Shadowess

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

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

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

STORY CONTINUED HERE;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Denix Vames - May 23, 2022 Insanity raised his arms. "I am done hiding! You will leave my family and my home at once!" The whole floor began to shake. He sent a gust of wind at everyone. Making them fall over. "Hurry! My family! Come to my arms! We shall leave this place for now." --- Will crossed his arms. "Well, we were worried about Donnie kidnapping her and doing some terrible things. But after this conversation? It looks like she can handle things on her own." He headed to the living room. "She can go." He sat there. Just to rest for a moment. --- "I wish that I could reassure you about everything but it seems like you'll have to make yourself understand." ,said Harris. --- Phineas held a sad smile. "Thank you." He stood before disappearing. In the little museum of Harvard University, there was a professor there. "Excuse me? I'm sorry that I took this. I thought I'd needed it still but it looks like that I don't anymore." He frowned. "I hope that I'm not scaring you. I only came here to return this." He held out the iron rod. --- Jean giggled. "You're so sweet." He brushed his fingers over his lips. "I'm tempted to just take these ribbons off. Right here and now." --- Balconi forced himself up. He clutched his wound as he limped over to Donnie. He slapped him once he was close enough. "That was for Will." He collapsed. Gabriel knelt down and placed a hand over his arm. Healing him. "You're still new but even you impress me for such a modern Angel." --- "I promise that I won't." ,said Cory. Denix Vames - May 23, 2022 Theron, Dariel, and Sam ran over to Insanity. "Come Warren!" shadowess - May 24, 2022 Rickster had been thrown back by the wind and the bracelet had been knocked loose from his hand. It rolled across the smooth marble floors to the other end of the room. He turned to look at where it had rolled then glanced back at Insanity. "No!! Guys we've got to stop them! Desi! Nate! Wake up!!" Warren moved to run towards Insanity but almost tripped when Oscar grabbed his pant leg. "Let go!" He screamed in panic then kicked at Oscar to try and get loose. Oscar's claw ripped through his pant leg and with Warren pulling away, it didn't take much more for the fabric to tear off completely in Oscar's hand. Warren made a beeline for Insanity. "Fuck!" Oscar yelled as he jumped to his feet in time to see Warren reach him. --- "If only you'd known me when I was a Demon!" Carol chuckled. Parker frowned. "But you're not a Demon anymore. Will might think you're capable but I know you're just as vulnerable as I am now! If we could cuff you and hold you in one place so easily, what do you think Donnie would do to you?!" "I know you're proud of your strength but he has a point, Carol." David agreed. "I know you're smart enough to see it too." He added, hoping the compliment would convince her to listen. Sighing heavily, Carol flopped herself dramatically onto the couch with her arms folded. "I hate this." She admitted. "I want my powers back." "I know you do," David said gently. "But I also remember the type of Demon that you used to be. Things have changed. If you ever want to get your powers back, you're going to have to adapt to those changes." Carol didn't respond as she frowned and stared hard at the ground. "Carol..." David sighed and she looked up at him silently. "He's not coming back." She seemed hurt by these words as she looked away from him while fighting back tears. "You don't know that." She said in a broken voice. "But you do, right?" She looked up at David questioningly and David gave her a sad smile. "You were closer to him than anyone. Including Damien. Given all that's happened, would Lucifer have made a return already if he could?" The realisation hit Carol suddenly and she looked away from him again to stare out of the window while tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. "He's really gone..." "I'm sorry, Carol," David said softly as he sat down beside her and hugged her. --- Clementine nodded. "I think I just need some time..." She said thoughtfully then gave Harris a weak smile. "But I'll try. I'm going to try to get some sleep." she turned to leave the room but then paused and looked as if she was having some sort of internal struggle before turning to look back at him. "Harris..." she started in an uncertain voice. "Thank you... for helping me. I know you didn't have to. You're right. You could have killed me or turned me in... and maybe you should've. I would have deserved it. But you didn't." She bit her lip and lowered her eyes a little. It was clear that none of what she was saying now came easy to her. "I'm sorry... for using you. You were always loyal to me and the closest thing I had to a friend. You deserved better." she turned to leave but stopped again. She sighed heavily and shakily. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "I can't do it..." she shivered. "I was never any good at running away." She turned and looked at Harris again. "I can't live on the run. I can't hide forever. It's not me. Harris, I need to face what I've done. If I'm destroyed then maybe it's what I deserve." she turned and walked back over to him. "Take me to them. Amelia and Charles. Let them decide if I should live." --- The professor, dumbfounded, took the rod while staring at Phineas. His mouth opened and closed a few times as he tried to find the right words, all while questioning his sanity... as well as the strength of the drink he'd had from his concealed hip flask. He giggled nervously while mentally blaming the drink for his apparent hallucination and decided to just roll with it. "N-not a problem!" he chuckled. "Thanks... I'll er-... make sure it's returned to the proper place." --- Hannes grinned at Jean while keeping his lips close to his. "I wouldn't mind if you wanted to make yourself more comfortable, meine geliebte." He ran his fingers over Jean's chest. "I want to make love to you. I could say it over and over again but I cannot fully express how much I've missed you. I want to cherish every inch of you." --- Donnie grunted as his head had been forced to turn to one side from the slap. He felt the fresh cut on his lip from the impact but didn't show any signs of pain as he turned to smirk at Balconi. Seeing him collapse only made him grin. "You'll all regret this," he growled at them and lifted his eyes to glare at Patience. "All of you." Patience glared back but was soon taken into one of the other rooms by the nurse so that she could have her cuts stitched up. The Angelic soldier who was holding Donnie's arm looked to Gabriel for instruction. "Sir, should we call for David?" "Oh, yes. Report me to David. Mr 'I can save everyone' Sedley." Donnie rolled his eyes. He was angry at being captured, to begin with, but he was also using anger and sarcasm as a way to cope. Since the band was placed onto his toe, he'd lost the ability to watch people telepathically. Which meant he had no idea whether or not his family were alright and he was deeply concerned about this. --- Stevie bit his lip nervously before answering. "It's going to sound stupid... I-I made a flute in shop class. It... it comforts me when I'm nervous." he said carefully. Making it out to be just a sentimental item rather than a weapon he'd used before. "It's the best thing I ever made, so I don't want to lose it." Denix Vames - May 24, 2022 Nate lifted his head. "Hmm?" Before anyone had a chance, the family had disappeared. --- Insanity guided his family to ruined building. "I don't know where to go. Donnie always knew what to do. Right now, we can only hide. I'm sorry everyone." --- Mixed with emotions on how he should feel towards Carol, he headed out the front door which he slammed shut. He decided to take a walk. --- Harris cupped her cheeks. Tears left him as his lips quivered. "I can't....I'm mad but...." He caught his breath. "If this is what you want then I will take you to them." "That won't be necessary. It's not like it was that hard to look for you two." ,said Charles. Amelia stood next to him. Harris stood in front of Clementine. He glared. "I swear I will throw you both into Oblivion myself if you attempt to do the same to her!" --- Phineas sighed. Maybe it was better that this professor didn't know who he was really talking to. "Just one question before I go. What do you think of Phineas Gage?" --- Jean let the ribbons fall. Revealing his bare body. "I want you to show me your love." He kissed him slowly. --- "No. We will throw this pest into Oblivion ourselves." ,said Gabriel who smiled. --- "I've never had that before. A personal item. But it sounds like that flute really means something to you." ,said Cory. Shadowess - May 26, 2022 "FUCK!!" Oscar cursed after the family had vanished. "We were so fucking close!" "At least we managed to get bracelets onto most of them." Rickster said as he walked across the room to pick up the last bracelet. He put it into his pocket then hurried over to Nate and Desi. "Are you two alright?" "What happened?" Desi groaned then looked around the room wildly when he realised they were alone there. "Where are they?!" "Gone." Rickster sighed as he held out a hand then helped Desi to his feet. "Insanity turned up and everything went to chaos as it usually does when he's involved..." "Now he and Donnie are probably going to be after us with a vengeance for de-powering their kids." Oscar worried. "I think we have our own problems to worry about..." Rickster said, turning his head to look at him. "Of all places in Hell, why did I wake up here when I died?" Desi's eyes widened. "The spells..." he realised. "Oh, I have an awful feeling about this..." "About what?" Oscar asked them, puzzled. "Think about it. They love to kidnap and torture people. What better spells to put down than onces that isolate their victims from the rest of the worlds?" Desi explained. "I still don't follow." Oscar looked more confused. "Just watch..." Rickster sighed then ran out of the exit...only to run back into the room from the back entrance. "What the-?!" "Yep..." Rickster threw up his hands. "We're stuck! I'm also willing to bet that we can't just teleport out or even communicate with anyone outside by telepathy either." "We're trapped here?!" "Relax..." Desi looked around his old home sadly. "You happen to be with two people who are skilled when it comes to spells. We can break it but it might take some time to figure out exactly what spells were used... in the meantime, you two-" he looked at Oscar and Nate "- should keep an eye out in case Insanity and Donnie come back to take revenge." "I think we should probably find our friends first? They could help to guard the place while we work on breaking the spells." Rickster added. "Good idea. I think I know a few areas in this place where they'd be locked away." Desi nodded. "I'll go and take a look..." he vanished. A moment later, he re-appeared with a shaken and frightened Viktor before vanishing again... --- "You saved us." Warren said to Insanity in a soft voice. "So please don't be sorry, Sire." he looked around sadly. "What happened? Where is the other King?" he asked, looking back at Insanity. "Apologies, that wasn't my place to ask." he then said hurriedly. "I'm just worried." --- While David stayed behind to comfort Carol, Parker ran out after Will. "Will, wait up!" he called out then started walking beside him when he caught up. "You ok?" --- "Chill Harris." Amelia said tiredly. She was still exhausted from her encounter with the Ancient Devil. Though this didn't stop her from glaring at Clementine furiously. She might've doubted it was her, if it wasn't for the mixture of guilt and terror in Clementines eyes. "Hello again traitor." She greeted her acidically. Clementine looked guiltily from Amelia to Charles and she shivered with dread as the recalled her destruction. She would have been frozen with fear if Harris hadn't darted between them and she knew what she needed to do. She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a nervous yet sad smile before stepping in front of him. "I don't know why I came back and I have no idea why I returned in this form. This was not my doing. All that I do know is that this could possibly be a chance to have a life that I had always been denied but I refuse to live that life in fear and hiding. What I did was unforgivable. I confess to conspiring to destroy Amelia. I confess to plotting to take over Hell by means of controlling the next ruler. I am a traitor and I deserved the destruction that I suffered. I beg you both, as the true rulers of Hell, to forgive me and grant me this second chance. But if you think it would be better to send me back to Oblivion..." She paused, hesitating. "Then I accept my fate." Amelia scoffed but said nothing. She was familiar with how deceptive Clementine could be and suspected this might just be another manipulation tactic. But she was definitely human now. Amelia sensed that much. So she waited to see if Charles could read her mind and emotions to know whether or not she was being sincere. ((I just thought, Clementine would've been around when Harris had control of Phineas. She might be one more person he'd have an issue with then xD )) --- "Um, we'll I'd say he was a deeply misunderstood and misjudged person." The professor answered while fixing his glasses on his face. "He suffered a horrific accident and the lack of medical knowledge at the time meant that the care he received was less than insufficient. Medically speaking though, we have learned a lot from his experience for modern practitioners to know how best to treat similar patients." --- Hannes looked over Jean, savouring how he looked then returned the kiss. He kissed him slowly and lovingly while his hands wandered around his sides and across his back. He pressed his body against Jean's and brought a hand up to run it through his hair while slipping his tongue into his mouth. --- Donnie shivered at the threat but glared back. He then grinned knowingly. "You can't do that. I'm Hell's prisoner, not Heaven's. If you destroy me, you risk starting up a new war!" "He's right." The armoured Angel then appeared and looked between them. "To maintain our new peace, we have a duty to report his capture to Hell's authorities." He then grinned malisciously as he glared at Donnie. "But that doesn't mean that we can't 'interrogate' him before handing him over. After all, he did murder, kidnap and rape some of our own when he'd been loose." "You son of a-!" Donnie growled, struggling in the Angelic soldier's grip but was cut off when the armoured Angel punch him in the face and knocked him out. A little blood trickled out of his nose as he slumped in the Angelic soldier's arms. The Angel then turned back to Gabriel with a smile and placed his hand on his shoulder. "This is a great achievement. You should be proud. I will let you handle the rest." --- While still locked in the cubicle, Stevie took the flute out of his pocket and caressed it while staring at it lovingly. "It does..." he sighed. He glanced at the cubicle door warily. "I'll be ok. I'm used to being made fun of." he called out, hoping to be left alone. The flute was whispering to him again and it had given him a few ideas. Ways that he could rid the school of bullies, once and for all. --- It had been a few hours since Carter and Damien were locked in this room together. Each sat on either side of the room, waiting for Donnie or Insanity to appear so they could enact their plan. Damien had been watching Carter warily for the past few minutes. He hadn't been looking too great and he was concerned that he might already be suffering cravings. "You good, man?" He asked finally. "If you need a couple of drops to tide you over, just say so. But, you know, you gotta stop when I tell ya." A couple of minutes later, Desi would appear in the centre of the room. Denix Vames - May 26, 2022 Nate stood. He healed himself. "Never been better. That Insanity guy and his family really know how to fight." --- "It's quite alright. Unfortunately, I can't teleport to him. He must be in trouble somewhere. But I need to focus first on finding ourselves a new home before I can even attempt to save him. We must journey on foot. But first, I need to give you this gift. I must make you into a Demon. It's the only way that we can keep the children safe. Are you willing to become such a creature?" ,said Insanity. --- Will stopped and sighed. "I don't know. I was really glad when I got to make her eat her own words but then she starts crying. And I just...." He shook his head. "Was I being an ass?" --- Charles's eyes widened. "She really is telling the truth." (lol more drama but he's going to be in Heaven. I don't know. Maybe we should get them to meet each other so we can start up some kind of fight?) --- Phineas smiled. "That's all I needed to hear. Thank you sir." He shook his hand. He stood back before becoming a ball of light and floating to the ceiling. He would soon appear in front of his new home in Heaven. "Kasper? I'm back from my trip." He entered the house. --- Jean moaned as he wrapped his legs around him. Practically jumping on top of him so that he would be held. "Oh god! Hannes!" He kissed him. His red wings sprouted. He gasped before they began to vibrate. Making himself feel like butter in his arms. "Oh....my....god....1" --- Gabriel chuckled. "Oh the fun that I'm going to have with you." He looked at the other Angels. "Take him to our interrogation room." "No!" Balconi stood after having healed himself. He was between Gabriel and Donnie. "We have to tell David that we've caught him! He would want us to do that." "Out of my way. I'm only going to break some of his bones. Nothing permanent." "This is wrong and you know it!" "Get out of my way!" Balconi glared. "I won't." Gabriel grit his teeth. "Take this childish Angel away from here." --- "You shouldn't be. I'd say you should stand up for yourself but that never stopped my parents from being dicks to me." ,said Cory. He bit his lip. Unsure of what to say next until, "I know what it's like to feel like no one cares about you. That everyone uses you as a punching bag. I should have realized that when I use to pick on people. But it was my way of coping with....home." He caught his breath after nearly crying. "I'm sorry that I hurt you too." --- Carter shook his head. "I-I can't....Never again." He practically crawled when he saw Desi. He clung to his leg. "Thank you! Thank you! Please tell me you took them into custody!"

Denix Vames - May 22, 2022 "That doesn't sound like a bad idea. Rickster and me can take the front. Desi and Oscar? You guys can go to the back." ,said Nate. Going to their separate places, Nate pushed the door open. Allowing Rickster in before stepping inside. He held his weapon. "Large place. But where do we look?" Theron was shaking as he saw them. He held his arm. "There are strangers in our home, Sam. I don't like this!" Sam stepped out of the kitchen. He glared. "Dariel! Stay in the kitchen. I'll take care of this." Dariel ran back. Sam pulled out his knife with a grin. "Let's have some fun." Theron pulled his sword out of his back. He held a fearful expression. "There's a man with wings! He's scaring me!" "So kill him!" He ran towards Nate who clashed his sword with his. "Look Theron. It's going to be alright." "How do you my name?" He let out an ear piercing scream as he swung. Nate jumped back. Clutching to his bleeding arm. Sam appeared from behind Rickster and placed the knife near his neck. "Don't do anything stupid. I want to savor your death." --- Will raised his fist. He nearly punched her but stopped himself. With tears dripping down his cheeks, he collapsed to his knees. "He didn't have to kill her to help her go to Heaven. He could have just let her live. She was just a kid. So young....She just didn't know better." --- "I don't know why you're here but I'll tell you the truth. Yes, I'm angry at you. Yet at the same time I want us to become friends again. I want to forgive you. Believe it or not." ,said Harris. --- "But don't you want to travel and see the world?" ,asked Phineas. --- Jean gasped when he felt Niko's will fight back against his powers. He collapsed when a sudden blast of energy took his spell out. He lifted his head. "I-I'm sorry. I wish I could help." Tears hit the floor as he was shaking. --- Gabriel appeared with two other angels. Insanity jumped back. He glared. "You little feathery shits! How did you know we were here?" Gabriel chuckled. "Do you really think that I'm going to tell you? Anyway, we have orders to capture you." He pointed at Donnie and Insanity. "Subdue them. Make sure that they can't leave in any way possible." --- Cory had witness the whole event. He stepped into the bathroom. "Um....Hey, are you ok? I saw what happened." shadowess - May 22, 2022 Rickster tensed up and looked down at the knife. He knew what he needed to do and also knew that the boy could very easily slit his throat when he'd do it, but it was a chance worth taking. "Eh... can't be any worse than the time I was decapitated by a very angry vampire..." he chuckled then looked over in time to see Oscar and Desi running in from the back of the room. Desi was immediately occupied by Warren who'd screamed as he darted out of a room to try and tackle him, taking Desi by surprise. Oscar semi-transformed into his reptilian form and swung his sharp tail at Theron's sword in the hopes of getting him to back off from Nate. Rickster would then catch Nate's eye. He'd give him a purposeful and sad smile. "Well, this is going to suck!" he laughed then quickly pulled the bracelet out of his pocket and snapped it around Sam's wrist while preparing himself for Sam's retaliation. --- Carol gasped with wide eyes when Will moved to strike her. But it wasn't out of surprise or fear. She seemed excited by it. She then looked disappointed when he fell to the floor, crying. "Oh, for- She knew EXACTLY what she was doing!" Carol argued. "Didn't you listen to my story?" "Wait who?" David rose a brow. "Angel." "Ah... Afraid I can't comment. That part happened before my time..." Carol rolled her eyes and looked down at Will. "He warned her. Several times. For two years in fact. And Lucifer wasn't one to mince his words. Every time he warned her, he was very direct and to the point! He told her that because of who he was, she would be damned by default if she fell in love with him. He knew she didn't deserve that so told her, explicitly, to stay away from him. But did she listen? No! She was obsessed with him! He tried to leave. She summoned his ass back with a spell! That was the last straw. That's when he realised she would never let him go unless she was stuck in the one place she would never be able to reach him and could get the help she needed to forget him. Heaven. Except, unfortunately, by the time he realised this and murdered her it was already too late and she was damned anyway. Just for falling in love with the 'wrong' man." Carol sighed and looked away from them. "If it makes you feel any better, he eventually found her again and finally convinced her to stop pursuing him, thus saving her soul... at least until she got her wings, bumped into him on Earth a few decades later then bumped into him again the same night in a hotel room. And then of course, literally ran away with him...presumably. There, happy now?" --- Looking up at him, Clementine bit her lip. "I believe you. I just don't understand it yet. None of this makes any sense to me but I'm trying and...I know that this is real but... I keep getting the feeling like this is too good to be true. Like something is going to go wrong at any moment. What if I'm still stuck in Oblivion and this is another fantasy my mind is playing out because I've gone insane again?" --- Kasper shrugged and scratched his arm awkwardly. He felt pressured but didn't have the heart to say so. "Maybe one day? But right now... I don't know." --- "N-no! Jean! I'm sorry! I panicked! I didn't mean to hurt you!" Niko began apologising and sobbing. "I just want this torment to stop! Why won't it stop?" Jessica rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Niko, hugging him tightly. She didn't know what else to do or say so she simply held him while he wept. Gentle hands took hold of Jean's shoulder's and a strong figure helped him to his feet. "Meine Geliebte," Hannes whispered softly. New, white feathery wings wrapped around them as he took him into his arms and kissed him lovingly. He moved some of his hair from his face and caressed his cheek. "I missed you, my Jean." he smiled at him then looked up while moving his wings back to look at Niko who had stopped crying to stare at him in shock and couldn't take his eyes off the wings. Hannes chuckled and gently let go of Jean to walk over to him. He placed a hand on his forehead and gave him a kind smile. "Sleep now, my old friend. You need to rest." "Hann-!" Niko gasped but then immediately lost consciousness. "Niko?" Jessica stared at him worriedly then visibly relaxed when she heard him snoring. "I'll go and put him on his bed." she sighed as she lifted him into her arms and carried him into the next room. She'd re-enter the living room without Niko just a moment later. "I know why you're here," Hannes said to Ben and Jessica. "I can pass along your message. But for now, if you don't mind, Jean and I would like some time alone. We have a lot of catching up to do. But please stay in one of the empty rooms if you'd like." --- Given how infamous the pair were by now, it wasn't long before every exit point was being covered by an Angel. Each holding a specialised baton which then formed a barrier around the hospital, preventing teleporting from occurring. But neither Donnie nor Insanity were aware of those Angels just yet as their main focus was on the ones in front of them. The nurse had jumped at their arrival. He seemed more star-struck than alarmed and muttered a short prayer in Swedish while staring at them in wonder. "Gabriel!" Patience gasped and couldn't help smiling at him out of sheer relief. Donnie saw this and his rage twisted his features into a horrid scowl. "You bitch!" he seethed. Patience had seen him angry before but not like this and she feared for her life at that moment. As the two Angels nearest Gabriel began to move towards them Donnie grabbed Patience's arm and dragged her off the bed, causing her to yelp. He darted over to Insanity and tried to teleport them away but they didn't move. "What?!" "Took a leaf out of your book." One of the Angelic soldiers chuckled as they each produced bracelets from their pockets. Donnie's eyes darted from the soldiers to Gabriel and around the hospital for a way out. They had outmanoeuvred him and he hated it but now he needed to focus on getting them out of there in one piece. Seeing the soldiers getting closer, he shoved Patience in front of him and snatched a scalpel from a nearby table, holding it close to her throat. "No one move or I'll fucking kill her!" It was a blatant bluff but he was out of both options and time. He was desperate. A thin layer of sweat had started to form on his forehead. "Donnie, please! The baby!" Patience pleaded. "I'll make another one!!" He snapped back and then glared at the soldiers. "Back off!!" 'Gabriel, Insanity is Donnie's weakness!!' Patience thought to Gabriel hurriedly. --- "I wasn't jerking off! I wasn't!" Stevie shouted defensively. By now he was so used to people making fun of him that his first instinct was always to defend himself. Denix Vames - May 22, 2022 Sam slit his throat wide open. "What the fuck did you just put on me?" He tried to get the bracelet off but couldn't. "Son of a bitch!" Theron jumped back when he saw Oscar's tail. "How did you two get in here? I don't like it! Just leave us alone!" He cut his wrist. Allowing his blood to fly at him like knives. Nate clasped the bracelet over his wrist while he was distracted. "No! Something feels wrong!" Theron's blood entered his body. He tried to conjure up his sword again but couldn't. He clutched his head and began to scream. Dariel grabbed a knife from the kitchen. He ran out and stood in front of Sam. "Leave them alone! They didn't do anything wrong!" --- Will stood. "Then she did get a happy ending." He smirked. "I get it now. You're just jealous that Lucifer took her and not you. It all makes sense." --- "I can assure you that you are alive. But if you want to prove it, we could run some tests." ,said Harris. --- Phineas frowned nodded. "Alright. Let's just relax for now. What would like you to do? I'm not sure if you feel up to cooking at the moment." --- Ben nodded. "We'll you two alone then. I'll find a knight to take us to a spare room." They walked away. "Hannes!" Tears left Jean who hugged him tight. He cried into his shirt. "Oh Hannes! I am so happy to see you! I love you!" --- Gabriel attempted to grab Insanity when he was met with a fist. Insanity laughed. "Do you really think I would lose my guard under these circumstances?" Gabriel raised his weapon. Between their fight, it was mostly dodging but sometimes capable of landing blows. Balconi appeared behind Insanity and knocked him out with the butt of his weapon. "Your choice. We can torture him endlessly or you let go of her." --- "I didn't think you were. What were you doing? If it's ok to ask." ,said Cory. Shadowess - May 23, 2022 A red spray ejected from the slash in Rickster's throat and he fell to his knees, clutching at the wound while straining to breathe. He rapidly bled out while simultaneously choking on his own blood. He had no idea if that bracelet would even stay on Sam's wrist after he died, but it was a risk he needed to take to give the others a chance. The last thing he saw before blacking out and falling forward was Nate successfully placing a bracelet onto Theron just as Oscar managed to narrowly avoid his blood knives. Desi had managed to wrestle Warren and pin him to the ground. "No!! No!! Sires!! We're under attack!! We're under attack!!" Warren screamed, trying to raise the alarm to Donnie and Insanity. But although they'd hear Warren's screams, they currently had their own problems to deal with. "This one's just a human soul!" Desi shouted to the others. "We'll need to turn him in to David." "NO!!! SIRES!!!" Oscar turned to look at Dariel and gestured to Rickster. "This look like nothing to you kid?!" he snapped. "They and their fathers kidnapped and tortured our friends! Speaking of which-" He marched up to Theron and grabbed him by the front of his shirt, glaring at him with red eyes. This was only a mild form of intimidation in comparison to the types of things he used to do as a Punisher Demon. He wanted to scare the kid into talking, not scar him for life. "Where are they?!" he growled. --- "Beg your damn pardon?" Carol rose an eyebrow and David uncharacteristically chortled at Will's statement. "For your information-! Ugh! I'll have you know-!" "Lost for words now?" Parker chuckled. "No! You know what? It doesn't matter anyway. Because I'd never tie myself down to just one man!" Carol folded her arms. "I prefer being free to have fun with whoever I want, whenever I want." she flicked her hair back in a sassy manner. "So, wait... you weren't planning on dating River?" Parker frowned. "Nope. And before you both get your panties in a twist about that, I'll have you know that that was the first conversation that I had with him! He knows we would only be fooling around... but I suppose that hardly matters now. He seems to be repulsed by me now." --- "What do you mean?" Clementine blinked. "What tests?" --- "We could still cook if you want to." Kasper shrugged his shoulders and as he relaxed once more, he took hold of Phineas's hand again. --- "I love you too!" Hannes grinned as he hugged him back and ran his hand through his hair. He teleported them into their own room and then kissed him again deeply. "I missed you so much, Meine Geliebte! I worked day and night to pass the exams and earn my wings. Just so that I could be with you again. My gentle love. My kind King. I would do anything for you." he kissed him again. --- "Insanity!" Donnie watched him get knocked out and gripped Patience tighter, keeping the scalpel by her neck as he backed away from the approaching Angels, keeping his back to a wall. All while his eyes darted from each of their faces then to Insanity. He heard Warren's screams and knew the boys were in danger too but there was nothing he could do. Not like this. He was trapped and surrounded by enemies. "Fuck...FUCK!!!" he shouted, shaking out of fury. His eyes flashed red. "No!! I will not be your prisoner!! I am the King!! I will rule Hell and you will all regret being on the wrong side of me!!" he raved. "You think you've defeated me?! I haven't even begun to show you what I can do!!" he growled then shoved Patience away. She gasped and stumbled over to Gabriel. Next, Donnie began to transform. As he did, he flicked his sharp tail rapidly at Insanity to kill him instantly. He knew he'd wake up back in their palace where he'd be able to help their sons while Donnie effectively stayed behind to face these Angels alone. Seething, he continued his transformation by growing continuously. He fully intended to transform completely into his dragon form. He knew this would cause the hospital to collapse as he'd break through its roof and that such destruction might end up crushing Patience in the process, but at this point the only thing that mattered to him was self-preservation. Donnie was growing rapidly and had already broken through the ceiling above them when Patience thought of something that could be just crazy enough to work. While they tried to dodge falling tiles and debris, she pointed to Donnie's feet which had grown enough to burst from his shoes and had taken to looking more like a reptile's feet. Although his wrists and ankles were now too big for the bracelets to fit, Patience had spotted a part of Donnie that they would fit on perfectly. "Quick!! TOE!!!" --- "I-..." Stevie hesitated. "You promise not to laugh?" Denix Vames - May 23, 2022 Theron squirmed in his hold. "Stop giving me that look. I don't know how to deal with it. You're scaring me!" "Get your hands off of my brother!" ,said Sam who ran over. "Stop!" Dariel stood in front of him. He let the knife fall. "Is it true? Did you really torture their friends?" Sam forced his mouth open. He cut into his tongue. In a moment, they kissed with Dariel's blood staining them. Dariel blushed when the kiss broke. "Yes I did." He felt confused but also happy. He took some steps back. "What is going on here?!" ,shouted Insanity. Surprising everyone by his new form. He grabbed Desi and threw him off of Warren. His eyes glowed red. "Leave my family alone!" Nate ran over to him. Insanity grabbed him by his neck and threw him to the wall where he collapsed. Insanity pierced his claws into Oscar's shoulder. Glaring at him. "Let him go!" --- Will suddenly laughed. His face was becoming red from it all. "I get it now! You're just a really old child. No discipline at all." --- "Well, anything that can prove that you're alive. You did some tests in the past for many topics. Maybe you could do another one for this?" ,said Harris. --- Phineas sat in the living room chair. "I'm sorry. I still feel such great shame for having done that in front of you. It makes me feel ill." He massaged his temples. "I don't know what to do about this." --- "Oh Hannes! Because of you, I never lost hope. I've made so much great progress. Your love is the reason why I'm here. I would sacrifice myself for you." Jean passionately kissed him. --- Gabriel caught her. "I've got you." River appeared in front of Donnie. He quickly placed the bracelet over his toe before he was thrown back by a wing. He hit the floor and clutched to his large wound which was on his chest. He spat out blood. A pool of it surrounded him. Before he could do anything else, he passed out. Shadowess - May 23, 2022 "What the- ahh!!" Oscar almost buckled from the sharp pain shooting through his shoulder. He sucked air in through his teeth. "Where the hell did you come from?!" he said through gritted teeth. "Fuck it!" he let go of Theron and hurriedly shoved his hand into his pocket to pull out his bracelet. "Sire!" Warren ran forward and shoved his arm in the way just as Oscar lifted his hand to try to snap the bracelet around Insanity's wrist. The band wrapped around Warren's wrist instead. "Wha-? Are you fucking kidding me?!" Oscar despaired. At that moment, Rickster appeared and woke up in the room. Dazed, he sat up and looked around at the chaos. "How did this happen?! How long was I out?!" he gasped. He looked over at both Nate and Desi who both seemed to be out for the count. Then to Insanity whom he didn't recognise in the new form. "Son of a-! Oscar, who has the last bracelet?!" "Desi had it! Hurry!" Oscar shouted back while trying to writhe out of Insanity's grip. Riskter shot to his feet and ran for Desi to try and get the last bracelet before any of the boys or Warren could head him off. He would then of course need to figure out how he was going to get it onto Insanity's wrist given he was far stronger and faster than Rickster. --- "Watch it," Carol warned, glaring at him darkly. David knew that look all too well. It was a look she'd get when she used to be a Demon, right before savagely murdering whoever it was that was getting on her nerves. He hurriedly faked a cough into his fist to get their attention before things could escalate further. "Forgive the interruption but I have a few questions. I'm sure Carol will tell me the story of how she got her own body another time so let's just stick to what's relevant for now. What started these disagreements with you in the first place? How did you end up handcuffing her and getting her to tell you about Angel?" "They wouldn't let me go and party." Carol huffed while rolling her eyes. "Why?" David asked, looking a little puzzled then gave her a sideways glance. "What were you up to?" "Nothing!" Carol protested his suspicions of her. "I just wanted to drink, smoke and have some fun! Is that a crime now?" --- "Most of my experiments were potions and serums..." Clementine folded her arms. "... except the dolls..." she said slowly then shook her head. "No... that's a slippery slope. I can't do things like that anymore." She sighed and glanced around the room. "No, I'll just have to take this one day at a time and hope that this time... it really is real." --- Kasper frowned and knelt down in front of him while placing a hand on his thigh. "Phineas, it's done," he said gently. "There is no taking it back but you have already apologised and I have already forgiven you." he looked at the rod with sad eyes. "Go," he said softly. "I can't go with you but this is something that you need to do. For you. So that you can move on, once and for all." he moved his hand to hold his and gave him a small smile. "I'll be right here, waiting for you to come home. Then we can get some chickens." --- "I never doubted you for a second! You must tell me everything! I've missed so much since I've been gone." Hannes looked at him lovingly while caressing his cheek. "But first, let me just hold you in my arms. I've missed everything about you. Your voice, your scent, the way that you kiss." he kissed him again, as if unable to resist his desires. When the kiss broke, he moved his mouth to Jean's ear and whispered an old german poem. "Dû bist mîn, ih bin dîn: Des solt dû gewis sîn. dû bist beslozzen in mînem herzen; verlorn ist daz sluzzelîn dû muost immer drinne sîn." Translated it would be; "Thou art mine, I am thine! Certain of this thou must be. Locked thou art within mine heart Wherein thou must ever be." Hannes would then leave small, sweet kisses on Jean's neck. --- Immediately, Donnie stopped growing. "What?! No!!" He growled as the bracelet forced him to revert back to his human form. Having torn through his clothes when he'd been growing, he now stood naked before them, bar his new toe ring which had shrunk in size to remain where it had been placed. "No! No, no, no!!!" He knelt down and tried to pry the ring off his toe but it was no use. It wouldn't budge. In a desperate attempt, he lunged towards where the scalpel had fallen with the intention of using it to cut either the ring or his toe off. One of the Angelic soldiers brought his foot down onto Donnie's hand, making him wince. The Angelic soldier then kicked the scalpel across the hospital floor before grabbing Donnie and dragging him to his feet. "It's over Donnie Shadow." "It will never be over," Donnie growled defiantly. One of the nurses who had managed to take cover had rushed over to Patience. She spoke to her quickly in Swedish and pointed to her skirt which was covered in blood. "Oh! No, it's ok." Patience shook her head at the nurse then smirked at Donnie before lifting her skirt to reveal cuts that she'd made high up on both of her thighs. "I'll only need a couple of stitches." She said triumphantly and Donnie stared at her in disbelief. "But-? My baby-?" he stammered, struggling to understand. "Was never in any danger." She finished. "But I had to make you think that to get me back to Earth." --- "I-..." Stevie hesitated. "You promise not to laugh?"

shadowess - May 22, 2022 They all stood outside of Desi's old Harem. Rickster shivered. "Oh yeah... I've been here before..." "You have?" Desi rose a brow at him. "Yeah... you weren't here at the time... Me and Ricky hid from David when we went on one of our escape attempts... We uh- 'blended in' to hide in plain sight." Rickster's face turned red. "Oh my!" Desi placed a hand over his mouth as he smirked. "You MUST tell us that story when we're done!" "I'll pass," Oscar said uncomfortably. "Can we just get this over with?" "Let's make sure we're ready. Knowing Donnie and his spells, he'd probably set a trap or some kind of alarm system that might be tripped when we cross the threshold." Rickster pointed out. --- David appeared immediately and gave them all a puzzled look before his eyes landed on Carol. At first, he struggled to believe it could be her but then he saw the way she smirked at him followed by a greeting that was very typical for Carol. "Hi there, sweet thing." "How-?" David gasped. "Your daughter. The newest one. Bless her, she's a darling isn't she?" "She's twisted," Parker commented, referring to Carol. "That's not very nice!" Carol chirped. "I thought she was lovely!" "I was talking about you!" "Well anyone who ever knew me knows that sweety. Just ask David." Carol grinned and looked back at David who now seemed a little embarrassed as the others turned their attentions to him. "Uh-... it's... complicated." "How?!" River demanded. "She was talking about torturing souls and loving it!" "Interrogating." Carol corrected him. "And more often than not, they were usually Angels or Demons. Souls were beneath a Demon of my skillset." "She's right. She wasn't a punisher Demon like Oscar used to be." David agreed. "Lucifer had enemies and Carol was tasked with routing them out... and she was good at it." "They think that makes me evil, darling." "That's still up for debate." David shot back but this only made Carol laugh heartily. "Still so sharp!" "Twisted? Yes. Evil? No. But she's... uh... I want to say brutal but with the best intentions?" "Anti-hero, darling." "That's one way of putting it..." David sighed and glanced between them. "She's ruthless and has questionable methods but she's certainly not evil. If she were, neither myself nor Amelia would be alive now. She helped me to protect and raise her when we found her in Hell... Instead of turning us in to Lucifer." "Hurt me to betray him like that," Carol admitted with a sigh. "But she was innocent and David was just trying to do what was right." "That and our friendship, right?" David rose a brow at Carol. "Sure thing." Carol bantered with a wink. --- "I don't know if I want to," Clementine admitted. "It-... it frightens me," she told him as she pulled away to look at him. "What if this makes me vulnerable? I used to use my enemy's love against them all the time as a Demon. What if I allow myself to love and it's used against me?" --- Kasper had jumped a little when he saw the rod again but then he looked at Phineas with a confused expression. "But I'm just a soul. I can't go back to Earth... can I?" --- "I doubt it." Niko sighed. "It seems like nothing I do makes a difference. I know they're gone but up here?" he tapped the side of his head. "They're still very real." Jessica tensed at this and she exchanged a worried glance with Ben. If Niko was struggling this much when he thought they were no longer a threat, how would he react to finding out they were still out there somewhere? Niko turned to Jean, desperate. "Right now, I just need sleep. I'll keep visiting the therapist like I said I would but it's hard when I'm so drained all the time. I don't know what your powers are but... is there a way for you to make me sleep but also stop me dreaming for a little while?" --- "Of course." Donnie nodded but couldn't help smirking as he recalled the time Insanity literally took his head off out of anger. He could feel himself becoming aroused again at the memory. 'Unless they're into it.' he thought privately to Insanity. "Go and talk to him. Let him know that you're strength could also be used to protect him. Help him feel safe." he said to Sam reassuringly. Donnie might've noticed the group appearing near their home if it hadn't been for one more distraction that was caused at that moment. Patience was shouting his name and banging on her bedroom door, begging to be let out. Donnie rose a brow and looked at Warren. "Why is our surrogate locked in her room?" Warren's face turned red and he flustered a little. "Forgive me. I meant to tell you sooner but you were um...occupied. I caught her talking to Dariel when he stumbled into the palace. She was trying to convince him that you're all evil and dangerous. So, I stepped in and locked her in her room to wait for you." "What?" Donnie's pupils shrank with rage. "I knew she was lying!" he growled as he marched over to her door and slammed his fist against it. Patience audibly squealed out of surprise. "Shut up you traitorous bitch! You can stay in there until my child is born!" "Donnie-!" Patience shouted through. "Enough! I don't want to hear any more of your lies!" "Donnie, please!" "What were you planning, huh?! Destroy us in our sleep!? Gathering information this whole time?! Tell me!" "DONNIE HELP ME!!!" Donnie paused mid-rant. She sounded panicked. Scared. Something was wrong and he had an awful feeling that it wasn't his doing. "DONNIE!!" "Warren, unlock the door! Now!" Warren rushed forward and shoved the key into the lock. He turned it quickly and Donnie swung the door open before freezing in the doorway. Patience was sitting on the bed, sobbing and holding her stomach. Her skirt was drenched in blood. "Please help me! Please! I don't know what's wrong!" she wept, rocking back and forth. "M-my, my-..." Donnie stammered. His face turned pale and his heart ached. He spun around to Insanity. "My baby! We need to take her to an Earth hospital!" --- By the time Stevie was leaving for school the next day, someone had already found the bodies and reported them to the authorities. So as not to arouse suspicion, he took his normal route which would have taken him to the scene of the crime. He gave the officers a puzzled look when they stopped him on his route and he told them he hadn't seen anything the night before on his journey home. He told them that he'd walked through the park around twenty minutes before their time of death so that in their reports, he would have just missed them. The lies came so naturally that he surprised himself by how convincing he was. But he knew, deep down, that this wasn't his doing. His words and actions were being manipulated by his new 'friend'. He didn't mind, of course. As long as it protected him and gave him the means to defend himself, he was happy. The kind police officers finally let him go but told him to take another route to school, which he did. Apart from that, his day was more or less normal. He had to sit through the school eulogy for his bullies but he knew it would only be a matter of time before everyone stopped talking about their deaths. He kept his flute in his pocket and occasionally ran his fingers over it for comfort. Denix Vames - May 22, 2022 "If there are any spells, then how can we possibly get in?" ,asked Nate. --- Will let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm going to let you out of these cuffs but I will keep an eye on you." He took the cuffs off of her. --- "Love may be able to be twisted but it can also be used as a person's greatest weapon. Love is the reason why I gave you a chance. I could have easily killed you but I chose to spare you. Because of our friendship." ,said Harris. --- "Oh....Maybe we should postpone the trip?" The rod disappeared. "I'll wait until you're an Angel." --- Jean frowned. "My powers are still somewhat new to me but I'll try." He raised his hands and casted his aura over him. Attempting to find that specific ability of his. Hoping that he could make Niko sleep in peace. --- Insanity ran into the room and lifted Patience into his arms. "Let's go dear. We can leave this place for Theron and Sam to protect." Sam walked over to the kitchen. He could see Dariel. Cowering in fear. "I'm sorry about before. It won't happen again. With my powers, I'll never let anyone hurt you." "How do I know that you won't kill me again?" Dariel stood. Sam frowned. "Because I love you." Dariel walked over until he was in his arms. Theron heard the commotion and headed to where Patience was. "Gross! Is she having a body coming out of her? I don't like this! I don't understand! It's so scary!" "Theron, it'll be alright. We can teach you about this later." ,said Insanity. --- Cory was passing down the hall once class was over. Stevie would be able to spot him and recognize him as a bully. Cory had done a lot of things to students that he had considered lower but stopped after making new friends. Still, he felt terrible about what he did before. Shadowess - May 22, 2022 "We just walk in, I guess..." Rickster shrugged. "There's no way for us to know what kinds of traps they might've set unless we actually spring them. We'll have to be careful, and ready for anything." "There must be another way!" Oscar protested. "If we just waltz in there like this, we'll lose the element of surprise!" "We could try splitting up?" Desi suggested thoughtfully. "Two of us enter from the front entrance and two go around to the back?" --- "About time. They were starting to get uncomfortable." Carol smirked. "You haven't changed a bit." David shook his head a little. "I mean..." she looked down at herself then rose a brow at him. "I have changed -a little-." "I meant your personality. You're still a pain in the backside." "Aww! Thank you!" she grinned. Once she was uncuffed, she stood and stretched before turning to River and caressing his chest with her fingers. "Now then, should we pick up where we left off?" Annoyed, River snatched her hand from his chest and shoved it away from him. "I don't think so," he said moodily before turning and going to his room, slamming the door behind him. "Hmph! Wonder what's made him so grumpy?" Carol tutted and Parker scoffed at her. "Seriously?" "Hmm?" "You! Your attitude! The things you did!" "Do you mean to tell me that none of you have done terrible things in the past?" Carol asked sceptically with a hand on her hip. "...What? That's not-" "Oh, but I think it is." Carol interrupted his flustering. "The only real reason you judge me so harshly is because I can do the one thing that none of you is capable of doing!" "Oh?" Parker laughed in disbelief. "Which is?" "Embrace. My past!" Carol emphasised and this caused Parker to fall silent. "The things I did were what made me who I am today. Therefore, I regret nothing! and that just pisses you off, doesn't it?" she grinned. "Because to you, the only way to move forward and become better is to feel shame and regret the horrid things that you did. But then I come along and I'm proud, shameless and free from regret and that just boils your blood, doesn't it?" Parker was angry but also speechless. His face had turned red as he glared at Carol. "That's enough." David sighed and walked over to Carol, gripping her arm. "Making friends as per usual, Carol..." "Always, sweety." David looked at Will and Parker apologetically. "She takes some getting used to but believe me, she's not bad. I'll take her out of your hair. Where she will be safe and won't get into any trouble." "Ugh! Can everyone please stop trying to lock me away!?" Carol complained as she tried to pull her arm free. "Is it too much to ask that I spend my first day of freedom doing what I want?!" --- Clementine listened to Harris, trying to understand what he was saying but she frowned at his words and stepped away from him. "You're angry with me," she observed. Her voice was quiet. She lowered her eyes and looked around the room, struggling to look at him again as she thought about how she used to treat him. "You have every right to be." She looked down at her hands. Struggling to imagine a future after everything she'd done. "Why am I here?! For what purpose was I brought back?!" --- "I-... I don't know." Kasper said with a shrug. "I don't know if becoming an Angel is something that I want. I'm perfectly happy to just stay here and have a peaceful life with you. I don't need feathery wings for that." --- Niko tried to relax and he closed his eyes as he felt the aura wash over him. He could feel his drowsiness build-up and he feared that he would fall over if he didn't sit down. Before he could move over to the chair, however, he caught a flash of Donnie's face in his mind and let out a gasp while visibly jumping. "N-no! Stop! S-stop! I don't want it!" he panicked as he snapped his eyes back open and kept blinking to try to force himself to stay awake. He was shaking violently and had broken out in a cold sweat. --- Patience didn't fight when Insanity picked her up but she sobbed as she looked between them. "Please hurry!" she cried. Warren looked at Patience's stomach which was much too small for her to be anywhere near ready for labour. "It's too early!" he gasped. "No shit!" Donnie snapped then looked at Theron. "Keep an eye on the palace, boy! Keep our home and family safe!" "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'll do anything you want! Just please hurry!" Patience continued to sob. Donnie hurried over to Insanity and placed a hand on his shoulder. He gave him a deeply worried look before teleporting them outside of a hospital. They'd hurry in and Patience would immediately notice that she didn't recognise any of the letters on the posters and signs dotted around the building. Donnie immediately began speaking to a nurse rapidly and fluently in a language she didn't know either. As soon as the nurse prompted Insanity to place her onto a bed which they then began wheeling towards a room, she looked at him puzzled. "Wh-where are we?" Donnie smirked. He was walking with Insanity alongside her bed. "You didn't think I'd just teleport us to a hospital in the US, did you? Where we'd easily be recognised and could lose you again? I don't think so. Welcome to Sweden." Contrary to Donnie's belief, however, the Angelic spies who spend most of their time in the form of doves, that had been previously instructed to watch the world's cities by Gabriel and report any sightings of Donnie immediately, had spotted them appear outside of the hospital. Without delay, they had taken off to report what they'd seen. --- Stevie spotted Cory and stared at him as he walked by. He recalled being bullied. His back still hurt from the beating Ty had given him a few days ago. He couldn't help but look around the school now and see only bullies walking the halls. The groups who would jeer as he walked by. The girls who would smirk at him then turn to giggle at each other as if sharing some joke about him that he wasn't aware of. He felt surrounded. Outnumbered. The hallway was spinning. His heart was racing and his mouth had dried up. His throat felt tight and deep, deep down he was seething. They're all rotten! All of them! But he can take care of that... He caressed the flute in his pocket and smirked to himself. "Hey! This kid's jerking off in the halls!" Stevie was snapped out of his thoughts and stared red-faced at the big kid that was pointing at him and laughing. They couldn't see the flute in his pocket, they could just see something poking the fabric and he was holding it. "What a creep!" "Dude, eww! What the fuck?!" "He couldn't wait until he got home to his crusty sock, I guess! Hahaha!!" His face grew redder and redder. The jeers surrounded him and the room seemed to spin out of control. The laughter felt like it was getting louder and louder. "S-Stop it! I wasn't!" he complained and his voice squeaked as he did, which only made the taunts and laughter worse. "I-I said stop it! I'll make you pay!! I'll make you all pay!!!" he yelled. More laughter. He was getting ready to pull the flute out when the bell rang. Everyone started filing out of the hall. A few of them pushed passed him as they did. One knocked him down. Sobbing, he picked himself up and ran into the bathroom to lock himself into the cubicle.

Denix Vames - May 20, 2022 Leo kissed Oscar. "Show them who's boss." Ricky smirked. "Go get them tiger." "But you did the work anyway. That tells me that you really cared. You probably still do even if you can't do the same job anymore. Maybe you'll fine that special someone. Everyone gets to. Even the ones who think they're always going to be alone." ,said Bryce. --- "It definitely is." Ben thought back to the men that he used to work with. He frowned. "Will and the officers.....I haven't visited them at all. I really should let them know what I'm doing. But later. Right now, this is more important." He held her hand. --- Will clenched his fists. He was shaking as tears fell. He grit his teeth. Glaring at her. "How?! How could you let that happen? I know he was Lucifer but still! You couldn't at least try to save her?! She was just a fucking kid!" He recalled the way Balconi died. "Did you even love her? Cause it sure as hell doesn't sound like it!" He slammed his fist on the table. "You were better off stuck in Amelia's body! At least you had some sense in there!" --- Harris gently hugged her. "Yes, I did read your thoughts but I was serious about what I said before. I will never abandon you. You may used me before but things have changed. I can see that now. And I will help you learn the ways of a human. I may not be one but I have seen what humans do. So yes, I will stay with you forever." --- "I promise. I swear to you that I will never commit another violent act again." Phineas kissed his forehead. He helped him stand. "Let us go inside. I could make us something wonderful. Or try to. Maybe you and I could attempt to cook?" Nate's eyes widened when he was healed. Hearing his words, he suddenly hugged him. "That's all I needed to hear." He awkwardly clear his throat as he blushed. "I did sort of told Tom that I quit being in Heaven's army and decided to sell handmade soaps." He nervously smiled. "I uh...hope you don't mind." --- Jean knocked on the door. "Excuse me, Niko? May I come in?" shadowess - May 20, 2022 Both Oscar and Rickster smiled at their partners before looking at each other uncertainly. Desi glanced around the room again, looking a little annoyed. "Nate, are you coming with us or do we need to replace you?" he asked. "Oh, I don't know about that." Atma chuckled and shook her head a little. "I don't really know anyone outside of this house, so I don't tend to go out much to meet anyone new. Not that I would know what to say or how to act." she shrugged. --- Jessica gave Ben's hand a gentle squeeze. "We'll say hi to them when this whole thing blows over." she kissed his cheek. "Ready when you are." --- Carol watched Will's reaction with a calm expression. "Correction," she said about a minute after he'd finished speaking. "She was eighteen when she died. Sixteen when we split then Lucifer and I stuck around on Earth for a further two years. During that time he protected her and her land. Two years. Two. Full. Years. Of Angelica pining after him and refusing to accept that loving him could ruin her. Of her refusing to take his warnings seriously. He didn't kill her out of malice, Will. He did it to try to save her soul because she simply wasn't willing to save it herself. Even I had tried to talk to her but she wouldn't listen. 'you'll see, he'll change.' she'd say. 'He just needs someone who loves him for who he really is.' she'd tell me." Carol rolled her eyes. "As if after two years she'd somehow know the true Lucifer! Besides, even if I tried to stop him, I'd have turned to ash the moment I'd raised a hand against him. Because that's what the Devil's contract does. It destroys your soul for breaking your vow." She then shrugged. "As for love? I cared about her, sure. But love? That's just a weakness to be exploited. And I wasn't weak. Do you want to know what kind of Demon I was when I was Lucifer's loyal servant?" She grinned and leaned forward. "I got off on pain. The pain I inflicted and the pain inflicted upon me. You can't hurt someone that loves to be hurt. That's what made me a good interrogator and soldier. There wasn't anyone that I couldn't torture the truth out of. Not a damn soul." "My God..." River gasped, turning pale. Mentally, he couldn't help but compare Carol to Donnie and Insanity. "You're-... No, this must be a joke? But... Amelia? Don't you love her? She said you're like a mother to her! You sacrificed yourself for her!" Carol's grin slipped and she sat back, staring at the floor. "I did... I-I do... That was the Demon that I WAS. But then Lucifer left... without any warning... not even to me... his most loyal Demon... Just... gone... and there was a hole left... I was so lost... without purpose... then David found Amelia and the little brat wormed her way into my heart! She filled the hole that Lucifer had left... She was my new purpose. My child. My little Hellion." Carol smiled a little while staring off, remembering watching Amelia grow up. --- Clementine tensed up when Harris wrapped his arms around her. She remained stiff as he spoke and awkwardly placed her hands on his arms in an uncertain hug. She wasn't used to so many displays of emotion in one day and this was far more compassion than she was used to so didn't know how to react to it. But she wanted to show him that she appreciated his words so she timidly moved her arms further around him until she was fully embracing him. For a few seconds, it had felt utterly unfamiliar but then settled into how warm the hug was and the soothing feeling that came with it. She let out a long breath as her body relaxed more into it. As if the hug itself was pushing all of her tension and apprehension out of her. Tears stung her eyes and she tried to blink them back while resting her chin on his shoulder. "Why have I never done this before?" she asked in a broken voice as she referred to the hug. "How does such a simple gesture affect me so? I don't understand this but I don't want it to end. Harris, what is this?" --- "M-m-maybe." Kasper nodded as he stood. He took his hand and hugged his arm while resting his head against it as they walked. "What should we make?" The Angel tensed when Nate hugged him but he did nothing to stop him. He then turned to look at Nate when he spoke to him and couldn't help smirking when Tom was mentioned. "Ah yes, your love." He chuckled, recalling the way Tom had stood up to him to defend Nate in the church. "I can see why you fell for him. He's as defiant and stubborn as you. You don't need to explain, Naoutha. Your life is your own. But what about your friends?" he asked, referring to Desi who was currently calling for Nate. --- Niko paused as he placed the glass back down on the little table. He sighed at Jean's voice. After the nightmare he'd just had, he wasn't exactly in the mood for company. Still, he knew that if he didn't open the door, Jean would likely just pop into the room anyway. "I'm comi- yeah, hang on." he stammered, tripping over his words out of nerves. He walked over to the door and unlocked it to let Jean in. "Guten Tag." he greeted him then turned back into the room and walked back to the little table. "Did you want a drink?" he offered politely while hoping Jean wouldn't point out the dark circles under his eyes. Denix Vames - May 21, 2022 "My little business wouldn't keep me away from helping my friends." Nate smiled. "I'll see you some other time." He appeared back in the mansion. "Can't a guy have a little moment between the man he nearly killed all those years ago? Anyway, I'm coming. Don't pull your dick off." --- Will stepped closer to her. "Do you still want to torture souls? Answer honestly. Do you miss that pain? The horrendous wounds that you gave to those poor souls? Do you relive it in your mind? Because if that is the case then I'm going to have to talk to David about this." --- Harris smiled with tears in his eyes. "It's love." --- "Something that was popular after my death. A dish that people still make to this day. I tried Eggs Benedict but I do want to attempt to make it. That's the dish that the doctor introduced me too. It tasted wonderful." ,said Phineas. --- Ben and Jessica had appeared as Jean entered Niko's room. "Uh, did we come here at a bad time? It looks like you're about to have a conversation." ,said Ben. "Don't worry. Just make yourselves feel right at home. I will be with you in a moment." Jean closed the door. Jean floated over to Niko. "We need to talk. I heard your....nightmare. I just want you to know that you can tell me anything. Please don't feel like that you need to keep this to yourself." --- Sam rocked back and forth with Dariel's body in his arms. He was sobbing and screaming. There was blood everywhere. He had stabbed him many times. Eventually ending his life. Dariel was hiding in the kitchen. Unsure as to how he came back alive but still frightened of Sam. Insanity lifted his head up. "Something's wrong! Sam!" shadowess - May 22, 2022 "Oh, uh- We didn't know where you'd gone." Desi fumbled out of embarrassment as Nate appeared. "We should get moving. God only knows who they'll try to hurt next if we leave things for too long." Oscar stole one last kiss from Leo before moving away from him to stand with the others. He took a bracelet out of the box and placed it in his pocket. "Ready when you guys are." Rickster caressed Ricky's cheek and kissed him as well. "I'll be back soon." he winked then stood and took a bracelet out of the box as well, standing with the group. --- "Yet again, you're jumping to conclusions about me." Carol shrugged and folded one leg over the other with a cocky expression. "But sure, go ahead. Call David. I can't wait to see his face when he sees that I'm finally free!" she giggled gleefully. --- "Love?" Clementine whispered. "I've never felt anything like this. I never understood what people meant when they said they loved someone. Is this really what it feels like? To be loved? To love? It's- It's-..." she didn't know how to end the sentence. She was so overwhelmed with emotion that she found her words getting caught in her throat. --- Kasper sniffled and wiped some of his tears away with his sleeve. "I like eggs," he said as they walked back to the house. "I asked my mother once if we could get some chickens. I said I'd look after them and build the coop but she said no. I think she was scared of them." he chuckled a little then glanced back at the large field behind their cottage. "Maybe we could get some here?" --- Niko's eyes widened when Jessica and Ben appeared then he quickly turned his attention back to his drink to hide his face. Then Jean spoke and he tensed, gripping the glass tightly. "I'm fine," he said quietly as he brought the glass up to his lips. "I'm just tired. I-..." he hesitated. "I've been struggling to sleep," he admitted before drinking almost all of the glass. Feeling some small relief wash over him as the venom numbed him a little. Every time he tried to sleep he ended up having the same nightmare. Like he was stuck, being forced to relive his trauma every time he closed his eyes. --- Donnie shot out of the bed and threw his clothes on hurriedly. As he and Insanity ran towards Sam, Warren joined them, having run out of Theron's room as soon as he heard the screams. Donnie ground to a halt when they reached Sam's room. He looked at the body and then the knife, then at Sam. "Why are you crying?" he asked him, genuinely puzzled. He knelt and stared at his son. "Stop. Breathe. Don't forget where you are. He might be dead but he is not gone. He'll be in the house somewhere. I placed a spell around us to keep anyone who dies under our roof here." He stood and snapped his fingers at Warren. "Clean this mess up." "Yes, sire," Warren answered obediently and moved forward to take Dariel's body. "Listen to me carefully. I gave you a gift when I changed you. If you focus, you should be able to see where your friend is hiding." Donnie instructed Sam. He had no intention of coddling him and wanted him to overcome his emotions on his own. --- Stevie got off his school bus hurriedly and started to walk briskly through the park to get home. As usual, his bullies had followed him and were yelling taunts at him. He kept his head down and tried his best to ignore them. His black hair covered his face as he kept his head lowered. He was debating making a run for it when something hard struck the back of his head. He yelped and fell forward. His bullies erupted into laughter and jeers as he scrambled to sit up while holding the back of his head. He saw blood on the floor and a sharp rock which had apparently been thrown. Tearfully, he stood and glared at his bullies who only jeered more at his scowl. "Ohhh! Look what you did Ty! You've made him all mad!" one of them laughed. "Throw another one!" another shouted. "What you guna do scruff?! You think you're tough, do ya? Fucking bring it then!" the boy names Ty threw his arms up to challenge Stevie. But Stevie knew better. Ty was a lot bigger and stronger than he was. He pulled his backpack back on and then turned to walk away. "Haha! That's it scruff! Walk away!" "Fucking coward!" "He's crying! Hahaha!" Crying bitterly as he tried to walk away, Stevie sniffled "Fucking assholes..." "What was that scruff?!" Ty yelled angrily and Stevie stopped in his tracks, his heart dropping. He hadn't meant to say it out loud! "You got something to say?! You want me to beat you into next week, scruff?!" "Ooooh! He's done it now!" "Ty's guna fucking kill him! Haha!" Stevie turned around to see Ty marching toward him. "N-no! I-I didn't say anything! I swear! I didn't say-!" Before he could say anything else, Stevie found himself curled up on the path being kicked repeatedly by his bully. "Fucking hell, Ty! Stop! You're actually going to kill him!!" "Shit! Dude!" The thug's cronies pulled him off and Stevie lay groaning, bruised and bloody. "Oh, shit... we need to get out of here." "Shouldn't we like, get him to a hospital?" "No way! He'll be fine! Won't you scruff? And don't you dare tell anyone who did this to you or I really will kill you next time!" Stevie blacked out just as they started to run away from him. He came to a few hours later. The sun had already set and the park was enveloped in darkness. One silhouette stood out against the dark area, and that was of a dead tree. Groaning and whimpering in pain, Stevie managed to pull himself to his feet and limp over to it, finding himself fascinated by it. When he reached the tree, he couldn't help himself and lifted his hand to feel the bark. He could feel something emanating from it. Like static but somehow different. It was oddly comforting. Like it was somehow a living thing and it was whispering wordless encouragement. He reached up and grabbed one of the thick branches. It snapped off without any force and he held it in his hands before looking up at the tree. "Thank you..." he whispered to the broken trunk. "I will cherish your gift." Once he had mostly recovered from his injuries, he returned to school. There, he used the branch during his shop class to carve it into a flute. He then carefully placed the flute into his pocket and kept hold of it as he got on the bus at the end of the day. The bus pulled up at its usual spot. Stevie got off and headed towards the park. Footsteps. Jeers. The usual taunts. They got to the centre of the park... where they had beaten him up last time, and he stopped abruptly. He turned to face them and then pulled his hood up over his head. "Oooh! Scruff thinks he's being tough again!" "Kick his face in Ty!" Stevie pulled the flute out of his pocket and placed it to his lips. He was nervous. He'd never played the flute before but somehow he just knew what he needed to do. "What is THAT?!" the bullies started howling with laughter. "Scruff is guna play us a song! haha!" "I'm going to snap it into pieces when I'm done with you today, scruff!" Stevie blew into the flute as Ty started to march towards him again. His fingers moved over the holes flawlessly and the melody that he created penetrated the thoughts of his aggressors. Within seconds, all three of his bullies were being forced to live through their worst nightmares. Their hallucinations, both visual and audio, were so convincing that they believed what they were seeing to be real. As a result, they each thought they were fighting the other two for survival and by the time Stevie stopped playing, all three of his bullies had killed each other. He stared at their bodies for a long moment, breathless from playing the flute as well as his adrenaline. He then looked down at his instrument and laughed as tears rolled down his cheeks and he hugged the flute to his cheek. "Thank you! Thank you! I will always cherish you!" he said to it before running away from the scene of his crime to wait things out. To any officer, this was an open and shut case. The way the boys died made it clear that they fought each other and that no one else was involved. All Stevie had to do now, was hide his flute and keep his head down. Denix Vames - May 22, 2022 Nate smirked. "God wouldn't know Hell if it hit him in the back of his head." He placed his hands on both men's shoulders before teleporting everyone in front of the Brothel. --- Will kept glaring. He said, "David? We need to talk. It's about Carol. She told us about her past. The thing is, I don't know if she's a better person now. She smiled when she talked about torturing damned souls." --- "It's hard to understand now but you'll get this feeling the more you let it enter your heart." ,said Harris. --- Phineas smiled. "It'll be just like my old farm. But first..." The iron rod appeared in his hand. "I should return this to Harvard. That's where they've been keeping my skull and tool safe. The university. Would you like to come with me?" --- "I know why you're having trouble sleeping." Jean lowered himself so that he could stand on the floor. He placed a hand on his shoulder. "The garden is the one place that has always made me feel safe and happy. Maybe you could go there? Would that help?" --- Insanity sat next to Sam. He held him close. "Your father's right. Take a moment to breath and look." Sam took a deep breath before focusing on his surroundings. He could see Dariel hiding by a corner of the kitchen. He frowned. "He's scared of me." "Oh dear." Insanity brushed his tears off with his thumb. "He may be frightened but I'm sure if you explain everything to him and build trust with each other then you will both be alright. It's alright to go crazy when making love but don't kill your partner. Always love and respect them. Isn't that right, Donnie dear?" --- Salvo had felt much better. He was well enough to go about his day without any assistance. However, he had become sensitive to the supernatural. A sixth sense. His head lifted. He looked at Mon. "Do you feel that?" "Feel what boss?" ,said Bert. "Something doesn't feel right. Something's....off."

Denix Vames - May 14, 2022 Leo sadly smiled. Wondering if this would be the last time that he would see Oscar. "Yeah, I know. And I'd do the same for you." He bit his lip. "I love you too." Ricky frowned but nodded. "I promise I will." Tears dripped down his cheeks. "The idea of you being gone forever. It just breaks me." "I'm not surprised. Donnie's really been giving us Hell." ,said Bryce. --- "So, who should we tell? Just Jean?" ,asked Ben. --- Will gently pushed her away as he stood between them. He glared. "That's it. You're under house arrest until Donnie is gone for good. If you even attempt to leave this place then I will handcuff you to it." --- Harris shrugged. "I guess you just live your life. Although, we do need to get you some women's clothes. They'll fit you more than what you're wearing." --- "Kasper!" Phineas ran out of the house. He opened the gate and stood near him. "Kasper! I'm so sorry. Please don't be scared. I would never do that to you. You know why I stabbed that Angel, right? But either way, it wasn't helpful." He sat next to him. "Please dear. Don't be scared of me. I would never harm you." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I love you." Nate glared. "For saying all that crap to me at the church. And for also letting God play his little games on me. You know he was a sick fuck back then who just wanted to see his purposefully-to-be-made mistake of an Angel." shadowess - May 16, 2022 Oscar brushed some of Leo's hair from his face and then traced his lower lip with his thumb. He hated to see him sad. "Hey, don't let Ricky play my games. Took me forever to get those high scores!" He smirked, hoping to make Leo laugh. "If the top four high scores don't read 'You eat dis ass', I'll be so annoyed when I get back!" Rickster closed his eyes tightly as he held on to Ricky. It took him a moment to respond. "I'm trying not to think like that. I can't. I have to believe that I'll come back to you..." he pulled back to look into his eyes and cupped his face in his hands, using both thumbs to wipe away some of Ricky's tears. "I -will- come back to you." "No pun intended?" Atma smiled at Bryce, hoping to lift his spirits at least a little. "So, how did you meet Viktor?" she asked with a small smile while looking at him intently. She knew a vague version of the story from when Viktor had told her once after she had caught him sneaking back into the mansion in the early hours. She was hoping to distract him a little by thinking of something a bit more pleasant. --- "I think that'd be best." Jessica nodded then jumped out of bed and started to get dressed. --- "Kinky." Carol giggled then stared at Will with a more serious expression. "Look, I spent almost twenty years of my life trapped in someone else's mind. Then a further twenty years stuck in Amelia's head. I'm done with being cooped up with no freedom to make my own decisions! So if you're not going to let me out of this house then you may as well handcuff me, because I guarantee that I'll find a way to leave the first chance I get!" "Wait- forty years? Who else-?" Parker started but Carol shook her head. "A story for another time. When I have more time to tell it." "I think you've got plenty of time." River made Carol jump as he'd appeared right behind her. He grabbed her wrists and held them behind her back while she struggled. "And you have a lot of explaining to do." "Oh?" "You're nothing like I thought you were." "Well sweety, that's more your own fault than mine. I never once pretended to be anything different than I am." she kept struggling but quickly grew frustrated at how much stronger he was in comparison to her. "God, I miss my powers..." she huffed when she eventually gave up trying to break free from his grip. --- Clementine looked down at herself and grimaced. "Yes. I do miss my dresses..." she said as she recalled the collection of pristine victorian-style children's dresses that she used to wear. "Ah...perhaps I should try the more modern styles for a change? I imagine I would look out of place otherwise." --- Hyperventilating, Kasper could barely see Phineas through his tears. He clutched his chest which hurt from how fast his heart was racing and his head spun as he struggled to regain control of his breathing. He shook his head at first when Phineas asked him if he knew why he'd stabbed the Angel. But he couldn't get any words out between breaths to tell Phineas that he was also angry at him because he could have just spoken to the Angel as he'd originally asked him to do. There hadn't been any need for violence! But Kasper's train of thought soon came to an abrupt stop when Phineas admitted his love for him. He stared at Phineas for a moment as his breathing started to slow down enough that he didn't feel so much like passing out anymore and his chest pain started to ease off a bit. He burst into heavy sobs and, still trembling, he leaned closer to Phineas and wrapped his arms around him. "Phin-! Phine-!" he tried between breaths but he hadn't caught his breath enough to be able to talk again yet. He just hoped that Phineas knew how much this meant to him and that he loved him as well. The Angel scoffed at Nate's demands and looked away from him defiantly. "You speak as though I have any authority over God." he shook his head. "In your judgement of me, you seem to have forgotten the things I did for you. I protected you. You and your friends, every time you all fucked up and got yourselves into trouble! Who do you think cleaned up after your messes?!" Denix Vames - May 16, 2022 Leo chuckled. "I'll be sure to dominate when it comes to games." Ricky smiled. "Then expect me never taking my hands off you when you do." "He had a hard time teleporting. It was his first time using his powers and I found him in one of the aisles of the grocery store that I work at. It was in the middle of the night. I'm a security guard there so thankfully I was able to use my powers to burn the tape. Making any evidence of his presence disappear. We talked and I guess we became closer ever since." ,said Bryce. --- Ben got dressed too. He took her hand once they were both ready. "I wonder how Jean's going to handle this. Maybe we should help in some way besides telling him. If we can help." --- Will handcuffed Carol. "Thanks River. Now, you're going to sit down and tell us the whole story. Whose body were you in before Amelia's?" He guided her to a chair where he gently pushed her to sit. --- "You'd be surprised. Fashion is pretty much anything these days. So, you can wear anything really. But if you want to try any modern clothes then that won't be a problem either." ,said Harris. --- Phineas gently rubbed his back. "I'm so sorry. I'll never do that again. I came here so that I could stop becoming so angry. Instead, I only made things worse here. It will be alright. But do not forgive me if I upset you." Nate turned away. "Then answer this. Did you agree with anything that God did to me?" shadowess - May 20, 2022 "That's my man!" Oscar grinned. "I'm looking forward to it already." Rickster smiled and kissed Ricky lovingly. Desi glanced at the lovers in the room. He let out a silent and sad sigh while averting his gaze. "I guess you did." Atma smiled at the story. "That's romantic. I'm happy that you both found love in each other." She looked down at her tea for a moment. "I've never experienced anything like that," she commented. "Or at least...I don't think that I have. I have amnesia. I can't remember my life before waking up in a hospital bed with a tag around my wrist that read 'Jane Doe'. I only know who I used to be from Oscar. Apparently, he'd met my former self once or twice. I was a Spirit of Life. A being who helps to usher new life into existence." She chuckled and lifted the cup up to her lips. "Sounds exhausting." she joked before taking a sip. --- Jessica thought for a moment before nodding at Ben purposefully. "He said we're welcome to stay if we ever go back. Maybe we could take him up on that offer and help their guards in return? Earn our keep by helping to protect his people." she suggested. She then grinned playfully. "Feels a little exciting though, right? Going to an old castle to basically be a knight! It's like we're teleporting into a fairy tale." --- Carol sighed irritably when she was pushed onto a chair and rolled her eyes at the question. "Fine. If you really insist that I not leave then I may as well tell you the story." She sat back, pretending to be annoyed but really she loved having the spotlight on her. "Do you remember how Alex was a second consciousness stuck in Parker? I was the same once. Stuck in the head of a plantation owner's daughter. Angelica Magpie." "Wait, why does that name sound familiar?" Parker asked. "Because David told us about her back when Alex was trying to take over our body." River answered. "I wasn't strong enough yet to mess with you but I could see and hear everything you and Alex did." "Yes. An Angel named Angel..." Carol nodded. "The naive girl with her head in the clouds and a split personality who fell in love with the Devil himself... although, after getting him in the sack myself I honestly don't blame her." She chuckled and River looked uncomfortable. "Man really knew his way around a woman!" She added and River rolled his eyes while trying to mask his jealousy. "Yeah, ok. Can we move on now, please?" He huffed. "Oh, don't be like that sweety, that was years ago." Carol chuckled. "Anyway, although I was stuck in her head, she was aware of me from a young age and we thought of each other as sisters. We had secret conversations and whenever she was too shy or scared of standing up for herself, I was always ready to take over and assert ourselves on her behalf. The only person she refused to let me talk to was our violent father. Until she reached the age of thirteen and he tried to hurt her in a far worse way... I wasn't about to let that happen. He was my first kill. She was angry with me after that but she also knew that it had to be done. We got rid of his body and reported him missing. Not long after that, we inherited his home, land, and everything. To keep up appearances she had to keep the 'workers'. But behind closed doors, she paid them fairly, ensured they had more humane living conditions and made sure they weren't abused. For all intents and purposes, they were free. We hoped the laws would change so that she could free them officially but she wouldn't see that law come to pass in her time... She died young." Carol paused with a small frown. "Any chance I could get a drink? This is a long story and my throat is getting a little dry." "I'll get it." Parker nodded then headed to the kitchen. "Now when you say 'workers'...?" River trailed off uncomfortably. "Slaves." Carol nodded. "But we, that is Angelica and I, called them Workers so as not to dehumanise them. We had to be careful though. The other plantation owners were constantly suspicious of us and suspected us of being a part of the underground railroad. I mean, they wouldn't have been wrong but if they ever caught us it would have been the end for all involved. On top of that, you also need to factor in how the other plantation owners saw a plot of land and free labour that could potentially be taken from the lone thirteen-year-old female owner... It was a very dangerous time for us. But what neither we nor the other owners counted on was how the workers reacted to the way Angelica ran things. On more than a few occasions the mansion was broken into by thugs who had been paid by the other owners to murder us and make it look like a burglary gone wrong. And each time we were saved by the very people that we supposedly 'owned'. But as the years drew on, the more these attacks escalated. We feared we'd meet our end that way. But then we met him." Carol sat back with a small, dreamy smile. "Lucifer." she sighed. At this point, Parker had returned and silently offered the water to Carol. He didn't say a word as he was too enveloped in the story to want to interrupt. Carol leant forward and placed her mouth on the edge of the glass to let Parker feed her the water. She sat back again when she was done and Parker placed the glass down on the coffee table before sitting down on one of the chairs to continue listening. "No one knew who he was at that point." She shook her head. "He introduced himself as a noble gentleman from Belgium on a business trip." she chuckled, amused at the memory. "It was something that he liked to do now and then. Visit Earth in search of potential Demons for his army while also pretending to be human for a little while to amuse himself. We were sixteen then and had survived the latest attacks as well as dreaded smallpox that were sweeping across the country at the time. He revealed to us who he truly was when he came to visit once and then he made us a deal. The original deal was to offer protection and training in return for Angelica's soul when she died. He wasn't aware that I existed at that point...So I took over her body, made him aware and struck a deal of my own. He split us apart and I would vow to become his loyal Demon immediately. He accepted the deal and placed my soul into a body which he proceeded to change into a Demon." Carol grinned proudly. "And what a Demon I was! I did everything in my power to make him proud of me! I'd have destroyed myself for him if he'd asked me to!" She sighed happily, apparently finished with her story. "So, wait... what about Angelica? You said you two were like sisters?" River questioned, confused. "That's right," Carol answered simply. "But all that danger you said she was in. And she was only sixteen and you ran off with Lucifer to become a Demon? Just like that?" "Of course not!" Carol laughed and River seemed a little relieved. At first. Then he remembered something else Carol had mentioned. "So, how did she die then?" "Hmm?" "Angelica. You said she died young. Before she'd ever see the law change. How did she die?" "Oh, Lucifer killed her," Carol answered matter of factly and with a short nod as if it was no big deal. River blinked at her in disbelief. "P-Pardon?...WHY?!" "Well, Lucifer and I hung around a while after he split us apart because he wasn't done messing with the other plantation owners. You know, watching them damn their own souls further while pretending to be human so that he could rub it in their faces when they landed in Hell later. But Angelica wouldn't stop following him around like a lost puppy. She made it so painfully obvious that she was falling in love with him and he kept trying to turn her away. He warned her several times that loving him would only damn her soul and deny her entry to Heaven. But she wouldn't listen. She was stubborn. So he made one last effort to get her to stop... by trying to send her straight to Heaven. He lured her out to a park then drowned her in the pond." Carol shrugged. "But I guess it was too late by then because her ass woke up in Hell. Fast forward a few decades later and both vanish at around the same time... so I guess she finally got her way in the end. Lucky bitch..." --- Clementine smiled a little and lowered her eyes to the ground. "Maybe I'll have a look when I feel better," she said quietly. "This is all new to me... Being what I used to be, I could manipulate mortals to wait on me hand and foot if I wanted because they presumed that I was helpless. But now? I don't know how to live, what work I could do, how to drive a car... it all seems so... daunting. Sudden." she lifted her eyes to look at him again questioningly. "You said you'd never abandon me. Did-..." she trailed off and seemed to struggle to bring herself to finish the question. She wanted to ask if he'd said that to comfort her in the moment or if he'd actually heard her thoughts but she felt herself becoming vulnerable and instinctively tried to bury her insecurities so as not to appear weak. --- Weeping into Phineas's shirt, Kasper took some deep breaths. Without moving away or looking up, he shook his head. "Y-y-you're not like him," he said shakily, referring to his old love. "A-a-at least you're trying to become better. So, I will forgive you. I love you so much." He lifted his head to look at Phineas. "But please, I'm begging you, no more violence. I can't stand it. It hurts me." The Angel looked back at Nate with a frown and seemed contemplative for a moment. He walked over to him to look at his wound. "You must remember that things have changed since then. Did I agree with you being punished for being a defiant brat? Yes. Do I think you deserved to be hunted relentlessly by your own kin and locked away to be tortured by humans for decades?..." he placed a hand over Nate's wound and began to heal him. "No." he finished in a quiet voice. He brought his eyes up to meet Nate's. "But what was I to do, Naoutha? I was forbidden from helping you at that point. I'd have been destroyed or cast down to Hell if I so much as came within a certain distance to you." Once Nate was healed, the Angel lowered his gaze and turned away from him shamefully. "As much as you are a pain in my ass sometimes, you're like a son to me. That has never changed. But I failed you. You are right to be angry at me." --- Twenty-three. Twenty-four. Twenty-five. Twenty-six. Grey, mouldy bricks. Twenty-seven. Twenty-eight. Twenty-nine. Pain. Pleasure. Searing pain. Unrelenting pleasure. Thirty. Thirty-one. Thirty-two. Thirty-three. Heavy, ragged breathing and moans. Thirty-four. Thirty-fi- "Now it's our turn to make you finish!" Niko screamed awake and practically jumped out of bed but fell as the blanket caught on his foot. He was shaking, sweating and breathing heavily. Sitting up he looked down at himself to find the reason for his shorts feeling tight. Feeling ashamed and disgusted with himself, he got to his feet and walked into his bathroom. "Thirty-six. Thirty-seven." he continued to count absently. Seemingly unaware now that he was even doing it. He poured water into his sink. "Thirty-eight. Thirty-nine." he cupped the water in his hands and then splashed it over his face. "Forty." he breathed after wiping his face on a towel. He drained the sink and walked back into his bedroom to get dressed while continuing to count under his breath. Once dressed he walked into his living room to pour himself a glass of venomed blood, hoping it would help him to relax.

Denix Vames - May 7, 2022 Ricky sat up. "Let me come with you. I want to help. Please." Nate chuckled. "I might as well give this little pesky group of criminals their just desserts." Bryce smiled. "I always had that feeling. I could tell somehow that he really loved me. And I do love him." He frowned. "Which is why I am worried. Who knows what they could be doing to him right now?" --- Ben rolled his eyes. "I swear it's one crazy son of a bitch after the other. Thanks for telling us. I'll be sure to let Jess know." Will and Parker disappeared as Ben rolled over and gently shook Jessica. "Hey Jess? I've got some news to tell you. Apparently, Donnie's trying to get vampires addicted to Devil's blood so that he can control them by giving them these pills." --- Will and Parker appeared in their home. "River? You around? We've got something important to say." --- Harris and Clementine appeared in an abandoned house. "It may look terrible now but we can change that." He spoke some words in Latin as he raised his hands. The whole house suddenly was clean. "I'll go grab groceries. You don't mind if I leave you here, do you? The TV should still work." --- Phineas was working on the large rocks. Blowing them up as he usually would so that tracks could be made here. He was about to have someone pour sand in when his men were distracted by their own foolish behavior. He turned to yell at them before placing the iron bar into the hole. Immediately, there was an explosion. As he flew up, he could feel the immense pain when the iron bar entered his skull. A white light suddenly appeared. He could barely see who it was. But he saw wings. Phineas gasped awake from his nightmare. He placed palm where his wound would have been on his head. Just to see if it was there. He then checked his left eye. When he recalled the pain, he suddenly sobbed. He clenched his fists. "An Angel....It did this to me! I saw! I remember now!" shadowess - May 12, 2022 "That's the spirit!" Desi chuckled. "Uh, no offence buddy but we kinda need help that's a little less... human," Oscar said to Ricky awkwardly. "Plus there's only four wristbands between us. I'm going, and so are Desi and Nate, which just leaves one wristband left." Rickster however was looking at Ricky nervously. The others in the room were unaware of what Ricky had changed into earlier but Rickster had seen it. He'd sensed it too and he worried whether or not Ricky would be able to control his powers or even be aware that he had them. Not to mention the obvious danger of going to meet Donnie, Insanity and their sons head-on. He was frightened that if he let him go, he'd lose him forever. "Ricky..." He said softly and shook his head slowly. "Please...Don't make me choose..." Atma filled a metallic kettle with water and placed it on the stove. While she waited for it to heat up, she sighed and leaned against the island counter with her arms folded. "As difficult as it is, try not to think about that," she said to him in a gentle tone. "He's a kind man but he's tough when he needs to be. You just focus on what you'll do once he's safely back with you. I imagine you'll both need each other's support once he's rescued." she said optimistically. "You have to believe that he'll be ok. No matter what. Don't for a second let your worries eat you up inside. If you need to vent or talk, I'm here for you. Just as I have been for him." she gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze as a show of support just as the kettle began to whistle. She removed it from the heat and began prepping herself a cup with a teabag. "I'd offer you a cup but I don't imagine this is something that you can drink?" she smiled at him. --- "What?" Jessica groaned groggily as she blinked at Ben with a confused expression. She heard him but she was so sleepy that she didn't quite make sense of his words. "Pills? What are you talking about?" --- The second they arrived at the house they could hear barely contained giggles coming from the kitchen and as soon as Will spoke, the giggles stopped abruptly followed by a gasp and River's hushed voice exclaiming "Crap! Quick, put it back on!" Followed by more, uncontrollable giggling. "Er- hang on! Wait there-! um-!" River called out. "Shit..." he then whispered in a panicked voice. "What the hell are you two-?" Parker had started walking over to the kitchen when River darted out and shut the kitchen door before they could see what was going on in there. But Parker was a little more taken aback by all the whipped cream which had been squirted all over his bare torso in circular patterns, accompanied by colourful sprinkled and even chocolate sauce. Some of which had clearly been licked off and the majority of it had already started to melt. River's face was beetroot red as he tried to maintain his composure. "Heyyy guyyys." he greeted them awkwardly. Parker lost it and couldn't control his laughter. He tried to calm down and take breaths but every time he looked at River again, the laughter started up again. "Yeah, haha, laugh it up... We got carried away alright?" River rolled his eyes. The door opened behind him and Carol stepped into the room with a wide, almost proud grin. Her lipstick was smeared and she still had some cream and sprinkles stuck in her hair. "If it's any consolation, the kitchen is still clean. We didn't get much further than just eating cream." she shrugged. "We were about to go to the bedroom..." River mumbled awkwardly with his eyes on the floor. He felt a mixture of shame and humiliation. Along with mild frustration that despite all the time he'd spent partying with Carol, he still hadn't managed to lose his virginity. Sure, he wasn't technically a virgin in the traditional sense as he knew what it felt like after experiencing it through Parker and Will, but he'd never had the chance to do anything like that in a body of his own yet. "Oh, sweety. That can wait. Your friends look like they have something important to tell you." Carol chirped happily as she handed him a kitchen towel to wipe the cream off with. "What's going on?" River looked at them both now as he tried to wipe off the cream as casually as possible. The moment was lost now anyway, so he may as well give Will and Parker his undivided attention. --- "I don't mind..." Clementine replied as she looked around the house with a small frown. She was lying but she'd never admit that she was nervous about being alone with her thoughts again after what she'd already gone through. "I'm going to rest on the couch then," she said as she brought her eyes back to his and nodded to him. "Thank you for this Harris. I'll see you when you get back." she turned to walk into the living room. 'Please come back. Don't abandon me.' her deepest fears surfaced mentally for just a second then quickly vanished as she buried them again. --- Kasper sat up and looked at Phineas in alarm. His alarm shifted to concern when he spoke and he frowned as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Who? What did they look like?" he asked. "Why would an Angel do something so awful?" he sounded a little angry as he asked this while also looking at Phineas with worry. He was protective of Phineas and hated to see him like this. Tormented. Denix Vames - May 12, 2022 Tears burst from Ricky's eyes. He hugged him tightly. "You better stay safe or I'll kick your ass!" "Unfortunately no. But I will be fine. If I do get hungry then I'll go to the bar." Bryce watched the steam rise. "I do hope you're right about him." --- Ben shrugged. "I don't know. It's what Will told me." --- Will blushed. He cleared his throat before turning his head away. "Um....Donnie is trying to get vampires hooked on Devil's blood so that he can control with some kind of pills." He whipped his head as his eyes widened. "Hey! Wait a minute! I thought I said no sweets. You know how unhealthy they are?" --- Harris brushed his hand against the door. He turned his head. Looking at her. "I would never abandon you." He disappeared. --- "I could hardly see anything but wings. Still, I know it was an Angel." Phineas stood. He glared as he clenched his fists. "Go on! Show yourself! You know who I am! I am Phineas Gage! The man whom you took everything away from me!" Nate appeared. He held no weapons or wore no armor. Frowning he said, "I'm sorry. I didn't know anything about humanity until I met Tom. What I did to you was unforgivable. So go ahead. Kill me." Phineas raised his fists. "Fight me! Now!" "I won't..." shadowess - May 14, 2022 "Nate?" Desi looked around quickly as he vanished. "Wha- Where are you going?! I thought you were coming with us??" Rickster hugged Ricky then turned his head when he heard Desi and his heart dropped. With Nate disappearing randomly, he worried that Ricky would try again to go with them. "Oh, for- Seriously? Make up your mind!" Oscar huffed, annoyed that they were one man down again. He looked at the others. "Who else could we ask?" "Me too..." Atma said quietly while she finished making her tea. She sighed and sat with Bryce at the counter with the cup in front of her. She seemed to hesitate before speaking again. "I couldn't help but notice... there was a lot of tension up there..." She pointed to the ceiling as she referred to how both Parker and Desi had been acting around Bryce. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But, I gotta ask... are you alright?" she asked her question in a very soft voice while studying his face intently. Her own features displayed genuine concern for him as she waited for his answer. --- "Ugh... Donnie needs to fuck off already..." Jessica groaned. "Wait, he's going to try controlling vampires? Is that what he said?" she sat up and looked at him worriedly. "What about that castle? You don't think he'd go after Niko again, do you?" --- If River's face could turn a darker shade of red, it would. "Uh- Y-yeah, I know. I'm sorry-" "Oh no, no, no." Carol shook her head with an amused smile while placing a hand on River's shoulder. "We're not sorry. We were having fun and a little treat here and there won't kill us! Come on, Will. Lighten up." she winked at him. "Speaking of vampires..." she turned to River and smirked. "Didn't you mention there was a nightclub full of them? We should go! I'm in the mood to dance!" She giggled and River blinked at her while still cleaning the cream from his chest. "Aren't you human?" River questioned, worried. "Yes, but you're not. And you're stronger than the others there so I know I'll be safe." she winked at him. "Didn't you hear Will?" Parker now piped up, having calmed down from his laughing fit and was now more concerned for their safety. "Donnie is going to use pills to try to control Vampires. Where do you suppose pills like that would be more commonly found? There is always some creepy ass drug dealer hanging around bars and clubs!" "That reminds me! We should find someone that sells weed! I haven't had that stuff since the last time Amelia had any and that was before she got knocked up! Oh, I am so ready to get wasted!" Carol cheered. "Seriously?!" Parker was gobsmacked by Carol's carefree attitude. She didn't seem to care about the dangers of the world. Not one bit. River looked torn. He liked having fun with Carol but he was also worried that they might be pushing their luck if they just go to the club after the warning they just got from Will and Parker. --- Hearing his words, Clementine gasped softly and whirled around to look at him. Only he'd vanished already. How had he heard her? Maybe she was no longer as strong as she used to be? His words lingered in her mind and she closed her eyes tightly to fight back tears while balling her hands into fists. She'd lost so much so suddenly and now she'd become this weak, fragile thing that would need to depend on someone else to simply survive. She didn't have the skills or experience to be able to live like the other mortals. She opened her eyes and looked at the television. "No... I have skills... I created my Dolls. I mixed potions and conducted experiments... I just need to find something similar here...on Earth..." she glanced at the window. "And pray that I'm not discovered..." she walked over to the window and looked out at the world beyond the glass. "I wonder where we are..." --- "Please don't fight! Can't we just talk? You've already been through so much!" Kasper begged Phineas as he stood to one side. Sure, he was angry at Nate too for what he'd done. But he could also see genuine remorse in Nate's expression and body language. Fighting now would only cause more pain for both of them. Before Phineas could step up to Nate though, the armoured Angel appeared between them and merely stared at Phineas. "You should listen to your partner, Phineas," he said gently. "At that point in time when your life changed forever, the man behind me was a completely different person. He was rebellious, arrogant, big-headed and a general pain in my ass. He still is, but he's learned from his past and even I can see that he has the potential to be a great man." he glanced behind him at Nate for a second before turning his gaze back to Phineas. "Put down your fists. Hear him out. If you don't then this moment might become something that you'll regret for the rest of your unlife." Denix Vames - May 14, 2022 "I'm sure he'll be back. He probably had to stop by somewhere for a bit." ,said Leo. Bryce raised a brow. "Uh yeah? Why wouldn't I be? And what tension?" --- "I'm really not sure." ,said Ben. "But Jean's there too. He'll take Donnie down in one second." --- Will stormed over to them. "No going to the club! Donnie has been trying for so fucking long to mess with us over and over! Don't you understand that everyone is in danger?! More specifically, the vampires! So act like your damn age!" --- Just a moment later, Harris had returned with bags full of groceries. He headed to the kitchen where he placed the items where they belonged. --- "Are you kidding me?! He made me suffer! He did this to me!" Phineas shoved the Angel aside. "Get out of my way!" The iron rod appeared in his hands as he pierced Nate's chest. He fell to his knees. "I...I think I know how to kill you forever but...." He curled up on the floor. "I can see it. You have someone waiting for you. And all of this? It hasn't really changed anything." Nate took the iron rod out of his chest and let it fall. He lifted Phineas off the floor and looked at him. "I'm starting my soap business. Why don't you come by sometimes? I'll tell you where it is once I have the building." He placed him on the bed. Phineas, surprised, nodded. "I think I'd like that." He soon smiled. Nate pointed at the Angel. "You still owe me an apology." shadowess - May 14, 2022 "I hope you're right." Desi folded his arms. Meanwhile, Oscar took this moment to pull Leo into his arms. He kissed him suddenly and deeply. He didn't know if he'd survive this trip, so he wanted to savour this feeling as much as he could. When the kiss broke, he'd rest his head against his. "You know I love you, right? I'll do anything to make sure that I'll come home to you." Rickster was also struggling to let go of Ricky. He kept him in his arms for as long as he could while rubbing his back to comfort him. "Look..." he said quietly to him. "I don't know how things will turn out... so I can't promise anything. But I'll try to be careful. If I don't make it back though... you need to promise me something. Promise me you'll look out for Neva. I know she's got her new dads now but just keep an eye on her for me? Make sure she's alright and when she's old enough... tell her that I was sorry." Atma bit her lip. Now she was anxious that she'd brought to his attention something that he has been otherwise oblivious to. "Uh... " she lowered her eyes to the countertop and fidgetted with her fingers nervously. "Parker...and Desi," she said slowly before bringing her eyes back up to meet his. "They both started behaving... a bit aloof... after they saw you." she then shook her head and shrugged her shoulders quickly. "Maybe I'm just imagining things? We did just go through something traumatic after all... Maybe it was just that." she then said optimistically while picking up the cup to smell the tea. --- "Maybe..." Jessica said uncertainly. "But what if he got hooked on those pills too?" she pointed out. "Jean is strong but he's still vampiric. Maybe we should at least warn them?" she suggested. "Oh, but maybe we shouldn't tell Niko?... I'm not sure he'd take the news too well that Donnie is still out there somewhere." --- Carol tutted and grinned at Will, finding his anger amusing. "I will do whatever I damn well, please. If you don't want me to go then stop me!" she challenged him then turned to River. "Coming darling?" River seemed dumbstruck as he looked between Will and Carol. "But... what about Donnie? The pills? I don't want to wind up being his puppet." "Suit yourself." she shrugged then turned on her heels and started for the door. River looked utterly deflated by this. "Hey!" Parker snapped and darted for the front door, standing in her way. "Why are you like this?!" "How long you got?" Carol answered with an amused smirk. "Move sweety. You're wasting my party time." "You're not going!" Parker argued. "I said." Carol stepped toward Parker with threatening body language. Her smile slipped. "Move." --- Still looking outside, Clementine hadn't noticed Harris return until she heard movement coming from the kitchen. Turning, she walked slowly to the kitchen and then leaned against the door frame with her arms folded. She watched Harris putting the food away for a moment before speaking. "So, what happens now?" she asked him while watching his movements. "Where do we go from here?" --- Kasper clasped his hands over his mouth as he watched Phineas stab Nate. When he saw the blood, he suffered flashbacks of his own murder and he left the room in a panic. Before he knew it, he had sprinted out of the house and across their garden to the fence on the other side where he rested against it to catch his breath. He gripped his throat and sank to his knees as he struggled to regain control of his rapid breaths. All the while, tears poured down his cheeks and he couldn't help but be reminded of the gut-wrenching betrayal he'd felt when the person he thought loved him had torn his throat out. The armoured Angel smirked at Nate, amused. "Oh? What exactly am I meant to be sorry for, Naoutha?" he asked incredulously.

Shadowess - May 1, 2022 The second they arrived, Desi felt his face redden at the sight of Bryce. After all, they hadn't exactly parted on good terms. He averted his gaze and looked at the rest of them. "I don't know of any other Incubi or Succubi to have openly had a harem in Hell as I did. I abandoned it some time ago to try to change my life. Now I fear that Donnie and his lover have claimed it for their own in my absence. I've tried teleporting there but I am unable to." he explained. Parker blinked at Will then smiled. Thinking of how easily Insanity had brushed him aside he thought it might be best to stay close to Will anyway. It was also an excellent excuse to leave without having to acknowledge Bryce's existence. Parker nodded to Will. "I'll come with you." "Do you think you could guide us there if we teleported to Hell?" Sebastian asked, desperate to try anything to get Carter back. "Now, wait just a moment. Leo here told me you all have some kind of plan. Before I guide anyone to my old home, I want to know that this isn't some half-baked and impulsive mission. Say I do show you the way there, what's to stop them from slaughtering us all the moment we step foot through the doors?" "The armbands," Rickster answered and stood, looking at Will. "We're going to need them for this." "The what?" Desi rose a brow. "You're all getting off track again!" Atma rose her voice a little, irritably. "The plan was to only capture one to bargain hostage for hostages, remember?" She paced the room with her arms folded. "But we need to know what they're planning if we are to have any hope of setting a trap." She looked back at Bryce. "When they kidnapped you, did they say anything about what they were planning? Why you? and why Carter now? What do they want with a vampire?" "Donnie kept trying to goad Carter into drinking from him," Sebastian commented with a shiver. "He tried it with me too... it was so hard to resist..." he looked away from them, ashamed that he still struggled with the addiction despite it being so long since he last tasted Devil blood. --- Donnie moaned at his words. "Oh, you're so ruthless aren't you?" He whipped him again, this time hard enough to leave a red mark but not enough to break the skin. "Tell me how it felt. The blood on your hands. The sounds of their screams. The look on their faces as they realised hope was futile and resigned themselves to your will." He had to unfasten his jeans to make them more comfortable as they grew tighter. He whipped him again, this time hard enough to draw blood then leant over him to run his tongue over the lashes across his back. "Oh, my love. My artist. We will cause so much chaos and torment together." he ran his tongue from the base of Insanity's back all the way up to his neck, straddling him. "We'll marry under your finest 'work'" he whispered into his ear while rubbing his hips against his backside. --- Clementine gave Harris an apprehensive look. "I'd rather not go anywhere near the others just yet. At least no one who knew who I was before my death anyway..." She said while wincing as she put her weight onto her already sore and blistered feet. "Is there anywhere else that you could take me?" Denix Vames - May 1, 2022 "They wanted me to be addicted to Devil's blood. I don't know why but Donnie really wants it. To have an addict." ,said Bryce. He thought for a moment. "Pills....I overheard him talking to Insanity. He said something about pills to keep at bay the addiction. Maybe he's trying to control vampires this way? But I don't understand why like this." Will held Parker's hand. "I'm sure everyone knows about the wristbands. But for anyone who doesn't, they're basically capable of keeping any creature from using their abilities. Only the person who placed the wristband on their wrist can take it off. It's a win for all of us if we catch them off guard." --- "Their screams were like music to my ears! Their faces filled with terror had delighted me. I enjoyed the sight of my greatest works." Insanity moaned. "My dear, I have an idea for a new body for myself. Would you care to test it out? I can transform before you will even see it." He smirked. --- "My home. I still have it here." Harris and her appeared inside his house. They stood in the living room. He helped her to the couch. "You can rest here. I'll fetch some clothes and get you something to eat." He grabbed some of his clothes from the closet. Bringing them to her. "For now, you can wear these. We can get you some more fitted clothes that are your style later on." He appeared once again with a wrapped up sub sandwich and a cup of water. Setting them on the coffee table. "Eat slowly or you'll feel sick." shadowess - May 1, 2022 "Addiction is a powerful tool..." Atma said, looking at Bryce. "Get someone hooked then promise them a constant source of relief in exchange for loyalty or favours... God, if that's their plan... It doesn't bear thinking about! They can't be allowed to manipulate a whole population in such a way!" "Shit, imagine what something like that would do to a Blood God..." Parker gasped then looked at Will worried about River, Jessica and Ben. "We should warn the ones that we know." "It's all well and good knowing what they do, but in case you hadn't noticed we don't actually have any to hand." Rickster pointed out when Will explained what the wristbands were. "What I miss?" Oscar re-entered the room. "Will, we need some of those wristbands. You said you had some, right? Could you bring some to us?" --- "Oh?" Donnie grinned. He kissed his neck, then his cheek while brushing some of his hair back from his face. "My love, take any form that you desire. It's your mind and your soul that I have fallen in love with." --- Clementine sat on the couch and stared at her figure while she waited for Harris to return. She still wasn't used to being this tall or having a figure at all. It brought a small shock to her every time she happened to glance down at herself. She took the clothes and stared at the food hungrily. Deciding to get changed after she's eaten something, she placed the pile of clothes to one side and then took the food. It was difficult to resist the urge to eat the food quickly but she managed to take her time. At first, she almost choked a couple of times but she quickly got the hang of the basic actions involved in consuming food. "I've never eaten anything before... I'd never needed to so I saw it as a waste of my time and energy." She said as she found herself feeling full only halfway through the sandwich. "I think it's safe to say that I understand humans a little better now. They suffer through more than I'd ever imagined being possible." She re-wrapped the rest of the sandwich and placed it back onto the coffee table with a sigh. Her throat feeling dry, she picked up the water and looked at the liquid warily. She tried to drink it and almost inhaled it instead. Coughing a spluttering, she took a few steady breaths before trying again. Slowly and with a little more control, it didn't take her long to get the hang of drinking as well. When she did, she drank thirstily until the cup was empty. Hiccupping a little, she placed the cup back onto the table, too. Now she looked at the clothes then back up at Harris shyly. "Um. Would you mind-...?" She trailed off, hinting that she needed some privacy before she'd take off the blanket to dress. Denix Vames - May 1, 2022 "I'll get them in a second." ,said Will as he let go of Parker's hand. In a moment, he arrived with four wristbands. "Here." He handed them to Rickster. "I think me and Parker should go take care of things at the precinct. If you need our help, just let us know." He took his hand and guided him to a room. "Before we go, I really need to get this out of my system." He cupped his cheeks and kissed him passionately. --- "Then you are in for a treat." His whole body had changed. Instead of skin, he had feathers over his new skin. Two eyes had now become four glowing red ones. His limbs were entirely different. Much more bird-like. He resembled somewhat of an owl but still retained a human quality about him. "What do you think? Don't I look ravishing?" --- Harris nodded. "Of course. Just let me know when I can come back." He walked away. Having headed to the kitchen. Attached Image shadowess - May 6, 2022 (Sorry, work has been hectic and exhausting this week lol) As soon as Rickster had the wristbands, Sebastian approached him. "Give me one of those. I'm coming with you." "Are you kidding? Carter is one of Donnie's hostages. You're emotional and they'll try to use that against you." Rickster shook his head and took a step back with the box. Sebastian's eyes narrowed in anger. "I am not taking no for an answer!" "He's got a point though. If Donnie is looking for more vampires to add to his army, then you and-" Desi hesitated before saying Bryce's name with clear distaste. "Bryce should stay here with Atma. No offence, dear," he said to her gently. "None taken. I wouldn't stand a chance." Atma said bluntly and shrugged. "Doesn't look like we've got a lot... we should pick who gets to go carefully then..." Oscar said then gave Leo an awkward, apologetic look. "I hate to say it, Leo... I know you only have a little vampire DNA in you, but maybe you should stay behind too?" In the next room, Parker was a little confused at first when Will pulled him into another room. He was then taken aback by the kiss but after the close calls they'd just had, he rapidly reciprocated the passion by running his hands through Will's hair and pressing his body to his. --- Donnie paused and stared at Insanity as he changed. His eyes widened as he looked over his new physique. He then smirked and cupped his chin, nuzzling his cheek and neck. "You look both beautiful and monstrous, my love. I can't wait to see you tear our enemies apart in this form. How their blood will make your soft feathers shimmer." he ran his hands over the feathers and admired their colour as they shifted under his fingers. "Let me fuck you like this?" he grinned. "For anyone else, I wouldn't even consider it. But for you? I want to know how you feel. Every version of you." --- Clementine quickly dressed. Mostly because she was cold and the clothes, although a little too big for her, brought a welcome change to her temperature. But also because she kept catching herself staring at her own body in shock whenever she looked down. Once covered, she brought both of her hands behind her head to pull her hair out from being tucked into the neck of the shirt. "Alright. I'm dressed," she called to him When Harris would return, she would look up at him meekly. "You didn't have to help me," she observed. "Aren't you angry with me?" She asked then tilted her head slightly. "All the time that I had been a Demonic Cherub... I was ambitious. I tried to overthrow Lucifer once. I failed and was lucky that he saw my talents to be useful enough to spare me from oblivion. Then at the first opportunity, I attempted to overthrow the Hellion Child that I assisted in raising... Do you hate me as they do? Is your mercy that you show me now only out of pity for my vulnerability?" As she asked this she knew that she may sound ungrateful for his help so far but she had to know. Because if he was only doing this out of pity, then she would need to prepare herself for this new life that she will need to begin alone. She would never say so out loud, but she was certain that the both of them knew that Harris was the only person left that Clementine could turn to unless he turned his back on her now. Denix Vames - May 7, 2022 (that's alright. no problem) Leo grit his teeth. "I hate it when you're right. I just wish I could kick his ass. But Donnie's always won our fights. Still, I can beat up Insanity. Just let me know when you need me." As much as he wanted to keep going, he knew they couldn't stay here long. He broke the kiss and gently pushed Parker back. "C'mon. We should get to the precinct." He held out his hand. --- "Oh yes....Devour me my dear. Make me beg for mercy!" ,said Insanity. His feathers shivered as he moaned. --- Harris sighed. "When you died and I went into the program, I began to feel such an amount of sadness and anger. I wasn't sure how to feel about you. Especially after everything that you've done. But a part of me realized that you had suffered enough to understand your previous actions. I'm only hoping that today you'll truly see me as a friend. Because I always saw you as one." He lowered his head. "Was I ever your friend?" Denix Vames - May 7, 2022 Ricky groaned as he opened his eyes. "R-Rickster? Are you there?" shadowess - May 7, 2022 Oscar gave Leo a small, thankful smile and walked over to him to cup his cheek. "You got it," he said gently and kissed him sweetly. "You could help guard the rest of our vampire friends," he suggested then realised something. "Or you could let your work know? Maybe they could help?" Desi approached Rickster and took a bracelet, placing it into his pocket. "Well, I suppose it's a given that I will be going..." "Ricky?" Rickster gasped and placed the box on the end of the bed before hurrying over to his side. "Man, can you sleep!" Oscar chuckled as he noticed Ricky waking up. "You slept through all the chaos, dude." "Shut it!" Rickster snapped at Oscar protectively then turned back to Ricky, caressing his cheek. "Ricky. Are you ok?" he said gently. "What I do?" Oscar rose a brow, taken aback at being told off. He looked at Atma questioningly and she merely shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I missed something too..." she admitted. But one thing she hadn't missed was Parker's body language when he'd been in the room. Nor the way that Desi seemed to avoid eye contact with Bryce altogether. Not to mention the acidity in his voice when he'd had to acknowledge him earlier. She didn't know the history between these men but she sensed the tension a mile away and was only aware of the relationship Bryce had with Viktor. She felt bad for him and knew that he must be absolutely anxious about the safe return of his boyfriend. While the others were too busy talking amongst themselves, she walked over to him and gave him a friendly smile. "Would you like to wait in one of the other rooms until Viktor is brought back? I wouldn't mind keeping you company." she offered then leaned a little closer to say in a low voice. "Viktor told me about you a while ago. He had nothing but nice things to say. The only time I ever saw him happy and content were when he had just been to see you... You must be so worried. C'mon, I don't mind listening if you need someone to talk to." she said kindly, hoping to help him in some way. A little disappointed at how quickly they had to stop, Parker ended up staring at Will lustfully as he pulled away. "Yeah, ok..." he breathed with a short nod then paused before taking his hand. "We should see River, Jessica and Ben first. Warn them of what Donnie is up to." --- [Private Time] --- Expressing real emotions after spending centuries repressing them was difficult. She had cried earlier out of shock, fear and exhaustion. But this was different. Now there was an emotional tension in the room that needed addressing and Clementine had to overcome her own pride to show Harris how seriously she was taking this situation that she was now in. She stared up at him and seemed to struggle to speak. She resorted to nodding a little in answer to his question before she finally found the strength to open up to him. "You were my only true friend, Harris. I was manipulative and ambitious, but I could never bring myself to betray you. With the exception of David and Lucifer, you treated me with the same respect that you would give to any other demon, rather than only seeing my child form. But out of the three of you, you were the only one that I truly trusted. I'm just sorry that I never told you that." With a wince, she stood and looked around the home then down at her own hands. "I don't know why but I've been given this opportunity to start over completely. Even before, I had never actually been alive before. But now... I can feel it! Every breath filling my lungs. Every beat that my heart makes. I know that I'm alive now... and it terrifies me. I never appreciated how fragile humans are and how difficult it is for them to simply live until I became one..." she looked back at Harris. "I can't stay in Hell. I know that it has changed but it is still too dangerous here. But..." she hugged herself. "I don't want to be alone either." Denix Vames - May 7, 2022 "I'll see what they can do." ,said Leo who disappeared. "I'm alright but what happened?" ,asked Ricky. Bryce nodded. "Sure. Why not? I could use some company. Viktor.....I may be afraid but I just know that we'll save him." --- Will nodded. "Got it. And don't worry." He smirked. "We'll get to spend some alone time soon once this is all taken care of." They appeared in a room of the White House where Ben and Jessica were sleeping. Ben opened his eyes and sat up. "What's going on?" --- "I can find us a place to stay on Earth. You won't have to worry about anything." Harris walked over to her. He held out his hand. "I think I know the perfect home." shadowess - May 7, 2022 "A lot..." Rickster sighed. "After you passed out, Viktor... I guess he figured out that he has the power to make mirrors into doorways somehow. He pulled Bryce right out of Donnie's lair! But as you can imagine, Donnie and Insanity weren't too happy about that. Turns out they've got a couple of kids working for them now too. We were lucky to survive but... they took Carter and Viktor." He sighed and turned his head to look at the others. "So we're going to go and rescue them." Desi glanced at Nate. "Will you be joining us on this potentially suicidal mission?" he then smirked. "I hate to drag up the past but you kind of owe me for all the effort I put into hiding your presence from Lucifer whenever you visited my home." he chuckled, knowing Nate may or may not have been aware of Desi's efforts at the time. Atma hooked her arm around his and smiled at him warmly. "Do you mind if we go to the kitchen? I could really use a cup of tea to calm my nerves," she asked as they walked. "We'll get him back. He might seem quiet and soft sometimes but he's tougher than he looks. He's been through a lot already." she shrugged again as they headed down the stairs. "Whenever he's home, he talks to me. I hate to say it, but I think he believes that you and I are the only ones here that take notice of him." She frowned. "He's my friend but I know he's not happy when he's here. He leaves to go and see you any chance that he gets." --- Still mostly asleep, Jessica groaned and turned over to bury her face in the pillow. Parker glanced at his sister for a second, deciding it might be best to let Ben break the news to her later. He looked at Ben with a serious expression. "Shit's going down. Donnie has this fucked up plan to get vampires addicted to Devil blood so that they can control the masses with pills. We thought you should know given... y'know." --- Unsure of what Harris had in store for them, Clementine had little option but to take a leap of faith. She took his hand, deciding to place her trust in him completely. She nodded to him, letting her guard down and in so doing she inadvertently lowered the guard around her thoughts too. Making this the first time that Harris would have complete access to her mind. All he would find currently was that she was frightened of an unknown and very different life than what she was used to. That she trusted him and cared about him. That she was utterly terrified of the others learning about her return in case they sought to destroy her again. She was also utterly confused as to why she had come back at all- meaning she hadn't done so intentionally! and she even suspected that she may have been pulled out of oblivion by another force entirely. But for what reason?