Shadowess

Stevie panicked and tried to kick and slap Carter away while Amelia held him in place. When he saw Carter step back with his flute, he stopped and practically held his breath. "G-give him back!" he said, clearly frightened and on the verge of tears. "Charles..." Amelia looked at him seriously before looking back at the flute. "Stevie, where did you get that flute?" "I-I made him." "Where did you get the wood?" Stevie was quiet for a moment but Amelia pressed. "Where did you get the wood, Stevie?" "A dead tree in the park." Amelia sighed in frustration and looked at Charles again. "Donnie... He's gone and we still can't bloody escape him!" --- Bob wandered over, seeing Life looking a little green. "Hey uh.. I found these below deck. I think those guys that-... I think they were taking them. Maybe they'll help?" He said as he passed a bottle of pills known for helping with seasickness to Life. "It's the least I can do after you helped us all." he looked around uncertainly. Azrael was the only one here that he recognised so he walked over to him to ask how Lilly was. He had already come to the conclusion that she had been the one to send them to help him. --- Damien vomited again. "Thank you..." he groaned and glanced at the water but the sight of it made him want to throw up again. After he'd vomited his body weight in liquids into the toilet, he drank the water and eventually wandered drunkenly to his bed where he quickly slipped into a deep sleep. --- Kat was taken aback by the kiss and he stiffened a little but didn't pull away. He stared at Sawyer as the kiss ended while he tried to make sense of his emotions. The driver opening the door and handing them the things they would need to begin their new lives had interrupted this process and he climbed out of the car while in a bit of a stupor. He watched the vehicle drive away and looked over at Sawyer. For a moment, he still looked to be in shock. Then he cracked a smile as his cheeks reddened. "You're full of surprises Red-... I mean, Jake." --- "My thoughts exactly," John smirked. "Cable? like a rope?" Eve looked even more confused. Daisy chuckled and looked at Adam. "It's ok. I'll try to explain everything." "You may want to get dressed if you want to woo a witch." John nodded to Adam's robes.

Stevie stiffened at the question. His eyes darted around the room wildly as he refused to look at Carter and was trying to think of a way to throw them off finding the flute. "N-no." he lied and was terrible at it. The two halves of the flute were in his jacket pocket. "I told you he died. I buried him." --- Bob walked onto the deck and took a deep breath of the sea air. Relieved that he'd been found and saved. La Tramoggia wasn't far behind and she had started to walk towards Life with a smile when Azrael stepped in front of her with his arms folded. "Curse," he said bluntly. "Remove it. Now." "Aww but don't you like us being bonded? We can share each other's pains... among other sensations," she said while her eyes glided over to Life again. "You made a deal," Azrael growled and La Tramoggia sighed while throwing up her arms dramatically. "You and your Death are two peas in a dull pod! Can I not kid with you? Ay!" She complained then lifted her finger to quiet Azrael as he looked like he'd been about to argue. "Fine! Fine! I will remove the curse. Give me your hands." Azrael looked at her skeptically for a moment and she rolled her eyes. "Well, do you want it removed or not?!" "Just don't try any more of your tricks." Azrael gave her his hands. "And risk more ire of our King? Relax, carino, I might be full of tricks but I keep my word when it is given." She chanted again and a few moments later then stopped before letting go of his hands. Azrael stared at her for a moment. "Did it work? I feel no different." "Let's find out!" La Tramoggia chirped then took a pin out of her pocket. She snatched up Azrael's hand again and pricked his palm. "Ah!" Azrael shook his hand and then glared at her. Meanwhile, La Tramoggia was smiling at him cheekily while holding up her own hand which was unblemished. "There, you see. You can trust me!" she grinned before turning and walking towards Life. "...Sometimes!" she then added playfully. --- No sooner had the toilet seat been lifted did a jet of vomit stream from Damien into the bowl. Coughing and spitting into the toilet, Damien groaned. "Water... please..." --- Kat turned his head to look at Sawyer's hand. At first, he was as stone-faced as ever. But when he lifted his eyes to his, his expression softened. "How?" he asked him quietly. For the first time since they met, Kat seemed vulnerable and uncertain. --- Daisy blushed as Adam walked in and greeted them. Eve looked at him in confusion, having never left Hell. "TV?" "I was thinking along the same lines..." John commented as he walked into the kitchen holding a box of various appliances that he'd brought from Earth. Unfortunately, none of them would work in Hell yet. John had had to prepare the coffee that Adam was helping himself to over a campfire in the garden. "Unfortunately Hell hasn't had the same technological advances that Earth has. Though I suppose that was intentional during the war to make life here for souls and Angels as unbearable as possible. I do have some ideas though..." he set the box on one of the counters. "Adam, what if your next wife was a Trickster? A novice would be ideal as they would only need enough skill to use their powers to make electronic devices work here." That and if they made sure the Trickster wasn't too skilled then there was little chance of them trying to take over the little kingdom that they're trying to build. "I believe there is a small Wiccan coven in the north of France. We could visit one of their little shops and see if it leads us anywhere?"

"You wouldn't understand. No one understands..." Stevie growled as he averted his gaze from Carter's. "Maybe don't speak in riddles and we might understand a bit more?" Amelia commented. "Not helpful," Sebastian told her when he walked back into the room. He knelt by the boy and offered him the hot chocolate. "Here. You're not in any trouble. We just want to help you." he told him. Stevie looked at the mug with suspicion, expecting it to be poisoned then scoffed at Sebastian's words. "I don't believe you. You're going to trick me and take me to Hell!" "We already had the opportunity to do that but didn't." Amelia pointed out. "Why do you think they'd take you to Hell?" "He told me they would!" "Who?" "My flute..." Stevie's eyes watered. "I didn't do anything wrong!" he cried. "Hey, it's ok-" "They kept yelling at me! and pushing me! and hurting me! But then he told me how I could break free and I did." He sobbed and then glared. "I warned them. I told them to stop but they wouldn't listen and now they're dead!" he growled. "We were going to get rid of all the bad people! Make them hurt themselves so they would know how it feels! I wanted to protect my friends but then they turned on me too and broke my flute and now he's dead! He was right! I shouldn't have trusted them! I can't trust anyone!" Sebastian was taken aback by what sounded like insane ramblings and he looked between Amelia, Charles and Carter worriedly. --- "These people already have homes that they were stolen from. We just need to return them to them." Azrael answered. He nodded towards a set of stairs that led downward. "You and Raven take the lower decks. La Tramoggia and I will take care of things up here." "Oh, but I want to go with my muse!" La Tramoggia complained. "I want to keep you where I can see you!" Azrael fired back with a glare. He then looked at Life. "Once we've taken command of the ship and freed the prisoners we can turn this vessel around and head back to shore." --- Damien smiled at James. At least one of them had a good night. He patted his shoulder encouragingly. "Way to go, buddy! It sounds like you two are getting off to a great start!" With his hand still on James's shoulder he then teleported both of them into his apartment. Between the blood loss, venom and alcohol, the jump had been a bit much. Damien fell to his knees as the room felt like it was spinning rapidly. "Oh god... I don't feel good..." he huffed, barely containing the rising bile. --- Kat strained a smile at Sawyer's joke then stared out of the window with a vacant expression. "This doesn't feel real..." he sighed. "I can't believe I turned my back on everything I knew... I can't believe my whole clan are dead... What kind of a future is there for me?... I'm struggling to see one." --- Daisy's hair was a little messy and she'd wrapped a bed robe around herself as she looked around her new home. She quickly found her way into the kitchen where Eve was sitting at the island counter, drinking a cup of water. Pausing in the doorway, she hesitated to enter. Eve looked up from having been lost in her thoughts and she smiled. "You must be the newest wife." she greeted her. "Newest?... Are you Eve?" Daisy's eyes widened and she suddenly felt sick from guilt. "Oh-! Oh no! I'm so sorry-" "What for?" Eve blinked. "Adam has my blessing. After all, we're working towards a great purpose together. He did tell you, didn't he?" "Yes... but, wife? We didn't-" "Sweetie, when we were created marriage wasn't really invented yet. There are no vows needed. It's a simple case of he chose you, you agreed and now you're married." Eve shrugged. She then smirked and pointed lazily at Daisy's hair. "Quite energetic, isn't he?" Daisy laughed shyly and tried to fix it. "My legs feel like jelly..." she admitted. "He does that." Eve nodded and chuckled. "Congratulations on the wedding... and the little one." "Oh, I don't know yet. It's only been one day, that's too early-" "No, it's a certainty." Eve corrected her. "Think about it. The first human created. How fertile do you think he'd need to be?" Daisy's cheeks turned pink and she realised what this could mean. "Oh!" she looked down at herself and pressed a hand against her stomach before laughing joyfully. "So quickly!" "Mhmm... I expect he'll be looking for his third wife before long." Eve brought her cup to her lips and then paused as Daisy's face turned pale. "Now, now. We'll have no jealousy. You don't think he could recreate Eden with just you, do you?" "I guess not..." Daisy moved to sit at the island counter with her as she came to terms with this new truth as well as her new future. "I'm going to be a mother!" she then chirped excitedly and smiled at Eve. "And you will not be alone. Us girls will need to work together to raise these children." Eve told her in a warm tone.

"Why else? It's kill or be killed," he answered sourly. "Get your fucking hands off me!" he then snapped at Amelia. "I think we might need a swear jar for this one," Amelia smirked and kept a firm grip on his shoulders. "He told me about you," Stevie growled up at her. "Devil whore!" Amelia glared and had to resist the urge to snap his shoulder bones like twigs. "Who? Who's 'he'?" "My only true friend... but he's dead." Stevie turned and huffed. He'd been referring to his flute. --- "Oh, young one. There's nothing more thrilling than flirting mid-battle! You will understand when you grow more." she laughed before rapidly moving her hands from her sides into an X over her chest. As she did, the necks of the three soldiers that had run down a set of steps towards them snapped simultaneously. She winked at Life then gasped and gripped her upper arm as a stray bullet grazed it. Azreal gripped his arm as well and could feel the blood soaking into his black robe. "Stop playing around!" he shouted at her irritably. "Where are the prisoners located?" "Lower deck. Some at the back end of the boat in cells disguised as shipping containers too." La Tramoggia called back. She aimed a hand at a soldier trying to rush her and closed her fist, crushing his brain and causing blood to pour from every orifice in his head. --- Damien glanced back at Samson's house. He had every intention of coming back when he'd recovered enough of his strength to be able to fight back if needed. He had an idea of a proposition that could benefit them both. For now, he turned his attention ahead of them as they walked away. He was quiet for a moment before he spoke. "No, you were right." he sighed and looked up at the stars. He took a breath of the fresh air, trying to sober up a bit. "In my desire to have just one fucking night of carefree fun, I put us both in danger. I was reckless. I'm sorry." he looked sideways at James. "Thank you for pulling him off me... I didn't know his true intentions..." he looked ahead of them and was quiet again for a few minutes. "How did your date go by the way?" --- "Jake?" Kat said but with his accent, it sounded more like 'Jack'. He sighed and looked at the paperwork again. "I guess I can't complain. It was either this or..." he trailed off, imagining the horrors ADIEU might've inflicted on them. "When do we leave?" he asked the agent.

"We have to try," Amelia said sadly as she looked at Carter. Stevie stirred and Amelia looked at him suddenly. She looked around the room quickly before placing him in the armchair. She then walked behind the chair and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Wha-? Raven?" Stevie groaned and squinted his eyes open. Upon seeing strangers he jumped and tried to dart out of the chair but Amelia held him firmly in place. "It's ok, we just want to talk," Amelia said gently. "Fuck off!" He growled and aimed his hand at Carter... but nothing happened. He looked confused and jutted his hand out again. Still nothing. He then looked at the new bracelet around his wrist and tried to take it off but it wouldn't budge. "What the-? What is this? What did you do to me?!" "Oh, we're going to have our hands full..." Sebastian commented. "I'll pop the kettle on..." he walked into the kitchen to make the boy a hot chocolate. --- La Tramoggia also flexed her abilities, though she was more doing it to show off for Life than anything. She chanted and strutted down the deck while moving her hands in intricate patterns around her. As she did the soldiers ahead of her struggled to control their own limbs, turning their weapons on themselves before opening fire. She didn't survive centuries on jumping bodies alone. Azreal summoned his scythe and muttered a few prayers under his breath as he cut down soldier after soldier. One by one, bodies dropped and their souls stood in terrified awe, wondering what fate awaited them now that their lives had ended. --- Damien stood woozily in the doorway as he watched the vampire get back to his feet. As soon as he saw those red eyes he realised what he'd done. He looked warily at James. In normal circumstances his venom would kill a vampire like Samson but not with Devil blood in his veins. As long as Damien's blood was still in his system, this vampire was immune to both werewolf venom and sunlight. That's not even mentioning the increase in strength and speed that he'd given him. Even his powers were now his, including teleporting, even if it was only temporary. As drunk as he was, Damien knew he'd taken enough for it to last at least a couple of days. It wouldn't take Samson long to figure it out either and until then he needed to get himself and James away from him. At least Samson's current belief that James could kill him gave them enough of an advantage to put distance between them and Damien really didn't want James to be put in danger just because he'd needed a fix of venom. "James," he called over. "Let's just go. Now." --- Kat was confused for a number of reasons. He hadn't expected Sawyer to be sent with him to live their new lives but once Sawyer had explained it, it made sense to him. The other thing that confused him was that the UK had given them a home in Germany. He was certain that Germany was within the European Union, not the United Kingdom. Upon further inspection of the documents, however, he spotted a couple of banking numbers that made it all make sense. Of course, the property's deed had been paid for through several accounts in different countries. It made tracking the real buyer a lot harder for hackers. He smiled. "You people are smarter than my bosses told me," he said, impressed. He looked at Sawyer and nodded. "With the two of us looking out for each other, we should be safe." he looked back at the documents and frowned a little. "My new name is Chan?" he cocked an eyebrow at the agent.

"Where's the fun in that?" Amelia joked as she stood awkwardly in front of them with this unconscious boy in her arms. "Who's the kid?" Sebastian asked curiously. "Stevie... at least that's what his friend called him. He's... he needs help. A lot of help. I thought one or both of you might have more luck talking sense into him than me or Charles have had. Charles has just gone to get some angelic restraints. This kid is crazy wicked powerful." --- "Of course, your highness!" The Hopper bowed to him deeply. Happy that her bargain had been agreed to. The compliment was a bonus. She stood tall and turned to face Azrael, Life and Raven. "Well boys, let's break some runes and curses!" Azrael took their hands and teleported them all to the vacant room. "Show me this Bob. Have any of you seen his face?" The Hopper asked. Azrael projected an image of Bob's face into her mind. Immediately, La Tramoggia paced the room and focussed. She began to chant in an ancient tongue and her eyes turned milky white. The spell would allow her to use the runes as 'eyes' to see Bob's current location. "I see him. It's a padded cell," she told them quickly. "But...The cell is moving," she added curiously then she gasped. "It is some kind of cargo ship. Bob is not the only prisoner. Armed soldiers are patrolling the deck and other levels." she opened her eyes and looked at the men seriously. "I can tap into the runes to grant us a brief window to teleport there. Be prepared for fighting. They outnumber us but they seem human." She looked at Azrael. "I must break my curse on you first," she said as she lifted her hand. Azrael caught her wrist and smirked at her. "So you can strand us there? No, break the curse AFTER we escape. If this curse links us like you say then if I die, you die. Maybe that'll motivate you enough to not just save your own skin when things get hairy!" La Tramoggia bristled and yanked her hand away in annoyance but didn't argue. He was smarter than she anticipated. "Take my hands, all of you. Show no mercy for these men will give you none in turn!" she held her hands out for them and began chanting again frantically. --- "You're getting good at that." Malone praised him in a soft voice before kissing his cheek. --- Damien hadn't been aware that he'd been projecting anything to James after he'd told him to let himself into his flat. As soon as Samson's fangs sank into his throat, he'd gasped sharply. Then he felt the venom working in his system, washing away the pain of his cravings and filling him with pure ecstasy. His eyes had rolled back and he'd tilted his head back to make Samson's feeding more comfortable. He couldn't help little moans escaping him and he lifted a hand to run it through his hair. "Oh, fuck! That feels amazing! Don't stop!" he breathed drunkenly. Then the pleasure stopped abruptly. He groaned in protest and became aware of the tenderness in his neck. He then dove to his feet when he opened his eyes to see James strangling Samson. "Stop!" he gasped but heard the snap and knew he was too late to stop him. The broken neck wouldn't kill Samson. Especially with Damien's blood now in his system. But Damien wasn't thinking straight and was still very much drunk. Even more so now with the combination of bloodless and venom in his system than he had been before. He looked guiltily at James as he was scolded. "I was fine! I wanted this!" he yelled back, frustrated. Then stopped as he realised what he'd just told him. "I wanted it... I wanted his venom... I wanted him." he burst into tears. "I liked it," he admitted shamefully. "I'm going home..." he stumbled towards the door, barely able to keep his balance. --- Kat hesitantly sat down and stared at the recording device for a moment. He took a moment to gather himself. Defecting wasn't an easy thing to come to terms with but now it was a matter of doing what was right. Nervously, he opened his mouth and began telling the agents everything that he knew. About his clan. The men he'd worked with that ADIUE had gunned down ruthlessly to cover their tracks after the quake. That he had no idea where the new ADIUE was based but that they were making deals with other countries for protection. Getting involved with politics. Gaining the support and funding of high-ranking leaders. That they were not as absent from the US as they might have previously assumed. There were agents, assassins and gangs working in secret with black markets to kidnap and smuggle supernatural beings overseas. When he finished, he sat in silence as he stared at the table, coming to terms with what his clan would have once considered a massive betrayal.

Amelia sighed. "I hope so too..." she looked down at Stevie's sleeping featured and wondered how they'd ever talk sense into such an angry and paranoid child. She teleported to Carter and Sebastian, wherever they were at the moment. Feeling that they might be the best men for this particular job. --- Lilly had looked back at Raven awkwardly but she was too worried about Bob to be bothered by his staring. She looked up at Life when he spoke about protecting her and her friends. The anger she had felt towards him earlier evaporated with a new, curious emotion. Is this what it felt like to have family support? "Runes?" La Tramoggia tilted her head slightly. "Ah-! King Death?" she addressed him hurriedly before the others could leave. Then she paused before awkwardly curtseying. "Runes are a Tricksters practice. Perhaps we can strike a bargain?" she suggested and gestured to Azrael who glared back at her. "I will help to find this Bob, neutralise these runes and remove my curse from your- ah... trusted advisor. In return, you swear not to destroy me for my crimes of stealing more lives for myself. It is a good deal, no?" --- Malone settled on the couch and smiled as Travis switched the TV to sitcoms. He pet Pickes who had jumped up from all the movement and lay down on his lap instead. "This is better. You know, I feel so lucky to have you two in my life." Malone sighed contentedly. "Things could have turned out so much worse for me... what happened today reminded me of that. I'll never take this life for granted." --- May watched James walk away, slightly disappointed but then she figured he mustn't be familiar with typical romantic stories, especially considering the things he'd told her earlier. She smiled to herself as she walked into her apartment. Regardless of how it ended, it had still been a good date. --- When Samson had helped Damien to the couch, he relaxed there for a moment. The fresh air had made him feel a little more drunk than he'd felt before leaving the club and he mused on how odd that logic is while he watched Samson closing the blinds. He then heard James in his head and sighed, not wanting to be disturbed while he was experimenting. 'Hey man, Hope your date is going good. I figured I'd have some fun of my own tonight. There's a spare key under the mat. Let yourself in and don't wait up.' he thought to him quickly as he watched Samson approaching him. He was nervous but he grinned in spite of it. Excited to try something new. The next thing he knew, he was on the floor with Samson on top of him. For a dizzying moment, he wasn't sure what had happened and stared up at Samson in confusion. Then his eyes landed on his fangs. Logically, he knew he was in danger. That if this vampire didn't know he was a Devil he would find out soon and letting him drink his blood would risk him growing too weak to fight him off as the vampire took his strength for his own. But Damien wasn't thinking logically. His cravings for venom had peaked to an agonising level at the mere sight of those fangs and he froze. Unable to speak or move as he waited for the inevitable relief. --- Kat looked around wildly. Although aware of the supernatural, he still wasn't used to the teleporting aspect. He watched Sawyer as he was being dragged away and gave him a calm smile. "Red Fox, I'll be fine," he told him. He had no idea if that was true but he didn't want Sawyer to worry about him. "I'll see you soon, my friend." he then turned to look at the agents in the room with a serious expression. "My name is Katsura of the Yakuza. I wish to defect and seek the protection of your country. I will tell you everything that I know in return."

Amelia quickly caught Stevie before he could hit the floor. "That's a good idea. He might be human but I think one of those bracelets might help." she lifted him into her arms and looked at Charles. "Maybe you could request one from Heaven while I take him to our friends in New York. I'm sure they'll be able to help us talk reason into him." --- "Well, not you personally. The portal did. My daughter Hades was transformed into a Hell Hound. Do you think you could change her back?" David asked Raven. La Tramoggia strode into the hall with the Reaper not far behind. At first, she looked a little tired from the tour but when she saw Life back to his old self, she soon perked up. "My muse!" she called over and hurried over to him excitedly. Lilly and Azrael reappeared back in the hall. Both of them looked troubled. Quickly, Azrael walked over to Death and whispered to him that the place Bob had been staying in had been broken into. They'd been unable to track where Bob had gone and Azrael hadn't been able to teleport to him either, which could only mean certain runes were being used to conceal his location. Lilly looked at Raven with mild confusion. Recognising him as the boy from the portal but the last time they saw each other was when she'd lost control of her powers and Death had cut her in half. --- Malone wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly. He pulled away to smile at him before kissing him and holding on for a moment. He then pressed his lips lovingly to Travis's forehead as well. "Let's watch some TV?" he asked, wanting to relax and take his mind off things. He also signed the words with his hands, having been doing so to practice communicating with Travis while he struggled to speak. --- "Thank you," May said softly, smiling up at him. It wasn't long before they reached her apartment. She let him walk her inside and all the way to her door before stopping to look at him. "Um, this is me..." she said, nodding to the door. "I enjoyed our coffee together. I'll let you know when my next day off is. Maybe we can do something for the day?" she suggested. She was half tempted to invite him in but knew it was far too soon for that. Instead, she looked at him expectantly. --- "Is this a Rolls-Royce?!" Damien slurred, impressed by the man's style. He got in and admired the detailing and how smooth the ride felt as they began to drive. He was vaguely aware that he was taking a large risk and should be being more careful. But his drunkenness combined with his ego made him confident that he could handle any situation, especially now that he had his powers back. He relaxed in the seat as it gradually warmed up and lulled his head to one side to look at Samson. He was excited about what was happening but also nervous. This was new to him and he didn't want to disappoint this man by having no clue about what he was doing. "I've never um... I've gone out with girls before but you're my first..." he told him and bit his lip while admiring him. "You're beautiful though." --- "I am as much to blame," Kat said with a sigh as he continued to look around them. He glanced over at the streets and the closed shops on the waterfront. One of which was an electronics store. "I have an idea. Watch my back," he said before darting off towards the store. He knew that if those agents were still around, they would hear the commotion he was about to make but it may be their best chance to leave the country in one piece. He picked up a nearby trash can and threw it into the window of the electronics store, setting the alarms off. Moving quickly, he dove inside and grabbed an old cheap phone with a sim card. He then ran out and ran towards Sawyer before taking off with him further down the docks, away from the source of the noise, being careful to stay hidden among the various little sheds along the way. While they ran he passed the phone and sim to Sawyer. "Call your people. Get them to pick us up before those bastards catch up to us!"

Apologies if theres any spelling/gramner errors on my last post. Posted on my new phone and it loooves to pointlessly autocorrect lol

Amelia frowned but nodded in reluctant agreement. She didn't like the idea of locking the boy up but he was dangerous. "He's just human. We should be able to teleport to him but we'll need to be careful. He might have powers but compared to us he'd be easy to hurt." --- David guffawed at the pair as they arrived and explained what had happened. On the one hand he was angry with Death for tricking him. Sure David had told him he couldn't just leave but realistically there was little he could have done to stop him. So if Death had made it known to David that he was going to leave regardless, David could have at least kept to his orders of keeping him safe by going with him. But now, Death had made certain that David had failed in his duties. On the other hand, he was relieved that the boy had seen reason and closed the portal. Perhaps now the council will back off and allow the child to settle in to his new home. "Well, I'm glad everything turned out alright in the end. We should probably let Gabriel and Life know that the danger has passed." --- Malone jumped a little at the quiet sound and looked at Travis in surprise. It always shocked him in a good way when he spoke. But right now he was trying to pull himself back together so as not to worry him. "I'm ok." He told him. "It's just been a hard day, that's all. How're you and Pickles?" --- As they walked, May hesitated then tucked her hand through his elbow to hold his arm. Her cheeks turned pink as she did. --- "Outside?" Damien called over the music, slightly confused. "But doesn't this place have rooms?" He felt his cheeks redden a little as he asked but ignored his nerves as he turned to wrap his arms around Samson's shoulders to keep dancing with him. "Or we could go to your place?" His words slurred slightly, giving away how drunk he really was. --- "Alright, fine..." Kat whispered and he slowly, silently opened the shed door. He looked around warily but couldn't see anyone. Gesturing for Sawyer to follow they jogged along the docks while looking around. Keeping an eye out for ADIEU's thugs as well as a new place for them to lay low.

Amelia nodded to Death then turned to look at Charles with a worried expression. "From one problem to another... would we have it any other way though?" she half smiled though her eyes were still full of sadness. Particularly after what Raven had told them. "What should we do? I don't think we're qualified to help him..." --- Malone walked through the door and smiled at the sleeping pair on the couch. He locked the door behind him and then went to grab a blanket which he carefully laid over them. He then walked into the bathroom to wash his face. As water dripped from his face, he gripped the sides of the sink and cried quietly. --- "That's flattering but honestly, I just need to be walked home for today." May grinned, amused but also touched by his offer. "Especially after those riots today... I'm actually glad you came by when you did. Just because the riots have stopped doesn't mean there won't still be thieves or worse lurking around." she stood and put her coat back on then picked up her handbag. "Ready when you are." --- Too drunk to distinguish between interest and malice, Damien only felt pleasant surprise that a vampire was coming onto him already. But then again, he had no idea how long he'd actually been dancing for so for all he knew this could just be the first vampire in hours. Not that it mattered to him now. He turned his head slightly to get a look at the male that had grabbed him and all he saw was dark beauty. Completely missing the threat, he continued to dance with him. With flushed cheeks, he decided to simply do what felt natural and moved along with him to the music. He turned his head to look at him again and gave him his charming grin... or at least what he thought was his charming grin. It was hard to tell when you're so drunk you can barely feel your face anymore. "I'm Damien!" he told him over the music. --- "Shh!" Kat strained to listen, worried Sawyer's voice might attract unwanted attention. When there was no sound, he relaxed a little. "We can't take the risk. For all we know this shed might be surrounded. They will have found our belongings in that warehouse. The next logical move would be to search the area... thoroughly. They've already tried this shed and given up but we can't rule out that they're not still nearby searching other buildings just because we can't hear them here." he whispered to him. "Trust me when I say, Red Fox, you don't want to take the risk with these people."

Amelia stared at the shards all over the floor and looked back at Raven. "I don't know... the way he spoke to you..." she looked back at the door that Stevie had fled through. "Charles we might need the help of some kind of psychologist for this one. That kid was very... hot and cold. He obviously cares about what he's done and the people he gets close to but then..." she recalled how quickly and jarringly his eyes had dulled when talking to her. Like a light went out and she had suddenly been talking to someone else. Someone who didn't care. "It was like he flicked a switch and turned his emotions off." she looked back at the group with sad eyes. "He must've been terribly abused to be able to do that." --- It wasn't unusual by now for Will to vanish or have some kind of aura about him so Malone didn't even bat an eye to what had happened. He simply felt relieved to have told someone he trusted about what had happened. He stepped out of the office and decided to take Will up on his offer of taking the rest of the day off. He headed home. --- May gave him a warm smile. "You're capable of being gentle," she told him confidently. "Like when you protected me from that patient... and just now when you touched my hand," she reassured him. "I feel safe around you." she blushed then lifted her cup to her lips and finished the rest of her coffee. "I should head home. I have laundry to do, research for my paper, take a shower and with any luck I'll even have time for some sleep before my next shift eight hours from now..." Meaning that after doing her chores she'll only be able to get a few hours sleep before getting up for the next shift. She rolled her eyes and chuckled. "That's the hectic life of working in medicine for you!" she tapped her nails on the table thoughtfully and bit her lip a little before asking nervously. "Would you mind walking me home?" --- He looked at Blaire in surprise then smiled with a thankful nod. Not just appreciative of the free booze but also the understanding ear. He poured himself another glass. Then another. And another. Before long the bottle was empty and he couldn't even remember walking onto the dancefloor. Finding himself dancing among a huddle of sweating, moving, pale limbs with no clue nor care as to how long he'd been there. Faces around him were a blur as he allowed himself this one night to give in to his impulses and dance for as long as he wanted. His cravings continued to gnaw at him but in the dizzying alcoholic haze, he paid it little attention. --- Kat stared down at Sawyer, unsure of how to react so just nodded at his apology. He had tensed as well because the trip had made some noise and he took a few seconds to listen for any more approaching footsteps. Silence. "I don't know..." he whispered. "Long enough to leave the area completely, I know that... We might be here a while." though he hid it well, he wasn't just nervous about the people outside hearing them. He could feel Sawyer's warm breath on his cold skin and it caused something in him to stir.

Stevie was taken aback when Raven stood and seemed ready to strike him. He stared at him with a mixture of shock and hurt as more tears rolled down his cheeks. In his mind, he had just poured his heart out to him only to be threatened in return. Unfortunately, this only reinforced his paranoia that everyone was against him and he was ultimately alone in the world. "The roy-?" he started then stared at Amelia and Charles as the realisation dawned on him. If the other being really was Death and they all had the power to appear out of nowhere then it wasn't much of a leap to assume these two might actually be Devils. "No..." he groaned "No... You're going to take me to Hell aren't you?" Amelia looked back at Stevie with soft eyes. "Why would you think that?" she asked gently. "Why else? Because I killed people!" Stevie wept and gripped his hair. "Do you feel bad about that?" Amelia asked and for a moment Stevie didn't answer as he continued to sob. He then looked up at her with dull eyes. "No," he answered simply hollowly. Then he unleashed the power that he had spent this time building up. This caused all the glass, pottery and ceramicware in the room to spontaniously explode. While the others were distracting by this, he made a run for the door. Not wanting to stick around so that the Devils could drag him to Hell. --- "Yeah... I'll do that..." Malone answered distractedly. "Thanks, boss," he said sincerely. Then something occurred to him and he knew he wouldn't be able to rest if he didn't at least make Will aware of it. "Boss? The Demon in the lockup... he said something about a contract. The dancer he used as a hostage seemed terrified of leaving him too. Something's not right." --- May looked from James to his cup with a small smile. "Well, you've done well so far. Not so much as a chip in the cup." she smiled a little wider at him. "Practice makes perfect. If you're not used to doing something a certain way then you just need to take it one step at a time and one day at a time. I just know that in time you'll get the hang of it." --- "Ah, no..." Damien quickly shook his head. "I was in love once and I never want to feel that kind of pain again..." he stopped, realising how much he was telling her and awkwardly cleared his throat. "I'm just not ready for anything serious. I was thinking I'd just, you know, focus on finding myself for a while." he paid her for the second drink and knocked that one back too. --- Gravel crunched and clacked outside their hiding place. Growing louder the closer they came. One set of footsteps. Then two. Three. If there were more it was hard to tell over the overlapping sounds of tiny rocks tumbling and sea waves crashing outside the little shed. Kat gulped silently. His heart pounding hard as he tried to listen through the sounds of his and Sawyer's combined breathing. His grip on the shed door was tight and grew tighter the closer those footsteps came. His eyes widened a little as the footsteps stopped right outside the shed and they could hear men muttering to each other in barely audible Japanese. Someone tried to pull the shed door and Kat held it firmly in place. They tried again and Kat maintained his grip. "Locked..." they'd hear one of them say. Then the gradual sounds of the footsteps moving away. When they were far enough that Kat could no longer hear them, he let out a relieved breath and turned his head to look at Sawyer. By now his eyes had adjusted slightly to the dark and he could just about make out his face. "That was too close..." he whispered, not wanting to risk speaking any louder in case those men were still close enough to hear.

"How?" Stevie demanded, looking between them both. "How're you going to help me? They were right! I'm good for nothing! A weirdo! I'm always going to be alone! I can't trust anyone! Not my friends, not my parents and not you!" Sobbing, he tore his hand away from Raven's. "You'll all leave me in the end! I know it! You'll hurt me, just like they did! And then I'll have to kill you too!" --- "Well, today has been pretty hard..." Malone answered as he closed the door. He then hesitated while still standing near the door. Fidgeting with his hands nervously as he hesitated to say what was on his mind. His hands were visibly shaking, showing he still hadn't fully recovered from what had happened at the club. "Boss... I shot someone today," he said finally and although he felt a little relieved to say it out loud, he was also still worried that he'd get into trouble for it. "Not fatally, the perp is in lockup now with a medic seeing to them. I shot them in the leg. I-I panicked. I thought it was going to be a normal arrest but then it turned out the perp was a Demon and he tried to take a dancer hostage, then he came at me when I reached for my radio and it happened so quickly..." he rambled a little then stopped to look at Will. "I've never shot anyone before." --- May couldn't help giggling at James's reaction to the taste of coffee and she covered her mouth shyly as she did so. Her laughter was light and bubbly. "Here." she chuckled while passing him the milk and sugar. "Try it with these..." she thought about his words and shrugged while smiling at him. "I like you. You seem like a sweet man and I'd like to get to know you more," she explained. She picked up her cup and took a long sip of it. Enjoying it's strong and bitter taste. It was just what she needed after a long shift. --- "Um..." Damien faltered, caught off guard by Blaire's blunt yet accurate assumption. He half laughed and decided to dodge her question entirely. "I'm... questioning myself. I'm not sure how to put this. All my life I thought I was one way but now I'm thinking that maybe..." he glanced around again then sighed. "That I might have more 'options' than I originally thought." He handed her the cash for his drink and then knocked it back quickly as if washing away the nerves of admitting something so personal to a woman that he barely knew. He stifled a cough from the strong beverage hitting his throat but found that even this drink didn't come close to slaking his cravings for venom. "Another one please," he said quickly before continuing on. "I mean... does that even happen? Figuring something like that out late in life?" --- Kat was silently impressed as he watched Sawyer take care of the padlock. He dove into the shed once it was opened then pulled the door closed behind them, holding it closed in case someone came along to try and pull on it. The shed was tiny, with barely enough room for them both to fit, which meant they had to stand very close to each other. Kat glanced at Sawyer's silhouette in the darkness as he felt him wrap his coat around him. "Thank you..." he whispered absently as he turned his head back to look at the door, his attention on listening out for any approaching footsteps.

Stevie glanced over at Death almost fearfully. He was familiar with stories and for the whole time he'd been here Stevie hadn't dared to say a word. But he looked back at Raven now as bitter tears rolled down his cheeks. "I thought you were different. I thought you understood me. But you're going to leave me, just like the rest of them, aren't you?" he asked quietly, though his words were heavy with anger and pain. --- Wiping the spit off his cheek with the sleeve of his jacket, Malone was far from gentle when he yanked the owner out of the car and slammed the passenger door shut with his foot. "Just piling up those charges, aren't you?" he muttered as he dragged the owner into the precinct. Once inside, he passed the owner over to another officer to take him to a cell so that he, himself could calm down. "Careful with that one. He's a Demon," he called to the officer as they walked away. He ran a hand through his hair out of stress then walked over to Will's office to knock on the door. --- May blushed deeply and didn't want to move her hand. "I- thank you," she said shyly then shook her head slightly. "You know, I have to deal with all kinds of horrible situations day in and day out. I talk to all kinds of people... but you're the first person to actually, well... see me." she bit her lip a little then looked into his eyes. "So, you don't need to give me anything because you've already given me something that's worth so much more. You make me feel like a person and not just some nurse who helped your friend." She smiled, her cheeks still pink as she glanced at her coffee and then back to James. "I think I'd like to do this again... with you. If you want? I like your company." --- Or maybe he'd always felt this way and couldn't remember burying it deep down? After all, although he personally had no problem with other people's sexual preferences, he had grown up in a time when it wasn't as socially acceptable as it is now. Blaire's greeting pulled Damien out of his thoughts and he looked at her, masking his emotions with a charming smile as usual. "Hi, what's the strongest drink you have?" he asked and pulled out his wallet. He then thought for a moment before glancing around as if making sure no one else was close enough to listen in. He'd momentarily forgotten about vampire hearing. He looked back at Blaire and his smile had slipped a bit. "Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" --- Kat led them to the back doors, just in time to hear a set of metal doors on the other side of the warehouse being kicked open and heavy boots running into the building. Hurriedly, Kate slipped out and made sure that Sawyer was close behind before quietly closing the door behind them. He hadn't had time to put his shirt back on or grab anything before they'd had to make a move, so he shivered a little in the cool wind as he quietly jogged along the docks to find somewhere for them to hide, all while looking around wildly to make sure they hadn't been spotted or followed. They came upon a shed, likely for storing boating equipment. He tried to open the door quickly but noticed a thick padlock keeping it shut. He glanced back over at the warehouse from which they had escaped and could hear the men inside shouting orders. He looked over at the streets but knew it'd be suicide to run out into the open like that. "Shit. When they figure out we're not there they'll make a sweep of these docks. We need to hide."

Amelia hugged Raven back. "He's like you?" She asked Death, astonished. She then smiled at Raven while straightening up. "I told you we wanted to help. Now, make sure you get something to eat." she gestured to the two pizzas. "There's pepperoni or vegetarian. I wasn't sure which you'd prefer... where's your friend?" she looked around and then spotted Stevie sitting in an unlit corner of the room. Silently glaring at them all with tears in his eyes. "Hey, are you hungry?" Amelia tried but Stevie continued to stare, unmoving. --- Malone couldn't help chuckling to himself. He couldn't stand country music either but to see the look on the owners face was priceless. He pulled up to the station and finally turned off the music before stepping out. He opened the passenger door and offered the owner a hand, prepared to help him walk into the precinct. "Alright, c'mon. Let's get that leg taken care of." --- "Unless she has super hearing, I don't believe she can hear us." May smiled at James gently. She then looked concerned by what he told her. "You were trained to be a soldier. No worse than a soldier by the sounds of things. But Lyncanthropy isn't something to be ashamed of. There are hundreds of people out there who live perfectly ordinary lives despite their monthly 'obligation'. Even have their own cultures by what I've heard of them... " she tilted her head at him with softened eyes. "You didn't know that, did you? How isolated you must've been... how... lonely..." She couldn't help but reach across the table and place her hand on his. She quickly remembered herself and pulled her hand back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so pushy. You don't have to talk about this if you don't want." --- While James was out on his date, Damien was taking the opportunity to discreetly take care of his fix. So, he went to the one place he knew he'd be able to get all the vampire venom he wanted. Blaire's vampire nightclub. It was early evening by this point so the club was just starting to fill up. He wasn't entirely sure how he was going to go about getting venom in his system but he figured it might involve convincing a vampire to take a little nibble. He shivered at the thought and was curious about the strange excitement he'd felt alongside the fear. As he walked in and looked around, it dawned on him that he might actually enjoy being bitten. That it could well be a kink of his that he'd been unaware of up until his attacks. Either that or it was a strange result of his trauma but right now he didn't care. All he knew now was he wanted some fangs in him. He glanced around the room and felt a new nervousness. It would be very strange of him to just ask someone to bite him. Maybe it was an intimate thing? Maybe he'd be better off waiting for a vampire to take an interest in him? As he thought this he recalled Tristan at his door and although the memory sickened him, he vaguely remembered feeling a kind of thrill from his touch. Again, it could be due to trauma or- "Holy shit, I might be bi..." he breathed to himself. Trying to make sense of these new and very confusing feelings, he wandered over to the bar to grab a drink. --- Kat placed his hand over Red Fox's mouth to wake him up quietly. He placed a finger over his own lips to indicate to him to be quiet. "Listen," he whispered. Listening carefully they'd both hear footsteps on gravel outside the warehouse. Kat nodded at some doors behind them and gestured for Sawyer to follow him.

"I should've guessed you'd see and hear everything, too." Amelia chuckled, reminded once again of Charles's strong telepathic abilities. "Still, I'm sure they'll appreciate a decent hot meal." The employee called their order number and Amelia paid for the food before picking up the boxes. She took a breath, feeling a little nervous after the tension of her last visit. "You ready?" she asked Charles. --- Feeling something tug one of his fingers, David lifted his hand and stared in surprise at the new signet ring. Speechless, he turned his head to look at Death in time to see the door close. He looked back at the ring, mildly confused. He guessed it was a form of an apology, though he wasn't certain. Of course, David understood why Death had reacted the way he had back in the throne room. This wasn't a normal situation and tensions were very high for everyone. Add to that the curse on Azrael as well as the drama from finding out Lilly's friends had suddenly died... Those frustrations were bound to be aimed somewhere eventually. He sighed, settling into his position by the door for however long Death would need to rest. --- Malone watched Ash leave then looked coldly at the owner in his rearview mirror. "What was that? You want music?" he asked with a smirk then turned his radio to country music before whacking the volume all the way up. During the car ride to the station, if the owner tried to talk to him again he'd respond with "SORRY! CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER THIS MUSIC!" It wasn't mature but it was the only thing Malone could do to torment this asshole legally. --- Sasha nodded and smiled at him then rang them up for the two coffees. Once they had their cups, May carried them over to one of the tables in the dining area and set them down. She hung her coat and handbag over the back of her chair before sitting in it and looking at James with a playful smirk. "You were going to say human, weren't you?" she grinned knowingly. She spoke a little quieter. "It's ok by the way. With the types of injuries we see at the hospital every day, you'd be hard-pressed to find a doctor or nurse nowadays who can't identify a supernatural person." she shrugged as she opened her sugar sachets and poured them into her drink before stirring it. "I think it's all fascinating. I mean, just a few weeks ago I helped a woman who was pregnant with werewolf pups to deliver them. They were the cutest things!" she stopped stirring her coffee and placed her spoon back onto the little saucer. "That's what you are, right? A werewolf?"

Amelia flustered slightly at the way Ash addressed her, unsure of whether she liked it or not or even if maybe she liked it a little too much. But she kept her composure and nodded to Hades and the boys with a smile. "Stay safe you lot. I know you'll be brilliant Demons." she took Charles's hand and smiled at him. "Let's save those boys," she said before teleporting them to a pizza place she used to visit on Earth. "Hmm..." she glanced up at the menu board. "I probably should have asked them what kind of pizza they liked... I don't know if they're vegetarian or not... ah, fuck it..." She stepped up to the counter and ordered one large pepperoni and one large vegetarian. While waiting for the pizzas to cook, she turned to Charles. "That place they were in was a mess... not including the bodies and smell of decay. I didn't see any food there but then again I did only see two rooms." --- With a subtle sigh, David moved to follow Death. He didn't need to watch him sleep but he would need to be close enough to hear if he was in trouble. On his way past, he glanced between Gabriel and the chicken and couldn't help smirking. It seemed Gabriel's job turned out to be easier than his. Once they reached Death's room, David would position himself to stand by the door with his back to the wall, showing Death that he wouldn't be following him inside but that he wouldn't be far away in case he was needed. --- Malone bit his lip and looked away from Ash for a moment. Suddenly his previous actions made some sense. He took a notepad out of the glove compartment along with a pen and wrote down some details before ripping the page out and handing it to Ash. "What you went through is hard. I know... My dad was the same. I haven't seen or spoken to him in years. That hostel-" he pointed to his note. "is the nicest one you'll find. They pretty much saved my life and helped put me on the path of joining the force. They could help you too. You just have to ask them for it." Looking back, Malone at that time had never really been religious but would often muse that the people working in that particular hostel were Angels. Now that he knew about the supernatural world he couldn't help but wonder if they really had been. "Tell them... tell them 'Loner' sent you." his cheeks turned a little pink as he said his old nickname and he quickly looked away out of embarrassment. --- "Depends, are you a sweet or savoury kind of guy?" Sasha smiled. May looked at James thoughtfully with a small smile. "Coffee is new to you, isn't it?" she asked then glanced up at the menu. "Maybe a standard coffee then? It's black but comes with a little jug of milk that you can add if it's too bitter." "And if you want it sweeter, we have sugar sachets on that little counter just there," Sasha added while nodding to a small self-serve table just within the dining area.

"You want to tattoo my name on your body?" Amelia asked, perplexed. She then shrugged. "What the hell, if that's what you want it's your body." After finding a pen and carefully giving the band their signatures, she turned to Hades. "Charles and I need to go grab food and meet these boys. Would you mind filling your friends in on what's been going on? Come and meet us when you're done, if you'd like. But we'll understand if you need time to catch up." she then turned to Ash and merely pointed a finger at him. "Behave," she said sternly. --- David had enough experience with Lucifer to know when he was pushing his luck and as much as he wanted to snipe back that Death would have to answer to Charles & Amelia if he hurt him, he stayed quiet. Instead, he cleared his throat and repositioned himself to stand with his hands behind his back. --- Malone saw Ash in his peripheral and paused. He sighed and wound down his window. "Look, I know we've had our differences before but I meant what I said. You can do better than this." --- More colour rushed to May's cheeks and she smiled bashfully. "I'm a mess." she chuckled. "But thank you... here we are." She opened the door of the little coffee shop and stepped in after him. "Hello Sasha!" she greeted the barista cheerfully. "May! Thank God you're alright! The earthquake had us shook up! No pun intended! I'll bet you've been busy today." Sasha said "Like you wouldn't believe." May chuckled and then gestured to James. "This is James." "Hi, James. The usual for you today, May?" "You know me." "Black coffee with two sugars coming up. And what're you having?" Sasha asked James.

"Oh, before we begin, I guess I need to go over a few important details," Amelia said quickly. "I know you said you're into the occult but some texts on Earth aren't exactly accurate. If you want to study up on the real histories of Heaven and Hell, this library is your best bet... some of them are written in the Demon tongue which is ancient but most of it has been re-written in English. The main points I'm trying to get to are... Lucifer is gone, possibly for good. Satan is definitely gone for good. Heaven and Hell used to be at war but we're now at peace but only just so please don't do anything that will set back our progress. That being said, self-defence might be necessary in some cases because some Demons don't seem to like change. Alright! Who's first?" Once Charles and Amelia would have finished changing the boys into Demons, Amelia looked at Pain's arm in confusion. "I'm flattered but... You want it on your arm?" she asked, a little puzzled. --- David winced at Death's words but kept his calm composure. "Arch Demon." he corrected him. His steely eyes gazed back. "And I know my place well. It's within close proximity to you and ensuring your safety, regardless of how you may feel about it. I might be here as a guest, your grace, but make no mistake- I am not here for you to order around like one of your Reapers. If protecting you means disobeying you, then I will not hesitate." --- Malone helped the owner to walk to his vehicle where he carefully placed him into the back and made sure his seatbelt was on before closing the door. He took a moment to lean against the hood of the car and take a deep breath to steady his nerves. "Why can't these jobs be normal again?" he mumbled to himself as he moved over to the drivers side door to open it. He figured Ash was safe now and if he wanted to press charges he could call in or take himself to the precinct. For now, though, Malone needed to make sure the owner was booked in safely. He climbed into the front seat and lifted the radio from the dashboard, bringing it to his mouth. "Officer Malone, on my way back with the perp. Will need a medic on standby," he said shakily before placing it back onto its holder and turning the engine on. --- May listened to him and grew concerned when he mentioned the type of training that he'd received. It seemed to May that he had a lot of trauma to work out from his time in whatever military would treat its soldiers like that. "You're not a weapon, James." She told him gently. "You're a man. A very nervous man, obviously." she chuckled lightly. "But that's normal. Being nervous for a date is natural. I can only imagine how nervous you must be if you haven't had much chance to socialise before, either. But honestly, it's ok." she gave him a comforting smile. "So, is this your first first date, then?" she asked curiously.

"I really don't like that word..." Amelia winced but smiled at the group. She hadn't been at all surprised. "Well, you know. I figured I'd put the option out there anyway." she shrugged to Hades. "Alright, fellas! Line up. This is going to pinch a bit but you'll be Demons in no time. There is a catch, of course. You'll all be citizens of Hell which means basically you work-" she gestured to herself and Charles "for us. This is Charles and I am Amelia. We're the royalty here. Occasionally we might ask you to do things for us. An odd spell here, muscle there... I might even ask you to help with our Redemption Programme. But for the most part, you'll be free to live your demonic lives how you choose. Sound good? Any questions? Oh and no pressure or anything but we're kind of in a hurry." --- "I know as much as you do," David replied sternly. He was being honest. Although he had been in the presence of Charles, Amelia, Hades and the Angel whose name he hadn't caught, none of them had mentioned anything about the boy in the short time that he was with them. "And you know that I am here by order of the Spirit Council. I don't doubt your abilities but we cannot take any unnecessary risks. Now, I will try to stay out of your way and not involve myself in your business but when it comes to your safety I will do my job-" he took a step towards Death, looking him in the eye. "Whether you want me to or not." he tugged at his own jacket to straighten it up while clearing his throat before turning and waking off to the side, deciding that while he still needed to stand guard it would probably be best to do so with a little distance after that confrontation. --- It had happened too quickly and Malone had reacted instinctively yet as he watched the owner gripping his leg, he shook. He'd never shot anyone before. Hadn't needed to. Usually, he found that posturing and bluffing worked without the need to escalate further. No one wants to be shot so they don't usually take the chance... usually. But this wasn't usual. "Y-You made me do it!" he snapped at the owner irritably, with a hint of panic to his voice. "You could have just come quietly! But you had to keep pushing!" Assuming the owner wasn't a threat anymore, he tried to put his gun back into the holster but he was shaking so much that it took him two or three attempts to get it in. He then grabbed the owner's arm to drag him up to his feet. "There's a medic at the precinct, they'll patch you up. C'mon!" --- May was confused by his words. He was a soldier but wasn't familiar with the concept of money? "Um, that's right. My car is this way..." she said while trying not to look at him strangely. When they reached her car, she smiled at first at how eager he was to be a gentleman. Until he ripped the door off of her car. "Oh my god!" she gasped and covered her mouth. She looked at him in shock, wondering exactly what kind of soldier he'd been. "Uh, I don't- Just, just leave it next to the car. I'll need to call a mechanic to pick it up," she said while scratching her head. She was trying not to be annoyed but the repair alone would cost a fortune and on a nurse's salary, it meant she was going to be broke for a while. "I-It's fine... honestly. Town isn't that far, we could walk there?" Her own question confused her. He'd given her flowers that had been ripped from where she could only guess was the front of the hospital based on the fist-sized gap in the flowerbed that they walked past and now he'd torn the door off her car with barely any effort. Her common sense told her she should be running for the hills but a part of her was touched by how sweet and nervous he was. She hesitated and her cheeks turned pink again as she placed her hands on one of his arms. "There's a nice little cafe not too far from here. It's a favourite of mine. I usually stop by after work for a pick-me-up."

Hearing Death call to him, Azrael teleported from his study and appeared near him to receive his new order. He looked at them both, mildly confused but bowed regardless. "Yes, your Grace." he stepped over to Lilly and held his hand out for her to take. In seconds they were both standing in Pain's place. --- With Raven out of the room, Stevie glanced around before taking his hipflask out of his jacket pocket. He took a small swig of the vampire venom before looking at the flask sadly. He was running low and would need to contact his dealer again soon. He wasn't sure if he should tell Raven about his addiction yet but figured he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. For now, he tightened up the lid and placed the flask back into his jacket. Now feeling high and a little more focused, he took aim at the objects that he'd set up. One by one, they smashed into fragments. With each one, Stevie's smirk grew a little more. --- Theodore nodded thankfully at Charles before quivering at Ash's smile. He vanished, returning to Heaven to report what he'd seen and heard to Raguel. David placed a hand on Grims shoulder. "Thank you. I'll check in on him, then. But rest assured you and your band will be in great hands with my daughters." he removed his hand before vanishing. "Speaking of which..." Amelia spoke as she looked between the band members. With them being Hades's friends she knew it would be safer for them if they didn't remain as souls in Hell. "You all have two choices ahead of you now. Ascend to Heaven or become Demons. What'll it be?" --- David surprised Azrael and Lilly with his arrival. Equally surprised by their presence, David lifted an eyebrow at the pair. "I take it you're looking for Bob, too?" Lilly nodded. "He wasn't in the book, which means he's alone somewhere." "You should be guarding Death." Azrael pointed out. "Your King gave his permission for me to check on Lilly's friends. But I see your point, if you're both searching for Bob then perhaps I should return to him." David nodded before looking at Lilly. "The rest of your friends are safe. They're currently with Hades and Amelia, my other daughter." he said to her before straightening up his jacket. "I'll return now. I expect I'll be seeing you both soon, then?" "We'll return as soon as we've confirmed Bob is safe," Azreal said. "Best of luck and stay safe." David vanished, returning to Death's throne room. "Bob?" Lilly called out and started walking through the place. She checked every room but it was completely empty. "He's not here..." She said worried as she stepped back into the living room to see Azrael inspecting the front door. "The handle is broken..." Azrael said gravely. "Something happened here..." he looked back at Lilly. "This might be dangerous. I can take you home and come back to search for Bob for you." "No! He's my friend I can't just-" "You're a Princess of Death and you can barely control your powers." Azrael cut her off. "And there's the matter of that portal. If the boy who came through it decided to target Death then you could be targeted to get to him... It's too dangerous." Lilly folded her arms. "I'm not leaving," she said stubbornly with tearful eyes. "He would do the same for me if our roles were reversed. He's my oldest friend and I will find him!" Azrael sighed and looked at her imploringly. "Please, listen to reason. You're letting your emotions get the better of you." "I am not a child! Don't treat me like I am this fragile thing! Just- help me look for him, will you?!" Lilly snapped and marched her way past him to look closer at the door. --- Keeping a tight hold on his gun, Malone faltered when the owner started using Ash as a human shield. As angry as he was at Ash for hurting his love, his morality was too strong for him to just kill him in cold blood. "Shit!" he said under his breath as he realised this Demon wasn't giving him any other choice. He was going to need to call for backup to try to prevent a hostage situation that could easily spiral out of control. He reached for the radio on his shoulder to call it in. --- Nurse May was finally almost finished with her shift and what a shift it had been! A medical career is never easy but throw an earthquake or two into the mix and it makes for some very stressful interactions. She wore her beige coat over her scrubs and a little red leather bag hung from her left shoulder. She leaned against the front counter to sign out her name in the log book when she heard James's voice. She turned her head to look at him and her eyes widened at the roses which had obviously been plucked out of a plant pot rather than bought in a store. But she was a little more alarmed by the little thorns that had torn into his hand. "oh my gosh! Um-!" She looked around quickly and grabbed a roll of blue tissue paper. She tore some off and carefully wrapped it around the stems of the roses to stop the thorns from stabbing her hands as she took them and carefully placed them onto the counter. "Thank you, but your hand- here..." she gently took his arm and pulled him to one side. She darted behind the desk and pulled out a little first aid kit. Popping it open, she took out an antiseptic wipe. "This will sting a bit," she said gently. She cleaned his hand up before neatly wrapping it with a small roll of bandages. "I- um- that was sweet of you. But usually, people buy roses from a store. The thorns are wrapped up so you don't hurt yourself, you see." she chuckled while she worked on his hand. "They're beautiful though, thank you. I um-... I just got off my shift if you want to get that coffee with me now?" her cheeks turned pink as she asked.

"He's on his own?" Lilly asked worriedly. She was relieved he was alive, of course. But when she thought he had died with the others there had been some comfort in the assumption that he was still with friends. "I-I don't know. We used to just stay with the band when I was alive. Maybe he's still at their place?" He would not be there. --- Stevie frowned but nodded. He glanced at the corpse enviously as he felt no matter what he'd do he would always be playing second fiddle to a literal cadaver. "Alright, I guess I'll keep practising." he sighed as he moved back over to the coffee table and arranged a few items to use as targets. --- "I was kidding!" Amelia chuckled at Charles. David was touched by Hades's reunion with her friends and boyfriend but he was concerned about Bob and had no time to waste. "I need to know if he's alright and report back to Lilly. What does he look like now?" "Not that all of this isn't an exciting and fascinating visit but..." Theodore began and anxiously glanced at Ash again before looking at Charles & Amelia. "Am I still needed?" --- Malone hit the wall and was surprised that the owner wasn't human. He knew about the supernatural world now but he'd really hoped this would be a normal arrest. He glared at the owner with his hand on his gun. "You think I'm intimidated? I know about Demons. One or two of my colleagues are from Hell. But you? You're just a pathetic little man with a complex for control, throwing his title around as it matters. You're no different from any human skumbag drug dealer and if I have to put you down for resisting and dangerous behaviour, I will." he growled angrily.

David vanished. Lilly stiffened slightly again, still not used to the affection but quickly melted into the hug once more. Lilly wasn't the only one not used to Death's affections yet and though the Reapers noticed what was happening, they didn't dare say a word. Instead, they went about their duties a little more briskly while averting their eyes. --- "Alright," Stevie said before glancing around the room, half expecting it to fill up at any moment. "How long do you think they'll be?" --- Amelia got to her feet and curiously watched the conversation unfold. "Satan was a bastard, plus he's long gone," she said to them with a shrug. "But on the bright side, you could always convert to Amelia-ists... or Charles-ists. Either way works, really." Now familiar with where he was again, Theodore gingerly got to his feet and looked between all the new faces. Once more, his eyes would occasionally dart to Ash as he recalled the way he'd looked at him before the astral projection. "Just as I thought." David's voice came from behind Theodore, making him jump with a yelp and his wings burst from his back involuntarily. "Oh, apologies... you startled me." He said sheepishly. "An Angel?" David raised an eyebrow and then looked between Charles and Amelia questioningly. "I'll ask later... I'm only here for a brief visit before I have to go back on duty. Lilly is worried about her friends." he looked over at the band. "Is Bob with you too? I hear he's not a skeleton anymore..." Though the lack of terrible puns should be evident enough, they would soon notice that Bob was not with the group. He was missing. --- "The law is the law," Malone said to the owner sternly. He then looked apologetically at Ash. "I'm sorry, my hands are tied on this. You can either come with me to press charges against your boss or leave and get your life together. You can do better than this Ash. I'm sure the store down the street has a few jobs going. Last I heard they still haven't replaced their night security."

Trying to remember if Amelia's ever actually met the band before lol I don't think she has but if she did then I could probs just put it down to her still being sleepy hahaha