gently squeeze it, letting her know that he wasn't upset with her. Then he let her go and got to his feet to walk over to the window and look out at the world. It all felt so empty without Sara. --- "I said human, not mortal. After all, humans who live in Eden are immortal, yes?" John pointed out and gestured to the world through the window. "Don't you see? By growing the fruit here and bringing the living to the realm of the dead, you will re-awaken Eden and in so doing this world and its people will bow to your every whim. What's more, you could take several wives and even a few husbands. In time, you will have spread your seed enough to breed an army capable of taking over Heaven and Earth. Finally enacting the revenge that you deserve and taking back all the peace, pleasure and love that you were once promised!" John's eyes had lit up madly as he'd been talking. "Doesn't that just sound wonderful?" He took a step towards Adam and placed his hands on his shoulders. "I know where we can begin and it all starts with you. I will bring you to Earth in the guise of a human man. There you will choose the ones that you wish to marry and I will deliver them to your home here, in this world. They will be honoured to have been chosen by you." --- Carol was taken aback by the slap and then glared at the boy as she grabbed his arm again, more roughly this time. "Kid, if you're trying to get sympathy out of me, slapping me definitely won't help." she snapped while yanking his arm to drag him with her. Shiva glared at Sabrina as he watched her walk away. He looked up at Charles. Like the other Demons, he was reminded of Lucifer and the idea of being punished for defiance was enough to cause him to break out in a cold sweat. He'd turned to start following the other Demons when he heard Sam shouting from the balcony above them. He stopped in his tracks and looked up. He looked from the balcony to Charles, then back again. He looked back at Charles and glared at him defiantly before using what little strength he had left to teleport into the balcony. He surprised Carol who had little chance to realise what was happening before he'd punch her in the face. He let out a pained cry from how much the impact had hurt his already very fragile skin. Knowing time was of the essence, he grabbed Sam's arm and teleported them both to a remote little cabin on Earth. Having used so much energy while he was still so weak, he collapsed to his hands and knees, trying to catch his breath. There, he realised what he'd just done and really started to panic. If they came after him, he couldn't defend them. "Sire!" he gasped, looking up at Sam in panic, hoping the young prince would have some kind of plan. "What do we do now?" --- "I don't think even our friends would've seen an earthquake coming." Sebastian pointed out. "I see your point but don't forget, in a few months we're going to be dads. We'll need to get used to not jumping in whenever something goes wrong." He said worriedly as he followed him to the door. When the door opened, Sebastian looked at him with concern. "Kite? Is everything ok?" --- "No, please!" Donnie gasped when Insanity told him it was difficult to be around him. He tried to reach out to him but the restraint prevented his arm from leaving the bed. "Please don't go. They'll heal me, sure, but... when Charles comes for me... Insanity you and I both know he's not going to let me live." his lip quivered as tears rolled down his cheeks. "I'm on death row. I might only have these few hours left. I want to spend them with you. Please. Please." "All in a day's work." The doctor told Fred as she clicked her pen before turning on her heels and leaving the room. She needed to prepare all the necessary equipment that she would need for the surgery before heading back to Donnie's room. --- Raguel was annoyed that he had once again failed to convince Death to let him look in their books, but he put on a strained smile in an attempt to mask it. "You know I only have the best interests of our worlds in mind when I ask," he said. "It's a shame but I won't press the matter further. I wouldn't want to soil the goodwill between our worlds." "Forgive me for interrupting, but surely you didn't just summon His Grace here to ask about the books?" Azreal asked, barely containing his frustration as he glared at Raguel. Raguel blinked and stared back at the Angel. He seemed a little wounded as he muttered disapprovingly to himself while rubbing his chin to hide his lip movement. "'His Grace? Is that what you're calling him now?" In truth, he was a little agitated that the Angel he'd always treated as a son tended to side more with Death than him in almost all matters. In Raguel's eyes, it was as if Azreal considered himself to be more of a Reaper than an Angel. "No, I didn't," Raguel answered. "I was hoping Heaven and the Reapers could work together on this, considering nothing of this magnitude has ever happened before. We keep communications open between our worlds and report anything related to the tremor. If it is a portal, we may need to look into what kind of portal it is and whether it could be a threat to us all. I will order my Arch Angels to monitor the humans as they seem to be technologically capable of tracking this thing. What can the realm of the dead offer in the way of aid?" he posed the question to Death. Denix Vames - April 23, 2023 "I've never ate at this kind of table. I want to try it." ,said Theron. --- "Basically, you're in San Francisco and we're in a band. That's as far as I know." ,said Pain. Hades stumbled when she was pushed. She glared at the taxi but didn't follow. Grim ran in front of the agents. "Back off! Yo're not going anywhere with them! They're our friends!" Hades raised her hands. The black blood hardened over both men's feet. "Now talk." --- Nil held her in his arms. Carrying her back into the house where he laid her on the bed. "It's alright. Just rest." His eyes widened. "It's telling me that there's a werewolf unlike any other. I'll stay here with you so that nothing happens." --- James pulled out a knife and cut a bit from Damien's wrist. He placed the vial under. Filling it up. An officer stepped over and asked for details on the suspect. He would then start sketching before showing the drawing once he was done. --- "That sounds great. First though, I need to take care of this wound. Do we have a first aid kit somewhere in this car?" ,said Sawyer. --- Bern had poured another drink for her. After the conversation, he walked over to David. "You really don't remember me, do you? You saved my boss. Saved all of us. Made us realize that we could use our power for good. You're a hero." --- "That does sound nice. I think I'll try this plan out. Still, you have to know that my human form isn't what you think. It's not pretty. God had fun making the first human so I look a lot different. So get ready for that." ,said Adam. --- Sam hugged his knees. "I don't know. I should have never tried to do anything. All of this was for nothing. I lost a family and a home. I have no one who actually cares about me. And why should they? I stepped on everyone. Treated them like disposable objects." Charles appeared. "What an interesting statement. Perhaps you have changed." --- Carter frowned. Not knowing what to say. "Everything's fine at home. I just wanted to check on you guys and make sure everything was alright. I didn't think I would have time because of the kids. Thankfully, Cindy said she could watch them while I'm gone." ,said Kite. --- Insanity shook his head. Tears ran down his cheeks. "I don't know what I should now. I think I need to do something." He disappeared. Fred gently squeezed Napoleon's hand. "You rest my friend. I will come back to see your progress." He left. --- Death stood. "I do not appreciate this growing tension. Nor do I appreciate your insistence on seeing our books. We may help in any detail that resembles decay or the deceased if this becomes associated with the portal. As I have said before, I will inform you if anything happens to the books." He glared. "However, I would think carefully before asking that irritating question again. Otherwise, I will talk to an Angel whose personal interests and emotions does not steer him from his duties. Unless you can keep yourself level-headed?"

Denix Vames - April 8, 2023 Theron looked from Larissa to Bianka. He soon nodded. --- Hades ran to the cab. She hopped over it before ripping the door off its hinges. She yanked the driver out. "What the fuck have you been doing?!" She slammed him against the ground. Pain quickly grabbed the lady and helped her away from the car to the sidewalk. "Are you alright?" He began to untie her. Grim placed a hand on Bob's shoulder. "Are you....hurt?" --- Nil nodded. "They would appreciate that." --- Kite smiled. "I know you will. Thank you." He left the house, got in the car, and started the drive. --- James said, "There's this mansion. Apparently, some of your friends live there. Would that be a good place?" --- Sawyer smirked. "Then maybe I really am not cut out for this business, after all." He soon frowned, "You may have lost your touch with humanity but I didn't. Though that's not a great statement after just shooting an old man's legs." --- Bern grabbed David and threw him to the house. He growled. "Amelia told me to keep you safe. That's what I'm going to do!" --- Adam thought over this. "That does sound nice. I've been living in this actual Hell for too long. I know Amelia said she could help me but this sounds quicker." He smiled. "When do we start?" --- Charles grinned. "Now, this is what you all should have done long ago." He straightened up his tie and fixed his coat. "I want you all to follow Sabrina to Hell's Cells. If I hear so much as a peep out of any of you, I will bring pain." Sabrina saluted. "Got it boss!" She soon walked past everyone and waved them over. --- Carter nodded. He ran his hands through his hair with a sigh. "This is another thing that I would have wanted to get involved in." --- Insanity looked at Donnie before nodding at Raguel. "Thank you." He walked by Donnie's side. "I'm right here." Fred appeared in the medical ward. Placing Napoleon on a bed. He noticed the missing wing and looked over the wounds. Suddenly, he sobbed. "Oh you fool!" Nate nodded. "I will monitor what the humans are finding." He disappeared. --- Death raised a leg. Placing one over the other as he listened. "I see. For once, even Raguel does not have the answers. How amusing would it have been in different circumstances." He stood. "Alright. I shall come to this meeting." He soon appeared in front of the angel. "Raguel, it is a pleasure to see you. Though these circumstances are quite sour for a visit. Perhaps we can enjoy another time of a more peaceful variety. You do need friends." He sat at the chair across from him. Shadowess - April 8, 2023 "Alright." Bianka smiled and turned to face forward while the three of them began to walk together. "I was a human back then. Just a little girl. There was me, Hannes and Niko. We all liked to play together in the woods when we were small. One day, we got lost. We were scared, cold and hungry. When we were just about giving up hope of finding our way home, we found this castle. By then it was already very dark, so we could only see its outline in the clearing. But the guards who were on watch saw us very clearly. They knew we were in trouble, so they brought us inside and took us to the dining hall where their own children were just sitting down to eat. They wrapped blankets around us to keep us warm and brought us a plate each of veal and vegetables." "The meat was a little rawer than we were used to but by that time we were so hungry that we didn't care." Bianka smiled and glanced over at Larissa. "Rissy was the first one to come over and talk to us." "I was one of the children." Larissa beamed. "None of us had ever seen a human child before. Or anyone from outside the castle, for that matter. We were all fascinated and nervous. But then I saw how sad, scared and dirty they all were..." "We weren't that dirty!" "Please! Niko looked like he'd been rolling in mud!" "He had..." Bianka chuckled. "Before we got lost, he slipped into some mud while chasing Hannes." "Anyway, I saw how they all looked and I felt bad. So I decided I wanted to show them that we were nice!" "She came over and dumped all of her vegetables onto my plate..." Bianka rolled her eyes. "You looked hungry!" "You just didn't want to eat your broccoli." "Hmph! So ungrateful!" Larissa bantered. Bianka grinned and shook her head. "We couldn't leave the castle. It was too dangerous for everyone who lived here, so a couple of the vampire families adopted us. They raised us with love like we were their own. Larissa and I had all the same classes and spent almost every waking second together. When we grew up, we got to choose who would turn us for our joining ritual. I chose her." "My first and only." Larissa smiled over at Bianka lovingly. --- "The fuck-? What are you people?!" The driver shouted in surprise when Hades flung him out of the car like he weighed nothing to her. "I w-was just doing my job, ok? Look, you don't want to mess with me. The guys I work for are not to be messed with!" he warned her. "So just let me go, I'll let you take her and we'll just forget we ever crossed paths, cool?" Lilly stumbled to her feet and watched Pain help the woman from the car. Her vision swam as she came back to her senses and realised what was happening. She saw the colour of the woman's skin, even as it started to turn a bit more pink than blue. She knew what she'd done and her eyes wandered over to Bob before lowering to the ground. She took a few steps to one side then bent over a bush and proceeded to vomit into it. Bob was staring at his still bloodied hand. As he watched, he could see his fingertips healing. Just a shame that the act of healing his wounds didn't also make the blood magically disappear. "I don't... believe it... " he mumbled as Grim asked him if he was alright. Slowly he turned to look at Grim and his shocked expression melted into his usual goofy grin. "I'm freaking Wolverine!!!" he cheered excitedly, comparing his power to that of the comic book character that the group had introduced him to back when he'd been a skeleton. Nearby, unseen by all, one of the Reapers who had originally come to collect the woman's soul had watched the entire thing unfold. He stared from Lilly to the now very much alive woman. He lifted his book to check the name but there it was, still written clearly. Clara Ingles. Oh wait, is that a stain... no... what? He scratched at what appeared to be an ink blot on the line near Clara's name but then it started to move. Then a wisp of smoke rose from it. Embers. The book is on fire! He dropped it and stamped on the page desperately to put it out but it moved across that line so quickly and didn't extinguish itself until Clara's whole name was gone. This wasn't right! That's not supposed to happen! The Reaper stared at his book then at Lilly and then back to the book. Had she done this somehow!? Quickly, he snatched up the book and took one last look at the group before vanishing. Death would hear of this! --- Taking a few small steps toward him, Layla tilted her head slightly as she looked over Nil. "Are you alright?" she asked. It had been a hell of a day for the both of them, but so far he'd seemed to be doing a far better job at coping with all of these changes than she'd been. --- Damien looked up at James and thought for a moment. "Last I saw, Bryce was there. Donnie had forced him to feed from me so he'll be going through withdrawals by now. Probably not a good place for me to be." --- Kat couldn't help but laugh at the absurd statement. "Humanity." he laughed. "Humanity is a plague. All we ever do is take, take, take. Everything wrong with the world was the doing of over-ambitious and selfish humans. Take it from me... an over-ambitious and selfish human. The sooner you accept that the easier this job gets." --- David stumbled back and growled angrily as he regained his footing and stared Bern down. "Alright, that's it. You want to have a go? Huh?" He challenged as he took off his blazer and threw it down before rolling up his sleeves. He then held his fists up and bounced on the balls of his feet. "Come on then! Let's see how tough Lucifer's minions really are!" "Alright, that's enough!" Amelia snapped as she appeared nearby, holding a book. "You again?" "Yes, me." Amelia marched over and shoved the book into David's hands. "What's this?" "Open it." David looked at her skeptically and Amelia rolled her eyes and opened the book in his hands. It was a photo album of David holding a small, blond child. David blinked and stared at the image. "That's..." he pointed to the bookcases behind them in the photo. "The library that we were just in..." Amelia finished then pointed to the child. "That's me. You found me in Hell when I was little. But the barrier in and out of Hell prevented me from leaving, so you stayed with me to keep me safe. You adopted me." David stared at the photo for a long moment and listened to what she said before looking up at her. Amelia had tears in her eyes. "You're my dad." "But... Th-that can't be right... I don't remember this..." David shook his head as he looked back at the photo and turned page after page. But in each one, it was always either himself with the child or Carol who at that time had a very 80's hairstyle. "Ok, this definitely can't be real... Carol is the least maternal person I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. And look at that hair! You'd think she'd never held a comb before!" "Apparently you and Atma had to convince her to help," Amelia smirked, agreeing with David that Carol wasn't exactly the parental type. She also couldn't help smirking at his comments about her hair. "I took her last name." "Not mine?" David asked as he glanced up at her. At the mention of Atma, he seemed a little more open to the idea that something like this could've happened. "What's wrong with Sedley?" Amelia shrugged and chuckled. "Is that Clementine?! The Demon Child?! That kid gave me nightmares for weeks after I first met her!" "I snuck out when I was nine and found her home. You had to convince her not to turn us all in to-..." She trailed off and lowered her gaze. David picked up on this immediately and stared at her for a tense moment. "And... where is Lucifer now? Did he ever find out?" Amelia looked him in the eyes and shook her head. "No... because he vanished before you found me. Dad... this..." She placed a hand on the album and looked at her father sadly. "This happened almost thirty-five years ago... and before that... You-... You'd already been dead for twenty-three years..." "I- what?!" David's knees almost gave out from under him from the shock and Amelia had to catch him and hold him up. "Come on... let's get you inside and sat down... I can explain everything." "Wait, I don't understand something... If Lucifer had been missing all that time, who was Clementine going to turn us in to?" Amelia bit her lip and thought carefully about her answer. She didn't want to overwhelm him with so much information all at once and she knew that David had yet to find out that his real daughter had been destroyed. So starting with 'Oh, by the way, Lucifer made your grandson his apprentice.' might be far too much, far too soon. "Lucifer's apprentice," she answered finally. "Lucifer has an apprentice? Christ! As if one Lucifer wasn't enough! At least he doesn't have any kids for us to worry about!" David joked as he let Amelia help him back into the house. Amelia let out an anxious and forced laugh as she helped him to a chair. "uh-huh..." she looked over at Bern awkwardly. "This is going to take some time and there's an awful lot to fill him in on... Do you have any strong drinks here?" she asked as David noticed the ring on Amelia's finger. "Oh hey! You're engaged? Who's the lucky man?" "Actually, I might need a glass for me too..." Amelia added to Bern as she quickly realised she would also have to tell him that not only did Lucifer, in fact, have a son but that she was also engaged to said son... and already had a child with him. --- "Immediately." John beamed. He threw up his arms and turned to look out of the tall windows. "This world that has been overrun with dead souls, demons and devils was once the perfect grounds for life. The fruit that grows here is for the very purpose of nourishing new life. All we need is just a few seeds of that fruit and we can grow our own Eden! And now, thanks to your new Devil friend, Amelia, we now know how to get the fruit to grow." He lowered his arms and turned to Adam. "It grows to sustain life. But there is no life here. If we bring the living to the land of the damned, the fruit will blossom across the entire hellscape. But the life that we bring here must be pure of heart. I have brought life here before but nothing grew and Lucifer snuffed us out before we could complete our mission." He took a couple of steps towards Adam and grinned. "But Lucifer is gone and with you to help us, we stand a far greater chance of success. But first things first. Did you want your human body back?" --- Carol watched Charles and the way he spoke... the way he fixed his suit. "It's like he's still here," she mumbled dreamily before glaring at Sabrina once more. She tore her eyes away and looked at Sam before sighing. "Not still crying, are you?" she asked, sounding a bit disappointed. "Oh, come on. On your feet." she bent down to grab his arm, intending to drag him to his feet. "You've had your fun but playtime is over. Let's go, kiddo." she turned and started walking while keeping a firm grip on his arm, planning to march him personally to the cells. As Sabrina drew closer to Shiva, he recoiled from her waving arm and growled at her. "Don't fucking touch me!" he snapped angrily. He saw the wink but after being thrown into a pool of acid, he still didn't trust her. He groaned as he jumped to his feet and stumbled away from her. His skin was still sensitive from the burns but by now it was no different from sunburn damage. Florin was still on all fours and unmoving as he strained to stay awake. He lifted his head and glared up at Charles. "Ich verneige mich nicht vor dir!" (I do not bow to you!) he growled before collapsing and losing consciousness. In an instant, his body vanished. --- "What do you mean?" Sebastian asked, sitting on the corner of the bed and looking up at him. --- As Donnie was lifted into the corridors, an Angelic doctor met them halfway to look over Donnie's injuries. "We'll need to prep him for surgery immediately," she said as she looked over the burns. As they continued to walk, she scribbled notes into a notepad. Once in a room, she snapped her fingers, summoning a bag of clear liquid which was attached to an intravenous pole. She gently tried to take Donnie's arm but he pulled it away with a pained yelp. "What're you doing? What's that?" he barked, half expecting it to be something sinister. "Something for the pain and to prevent infections." The doctor replied calmly. "Infections? I'm a Devil, woman. I don't get sick." "Common misconception. New Devils can get a rare and sometimes fatal sickness. As for infections, try telling that to the puss coming out of your wounds." The doctor fired back assertively. "You were injured by another Devil who, by the looks of things, didn't want you to live past today. Now, if you'll allow me to do my job, I can take away the pain and see about helping your wounds to heal." Reluctantly, Donnie gave the Doctor his arm and allowed her to insert the drip. Within moments, he gasped, letting out a sigh of relief as his body relaxed and the pain subsided. He was soon very high from the drugs and barely paid the Doctor any more notice as she rushed around, preparing things for his surgery. He looked up at Insanity and smiled at him. "My love! You didn't leave me!" he sounded genuinely surprised then broke down into sobs. The drugs amplified his inner despair and for once, he was going to say exactly how he felt. "What's wrong with me?" he asked him. "Why am I always so angry? Why couldn't I just let it go? Why'd I have to keep pushing and pushing and making things worse? I tried to hurt you! My love! My beautiful man! I chose you from Oblivion and then I tried to send you there! You shouldn't be here! You should have left me! All I know how to do is destroy!" The same Doctor soon rushed over to Napoleon. She looked him over quickly then snapped her fingers to place him in a similar drip. "I need to perform surgery on another patient before I can see to him properly." She explained to Fred. She didn't have enough details to know who these people were, so she was basing her priorities on whoever had the most urgent injuries. "He'll be fine on that for now," she said while nodding to the drip. "Unfortunately we won't be able to reattach his wing so we'll be doing a full replacement. We'll surgically remove his other wing and then feed him the elixir to grow new ones, like when he first became an Angel. All in all, his stay here should be about a week at most." --- "I have friends," Raguel responded defensively as Death greeted him. "For instance, there's this one particular Reaper that occasionally likes to test my patience." he bantered. Azrael appeared as well and silently stood off to one side until he was needed. "Thank you for coming." he then nodded to Death as a show of mutual respect. "I don't have the evidence just yet but apparently the humans believe that this tremor was caused by some kind of energy surge. Like a portal opening. Wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" he asked. "And what about your books- I know, I know, you like your books to remain confidential. But these aren't exactly normal circumstances and I believe Heaven has a right to know if there's anything funny going on with those books." Though Azrael stayed quiet, he glared over Death's shoulder at Raguel. Every opportunity or excuse to try to get a look in the Reaper Books, Raguel always has to ask. He always pushes his luck despite the many, many times Death has patiently explained to him that he could not permit Heaven to delve into their records. Meanwhile, unable to follow Death into the private meeting in Heaven, the Reaper that had witnessed Lilly's power was waiting patiently in the throne room. He held his own book to his chest as he wondered how Death would react to such news when he'd reveal the damage in the book to him. --- Back in the CIA facility, the humans were still scrambling to figure out what had caused the power surge and where the portal would open. They seemed to be getting close to tracking it until... "It's... gone? What do you mean, it's gone?!" "We lost its signal, sir. It's like it just... vanished." The superior officer stared at the monitors as the rest of his men struggled to trace the signal again but it was no use. With no way of tracking or identifying the random energy reading, it was impossible to tell if, when and where something like this would happen again.

Denix Vames - April 8, 2023 Theron thought over what she said. With tears in his eyes, he looked at her hand then her. He held her hand. As he stood, the spikes went back into his body. "Does that mean we're family now?" --- Hades shrugged. "Ok." She rolled her eyes at Bob. "C'mon guys. Let's go." She helped Bob out of the car while Pain helped Lily out. Grim got out and followed to the house. --- "They're not sure but they're afraid. This might be supernatural." Nil walked to a tree. He wrapped his arms around it. "It's ok everyone. I'm here to protect the forest." --- Kite held Carter in his arms. He cradled him and whispered, "I'll keep you safe. You and your sister. Always." Once Carter was asleep, he gently set him back in bed. He sighed, "I hate this. Not being able to help my friends. What if that earthquake was something? Or maybe it was normal and I'm being ridiculous." --- James nodded. Will pat River's back. "You're my brother. I'll listen to what you've got to say. So, sounds like a plan. Anyone want to add something?" --- Sawyer looked at the old man before jumping out of the window. Landing on his feet. He followed Kat to the car. As he got in, he said, "Are you alright?" --- "Why can't you just listen?! You're not there anymore! Hell isn't what it was now! You've changed and so has everyone else!" ,said Bern. --- Adam blushed at the kiss on his hand. "John huh? Well, it's been a while since I met fans. Now, if you want any fun stuff to happen, it'll cost ya." --- Seeing the knife in her hand, Sam glared. He grabbed an axe that had been dropped. Insanity's eyes widened at his pleas. He pushed Charles so that he would lose his concentration. Charles stumbled. He glared at Insanity before raising his hands at him. Insanity grabbed Donnie before appearing in front of Raguel. Charles saw the whole crowd and flew up. "ENOUGH! I am the true King of Hell! You will all bow before me!" Exhausted and afraid, Sam dropped the weapon. He curled up and silently cried. Fred began to play the flute. Music notes flew out. Slicing into Florin's body. Once Florin was hit, he grabbed Napoleon and disappeared. Sabrina jumped to where Charles was floating. She winked at Shiva. Letting him know that she was a spy. --- "We should call them. See if they'll pick up." ,said Carter. --- Insanity caught his breath but kept his head down. "Lock us away. We are not trying to trick you anymore. We truly surrender. Please heal Donnie but you can lock us away." Fred appeared with Napoleon in his arms. "Do as may you like sir but know that Insanity has proven himself to be quite the opposite of the man he once was. Napoleon showed him a better path." Napoleon gave a weak smile. "I hope you are not upset with my actions." He slowly closed his eyes. "Napoleon!" ,shouted Fred. Nate bit his lip. He didn't want to do this but considering it might involve the people he cared about, he nodded. He disappeared. --- Death was able to calm everyone down after some time. He sat in his throne with frustrating thoughts. His eyes lit up at the sight of Azrael. "What is it now? I fear the worst when such a realm as this can be moved by such an event that should only happen upon mortal soil." --- Nate soon appeared again. "The humans believe it's another powerful surge of energy. Apparently, the first time energy like that had shown up was when a portal was opened." shadowess - April 8, 2023 Larissa's smile became a little warmer as Theron asked if they were family. "If that is what you want." she brushed her thumb over the back of his hand to comfort him a little more. "If you would like a family, I would be happy to offer you my home." she then turned to look expectantly at Bianka who seemed a bit more hesitant than her partner. "Of course." Bianka nodded and looked at Theron seriously. "We have a culture here. We look after each other. We protect each other. We teach each other. If we take you in, protect you and call you family, then it's only fair that you do the same for us. And by us, I mean the entire community here, not just me and Rissy." "Aunty Rissy." Larissa corrected her with a proud smile. "If you insist, Aunty." Bianka chortled as she moved to the other side of Theron to take his other hand. She'd noted that Theron had freaked out when Larissa had tried to ask him about where he'd come from, so she decided to try something different. Sharing stories about their own lives with him instead. "Would you like to hear a story about how Aunty Rissy and I met?" --- Lilly hugged Pain's side as they walked. She still felt drunk but she noticed that since stepping out of the cab, she felt different. It was difficult to describe and she compared it to the feeling of goosebumps fading away. Something about that car ride had been simply wrong but she hadn't even noticed until stepping away from it. She stopped in her tracks, stopping Pain in the process and stared back at the cab with her brows furrowed. Unable to hear the voices of her friends, like they were underwater, she stumbled as though in a trance towards the car. "Uh... you ok there?" The driver asked as he noticed her walking back towards him. He was a little disturbed by the cold expression on her face and the faraway look in her eyes. "Did- did you forget something? Your purse, maybe?" he asked as he glanced through the window into the backseat but couldn't see anything there so looked back at her. "There's nothing in the cab, you might want to go back to your friends and sleep it off. Looks like you had a hell of a party!" he let out a nervous laugh then became alarmed when Lilly turned and started walking towards the trunk of his car instead. "Uh- what're you-? Hey now, that's enough. I don't know what you're thinking but you need to go home with your friends now, ok? Hey! Are you even listening?" his calm tone became a bit more agitated as Lilly brushed her hands over the trunk and he slammed his hand down onto it to stop her from opening it. "Get off my car! Hey, can you guys control your friend, here?!" In a trance-like state, Lilly rested her hands in the centre of the trunk, tilted her head back slightly and rolled her eyes back as she started to chant in an unknown language. "Woah... This feels... really familiar..." Bob commented as he watched Lilly with a puzzled expression and scratched his head. "Where've I heard that chant before... I don't think I've ever seen her do something like this... not since-" he snapped his finger and smiled. "Oh, that's right! She was chanting like that when I crawled out of my grave! Ha! Good times... Good times..." he seemed reminiscent for a moment and oblivious to the fact that Lilly appears to be performing necromancy once again. "I said, get off of my car you stupid bitch!" The driver yelled angrily, not understanding what was happening and far too concerned that Lilly would try to open the trunk. He backhanded her across the face. As he did, two things happened. Lilly's concentration broke, causing a power surge to explode between them, knocking them both off their feet in opposite directions and simultaneously causing the trunk to pop open. The other, wasn't obvious until both Lilly and the driver groaned, trying to sit up and they both heard a meek "H-hello?" come from the trunk. Inside was a barely dressed woman with dark hair who had her hands and feet tied together. She had various bruises across her arms, thighs and throat. Her skin was still a little blue, having suffocated in the trunk just minutes before the taxi driver had offered them a ride. The driver hadn't noticed that she'd died when he'd checked on her after the earthquake and just assumed that she was still passed out from the drugs he'd slipped her earlier that day. "Hello?! Someone help!" the woman became more distressed as she realised she was tied up in the back of a vehicle with no memory of how she got there. Lilly sat up and held a hand to her face. Her cheek and lip felt sore from where the driver had struck her and she noticed blood on her hand when she pulled it away from her face. Her lip felt like it was swelling and it throbbed painfully. The driver, realising how much shit he was about to be in, jumped to his feet and made for the driver's side door, only to be stopped by Bob. Seeing his closest friend being struck like that, the usually happy and energetic Bob had transformed instantly into a terrifyingly angry man. Bob's hand grabbed the Driver's shoulder and yanked him away from the car with surprising ease. As he did so, in his fury, he became vaguely away from something sharp stabbing the tips of each of his fingers but didn't realise what it was until the driver started screaming and writhing in his grip. "Get off! Get off me!" Bob saw blood on his hand and out of shock, he let go. Withdrawing four long shards of bone that had pierced through the Driver's shoulder and seemed to have grown out of each of Bob's fingertips. "What-?" Bob started but gasped as the bones shrank and retracted back into his fingers, leaving just cuts on his fingertips. Bob was shaking as he stared at his own hand and was so consumed in his shock that he didn't notice the driver try to make a run for it. --- Layla watched Nil. Before today, she would have thought someone mad for hugging a tree. Or think they were a hippie or something. But now it was all different and she understood why Nil felt the need to do something like that. "I felt it... before it happened. I didn't know what it was though. I've never experienced anything like it before. Maybe it's a werewolf thing? But I think it also means that I can sense when something like that is coming... we could have enough time to prepare if it happens again." she told him, hoping it would provide some comfort. --- Cindy looked at Kite and bit her lip anxiously before turning and placing a gentle hand on his arm as she silently walked with him out of the nursery, closing the door behind them so as not to disturb their children with their conversation. "Go," she whispered to him. "They're sound asleep and will probably be out for the rest of the afternoon. Go and check on your friends. I'll keep my phone to hand in case you need to call or in case I need you to come home." she kissed his cheek. "We'll be ok," she reassured him. --- River grinned at Will's comment about them being brothers. "You still need somewhere strong enough to hold him." Damien pointed out. "He's right." River agreed. "He might believe he's just as strong as any other vampire but even an average vampire has enough strength to bend the bars in the cells here." "Hells cells," Damien suggested. "He doesn't need to know where he is, only that he won't be able to leave until my blood is out of his system." "Alright, here's the plan then," River said as he stepped up to the front. Emboldened by Will's statement earlier. "We take some of my dad's- Damien's blood and place a vial of it in my pocket. I'll be the decoy and stay with Will. In case the vampire is watching the building, I'll dress like Damien, and cover my head as Will escorts me out to the car to drive me to a 'safe house' where we'll wait and prepare our ambush. After we leave, the wolf officers leave the precinct to follow us but fan out to all potential exits in case the vampire catches on and tries to go back. If you see the vampire, confidence is absolutely key. He can't know for a second that he's temporarily immune to your venom or he'll take advantage. Chase him towards the safe house and alert myself and Will so that we can move towards his location if necessary. Lastly, once we're completely clear of the building, James escorts Damien to a safe location in the opposite direction. Any ideas where you could go?" --- Once in the car, Kat flicked his cigarette out of the rolled-down window and took his packet out of his pocket to get another one, only to find it empty. He cursed under his breath before throwing the pack out of the window too and starting up the car. "I'm fine," he answered in a cold tone as he started driving down the road. "You didn't have to do that, you know," he said after a few minutes of driving silently. "You could've died and you don't even know me." --- "I don't know what you're talking about!" David snapped in frustration. "I don't have time for this!" he threw his hands up dramatically before turning and walking towards the gate at the end of the drive. --- "Oh, I-" John stammered, momentarily taken aback by the offer then laughed softly as his cheeks turned red. The idea excited him. "I'm flattered but I'm not here for that. Perhaps, one day though?" he suggested as he let go of Adam's hand and walked further into the room. "Adam. The first mortal man... " he said dreamily as he walked. Stopping in the middle of the room, he turned around to get a better look at him. "What God did to you was cruel. It was unjust. You were promised a kingdom, peace, and happiness, then had it all ripped away from you and for what? For being... human? The way that He made you?" John shook his head disapprovingly. "But what if I told you, you could have it all back? The kingdom. A new Eden. Even your old human body if you wanted it. Lovers of your own choosing. Even a new Eve to bear your offspring in this brave new world of yours?" He watched Adam eagerly, waiting to hear his thoughts. --- Carol watched Sam pick up the axe and smirked. "You're a stubborn one!" she chuckled and prepared herself for a fight. That's when Donnie began to beg and Insanity knocked Charles off balance. She'd had to duck to avoid being hit by Charles's flames as he'd been pushed. She turned and glared at Insanity and Donnie before they both vanished. Once they were gone and Charles ordered the other Demons to bow, she turned her attention back to Sam who had dropped the axe and curled up into a ball. For a brief moment, she considered that the boy might be feeling abandoned and afraid. Briefly. Then she caught sight of Sabrina joining Charles's side and she couldn't help glaring at the back of her head out of pure jealousy. It wasn't the romantic type of envy, more so a professional one. Who did this chick think she was? Carol is Charles's best warrior demon! She was gripping the knife in her hand so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Florin had been surprised that the flute could inflict damage in the way that it did and he yelped, jumping back from an invisible force that sliced into him. Once Fred had vanished with Napoleon, Florin glared at the spot they'd been standing. Too exhausted and injured now to maintain his wolf form, he rapidly took his human form and held himself up on all fours as blood poured from his various wounds. This made him appear like he was bowing to Charles when in reality, he was simply trying to stay conscious. Seeing this, however, the other Demons who couldn't help but notice a resemblance to Lucifer were afraid of Charles's retaliation and assumed that one of their strongest fighters was bowing to him, quickly dropped to their hands and knees. The only one who didn't was Shiva. Who was far too busy staring at Sabrina in disbelief to realise he was the only one not bowing. --- "Good idea." Sebastian took out his phone. "We should check on Parker too. See if it woke him up. He could help us call around to make sure everyone else is ok." --- Only moments after giving his orders and watching his most trusted Arch Angels leave, his office became pandemonium again. He stared between Fred, Napoleon, Insanity and Donnie with a mixture of surprise and frustration. The only thing preventing him from completely losing his temper was seeing Donnie in the state that he was currently in and knowing he was completely helpless. Donnie was placed on his back, on the cool marble floor of Raguel's office. He was shivering uncontrollably but the cool air was soothing on his burns. He was gasping for breath and involuntarily shifted back into a naked human, revealing the extent of his injuries. His entire chest, part of his upper arms, his neck and chin were so severely burned that it was a mess of charred black skin and red cracks which had already begun to ooze a combination of puss and blood. He was groaning from the pain as he struggled to simply breathe. "As I recalled being told several times by David, you two aren't my jurisdiction," Raguel told them coldly. "We'll hold you in a cell and tend to his wounds until you are collected by Hell's leaders." "N-No! H-He'll destroy me!" Donnie gasped, tilting his head back to look at Raguel desperately. "Then perhaps destruction is what you deserve!" Raguel snapped. "After the things you've done, after all the atrocities you've committed. You dare ask for mercy?! You don't fool me Donnie Shadow! You're not sorry for your actions at all! You're just scared that you've finally run out of luck and now have to face the consequences for your actions!" "N-never said that I was sorry!" Donnie muttered and groaned. "What was that?!" Raguel snapped and this time Donnie shouted it. "I never said I was sorry! You're right! I'm not sorry! How can I be?! It may have only lasted a short while but I achieved something that I didn't know I'd ever have and would never take back!" Donnie looked up at Insanity, tears rolling down the sides of his face. "My greed both won them and cost them. I should have stopped when we took in those boys. You were already changing but I was so obsessed with revenge that I missed my opportunity for something greater... Insanity, my Insanity, I cost us our family. The greatest thing I'd ever known and I was so blinded by rage and arrogance that I let it slip through my fingers! My love... our boys... our family..." He turned his head away and closed his eyes, letting a few more tears fall. Not touched in the slightest by Donnie's revelation, Raguel snapped his fingers and a couple of armoured Angels entered the room. "Take Mr Shadow to the cells and be sure to provide him with medical attention. Don't take any risks. Strap him into a bed with Angelic cuffs if you have to." The Angels nodded, took one look at Donnie and decided it'd be best to come back with a stretcher. For the brief time that they were away, Raguel listened to Fred and Napoleon's words. "You two are lucky that I don't court marshal you both for going into Hell without orders." He barked at them. He watched Napoleon pass out and let out a sigh. "But you succeeded where others have failed. You rehabilitated Insanity and helped to finally bring Donnie to justice." he seemed thoughtful for a moment. "Fred, please escort Napoleon to the medical ward. There will be no punishments for you. Just make sure that his wounds are tended to." Finally, Raguel turned to Insanity. "I already knew that you'd turned around for the better and left with Napoleon," he revealed. "I've spent a good portion of my career chasing the same three rebellious Angels and saving their backsides when they inevitably get into trouble. So, there isn't a lot that gets by me." Raguel leaned against his desk and regarded Insanity calmly. "When David tried to tell me that even you two could be saved, I thought him mad..." he commented and watched as the two Angels from earlier re-entered the room and placed a stretcher down next to Donnie. "But maybe he was on to something, after all. Go with him to the cell if you'd like, as a visitor and not a prisoner. I can't make any promises but rest assured that I will try to plead your case to Charles and Amelia. If you can turn around..." He looked from Insanity, down at Donnie. His expression became cold as he did. "Then perhaps all is not lost for him." Donnie grit his teeth and strained to hold back a scream as the Angels tried to lift him as carefully as they could from the floor to the stretcher. Once on the stretcher, he caught his breath raggedly and between pained moans. "Insanity?" he asked, opening his eyes to look at him again, hoping he would go with him. Only once Raguel was alone in his office once more would Nate appear and give him the news. "A portal? Good work, lad." he praised him. "We need to know more. Can you do that for me? We need to know what this portal is, where it's going to open and whether or not it could be a threat to life. Robert?" He ordered then called out. Robb appeared, looking nervous. After all, he was just a low-level Angel, not an Arch Angel. So being summoned by the Arch Angel's superior wasn't usual. But then again, neither was an earthquake in Heaven. "You called for me, sir?" "Yes. I need you to round up the souls of any scientists you can find. Specifically physicists, meteorologists and climatologists. I need them to work as a team to study the tremor and what it could mean. Inform them that the scientists on Earth believe it could indicate a portal opening. Give them all of the equipment that they ask for and report any findings to me. Do not breathe a word of this to anyone else, understood?" Robb was surprised to have been chosen for such a task after his actions in the past but he knew that Raguel was giving him a rare opportunity to redeem himself among the Angels. He nodded. "Yes, sir," he said before vanishing. --- Azrael had walked into Death's throne room before kneeling with his head bowed as a show of respect. "Your grace." he addressed him before standing again. Even now, with all of his fears, he couldn't mask his fondness as he spoke. He glanced around at the reapers who had just been leaving as he had arrived, then looked back at Death. "Heaven has felt it too. Raguel has requested your audience to discuss possible causes," he told him, getting straight to the point.

Shadowess - April 8, 2023 Larissa and Bianka both stopped in their tracks to turn and look at Theron. Both of them exchanged a concerned glance. Larissa took a step towards Theron and was quickly stopped by Bianka who grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "Rissy, don't," she warned but Larissa yanked her arm free and stubbornly walked over to Theron, being careful not to get too close to his spikes. She gave him a sympathetic look while tilting her head slightly to one side. Bianka could only watch with bated breath. "Nobody is perfect," Larissa said with a shrug. "We've all done terrible things and if you live as long as we do, you're probably going to do other things that you'll one day come to regret. That doesn't make you a bad person. As long as you're willing to admit when you're wrong and always try to do the right thing going forward, then what you did in the past shouldn't dictate who you are or will be. Does that make sense?" She was calm as she spoke. Despite what she was seeing, she didn't seem to be afraid at all. Once again, she held a patient hand out to him and gave him a kind smile. "There's good in you. I can tell. So, leave the past where it belongs. In the past. Come and have some supper with us?" --- No sooner had he closed the trunk had Hades walked around the vehicle to pay him. Just narrowly missing catching a glimpse of what was inside. "Ah, thanks." The driver smiled as he took the cash and counted it. He paused and looked back at Hades when she asked if anything was wrong. Putting on his most charming smile, he shook his head. "Oh, no. Everythings fine. Thankfully it was only a small quake, so no harm done to the cab. You can understand why I'd be a little worried, after all this car is my means of work. Without it, I'd be jobless and out of pocket until it got fixed." he explained away with a dismissive wave. "But it all looks good, so I guess you guys can go on home and I can go to my next fare." "Woah... is the world still shaking?" Bob asked as he climbed out of the cab and struggled to walk in his drunken haze. "Hmm?" Lilly squinted, groggily waking up as she realised the vehicle was no longer moving. "Are we back?" she asked, with a slur to her words as well. --- When Nil ran out, Layla followed. Alarmed by his sudden shift from calm to fearful. "Different how?" she asked, almost afraid of what the answer might be. --- "That was an earthquake?" Cindy asked as she stepped away from Kite and looked around the room cautiously, almost as if expecting another one. "I've never experienced an earthquake before," she told him before looking at their babies with a sympathetic frown. "Oh, little ones. It's alright. Mommy and Daddy are here. You're safe!" she cooed in a soothing voice as she moved to pick up Emily to comfort her, expecting Kite to do the same for Carter. She gently bounced and rocked their daughter, hushing her as she did. Until her little eyelids could no longer stay open and her cries died away as she slipped back into blissful dreams. Once back to sleep, Cindy replaced Emily in her cot and tucked her in before turning to Kite to see how he was getting on with Carter. --- Once more, Hayward raised her hand. "Tear gas affects wolves too, sir. Our sense of smell is just as strong as a vampire's, if not better. We'd need to use gas masks to protect us." "You're overthinking it." River appeared in the room and leaned against the wall. Considering Damien was also technically his father, he couldn't help but pay attention to what had been going on. Unlike Parker, he very much wanted to help their dad. "He might have some Devil blood in his system, but he's still just a vampire. He's not a demon. Not a devil. And he's certainly no Blood God. Against any average vampire or werewolf, he'll put up a hell of a fight. But against someone like me, or Will? We could pin him down easily. We'd just need somewhere strong enough to contain him until the Devil blood is out of his system." "He still flees whenever he sees James." Damien pointed out. "I don't think he really understands what about my blood is different to any humans. He just knows that it tastes different. He's delusional, for sure. But I think that he thinks he's still an ordinary vampire, despite my blood in his veins." "We could use that to our advantage." River nodded and looked at Will. "If he still thinks he's a normal vampire then he'll be hiding from the sun and avoiding werewolves like the plague. He probably thinks that either can still kill him." Damien hesitated before suggesting. "I could lure him out-" "No." River looked back at his father, worried for his safety. "That's not necessary. If he's following your scent then all we need is a bit of your blood to use as bait. If he's still scared of wolves then James could stay with you in case he figures out the ploy and heads in your direction instead." He glanced at James questioningly to make sure he was on board with that idea first before turning to look at Will again. "We could take the wolf officers out to flank him. Scare him to us if he strays from our trap. Then, once he's in position, you and I can take him in." he suggested then faltered as he realised he seemed to be taking charge of Will's meeting. "Uh- sorry. If all of this is ok with you, of course." --- Surprised, Kat stumbled to the side when Sawyer had shoved him. He heard the shot and looked up at him, seeing the wound in his arm. Did this guy actually just take a bullet for him?! Regaining his composure, he knelt down and picked up his cigarette which had fallen from his mouth and left a small burn, along with some ash in the fibres of the carpet. Placing it back between his lips, he straightened up in time to see the old man get both of his kneecaps blown out and Sawyer screaming at him to pay up. Smirking, Kat took a drag on the cigarette. "Damn Fox, and here I was thinking you were too soft for this gig." he chuckled as the old man whimpered, sobbed and begged for mercy in Japanese. Walking over calmly, Kat knelt by the old man and stared at him coldly. "You tried to kill me. No more messing around. I'm going to give you to the count of five to tell me where our money is, or I'll go into that bedroom over there and kill everyone I find." he nodded to a door with children's drawings taped to it. "One." The old man began frantically and desperately speaking in his native tongue. "Two." The old man became increasingly desperate. "Three." "Blue box! Blue box! Hole in wall, behind the calendar!" The old man cried out in broken English and Kat smiled. "Was that so hard?" he asked as he got to his feet and walked over to the calendar on the wall. "Keep your gun on him, Red Fox." He said as he yanked the calendar off its hook and dropped it to the floor. Sure enough, there was a hole in the wall there, and inside was a small blue box. Taking it out, Kat opened it up and grabbed a fistful of bills. "What the hell is this, Yuri? There isn't enough here to pay your debt!" "All I have! All I have!" The old man wept. "You deadbeat, gambling, useless fuck! I'm taking this and you'd better have the rest ready by tomorrow night or you won't live to see another day, got it?!" he shouted while stuffing the notes into his pocket and throwing the now empty box across the room. "H-How?! M-My legs-!" "Not our problem! You should have thought of that before trying to fuck us over! And let's get one thing straight, you shifty old shit stain! You don't pay up tomorrow, you die. You try anything funny or try to shoot us again and it won't just be you we kill, it'll be your whole damn family, understand?! C'mon Red Fox, we're done here." --- "The hell are you talking about? Get out of my way!" he pushed passed him and stepped outside before pausing and looking around. There was no mistaking the difference in the air. This was Earth. He was home again. "Sara..." he mumbled. He whirled around to face Bern. "Look, I don't have time for Lucifer's shenanigans. Where is the nearest payphone? I need to call my daughter! She must be worried sick! Where even am I? Am I anywhere near London?" He asked then glanced towards the road and froze at the sight of a car driving past. It didn't look anything like the models he was used to seeing. It looked sleeker and barely made any noise at all. Maybe it was just a newer model and he hadn't seen one yet? Yes, that was surely it. --- "What makes you say that?" Amelia asked Adam curiously as she continued trying to comfort her son. It had been an odd thing to suggest, but then again, when wasn't there a big battle going on when Insanity and his lover were involved? "Look, I'm sorry but would you mind waiting here for me for a minute? I need to take Oliver home and arrange for someone to watch him so that I can figure out what's going on. I don't know if Insanity is up to something and I also need to figure out what happened to my dad... what a mess... I'll come back for you though. Just stay here, ok? I still have so many things that I need to ask you." and with that, she vanished. Within moments of her disappearing, an unfamiliar blond Angel knocked on the open door. "Knock knock," he said playfully. "I hope you don't mind the intrusion. I couldn't help but overhear some of your conversations from another room. I just had to come by and say, I'm a big fan of yours." he said as he extended a hand to him. "My name is Jonathan." he grinned warmly. If Adam had taken his hand to shake, the angel would bring it to his lips and kiss the back of it. "Jonathan Devine. There is much that I wish to speak to you about." --- Florin let out a high-pitched whine when the sword bit into the side of his head and he was sure he felt it chip the side of his skull. Fur soaking in his own blood, he landed on all fours and wonkily stumbled around for a moment until he regained his bearings. He looked up to see that he had at least succeeded in wounding Napoleon just as badly. He turned, growling and opened his mouth, preparing to finish him off when Fred appeared, standing in his way. He watched him pull out the flute and while still in his wolf form, he let out a low, gruff laugh. "Oh, no. Old man time is going to serenade me to death." Florin mocked him. "Move aside, Angel. My meal is going cold." Already knocked off balance by the sudden quake, Carol hit the ground roughly and grunted as she reacted quickly to grab Sam's hands, fighting to push the knife away from her chest where it was poised dangerously close. "Oh, don't be such a crybaby." She grunted between her teeth. She tilted her head back and then snapped it forward to headbutt him. Her hands stayed tightly wrapped around his knife as she hoped to simultaneously knock him back and pull the knife from his grip. "Besides, what did you expect? You and your daddies would take over Hell and you'd live happily ever after? Treason is treason. Now be a good boy and come quietly." Letting out a pained and surprised yell, Donnie looked at his tail in Insanity's hand. He'd barely had time to react before he was bombarded by both Charles's flames and Insanity's power. He flew back, pinned against the Obsidian wall. The force of their combined powers had caused the Obsidian to crack. As hard as Donnie tried, he was unable to break free from their blast. Insanity's power held him in place while Charles's fire slowly burned through his scales. He gasped, struggling for air. He hadn't felt a heat like this since Lucifer had branded him. Despite all of his training and his strength, he was unable to stop the scream from building up within him until it erupted from his mouth. He writhed and turned his head away from the stream of flames, closing his eyes as his scales slowly blackened and flaked. "Insanity!" he screamed, his voice suddenly full of fear. He knew that if the intensity of these flames remained consistent, he wouldn't just burn, he would be sent back to Oblivion. He'd now spent so long back in existence that his memories of Oblivion had almost completely faded away and to his horror, he realised that he could no longer remember how he'd broken free of the void. "Insanity!! Please!!" he shrieked. Please. That was a word Donnie wasn't used to using. Anyone who knew him knew that he refused to use such words so as not to appear weak or like he was begging. Well, he's begging now and it wouldn't just be the demons in that room that would have heard it. The demons who remained in the coliseum would also have heard it and knew in an instant that, for their crimes of treason and conspiracy to aid Donnie in usurping the throne, they were all fucked. Unable to run or their contracts would destroy them, the demons threw down their weapons instead. They wouldn't fight nor run, but a loophole in their contracts meant that as long as they didn't actively aid Charles in either capturing or destroying Donnie and his family, they wouldn't technically be betraying them. Only just healed enough now to sit up, Shiva looked up at the balcony where the battle was taking place and seemed deflated as this realisation sank in. "Oh... ffffffuck... We're fucked... " "INSANITY!!!" Donnie screamed desperately. He was weeping now. "Make it stop! I can't go back! Don't make me go back! I don't want to be nothing! Insanity! If you ever loved me at all, please help me!!" --- Sebastian was already sitting bolt upright when Carter gasped awake. His words didn't seem to surprise him as Sebastian had the same, frightened look. "Did you feel it, too?" he asked in a half-whisper. "It felt like an earthquake but... I don't know..." he cautiously got out of bed but the ground seemed just as firm as it always had been. "We should check on everyone," he said quickly as he grabbed his pants to pull them on. "It was only a small one, but just to be sure." --- Since the quake, Raguel's office was overrun with concerned Arch Angels. He stood from his desk and lifted both of his hands. "Quiet! Everyone calm down!" he barked at them. "Something like this has never happened!" "What was it?" "Is He angry with us?" "It's because SHE'S here, isn't it?!" "Is it The Rapture?!" "Enough! Don't be fools! If it were time for that, I would've been the first one to know because I'd be giving the orders to the rest of you! Now get back to your posts and let me worry about Heaven shaking!" Raguel snapped and watched them all leave. Once they were gone, he ran a shaking hand through his hair and leaned against his desk. No, something like this was certainly not His doing. But then, what? "Gabriel. Azrael. Naoutha. I trust you felt that as well?" he asked the air, expecting all of them to appear before him. Whether or not Nate might hate it, Raguel was far too much in the habit of addressing him by his full name rather than his nickname. "Truth be told... I don't know the cause of it." He admitted to them after some hesitance. "I need you boys to help me investigate this while I try to keep the rest of Heaven's population calm. Azrael, does your 'Grim Superior' have any ideas on this?" "You know I can't discuss matters of Death without his authority." Azrael reminded him. Already on edge, Raguel pointed a finger at Azrael angrily. "You are an Arch Angel first and foremost. You serve Heaven before you serve the realm of Death." "I was given to Death as a peace offering. Would you risk tainting that offering by breaking his trust?" Azrael fired back. "Azrael, this is an emergency." "Heaven gave its word! The world could crumble but I still would not break that vow!" Raguel and Azrael glared at each other for a long, uncomfortable moment before Raguel relented with a sigh. "Fine. Then at least request his presence so that we can discuss this in a meeting." Azrael nodded before vanishing, heading back to Death's Realm to inform him. Truth be told, Azrael was just as on edge as Raguel, if not more so. He knew that Death's Kingdom had also shaken and caused a great deal of panic among the reapers, which meant Death also had his hands full with his subjects in much the same way Raguel had been bombarded by worried Arch Angels just moments ago. Even more worryingly, was the sudden incline in the number of names appearing in Reapers books in such a short amount of time. But as Azrael had stated, it wasn't his place to relay this information and for all he knew, Death might not deem it wise to share this information in case it causes unnecessary panic. Especially as the reason for these events is still, as of yet, unknown even to Death's Realm. With Azrael gone, Raguel turned his attention to Gabriel and Nate. "Gabriel, I need you to remain focussed on the fight against Donnie and his kin. Hell, Charles, Amelia and even their allies on Earth are not to know that anything else is amiss. If they found out that we don't know the cause or that we're not in control, it could damage our reputation and any chances of us maintaining an image of strength and dignity in our negotiations for peace. We would always be at a disadvantage. While you're in the field, report any clues you find that could reveal the cause of the tremor directly to me and no one else, understood?" "Naoutha." He addressed Nate last. "I know you had your heart set on leaving the rank of Arch Angel to pursue a mortal's life. I need you to do one last mission for me. I wouldn't ask but something like this has never happened before. I need your help. Infiltrate the mortal's secret services and bring me any information that they have regarding this. I have a funny feeling the humans either might know what's going on or once again blindly stumbled into yet another force that they do not understand nor have any business toying with." --- Deep in the CIA Facility, the officers were clambering and talking over each other. Pointing at screens, running in and out of the room, answering phones and typing away on keyboards. Naming all the locations that had reported feeling the tremor. A high-ranking officer stood in the centre and stared up at the various screens with a combination of fear and disbelief in his expression. "All of them? The whole damn world felt that?! Can someone in this room explain to me how that's even possible?!" "Sir! We've found something!" one of the officers shouted over all the commotion in the room. The superior officer didn't move and instead shouted over the rest. "What've you got?" The room quietened down a bit as the officer called back. "An energy surge. Like the one we got when that portal opened up. But... bigger." The superior officer recalled the day Lilly and Bob had stumbled onto Earth from another dimension. Hard to believe the CIA just let such valuable scientific assets go like that. But that wasn't what was concerning them right now. "How big?" he asked. "And where? Can you pinpoint it?"