Shadowess

Denix Vames - February 19, 2022 "That sounds perfect but I think you can take the sex part." ,said Nate. "Yeah, we've already got someone." ,said Gabriel. --- Phineas attempted to take the collar off before Insanity punched him. He clutched his cheek. "Why won't this damn collar work?!" Insanity grabbed Donnie before grabbing Phineas's arm. Making him fall with such a pull of force. "No! Doctor! Help!" "Your powers! Use them!" ,shouted Leo. Phineas wondered what he could possibly as he recalled that he wasn't human anymore. The iron rod appeared in his hand. He stabbed Insanity through his chest he was kicked off. Insanity grabbed him by his leg. Dragging him as they disappeared. He placed a spell so that no one would find them. All three men were in an apartment. "No! Get away from me!" At Phineas's words, he began to kick him. "You will obey me!" Phineas clutched his stomach as he cried out. --- As the bartender made his drink, everyone had placed the equipment on stage. Making sure everything was hooked up. "Let's order some food. I'm hungry." ,said Hades. --- Carter's eyes widened when he appeared in the castle. "Holy shit! This place is straight out of Game of Thrones!" shadowess - February 20, 2022 "Oh yeah..." Azrael looked thoughtful then shrugged. "So, bring them along for the ride? Then we can all have some fun. Besides, I gotta meet the mortals that finally calmed you two down!" he laughed. --- Realising that Kasper had been right and that Phineas was in danger, the doctor ran forward. He dove at them to try to grab one of them before they'd vanish but was slightly too late as he hit the grass where they'd been standing. He tried to teleport but couldn't. "I don't understand! Why can't I follow them?!" he said as he stood, turning to look at Leo. "What just happened!? Who were they?!" Donnie heard the commotion and felt the ground under him shift. He wasn't as cold but he was still shivering as he crawled over what felt like carpet. He found a couch, which he propped himself against until he regained his sight. Slowly, the room came into focus. At first, all he could see were dark blurs, then he looked at Insanity and Phineas, alarmed by the rod sticking out of Insanity's chest. "My love! He hurt you?" he gasped. He tried to stand, wobbled for a moment then sat back down on the couch. He was too weak yet to move. Apparently being turned into a tree then reborn from the same tree in the space of one evening is very tiring work. --- "Me too." Lilly nodded as she stepped off the stage to join the others. Bob took the drink and was about to take a sip when Lilly swiped it from him. "No, Bob." She looked at the bartender. "I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate you leaving a puddle in the middle of their establishment." "If you're saying that I have a weak bladder, then that is simply not true!" Bob huffed and leaned against the bar with his arms folded. "That's because you don't have a bladder at all, numbskull!" "Maybe YOU should have that drink then? You could do with loosening up a little!" Bob suggested and Lilly squinted at him. "The only reason I'll drink this is that you've already paid for it, and it'd go to waste otherwise." "Paid for it?" Bob pulled out his pockets which were empty and Lilly rolled her eyes. "Of course..." she huffed and set the drink down on the bar before pulling out her own purse. "Maybe if you smiled more, someone would buy that drink for you?" Bob suggested as he walked past her to head to the dance floor. --- Egon saw the pair having appeared with David before David had left them. He approached them cautiously and took note that they were speaking English. "Guten Abend, visitors." he greeted them. "Oh! uh-" Sebastian turned around to see Egon and held on tightly to the Tupperware that he had. Carter wasn't wrong! Egon was wearing what appeared to be ancient armour. Sword in a sheath and all! "Good evening. We came to visit Patience. She's my maker. Apparently, she's here?" "Last I saw, our King had taken her to settle into her own room." Egon nodded. "This way, I'll show you." "How long has this castle been here?" Sebastian asked as he looked around curiously while they followed Egon. "Centuries. It was first built in 1025. Though it was much smaller back then. Over time, we added to its size to accommodate the vampire families who moved in... there aren't as many of us now. Most of us were hunted off. But our war with the hunters has just ended, so we look forward to filling up the rooms once more." Denix Vames - February 20, 2022 In just a flash, Tom and Rob were there. "Rob isn't exactly mortal but he's a good man either way." ,said Gabriel. Nate winked at Tom. "What can I say? I love humanity." --- "It's a long complicated story." Leo spilled the beans on Donnie and Insanity. He balled up his fists. "We have to call in a search. I'll notify my boss. You tell Heaven." He walked away. --- Insanity pulled out the iron rod. He set it aside. "I'm alright." He grabbed a blanket and placed it over Donnie. "You should be more slow with this. You might hurt yourself. Anyway, I'll need your help to control our new servant. It seems like we might have overused the collar." --- Hades and the others ordered some meals before they began eating. It would take some time but the concert would soon start. With enough of an audience, the band was playing. Hades was backstage making sure everything was alright. --- "I kind of want to try staying here for a day. Would that be alright?" ,said Carter. Shadowess - February 20, 2022 At first, both Rob and Tom were surprised that they'd been teleported into the bar but they each relaxed when they saw they'd been brought to their parter's sides. Rob blushed and shrugged at Gabriel's compliment. "Well, I am now. Thanks to you." Tom had chuckled at Nate's comment. He seemed far more relaxed than Rob was but then again he was used to random teleportations by now. "And I love this Angel with all my heart." he purred as he wrapped his arms around Nate's shoulders. "Nice to finally meet you both. My name is Azrael. Gabriel, Nate and I go way back." Azrael introduced himself. "Wait, Azrael? THE Angel of Death?" Rob seemed star-struck. But then, he supposed, it only made sense that one of the most famous Angels in Heaven is friends with an Angel who is just as famous. "That's me..." Azrael shrugged. "My job can take a hell of a toll on my mental health, so when I'm not on the clock, I like to party as much as I can. I used to get into all kinds of trouble with these two." he pointed drunkenly to Gabriel and Nate. "Speaking of which, we're going to perform some miracles to earn adoration. What do you think, fellas? Want to be treated like royalty for an evening?" "I-I don't know...Isn't that unethical?" Rob asked as he looked between them. Tom looked thoughtful then smirked at Rob before picking up one of Nate's empty shot glasses. "If there's one thing I've learned since dating Nate, it's to relax more and enjoy life to the fullest," he said before pressing the glass under one of his fangs to fill it. "Besides, it's not like we're hurting anyone," he commented before knocking the shot back and sitting on Nate's lap. "Though I think it's only fair that you allow us a chance to catch up to you guys first." he gestured to the shot glasses while grinning at them. Rob looked around at them then smiled bashfully at Gabriel, relenting. "Alright. It's just a bit of fun, right?" he asked, as though looking for reassurance. Azrael beamed at them then waved at the bartender. "Another round of shots!" --- The doctor nodded then vanished, returning to Heaven to report the kidnapping and Donnie's escape. --- Donnie gripped the blanket around him, desperate to feel any sort of warmth. He glanced at Phineas then looked up at Insanity. "Why are you still trying to use such unreliable tools? I gave you the power to possess. You know the words. Chant them and force him to become your zombified slave." he said through chattering teeth. "Or if you want it to be more fun, use something to bribe him with. A secret he doesn't want out or hold one of his loved ones hostage. You're my Artist! Be creative! Be the professional that caught my attention all those years ago!" he said, trying to inspire his lover while he was currently too drained to do anything else. --- Lilly had had the drink on an empty stomach and felt herself becoming inebriated too quick for her liking. She was glad when food was ordered and she ate to sober up. It wasn't long before she was watching Bob prancing around on the stage next to the band as they played. He tap-danced and at one point attempted to breakdance. Despite his terrible moves, he seemed to be a big hit with the audience who lapped up the band and their dermatologically-challenged mascot like they were already famous. Tired of watching Bob dancing around like a lunatic, Lilly walked around backstage and stood near Hades. The sound of the band playing was very loud, particularly this close, so Lilly had to lean in for Hades to hear her. "Hey. Is there anything I can help with here?" --- "You're welcome to stay. We can arrange a room for you to stay in." Egon nodded. Sebastian was contemplative. "I guess we could sort of use this as a holiday. But let's not forget, we're not here for us. We're here for..." he trailed off as a room with an open door caught his eye. He wandered over, causing Egon to pause and follow him over. "Carter, look! There are children here." He said quietly as he looked in on what appeared to be a creche. There were several adult vampires dotted around the colourfully decorated room. Each was playing and caring for small groups of children. All of them seemed to be aged between two and three years. "It's like a little nursery!" he gasped, his heart melted from the sight. "Of course. Where else would our children go during the night?" Egon asked. "We've never seen...vampire children before," Sebastian explained as he looked at Egon then smiled at Carter. "We were both turned." "Ohh, that explains it." "A-are they difficult to raise?" "Any child is." Egon chuckled. "But that's what rewarding about it, right?" "Right." Sebastian turned a little red with embarrassment. "But what I mean is... and I'm sorry if I sound daft... they do, y'know, grow up? right?" Egon turned a rose an eyebrow at Sebastian. "Of course they do," he answered. "You said Patience was your maker? Did she never talk to you about this stuff?" "It... never came up. We were both prisoners at the time. Then we got separated for decades." "I see." Egon turned away from the room. "Well, while you're here we'd be happy to teach you. So, don't be embarrassed about asking." Denix Vames - February 20, 2022 "Of course it is!" ,sad Gabriel. He kissed him before taking a shot. He pressed his lips against his. Making the shot go through Rob's mouth. Nate rubbed his hand over Tom's thigh as he kissed his neck. --- "Oh right. Sorry dear. It's been a struggle without your guidance. Although, I'll let him wear the collar. It suits him." ,said Insanity. He knelt and cupped Phineas's chin. "I want to see how far I can make you listen." Phineas glared. "You're nothing but a monster! A bastard who deserves to burn in Hell!" Insanity grinned. "If you don't listen then I will kill Autumn. Because you see, no matter what your friends do, I will always find her." Phineas's eye widened. Tears dripped down his cheek. "No....I-I'll listen." He lowered his head. Insanity stood. "Call me master." Phineas bit his lip before saying, "Yes master." Insanity chuckled. --- "Honestly, there's nothing to do. I'm just watching them from the backstage in case anything happens. You can watch from here too." ,said Hades. --- "It's just that..." Carter blushed. "We're thinking of adopting. We want to start a family. But we need some help with that. It seems like you guys know what to do." shadowess - February 20, 2022 Rob stifled a moan as Gabriel pushed the drink into his mouth. He then cringed at the strength of the drink before forcing himself to swallow it. He pulled away from Gabriel to cough a little and chuckled. "Oh, man...That's what you guys are drinking? That stuff is strong!" He then picked up another shot glass and brought it up to his own lips while looking at Gabriel suggestively. "Maybe I could return the favour?" Meanwhile, Tom was blushing madly as Nate kissed his neck. Though he was grinning from ear to ear as he filled glass after glass with his own venom which he proceeded to drink in order to keep up with them. Feeling a little left out, for now, Azrael settled for taking a few shots as he waited for the others to finish up the round. --- Donnie watched Insanity work. As he did, he thought about all they'd gone through so far as well as the loyalty Insanity had displayed by bringing him back from his wooden prison. He admired him as he watched the way he broke Phineas's spirit and as he demanded to be called master, Donnie couldn't take his eyes off him. Nothing else in his life had ever felt more right for him than this man. "Insanity," he said in a serious tone and no longer through chattering teeth. "Marry me." --- Lilly nodded and turned to watch the others on stage. Not entirely sure what they were supposed to be keeping a lookout for but remaining vigilant regardless. --- Egon looked sideways at the pair as they walked. "But that's wonderful news!" he exclaimed and came to a stop to face them fully. "Just before the war with the hunters ended, our castle was attacked. A lot of vampires lost their lives. As a result, a lot of our children here were left without parents. Adopting just one of our children would make all the difference, I'm sure! Especially to the child. Most of the ones who were orphaned are, thankfully, too young to remember what happened." Therefore too young to have known or miss their parents. "We would be happy to provide support and guidance, of course. But I'm sure this will be something that you both will need to think over. Come, Patience's home is not far now." He lead them to Patience's door and gestured to it. "Here we are. If you are hungry, I'd recommend joining us in the dining hall at around midnight. We have plenty of human or animal blood to go around. We have also arranged to begin opening our Gardens at that time, now that we don't need to fear any future attacks. Feel free to take a walk and enjoy the smell of the flowers." he knocked on the door for them and they waited until Patience answered. She opened the door then paused at the sight of Sebastian before throwing her arms around him. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?" She asked through happy tears. "David dropped us off. He was worried about you. We are too. Can we come in?" Patience had stiffened at the mention of David. She stood back and folded her arms. "Did he ask you to talk to me for him?" she looked between Sebastian and Carter warily. Worried that they were only here to try to convince her to take David back. Denix Vames - February 21, 2022 "Sure thing." ,said Gabriel. Nate glanced at Azrael. "C'mon man. Why don't we find you a sexy guy to have fun all night long with." --- Insanity walked over. He knelt by Donnie's side. "I do." He passionately kissed him as he gripped his head. "Why?" ,said Phineas. Insanity turned. "Everyone else is good but the two of you. What happened to you both? If it's any problem at all, you can come to Heaven with me. Please. They can help you there." He walked over. "You're actually serious?" He laughed. "There's nothing wrong with us. We just like doing things the way we do them." He slapped him. Phineas fell over as he curled up. "Now stay quiet until you're spoken to!" --- At some point, the concert was over. The band began putting their equipment back in the van. --- "David just wants you to know that whatever you decide....that he'll support you no matter what. He just wants you to feel better. And from where I'm standing, I want you both to feel better. You guys are my friends. Honestly, I wished you guys had told me about this. I know it sounds selfish but I wanted to be there for all of you. To fight against this bastard and his psycho boyfriend." Carter bit his lip as he held back tears. His grip on Sebastian's hand was tightening. "I lost my family once. I just got a new one. You guys. Please don't make me lose another one." He lowered his head. "I'm sorry. Just think things through. I won't force you." shadowess - February 21, 2022 Rob smirked and took the shot before pushing it into Gabriel's mouth in the same way. Only he waited until Gabriel swallowed the drink before slipping his tongue into his mouth as well to kiss him deeply. It was only a brief kiss and when he pulled back, he rested his head against his and looked into his eyes. "You're so beautiful," he whispered to him before picking up another shot glass. Azrael shrugged at Nate and took another shot himself. "I'm in no rush. Besides, once we do a miracle, I'm sure I'll find a few men to have fun with tonight." --- Donnie glared at Phineas. "You and your friends would call us insane or evil. I call it Strength. We're willing to do what needs to be done and we take pleasure in doing so. There's nothing wrong with that." he sat up and sighed. "God, I miss the other pets. At least they didn't talk back. But now, my love, we need to plan our next steps. If you'll recall, that bitch of a Queen placed a bounty on our heads with all Angels in Heaven." He seethed. "Damn woman is smarter than I gave her credit for. She chose the one kind of warrior that could actually destroy us and offered them a handsome reward... We're on the lam thanks to her." he shook his head. "We'll destroy her and her family in due time. First, if there is one thing that I realised we needed when our home was broken into, it's that we need an army. We need to search and rally together some like-minded Demons and employ them in secret. We grow our numbers then we make our move to cease Hell for ourselves." --- Lilly picked up some of the equipment and helped to load it back into the van with the others. "Seems like they liked you guys." she pointed out as she looked over at Bob who was chatting away to some of the audience members who had stepped outside for a smoke. "It's a wonder they haven't figured out that he's not mechanical yet." --- "Patience, we had no idea about anything that had happened until David came and told us. You're like a mother to me. I'm worried about you. We both are!" Sebastian added, giving Carter's hand a gentle squeeze back. "Look, what you want to do is your choice. But please don't shut us out." Patience looked between them and her stern expression melted away. She stood to one side quietly to let them in. Sebastian walked into the room with Carter and was in just as much awe with this room as he had been with the rest of the castle. "This is where you're staying?" "Yes. Jean picked out the room. He's been a great source of support through this." Patience answered as she closed the door behind them. Egon had opted to stand outside the room to give them privacy and wait until he was needed. Sebastian turned to face her and glanced at her stomach. "Is it true? Are you pregnant?" Patience hesitated then nodded and placed her hands over her stomach. "I'll see it to term but... I don't know if I have the strength to raise it myself." she admitted while looking away from them in shame.

Denix Vames - February 16, 2022 Nate chuckled. "I think that's the dumbest thing that I've ever heard you say. Everyone can fnd love. You just have to find it in the right places. Or let it come to you." "He's not wrong there." ,said Gabriel who drank some. Nate downed his before getting another drink. "Just wanted to take a shot this one time." --- Xenos said sarcastically, "Oh I'm sure we will." He winked at Donnie with a smile. "Alright men! Let's start construction of the barrier! First, measure the area." --- "Oh! Well, I can give you an old friend's room. He doesn't show up these days since he's busy with his own business. But I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you stayed in that room." Jean helped her up. They appeared in Xenos's old room. "You can stay here. Ring the bell near your bed when you're hungry. We've got plenty of animal and human blood." --- "Well, I got my food over here." Phineas guided him to the same pathway that he followed where they reached the eating area. He raised a brow at what was in the see-through fridge. "Oatmilk? But there are no udders in oats to get milk." --- "I'm way ahead of you." ,said Storm. He sprinkled some salt in before adding chocolate sauce to the mix. He chuckked some popcorn in his mouth before chewing. Suddenly, the other band members woke up from the smell. They ran over and grabbed some share of the popcorn. Hades looked at the people that she was with. She smiled. "I think I'll be alright. Besides, I kicked Donnie's ass just recently. If anything happens, I'll be there to give him another smackdown." shadowess - February 17, 2022 Once again Azrael was surprised by his friend's new attitudes on the subject. He smiled at then then smirked as he also drank the rest of his drink quickly. "Speaking of shots, should we party the way we used to and get a few rounds in?" --- Donnie couldn't see the wink but he caught the sarcasm. Unable to gain control of the others he had one last thing to try. He chanted quickly, trying to gain control of Xenos or at the very least latch a part of his mind to his. --- Patience looked around the room in amazement. "This room is beautiful." She gasped. She looked back at Jean and nodded. "Thank you. I think I'll try to get some rest first though." --- Kasper chuckled at Phineas and couldn't help wondering what his reaction to 'nut milk' would have been. "I'm not sure how they do it but it's a low fat alternative to dairy. For people who are lactose intolerant. Or people who just like the taste." He shrugged. "Maybe we could try some in cereal?" He suggested. --- "Hey fellas, save some for the skeleton! This was my idea!" Bob called over their shoulders. The commotion awoke Lilly who squinted at them. At first she was annoyed at having been woken up but she then caught the smell of the popcorn. Stomach growling, she stood and walked over to them. She leant against the wall, being aloof as she watched them eat. David couldn't help but grin at Hades. He ruffled her hair playfully. "That's my girl." He praised her. "Still call me if you need to, though." He added before vanishing. --- David appeared just outside of Carter's office building, where he straightened up his suit before ringing the bell. If there was anyone that Patience trusted and would listen to, it was Sebastian. Denix Vames - February 18, 2022 "Hell yeah!" ,said Nate. Gabriel nodded. Soon, the shot battle was on! --- Xenos clutched his head as he struggled to fight against him. "Sir!" ,shouted Leo who ran over. He was about to grab him when his arm suddenly twisted. He cried out. --- "Alright. Take care and sleep well. I'll be here for you no matter what." ,said Jean. He headed out of her home. --- "I think it's best that I take sip first." ,said Phneas. He took the milk out of the fridge. He twisted the top before pouring some in a cup. He sniffed at the milk then drank some. He suddenly covered his mouth as he gagged. He set the cup down. "Oh dear god! That tastes like vomit!" --- "Don't worry. We've got plenty of popcorn." ,said Storm. Hades nodded. "I will." She walked over to the band. "So guys! While I was kind of busy dealing with a recent enemy, I found us a gig!" "Whoa! Really? Where?" ,said Storm. "At the Cavern's Club!" The band members were shocked. "No way! That's where rock music began!" ,said Grim. "The Beatles were the true rebels." ,said Pain. "And you can dance on stage, Bob!" ,said Hades. --- Carter opened the door. He rubbed his eyes. "Please tell me there's something exciting happening. It's honestly been hell not having any case to work on." shadowess - February 19, 2022 In minutes, there was a tray full of shot glasses on their table. All of them filled with a clear liquid. Considering they were all Angels, it would take a lot of shots of them all to get drunk... and a lot of shots they had. Azrael laughed with his friends as they downed glass after glass. "We should do something crazy..." he slurred once all the shots were gone and he was now at the drunken stage where he felt invincible. "Like we used to! Have a little fun!" --- "Well now, what do we have here?" Donnie chuckled as he broke into Xenos's mind. "So much anger in you... such a vengeful soul... I think I'd like to take you for a spin!" he fought to gain control over Xenos. "I want you to find a way for me to escape this fucking tree. Find me a spell, a potion. Anything! There MUST be a way! Or at least find me an empty body to inhabit and used a spell to transfer me into it. I will not rot here for eternity! I refuse!" --- "Here, drink this to wash away the taste!" Kasper said as he quickly filled a glass with orange juice and handed Phineas the drink. "I guess oat milk isn't for everyone. Personally, I prefer almond or hazelnut milk, but only if normal milk isn't available." --- Bob took a single piece of popcorn and threw it into his jaw, which then landed on the floor behind him. "That's enough for me," he said while striking a pose. "Got to watch my figure!" When the gig was announced, Bob spun on the spot then began tap dancing. "Oh, yeah! I've been practising my taps, baby!" Lilly shook her head at the skeleton but couldn't help smiling a little which she quickly tried to conceal. Since being in this world and not having the same worries as she'd had in her own world, she'd slowly begun to warm up to the band, and even her skeletal companion. She looked at the others, still feeling like a bit of an outsider. "Is there anything that I can do to help?" --- David sighed and shook his head. "Trust me, you'll be glad you weren't involved in this one... Is Sebastian home? I really need to talk to him." As it happened, Sebastian was in the kitchen. He'd been experimenting with blood to see if he could make food edible for vampires without making them sick. If successful, he could potentially go into business himself as a vampire baker, or chef. But for now, he was still working out the kinks. He was wearing an apron with a floral pattern as he pulled a tray out of the oven and set it on a cooling rack. The tray was full of what appeared to be red velvet cupcakes. Denix Vames - February 19, 2022 Nate hiccuped. "How about convincing some couple to fuck over a Jesus statue? That'll definitely make a scene." --- Xenos's mind revealed that only Nephalem blood could free Donnie. The only Nephalem around was Phineas Gage. Insanity appeared behind the tree. Shifted as a bird. "Do not worry my lover. I will convince Phineas to come to me. Once that is done, his blood will save you from this Hell." Leo struggled to do anything. He felt like a force was keeping him down. --- Phineas drank some orange juice. He held a sour face. "This doesn't taste like real orange juice. Is everything made by factory now?" --- "You can help us move the equipment to our van." ,said Storm. "Speaking of which, we should get moving now." ,said Grim. He picked up a cymbal. Bringing it to the opened back of the van. --- "He's in the kitchen." Carter pulled out a cigarette. "You seem like you could use one." shadowess - February 19, 2022 Azrael chortled and shook his head. "Man...I don't wanna lose my job! The last time we pulled shit like that, we were sentenced to following a bunch of priests around for a decade...most of whom we fucked, but that's beside the point!" Azrael slurred while swaying a little on his chair. "Actually...what even was my point again?" he blinked, having already forgotten what he had been rambling about. --- Donnie saw it too and he heard Insanity's words. Content that he wouldn't be trapped here forever, he let Xenos go. But he didn't want to risk Xenos foiling their plans, so he first wiped his memory from just before he'd attacked him and manipulated his thoughts so that he would think Donnie had been too weak to successfully take over his mind... which is mostly true. Donnie's attempts as well as his effort to manipulate his thoughts and memories had left him feeling exhausted. 'Hurry my love...' he thought to Insanity tiredly. 'I can feel my consciousness slipping. I believe this form is trying to put me into a comatose state...and I've spent so much energy trying to escape already...' --- Kasper was taken aback by Phineas's reaction and he double-checked the carton. "But...it says 100% juice..." he pointed out. The doctor had been watching the pair from nearby. It hadn't been intentional. He'd originally come in for his own breakfast and couldn't help observing Phineas's behaviour. He sighed and walked over to the pair. "Phineas, Kasper. Lovely to see you both. How are you settling in?" he greeted them and watched them both carefully to see how they'd both answer his question. "Doctor, is there any chance that the juice here is exactly like current juice on Earth? With preservatives?" Kasper asked him and the doctor rose a brow at him. "I believe so, as most modern souls are used to the taste. There are options for foods and drinks made using older methods...within reason that is. I swear it's a miracle that humans survived the Victorian era given what they used to lace their foods with, in an attempt to either make it last longer or make themselves appear richer than they were." he shook his head. --- Lilly watched Grim picking up some of the equipment and her lips thinned a little at the idea of lugging heavy instruments around. But she nodded and walked over to the pile and lifted some of the amplifying equipment. Bob watched and tilted his skull. "Huh...I was half expecting some kind of gripe to come from ol' sourpuss there..." he commented as Lilly got out of earshot. Once outside, Lilly carefully placed the equipment onto the back of the van then sighed as she looked at Grim. "You know, when I fell through that portal... the one that brought me here, I was certain that I was about to die." She smiled, tucking some hair behind her ear. "This is better." she then wiped the smile from her face and glanced over her shoulder. "Don't tell the bag o' bones that I said that. He'll never let me live it down," she said to him quietly with a subtle smirk. --- "Ah- No, thank you." David shook his head and waved his hand a little at the offer. "I don't smoke." he stepped inside and walked towards the kitchen, wrinkling his nose at the smell as he walked. "What is that?" he grimaced. "Just something I'm trying out." Sebastian shrugged as he walked into the main room to greet them. "Blood muffins...Bluffins?...I'm still working on the name." he chuckled. "That explains it. I imagine it smells much more pleasant to you two than it would for me." David gave a weak smile and Sebastian frowned. Not because of the comment about his muffins, but because he could see that there was something wrong. "What's happened?" he asked, almost afraid of what the answer might be. "It's Patience..." David began and Sebastian's heart sank. "What's wrong with Patience? Is she ok?" "You might want to sit down for this, Sebastian..." Sebastian took a seat on the couch with Carter and held his hand as David sat across from them and told them everything he knew. By the end of it, Sebastian was in tears. "Why didn't anyone come to get me?!" he demanded. "I should've been told! Where is she now?!" "A vampire castle in Germany. She won't talk to me-" "I don't blame her! It was YOU that he was trying to get back at! You're the reason she got hurt!" Sebastian snapped back then gasped at what he'd said when he saw the look on David's face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-... I wasn't thinking-" "I know... you're very close with Patience. You have a right to be worried for her." David sighed. "She's like a mother to me," Sebastian said while squeezing Carter's hand. "Will you take us to her?" David nodded and stood. "As I said, she won't speak to me so I'll have to just drop you off there... call me though, when you're ready to come home." Sebastian stood as well. "Oh, wait." he quickly took off his apron and draped it over the arm of the chair. He ran into the kitchen and put some of the 'Bluffins' into Tupperware before rejoining them in the main room. "Maybe these will help to cheer her up?" he said as he took Carter's hand again. Denix Vames - February 19, 2022 "How about we get some people to dress like Jesus and do the hokey pokey?" ,said Gabriel. --- Xenos suddenly stood. Blinking blankly before returning to his typical self. He glared at the tree. "Did you break my agent's arm? You really are bored." Leo stood. He shifted his arm so that it would heal in the right place. "C'mon. Let's leave this area." Both men headed off. Insanity nodded. "I will be back." --- "What do you mean? What my family did with their food was perfect. We enjoyed our meals." ,said Phineas. His eyes suddenly widened. he froze. Witnessing a hallucination of Autumn and Kodi being tied up to a tree. It looked as though they had been tortured. "No! That bastard has them! I must find them!" He appeared at the park where Donnie was. "Autumn? Where are they?" Insanity shifted into his human form. He grabbed him from behind and cut his neck open. Phineas choked on air as he collapsed. His blood having showered the tree. In a matter of seconds, Insanity placed his head properly in its place as his own body healed on its own. Insanity smiled. "The greatest thing about Nephalems is that you can never truly die. My pet..." He placed the collar around him. "Welcome back." --- Grim chuckled. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." Once all the equipment was in the van, everyone got in the car. "Alright! Now, it's my time to shine." ,said Hades who placed her hands on the dashboard. With her power, she teleported everything at a parking lot that was somewhat close to the club. --- "Whoa whoa! Wait a minute. There's a castle for vampires?" ,said Carter. Shadowess - February 19, 2022 "Why are you two so obsessed with that guy?" Azrael asked, then waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, nah fellas...I got it, I got it, I got it, right? Listen, listen..." he leaned on the table and gestured for them to lean in as well so he could tell them his plan in private, not realising that his volume wouldn't change due to his drunkenness. "Why don't we just perform, a good ol' fashonnned -hic- miracle? -hic-...Like, we just... turnnn up at someplace and healll someone who needs it. The BOOM! We show 'em our wings and get -hic- alllll -hic- the admiration for the rest of the night....and booze, we get more booze too...and maybe some tail... my god I need to get llllaid...." --- Too weak to retort, Donnie remained silent as Xenos gauded him. It seemed like his manipulation had worked. Now all he had to do was wait and hope that Insanity's plan would work. --- "Phineas?!" Both the doctor and Kasper had said in unison as they watched him vanish, seemingly in a panic. Out of the two of them, only Kasper understood what had just happened and he turned pale as he looked at the doctor desperately. "The man! The dangerous man! He's gone after him! Please, you have to help him! I can't lose him!" "Calm yourself, Kasper. I'm sure he'll be fine-" "No!! I have to help him. I have to find a way to him! Please take me to him! I won't leave him!!" "Kasper, you'll be put into a jacket if you don't get a hold of yourself!" The doctor warned in a much sterner tone. "You're not listening to me!!!" Kasper had gone too far by grabbing the doctor's jacket and shaking him as he yelled. Within seconds he was tackled to the ground and forced into a straight jacket. He struggled, kicking and screaming as the nurses held him in place on the ground. "This is for your safety and everyone else's. We have a zero-tolerance policy on violence Mr Steinheil." the doctor said while injecting him with a sedative. "Take him back to his room and lock him in until he's calmer. I'll check on him in a few minutes." the doctor sighed while getting to his feet and checking his watch. "I need to find our other patient..." he said before vanishing. --- When the blood sprayed the tree, nothing happened at first. Then, with a very loud crack, the centre of the tree split. The wood groaned and creaked as the tree was torn open from the inside. Although it was still rooted into the ground and remained stood in the same spot, it had broken perfectly in half. Naked and covered in what appeared to be blood, Donnie slid out of the crack and onto the grass in front of the tree. For a minute, he was unresponsive and seemingly lifeless as he lay there. Then he gasped for air, shivered and tried to look around wildly. "I-Insanity?!" He called out, hugging himself as he continued to shiver. "I'm s-so cold...a-and I can't see!" he said. His new eyes had yet to adjust, so he was practically blind until he got used to having them again. It was at about this point that the doctor from Heaven's mental hospital appeared to look for Phineas and froze, unsure of what it was exactly that he was seeing. "What the-?! Phineas?!" he looked at Insanity. "Who are you?" he then saw Donnie and being unfamiliar with who he was, only saw a naked man covered in blood. "My God, is he alright?!" he asked in concern. --- Bob had gotten changed into the clothes that the band had picked out for him before climbing into the car. He continuously asked if they were there yet as the others were still loading up the van. Once they were done, Lilly joined Bob and sat in the car with the others. "Now THAT'S how you beat traffic!" Bob exclaimed as they appeared in the parking lot. He got out of the car and looked at the early arrivals who gawked at him in disbelief. "Ahhh! Always nice to meet the fans!" "Calm down, bonehead. You're not famous yet." Lilly rolled her eyes as she got out as well and started to help the others unload the van. "You should really help with the heavy lifting." "I don't want to pull a muscle before my big debut!" "You don't have any musc-! You know what? Forget it." Lilly huffed as she hoisted some equipment into her arms and followed the others into the club. Bob followed them and strutted towards the bar. "Hey, barkeep! I'll have a martini, hold the olive!" --- David's eyes widened and he hesitated. "Oh, wow...you two really have missed a lot, haven't you?" He said while scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, do you remember a man named Jean Poe? I believe you worked with him at one point, Carter? He- uh... Well, long story short, he's now the King of that castle. I'm sure he'll be happy to catch up with you and tell you the story himself. As for the castle, it had been completely secluded up until very recently. So most of the decor and furniture there is very old." He held out his hands. "Ready to see it for yourself?" Sebastian looked at Carter. He'd been so caught up in worrying about Patience that he hadn't even acknowledged David telling them that there was a castle for Vampires out there. But when Carter had pointed it out, he had listened with intent curiosity. Now that they were going to see this castle for themselves, his interest peaked and he took David's hand eagerly. As soon as Carter would take his hand as well, David would nod to them both. "Just shout when you want to go home," he said briefly then vanished hurriedly. Not wanting to upset Patience with his presence.

Denix Vames - February 13, 2022 Gary moaned at his kisses. "You are mine." He moved his hands to his hips. Getting under his shirt and feeling his chest with his nails. "If anyone ever tries to take you away from me again, I'll kick their ass. I won't show mercy. But for you, I'll always give you my heart." --- "No!" Greg ran and umped in front of him. "Please. Don't leave me. You're not going to make my life any more crazy than it already is. Having you around makes me feel better about what I have to deal with." He placed a hand over his chest. "I like you. And I'll do anything I can to make you feel loved. I don't want you to think that you're in the way." --- "Hell yeah!" ,said Nate. "Then it's settled. Let's get going." said Gabriel. Will nodded. "This seems like a above police thing. I think I'll have to get Leo here again." Black cars suddenly drove up to the park. Leo stepped out of one of them. "I informed my boss as quickly as possible. The CIA are going to keep this park closed and guarded at all times. We were going to test out the limits of Donnie's abilities. Maybe in a certain radius, he can't give us those hallucinations." Xenos appeared. "Although, I am disappointed that I was not informed of Donnie's actions, I will do my best to keep him dull." "Guess I can go back home. Good luck guys," ,said Will who disappeared. --- Jean sighed. He sat next to her. "Here is how I see things. This child is an innocent. If you and him chose to raise this child together, you could teach them on what's right and wrong. You can help them grow to become a wonderful person. Donnie may be powerful at times but there is one thing that he could never beat. And that is love." He placed a hand over his chest. 'Whatever you decide is up to you. I am only telling you my opinion." --- "As far as I'm concerned, we are safe. But I can't let this man run free. He needs to be stopped. I know what he's capable of. And with these new powers on my side, I will surely have a better advantage." ,said Phineas. He began to get dressed. "I know you're worried and I understand. I just...I can't stand it. Knowing that he's still out there." Denix Vames - February 13, 2022 (forgot about this) Hades regained her balance when she was back with the band. "Thank you." She hugged him. "I'm sorry about everything that happened. If you ever need any help, just let me know." shadowess - February 13, 2022 Alex shivered and gasped softly at the feeling of Gary's nails on his skin. He kissed him deeply and passionately while running his hand through his hair. "Show me." he moaned. "Show me what it means to be loved by you." he kissed him again and this time he gently pulled on Gary's lower lip with his teeth. --- When Greg ran in front of him and started asking him not to leave, Theo turned his head away. "Greg..." he started but paused when he felt his hand on his chest. He slightly turned his head back to look at him while listening to the rest of what he had to say. When he was finished, Theo regarded him silently before grabbing him rapidly by the shoulders and pinning him against the wall. He look into his eyes with the same flare in his own that he'd had when they first met. "I am a very dangerous man," he emphasised. "My life is nothing but danger and constantly looking over my shoulders. You already know all this but you still want to be with me?" Theo broke into a wide grin. "You've got balls. I respect that." he leaned in close, bringing his lips close to his. "Are you absolutely certain that you want this? I might fuck your life up. You'll never be able to go back to a normal life." --- "I'm a little rusty when it comes to going out for drinks so I'll let you two pick the place," Azrael said with a smile while looking between them. "Let's actually try to keep each other out of trouble this time though, eh? We don't want a repeat of Greece..." he then smirked at Gabriel then at Nate. "Right, -Adonis- and -Eros-?" he jabbed playfully, implying that these three Angels claimed to be Greek Gods at one point after a particularly heavy drinking session. River followed after Will. Sensing that David, Hades and Will were no longer close enough for him to torment, Donnie settled for lashing out at anyone else he could find as a way of occupying his time. His interests peaked when he sensed Xenos. 'You're an interesting one. So full of...brutality! Oh, if I still had a body...the things I would do to you!' his words slipped into Xenos's mind. --- Patience carefully thought through what Jean said and was quiet for a long while after he'd spoken. "What if I can't?" she asked. "I feel so awful for thinking it but I'm worried. What if I decide to stay with David and raise the child... and then it's born and I realise that I don't love it? That it's just a painful reminder of when I was helpless, alone and tortured?" she covered her face with her hands. "I don't know..." --- "Then take me with you?" Kasper asked as he got to his feet. "I'm more capable than I look, I promise. I don't want you to have to go through this alone." --- Hades regained her balance when she was back with the band. "Thank you." She hugged him. "I'm sorry about everything that happened. If you ever need any help, just let me know." David gave a strained smile and nodded at Hades's words. "Hmm?" Bob tilted his head to look at them, then scrambled to try to catch the phone as it slipped out of his grip before hitting the floor. He stared at it for a moment before shrugging and getting to his feet. "Eh, I'm sure it's fine." he walked over to them, his boney feet clacking on the tiles as he moved. "Y'know, I might not have eyes but I see more than most people think." he paused, half expecting one of Lilly's snide remarks to accompany his statement but then he glanced over his shoulder and remembered she was currently asleep. "...anyway," he said while turning his head back to face them. "You got a real look of pain on you, my friend. Dame got away and took your heart with her?" David blinked at the skeleton, taken aback by his accuracy, then looked between him and Hades awkwardly for a moment. "I should probably get back to Hell..." David said while forcing back tears. "There's probably a few souls waiting for me to start them on their path of redemption by now..." "That's a 'yes'," Bob noted. "Burying your head in work won't change her mind, bud." "So, you're a psychiatrist skeleton now?" David shot back in agitation. "I don't know nothin' about feet, man..." Bob answered obliviously then looked down at his own. "Unless you count the rhyme about the piggies?" Mind boggled by Bob's apparent stupidity, David pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath to calm himself before chuckling and shaking his head. Then, while he was already in that pose, David's laughter quickly shifted to silent tears. Despite his strength when it came to keeping his emotions under control, David had been so caught off guard by Bob's comments that he'd struggled to maintain the wall that he'd had built up over the years. He supposed, in his own stupid way, it kind of made Bob a genius. Whether or not Bob actually knew what he was doing though, remained to be seen. Denix Vames - February 13, 2022 Gary took his own shirt off. He unbuckled Alex's belt before pinning him to the floor where he rubbed himself against him. He tore Alex's shirt off and began to stroke his chest with his claws as he kissed on those parts of him. --- Between you and me, handsome? I never had a normal life to begin with." Greg kissed him. --- Nate laughed. "It still got me some pretty good orgies." "And it got me....Well, I rather not think about it. Anyway, we should go to Germany. I haven't been there in a while." Xenos suddenly laughed. "Do you really think you can scare me? I am more stronger than you. When you become human again, I will end your life permanently." His men began setting up barries so that no one would go in the park. --- Jean lowered his eyes to her belly. "I think I understand. If it helps, I can find a suitable mother for the little one. And as I said before, you can visit your child whenever you want to." --- "You don't get it. He's more powerful than you. I can only that my powers can beat him." ,said Phineas. He shook his head. "I doubt they would let me leave this place anyway. I should just leave things to my new friends. Maybe they know more than I do." --- Hades laid a hand on his shoulder. "Dad....I know what happened to Patience. And I want you to know that I wouldn't mind raising that kid as my own." Storm yawned and stretched. He got up from his cardboard bed. Walking over. "What's with all this whispering?" shadowess - February 15, 2022 Alex moaned and lay back, tossing his head from side to side as he let Gary scratch and kiss him. He shivered with excitement from the way he moved and kept a hand in his hair, loving how it felt between his fingers. When Gary's kisses would move close enough to his head, Alex would lean forward to capture his lips with his own again while moving his hands down to feel his chest and unbuckle his belt as well. --- Theo smirked and pushed Greg into the wall, pinning him with his body as he deepened the kiss. He quickly unbuckled Greg's belt and dove his hand into his pants. He gripped his hair to tilt his head back while he kissed and licked at his neck. "I'm going to fuck you, right up against this wall," he whispered into his ear. --- Azrael smirked at Gabriel's comment as he recalled him getting himself into a love triangle and having to fake his death just to get out of it... with Azrael's help. "Germany it is, then. I'll follow you two." For a minute, the tree was silent. Then, in an angry growl, Donnie's voice echoed in Xenos's head. 'If I had my body, I'd love to see you try! As for scaring you...' Donnie flashed the image of Xenos's secret family in his head. Tia and Jack, in their new home that Xenos had provided. 'It'd be a shame if something were to happen to them.' Donnie chuckled. --- Patience leant against Jean for comfort and stared off at the far wall. "But that's just it... what if that would be a mistake as well and I end up regretting giving it up? I need time... I need to think this through." --- Kasper faltered. Phineas might have a point there. He recalled the shock of seeing someone as powerful as Jean appear in their family dining room and wondered how terrifying it might've been if he'd turned out to be evil with that kind of power. Still, he didn't like the idea of Phineas putting himself in danger. "Maybe they do." he agreed. "Maybe we should give them a chance to fight first? Stay here where it's safe. Who knows, maybe he won't be a problem for much longer?" --- David looked up at Hades in surprise. All the times he'd appeared to help Patience, it had been just after the child had been mentioned. It didn't help that Patience had been actively avoiding talking about it in front of him. Because he kept missing this important part of her conversations, he had no idea she was pregnant. Until now. "Kid? W-what kid?" "Dun dun duuun. The plot thickens." Bob said then turned and started walking towards the kitchen. "We're going to need some popcorn for this..." he said to Storm on his way through. Denix Vames - February 15, 2022 (private time) --- Greg moaned at his touch. He bit his lip. "Oh god! Yes! Break my fucking wall!" --- The three angels would appear at a bar where Gabriel began ordering drinks for them. "Nothing will happen to them because you are sitting here like a weak stump." ,said Xenos. He shrugged. "You see? No matter what you do, I will never fall." --- "Then you can have time. Please think about this. I won't rush you." ,said Jean. --- Phineas sighed. "I guess you're right. Besides, any time I try to help, I only got possessed. I'm not exactly a great fighter." He walked over to the door. "I think I'll try some more modern food to ease off this growing thought in my head. Care to join me?" --- Hades's became flushed. She awkwardly lowered her head. "Patience never told you. She's pregnant....With Donnie's kid." "I've got some popcorn." Storm stuck a bag into the microwave so that it could start making itself. Shadowess - February 16, 2022 Theo kissed Greg deeply and roughly. He unbuckled his own pants then lifted Greg's shirt from him to throw onto the floor before kissing him again. He kissed down his chest as he gripped his pants to pull them down along the way. Then ran his tongue over his torso on his way back up. He then gripped Greg's thighs, lifting him to rest on his hips while he held him against the wall. "Challenge accepted." he grinned, then started kissing him again. (Private Time) --- Azrael looked around the bar curiously as Gabriel ordered their drinks. "I don't believe I've been here before." he looked back at the other two. "Well, it's been a long time since we last got into trouble together. What have you two been up to lately?" The tree was silent again. What Donnie was unable to express was his sheer rage at Xenos's words. However, he soon found an outlet... One of the agents helping to set up the parameter paused to look around. "Anyone else hear that?" "Hear what?" "Like...chanting..." he looked confused and then concerned when it became apparent that no one else could hear it. A moment later though, he was gripping his head and falling to his knees. Then Donnie's voice would be heard once more in Xenos's head. "A weak stump? Let's see how your men appreciate you threatening someone capable of ending their lives." Although Donnie's spell had taken control of the Agent's body, he wasn't strong enough anymore to control their consciousness as well. So, the Agent was fully aware and actively fighting as he stood against his will and pulled out his own gun. His hand shook violently as it was raised against his will to point at his own head. He looked at the others for help. His eyes darting from Agent to Agent. "I can't stop! What's happening?! I can't stop!!" --- Patience nodded then looked at Jean while wiping away her tears. "Where should I stay?" She asked quietly. --- "I'd love to!" Kasper smiled as he got up and quickly dressed himself. He was relieved that Phineas wasn't going to leave to face a dangerous man. The thought of losing him was almost unbearable. "What things did you use to have for breakfast?" He asked him curiously. --- Bob looked at Storm and although he didn't have facial features to express himself he was surprised that he'd taken him seriously and was now making popcorn for a skeleton. Either this man was too sleepy to realise what he was doing or they both had the same sense of humour. "I think you're my favourite human." He said in amusement as they waited for the popcorn to finish cooking. David was so shocked by this news that his jaw hung open as he slowly sat in one of the bean chairs. "That's why she won't let me near her..." He mumbled while staring off into space. "Does she think I'd hate her for it? But I know this isn't her fault... Is she afraid I'd abandon her?...abandon them?..." He stood suddenly. "I should talk to her! Let her know that I still want to be there for her... for them!" Denix Vames - February 16, 2022 Nate looked at his own as he held it. "Well, I've been able to do whatever ever since I left ADIEU. I found a handsome man who I can't imagine now never having in my life." Gabriel blushed. "Same here. I think Rob taught me to understand more. What about you, Azrael?" --- Xenos quickly grabbed the gun out of the agent's grip. "Someone take him away from this area! Now!" He made sure that the agent was forcibly escorted off the premises. He glared at the tree. "I will never understand why David thought of saving you." --- "You can stay here for as long as you want. I can provide a room." ,said Jean. --- "Well, oatmeal mostly but I want to try modern food again. I want to know what breakfast is like these days." ,said Phineas. --- Storm held a small smile. "Alright favorite skeleton. The popcorn's done." He took out the bag from the microwave. Opening it up carefully as it was hot. Hades shook her head. "She knew you would say that. Right now, she really needs some space to think. To clear her head. Please. At least give her that before talking to her." She nervously rubbed her arm. "I know it's not easy. Doing that. But this would be the best thing that you could possibly give her right now." shadowess - February 16, 2022 At the mention of ADIEU, Azrael stiffened. That whole disgusting organisation had kept him busy for decades and the number of souls who needed therapy in the afterlife as a result of their 'tests' was horrendous. But that wasn't the only reason Azrael was uncomfortable when it came to that topic. When God had sent Nate there as punishment, both Azrael and Gabriel had been forbidden from contacting him or they'd meet the same fate. Because of this, Azrael had always felt guilty for his obedience as he felt like he'd let one of his closest friends down. He smiled a little in surprise though when both of his friends told him they'd found someone. He had noted that they were each far calmer than the mischievous, carefree men he'd known. At the question though, Azrael looked down at his drink and shrugged. "When would I ever find the time? About the most I've ever had is the occasional fling whenever we've gotten drunk together." He brought the glass up to his lips. "I don't believe that I'm destined for anything like that," he said before taking a sip. --- The agent had jumped as Xenos snatched the gun away from him just as his finger had squeezed the trigger and the bullet had missed his head by a hair. His ear rang and he blinked back tears as the agents grabbed him. Donnie made his body fight back, but as they forced him away his hold on him weakened considerably until he was completely free. "Wait!" one of the other agents shouted to them. "Don't move from there!" In minutes, the agents had worked together. Measuring from where the previously possessed agent now stood, all the way to the tree. When one heard 'chanting' they immediately announced it and ran to join the first agent before Donnie's spells could take hold. When they had finished their measurements, they knew exactly how far they needed to set up the barrier to prevent passersby from being harmed. Their teamwork, quick thinking and communication enraged Donnie who had been trying desperately to bribe any who he thought might be corruptable. Finally, he spoke to Xenos once more. "You'll all regret this! When I am free of this prison! I'll come for you all! I swear it!" --- Patience half laughed while drying her eyes. "That's kinda what I meant..." she smiled as Jean had already previously offered her a room here and had meant to ask which room she should stay in. --- Kasper smiled. "My favourite are waffles. They're kind of big where I'm from. Or sausages. Maybe they'll be serving some?...where do we get breakfast here anyway?" he asked as he walked with him. --- "Yum!" Bob exclaimed and dove a hand into the hot bag of popcorn. Of course, he didn't have any nerves so couldn't actually feel the heat. He shovelled a handful out and threw it into his open jaw. The Popcorn hit the ground behind him and around his feet. "Eh...It's kinda bland. Maybe we should add something to it?" he suggested. David gawped at Hades. He didn't want to just let Patience think that she was alone. He needed her to know that he would support her no matter what she decided to do. But if she wouldn't listen to him then maybe she'd listen to someone she trusts. Someone she'd known for far longer than she's known him. Hades was right. He needed to give her time and space. So for now, he planned to confide in her closest friend until she was ready to talk to him. He nodded and gave Hades a sad yet proud smile. "You're right... Thank you," he said tearfully. "I know what I need to do... but first, are you sure you're alright? I know how vile Donnie can be. I can only imagine the horrid things he made you see."

Denix Vames - February 9, 2022 Hades smiled. "It's what I do." Greg ran over to him. "Oh thank you!" He burst into tears as he threw himself in his arms. "I was so worried. I heard all that noise. I just wish I could have been there to help." Vincent lifted a very confused naked Elliot off the floor. "Wha-What happened?" ,said Elliot. "It's a long story but I'll explain everything at home. They disappeared. --- Insanity laughed. "Phineas Gage, was it? He still seems like an adorable pet. I heard through the grapevine that he's in Heaven's asylum? Not for long. It won't be now or later. But it will be soon. You see, with what Phineas is now, there so many possibilities. And I do have to do a few other things. So ta ta!" He grinned. "For now." He disappeared. Keeping a spell up so that no one would find him. "Phineas Gage? Wait, who was he talking about?" ,said Hades. "He's a man who I played a cruel joke on years ago." ,said Nate as he looked at the tree. "I did this to him. Starting all of this suffering? I was such an ass back then." --- Vincent appeared with Elliot back home. He threw a blanket over him so that Elliot could cover everything. Elliot kept that blanket very close. "Neva? Pumpkin! I'm home!" Gary smiled. "Sounds like both dads are here. Why don't we go see them?" shadowess - February 9, 2022 Relieved to hear her dad's voices, Neva jumped out of Gary's arms and bolted into the room. She didn't stop as she ran straight to Elliot and threw herself into his arms. Tears were already rolling down her cheeks. "Dad!" After Alex had found a small bag of his own clothes that Donnie had robbed when he was pretending to be him, he quickly got dressed then let Desi teleport him home as well. As soon as he arrived and saw Gary, he burst into tears and hugged him tightly. He was still shaking from his experiences and had no doubts that Gary would be able to smell the change on him. --- Theo hugged Greg tightly. "There wasn't much of a fight anyway," he said while running his hand through his hair. "By the time I got in there, more help had arrived than any of us were expected. Donnie and Insanity were overwhelmed... But they got away." he looked at Greg and caressed his cheek. "There's nothing more we can do here. Amelia has set a bounty so they're now being hunted by Angels. They'll be taken care of before long... we should go home. Oscar's waiting inside to take us." --- David patted Hades's shoulder with a proud look on his face. "We should follow the others. Make sure they don't get far... then you can tell me how you've been." Oscar was sat at one side of the room, cradling Leo in his arms as he waited for Theo and Greg to join them. --- "I don't like the sound of that..." River commented after having watched Insanity disappear. "We all were." Azrael appeared next to Nate, having left Warren to wait in Hell's Library for David. "We made quite the trio back then. You, me and Gabriel." he sighed, reminiscing. Azrael hadn't been involved with Phineas. He'd been tending to his duties as a Reaper when that had happened. But that wasn't to say that he didn't get up to other mischiefs when he found time to spend with his friends. "What's done is done. If we linger on the past we'll all go mad. All we can do is try to be better." he glanced around. "When I heard Amelia announcing the prize for destroying the fugitives, I half expected Gabriel to be here as well. I wonder what's holding him up..." Amelia meanwhile was pissed that at least one of them had escaped punishment. "The bounty stands. The Angel to bring me his ashes will be the Ambassador to Hell," she announced, sending out this message to Heaven and any Angel who might be on Earth at that time. For now, though, she needed to get home. She felt guilty for leaving Charles and Oliver the way that she had but was also deeply concerned that there was now a Devil on the loose with enough motivation to try to harm them. She turned on the spot and vanished. Donnie wasn't sure if Insanity had actually heard him or not. He hoped he had. Meanwhile, he was still so filled with fury and malice that he lashed out in the only way that he could. He sent telepathic words to Patience to scorn her. He filled her mind with horrid images and threats towards her, and all those she loved. He instilled dread in her that he might one day return when their child had grown enough for him to influence and turn against her. That he would steal the child and raise it to do all kinds of evil and disturbing things. All of this affected Patience who began to hyperventilate in panic. Tears streamed down her face and she gripped her head. "Stop it! Stop!" she cried out but Donnie kept pushing those thoughts on her. Trying to break her mentality. To make her as mad as Insanity. It would be at this point that David and Hades would appear and he'd see how she was. He ran over to her and wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him while stroking her hair. "Easy. Breathe. What's wrong? Tell me." he said to her urgently. "He's in my head!" Patience cried, holding onto him tightly. David looked around, confused. "Where are they?" he asked the others. Unaware of what had happened to Donnie. Denix Vames - February 9, 2022 Tears streamed down Elliot's cheeks as he held her tightly. "I'm so glad to see you too. I'm not sure what happened but I'm just thankful that everything's fine." "Neva, give him a moment. He needs to get dressed." ,said Vincent. Once parted, Elliot went into the bathroom where he put on a pair of clean clothes. He came out and held Neva in his arms. Gary's eyes widened at the sight of Alex. When he smelled him, he gripped him. Making sure that he wouldn't leave his embrace. "Alex? What happened? Who did this to you?!" He cupped his cheeks. "I can smell something nasty. Not just you but someone else. Who turned you?" --- "Sure thing." ,said Hades. Greg nodded. "Let's go home." Leo had opened his eyes. "Hm? Oscar? What happened?" --- Gabriel appeared. "I don't really care for the reward. But I think it's best that we leave this park. Donnie has been turned into a tree. He will remain here for eternity." Will's eyes suddenly glowed. With no will power of his own, he threw David aside. Grabbing Patience, his eyes became red. Similar to that of Insanity's. He raised his fist. Through his voice, it was doubled by Insanity's. "Donnie and I will rule no matter what." He grinned. "You and the rest of your pathetic friends will never win." shadowess - February 10, 2022 "Ok, daddy." Neva sniffled and let go of Elliot to stand outside the room until he was dressed. As soon as she was called back in, she made another beeline for Elliot and wrapped her little arms around him. She rested her head on his shoulder, just glad to be back in his arms. She was so exhausted from worrying about her dads. Now that she knew they were home and safe, she relaxed so much that she began dozing in Elliot's arms while still keeping a tight hold on him. "I love you daddy Elliot and daddy Vincent..." she mumbled sweetly. Alex stared at Gary, hesitating to answer. His eyes darted to one side to look behind him towards Elliot but he quickly looked back at Gary. "It's not his fault," he said in a broken voice. "He was under a spell and not himself. D-Donnie and Insanity... Th-They had this collar on him and it made him act like someone else. They tried to-..." Alex looked a little ill at the thought of Insanity trying to kiss him as he lightly touched his own lips with the tips of his fingers but quickly shook his head. "B-but they didn't. Vincent and the others turned up in time to stop them." His eyes welled up again and he leaned his head against Gary's chest. "They used me to trick my dad... he thought Donnie was me and made him a Devil... now I don't know where my dad is or if he's even alive and it's my fault! I should've just been happy with what I had!" --- Theo smiled and took Greg's hand before walking back inside. Oscar smiled out of relief when Leo woke up. "Welcome back. You missed it. Will, River, Hades and Desi showed up too and helped beat the crap out of Donnie and Insanity. They freaked out and ran so the others have gone after them. Amelia put a bounty on their heads. The reward is Ambassador to Hell or something like that. So, even Angels will be going after those creeps now. They're going to be hunted no matter where they go. Oh, Alex and Elliot have been freed from their control and gone home too. Speaking of..." he looked up and saw Theo walking in with Greg. "We gotta take these two home before we can go home." --- Azrael nodded at Gabriel. "You're probably right. He might be a tree but he's still evil." he sighed and shook his head at it. "Something tells me he's going to become a tourist spot for mortals as a 'haunted' tree..." "Wait, he's a tree?!" David gasped and glanced over at the large, leafless tree. This moment of distraction helped Will to break him apart from Patience. He stumbled back and stared in surprise at him while Patience wriggled in his grip. She gasped and writhed, still being sent images and messages from Donnie who was now trying desperately to brainwash her. "N-no! Don't hurt her!" David said quickly, holding his hands in front of him. "Insanity, let them go. Please!" "Will! Stop! You've gotta fight him! Don't let him win!" River shouted to him as well. "Well, this took a turn." Azrael watched what was happening with Will and the others. "You know the rules guys. I'm forbidden from interfering," he said as he brought out his black book and flicked it open quickly. "The good news is none of them is due to die tonight." Denix Vames - February 10, 2022 Gary shook his head. "No." He looked at him. "It wasn't your fault. You wanted to become a Devil out of your own free will. What Donnie and Insanity did was horrible. They're the ones who deserve the blame." He growled. "I swear if I ever see them, I'm going to rip their heads off!" --- Elliot and Vincent smiled at her. "We love you too." ,said Elliot. They appeared in their previous home. Feeling as though they could live there again. Heading upstairs and into their room, they let Neva sleep between them under the covers where they fell asleep too. --- Leo sat up. "Really? Well, at least I know they're not so high and mighty like they use to be." He held out his hand. "Alright guys. Let's go home." --- Will let her go. He turned around to face David. "I'll let you all suffer sooner or later!" His eyes turned from red to purple as his body recoiled back. Twitching strongly. "Enjoy....Chief...." Those were Insanity's last words before leaving his body. Will collapsed as he clutched his stomach. He cried out. Feeling like his insides were being squished. It was the worst kind of stomach ache he had ever had. He turned himself over as he vomited out blood. "Please! Make it stop!" shadowess - February 11, 2022 "No, don't!" Alex whimpered and clung tightly to Gary. "I don't want them to hurt you. They're too strong." He lifted his head to look at him tearfully. "It hurt so much! When I changed. And all the time that it was happening, I couldn't help thinking that this was what you went through!" --- Theo kept Greg's hand in his while taking Leo's with his free hand. Oscar kept hold of Leo and within seconds they were standing in Greg's house. "Those creeps are still out there somewhere, so be careful. If you see either of them, shout for us. Don't try to take them on alone." Oscar said to them as Theo let go of Leo's hand with a nod. --- David caught Patience and held her to him while she hid her face in his chest. She was still gripping her head and whimpering. They then watched as Insanity left Will but seemed to continue to torture him. Azrael looked in annoyance between Gabriel and Nate who seemed to have been just standing around and watching the entire time. At least Azrael had a good reason for doing so! "Guys, aren't you going to help? You both have healing abilities." He pointed out while gesturing to Will. Patience cried out from what she was going through and David glanced angrily at the tree. "I need to get her away from it! Hades, help Will!" he said to the others before vanishing with her. Meanwhile, River looked around them, worried for Will but unsure of how else to help. "Stop it, you bastard!" he screamed at Insanity. "Show yourself! Face me! Or are you a coward?!" Denix Vames - February 11, 2022 Gary frowned. "I'm sorry that you went through this." He looked at him. "I'm so sorry. Why don't we go rest? Maybe that will help us feel better." --- Greg nodded. "Of course. We'll let you know right away." Leo and Oscar disappeared. --- "Calm down. I assumed this wouldn't last forever." ,said Gabriel. He waved his hand at Will who felt no more sudden pains. Will caught his breath as he slowly stood. "Thank you." --- Phineas had seen images of Insanity in his head while he was dreaming. He could hear what this madman truly wanted from him. His eye shot opened. He looked down at Kasper who was holding on to him. He smiled. Seeing how peaceful he looked. He caressed his cheek before kissing his lips. Denix Vames - February 12, 2022 "Can someone get Patience away from this bitch?!" ,said Hades. She stormed over to the tree. "Asshole! Knock it off!" shadowess - February 13, 2022 Alex thought about it but he knew there was no chance of him getting any sleep right now. He shook his head. "No... I'm not tired. I'm still full of adrenaline..." he looked at Gary, not sure what to suggest. He needed a way to vent this excess energy that he had. Preferably in a way that was cathartic. --- Once Leo and Oscar had vanished, Theo turned to Greg and held his arms while looking him over. "Are you alright?" --- "I am calm!" Azrael snapped suddenly then blinked at his own outburst. He sighed and rubbed his temples with his fingers. "Sorry..." he said bashfully. "I can't remember the last time I took a break from my job... I think I could use one... but I don't know..." With Patience no longer in range of Donnie's attacks, he focussed his attention on Hades. Though he couldn't see her, he knew she was yelling at him. His evil laughter would echo in her head, followed by his words 'As much as it sucks to be a fucking tree, it does have its perks. For instance, I am now indestructible. So, no matter how much you want me gone, I will always be right here.' he'd laugh again. 'Wana know another perk?' he then asked slyly and began projecting the same horrific images into Hades's mind, relentlessly. --- David had tried to take Patience to the hospital in Heaven but she fought his teleportation and they ended up standing in the German Castle instead. He looked around in confusion. "Have I been here before?" "I have..." Patience answered as she stepped away from him and folded her arms. David looked back at her with a look of confusion while Patience avoided eye contact. "David, I don't want to make this any more painful or awkward than it already is." she started. "Thank you for saving me but... but I still can't... I'll be safe here..." she looked back at him expectantly and it dawned on David that she was asking him to leave her here. "But-...but I want to help you..." He stammered. "I know," she replied softly with a sad look. "But this is for the best. Please, David. Do this for me-" "-No, please don't say it-" "-Let me go. Please." David's eyes teared up. He looked like he wanted to say something then stopped and simply nodded before vanishing, returning to the tree to meet up with the others. Patience stared at where he'd been standing for a moment before lifting her hand to her mouth to stifle her sobbing. --- The gentle press of Phineas's lips on his woke Kasper from his sleep. His eyelids fluttered open sleepily and he squinted at Phineas before smiling. "This really is Heaven," he said softly, his smile growing into a grin as he spoke. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes then rested his chin on his hands which were over Phineas's chest. He smiled at him dreamily. "What should we do today? Do you think they'll let us explore the rest of Heaven yet?" Denix Vames - February 13, 2022 "Then maybe we could do this?" Gary kissed him. "Only if you want to." --- Greg nodded. He rubbed his eyes. "I only wish that I wasn't useless. I know I can read minds but I want to do more than that." --- "Let's get some drinks then. We could use some." ,said Gabriel. Hades clutched her head as she fell to her knees. She screamed. "Hey! Leave her alone!" ,said Will who ran over. He strike the tree with a powerful punch. His hand recoiled as he groaned at the pain. With no other choice, Will grabbed him with his good arm. Running to David. "Please! Take her away from this park!" --- Jean appeared. He knelt and laid his hands on her arms. "It's alright. You can stay here for as long as you like." --- Phineas thought for a moment. He frowned. "Kasper? Would you be mad at me if I decided to take a chance at fighting?" He sat up. "I should explain myself. There was a man who took over my mind. With the help of some friends, I was free. However, I fear that he's trying to get me to come back to him. I just had a dream. He was trying to command me." He caressed his cheek. "Don't be scared. Please don't. But I need to seek him out and kill him. It's the only way I can end this nightmare." shadowess - February 13, 2022 At first, Alex flinched as the memory of Insanity trying to kiss him flashed through his mind. Then he paused and looked at Gary. No, this isn't the same and maybe Alex could even use this to create a memory strong enough to replace that one? It was worth a shot and right now, Alex was willing to do anything to forget what had happened to him back in Hell. He pressed himself against Gary and started kissing down his neck. "Tell me I'm yours." he breathed onto his neck. "I'm yours and only yours. No one else can have me." he kissed back up to his ear and gently nibbled on his earlobe. --- Theo looked at Greg with a serious expression and shook his head while lifting his hands to cup Greg's face. "You don't want that. Then you'd never be left alone to live your own life," he said then glanced away. "What I wouldn't give to have an ordinary life now... but I fucked that up for myself..." he looked back at Greg as a look of realisation crossed his features and he suddenly let him go to take a step back. "What am I doing? If I stay here, I'll just fuck up your life too... I'm sorry... I need to leave." he moved to walk past him. --- "You mean it?" Azrael looked at Gabriel. He then looked at Nate. "What about you? For old times sake?" David held on to Hades as soon as Will pushed her into his arms. He looked at Will then nodded to the tree. "I'll get her out of here. I'd suggest getting this park blocked off so that no one else gets hurt. Don't let anyone near that damn tree!" he said before teleporting himself and Hades back to Storm's garage. Lilly was fast asleep on a bean bag with her head hanging over the back of it. While she was asleep, Bob was sitting nearby and had gotten ahold of a phone from one of the band members pockets. He'd been casually passing the time by attempting to take selfies while struggling to keep a good grip on the phone with his boney fingers. --- Patience looked up at Jean then leant forward to hug him. "Damn it all, I still love him..." she wept. "But I can't have him near me... not now... I just know that if he stayed with me he'd try to convince me to raise the child with him..." she shook her head. "I can't do that... I just can't... Is that wrong? Am I doing the right thing or am I an awful person?" --- Kasper sat up as well and looked at Phineas with a frown as he explained his situation. "But what if it goes wrong? What if you get hurt? or worse?" Kasper said worriedly then held his hands. "I don't want to lose you, too. I've already lost so much. We're safe here, aren't we?"

Denix Vames - February 6, 2022 Leo laughed. "I'll make one of those stories to tell at social gatherings." Nate flew too. "Please tell me his scent's getting closer, Theo." --- Insanity said, "Elliot. Turn back and come over here." Elliot transformed. Revealing himself to be naked without covering himself. He walked over. Insanity cupped both men's chins. "Now, isn't this exciting?" He licked the left cheek of Alex. (lol it was funny) Denix Vames - February 6, 2022 Vincent glared ahead at what was in front of him. "If anything happens to him, I will skin them alive." shadowess - February 7, 2022 'Great...' Oscar joked with Leo. Amelia looked at Vincent with a serious expression before turning her head to look straight ahead. "I've been there..." she sighed, admitting that she'd skinned someone before for hurting a loved one. "I could give you pointers." she half-joked. Theo sniffed the air but it was apparent by the stressed look in his eyes that he was struggling to follow the scent. "Fuck! No! I-I've lost it... There's a stronger smell ahead. Like burning grass. It's covering up their scents...I can't..." he took in several deep breaths in a panic. "No, it's gone! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I've failed!" "It's not your fault... It was only a matter of time before we encountered something burning in Hell..." David said as he strained to scan the ground below them on the off chance that he'd catch sight of them even though he knew that they were likely hiding. Amelia on the other hand looked thoughtful. "Theo...trust me on this. Follow the burning smell. Lead us to whatever is on fire." Theo looked back at her, momentarily confused. Then he saw what she was getting at and nodded to her before turning to face the front again and sniffing the air. He pointed in one direction. "That way. Hurry!" --- Alex didn't know where to look when Elliot transformed. His eyes teared up and he tried to look at anything other than the men in the room. But then he was forced to look at them when Insanity cupped his chin. He whimpered and shivered when Insanity licked his cheek but he did nothing to stop him. Donnie walked over to them and removed his shirt along the way. He tossed it to one side and smirked at Insanity as he stood across from him. Alex was on his left while Elliot was on his right. He lifted his hands to cup both Alex and Elliot's backsides. Alex jumped and tensed at the touch. "You really should relax, Alex," Donnie told him coyly. "It'll hurt far less if you do." he chuckled then leaned towards Elliot and started to slowly kiss his neck. Denix Vames - February 7, 2022 Once they arrived at where it was burning, Vincent jumped to the ground. "Someone has to put the flames out!" Insanity nodded. "Donnie's right. Take a moment, will you?" He brushed his hand against his chest as he kissed him. Shadowess - February 7, 2022 Theo jumped down as well. He was covering his mouth and nose while the smoke from the fire stung his eyes. "I can't smell anything through this!" he complained. 'Yeah, let us get right on that with the fire hoses we brought with us.' Oscar thought sarcastically. Amelia jumped down, wondering if she could extinguish the fire the same way that she could cause them but all she ended up doing was adding more flames to the already large fire. "Oops... Sorry, was trying to see if I could reverse it... Guess now I know my flames are a one-way thing." she said before coughing, then covering her own mouth and nose with her sleeve. Oscar tried pawing at it with his large, scaly claw in an attempt to suffocate the fire. But as he patted at its centre, it wafted the flames around his claw outward, spreading the fire further. 'Well, that didn't work as well as I thought. Does anyone else have any ideas?' "I think you had the right idea!" Theo shouted up at Oscar. "Keep doing that but quicker and around the edges towards the centre!" Oscar seemed unsure but began patting at the flames quickly. Some flames spread to surrounding areas but he was beating at the flames so quickly that he soon put out the fire completely. 'Hey, it worked!' Theo started sniffing the air again then looked frustrated. "Dammit! Now all I can smell is smoke!" he growled. --- If it wasn't for the fact that Donnie's attention was on the fun they were about to have, he would already have noticed by now that the group was a lot closer to them. He turned and began to feel Elliot's chest and hips while kissing him deeply. He ran one hand through his hair and gripped it roughly, intending to take his time and enjoy every second of what he and Insanity were about to do to them. Alex shivered at the feeling of Insanity's hand on his chest and as much as he didn't want to make either of their captors angry, his instincts took over as soon as he felt Insanity's lips on his. Without thinking and before he could stop himself, he'd raised his hand and slapped at Insanity's face. It was only when he felt his hand stinging from the impact that he realised what he'd just done and turned pale with fright. "I'm-I'm sorry!" he gasped. Having heard the slap, Donnie stiffened and turned his head to see how Insanity would handle this. Denix Vames - February 8, 2022 "Let's start searching!" ,said Vincent as he ran ahead of the group. "Vincent! Wait!" ,said Leo who followed. Insanity glared. "You son of a bitch! You're a disobedient dog that needs to be punished!" He raised his hand. Vincent somehow found a door through the fields. He burst through it. Seeing Elliot near Donnie like that made him angry. "Get away from my fiance!" He was about to run over when Elliot turned into a wolf. He jumped at Vincent. Knocking him back. "Elliot! Don't!" He dodged another attack when Insanity suddenly stabbed him in the back. Vincent coughed up some blood. Insanity grabbed him. Making sure that the knife went straight through. Vincent collapsed. Denix Vames - February 8, 2022 Leo rushed in with his guns out. Firing at Donnie who dodged every bullet. He was met with a kick to the face which sent him flying back. Hitting the wall where he slumped over. Having been knocked out by the kick. Blood dripped from his nose. Shadowess - February 8, 2022 Amelia and David ran after the others. Once he no longer had anyone on his back, Oscar shifted into his human form and ran after them. Theo ran a little ahead of Greg. When he heard the commotion in a tent up ahead, he paused and turned to look at Greg. "This will be dangerous. You should hide somewhere," he said to him, worried that he'd get hurt. Alex shook and braced himself for how much a strike from a Devil might hurt when Vincent burst into the tent. At first, Alex was relieved. Then everything became crazy, fast. He watched helplessly as Insanity moved too fast for Vincent to stand a chance. "No!!" he screamed when he watched him being stabbed, his hopes of rescue beginning to fade. Once Leo was knocked out, Donnie had turned to glare at Alex, who was still just standing in the same spot. Knowing Alex would never willingly attack his friends, he smirked and began chanting a few words under his breath. Alex gripped his head and groaned. "No! Please!" he gasped. Seconds later, Alex had shifted into his wolf form and was growling at the others like Elliot. It was at that moment that David and Amelia burst into the tent. "Vincent!!" Amelia screamed, running to his side. 'Oh, this is Christmas come early!' Donnie thought to Insanity. 'Grab the bitch. We could still use her once her family are destroyed. We'll surrogate a pure heir then destroy her when she's outlived her usefulness.' He then gave David an evil grin. "Hello old friend," he growled then snapped his fingers and Alex began barking at him fiercely. David blinked at the wolf. Not recognising him but immediately sensing him. "Alex?!" Alex dove at David and tried snapping at him, knocking him back. "Alex, stop! It's me!" Oscar was next to run into the tent and when he saw Leo on the ground, he was immediately filled with rage. His face shifted into its reptilian shape as he roared at the pair furiously. "Don't you remember what happened the last time you faced me, twit?" Donnie mocked him and his sharp tail coiled around his legs as a warning. "Or do you need a reminder?" Denix Vames - February 8, 2022 Greg reluctantly nodded. "Just stay alive. That's all I'm asking." He ran away from the house. Hiding by the fields. Vincent slowly opened his eyes. "A-Amelia....?" Insanity was about to grab her when Will appeared. "What the?! Who the fuck are you?" Will smirked. "Charles sent me here. By the way, I'm Chief of the police of New York City. Oh! And I also happen to be a Leviathan." He cracked his knuckles. "You know, I really hate seeing my friends like this." His eyes glowed. He grabbed his head. "Time to teach you kids a lesson!" He slammed him against the wall before dragging his head with such speed. Insanity cried out as blood and teeth left him. Some flesh had flown off. Despite being under their control, a slip of Elliot could see what was wrong. He ran to Alex who he shoved away from David. Jumping on him and biting his chest. He barked and growled. Hades appeared. She glared at Donnie. "You motherfuckers!" She punched Donnie. Making him lose his focus. "You fucked with my family!" Another punch. "My friends!" A third punch. "But most of all?" Her aura surrounded herself. "YOU FUCKED WITH MY DAD!" As she landed the last blow, black spikes shot up from her knuckles. Piercing into his skin. Shadowess - February 8, 2022 Theo nodded and watched Greg run off before shifting into his wolf form and darting after the others. Amelia's eyes watered as she looked at Vincent. Too distracted to notice Insanity making his move until Will appeared. She looked up in surprise and watched the way Will handled Insanity. "Charles?..." she mumbled, feeling a little guilty for their argument. She turned her attention back to Vincent. "Nate, over here!" she called out, hoping he'd help with Vincent's wounds. Even Donnie was taken aback by his appearance. "How?! My spell should stop you teleporting anywhere near here!" This distraction helped Hades to gain the upper hand when she appeared in front of him and began striking him. David had been just barely holding Alex off by his throat as he snapped, almost rabidly, at his neck and face. Alex yelped when Elliot tackled him off David then rounded on him, snarling and baring his teeth. His hackles were raised. But as soon as Hades landed her first blow on Donnie and broke his concentration, both Alex and Desi snapped out of his control. Alex stopped growling and quickly came back to his senses. He glanced around, taking quick note of the mayhem surrounding him before jumping at Elliot's collar, gripping it in his teeth and pulling it over his head to break the spell on him as well. Theo ran in and saw the other two wolves were now free from their spells. He howled to rally them to him then growled at Insanity and Donnie. With the house they were in being so small, it wouldn't be long before Will would run out of wall and Insanity would be thrown to the ground. At which point River stood in Insanity's way, grinning at him mischievously. "Seeing double, pal?" he mocked then kicked him across what was left of his face. Donnie hit the ground upon Hades's final punch and groaned, holding his jaw and cheek which still had the spikes embedded in them. He spat out blood and glared at her then looked in alarm at what had happened to Insanity, as well as the sheer number of their enemies who now occupied his lair. "Who called in the fucking cavalry?" Donnie growled sourly. All that careful planning and he severely underestimated just how closely knit this group really was! He should have built his own army! Then they might've stood a chance! There was still time... Remembering what Donnie had made him do and absolutely livid about it, Desi was next to teleport into Donnie's lair. "YOU BASTARD!!" He screamed. "And that's officially my home at capacity!" Donnie seethed. In seconds, he'd teleported to Insanity's side, grabbed him and then teleported to Earth in an attempt to put distance between them and the group. "Quick! Don't let them get away!" David shouted, getting to his feet with the help of Oscar. "No more mercy!" Amelia announced, standing as well. "We've given them enough chances! This ends now!" she glanced up. "If you can hear me in Heaven, send your Angels! They need to be destroyed! The peace that we've struggled to achieve is in danger! I am granting authority for Angelic forces to pursue Donnie Shadow and Insanity!" She looked at Nate and smirked. "First Angel to turn them to dust, I'll make the official ambassador to Hell." --- Donnie and Insanity appeared in a park on Earth. It was the middle of the night, so the entire park was shrouded in darkness. Donnie helped Insanity to stay on his feet. "Easy. You'll heal. You just need time." he said to him. "Oh, my love... we should have dedicated some time to build a force of our own! How careless we've been! We'll make it through this, I swear. Even if we don't..." he tried to give Insanity a reassuring smile. "I've been to Oblivion before. I'll show you how to carve a path back to existence. They can fight us. They can kill us. But we are eternal, my love. We'll just keep coming back. Then we'll make them pay! Horrifically and painfully! They'll pay!" "Donnie." Patience's voice came from in front of them and Donnie realised she'd been hidden by the darkness and watching them the entire time. "You? Let me guess. You've come to get your revenge for what I did to you? What's wrong? Didn't you like it?" Donnie grinned at her maliciously but her expression remained unchanged. "You have a bounty on your head. Both of you. Angels are coming." Donnie shivered but didn't outwardly show his fear. "Why are you telling me this?" "Because I want to know..." "Know what? Out with it, woman!" "If you would have been a good father... If you could have changed." Silence. Donnie stared at Patience in disbelief. "What are you-? You're not-?" he burst into laughter. "Oh, that's just perfect! Insanity, we would have had an heir after all! And as an added bonus the mother is the love of my greatest enemy!" he continued to laugh as Patience walked calmly towards them. She took out a compass and pressed it against his chest, making him flinch and look at her with an amused smirk. His glee only grew as Patience frowned. The needle had dropped to black the second it touched his chest. "You're pure evil!" she gasped. "So, you're saying I wouldn't be a good daddy then? Diddums." he chuckled. Patience looked at him. All emotion seemed to drain from her eyes, leaving a cold stare. "I have to do what is right," she whispered as she glanced off to one side. "You'd better go through with delivering my heir, bitch!" Donnie growled at her. "Forgive me, Gabriel. I used you... but there was no other way." she whispered again. This time, Donnie didn't hear her and he stared at her in annoyance. "Look, if we're in as much danger as you say we are then we don't have time for this conversation. And don't think for one minute that you're not coming with us-" Patience had moved so suddenly that Donnie had been caught off guard. He gawped at her in shock, feeling a sharp pain in his stomach. He stared at her for a moment in confusion then looked down at the green blade she'd stabbed him with. She let go of it, revealing the short, wooden hilt that resembled a branch with carvings all around it. The weapon was the last of its kind. Heaven had stopped making them around the Roman era. Patience had lifted it from the museum in Heaven while the others had been distracted. She knew that Donnie would be able to just return if he was destroyed, so had thought of a more permanent solution to this problem. The Huàyǐng. Donnie shook as he tried to grip the hilt but then gasped and cried out as the dagger began moving further into his stomach. Panicking, he let go of Insanity and tried to grab the hilt to pull it out, but it was already too far in. Finally, it vanished into his abdomen and what followed would be utterly horrifying. Patience took a couple of steps back and was unable to take her eyes off Donnie as he screamed endlessly. Cracking and creaking noises came from his body and his feet seemed to break then to root themselves into the ground. He tried to frantically pull them out but was forced to stand straight while his skin, bones and muscles hardened. His shape grew and his screams distorted until his vocal cords finally solidified. Within minutes, what was once a power-crazed Devil was now a harmless- if somewhat indestructible- tree. The only thing left of Donnie was his ripped clothes on the ground and the faintest outline of an agonised, screaming face in its trunk. Denix Vames - February 9, 2022 Nate knelt down. He placed a hand on Vincent. Healing his wounds. Elliot shook his head. Confused by what just happened. But Theo's call had gotten his attention. He followed him. Ready to attack when both men had disappeared. Nate smirked at Amelia. "You're on!" --- "NO! What's happening?! Donnie! My dear!" Insanity crawled to the tree that was once his lover. He punched the tree. Trying to see if he could get Donnie out. But it was useless. "NO! DONNIE!" Tears burst from him. He screamed out his rage. Suddenly, he stopped. "No....It's useless. Even if I tried to fight back, I would be taken to Oblivion. I won't....I won't attack. Not unless you promise me that you let me stay with him. I'll do anything but please....Let me stay with him." shadowess - February 9, 2022 Seeing the danger had passed, Alex shifted back into his human form and flung his arms around David to hug him tightly. "I'm sorry! That wasn't me!" he burst into tears. "I know..." David said gently while patting his back. "It's ok. You're safe now... Oscar. Desi. Help teleport the humans back to Earth. The rest of us will handle the fugitives." He looked at Vincent. "You should go home too. Make sure Elliot is alright." David then looked at Hades with a small smile. "Atta girl. Thank you." Theo shifted back into his human form as well then darted out to the fields. "Greg! It's over! We're safe!" he called out. Amelia, River and the others teleported to give chase to Donnie and Insanity. Not wanting to let them get away. They would appear just in time to see Donnie's violent transformation into a tree. "What the-?!" River gasped. Amelia stared at the tree, confused. "How?" Patience watched Insanity's heartbreak with a frown. While she didn't regret what she did, she felt terrible for Insanity. "I'm so sorry... that was the last dagger..." she said to him quietly. "Heaven doesn't make them anymore... they were considered too 'cruel and unusual to use... so, use of them became illegal among Angels..." But despite this, she didn't fear the repercussions of her actions. She had felt it was necessary to use such a weapon on this occasion. Despite his new shape, Donnie was still very much alive. He couldn't see, but he could feel and hear. He heard Insanity's anguish but didn't want his beloved to be destroyed, which would certainly happen regardless of if he gave up now. He also didn't want to spend eternity as a damn tree and refused to believe that there was no way out of this. He wondered if Insanity could still hear him if he communicated telepathically. 'Save me. Spells. Potions. Do what you must. This can't be it for me, it just can't! Don't let them win! Don't let them kill you! Flee! And find a way to save me!'

Denix Vames - February 6, 2022 Phineas was surprised for a moment but soon settled into the kiss. He wrapped his arms around him before deepening the kiss. --- "I really don't mind. I know why you're helping him." Greg touched his arm. "I want to help too. Any friend of yours is mine." He cupped his cheek. "You have nothing to worry about. I'm not jealous. I only care that we get our friend back." --- "Oh?" Insanity leaned his head forward as he knelt. Looming over him. "And how do I know this isn't a trick?" He tapped the knife on his nose playfully. Shadowess - February 6, 2022 Kasper moaned softly and quietly as the kiss deepened. When he felt Phineas's arms around him, he moved his hands to his shoulders. A little nervous and wanting to be as close to Phineas as possible, Kasper moved onto his lap so that he could feel his body against his. --- "Y-you...know?" Theo asked, looking at Greg with shame in his eyes. He lifted his hand to take his then brought it to his lips. He left a lingering kiss on his hand before sighing and nodding. "Thank you." he then got up and quickly got himself dressed. He waited until Greg was dressed as well before rejoining the others in the hallway. "Alright, let's find Elliot." --- Alex shivered, staring up at Insanity fearfully. He flinched when the knife touched his nose and he couldn't help glaring at him defiantly for a second. Heat and pain shot through him, making him turn his head away and groan. "What am I going to do, huh?" he questioned, his voice full of agitation as he tried to deal with the pain. "I wouldn't stand a chance against either of you..." he glanced at Elliot, feeling awful for him while also dreading the idea that Insanity could just as easily rob him of his own free will. "C'mon, man... you've already won... I'll do what you want." he groaned, not looking up at either of them. Denix Vames - February 6, 2022 Phineas brought his hands to his waist as he slipped his tongue into his mouth. "Kasper....I never thought I would feel like this until now. Thank you." --- "Since Insanity took him, we can only assume that they're in Hell. Once we arrive there, you can start sniffing him out." ,said Vincent. Everyone held hands before appearing in Hell. --- Insanity cackled. "Two pets? What a chance!" He turned to Donnie. "Is there any way we could heal this little puppy of ours? If I'm going to have another guard dog, I need him to be ready to attack on sight." shadowess - February 6, 2022 Kasper was breathless as he rested his forehead against Phineas's. He looked into his eye and cupped his cheek. "No, thank you," he said softly. "I never thought I'd feel this kind of connection with anyone again. I want to be close to you." He kissed him again, slowly and tenderly. --- Theo nodded. As soon as they arrived in Hell, David gasped at the sight of Damien behind the bars. "Damien?! How did you get in there?!" He shouted but Damien didn't respond. He was still out cold from his earlier encounter with Donnie. David ran over and pulled out a set of keys from his pocket. He unlocked the door and ran in to look at him. Meanwhile, Theo had already transformed into his wolf form and had started sniffing around. He picked up on a couple of scents. One of which was remarkably like the way Vincent used to smell. He growled and followed it to the door that lead out of the cells before barking at the others. --- Alex lay back on the grass, relieved that Insanity seemed to like the idea of having him as a pet rather than a plaything. Now all he needed to focus on was dealing with this pain as he turned and try his best not to piss his captors off. He gripped his side with his free arm, groaned and tensed as the pain shot through him again. His teeth began to ache and he could feel a couple of them sharpening in his mouth. It was both an unusual and uncomfortable sensation that made him feel just a bit nauseous. Donnie looked Alex over at Insanity's words. "He's still turning. His wounds will heal as part of this process. The only thing we can do is wait and beat him if he forgets himself." Donnie kissed Insanity's cheek. "It's a very painful process. It'll be a lot of fun to watch him go through it. Considering how much we'll need him to change, let's not bother wasting clothes on him." he glanced off to one side then frowned. "Are you seeing this?" he asked him. "They're using a wolf. They'll track our new pets and one of them isn't even ready to fight yet." Alex's eyes lit up with hope and he quickly looked away from them, frightened they'd see. His heart lifted a little. His friends were coming! He suddenly cried out as the pain intensified. His cries turned quickly to screams when he felt his bones and muscles start to reshape themselves. His leg was already healing but at the same time, his mouth and nose were growing. His eyes widened in horror as he watched his nose grow in front of his face. He lifted his hand to his now dog-like nose to feel it, as if unable to believe it was real. He screamed again but this time out of shock rather than pain. He then groaned and his eyes watered as his nose and mouth shifted back into their normal, human shape. "Oh, fuck!! This is really happening! Oh, fuck! f-fuck! I don't like it! It feels weird! No, no, no- ah!" he rambled in a panic before screaming again. "We should drag him inside until he's done," Donnie said, his eyes scanning the horizon warily. "I'll set the grass around the seal ablaze. Perhaps the burning smell will mask the smell of our pets until he's ready?" Denix Vames - February 6, 2022 Phineas placed a hand over his chest. He grabbed a fistful of his shirt. "Would it be too quick of me to say that I wouldn't mind if you saw me without clothes?" --- Vincent ran after Theo. Following him. Greg had stayed behind to say, "He's out cold but he'll be fine. Donnie tricked him. He's a Devil now." --- "Sounds like a great idea." Insanity grabbed Alex by his leg and dragged him into their home where he let him go. Letting him deal with more pain that he had given to him. He hugged himself. "I never thought I would feel so happy." He bent his back at an odd angle as his smile became unsettling for any sane person. He looked at Donnie. "But thanks to you! I am free!" shadowess - February 6, 2022 Excitement rose in Kasper and he looked at Phineas longingly. "I don't think I'd mind seeing you without clothes either," he smirked playfully. --- "A Devil?!" David stood and stared at Greg. "Are you sure? Damien would never help him become a Devil willingly. How did he trick him?" he then looked around at the others quickly. "Can someone take Damien to Earth?" Meanwhile, Theo had been scratching at the door until Vincent opened it. He darted out and began sniffing the ground. He could still smell Insanity as well as someone else. He assumed the second scent was Donnie. He sniffed at the grass, then at the air, then looked in a specific direction before looking back at Vincent and barking. Letting him know to tell the others he'd caught their scent and could start tracking. What he didn't know yet was that Donnie had flown across a large distance from here and that closer to where they are his ability to track them would be hindered by the smell of burning grass. --- Alex let out a mixture of pained screams and howls as Insanity pulled him across the grass by his injured leg. "Stop! Please stop! That fucking hurts!!" he screamed as they went. Meanwhile, Donnie walked towards the outskirts of their little village and singed a large portion of the grass outside their barrier to mask Alex and Elliot's scents. Smiling at his work, he headed back into their tent and grinned at the way Insanity looked. Alex was gritting his teeth as he watched them. The sight of Insanity acting the way he was disturbed him deeply. But he didn't have much time to dwell on it before he was crying out again. "I knew from the first moment I watched you at work from my prison in Oblivion that you were destined to rule by my side," Donnie told him as he walked toward him. "My love, you were made to rule by my side. I'm certain of it. Once we butcher Hell's royal family, no one will dare to defy us. We will torture souls for amusement and pleasure. We'll drag new toys, kicking and screaming, from Earth to Hell. To do whatever we want with and we will do it all together. Our time is now." Finally, with one last and very loud scream, Alex turned to stand on all fours. Bones cracked as he changed rapidly, it only took a couple of minutes before he was panting and whining near them in his wolf form. His ears were folded back and his tail was tucked between his legs as he simply stood, shaking. Coming to terms with what had just happened to him. His eyes had turned yellow and almost matched the colour of his fur perfectly. Shadowess - February 6, 2022 (Alex's wolf form ) Attached Image Denix Vames - February 6, 2022 Phineas smiled. He hesitantly took his coat off before unbuttoning his shirt. "My body doesn't look terrible, does it?" --- Leo shouted, "Get Damien to Earth, Oscar! I'm going to follow Vincent and Theo!" He ran after them. Greg looked at David. "He pretended to be Alex." He followed Leo. Not wanting to waste any time. --- Insanity grabbed him before kissing him passionately. He looked at Alex before walking over. "Elliot! Come boy!" Elliot ran over. "Now play nice. Get to know your new friend because you two will need to work together if you want to kill whoever we tell you to kill." He sniffed at Alex curiously. He saw him as nothing much but another wolf. Instead, he focused on his master. He walked to Insanity and rubbed his head against his leg. "You know for someone who is meant to be vicious, you can be cute. In this case, that's not a bad thing." Insanity cupped his chin. "I wonder. Donnie? Would you be interested in a threeway?" (awesome) shadowess - February 6, 2022 Kasper watched Phineas removing his shirt then brought his eyes up to his. "Would I kiss it if it did?" he asked with a smile then leant forward and started to kiss Phineas's chest. After leaving a few kisses across his chest, neck and collarbones, Kasper pulled back then began to slowly unbutton his own shirt while maintaining eye contact with Phineas. --- "Right!" Oscar ran into the cell and lifted Damien into his arms before vanishing. "Alex?" David's heart sank. If Donnie was pretending to be Alex...then where was Alex?? David's eyes turned red as he shook with rage. "He has messed with my family for the last time! I was a fool to think that he could be saved! I should've destroyed him when I had the chance!" he marched out of the cells and followed the others. He watched the way Theo sniffed the ground and ran ahead of them. "There has to be a faster way..." "There is," Oscar said as he reappeared next to them. "Stay here..." he ran off to one side until he was a decent distance away then shifted into a large dragon. He bent down as low as he could and leant on his side to give them all a way to climb onto him. 'Not just a pretty face.' He thought playfully to Leo. "Wait!" David called out suddenly. Having had a minute to calm down a little and think. "What are we doing? He's a Devil now and chances are he's already changed Insanity... we can't face them both as we are now. They'll destroy us all..." he said then glanced up nervously. "We need Angels. We need Angelic weaponry. Those are the only things that can destroy a Devil." "That and another Devil." Amelia's voice came from beside David. "Sorry, I'm late to the party. Had a hell of a time convincing Charles to mind Oliver while I risk my life for my Kingdom. It was a whole thing. I don't want to go into it." she shrugged. "No-!" David began to protest then Amelia waved a dismissive hand at him while marching straight over to Oscar. "I've always wanted to ride a Dragon! Should I wear those weird goggles the pilots in the olden days used to wear?" she said cheerily as David chased after her. "Amelia-!" "Or what about parachutes? I mean, what if one of us falls off?" "AMELIA!" "DAD!" Amelia rounded on her father rapidly. "I've already had an argument with Charles over this. I'm not arguing with you as well! Oh, and when exactly were any of you going to tell me that my brother was back from Oblivion?!" she looked around at them all angrily, apparently sore that Damien hadn't contacted her since his return. David fell silent and Amelia nodded at them. "Then it's settled. I'm coming with. Oh, and good shout on the Angel thing by the way. We definitely need Angelic help with this before we face them. Oi, Nate! You coming or what?!" --- Donnie had wrapped his arms around Insanity as they'd kissed. He let him go and watched him lustfully as he interacted with the wolves. Alex jumped and looked at Elliot as he sniffed him. His eyes moved between Elliot and Insanity uncertainly. He really wanted to bite Elliot's collar and pull it off him but knew that it wouldn't do Elliot any good. At least right now he wasn't conscious of what he was doing so he wouldn't have to feel fear or regret... unlike Alex. "It's like you were reading my mind." Donnie chuckled then glanced at Alex with an evil smirk. "Though, perhaps a four-way could be interesting this time?" he suggested. At this, Alex yelped and darted underneath a nearby table causing Donnie to laugh at his fear. "Get out of there stupid and change into your human form." he chuckled then his expression became stern. "Now." But Alex didn't move. Too frightened to leave his hiding place. "Beloved, it would seem your newest pet is misbehaving." Donnie rolled his eyes. Denix Vames - February 6, 2022 Phineas moaned at the kisses on his chest. He shyly smiled. "I really never took lead. Mind being in charge?" --- Leo pulled out his guns. His wings sprouted before he flew up. He winked at Oscar. "Same goes here. I really want to try these new wings." Nate appeared. He smiled. "I never thought you'd ask." Vincent hopped on the back of Oscar. --- Insanity walked to the table. "Now Alex. You don't want me to break your arm again, do you?" shadowess - February 6, 2022 "That's ok," Kasper said softly. "I never really got a chance to make love before," he admitted as he threw his shirt to one side and sat close to Phineas again. "But I want to make love to you." he breathed and kissed him deeply. Gently, he pushed Phineas down and climbed over him. His hands wandered eagerly across his torso and down to his hips. "I promise I'll be gentle. Let's take it slow," he whispered as he unbuckled his belt. (Private Time) --- Amelia jumped onto Oscar's back as well and held on to Vincent. "How are you holding up, bro?" she asked him quietly. After all this time she still considered Vincent to be like a brother. "Try not to worry. We'll save him. Ok?" David jumped up and onto Oscar's back as well, still not happy that Amelia was joining them on this dangerous mission. Theo shifted back into his human form, knowing he wouldn't be able to hold on to Oscar's scales as a wolf. His cheeks turned red as he realised he'd be climbing onto his back, bare ass naked. "Sorry..." he mumbled to him as he climbed up as well. Oscar was quiet for a moment then, despite his reptilian features, he gave Leo an uncomfortable look. 'I'm never going to live this down, am I?' Once all the people who couldn't fly were on Oscar's back, he stood tall and stretched out his wings. 'Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking.' Oscar thought to them all in a mock pilot's voice while he stretched. Amelia giggled in amusement. 'Welcome aboard Demon airlines non-stop flight to kicking some ass. Our flight time will be however long it takes for Lassie back there to tell us we're close and we'll be flying at an altitude of really fucking high. Please keep your arms and legs on the dragon at all times. Demon airlines regret to inform you that refreshments, oxygen masks and life vests are currently unavailable. So, in the event of an emergency please assume the brace position, which in this case would involve bending forward until your head is between your legs and kissing your ass goodbye! Now sit back, relax and enjoy your flight. Thank you!' At this, Theo held on tightly to Greg while gripping Oscar's scales. Without wasting any more time, he beat his wings powerfully and ran until he was soaring over Hell's plains. "Whooooooo!!!!!" Amelia grinned as she felt the rush of wind blowing past them. Theo was leaning from side to side, trying to keep track of the scent and telling Oscar which way to go. --- Alex whined and hesitated before slowly climbing out from under the table. For a moment he wasn't sure how to change back but after some concentration, he was on his knees in front of him. Covering his groin with his hands and looking fearfully at Vincent. His eyes reflected his longing to be defiant but he shook, knowing he didn't have any choice. "N-no..." he answered shakily as he stood slowly. He lowered his gaze. "P-please don't make me do this," he begged in a quiet voice. Meanwhile, Donnie was excited by the idea. It was just another way he could get back at David and the thought of that man being tormented by the thought of his great-grandson suffering like this only made him want it more. (I may have had way too much fun writing the airline bit xD )

Denix Vames - February 5, 2022 Jean chuckled. "You should have seen what I did before I became a cop. I wasn't exactly the peaceful type. But thanks to my experiences, I'm a better person now." --- Phineas was surprised by the hug. He closed his eye as he felt more better. "The doctor told me that my powers had to do with my emotions. I think I might be doing this to myself somehow. But I don't want it to stop because I know I deserve it." --- Xenos ran over to the agent. Healing him. "I'm sorry. I have to fix things." He grabbed Warren's body. In his head, he was able to see his memories. He set the body on the bed before disappearing. At the bedside of Warren's father, he placed a hand on his head as he started to heal him. --- (oh right lol XD) Gary ran into Neva's bedroom where he saw David. "David! Vincent needs help! Insanity's taken Elliot! He just told me when I came downstairs to check the noise." --- Insanity got on top of him where he pressed his knee against his chest. "Stay still!" He cut his right cheek slowly. Watching the blood flow as he giggled. Shadowess - February 5, 2022 That's right, Niko thought. He knew very little about Jean other than this man they'd all gotten to know at this castle. He let him go and looked between Elimar and Jean. His cheeks were red from embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I'm alright now, I swear. I just need some sleep..." --- "Please don't," Kasper said in a half-whisper. "I don't like to see you hurt." He stayed in the hug, finding himself unable to let him go. Or simply not wanting to. He took in a deep breath as the hug relaxed him and he caught Phineas's scent. He placed a hand on the back of Phineas's head as part of the embrace then found himself surprised by how soft his hair was and couldn't help running his fingers through it. He smiled a little. "I-... I feel better... like this. I don't want this to stop." --- The man in the hospital bed began to awaken. His condition improved rapidly. Weakly, he tried to pull at the tubes in his throat as he no longer needed them to help him to breathe. All the while, he looked at Xenos in shock. Not sure if what he was seeing was real or if it was the effects of whatever drugs he currently had in his system. "W-Wa-en?" he looked around the room, hoping to see his son. "Wa-en?" --- David looked at Gary in surprise. "Insanity? Are you sure?!" His face turned white as the realisation dawned on him that Donnie would have escaped as well. "Gary, look after Neva," he told him quickly then ran out of the room to where Vincent was. "Vincent!" he called out as he ran then stopped when he saw him on the floor. "On your feet, Vincent," he said gently and held out a hand for him. "We need to stay strong to save Elliot." his heart was beating fast. How could Insanity have taken him? He was just a soul when they'd last met. He should have been stuck in Hell. --- Alex grunted when Insanity pushed his knee into his chest and found that he could barely breathe under his weight. He turned his head away when the knife was brought up to his face then shut his eyes tightly when he felt the blade slice into his skin. He refused to make a noise. Not wanting to give Insanity the satisfaction of knowing he was hurting him. Frightened of what else he might do to him, and angry that he was his captive, Alex suddenly heaved his body up in a desperate attempt to 'buck' Insanity off him. Once he was off, he tried to desperately shuffle away again. This was made difficult with his hands tied behind his back. A few minutes after this, Donnie would appear with a huge grin. Still laughing from what he'd managed to do. "My love! I did it! I'm a Devil!" he announced. "Now I can kill Amelia and her wretched family to take Hell for my own!" He knelt on one knee and reached out to Insanity. "I want you by my side! Come, my love. I'll give you power, unlike anything you've ever felt." There was of course another motive for Donnie changing Insanity as well. While Donnie stood a slightly better chance now of killing Amelia, he was still outnumbered because of Charles. But if he and Insanity attacked them together, they stood a far better chance of succeeding. Denix Vames - February 5, 2022 "Don't be sorry for telling me how you feel. We're a family. We're supposed to help each other." Jean gently squeezed his shoulders. "Just let me know when you need something, ok?" --- "Don't!" Phineas threw himself back. He touched the left top part of his head. "The wound....It's still there. It will always be. I don't want anyone to see it." He grit his teeth as a cut appeared on his arm. He fell over. "Damn it!" --- Xenos hit the emergency call button so that any doctor or nurse knew to enter this room. He disappeared. --- Vincent took his hand. He stood. "That bastard turned him into a monster! He took him away from us! I'm going to kill him!" Gary lowered himself to look under the bed. "Hey Neva. It's going to be ok. You're sticking with me for a while, alright? Now, let's get you out of there and go somewhere safe. Ok?" --- Insanity hit the ground. He glared. "You wiggling bitch!" When Donnie returned, he dropped the knife at the surprise of a such a proposal. He gripped his hand when he was standing in front of him. "Yes! Yes! I'll never leave your side so long as we're both standing above every son of a bitch!" Elliot didn't recognize who Donnie was and felt the need to protect his master. He barked as he turned into a wolf. Running over with a big leap. "Elliot! Bad dog!" ,said Insanity. Shadowess - February 5, 2022 Niko tried a small smile as he nodded tearfully to Jean. "Thank you..." he said quietly. "I'm...I'm going to try to sleep this off now..." he said while beginning to stumble towards the couch. He sat down and within seconds he was slouching in an awkward position as he passed out, mostly from the amount of venom in his system. --- Kasper had watched Phineas worriedly. "I'm sorry!" He said hurriedly while taking a step forward. "I didn't know. I didn't mean to... I'm sorry." he knelt in front of him, looking at him with softened eyes. "Please, don't be scared. I won't judge you. Not by how you look or what you went through. I think it's how you are now that matters and so far, you've been so kind to me." Shyly, he lightly placed a hand on Phineas's knee while never looking away from his face. "Let me help you? Please?" --- "Monster? Monster how?" David asked. He looked around the room, figuring it was big enough to get a small group together to help them. "Hell has dangerous fugitives on the run. These fugitives have a hostage with them who is currently under their influence against his will. We need help. Demons. Angels. I need volunteers!" Oscar appeared in the room with his arms folded. "I got my ass handed to me last time but I'll do what I can to help." David nodded at Oscar thankfully. "We're going to need more help. Anyone?" "My dads are in trouble again, aren't they?" Neva asked tearfully as she scurried out and into Gary's arms. --- Donnie had jumped to his feet and away from Elliot. He looked at him with a mixture of confusion and annoyance, having just realised that he was even there. "What's this?" he asked, standing behind Insanity and gesturing to Elliot. "What's HE doing here? Did anyone see you take him?" he asked, worried that their cover had now been blown and a search party for them may already have begun. "Dammit Insanity! We're meant to be laying low until we're both Devils! Come here quickly! I'll change you now before they can take you from me again!" he knelt again and reached out for Insanity's hand. While the others were distracted, Alex had shuffled up to the knife. He kept his front facing Insanity and Donnie while he slowly began cutting the ropes around his wrists behind his back. He wasn't sure what he'd do once he got himself untied but at least it would be a start. Denix Vames - February 5, 2022 Phineas sat up. He looked at him before nodding. He pulled back some hair and showed him the wound. His brain could be seen pulsating just a little. "Tell me what you really think of it." --- Leo appeared. "If he goes then I go too." Vincent shook his head. "It's hard to explain but right now, Elliot isn't being himself." Gary held her close. "I'm afraid so. Looks like someone's taken Elliot. One of your dads." --- "Oh c'mon! Have a little fun!" Insanity held his hand. He cried out when the power entered his body. Elliot backed away and sat in a corner. Shadowess - February 5, 2022 Kasper looked at the wound and without hesitation, he looked back at Phineas with a look of concern. "Does it hurt you?" he asked. Instead of being disgusted or frightened by how it looked or judging Phineas in any way, he was more concerned about whether or not his injury was causing him any pain. --- David nodded to Leo. Oscar looked at Leo as well. He smiled and took his hand then looked at Vincent. "So, this is like a mind-control type situation then? Got it. We'll do our best to bring him back unharmed but if he becomes a danger we might have to at least knock him out." he told him seriously. "We should start at the cells where we left them," David said. "They're both incredibly elusive. We can't teleport to them and they know spells to hide in whatever area they're in. So, our best bet is to go to Hells Cells and try to trace their steps from there." Of course, when they'd get there they would find Damien knocked out in one of the cells. David then snapped his fingers as he had an idea. "We should get the help of someone who is able to track scents. It might help us find them. Especially if they're familiar with Elliot's scent." "We'll get him back, right?" Neva asked, looking at Gary worriedly. --- At Insanity's words, Donnie gave him a stern stare which was short-lived as he couldn't help but smirk at his antics. After all, one of the reasons he'd fallen for him was that he could occasionally be unpredictable. Which in turn made him both exciting and endearing in Donnie's eyes. He gripped Insanity's hand tightly to prevent him from pulling away and breaking the spell while he chanted. Alex shivered as he watched them with a look of utter dread while he continued to rub the knife against his ropes. He was becoming increasingly desperate to escape them both. Donnie also granted Insanity his ability to shapeshift when he changed him. He was eager to see what kinds of trouble they could both cause when they disguised themselves as the loved ones of their enemies. Finally, he stopped chanting and suddenly felt overcome with exhaustion. He then realised that the reason he'd been able to overpower Damien so quickly hadn't just been because he'd taken him by surprise. It had been because changing someone else into a Devil would cost a lot of his own energy, leaving him momentarily weakened. He caught his breath and stood slowly, knowing Insanity would now be feeling the euphoric sensation of new power within him. "My love." he breathed with a grin. "We did it." he kissed him deeply. At that moment, Alex felt the ropes snap and drop from his wrists. He kept hold of the knife as he jumped to his feet while pulling the gag from his mouth. "Stay back!" he shouted, pointing the knife at them both with a wild, frantic look in his eyes. "Stay the fuck away from me!" he bolted from the tent. Unable to teleport, his only hope was to run as fast as his legs could carry him. He ran through the makeshift empty village, not daring to look back. "Oh, goody," Donnie smirked. "A spirit to break." Denix Vames - February 5, 2022 Phineas shook his head. "Where it hit, it seemed like it destroyed such a feeling. So, you see? No matter how many times people try to help me, I will never forget my mistakes." A whip mark appeared on his back again. He screamed. "Fuck!" He breathed heavily from the pain. "No more....This punishment is what I need but it hurts so much." --- "Theo! He was the one who turned Elliot into a werewolf. He can help." ,said Vincent. "Of course we will. Elliot would never leave you." ,said Gary. --- "Let's give our pet some playtime. Elliot! Fetch the human!" ,said Insanity. Elliot began running in his wolf form. When he was close enough, he bit Alex's leg. Making him fall. He growled. Moving his leg from side to side with such aggression. Shadowess - February 5, 2022 "I don't understand." Kasper shook his head. "Why do you punish yourself for being hurt?" He cupped Phineas's face in his hands. "It's not your fault that this happened to you. You must see that?" --- "Where is Theo now?" David asked hurriedly. "Do any of you have a way to contact him?" "I'm not even sure that I know who that is," Oscar admitted as he looked to the others. "I'm scared." Neva whimpered as she hugged Gary as tightly as she could. --- Alex cried out as he felt Elliot's teeth in his leg. He hit the floor and dropped the knife. He let out a blood-curdling scream as Elliot thrashed his leg around and he felt the venom surging into his system. "Call him off!!!" he screamed while gripping his thigh. "CALL HIM OFF!!! PLEASE!!!" "Well, he did say he didn't want to be human anymore." Donnie chuckled as he watched the brutality with his hands around Insanity's waist. "Careful what you wish for." Denix Vames - February 5, 2022 "You don't understand. When I died, my soul was captured. For decades, I killed innocent lives without knowing it. I was under another person's control. This isn't the first time someone has used me in order to gain some kind of victory." Phineas was shaking. "That's why I must be punished. For everything that I've done." He grit his teeth. "That's why you should stay from me!" --- "I'll try to find him! Follow me!" ,said Vincent. With himself holding their hands, they appeared in Greg's bedroom where both had been sleeping under the covers. "Hm?" ,said Greg. "Oh! Uh..." Vincent blushed. "Sorry to barge in like this but we need Theo's help. Elliot's been taken by Insanity. We need him to track Elliot's scent." "I know. It's ok. It's going to be ok. Just let me know what you need." ,said Gary. --- Insanity laughed. He walked over to Alex. "Down boy." Elliot ran over to him. Greeted by a gentle pat. "I want to have some real fun." Insanity thought of a form. Hoping for it to work. He grew taller as his clothes changed into red and black. His hair was wavy. His eyes were red as his teeth were razor sharp. He grabbed Alex's arm and twisted it. "I've never felt so alive!" shadowess - February 5, 2022 Kasper listened to Phineas and was quiet for a moment before shaking his head again. "But...that wasn't YOU," he said. "The people who made you do those things... that's who is responsible. You were just as much a victim as those people who got hurt." His eyes watered. "Please, don't send me away from you. I-... I don't want to be alone... and I don't think you want to be either... do you?" --- Theo jumped and his face turned crimson. It had been hard enough for him to let go of his ex without Vincent popping up like this. As much as he tried to let Vincent go though, he still cared about him. So when he told them that he needed his help and that Elliot had been taken, Theo didn't hesitate. He sat up while keeping both himself and Greg covered. "Who's Insanity? Could you all wait in the hall while we get dressed?" "I just want my dads to be ok..." Neva cried quietly. --- Alex turned onto his side and groaned when Elliot let go of his leg. Pain seared through his open wounds and the venom added to that. He felt his temperature rising and knew what was happening. "No..." he groaned, tears dripping from his eyes and onto the grass. "No, no, no, no, no...." He was pulled out of his feverish stupor when Insanity grabbed his arm. He let out a sharp cry when his arm was twisted and he writhed from the discomfort. His eyes snapped to Insanity, seeing his change. "Let me go!" he tried to pull his arm free. Donnie stood by with his arms folded and a proud grin on his face as he watched Insanity at work. "God, you're beautiful." he purred as he looked him over fondly. Denix Vames - February 5, 2022 Suddenly, his wounds healed. Phineas shook his head. "I want you here with me." He rested his head against his before hesitantly kissing his lips. "U-Um...Sorry. I just did that. I didn't mean to." --- Leo nodded. They headed out of the room. Greg sat up. "I know who he's talking about. Vincent had to switch bodies so that he could stay from his evil side. That's Insanity. It seems like he kidnapped Elliot. He's using him like a guard dog." "They will be. I promise you that they will." ,said Gary who kissed her head. --- Insanity licked his lips. He smirked at Donnie. "C'mon sexy. Won't you torture him with me? Or would you prefer a show?" He licked the blood off of his knife after cutting Alex's chest. Shadowess - February 6, 2022 Kasper was surprised by the kiss. He was even more surprised by the thrill that had accompanied it. He felt like he could forget about the man that hurt him while he was with Phineas. He wasn't sure if this was real or just a rebound, but he knew that it was something he wanted. "I think you did..." he whispered before slowly recapturing Phineas's lips with his own. --- "That's why he looks different..." Theo mumbled. He turned to look at Greg, a little embarrassed about what had happened. "You ok with me helping my ex?" he asked hesitantly. He worried that Greg might take things the wrong way or get jealous. "I- I kinda owe him... after the crap I put him through," he admitted, looking away from him. --- Grinning, Donnie walked over to Insanity and gripped his hips from behind, grinding his own against them. He kissed his neck with a soft moan. "Seeing your work always turns me on," he whispered into his ear before nibbling it a little. Alex cried out again when his chest was cut. He flung his head back and gasped at the pain from the venom as well. His entire body was shaking and he felt so uncomfortably hot. He whimpered as Insanity asked Donnie to join in on torturing him as he felt so helpless. He didn't stand a chance against them now that they were Devils and the venom changing him kept him too weak to fight back. He thought back to when he'd been a part of Parker and had been Bryce's captive. When at first, he'd pretended to be on his side to keep him from hurting him. He wondered if that would work again and prayed he wouldn't end up growing attached to them as he had done with Bryce. "W-wait." he breathed, looking back at them. "Y-you win. I can't fight you and I'm not going to be human for much longer anyway. W-why waste your time torturing me when you could have t-two 'guard dogs'?" Donnie paused and looked at Insanity expectantly. "Your toy, your choice." he shrugged.

Shadowess - February 2, 2022 Patience became uneasy at the idea but she smiled and nodded at Jean in response. "I have to go. There's one last thing that I need to do before I can relax," she told him then glanced around the castle. "When I'm done, would it be possible for me to stay here until the child is born?" Niko looked at Elimar drunkenly then looked over at the door. "Doesn't anyone knock anymore?" he slurred as he lay down on the cold stone floor. He picked up the bottle, keeping his thumb over the neck to stop it from spilling everywhere as he brought it to his mouth before guzzling down as much as he could. When he was done, he dropped the now empty bottle to one side which rolled across the floor. He covered his face as he began to weep. "I should still be in Hell for what I did. I'm disgusting!" --- Kasper watched Phineas as he seemed eager to share a room with him at first then seemed to quickly change his mind. He frowned and glanced around the room before looking back at Phineas while gently tugging on his sleeve. "You just helped me," he told him then hugged himself while looking at the ground shyly. "I don't want to be alone." "I think that settles it then." Dr. Fenton said with a nod. He snapped his fingers, unintentionally making Kasper jump, then smiled at them. "There. Now your room is slightly bigger and with a second bed. Maybe you could show him the way there?" he suggested to Phineas. He wondered if Kasper might feel more comfortable opening up to someone he trusts once they're not being watched. "And if either of you needs help with anything, you only need to call out for a doctor or nurse." --- The doctor had been leaning over Warren's head at this point to try to hear his words. When X entered the room with the agent, he glared at them both. "I can't allow that," he said sternly. "I will not allow butchery in my medical suite. Besides, I think he's trying to say something. For all we know, it might be important." Warren was trapped in his own mind. Forced to relive his past in his dreams. He recalled running into a hospital and up to the reception desk to ask where someone was. The receptionist asked him what their relationship was. "He's my father," he remembered saying. He then ran to a hospital room and saw the man in the hospital bed. "They said you collapsed at work. What happened?" he asked him as he stepped in. The man waved a hand dismissively with an amused look. "Ah, it's nothin'. Just some low blood sugar or something silly. I'll be alright." The room shifted. The calendar on the wall lost a few months and the man in the hospital bed was looking frailer. He was led down now, with tubes in his mouth and drips attached to his arms. Warren was crying as he sat in the chair nearby. A nurse with a clipboard was talking to him. "I'm sorry but there's nothing we can do." she ended and left the room. "I'll find a way!" Warren said to his unconscious father. "There has to be a way! I'll get money and I'll take you to a private hospital. A good one! I promise!" He was in a tiny apartment, looking at ads on the dark web. He found something that might earn him enough money to save his father. He made arrangements to take the job. The ad said to wait at a certain ally well after dark. In the ally, Warren remembered getting second thoughts. What if this was a trap and he was killed for his organs? Before he could change his mind he was grabbed from behind. He struggled as a wet cloth was placed around his mouth and nose until everything went black. He woke up with a sack over his head. He was strapped to a chair. He couldn't see anyone else in the room. Their voices were hidden by modulators as they barked instructions and threats at him. He was knocked out again. When he awoke, he was dressed in a smart suit and had been dropped off on the outskirts of the forests near the facility. He found all the equipment he'd need in his pockets. When he put the earpiece in, the instructions from his 'employers' began. As did his infiltration of the facility. The words Warren was saying over and over was 'Dad, I'm sorry.' Denix Vames - February 2, 2022 Jean nodded. "Of course." Elimar frowned. He knelt by him. "Niko, you've done enough to make up for what you did. You aren't the same person that you once was." --- Phineas nodded. "I don't mind helping him." He led him to their room. "This is our room. It's still very new to me too." His cheeks flushed. "I-I um....It's a first for me to have a roommate. I hope you don't mind my company." --- Xenos's eyes widened as he read Warren's mind. "Well, that is interesting. But I think we've got enough information out of him. Step back and let him die." shadowess - February 3, 2022 Patience smiled at Jean. "Thank you. I'll be back soon then. Take care." she said before vanishing. She knew that it wouldn't be long now before her powers would vanish, so she needed to hurry and do what needed to be done before they were gone completely. "You don't understand..." Niko sobbed into his hands. He then lowered them to look at Elimar. "What I did... It may have scarred her for life as it is. But what I COULD'VE done would be far, far worse! What if I had left her with my bastard child?! I'd have fucked up both of their lives! She would have struggled to love it because every time she'd look at it, she'd be reminded of how it came to be!" he despaired. "I know she's not... she would have shown by now... but still... what if I had? It would have been so easy! Fuck! I don't deserve forgiveness! I deserve to be tormented and punished!" --- "I used to live in a mansion," Kasper said as he looked around the room. "So even growing up with brothers, I still never had to share a room." he glanced at Phineas then immediately looked away shyly. "I'm not trying to brag, I'm just trying to say that this is new to me as well," he added quickly. He then smiled and brought his eyes back up to look at Phineas. "I think it might be an interesting change though." --- "He'll die on his own. You don't need to deal the final blow!" The doctor protested. He didn't have the power to read minds so he had no idea what was going on in Warren's head. "Sir, with respect, what you're allowing your men to do here is highly unethical, despite what this man has done!" Warren groaned. He was waking up, though his condition kept him delirious and confused. He saw the doctor arguing with X and the agent but was simply unable to understand what was happening. He saw another man in the room. His eyes were drawn to him as he stood out with his sharp silver eyes and black wings. He looked sad. The others in the room didn't seem to see him or hear him at all as he approached Warren and gently took his hand. "It's ok." he heard him whisper. "The pain will fade. It'll all be over very soon." Warren tried to speak, but his broken and swollen jaw made this difficult. Azrael shook his head sadly. "There's nothing you can do for him now. I'm so sorry." Warren let out a deeper, more heartbroken groan as he turned his head away and closed his eyes. Tears dripped onto his pillow. The monitor next to him beeped a little faster as his heart rate increased. The words 'I failed him.' echoed in his mind. Denix Vames - February 3, 2022 Elimar knelt near him. He frowned. "I wish I had the right words for this. But I don't. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." --- Phineas gave a small smile as he blushed. "It'll be a change for me too." Once both men were in the room, he showed the picture of his family. "They loved me once but ever since I became what I am, they don't want to see me anymore." He turned away. "I shouldn't even be showing myself to you. I'm a disgusting sight." --- "Are you kidding me?!" ,said Xenos. Tears ran down his cheeks as he glared. He pointed at Warren. "He has killed some of our men! Our family! He deserves to suffer!" --- Insanity was annoyed that capturing Phineas didn't work. But he still remembered Donnie's clown plan. He figured if that didn't work then he could try something else. He appeared by Elliot's side where he whispered a spell. He placed the collar around his neck. Once done, he disappeared. Elliot's eyes opened. He suddenly transformed into a wolf. Vincent woke up from the noise. "Elliot?" Elliot barked at him. Before Vincent could do anything, he was thrown across the room. Hitting the wall. "Elliot! What the hell is going on?!" Denix Vames - February 3, 2022 (forgot to reply about jean's) Jean appeared in front of him. "Niko. Please don't torture yourself like this. You've done so much good now. What you did before is now in the past. You have to preserve if you want to live on and help others." shadowess - February 3, 2022 At Elimar's words, Niko turned onto his side to hug the cold floor. Turning his head to face the ground as he cried. Then he heard Jean's words. He didn't lift his eyes from the floor. "How...?" he asked in a broken voice. "What if I... what I hurt someone again?" he brought his eyes up to the two of them. "I want to be a better person, I do. But I'm scared. I know what I'm capable of. What if I mess up again?" The way he looked at them, he had an expression of pure desperation. --- Kasper looked at the picture of Phineas with his family and frowned. He was reminded of his own family and the last time he saw any of them. "My family are still alive...Before my-... the man I thought I loved killed me... My father tried to put a knife in me. Just because I fell in love with someone he didn't approve of." he said then looked at his own hands. "It's still hard for me to believe that I'm really dead. I keep thinking this is a dream and that I'll wake up soon." he looked at Phineas and offered him a small, tearful smile. "You're not disgusting. Right now, you're the only reason for me to hope that this isn't a dream. Because I don't want to leave you alone." --- "He already has! Just look at him! He doesn't even look human anymore because he's been beaten so badly!" the doctor shouted back. "He can't even breathe properly from his broken ribs and swollen face! Those escaped prisoners killed your men! He just released them and I don't know about you but he hardly seemed like the fighting type!" "Enough! He released the prisoners, so he as good as pulled the fucking trigger!" the agent suddenly snapped, taking out a knife and marching over to the bed. "Don't-!" the doctor ran over and tried to wrestle the knife out of the agent's hand. While they fought, Warren thought over what he'd done. He was still unable to make sense of what the others were doing. 'My dad is going to die. People here died because of me. That guy said he's a half Devil...' Warren thought and turned his head to look at Azrael. 'Will I go to Hell?' Azrael squeezed Warren's hand a little to try to comfort him but frowned and nodded. Warren's heart rate increased again. 'It wasn't worth it. None of it. I could've been sitting by his bed right now. Spending his last moments with him. Now I won't get to do that. And those people... they'd still be here... either in a cell or walking these hallways. Oh, God. What if they had families? What have I done?' Azrael lifted his other hand and gently lay it on Warren's head. "It's not a lot but there's still time," he whispered. "Ask for forgiveness." 'How could I?' Warren thought. 'I don't deserve it.' "Then I will take you to someone who can help you to earn it. But first... I'm afraid... your time is up. Don't be afraid. I'm right here to guide you." --- "Daddy?" Neva nervously called from her room. She stared at her bedroom door from the bed. When she heard Elliot's bark, she jumped and hurriedly dove under her bed to hide. She peered out from under the bed at the door while shaking. (Figured Neva could've rejoined her dads at some point during the day. Wasn't sure what else to do here as Alex is kinda occupied lol Speaking of which...) --- Alex awoke with a headache in one of the large tents within Donnie's spell boundary. He was naked, bound and gagged. More alarmingly he had a large, red bow on his chest as if he were some kind of gift. The last thing he remembered was stepping out of the shower at home. Donnie was across the room, wearing some of Alex's clothes as he wrote a note on the nearby table. Donnie absolutely stank of cologne. He finished his note and stuck it to the tend above Alex. It read; 'Just don't kill him.' "There. A new pet for my beloved. Now, if you'll excuse me..." Donnie said before shifting to look and sound exactly like Alex. " 'Dad' is going to make me into a Devil." he chuckled evilly. Alex started screaming angrily at Donnie but all of his words were muffled by the gag. Just as well. They were mostly profanities anyway. "Now, now. The only thing you need to worry about, my dear doppelganger, is what kind of fun my beloved has in store for you. You'd better behave. He doesn't like disobedience." Donnie vanished. Back on Earth, despite being under Donnie's influence, Desi was checking ID's as normal outside the Vampire Club. With no memory of ever being forced to give Donnie his shapeshifting ability. Denix Vames - February 4, 2022 Jean helped him stand. "I'll help you become a better person. I'll teach you how to control what you fear. I promise that I'll never leave your side. You're part of my family." He gently hugged him. --- Phineas broke down into a sobbing mess. He covered his face. "How can you say that?! How can any of you be nice to me? After that I've done!" He cried out as a whip mark suddenly appeared on his back. --- "Stop! Stop this fighting!" ,said Xenos. He growled as he transformed. He shoved the agent from the doctor. Not realizing that he had thrown him across the room. Making his back break while he bled. He transformed back into his regular form. Falling to his knees, he clutched his head. "Oh god! You're right! What's wrong with me?" He burst into tears. He ran to Warren. "No! I have to make this right!" He placed a hand over his head. 'If you can hear me, I'm attempting to connect with you. I'm so sorry for what I did. Please let me help. Please!' --- "Elliot! Stop! Think for a minute! It's me. Vincent Hayes. Don't you remember?" Insanity appeared as he hooked a chain to the collar. "He isn't yours anymore. He's mine! And he'll kill you before he leaves with me." Vincent stood. He glared. "Let him go! Now!" "Ha! You wish." Elliot turned into his human form. He growled. "Let me kill him!" "Actually, I think it would be better if I left him here to suffer without you." "NO!" ,shouted Vincent as he ran towards. They disappeared by the time he got there. "ELLIOT!" He burst into tears. He smashed his fists against the coffee table. He let out an angry scream before collapsing. Curling up in his own sadness. "David.....Please...." "We need you." ,said both Gary and Vincent when they found out that their lover had disappeared. --- Insanity appeared back at home. "Well then. What do we have here?" Elliot growled at Alex as he tried to move forward. Insanity pulled on his chain. "Down dog!" Elliot complied. Insanity walked over to Alex. He picked up the note and read it. "Aw! How sweet. Such a shame that I can't kill you though." He shrugged. "Oh well." He pulled out a knife and smiled. "Let the fun begin." shadowess - February 4, 2022 Niko was surprised by Jean's words. Even more so by the hug. He seemed unsure for a moment before wrapping his arms around Jean and weeping into his shoulder. "I'm sorry..." he said quietly. "I'm such an idiot. A stupid, drunk idiot." --- Kasper didn't know Phineas's past but he could see he was full of regret and that it was torturing him. He didn't know what to say and was alarmed when the whip mark appeared. "How did that happen?" he gasped. He watched Phineas for a moment with concern and did the only thing that he felt might calm him down. He gently wrapped his arms around his shoulders and hugged him. As he did, he could feel his own sorrows lifting a little as the contact brought himself some comfort too. He rested his head on Phineas's shoulder as tears slid down his cheeks. --- The doctor ran over to the agent to help him. Azrael looked sadly at Xenos as he realised, just a little too late, that he could help Warren. In Warren's last moments, he heard Xenos's voice and desperately hoped he could hear his thoughts. 'Just help my dad. Please. He's a good man. He doesn't deserve to die.' At that moment, Warren's heart finally gave out and the monitor by the bed went from rapid beeps to one long note. Azrael leant over and took Warren's hand, pulling his soul from the bed. Warren's soul was completely uninjured and he looked back at Xenos and his body. "There was nothing he could've done," Azrael told him. "Once a name is added to the book of death, it cannot be removed." Warren watched them for a moment sadly then turned to look at Azrael. "Now what?" "Now, I take you to Hell. There you'll wait in the library for a man named David." "There's a library in Hell?" "Don't get your hopes up. Those books are old, dusty and falling apart. Most of them are all written in the demonic language as well." "Latin?" "No. That's just something humans made up." Azrael and Warren continued their conversation as they both faded out of the room. "Xenos!" The doctor called out as the agent came to and began to panic that he couldn't feel his legs anymore. "Xenos, this is beyond modern medicine! Can you heal him?" --- Having heard all the shouting, Neva was crying quietly under her bed. Still not daring to move. With the worst hangover, he'd ever had in either his life or unlife, David appeared in the bedroom as soon as he heard Vincent's plea. "What's happened?" he asked, looking around in alarm. "Where's Elliot? Neva? (As far as Gary would be aware, 'Alex' is with his dad getting turned into a Devil ) --- Alex's eyes widened when Insanity and Elliot appeared. He stared at Elliot, confused at first about why he was acting so odd. Then he realised there was something wrong with him and that it might have something to do with the collar around his neck. His attention then turned to Insanity, who up until this point, Alex hadn't met yet. He knew about him of course, but only from the brief explanation, he'd gotten from Gary. He didn't know about the traumatic experience Niko had had when he'd been Insanity's 'pet'. Unlike Niko though, Alex's spirit wasn't already broken. In fact, he still had a lot of fight in him and this showed from the way he glared furiously at Insanity. Also unlike Niko however, Alex was still just human and had a hell of a lot more to lose if he wasn't careful. He growled something angrily which was muffled by his gag but it sounded a lot like 'don't you fucking dare!' as he did his best to shuffle away from Insanity. --- Damien appeared in Hell with 'Alex'. In one of the rooms in the abandoned hospital. 'Alex' looked around with a somewhat bored expression while Damien walked over to one corner of the room. There, a small pentagram was burned into the floor. Just big enough for one person to stand in. It looked worn down and mostly faded by now. He knelt and ran his hand over the edge of it with a faraway look in his eyes. "What's that?" 'Alex' asked, watching him curiously. "This is where he made me what I am..." Damien replied. He remembered Lucifer kneeling in its centre and holding one of Damien's hands with both of his as he transferred some of his energy into him. It had been a painful, agonising process. The energy itself felt like it was burning through his veins. Yet, Damien had been so determined at that time to prove to Lucifer that he wouldn't regret his decision to take him under his wing, that he recalled gritting his teeth and desperately trying not to make a sound or show that he was in any pain. Damien stood and turned to look at 'Alex' with a serious expression. "Are you sure you want this? I gotta warn you, it really fucking hurts to change." 'Alex' shrugged. "My dad could do it, right?" he smirked and Damien chuckled. "I want this. More than anything," he added and Damien nodded at him with a small sigh. "Alright..." he stepped into the centre of the pentagram and knelt on one knee. "Come here and give me your hand and whatever you do, no matter how much it hurts, do not pull away." 'Alex' nodded and eagerly stepped forward. He stood just outside of the pentagram and gave Damien his right hand. Damien placed one of his hands under 'Alex's' palm and one hand over the back of his hand. He bent his head forward and closed his eyes, then began chanting the words he remembered Lucifer had chanted. Immediately, his energy pulsed into 'Alex' who gasped at the sudden heat and pain. 'Alex' gripped Damien's hand tightly in an effort to stay connected while groaning and sweating. His head tossed from side to side as he struggled to deal with the agony. As Damien had his eyes closed and his head bowed, he didn't see 'Alex's' face shift between Alex and Donnie repeatedly as he struggled to maintain his current shape while dealing with such intense pain. The pentagram under Damien lit up and cinders began to rise from it as the chanting continued. The rising heat made it harder for Donnie to cope with the changes and he began screaming. Finally, Damien's chanting stopped and he looked up, expecting to see his son but instead saw a heavily sweating but victorious looking Donnie who was grinning at him while breathing heavily. "Wha-?" "-Thanks, 'dad'!" Donnie laughed then kicked Damien into the wall. Before Damien could react, Donnie had kicked him again with enough force to shatter his ribs. Then again in the head, knocking him out. Donnie looked at himself and laughed maniacally. "I feel fucking great!" he exclaimed. "Now to take out my competition. But first." he grabbed Damien by his hair to lift him up. He then teleported into Hells Cells and threw him into one before slamming the door shut. "You know, I was going to just destroy you but I think I'll keep you around for some fun once I've taken over Hell. I mean, why not? You gave me this gift, after all. So it would be ungrateful of me to kill you...immediately." he laughed heartily then vanished.

Denix Vames - January 26, 2022 Tears flowed from Jean's eyes. He threw himself into her arms. "Thank you all for being here with me. But I need to take care of things on my own now." --- Phineas took a hesitant small bite of the slice. He made a sour face when he started chewing on it. He set the slice on the table. Picking up a napkin and spitting into it. "This is supposed to be delicious? It's so sour and the texture has a weird chewiness to it." He poked at a plate of green jello. "What is that? Why is it moving?" He grabbed a spoon and took a scoop. Eating it slowly. He cringed at the way it moved in his mouth. "Isn't there anything that's not so strange?" --- Xenos said, "I'll have someone bring a laptop here. And now, if you want to make your promise true, I suggest not leaving ever. You have made a great amount of felonies. Not to mention treason. This all can easily send you to our prison. However, if you succeed in retrieving the files, I can exchange that for your freedom." shadowess - January 27, 2022 Jessica hugged Jean back, still frowning. "You don't have to do things alone," she said gently. "If you ever need help from me or Ben, just call." She glanced over his shoulder at the mansion, knowing Niko was still inside. "Besides, we need to help Niko get home." She pulled away and looked at Jean expectantly. "I know he did terrible things but... I've never seen that side of him. Based on what I've found out, it's like he's a completely different person now to what he used to be." she looked sad. "He's hurting. I know he is and I don't know how else to help but to bring him home. I thought he only needed forgiveness from Racheal but I think he needed forgiveness from you and Hannes too. He can't get the forgiveness he needs from Hannes right now but you're still here. Please look out for him Jean. For me." --- "Maybe you need to start smaller?" Dr Fenton suggested. "Pick something not too far from your own time and work your way up. Ah, here we go," he said as he picked up a tray of eggs benedict. "This was invented the same year that you passed away." he nodded towards a bottle of tabasco sauce. "As was that. But be careful if you're going to use it, it has quite a kick." --- Warren paused and stared at Xenos. That's right. He just confessed to breaking some very serious laws. His heart sank as he sat back down slowly and tearfully contemplated spending the rest of his life behind bars. Once more the image of the man in the hospital bed flashed through his mind. His hopes lifted though as Xenos offered him a chance for freedom. "You're-...you're offering me a deal?" he asked him then nodded eagerly. "I'll do it. I-I can get those files back for you." he agreed. He looked at Xenos curiously. "I was never warned-...wh-what are you?" he finally asked, making it clear he'd never seen anything supernatural in his life. Denix Vames - January 27, 2022 Jean nodded. He smiled. "I will. I promise." Ben walked over. "We could still stick around in case you need us. I really think we can help some more." Jean shook his head. "You've done enough but thank you." Ben still was worried to leave after what had happened. In fact, he saw Jean as another friend. --- Phineas sniffed at the eggs benedict. "It smells good." He grabbed the tabasco sauce. He poured a bit on his finger which he sucked off from. His eyes lit up as at the spice. He took an eggs benedict and dumped some sauce on it before taking a bite. He smiled as he chewed. "It's almost like the food from Chile! And this eggs benedict? It's like back at-" He frowned. Turning away from Fenton. "Home. My mom made us eggs at home." He set the half eaten eggs benedict and sauce bottle on the table. He brushed off any excess bits on a napkin from his hand. "I think I'm done eating." He headed down the hall. Expecting the inevitable of Fenton leading him to his room. "I know what you're going to say doctor but it won't happen. My family would never want to see me. Not just because of the accident." He faced the mirror in his room. "I like.....men." He suddenly fell to his knees as he sobbed. The mirror had cracked by his powers. "Go ahead! Call me sick! I'm a sinner!" --- "Of course you weren't warned. Everyone knows who I am here. But on this special occasion, I'll tell you." His eyes glowed red. "I am a Blood God. Part vampire and devil." He snapped his fingers. A laptop appeared. "Which means I can do anything. So, try not to step on my toes." shadowess - January 28, 2022 Jessica wasn't too eager to leave either but she also worried that she and Ben might end up overstaying their welcome. Reluctantly, she nodded. "Just don't forget, you're not alone, ok? If you need help, -with anything-, call us. We'll come." She took Ben's hand. "Can you let Niko know that we said goodbye?" --- Dr. Fenton had followed Phineas to his room, watching him carefully as they went. Once there, he patiently watched his breakdown with a frown. This was something Dr Fenton saw a lot of. Particularly from people who died during such eras where bigotry was the norm. Dr. Fenton walked over to the bed and sat with his hands clasped together on his knees. "You're not a sinner. You're from a time when such a thing was gravely misunderstood and considered taboo, that's all. I can't tell you how many patients I've tended to who had denied what they were for their entire lives out of fear that it would somehow anger God. Too many..." he shook his head. "Phineas, what you feel is absolutely normal. Your family have been here a long time. Long enough to know now that things like this are not something to judge. How can they, when at least half of Heaven's population are same-sex couples?" --- Warren's mind was blown. The laptop appearing. His red eyes. The confirmation of the existence of not only vampires but also an afterlife. He sat, shivering for a minute at the thought. Wondering if, after everything, he'd end up going to Hell when he died. Anxious that Xenos might get impatient with him, he quickly pulled his eyes away from him and looked at the laptop. He still had this chance to earn his freedom so he wasn't going to let it slip through his fingers. He opened up the laptop and quickly got to work. It wasn't easy. His employers had already taken steps to cover their tracks. He ended up having to hack into account after account to try to retrieve what he'd stolen. Sweat rolled down the side of his face as he worked. Every now and then his eyes would dart to Xenos out of nerves. When he'd see him staring at him his eyes would then dart back to the laptop. His heart was racing and he was growing frustrated. His anxiety increased as every time he thought he'd found them, it turned out to be a decoy account. He hadn't bet on his employers having another skilled hacker among them. But then maybe he should have expected this if they were so ready to leave him behind to die in the riots. His hacking wasn't something out of the movies either. There was no rapid typing of random keys involved. Every click of the mouse and press of a button was slow, deliberate and precise. He knew what he was doing but he was having a very hard time delivering on the promise that he gave until. "Ha!" he let out a short, nervous and relieved laugh. "I've found them. Th-the files, I mean. I can't take them away from my employers completely. They've probably already backed it up onto a disconnected device. But I can copy them over onto this laptop. Finding their location is tricky too. I mean, I've found these files in Japan but I had to go through accounts in other countries first before I got to them. They really don't want to be found. I'm willing to bet that if they're in Japan now, they won't be for long." he finished up saving the files onto the laptop then sat back so that Xenos could see the screen. Showing the name of a small town in Japan along with the name of the files that were stolen. A.D.I.E.U. Warren had no idea who Adieu had once been. Before today, he hadn't even been aware that the supernatural was real. Denix Vames - January 28, 2022 Jean nodded. "I will. Take care. And please be safe." "Same to you." ,said Ben. Jean appeared near Niko. "Jessica and Ben left but they wanted me to tell you goodbye. Is there anything that we can do for this family now?" --- Phineas clutched his head. "You're a liar!" Memories of his enslaved years and recent ones had flashed through his head. "I'm a sinner! Sinner! SINNER!" He collapsed as he cried out in pain. Having not realized that his powers had burned the word sinner all over his body. He looked at his hand. "Wha....What happened?" He groaned as his body began to heal. Having never experienced this before. --- When Xenos saw the name of the files, he growled. "Fix his wounds and lock him up! I'm going to contact the Japanese government." He disappeared. He made his phone call. Letting officials know the situation so that they could search the town secretly as best as they could. Searching for anything related to strange groups and ADIEU. Shadowess - January 30, 2022 When Jean would arrive back in the mansion, Niko would be sitting alone at the dining room table. His chest had almost completely healed by now. He shook his head to Jean's question. "They're busy grieving over the family they lost. I thought it best to give them some privacy while they prepare Kasper's body for burial." he looked around at all the coffins. "Looks like they'll be just as busy as ourselves... we should go back to attend to our own dead." he sighed. With a small grunt and while gripping his chest, he stood and looked at Jean. "What about you?" he asked. "How are you holding up?" Back at the castle, at Hannes's suggestion, Patience had appeared in the main hall. She'd had her wings out when she arrived and she looked around in surprise at the coffins and the few vampires who had stayed up to continue grieving. Just as surprised, the vampires in the room stared at her. "Um...is there a man named Jean here?" Able to smell her vampiric blood, as well as her hormones, the few vampires hurried over to her. They had only understood Jean's name from her words as they were the few vampires in the castle that didn't understand English. She stood there awkwardly as they fawned over her. In awe, they felt the feathers on her wings. They also excitedly pointed to her belly and spoke to her in German. Asking her questions that she couldn't understand. One woman tried to touch her belly but it made Patience jump and recoil. The woman seemed surprised by the reaction and looked to be hurriedly apologising. "Um...it's ok...where's Jean? Anyone? Please?" --- Dr. Fenton looked from the words burned into Phineas's skin as they healed, to the broken mirror above him. He was calm as he looked back at Phineas. He stood and walked over to him, gently taking his arm so that he could look over his injuries to make sure they were healing properly. "You haven't had these powers for long, have you?" he observed. "It seems that your powers are directly linked with your emotions. You'll want to be careful and try to keep yourself calm to be able to control them. We have cognitive therapy sessions that might help with that if you're interested?" he suggested. "As for your preferences, it's as I said. You're not a sinner. There are many 'sins' on Earth that were purely made up by humans in an attempt to control the populations. This is one of them. Some of our oldest and most famous Angels like to fool around with men from time to time. It's a normal urge and it is nothing to be ashamed of." As Dr. Fenton spoke to Phineas, a couple of nurses rushed by his room to get to the reception area. There, Azrael had arrived with a sobbing and utterly inconsolable Kasper. The nurses tried to get him to speak but he was so heartbroken and devastated that he couldn't answer them. "He was murdered by a man that he thought loved him," Azrael explained. "I haven't been able to calm him down since his death," he added worriedly, afraid that this experience may have broken him. He watched helplessly as Kasper sank to his knees, sobbing so heavily that his body heaved from the effort. He gripped the sides of his head and dug his nails into his face, scratching himself as a way of punishing himself for being such a fool. --- "Wha-?" Warren stammered in surprise and watched as a few eager agents entered the room, looking at him angrily. "N-no! We had a deal! You said I'd be free!" he panicked and struggled as the Agents grabbed him and pinned him to the table harshly. They put the cuffs on him a bit too tight so that they pinched his skin. "Please! I can't stay here! I need to go home! I need-!" his words were cut short by an Agent that punched him across the face. Dazed and powerless, he was dragged into an empty cell where more agents joined in. Taking it in turns to go in and beat him senseless for the men that they'd lost. By the time they were done, they then had to drag him back out of the cell to their medical room. He'd been beaten so badly that he was unrecognisable. His face was swollen and practically blue. Several of his teeth had been knocked out or knocked loose. He sustained several broken ribs. A fractured pelvis, arm and ankle. One of his hands had been broken in several places and he suffered from some serious head injuries. By the time he was taken to the medical room, Warren had lost consciousness and was in real danger of losing his life due to a bleed on the brain. Being allies of the US government, the Japanese forces assured Xenos that they would carry out a search of that town and get back to him as soon as they find anything. Naturally, this would take some time to accomplish so arranged to call Xenos back as soon as possible. Denix Vames - January 30, 2022 Jean frowned. "I don't really feel that great." He touched his head. "I can hear someone calling me. How?" He looked at Niko. "But it sounds like they need me. C'mon. We have to go." He held his hand before teleporting in the castle where Patience stood. He walked over. "Hello? Who are you?" --- Phineas sat up. Hearing all of this commotion, he walked out of his room. Holding on to his chest as it was healing. He followed the cries until he stopped in front of Kasper. He knelt. Placing a hand on his shoulder, he said, "It's going to be ok." He bit his lip. Wondering if he was being helpful. "I'm Phineas Gage. What's your name?" --- Xenos laughed as he heard about what happened to Warren. "Who wants to kill him when he gets out of the medical room?" shadowess - January 30, 2022 Once back in the castle, Niko stood by to watch curiously. The vampire's surrounding Patience backed away to give them room to talk, much to Patience's relief. She looked at Jean curiously then glanced around the room at the other vampires. "Hannes said you would be able to help me." she began while bringing her eyes back to him. She hesitated then placed her hand on her stomach. "It needs somewhere to live when it's born...somewhere that it will be safe...and loved." she looked away from him, feeling ashamed that she wouldn't be able to give this child the love it will need from her. She was also ashamed that she was even here, asking for Jean to take it in. It felt like she was abandoning it and she knew it didn't deserve that. "I can't..." she admitted in a broken voice. "I'm scared that every time I look at it, I'll just see the man who hurt me and I can't risk him ever finding it. Please." --- Dr. Fenton followed Phineas and watched patiently as he knelt in front of Kasper. When a nurse moved forward to usher Phineas away, Dr. Fenton gently tugged her arm to stop her. He wondered if this might help both patients at once. Sometimes all a patient really needs is a good friend or companion. Kasper could barely breathe as Phineas spoke to him. He stared at him for a moment while trying to catch his breath. He looked at Phineas's closed eye very briefly before fixing on his open one. "K-Kasper..." he managed to say between breaths. Then he leant forward and rested his head on Phineas's shoulder. "I thought... he l-loved me!" he wept. "I would've done a-anything for him!" --- The agents were eager to be the ones picked to finish the job as they all raised their hands. "Yeah, that might not happen." said one of the medical staff as they came into the room. "With the injuries he sustained, he'll be lucky to survive the night. Frankly, if you're planning on killing him anyway, is there any point in wasting our resources to bring him back to health?" he questioned. In the medical room, Warren was in a state of delirium. He passed in and out of consciousness and kept dreaming about the man in the hospital bed. He mumbled a name but his mouth was so mashed and swollen that it was difficult to make out what he was saying. A tear slid down his purple cheek. Denix Vames - January 30, 2022 Jean gently hugged her. "I understand. I promise to take care of this child. And please tell Hannes that I love him. I miss his voice." --- Phineas was surprised that Kasper placed his head on him. Yet, he accepted it. Having wrapped his arms around him. "I thought my village cared about me too until the accident. It made me realize who my true friends were." He placed a hand on the back of his head. "But things are different now. I see that. Anyone can make their own road. We all have freedom to do whatever we want. No one is there to tell us what is wrong or right." He looked at him. "I'm sorry for what you went through. But this place can help you. You will be fine here. I promise." He smiled. --- "Then who wants to kill him now?" ,said Xenos as he smiled. Shadowess - January 30, 2022 Patience hugged Jean back, crying out of relief. She smiled at his words as she let him go and nodded while wiping away her tears. "I'll tell him. He loves you as well. He wouldn't stop talking about you when we met." she told him in a soft voice. She gently held his arms. "He really wants to come back to you. He's applying to become an Angel so that he can." she grinned. "And he's in the best hands." Niko had slipped out of the room shortly after Patience had told Jean that her pregnancy was the result of an attack. There were several things bothering him about it. He could smell one of his own attackers on her, which triggered the traumatic memories he had of when he'd been kidnapped. He also couldn't help feeling overwhelmingly guilty again for what he'd done to Racheal. He could so easily have done to her what Donnie had done to Patience! Once more he mentally berated himself for his own past and yet again he found himself thinking that he didn't deserve forgiveness. That perhaps what had happened to him in that basement was exactly what he deserved. It caused him so much pain that if it wasn't for Jean's blood still protecting him from the sun's light, he would have run outside to burn himself by now. Instead, he did the only thing he could to numb himself from the pain. He grabbed a few bottles of venomed blood from the cellars then went to the room that he'd once called home. There he began to drink heavily from the bottles. After finishing off the first bottle, he threw it into the fireplace while he began to sob drunkenly. "Donnie? Insanity?" he called out, his voice full of anguish. "It's me. Your 'toy!'" he wept as he fell to his knees. "You can take me back. I don't care! I deserve it! Do what you will! I'm yours!" He sluggishly grabbed the second bottle and yanked out the cork. "Well, what're you waiting for, huh?!" he shouted then took several large gulps of the liquid. Lowering the bottle, he caught his breath and stared into the fireplace. "Nothing I do will ever take back what I did..." he said numbly. --- Kasper looked tearfully from Phineas and around at all the others. He became nervous as he realised he was surrounded by strangers in a strange place. He looked back at Phineas. "Will you stay with me?" he asked him quietly. He didn't know the others but he felt that he could trust Phineas. The nurses dispersed to see to other patients. Happy that things were under control and that Kasper was in good hands, Azrael went back to his work. Meanwhile, Doctor Fenton smiled at the pair. "I've read that some traumas can become easier to handle when a patient has access to a person or persons that they can trust." He told Phineas and Kasper. "Perhaps you two could help each other? If you'd like, while you stay here I could arrange to have you in rooms next to each other? Or you can share a room. Whichever you're both comfortable with." --- The doctor watched as Xenos seemed to take pleasure in gauding his men to commit murder. He couldn't say he blamed them though, considering the man sitting in the medical room was responsible for multiple deaths as well as the escape of several prisoners. Still, he was having a hard time being as eager to end the man's life as everyone else seemed to be. In fact, he couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. He really didn't seem like he could've put up much of a fight even if he were able to. Not to mention the doctor had taken the Hippocratic Oath as part of his profession, so despite what the man had done he felt it would be immoral to end his life. Once again the other agents raised their hands eagerly, hoping to be picked. The doctor looked at them all, unable to hide his disgust as he shook his head and walked back into the medical room. There he picked up a clipboard and tried to take his mind off things by focussing on the paperwork he needed to complete. That's when he heard Warren's mumbling. He remained where he was stood but turned and listened carefully, trying to make out what he was trying to say. Denix Vames - January 30, 2022 "I'm glad to hear that he's doing well." Jean nodded. "You can visit the child whenever you feel like it. It's up to you." Elimar heard the commotion. He followed his cries and could smell the venomed blood. He stepped inside. "Niko, this isn't going to do you any good. I know you're in pain right now but you have to help yourself in other ways. How about you talk to me? Would that help?" --- Phineas helped Kasper stand. "What do you think? Kasper? Do you want to share a room?" He took a step back. Nervously rubbing his arm. "You probably shouldn't. You don't deserve to be stuck with me." Tears dripped down his cheek. He turned away. "I was a fool to think that I could help you. I can't help anyone." --- Xenos picked a random person out of the raised hands. He led the agent into the medical room where Warren was. "Take a step back doctor. This agent of mine is going to have some fun. It could get messy."

Denix Vames - January 23, 2022 Kite stood next to her. Wrapping an arm around her waist. "I'm worried now just thinking about the future. Thinking about now. What if someone tries to hurt them? I couldn't live with myself if I failed them." --- Jean lowered himself. He sobbed as he felt such a strong relief. Knowing that the war had ended. His red aura soon shifted the mood. Giving him happiness and love to those in the mansion. "We did it Hannes...." He looked at the sky. "Love really did end the war." "Uh maybe I should go talk to your son? Kinda get him to calm down or something." ,said Ben nervously. --- Phineas silently cried in a corner near the doorway. He covered his blind eye. "I lost everything ever since I was controlled. I have no pictures, journals, or letters from my family. From my home city. I have nothing." He lowered his head as he hugged his knees. "People think I'm a hero. The truth is that I'm a monster." --- Gabriel hesitated before nodding. "I see. Well, let me take you to where you can become an Angel." He held his hand. THey appeared at the Academy. "As long as you pass these lessons they have to offer, you can have your wings. Try your best and don't get so worked up. Everybody's pretty nice here. Well, some of them." --- Xenos pulled out a knife. He placed it close to one of his eyes. "I think you and I both know why you're here. So, you better tell me the truth now." shadowess - January 23, 2022 "You won't." Cindy smiled patiently at Kite. "WE won't," she said while holding onto his hand around her waist. Reassuring him that together, they were a formidable force as they were. The children were safe with them as their parents. She kissed his cheek lovingly. "We've got this," she whispered then smirked at him playfully. "Daddy." --- "Does anyone else smell blood?" Jessica said as the sharp scent caught her attention. They all looked at each other a moment before the mother walked shakily over to the dining room door, hearing footsteps in the foyer. She froze and turned pale as she watched the muscular wolf walk through from the back of the building towards the front door. He glanced over and saw them watching him. Smirking, he stopped in his tracks and wiped some blood off his bare chest with his fingers before licking them clean. In a thick, German accent he slowly sang 'who's afraid of the big bad wolf?' as he strut right out of the front door and vanished into the woods. The mother's breath caught in her throat before she cried out "KASPER!!" She then ran through the foyer to the cellar where she let out agonised scream after scream. Holding the body of her son. Although Kasper's love for the wolf had been genuine, his love wasn't reciprocated. In fact, the wolf had been coming on to him for months in the hopes that Kasper would fall for him and release him from the cage. So, unfortunately for Kasper, he'd been doomed from the moment this wolf had been dragged into their family home. As soon as the cage door was unlocked, he'd expected the wolf to greet him with love. Instead, he'd had his throat ripped out before he could even realise the wolf had been playing him. The wolf felt nothing but utter hatred for the Steinheils and now that he was loose, his revenge had only begun. Azrael was comforting Kasper's soul as he wept soundlessly and watched his mother cradling his body just a couple of feet away from them. "I'm so sorry." He told him gently while hugging him. "You didn't deserve that." The rest of Kasper's family had raced into the cellar and were also grieving over the youngest son. Unable to contain her rage and acting entirely on impulse, Jessica had run out of the mansion towards the woods. Intent on catching up to the wolf. "Jessica!" Niko wheezed and tried to follow her out but without the use of one of his lungs, he couldn't run. He had a terrible feeling about that particular wolf. Something about him just seemed...off. --- The doctor watched Phineas for a moment with a frown before gesturing to a nurse that had followed them. The nurse left them alone and the doctor closed the door behind her. Doctor Fenton bent down and sat next to Phineas on the floor. "You're not a monster, Phineas," he said gently. "You're a man who had something terrible happen to him. But now you're safe and now you can focus on being the real you. Not what others expect of you." He held his hands out in front of him and gave Phineas a kind smile. "Watch this," he said quietly then closed his eyes. A moment later, a photograph faded into existence in his hands. "This is one of the good things about Heaven," he said as he looked at the photo in his hands with a sad smile. The photo was of himself holding a little girl at a beach. Both of them were grinning, wearing swimsuits and sunglasses. "If you ever feel nostalgic, you just need to focus on a specific memory and you can summon an old, lost trinket to you. Such as a photograph, locket, journal... whatever brings you comfort." --- "Thank you," Hannes said as he looked at the building in front of them. He then gasped and stumbled back while covering his mouth. His eyes filled with tears and it took him a moment to regather himself. "I heard him!" He gasped then laughed joyously as tears rolled down his cheeks. "I heard him, Gabriel! I heard my Jean!" He couldn't stop grinning as he wiped at his eyes and looked back at the academy with more determination than he'd had before. "I'm coming Jean. Just hold on a little longer. I'm working on it! I'll come home to you as soon as I can!" he said as he marched into the building, feeling a renewed sense of purpose as he went. --- "Oh, fuck!" Warren whispered and pulled back in the chair, pressing himself into the back of it as much as he could in an effort to keep his face away from the knife. He stared, wide-eyed between the knife and Xenos. Did he know he was lying?! No. He couldn't. Could he? No, he was just putting pressure on him to see if he'd crack. It's a typical interrogation tactic. That's got to be it! This means that right now his best bet was to try to stick to his story. "I- I am!" he answered, his voice going a little high pitched towards the end out of fear. "L-look. I-I have an ID card! I-it's in my pocket! I started today!" He shut his eyes tightly and turned his head to face away from him. "I-I don't know anything else!" Denix Vames - January 23, 2022 Kite smiled. "You know, I heard people saying that being called Daddy was sexy. But honestly, I'll stick to it being a family thing." --- Ben ran after her. Following Jessica. "I'm coming with you! I won't leave you to deal with this guy on your own." Jean knelt near Kasper. He lowered his head. Crying over his body as his blue aura grew strong. He placed a hand over his chest. "He is the first fallen friend of mine in the beginning of this peace. I'm sorry that I couldn't stop this." --- Phineas watched in amazement as the photo was revealed. He thought for a moment. Wondering if he should try. He enclosed his hands before a photo appeared when he separated them. It was a photo of his family. He was included in it. He gasped. Suddenly, he hugged the photo. "I never thought I would see their faces again! Thank you!" --- Gabriel smiled. Watching him go and wondering what the future held for him. --- Xenos took the ID. He read it. "No one here has that name." He threw it aside. "And neither do you." He stabbed into his leg then cut his chest when he ripped his coat and shirt opened. Shadowess - January 24, 2022 Cindy had to stifle her laughter so as not to wake their children. "I was kidding anyway. It's not my thing either." she chuckled under her breath and leant her head against his. "C'mon, it's been a really eventful night and I'm exhausted from bringing two beautiful children into the world. Let's go to bed." --- The mother Steinheil was too greif stricken to answer Jean. Continueing to sob over her dead child as she rocked back and forth. The daughter of the group turned and looked at Niko who had just managed to make his way down to the cellar to see what was going on and to warn Jean that Jessica and Ben had gone after the wolf. She said something to him in German and he replied in the same language, having translated Jean's words for her. She shook her head then spoke again in a broken voice and this time Jean translated her words for Jean. "She says this fault is their own. Their father captured this wolf with silver chains and would torture him daily with silver objects to try to make him obedient. Jean, she says our friends are in danger. The only reason the wolf hadn't escaped sooner was because his entire cage was made of silver, as were his chain. But now that he's loose, he's dangerous." he said the last part hurriedly. "He's not like any ordinary wolf. He larger, stronger and faster... His venom is the most potent venom they've ever seen in any wolf! When their father caught him...meine Gott...it was by pure luck that the wolf had walked into the trap because... because... Jean, she's saying he could move so fast it was like he was disappearing from one place and appearing in another. Just like how we all appeared in the dining room today!" --- Jessica ran through the woods, trying to follow the wolf's scent. She ground to a halt, confused as the scent changed from one route and seemed to surround them instead but she couldn't see the wolf through the dense trees. She tried to catch her breath and listened intently to the sounds in the forest but all she could hear was the natural wildlife that surrounded them, as well as Ben's breathing. She glaned at him uncertainly. "Do you see him?" she whispered, looking around again, trying to see through the trees. A whistle cut through the silence. It was unnervingly slow and to the tune of 'who's afraid of the big bad wolf?' The sound sent shivers down Jessica's spine and she looked around wildly, feeling like they were being toyed with. "Get out here and show yourself, coward!" she shouted, growing impatient. Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind. Causing her to gasp and squeel as the wolf whirled them around to face Ben. He held her tightly to him, his teeth elongated and poised over Jessica's throat. "You two aren't like the other vampires." he pointed out in a gravelly voice. "I can smell it on you. You're different. Like me. No sudden moves Mr Hero. I'm not like other wolves either and I don't really want to hurt your beloved here." Being this close to him, Jessica could now smell what he meant. She could smell his venom and it was enough to make her cringe. It smelled far stronger than the venom that had been used at the castle. She knew, even without trying, that his venom would be fatal to herself and Ben. She stared at Ben, giving him a frightened look and knowing he'd be able to smell it too. "What are you?" she asked shakily. "I know what you two are." he answered. "I've met your kind before. Call yourselves Blood Gods. Well, to answer you question; If you're a Blood God then I suppose you could call me a Wolf King." he grinned, liking the sound of the title he'd given himself. "A Devil!" Jessica gasped. "Ben, he's half Devil, half Wolf!" "The evolutionary chain had to even things out somewhere when your kind came into existence." The wolf shrugged. "Now, I'll only warn you once. My fight is with the Steinheils and not the vampires. Leave me to my revenge and I will not harm any of you. Do you understand?" he tightened his grip on Jessica, making her squeel again. "Or do I need to give you a demonstration?" --- "I'm just glad I could help you to find some comfort." The doctor said as he pocketed his own photo and got to his feet. "Is there anything else we can do for you to help you feel more comfortable? Don't be shy about asking. The welfare of our patients is our top priority. If you're hungry or thirsty, we'll provide you with whatever food and drink you crave. For obvious reason, we unfortunately cannot include alcoholic beverages or cigarettes. But most things are catered for." --- Warren watched the ID card being thrown to one side and his heart sank. He looked back at Xenos in alarm but had little chance to react to his words before the knife became embedded into his thigh. He screamed and jumped, trying to pull himself out of the restraints but they were too tight. He cried out again as the knife cut his chest and he turned his head away, closing his eyes tightly. An image flashed through his mind, very breifly, of a man smiling at him from a hospital bed. He whimpered, not daring to look at Xenos. "P-please! Please! Don't kill me!" he begged between breaths. He was shaking violently. "I-I'm not a fighter! I'm just a coder! I-I'll get it back! Whatever those files are, I get it, they're important! I'll get them back for you! Please!" Denix Vames - January 24, 2022 "Sure thing." Kite took his shirt off before getting under the covers with Cindy. He kept her close. "You know, for someone who just gave birth, you look beautiful." He winked. --- Jean's eyes glowed blue. His anger turned him into his Blue Blood God Form. He appeared behind the Wolf King. Ben was glaring at the wolf. "You bastard! Get your hands off of her! The war's over!" Jean wrapped his hand around his neck when he suddenly appeared in front of him. Lifting him off the ground and making him lose his grip on Jessica. BUt then he recalled the stories of his torture. "No, this is wrong. I'm sorry for what they did to you. I truly am." He lowered him gently to the ground. "But revenge isn't the answer. That is how you lose those you love." He hugged him. "The only one who you should be after is the leader. He has been banished. He is not a Steinhell anymore in their eyes because we are now united together as one." He held his hand. "I am willing to help you find him if it means bringing peace to you." Ben ran to Jessica. Helping her up. "You alright?" --- Phineas thought for a moment. "I want to try modern food. I never got to experience what the world is like now. Can I try?" --- "Where are those files now?!" Xenos slammed his fist against the table. "Answer me!" shadowess - January 25, 2022 Cindy blushed and smirked. "Thank you. If I weren't so damn sore, I wouldn't be able to keep my hands off you." she chuckled as she cuddled into him. --- Jessica stood and hugged Ben, still shaking from the encounter. "I'm fine," she answered as she looked back to watch Jean and the Wolf. At that moment, Jean had hugged him and the Wolf didn't seem to know where to look or what to do. He seemed a little awkward as he recoiled from Jean's touch and looked at him in confusion. He'd been surprised by whatever Jean was and could sense that he might just have met his match among the vampires. He took his hand out of Jean's and took a step back to size him up for a moment but then thought better of it. Even if he did manage to beat this man, it wouldn't bring him any joy. He glanced over at Ben and Jessica, then back to Jean as if weighing up his options. "Nah, I'm more of a lone wolf. Besides, I've missed the thrill of the hunt. I'll find him myself. Just stay out of my way." he warned before shifting into a wolf that was larger than a bear with black fur and orange eyes. He darted into the trees at an unnatural speed. Jessica hugged Ben tightly. "Is it over?" --- "Of course!" The doctor smiled. "Let's visit the dining room then. There you can request any dish that you crave." he held out a hand to help Phineas to his feet. "Do you have any particular dishes in mind?" he asked him curiously. --- Warren jumped and kept his eyes down. Not daring to look up at Xenos. "I-I don't know! Th-they gave me a device to send the information to their servers but they never told me names or where they are based. B-But I can still get them back! Please! I'm good at that! I could hack the device they gave me and find out where they are!" Denix Vames - January 25, 2022 Kite chuckled a little. He kissed her head. "Good night babe." --- Jean sadly watched him leave. "Yes." He walked towards the mansion in tears. "He really thinks he failed. I can see it in his face." ,said Ben. --- "I'm not sure. I think I'll take a look and see what peaks my interests." Phineas followed him. He paused when he saw the food. Walking slowly to them. He sniffed at the pizza. "What is this? It smells overcooked." He picked up a slice. "And it's greasy but strange grease." --- "Fine. I'll let you hack it but if you try to do anything stupid, I will kill you." Xenos unstrapped him from the chair. Shadowess - January 26, 2022 "Good night, Kite," Cindy whispered as she rest her head against his chest. Although she was exhausted, Cindy's sleep would be broken. Excited and in disbelief that their children were here, she found it difficult to fall asleep. Whenever she did manage to, she'd wake up with a start and jump out of bed to make sure the children were ok and still breathing before relaxing and returning to bed. --- Jessica looked up at Ben as he spoke then looked at Jean with a frown. She couldn't let him think like that! She left Ben's embrace and ran after Jean to gently pull on his arm. "Jean! This isn't your fault. Besides, that guy was about ready to murder that whole family and maybe even us, but he didn't. I think your words made him second guess himself." she let go of his arm and looked towards the mansion. "You did something great today. You convinced the Steinheils to stop the fighting. Some people on both sides were lost but, in the long run, you saved their family and your own... all in a single day!" she looked back at him with a sympathetic look. "Hannes would be proud." --- "Pizza. Specifically Pepperoni." Fenton chuckled. "It's Italian. Very popular on Earth right now but also easily addictive. Small portions are recommended on Earth. Thankfully, there is no such thing as calories once you're dead." --- "I-I won't, I swear," Warren said quickly as Xenos unstrapped him. He tried to stand but had to lean against the table as pain shot through his leg. He ended up putting his weight on his other leg and limped after Xenos. "I'll need a computer," he said while reaching into his pocket and pulling out the USB device. Meanwhile, watching all this through a two-way mirror, a superior officer whispered to himself. He never bothered using the earpieces with Xenos. There was no point. He knew how sensitive Xenos's hearing was so whenever he needed to say something discretely to him, he simply whispered. "He's not to leave this building. He's committed several felonies today, including treason. Tell him what you have to to keep him compliant until he retrieves the information as well as the location of the thieves. Promise him freedom and money if you think it'll help. But once it's done, lock his ass up." There was a chance the other agents would beat the living hell out of Warren at every chance they got once he was locked up for the deaths that he caused, but the superior officer was already planning on looking the other way.

Denix Vames - January 19, 2022 Kite placed a hand over her head. "I know you didn't mean anything by it. I understand what you're trying. All I'm saying is that you can understand them. We both can. I mean being a werewolf doesn't mean I can automatically know what they need. Last I heard, moms were the smartest in the family bunch." --- Jean flew over to the Steinhell. Landing on his feet, he hugged him. "I forgive you." --- Nate sighed as his power calmed down. "I'm not mad at her. I'm just mad that this happened in the first place. I wish I could have stopped it. But Donnie is such a slick bastard." --- (i think i get it) Gabriel crossed his arms. Still angry at God. Phineas found himself catching his breath as his ribs healed on their own. He wiped the blood from his mouth. He lowered his head. "Even God hates me. I should just leave and be somewhere in the dark. A place where no one will be bothered by me." --- Xenos sat across from the agent who had been strapped to the chair. "No more mercy. Tell me the truth and I might just spare your eyes." shadowess - January 19, 2022 Cindy chuckled. "Oh, I don't know about that," she glanced over at their children. "We should probably pull out those little cot-baskets for them to sleep in. Just until we move." --- Niko translated for the Steinheil who immediately burst into sobs in Jean's arms. "Danke..." The Steinheil said while hugging him back tightly. Tears poured down Racheal's cheeks at this. She looked around at the other vampires and knew that something like this was exactly what they needed to see for them to be convinced that a change needed to happen. --- "There are some things that are simply out of our control..." Hannes said sadly. He knew that too well, having been ripped from his home and his love. "Gabriel was supposed to be taking me to become an Angel... Are you able to do this?" he then asked, looking at Nate. "I must become one and get back home." --- "He doesn't hate you," Azrael said as he appeared near them. "Gabriel, stop your pouting. You're ruining that beautiful face." he teased playfully then looked at Phineas. "Until recently Heaven and Hell were at war. So, anything with even the smallest amount of Demon blood stepping into Heaven without warning will make Him immediately defensive of his people. You have to understand, Hell once had a ruthless ruler who was not above such tactics and just look around you. Do the souls who came here expecting a peaceful afterlife deserve to be faced with war and bloodshed?" Azrael shook his head. "That's why our war was only fought with Angels who went through rigorous training first and why any soul with Demon blood attempting to teleport directly into Heaven was immediately met with pain. This wasn't done to you out of hatred or malice, Phineas. Merely...habit. But the war is over now and slowly, we are allowing Demons and Devils access into Heaven. Under supervision for now. But if all goes well and peace is maintained, then His trust will build and eventually supervision will no longer be required. Do you understand?" he sighed and nodded at Gabriel. "He's allowed to seek help at the hospital here. He knows that Phineas is in need of help now." he looked back at Phineas. "You don't need to answer right now and I'd like for you to focus on your health first and foremost. But I do have a proposition for you. It may help you to find some meaning or sense of belonging in the afterlife. I'd like to sign you up for the role of Reaper and take you on as my apprentice. It's not nearly as bad as it sounds. In fact, most of the time you can be a source of comfort for others as they cross over. Think it over." --- The agent looked back at Xenos with a serious expression. Maintaining eye contact as a way of showing he had nothing to hide. "Sir, I had no involvement in the sabotage. Nor do I know of any parties involved. I just know that I hope you find them and punish them for all the agents we lost today, sir." he replied, stonefaced. He was telling the truth. He had absolutely no idea that the 'new guy' he'd met earlier had anything to do with the riot. Denix Vames - January 19, 2022 "Cindy? Be honest with me. Should I retire from the force? For our family? I know I have strong abilities but these days I can deal with more than just a human. Anything can happen." ,said Kite. --- Jean walked over to Niko. "Let's start our journey now. I can give you my blood so that you can stay safe from the sun if it is day. We'll gather the Steinhells coffins close. I'll use all my power to teleport not only them but us to the Steinhells headquarters." --- "Actually, I am and I'm not. Training is such a blur. But last I checked, nowadays you have to do nice stuff for people. Maybe start with that? You could help some Angels with small favors." ,said Nate. --- Gabriel couldn't help but smirk at his comment. Phineas's eye widened at the idea of becoming a Reaper. Surprised that this offer was brought up to him. He stood. "I'll....think about it." At the hospital, Phineas was uneasy by the setting he was in. He had heard about asylums and wasn't so sure what this one was like. When a doctor touched his arm, his eye glowed as he jumped back. Holding on to his weapon. Gabriel raised his hand before explaining to him that no one meant any harm to him. Phineas lowered the weapon as his eye dimmed. "Sorry. I'm not use to trusting people these days. Not really anyone. It seems like all people want from me is to be their slave." --- Xenos was angry at the fact that he lost some agents but not at the agent in front of him. "You are free to go." Once the agent was unstrapped, Xenos turned his head. "Where is this rookie that I've been hearing about? He's next." shadowess - January 22, 2022 Cindy looked up from their children to look at Kite. She knew what his job meant to him but she also knew that he had a point. He wasn't like a typical werewolf. Whatever had happened to James, it had been passed on genetically to Kite. She thought for a moment. "Carter," she said while looking down a little. She then brought her eyes back up to his. "Maybe you could work for him? He's a private detective for the supernatural and you two have worked together before, right? What if you talked to him about it?" she suggested. "That way, you don't have to give up doing what you love." --- "I'm coming with you." Jessica stepped forward. She wasn't sure if Ben would follow her but she knew that Jean might need help where he was going. Niko looked at her. At first, he looked as if he wanted to protest but then he recalled her strength and knew she was capable of handling herself. He looked back at Jean and nodded. "I am ready," he said quietly. The other vampires began moving the coffins around to huddle the Steinheil caskets together. Across the country, in a large mansion, the main Steinheil family were just sitting down for dinner. Still waiting for word of how the attack went. Expensive paintings lined the walls of the dining room. A crystal chandelier hung over the long, heavy mahogany table. Sat at the head of the table was an ageing man with silver hair and brown eyes. His wife sat beside him. The rest of the table were the adult children of this couple. Totalling six men and two women. Around them, servants brought in food on silver trays to set on the table in from of them. The long windows were covered by thick, red velvet curtains. Below them, in a cage, in the cellar, was a very large and muscular man. This man paced the cell impatiently. --- Hannes was uncertain. "Azrael said it would be difficult." he pointed out. He glanced around. "Is there not some sort of training that I have to do? Lessons to take?" --- "I'm glad," Azrael replied to Phineas before they teleported. Once they were in the hospital, the doctor had looked at Phineas in alarm before relaxing at his words. "I can assure you, there are no slaves here. The only thing we want from our patients is for them to get better." he extended a hand to Phineas, slowly this time. "I am Doctor Fenton. It's a pleasure to meet you, Phineas Gage. I must advise that for the safety of others you won't be able to leave the hospital until we can confirm that your health has improved and you are no longer in danger of relapsing. But you will be able to walk around the facility with supervision. I'll show you to your room then we can discuss your therapy. Please bear in mind that our end goal here is to help you become well enough to be able to live your own life without fear of a relapse." Azrael placed a gentle hand on Phineas's shoulder. "You are in good hands here. If you ever want either myself or Gabriel to visit, you only need to call on us." "This way Phineas. I'm sure you'll be comfortable. Our doctors and nurses are always on hand if you ever need any help. Your room is this way." Doctor Fenton began leading Phineas away. Azreal stayed behind and looked at Gabriel. "I suppose we should go back to our own duties," he said with a sigh. "Thank you for your help. It sort of felt like the kinds of trouble we used to get into, didn't it?" he smiled, reminiscing. "Perhaps we could catch up with each other at some point? Drink rose-infused wine, like old times?" --- The agent stood and rubbed his wrists then looked at Xenos. "Oh, last I saw he ran into the bathroom. Apparently, it's his first day here so he might not know how to find this room. I'll go show him." he said seriously. "In all honesty though, I know it's his first day and all but I don't think the guy's cut out for this line of work. Seems too jumpy. Nervous, even." the agent shrugged and left the room, heading straight for the bathroom. Once inside, he looked at the only stall with a closed door and sighed. "Hey newbie, you in here?" he called out. Within the stall, Warren jumped and froze. "Uh- y-yeah. I'll just be a minute-" "You don't got a minute. You're up next and you heard the captain. Anyone late is automatically suspicious. Clean yourself up and c'mon, I'll show you how to get there." Warren's heart skipped a beat and he hesitated before hurrying out of the stall. The agent looked him over, bemused. "Christ, pull yourself together! It's not like you're the one who did this." he rolled his eyes and turned on his heel. They walked out of the bathroom and towards the interrogation room in silence. All that time, Warren's mind was racing. How was he supposed to keep himself composed in front of...whatever that guy was?! The agent glanced over at Warren and watched him for a moment as they walked. "What's the matter with you anyway? Did you forget all your training in one afternoon? You look like you've never seen shit like this before." "Can we just get this over with?" Warren evaded. "Fine. We're here anyway. You're going in alone. Good luck, rookie." The agent gestured to a door then turned and walked away, leaving Warren there. Warren's heart was in his throat as he stared at the door handle. He took a deep breath then slowly and shakily let it out before opening the door. He looked at Xenos, who he'd only heard referred to as 'X' up to this point, then his eyes landed on the chair and he gulped. Hesitant, he closed the door then nervously walked over to it. He had a terrible feeling about this but he didn't want to do anything that might make Xenos think he didn't belong here. So, he did what he thought the other agents might do and sat down. Denix Vames - January 22, 2022 "That doesn't sound like a bad idea. Thanks." Kite held Carter in his arms. "There's a very good reason why I named this little guy after him. That man's been able to keep us together. To save us. He really is a hero." --- Ben nodded. He stepped forward as well. Heading to the coffins and the others. "Hopefully, I don't have to kick some ass." Jean closed his eyes. He took a deep breath before conjuring his powers. In a flash, they were inside the mansion where everyone was eating at the table. Knowing that this would be alarming, he put up a shield around himself, his friends, and the coffins. "Please don't be scared. We came here to talk. I am the King of my family. We're all here to return the bodies of your loved ones. I am sorry for your loss. But we had to fight. Otherwise, they would have killed our families too." His tears flowed as he set out his blue energy instead. "Please...Let's stop this senseless war. None of this will lead to anywhere but death and destruction. I've recently lost my lover to this war. He was the reason that I had found courage. But now, he is the reason that I feel such a great sadness because of his horrible death." Jean closed his eyes. He concentrated on bringing the coffins out of the shield. Sending near the Steinhells so that they can have them. "Look at your fallen people. Won't you end this for them? We can coexist. Germany has claimed us as acceptable. Their government protects supernatural creatures. What does that tell you?" --- Phineas nodded with a smile. "Thank you." He shook the doctor's hand. He entered the room he was given. A sudden flash of the carriage he was driven in came to mind. The one specifically meant for the insane. He dropped the iron bar. "I'm not crazy!" Gabriel chuckled. "I seem to owe everyone drinks, don't I? But I wouldn't mind having a drink with you." He raised a brow. "I think I need to go. I still have to help someone." --- Nate sighed. "Man, I wish Gabriel was here." Gabriel appeared. "You called?" Nate jumped. "Speaking of...Can you please get me out of this situation? I never really-" "Nate. Everybody knows about your rebellion against God and Heaven." "What? What rebellion?" ,said Nate who nervously scratched his neck. Gabriel rolled his eyes. "Just go." "Don't have to tell me twice." Nate disappeared. Gabriel stepped forward. He looked around. "Where's Patience?" (dont know how to start the scene for Hannes's training. kind of stumped) --- Xenos strapped him in then moved back to his seat. "Tell me the truth. Did you take some intel?" He pointed at his eyes. "I'm sure you wouldn't want these to disappear." shadowess - January 23, 2022 "He is." Cindy smiled and kissed Kite's cheek. With a small groan, she pulled herself to her feet then walked over to one of the boxes containing the small basket cots that they'd bought recently. She was still a little sore but she didn't complain, nor did she really mind. Her focus was entirely on her family and making her children comfortable as she set the little basket carefully onto its holder. She took out a small blanket and draped it over one side of the little cot so that it was ready for one of their children. She then got to work on the second one. When she was done, she tiredly walked over to Emily and picked her up from the floor. Being careful not to wake her, she carried her over to one of the cots and lay her down gently so that her little feet were closer to the bottom. "That'll do until we can sort out a proper nursery for them." she sighed. She wait for Kite to place Carter into the second one then take a moment to simply watch them as they slept. Savouring the peace while it lasted. --- Once the coffins were moved and Niko had taken some blood to protect him from the sunlight, they teleported into the mansion that the Steinheil had given them the address for. Immediately upon their arrival, the hunters around the table shot to their feet in alarm. Their servants ran from the room in fright. The coffins were so many that when they appeared they ended up filling up the main foyer in the mansion and whatever couldn't fit there ended up in the gardens. One landed on the large dining table, crushing any food or plates underneath it. Niko immediately began translating Jean's words as closely as he could. When the aura filled the room, all but the father were affected. Just like the black-hearted Steinheil that had fired the rocket launcher at the castle, this particular Steinheil simply lacked the ability to be empathetic. He scowled at the vampires but mostly, he glared murderously at the Steinheil with them. The one who, in his eyes, had betrayed their family. He began angrily barking words at his family in German. Niko hesitated then tilted his head a little to Jean. "He's telling them they're under a spell and not to trust you. I don't think he can feel your aura!" he said worriedly. "Great. Of course, he's a sociopath..." Jessica mumbled sarcastically. "How do we convince someone who doesn't know how to relate to others?" Just as she asked this, the father then began yelling at one of his sons in particular and gestured to the dining-room door. "He's telling him to 'fetch the dog'..." Niko translated then turned a little pale. "You don't think they have a wolf who obeys them, do you?" he speculated. "Stay close, just in case," Jessica said tensely as she watched the hunters carefully. But the son that had been given the order was hesitant. He had tears in his eyes, mostly from the aura but he looked between his father and Jean fearfully. The man was torn. On the one hand, he didn't want to disobey his father. On the other, he could already see how powerful Jean and the others were just by how they appeared in the house. And that's not even mentioning the bodies! As far as the rest of the family was concerned, they'd already lost the war to the vampires but the father wasn't ready to accept that it was over. He yelled at his son again who jumped and looked back at him, frightened. He shook his head and said something back. Straight away, the father's face turned red and he started furiously screaming at his son who argued back in tears. More and more of the family began joining in on the argument and Niko tried his best to keep up. "They're trying to convince him that there's no point in fighting. That it's over and they must accept defeat. The father keeps telling the son to get the 'dog' but the son is begging his father not to involve him- Oh-oh! ohhh....wow...." Niko slowed to a stop just as the son yelled something over the rest of them and it caused the entire family to lapse into a stunned silence. All eyes were on him. The father looked utterly disgusted and enraged. "He-... I think he just admitted to having a secret affair with the wolf... oh boy..." "V-Vater?" The son spoke anxiously while looking at his father. "Vater, bitte..." The father growled something in German while picking up a knife from the table and lunging at his son. The rest of the family gasped and screamed. None quite as loud or terrified as the mother. Both Niko and the Steinheil that had come with them jumped into action. Niko jumped between the male and his father and ended up with the knife between his ribs on the right side of his chest, puncturing his lung. Meanwhile, the Steinheil had grabbed the son and pulled him away from the danger, shoving him towards the door while saying something to him in German. The male looked emotionally hurt but he nodded before running to the cellars to his lover. "Niko!" Jessica dove over chairs to reach him before the father could try to hurt him more. She aimed a punch across his jaw, being careful to only hit him hard enough to knock him back. "Are you alright?" she asked while Niko pulled out the knife and gripped his chest, struggling to breathe. He nodded and wheezed. "Fine. It'll heal…" The mother of the Steinheils had wasted no time. Before the father could even get to his feet, she was slapping at his head and shoulders while screaming at him angrily, causing him to shield himself with his arms and cower from her. The rest of their children did nothing but look on awkwardly. Niko smirked. "She's giving him a piece of her mind for endangering their family and trying to kill their son." he wheezed. Finally, the mother stood back looking flushed but still angry as she pointed towards the door and said something through her own tears. Niko's smile slipped and he watched as the husband got up and looked around at his family in disbelief. Knowing it was no use, he furiously screamed one last thing to them all before storming out of the mansion. "She said-" Niko began to wheeze but the wife interrupted him in perfect English, surprising them all. Unlike the others, she had greying blonde hair and grey eyes. Giving away that she didn't have any Steinheil blood in her veins, but rather she had married into the family. "I told him to get out." She sighed and looked around at them all. Her eyes landed on Jean. "You're right. There's no point to it. All this fighting...it only causes pain. My own son had been living a lie because he was too frightened to tell us the truth. That's no life." she shook her head. "Now, if you'll excuse us we have a family to fix and funerals to plan." she looked around at the coffins sadly then brought her eyes back to the others. "Thank you... for bringing them home... it means everything." "What did he say?" Jessica asked curiously, glancing warily at the door that the husband had left through. "Before he left. He said something." The mother shook her head and waved dismissively at the question. "Oh, he just said we'd regret joining the vampires. Called us traitors and that we were fools. Don't worry yourselves, we can handle ourselves against one old, crazy man." "This wasn't the first time he'd tried to hurt any of you, was it?" Niko wheezed painfully but his eyes were fixed on the mother who seemed to become uncomfortable. "You all seemed afraid to disobey him." "As I said, we can handle ourselves," she said again then looked towards the rest of her children. "We have each other." --- The doctor turned with a look of concern and placed his hands gently on Phineas's shoulders. "Of course, you're not!" He assured him. "Phineas, look at me. This is not like the asylums from your days on Earth. This is a place of healing. Of calm. Safety. Do you understand? No one here will judge you. Ever. We only want to help. You are not crazy. You just need some time to heal from your traumas. No, take a deep breath. In slowly. Out slowly. That's it, and again. Good." He slowly let go of him and turned to face the room. The single bed had a very comfortable mattress, soft quilt and equally soft feather pillows. There was a desk to one side with a chair. A mirror on the wall and a small chest of drawers underneath it. "This will be your temporary home. It looks plain now but we encourage our patients to be as creative as they like. If you'd like pictures on the walls or things like that, just let us know. The same applies to activities you might like to use the desk for. If you like to write journals then we can supply pens and empty journals for you. If you like to paint, we can supply paper and paints... whatever you're into. Within reason, of course." Gabriel chuckled. "I seem to owe everyone drinks, don't I? But I wouldn't mind having a drink with you." He raised a brow. "I think I need to go. I still have to help someone." "I look forward to it." Azrael smiled then nodded as Gabriel vanished. "I suppose I have work to do too..." he took out his black book and flicked it open. He frowned. "Poor bastard..." he sighed before vanishing as well. --- Hannes looked at Gabriel, not sure what to make of the comments regarding a rebellion. His attention on that was short-lived though when Gabriel asked where Patience was. He glanced towards the exit then back to Gabriel. "She left," he answered honestly. "She- " he was about to tell Gabriel about her being upset about her current situation when he paused, uncertainly. He wasn't so sure Patience would want him telling anyone something that was so personal and private. "She wasn't feeling well." he recovered but knew his dodge was obvious. It was an awkward position to be in but he didn't really know what else to do or say. (lol It's cool. We could just do something simple like drop Hannes off at an 'Academy' in Heaven for souls who want to prove themselves worthy of wings. He could just be left there to start his training and I'll have him come back later on as an Angel ) --- Warren stared at Xenos nervously. His heart was beating so loud now that he barely heard Xenos speaking. He shivered when he pointed to his eyes. He recalled the story he'd overheard the other agents telling earlier and remembered the way Xenos had killed the attacking prisoners so easily. His stomach churned but it was too empty now to vomit again. Still, he shook his head wordlessly as he resisted the urge to gag out of nerves. His mind was simply brimming with his own questions. What is this man? How did he get like that? Are there more people like him? Are the other agents like him? Why wasn't he warned? "Mmm...I- it's- it's my f-first d-day..." he said quietly, unable to stop his voice from shaking. Xenos's stare was so intense that Warren felt a sudden irrational fear that he'd somehow be able to see straight through him if he maintained eye contact. So, he lowered his gaze submissively.

shadowess - January 10, 2022 "None taken. I'll bet the kids would agree with you if they could." Cindy laughed as she gently placed Carter down next to Emily. She'd undressed and handed what she'd been wearing to Kite before pulling out some clean clothes from the nearby drawer. Both tired and with full bellies, their children slept peacefully. Blissfully unaware of the cleaning that their parents were doing around them. Holding the clothes, Cindy looked over at their children and gasped softly with a smile. "Kite! Kite, come look!" she whispered to him excitedly while not daring to take her eyes off the children. In their sleep, they had ended up holding each other's hands. Heart melting, Cindy watched them a little longer before kissing Kite on the cheek. "Can you watch them for a few minutes? I'll just go and take a shower." --- "They'll listen to you," Niko said, looking at the ground as they walked. "They all know that there needs to be a change. If we keep going after them whenever they attack the castle then the cycle will never break and more people will die. You can help them to see that." --- Hannes didn't know who David was and had no way of guessing who might've been involved when Patience had been attacked. So, he stayed quiet when Nate asked his question and simply held on to Patience to try to comfort her as she sobbed into his shoulder. Patience shook her head at Nate's question and she had to take a few breaths to compose herself before she'd speak again. She looked up at Nate with teary eyes and a haunted look. "Donnie Shadow. He kidnapped me and 'hurt' me. All to try and hurt David." --- "Harris!!" Kodi gasped, looking between Gabriel and Azrael in alarm. "Oh, God! He's going to kill him! Harris is looking after a kid right now! They're both in danger!" Azrael's eyes widened. He quickly took out a small black book and opened it. The pages flickered across to one side until Azrael found what he was looking for. "Gabriel, we need to go. He can't destroy Harris's soul. That is beyond his power. Harris will only end up in Hell. But the girl is in danger. Her name is faint but it's here. We have time but not a lot." "Autumn!" Kodi screamed and despite the danger, he immediately teleported back to his house. He ran to Autumn and placed himself between her and Phineas. "Autumn, run!" he said while keeping his eyes on Phineas. "We took you in!" he shouted at him angrily. "We tried to help you! WE PUT OURSELVES IN DANGER TO SAVE YOU! YOU UNGRATEFUL ASSHOLE!!" --- The path that Warren ran in took him right into the middle of the chaotic prison cells. He gasped and tried to run back but his path was blocked by a group of Agents who'd just arrived with riot gear. He quickly turned around again, fearful that those Agents might realise he was an intruder and tried to see if there was another way out of this mess. That's when Xenos flew up with his wings on show. Warren had jumped and pressed his back against the nearby wall as he stared up at something that he struggled to make sense of. His face had turned pale and his mouth hung open in shock as he stared up at him. Around him, non of the other Agents seemed the least bit phased or surprised by Xenos. For that matter, neither did most of the prisoners. Making Warren stick out in the crowd like a sore thumb. But he was far too much in shock to realise this. The prisoners had all stopped in their tracks. By now, around 15% of the prisoners in the facility had made it outside. 5% of those had been gunned down while they'd made a run for freedom. Tristan was one of the lucky few who'd made it past all that and continued to run for dear life. A few Agents outside the cells had died in the riot. Many more were injured. Everyone who had been in the control room had been murdered by Janik, who upon hearing Xenos's voice had run out of that room in a blind rage and made a beeline for him. Screaming madly, he'd leapt over the crowd at him with his fangs bared and a crazed look in his eyes. Denix Vames - January 10, 2022 Kite smiled. "Aww..." He nodded at her. "Sure." He sat at the edge of the bed. Keeping an eye on them. --- Jean nodded. "Thank you for your words." The funeral had been prepared for all those who died in the battle. Being placed in their own coffins. Jean stood before his people. "Do you see what happens when war continues? It is nothing but death and destruction for both sides. No one wins. We must learn to accept differences in people. I will hope to convince the same to the Steinhells. This path of bloodshed can't keep happening." --- Nate grit his teeth. His eyes glowed as blue flames surrounded his wings. "Where is that bastard? I'll rip him apart!" --- "No one ever cared about me! Every time I tried to get help, all there ever was had been torture! People will always try to control me no matter what! I might as well not even exist! I hate everyone!" Tears burst from Phineas as he was about to drive the iron rod into his own chest. His eyes widened at the sight of Autumn standing in front of him. Her back faced him. The iron rod had gone through her chest. He caught her before she could fall. "No...." He let out a pained cry. A burst of red and blue colors canvased the area. Autumn had instantly been healed. She was alive with the iron rod laying near her. Harris sat up. Gabriel casted a pair of chains to wrap around Phineas who didn't fight. He merely let out pained sobs for what he had done as he laid there. Feeling so much shame and guilt. "I think we need to take him to Heaven's hospital." Autumn crawled over. "Phineas?" "Stay away from me! I'm a monster!" Phineas turned his head away from her. "I should be destroyed!" --- Xenos caught Janik by his neck and squeezed until his head popped off. Any prisoner who dared to fight him would meet the same fate. Death. If they decided to fight him, there would be a pile of bodies in jumpsuits. Denix Vames - January 18, 2022 (i missed you ;- shadowess - January 18, 2022 (I missed you too ) While Cindy took a shower in the en suite, the babies slept peacefully. Still adjusting to the world and their bodies, Carter's nose twitched then shifted into a puppy's nose for a moment before changing back. As Cindy washed, she thought about their little family. She frowned, knowing she'd never truly understand her own children or what they'd go through as they grew. She sighed, knowing there was just one thing to do if she ever wanted to understand them and be close to them. Turning off the shower, she stepped out and wrapped a towel around herself. She walked into the bedroom and watched over her little family for a moment with a small smile. "Kite?" she said in a softened voice. "Do you... do you think it would be best if... I changed? To be like you and the kids?" she asked. "Being what I am was great for a while but it's not exactly a fit for a family dynamic... and I don't want the kids growing up to think that I'll never understand them..." She hugged herself, feeling a little insecure. --- The hall was filled with mourning vampires. All of them had dressed in black and the sound of soft sobs echoed off the walls. At first, the vampires were confused as to why the Steninheil bodies were among their families and in caskets as well. But as Jean gave his speech, the reason became clear. No one argued this time. After so many years of fighting and loss, so many vampires were ready for this change that the few who were opposed felt it would be pointless now to argue. Bianka was sobbing so heavily that she fell to her knees. Larissa knelt by her and wrapped her arms around her to comfort her. Though he had a serious expression, Gunnar nodded at Jean encouragingly. Giving him a sign that he was doing well and that the others were open to listening. --- Patience shuddered then turned her head to cry into Hannes's shoulder. Hannes was alarmed by the kind of powers Angel's could have but he saw that Nate was just being protective. "That's not going to help," he said gently then nodded to the way Patience was affected by his reaction. Patience stepped away from Hannes and wiped her tears away while shaking her head. "He's locked up in Hell's Cells. He's not going to be able to hurt anyone else." Patience scowled a little but quickly shook it off. "David still thinks he can be saved..." She said, unable to help her tone from being a little sour. "I don't know... I just know that I don't want anything to do with him again. Besides, you going down there to execute him will put the peace treaty at risk. He's a Demon in Hell's custody. Which makes this David, Amelia or Charles's jurisdiction. That and he's come back from Oblivion before...what's to stop him doing it again?" --- "I agree." Azrael nodded as he double-checked his black book. He saw Autumn's name almost solidify then, to his relief, it faded again. "She's safe," he confirmed while looking at Gabriel. He then looked at Phineas with a frown. He stepped forward fearlessly and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "We're going to get you the help that you need, friend. You can trust us." Kodi ran forward to hug Autumn. He'd immediately started crying when he thought she might die. He looked at Phineas sadly. "We DO care about you, man," he said gently. "Don't you see that? You're not a monster, you're just hurt. Please let them help you." --- A couple of the dumber prisoners attempted to attack Xenos but once their bodies lay on top of Janik's, the prisoners that were left hurriedly went back into their own cells. The agents that weren't too injured closed the cell doors behind them. One of the higher-ranked agents began barking orders for the agents who weren't injured. He separated them into three groups. One to conduct a headcount of the prisoners. One to help take the injured to the medical suite and the last to start bagging up the bodies. By some miracle, Warren seemed to have gone completely unnoticed. He decided it'd be best to continue playing the role of one of the agents until he could slip away later. He joined the group of agents who were helping the injured to the medical suite. One of the other agents rose a brow at how pale and shaken he seemed. "What's up with you?" he'd asked. Warren could feel eyes on him and sweat start to bead his forehead. "F-f-first day..." he shrugged. But, almost hilariously, that seemed to be enough of an explanation as the agents closest to him visibly relaxed. Some even smirked. "Oof." the agent who'd spoken to him cringed. "Unlucky. You'll get used to it." 'Doubt that.' Warren thought to himself as he began walking with them. 'Ok...I can do this...I just need to stay calm, play the part and when it's calmer I'll tell them my 'shift' is over...that'll do it...then I can just walk right out the front-' "Agents, no one is to leave the building!" A higher ranked agent announced before the others could go anywhere. "A serious crime was committed here today. There was a breach and it could only have come from someone among our ranks. Whether by negligence or sabotage is yet to be determined so until we can interview each and every one of you individually, this entire building is on lockdown. No one is to go in or out!" 'Shit!' Warren thought frantically. His heart raced as he tried to maintain the look of being calm. He knew that by 'interview' these people most likely meant interrogate. And if they suspected him of lying at any point, that may most likely escalate to torture tactics. But maybe if he kept up the act of the oblivious new agent? Would that work? Denix Vames - January 18, 2022 Kite lowered his head. "The only reason why I became a werewolf was because of a mistake. I can't let you suffer through the process either. Besides, just because you're not a werewolf, it doesn't mean you won't understand them." --- Jean nodded at Gunnar. "I am going to bring the Steinhells bodies back to their family. I will do my best to convince them to stop this war. If I don't succeed then I will ask Xenos for help. In the meantime, please be there for each other. We can't lose hope." --- "Well, he can't be saved! You've seen what he's done! You were involved in it without a choice!" ,said Nate. "He needs to be destroyed! If not by me then someone from Hell!" --- Phineas lowered his head. "Alright. Take me away." "I'm coming with you!" ,said Autumn. "Please. Don't make this harder. I'll see you again. I promise. But I need to be....away for a bit." She cried into her hands. Once the two angels and Phineas appeared at the asylum in Heaven, God sensed the existence of the Nephalem. Angered by its existence, he began to make it suffer. Phineas coughed up blood as his ribs broke. Gabriel took the chains off in case it was that. But no. He glared. "That damn bastard! I should have known that he couldn't change!" He could sense that God was punishing Phineas simply for existing. --- "Excuse me?" Xenos flew over. His eyes glowed. "Someone took some info from our system? I would like to personally interview every single agent here. And no, this is not me asking for permission. If I find out who did this, I will torture them myself!" shadowess - January 18, 2022 Cindy was quiet for a moment. Frowning. She walked over to Kite and knelt next to him, placing her hands on his thighs as she looked up at him. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I wasn't thinking... I didn't mean to upset you. I just..." she sighed and rested her head on his thigh as well. "I just want to be as close to you and the kids as I can. No matter the cost. But I know this wasn't something you had a choice in. I'm sorry I brought it up." --- The vampires listened. All of them. Through their tears, they looked from Jean to the caskets. "Please." Bianka sobbed. "Please bring this senseless death to a stop!" Out of the crowd, having been standing with Jessica and Ben for his own protection, the Steinheill that had been held prisoner walked over to one of the caskets and lay his hand on top of it. He too was tearful he brought them up to look at Jean ashamedly. He glanced back at Niko who had been translating Jean's words for him so he could understand what was happening, then looked back at Jean before speaking to him in German. When he paused, he looked down at the casket while waiting for his words to be translated. "He said, he's ashamed. He was the reason they came, so he blames himself for what happened. He put whole families in danger and by the time he realised his mistake, it was too late to stop it. He can never undo what has been done but he can at least help to put things right. He wants to go with you. There's a head family in Germany that lead all the other Steinheils in this country. He could tell you where they live and who they are. They exclusively speak German, so he suggests taking someone who can translate..." Niko paused. "I'm going with you anyway. I can translate," he said, looking over at Jean. The Steinheil turned to face Jean and bowed his head to him. He spoke again and when he finished, Niko translated once more. "He says that there aren't the right words in existence that can fully express how sorry he is. He hopes that you can forgive him." --- "I don't need to be reminded!" Patience snapped back angrily. "I relive it every time I close my eyes! So, what? We get someone from Hell to commit murder, piss Donnie off more just so he can come back again later to do worse to us?!" She threw her hands up in the air. "This is ridiculous! I can't have this conversation!" she then turned away from them both and vanished. Hannes was left staring at where she'd been stood. He turned his head to look at Nate awkwardly. "I-... I hear the hormones is what can sometimes make pregnant women angry suddenly," he said uncertainly. "Maybe she didn't mean it?" he suggested, hoping it might help Nate to calm down. --- (This is going to sound a bit weird but I think it'd be best if neither of us directly played God. So, just keep it as something that characters mention during conversations so as to keep some air of mystery around Him. Leave some things to the imagination, so to speak.) Azrael glanced upward warily. "Careful Gabriel. Lucifer was once His favourite and you know what happened to him," he warned. "Bear in mind, He has only recently considered allowing Demons into Heaven and even that is on a trial basis. He's not angry, Gabriel. He's wary. He has all of Heaven, its Angels and its souls to protect. Bringing a strange Demon here unannounced, even a half-breed, was probably not the wisest thing we could've done." He looked at Phineas with a small frown. "Wait here," he said then vanished. Being the Angel of Death, he had a little more sway when it came to negotiating with God Himself. His mission was simple. Convince God that Phineas was worthy enough to seek Heaven's help. Or at the very least, convince Him that Phineas could join the ranks of the Reapers as his newest apprentice. Only when he'd manage to come to some sort of arrangement would he re-appear near them. --- The superior agent nodded at Xenos. Acknowledging him as an agent with a higher rank than himself. "Yes, sir," he answered, standing to attention. "We still have yet to determine if the person responsible acted out of malice or sheer stupidity but we do know that some of our files have been completely wiped from our servers." The agent snapped his fingers and waved a finger around at a couple of other agents who then hurriedly walked by them. "We'll have one of the 'special' rooms ready for you momentarily," he said. The special room in question was an empty interrogation room with a metal chair chained to the centre of the room. It had restraints on both the arms and forelegs of the chair. "Listen up! You will each be called into room B4-12. We will be working in alphabetical order unless we find a good reason to call someone in early. Failure to attend promptly when your name is called will be considered suspicious. Failure to attend altogether will land you in a cell!" When Xenos spoke, Warren felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach. After seeing what he did to the prisoners, he didn't want to know what he'd do to him. The agents closest to him seemed amused by Xenos's announcement. "Shiiit, whoever the bastard is, they're going to regret fucking with us for sure if X is pissed!" he overheard one whisper to another. "You hear what he did to the guy from that castle in Germany? Cut out his tongue, had it cooked and forced him to watch him eat it! If he looked away or closed his eyes, there were guards on standby to whip his ass." "I'd say 'poor bastard' but considering how many agents died today... they definitely deserve what's coming to them!" he heard the other whisper back. Warren's heartbeat was harder and he felt a sudden churning sensation in his stomach. "Uh-! Bathroom?" He asked the agents hurriedly who looked at him with equal amusement. "Gee new guy. You're looking awfully green. You're not the traitor are you?" "Wha-? N-no! No, I'm not! I-I-!" "Jesus, calm down. I'm just kidding. The bathroom is that way. Two rights and a left." the agent laughed. As Warren ran towards the bathroom, he heard the agent saying to the other "Fucking love rookies." As soon as Warren pushed open the door to the toilet stall, he emptied his insides into the toilet quite violently. When he couldn't throw up anymore he locked himself into the stall. Used tissue to wipe his mouth and flushed it down. He hurriedly took out the earpiece he'd been wearing earlier from his pocket and threw it into the bowl as well. He then looked at the fake ID card and debated getting rid of that too but then he'd really look odd without one. Not to mention he wouldn't be able to simply make a run for it if he needed to. He left it on his person and resolved to just flush the earpiece for now. Now he just needed to calm down and get his story straight before his 'interview'. He leant against the stall door and took some steady breaths to try to calm himself down as he thought carefully through what he was going to say. While this was happening, one of the agents who'd been speaking to Warren was next to be called into the interrogation room. Confident that he'd done nothing wrong.

shadowess - January 8, 2022 If Cindy had the use of her hands, she'd have cupped Kite's cheek. But her arms were currently full, so she settled for giving him a reassuring smile. "We have to at least try. Let's get some rest first though." she looked down at their children. "Would you mind taking one? I think we're ready to go home now." --- The vampires bowed to Jean before going about the task they'd been given. "Thank you." Niko nodded and wiped away some of his tears. "Thank you," he said again, his voice breaking slightly. Today had been a whirlwind of emotions for him. He'd barely had time to react to one event before he had been thrust into another. He was tired and grief-stricken but he was determined to do what needed to be done. "We should head back to the others..." he said to Jean somberly. "W-we... need to prepare his body. Give him a good send-off." --- (Nick? New character?) Hannes was taken aback by the appearance of Nick and he glanced around the museum for a moment, noticing that Gabriel and Azrael had already left. "Who are you?" he asked him uncertainly. "I'm right here..." Patience breathed, approaching them from behind Nick. She looked a little flushed and tired. "I'm fine." she lied when she noticed the way they looked at her. "Where's Gabriel?" --- "Phineas-?" Kodi only managed to say when he saw him running towards him before the rob struck his ribs, taking him by surprise. He felt them break and could taste blood. Winded, he looked at Phineas in disbelief. He took a hurried step back while trying to catch his breath again and lifted his arm in a hasty bid to block Phineas's attack. He felt the rod strike his arm with such force that it broke the bone and also clipped the top of his head, knocking him down. He curled up on the ground, in shock and struggling to breathe. Azrael watched this with a serious expression. He glanced at Gabriel. "Be cautious, my friend. This is not our home ground. You know what will become of us if we die here." he warned him while moving away from him to encircle Phineas. Not daring to take his eyes off him. He lifted a hand and pointed his palm towards Phineas. "Hear me," he said while aiming his aura at him. "Loose thy bonds. Liberate thyself. Hear me." he said as if reciting the words of a spell. "Loose thy bonds. Liberate thyself. Hear me." he repeated, trying to give Phineas enough willpower to overcome his restraint. He could try to help Phineas but when it came to the spells surrounding Insanity and his empty little village, he wasn't sure how to proceed. Right now though, all of his focus was solely on Phineas. Kodi groaned and turned onto his stomach. He used his good arm to try to crawl out of the way of the struggle. --- Alex watched Gary with a worried expression. "I'm sorry!" he said quickly. "Noted. Especially anything kept in glass bottles." he agreed while staying away from Gary so as not to trigger another sneezing fit from him. He winced while still holding his head. "I'm fine. Not bleeding, thankfully. I'm definitely going to need a bag of frozen peas for my head though." he chuckled. He then frowned a Gary. "Maybe I should stay somewhere else until the smell wears off? This smell must be torture for you right now..." He then snapped his fingers with a look of realisation crossing his features. "I know! I could use my time away to do what we talked about last night." --- Warren stepped onto the grounds at the high-security facility. He looked sharp in the suit that he wore. He gained a look of suspicion from one of the guards who stood by the main entrance. For a moment, he regarded the guard's rifle with a nervous expression before swallowing and stepping forward. He presented an identification card to the guard and watched anxiously as the guard looked it over. "F-first day." he shrugged with a nervous smile as the guard looked from the card to Warren. "Welcome aboard." the guard said while handing the card back to him. Warren breathed a sigh of relief as he took the card back and nodded at him thankfully before stepping into the building. In fact, this wasn't Warren's 'first day' at all. That wasn't even a real identity card that he'd presented. It had been fabricated, all so that Warren could gain access to the building. His heart was pounding in his ears as he stepped into an empty elevator and waited for the door to close. He tapped a device in his ear. "I'm in. Which floor?" he breathed. "5B" a voice answered in his ear. "Ok." he whispered and pressed the button that read '5B'. This prompted the lift to move downwards. "Left." the voice said when the lift stopped and the doors opened. Warren immediately began walking down the left hallway. He followed the voices' directions, using the key-card he'd been given for this mission until he finally found what looked to be a control room. Agents were too busy going about their work to notice him. With their jobs having high fatality rates, they saw new faces in the office all the time. So Warren, in his suit and wearing an ID badge on a lanyard around his neck, didn't look out of place at all. He blended in perfectly. He sat himself down at one of the computers and plugged in a USB device that he'd been given for this mission. The device immediately hacked the computer, logging him on. Warren wasted no time and got to work. His mission was crucial. It was to shut down all security systems. By default, this would also unlock all the cell doors and let its prisoners loose within the facility. In mere minutes, chaos and mayhem reigned in the CIA facility, giving Warren the distraction he needed to upload the top-secret files that he'd been paid to retrieve. "The fuck is A D-?" Warren began, whispering under his breath. "Don't worry about it." the voice said in his ear, cutting him off. "Just make sure it's downloaded before you leave." Denix Vames - January 8, 2022 (OMG im screaming on the inside after reading that last thing you just typed!!! :O) Kite took Emily in his arms. "I wish we had our car. I guess we can take a cab ride. I'm not sure if you should be usng your powers after what you just went through." --- When Jean realized who he meant, he started crying again as a blue aura showered everyone in the room. Making them feel just as terrible as he was. He could see them crying. Immediately, he left the room. Hoping this would stop the mental torture. He rubbed his eyes. "Yes. Let's give him a funeral that should honor his bravery." --- (Whoops. meant to say Nate) "Have I really been gone that?" Nate raised his arms as if he was presenting himself. "It's me! The best angel around!" He snapped his fingers. "FYI, Gabriel is on a mission so I'm filling in." --- "Don't listen to him! You obey me!" ,said Insanity. Gabriel backhanded him. Insanity stumbled back but ran towards him. Having joined in on the fight. Phineas dropped the iron rod. He clutched his head as he groaned. Falling to his knees. Struggling to decide what to choose. He let out a frustrated scream before a light glowed. Blinding everyone until it faded away. Phineas was found flying in the air. His wings were like Leo's old ones. A white and dark skin-like wing. His eye held half red and half blue. A symmetrical form was there. His teeth and nails were normal again. Phineas was now a Nephalem. Part angel and demon. Having been confused on which to choose, he became both. The iron rod floated to him when he wanted it. He threw it at Insanity who screamed when it hit his shoulder. Keeping him on the ground. He flew over to him. "If you attempt to use me again, I will give you torture for eternity. Do I make myself clear?" Insanity nodded with frightful tears in his eyes. "Good." Phineas took the iron rod. Letting him run off. Gabriel whistled. "Well, that was something." --- "Right about now, that sounds like a good idea. Just be careful." Gary wiped some mucus off with his tissue. "Wish I could kiss you goodbye though." --- Xenos was doing his best to capture the prisoners. Getting his men and women to do their jobs. He wondered how this could have happened so suddenly. Their security had always been perfect. Shadowess - January 9, 2022 (Hahaha! Nothing like an exciting side story ) "My powers?" A look of realisation crossed Cindy's face and she looked at her now free hand. She only just noticed the tingling sensations running through her. She'd been so caught up in the arrival of the children that she barely noticed her powers flooding back to her. She frowned. Although it had been short, she'd enjoyed the simple life of being human for a while. Carter's whinge pulled her out of her thoughts and she looked at him with a loving smile for a moment before looking at Kite. "It's ok. I think I could take us home now," she said while lifting her hand to rest it on Kite's arm. "Get ready kids, this is going to be a little jarring the first few times." she chuckled then teleported all four of them back into their bedroom at the apartment. Cindy remained sitting on the bed and looked at the blood-stained sheets from a few hours ago. She sighed. "We should get these washed... my nightgown too. God, childbirth is messy..." she chuckled. --- Already feeling terrible, Jean's aura had very little effect on Niko. If anything, he only felt worse because he knew he'd made Jean feel bad. Niko followed Jean out of the room and nodded at his words. "Hannes was beloved by everyone in the castle. They will all want to attend," he told him while wiping away fresh tears. "Perhaps we could hold a wake for him and the other fallen vampires in the hall today? Then hold a private funeral for those closest to Hannes tomorrow?" he suggested. "Jean?" he asked in a breaking voice. "I let him down... I should've been in the fight... that should've been me... I deserve it, not him." he told him. Unable to contain his guilt and grief. "I'm so sorry, Jean!" --- (xD No worries. I thought so, but wasn't sure.) Patience chuckled at Nate's introduction. "Hannes has never met you." she pointed out. "Also he comes from a civilisation where our kind was all but unheard of. So, all of this is new to him," she explained. She then paused and placed a hand over her mouth, looking ill for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Fair enough. Maybe I should've anticipated he'd be called away. Arch Angel's are always so busy." she smiled. "What is wrong with you?" Hannes asked her, looking at her with concern. "You don't look well-" "So I guess this means the tour is over then? Shame." Patience cut Hannes off and avoided the question entirely while looking away from both of them. "I told Gabriel that if he gave me this tour then I'd try to go and talk to David...I'd try to stay out of the hospital. I'm not one to go back on my word. Besides, there's something important that I need to do..." "Are you pregnant?" Hannes asked suddenly. The question threw Patience off and she looked at him in surprise. "Wha-?" "I might be new here but I've seen your expression before," Hannes said gently but pressed on so that Patience couldn't cut him off again. "This trip was a distraction for you because you're trying to avoid facing it. You have the same expression as a vampire I knew on Earth. The hollow, sad look in her eyes after she'd been violated. I could smell your hormones from the moment Gabriel and I stepped into that hospital. What is the important thing that you need to do?" "I-...uh..." Patience stammered. She hugged herself and took a step back from them, feeling exposed. A look of shame crossed her features as she avoided looking at either of them. "That's not your business-" "There are better ways," Hannes said gently as he stepped towards her and took her hands. "You're angry and hurt. Don't take it out on something that doesn't deserve it." Patience's eyes widened. "Stop it," she whispered, tears filling her eyes. "You don't want to do it, do you? You're torn." "Its father is a monster and I don't know if I'd ever give it the love it wants. It's not fair!" She cried, breaking down. Hannes frowned and pulled her into his arms. He rubbed her back to try and comfort her. "The child will be a vampire?" he asked gently. "Vampire...Angel...Demon... But while it has a mortal life, yes, it'll be a vampire." Patience explained between sobs. Hannes nodded then moved Patience back, holding her at arm's length to look at her with a serious expression. "When the child is born and you still feel that you cannot provide it with the love it needs, take it to my home. The King there, his name is Jean, tell him that Hannes sent you and he will give it a home where it will be protected and loved." "I'm scared." Patience cried. "I'm so scared!" she then sobbed and hugged Hannes again, crying onto his shoulder. --- "Well...that's new..." Kodi groaned from the ground, having watched Phineas's transformation. "Azrael, Gabriel, how is this even possible? Don't souls need the power of an Arch Angel or a Devil to change like that?" "Yes." Azrael nodded. "Or such a change can be triggered by latent genes upon death. For this kind of change, some of his ancestors must've been both Angels, Demons or hybrids like he is now," he explained. "Which makes sense considering the era he came from. Centuries before his birth, both Angels and Demons loved to spend time on Earth and have fun with the early human populations." Azrael looked down at his hand, wondering if his own spell to release him along with the demonic one that had enslaved him might've been the triggers he'd needed to change. "There aren't many like Phineas left. Most of the Earth's population's blood has been thoroughly diluted by humans and other mortal species. Phineas comes from a time where souls changing like this was beginning to die out. He would've been one of the last." Stepping towards Phineas now, Azrael regarded him with kind eyes. "It is nice to see you finally freed from any and all mental prisons that once held you. You have changed into a being that is capable of choosing his own path. Whether that be Heaven, Hell or Earth. The choice is entirely yours." "Hey... anyone got any of those sweet healing powers? Could really use that right about now, thanks." Kodi piped up while turning to lay on his back. --- Alex nodded and walked away from Gary towards the wardrobe where he pulled out some clothes and started to dress. "I wish I could kiss you too." he frowned. "Even if you are covered in snot." he then chuckled. Smile fading once more, he sighed as he finished dressing. "I don't know when I'll be back. But I promise I'll be careful. I love you." he said in a soft voice before blowing Gary a kiss from where he stood. He then headed for the door, wanting to call for his father away from Gary so as to spare him from the smell. --- The cell doors unlocked and swung open in unison. The guards immediately raised the alarm as prisoners seized the opportunity and tried to make a run for it. Tristan didn't move. He remained sat on the bed. He didn't see the point in trying to leave. Where would he go? Not to mention, he stood a far better chance of surviving if he simply co-operated with his captors. Natali ran out with them but came to an abrupt stop when she came face to face with Janik. "Brother! We can leave!" she said to him hurriedly. But while Natali saw this as an opportunity for freedom, Janik saw it as an opportunity to get revenge, as well as vent his anger. He knew full well that he may not survive what he wanted to do, but he no longer cared. The dark, murderous look in his eyes caused Natali to falter. "Brother?" she said nervously, then screamed when Janik lunged at her. He tore at her throat with his teeth. Hearing Natali's terrified screams, Tristan got up and ran to his door. His face turned pale at the sight of Janik drinking from his sister and tearing chunks of flesh from her neck with his teeth. He knew this was an act of pure vengeance. If he could do that to his own sister, what would he do to him? Tristan's plan to stay put was no longer an option. He needed to flee with the other prisoners. Not for freedom, but for the sake of his own survival. Before Janik could see him, he ran with the other prisoners towards the exits. Instead of rioting along the way and fighting the Agent's like the other prisoners were doing though, he actively tried to avoid conflict and simply kept running. The control room was in an uproar. The superiors were barking orders urgently and the agents were scrambling through various codes to try and reset their security systems, to get it all back online. Warren's download reached 100% just as a blood-stained Janik burst into the room and roared at the agents. Warren shot up from the desk, assuming that Janik was just another insane prisoner on a rampage. He pulled the USB out of the port and shoved it into his pocket. He edged his way around the room. Narrowly avoiding Janik's attention while he was too busy fighting the other agents. Warren slipped out of the office and ran down a hallway, placing a hand over his ear. "This is nuts! But I did it. You should have all the information now. Now, your half of the bargain?" "The money will be transferred into your account as per our arrangement." "Great!" Warren grinned. "How do I get out of here?" "I said I'd get you in and pay you for the job. I said nothing about helping you to get out." Warren's smile slipped. "What?" "Good luck, Mr Centerfold." The voice said then a high-pitched static noise made Warren wince and forced him to tear the wire from his ear. "Fuck!" His breathing became a little heavier. He listened to the yells and screams from the rioting prisoners. He watched Agents run by him with their weapons in hand. He knew his chances of escaping without help were slim. If a prisoner didn't attack him, an Agent might realise he's not one of them and take him out. "Fuck!" he took out his gun and started to run down the hallway, trying to remember the way that he'd come into the facility. Denix Vames - January 10, 2022 "And smelly. No offense." ,said Kite. He set Emily on the floor before taking the covers off. Placing them and the nightgown in the washer which he started. --- "I could be mad at you for all of eternity but what good would it do? Right now, we all need each other." Jean placed a hand over his heart. "We need love. But how can I show them that when presenting the faces of those dead? Their faces show the horrors of wolf venom." --- "Wait a minute. Who's the father? David? I can't imagine him being a monster. He seems like a nice guy." ,said Nate. --- "Heaven? Hell? Earth?" Phineas laughed. "Do you really think I would trust any of those worlds after what I've been through?" He glared. "All of you brought this too. I'm not choosing any path but my own. And that path involves killing the one who first controlled me." He disappeared. Gabriel healed Kodi. "This doesn't sound. We need to stop him before he does something." --- Harris's eyes widened as Phineas stabbed him in the chest. Autumn screamed at the sight. Watching Harris collapse. --- "I love you too." Gary cleaned up his nose and hands before heading to the bedroom. --- Xenos did his best to help but it seemed like chaos was still continuing. His anger grew as he became frustrated. He yelled out, "STOP!" His wings sprouted as his eyes glowed. He flew up. The building began to shake. Make everyone lose their balance. "ALL PRISONERS WILL GO BACK TO THEIR CELLS OR FACE MY WRATH!"

Denix Vames - January 1, 2022 "I guess I could try. I hope I do this right." Kite carried Emily to her. Placing her in position. "Are you sure I won't drop her?" --- "I'm so sorry. I never meant for you to feel this way. I don't think I ever thought about telling you because I didn't want to make you feel terrible. Now, I realize that lying was the worst thing that I could have done." Elimar gently hugged her. "I'm sorry." "I understand how you all feel but this is exactly what we need to do. We have to understand each other so that this war can end." Jean walked to the vampire who spoke. He caressed their cheek. "We must show them that we are just like them. Beings that are caught in chaos. Both of us have made awful choices in order to protect our people. If we show them that we care about their lives then they will care about us too. Please let me show them what love truly can be." --- "What?! Where is she?" Once Harris got some info, he soon appeared in Kodi's home with Autumn in his arms. She was crying. "What are you doing?! Don't worry about me! Phineas needs us!" Phineas was crying out in pain as he fell to his knees. His eye became red. The iron rod appeared in his hand. His nails became claws as his teeth were razor sharp. Insanity suddenly appeared. He placed a collar around his neck before grabbing him. They were at Donnie and Insanity's new home. Phineas shoved Insanity back. "No one is going to control me anymore!" --- "Parker...." Will's wings vibrated. He moaned as he kissed him all over his chest. He rubbed his crotch before holding him in his arms. Kissing him passionately. --- "Um...Well, there's this one." Gabriel pointed at a spiky mace. "Michael wasn't the greatest. He really liked to torture people if they didn't listen." He sighed. "I'm not really starting out great here as a role model, am I?" shadowess - January 3, 2022 Cindy chuckled as Kite placed Emily near her breast. "I know you won't," she said softly while placing her other arm under their daughter to support her. "You're going to be a great father." She watched as Emily latched on as well and smiled at her. "Something tells me you're going to be daddy's little princess." she grinned and looked up at Kite playfully. --- Rachael buried her face in Elimar's shoulder as she sobbed quietly. For a long moment, she didn't say a word. She just held on to Elimar and cried. A small sense of relief washed over her as a part of her grieved the loss of her own family, as well as the loss of her old life. It had been a long time coming and she'd been burying these emotions since she first arrived in the castle. Too afraid to show them in case anyone mistook it as a sign that she didn't want to change. But now she felt like she could finally let it all go. That she now felt close enough to Elimar to be able to trust him with how she felt. "Elimar..." she whispered once she'd calmed down enough. She moved back to look at him. Tears were fresh on her cheeks. "We should talk. About everything. I want to tell you about... the things that I did. How I was raised. What was expected of me. I want to trust you... I do trust you. I want you to trust me too." she held his hands. "To trust me enough to tell me how you really feel. Tell me about every time that my family have tried to attack this castle. About every loss. Every fight. Tell me everything. And when we've done that, I swear to never keep anything from you. I'll always be open to you. And I'll always be ready to listen. I promise." The vampire holding the Steinheil's legs stared at Jean in wonder when he caressed his cheek. The vampire who had hold of the Steinheil's shoulders was still fearful. "Sire, this is suicide! The hunters only know hatred!" he protested. The vampire holding the legs carefully put them down and stood straight with his head bowed to Jean. "Torben?" The other vampire looked at him uncertainly. The vampire, now known as Torben, turned his head to look at him solemnly. "He's right, brother," he said. "If we burn these bodies then we're just replaying the same cycle that we have been for centuries. Then what happens? Do we wait to get attacked again? How many more vampires need to die before we try to break this cycle? I don't want to live in fear anymore. I want to see what it is like to live out there! Outside the castle! Don't you?" The other vampire hesitated. He frowned and looked down at the body in his arms. "They killed so many..." he said, his voice shaking with grief. "So have we." Torben pointed out. "It's time to stop this. Once and for all." he then turned back to Jean with his head still bowed. "Sire, we'll store the bodies in the coolest part of the cellar until nightfall. We will follow your lead and hope for a peaceful tomorrow." The other vampire watched them for a moment before conceding and gently laying the body down on the ground and bowing his head to Jean as well. --- Azrael appeared in Hell but nowhere near Phineas. He tried to teleport directly to him again but he couldn't. He tried to call out to Phineas telepathically but he couldn't even sense him anymore. This concerned him deeply. He would need help with this and there was only one person that Azrael truly trusted. He vanished, hoping that Phineas could resist his captor or captors until he could return. Meanwhile, having resurrected Insanity and given him powers to make the bet fairer, Donnie had already long since left Insanity to his own devices. After all, it wouldn't be a very interesting bet if Donnie helped Insanity with his plan, now would it? Where Donnie was now though, was anyone's guess. --- Parker moaned as their intimacy became increasingly passionate. He felt himself losing himself completely to Will's touch. His kiss. His embrace. His body reacted without need for thought. Pressing himself against him. Running his hands up and down, across his body as they continued to kiss. His legs wrapped around his hips as he rubbed his own against them. Will's wings sent vibrations through both of them, increasing the sensations that they both felt. In moments like this, Parker completely forgot his worries as Will became his sole focus. (Private Time) --- Patience gave Gabriel an understanding smile. "You've lived through a time when such means were necessary," she said. "Throughout most of history, Lucifer reigned in Hell and Demons were his loyal soldiers. They would kill Angels on sight, given the chance." She shrugged. "I know things have changed for the better now, but I think it's ok to acknowledge that it was simply a different time with different rules for survival. Lucifer and his war were brutal. So, Angels had to try to outmatch his brutality to prevent him from becoming victorious." Hannes had been quiet as he listened to them. He thought carefully about what they were talking about. "Like us with the Steinheils..." he added. "For the last few years, our fight with them has been waning. I feel that the last attack was the dying breath of our feud. But over the centuries, vampires and Steinheils have been locked in a bloody and vicious fight. No matter which side you were on, if you wanted to survive and protect your loved ones then you only had one option. Learn to fight back." "Right. This was no different." Patience nodded at Hannes then looked back at Gabriel. "When we come here to look at these weapons and listen to stories of the old battles...it isn't to celebrate the war. It's to remember it and admire the lengths that our warriors had to go to to ensure Lucifer would not win. The ingenuity of the weapons that were created. The physical and mental feats the Arch Angels had to endure. If you don't mind my saying so Gabriel, you were one of the best Arch Angels. Your stories are legendary! The Finnish Flank was genius!" she praised him. "Excuse me. What is the Finnish Flank?" Hannes asked curiously. "It was the strategy that Gabriel lead in Finland. It saw the end of over two dozen of Lucifer's finest. Gabriel had arranged for bad intel to reach those soldiers. Making them believe that the Arch Angels would be holding a secret meeting there. Seeing it as an opportunity to land a hefty blow on Angelic forces, Lucifer's best soldiers simply couldn't pass it up. They blindly stormed the location and Gabriel's forces surrounded them!" Patience explained. "And isn't it true that you helped to design the cuffs that could sap a Demon or Devil of their power, rendering them completely human? In so doing, enabling Angels to capture Demons for interrogation with minimal casualties." "Those were the days. Eh, Gabbie?" Azrael faded in existence near them as if stepping out of the very shadows. "You!" Hannes gasped. Patience shivered, looking at him. It was involuntary and she didn't blame Azrael for her death, but she couldn't help recalling the horrific way that she died while looking at him. Azrael gave her a sad smile then gestured to Hannes. "Something that you two have in common," he said. Patience blinked and looked at Hannes who looked right back at her with a look of mild confusion. "You died by wolf venom?" She asked him. Hannes nodded somberly. "Yes. Laced on a knife. You?" "Injection... Hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?" she chuckled awkwardly. "It did." Hannes chuckled as well, just as awkwardly. He then looked back at Azrael and Gabriel. "You two know each other?" "I get around." Azrael winked at him. He turned to Gabriel. "Though, during the war, I was more of a...neutral party." "Because you're an agent of Death." Patience pointed out. "Correct. My job is to deliver souls to either Heaven or Hell. So, I could not take sides... not that that didn't stop Gabriel here from trying to sway me." he smirked then his features melted into a more serious expression. "I need to talk to you. It's urgent," he said to Gabriel then glanced at the other two briefly. "And private." --- "Hell is no place for a mortal!" Kodi scolded Autumn like she were a child. Though he came across as harsh, he meant well. He was concerned for her safety and knew that Hell was still far too dangerous for any living humans to be wandering around unsupervised. "We'll find him. Harris, stay here with her. I'll join Azrael in Hell to look for Phineas." he said quickly, but when he tried to teleport to Azreal, he couldn't. He felt the familiar cold aura that was Heaven's barrier, preventing him from teleporting there. "What the- He's in Heaven? Do you suppose he found him already?" Denix Vames - January 3, 2022 Kite smiled. "I guess we'll really need a garden after all. Or maybe a playground?" --- Jean nodded. "Thank you. But I won't expect any of you to join me on this journey of returning their bodies. I fear that the Steinhells would attempt to harm you." He rubbed the tears from his eyes. "Even when I am about to show love, I know they'll try to hurt you all." --- Insanity hooked a chain to the collar. Pulling on him. Forcing Phineas to walk towards him. With the collar, he never had a choice. It gave such a burning sensation if he didn't listen. --- Gabriel frowned. After the peace treaty, and having learned from experience, he was not proud anymore of what he had accomplished in the past. He nodded at Azazel. "What's this about?" At a private corner, he heard the news. He covered his mouth. Looking pale. "Oh shit! This is all my fault. Back in the 1800's, God let us do anything so long as it didn't involve messing with him. I had the bright idea to fuck with this guy who was digging holes. I didn't understand what he was doing until the explosion happened. After that, I left. Believing he had died. But from what you've said, he lived? And now he's.....I have to help." Gabriel shook his head. "If you can't teleport then Donnie's the one who captured him. He knows spells that can keep anyone from teleporting." --- Autumn cried into Harris's shoulder. Harris said, "I'm not sure. It seems so quick of him to if he did. Something's not right." He frowned. "Phineas....I'm sorry." shadowess - January 5, 2022 Cindy chuckled while looking at Kite lovingly. "I think a garden would be enough." she bit her lip with an excited look. "When we go home and we've had a chance to rest a bit, we should invite our friends over to see the babies," she suggested. --- Both of the vampires were taken aback by Jean's intention. Torben hesitated then nodded at Jean. "If that is what you feel is best... we believe in you, sire," he said humbly. "Take me with you?" Niko's voice came from the entrance to the cellars, behind the vampires. Tears were streaming down his cheeks and his heart was heavy from grief and guilt. He'd just heard the news about Hannes's death and felt guilty that he hadn't been able to help in the fight. He'd been helping the civilian vampires to hide at the time but he couldn't help wondering if he might've been able to prevent Hannes's death if he'd been there. "Please? I'll need to borrow blood from you or Jessica or Ben to go out into the sun, but I want to help. I owe you this. I owe Hannes..." --- No sooner had Gabriel and Azrael gone to talk privately than Patience began taking deep breaths while leaning against the wall. Hannes looked at her in concern. "Are you alright?" He asked her and she nodded while giving him an exaggerated smile. "Never better." She breathed, though Hannes was certain that she wasn't being sincere. Just as he opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, however, she darted off into what appeared to be a ladies bathroom. Hannes stood there, staring at the door. "They still have bathrooms in Heaven?" he asked aloud to himself in wonder. Meanwhile, Azrael gave Gabriel a curious look. "Wasn't Donnie destroyed?" he asked. He then sighed and glanced back at Hannes while saying to Gabriel quietly. "I never took sides because I didn't have a choice. But they're right you know," he commented, having picked up on Gabriel's thoughts. "It was a different time. Until Lucifer vanished and Amelia took the throne, there was no achieving peace. Lucifer wouldn't allow it. His hatred and anger had blinded him for so long that he'd become stubborn. Then of course there were his loyal followers who would rather have taken over Hell than attempt peace. Do you recall the travesties that Clementine wrought? You did what you had to do. And in so doing, you saved countless souls from Lucifer's grasp. Never be ashamed of that." Azrael turned and leant against the wall. "As for Phineas... We've all done some fucked up shit. It comes with being immortal. It's filled with moments of insanity that we all, sooner or later, come to regret. We'll find him. Then you can apologise to him in person. But for now, what will you do with those two?" He nodded towards Hannes who was making himself busy by looking at the different weapons while he waited for Patience to return. --- "This wasn't any of our faults," Kodi said gently. He placed a hand on Autumn's shoulder. "I'm sorry that I snapped. I just don't want you to get hurt and I know what kind of a place Hell can be. There are still dangerous Demons roaming that world who wouldn't think twice about hurting anyone they came across." he explained. He sighed and stood straight, glancing towards the door. "I'd follow him to Hell but I can't sense him anymore. It's like he's vanished." He bit his lip. "I'll try teleporting anyway. See where I end up. Who knows, maybe I'll land somewhere close to him...it'd be a start at least..." he thought out loud then looked back at Harris. "Help yourselves to food and drink in the kitchen. Harris, make sure she stays out of trouble. I'm trusting you with this... I'll be back when I can." he said in a serious tone before vanishing. The fact that he'd managed to teleport anywhere was proof enough to Kodi that Phineas still existed somewhere. He ended up landing in the same place that Azrael had teleported to earlier. He still couldn't sense Phineas but landing in Hell gave him some hope that he might be close. "Phineas!" he shouted while cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. "Phineas!!" he shouted again, turning on the spot to shout in different directions. Fields were all he could see for miles. The imitation sun was setting on the horizon. --- Alex had gotten up early the next morning and headed into the en suite to wash. The sound of the shower could be heard, along with Alex's off-key humming. After a few minutes, he gasped audibly. The sound of something heavy falling onto the bathroom floor could be heard, along with the sound of smashing glass. The strongest smell of cologne permeated the air, from the bathroom. "...Shit!" Alex's voice could be heard after a moment's pause. When he stepped out of the bathroom with nothing but a towel around his hips and rubbing the side of his head, he winced at Gary. "Sorry... I slipped on the tyles and well..." he gestured to himself, knowing that to Gary's extremely sensitive sense of smell, he would absolutely reek of cologne now. "Also, I'm pretty sure I hit my head on the bathtub..." he mumbled, "Man...I'm going to be smelling of this stuff for weeks..." Denix Vames - January 5, 2022 Kite frowned. "If they're available. It seems like something always keeps us from each other." --- Jean thought for a moment then nodded. "If you really want to then yes. You can come with me." He looked at the other vampires. "I'll need the bodies to be placed in coffins so that I can properly bring them to their family." --- Gabriel sighed before saying, "Nick." Nick appeared. "Please watch over them. I need to go somewhere. It's really important." "Just be back soon. I'm not good at babysitting." Gabriel nodded before appearing in Hell where Kodi was. "Guess I'm not the only one looking for him." Nick walked over to Hannes. "Where's Patience? I'm taking over for now. Gabriel's on an important mission right now." --- "Go get him doggy." ,said Insanity who unlock the chain. Phineas ran towards Kodi and jabbed at his direction with the iron rod suddenly appearing in his hands. Insanity laughed. "You're too late! I have him under my control." Phineas swung the iron rod. Having injured Kodi with such speed and strength. Gabriel raised his shield. Blocking the iron rod. He shoved Phineas back. "How the hell do we break this spell?!" --- "Are you alright?" ,said Gary. He suddenly sneezed. He grabbed a tissue before sneezing into it. He kept sneezing until he backed himself against a lamp. Breaking it. "Cologne is definitely banned from now on!"

STORY CONTINUED HERE;

shadowess - December 28, 2021 Cindy smiled at Kite as she watched him with their son. She grinned and looked down at the daughter, bringing her up to smell the top of her head. "There really is a newborn smell! And it's just as good as I've heard it is!" she said excitedly. The nurses smiled at the couple and their newborns. The nurse at the end of Cindy's bed looked at Kite. "I'm guessing that you don't have a pack to teach you about, well...things like this." she gestured to the children. "From here on out, everything is almost the same as taking care of a human baby. Once per month though, they will change on the full moon just like any other wolf. I know that idea sounds frightening but you'd be surprised by how resilient wolf children can be. For them, it will be absolutely normal. They won't have venom until they reach the age of five and even then, it will be too weak to change anyone. It's still harmful to vampires but it'd be more like an allergic reaction than anything. That being said, more than one bite could lead to a lethal dose, so be careful if you have any vampiric friends." The nurse clasped her hands in front of her and gave the pair a reluctant expression. "Now for the elephant in the room. I realise that after going through labour, you might not be quick to uh...'have any fun' just yet. But I do need to stress the importance of protection. Especially so soon after having children as this is the time when you may be at your most fertile." She stood and began putting away all the equipment in the room. "Now, then. I'll leave you four to rest for a little while. Your children are both healthy and I'm happy for you all to go home when you feel ready to. Though I will say, if you have any questions at all in regards to wolves, feel free to reach out. I'd be happy to explain anything as best I can for you." --- Unable to help to overhear the conversation from where they'd been, Jessica looked up when Elimar walked by them. "Are you alright?" she called out to him. "Everyone's scared. Tensions are high. People say things they don't mean when they're under extreme stress. I'm sure she'll understand once she's calmed down a bit." she tried, hoping to help in some way. "We could use some help tending to the wounded if you want something else to focus on for a while. She sat back against the wall, feeling a bit dizzy from both exhaustion and now blood loss. "Ben, you might have to take over giving some blood for a little bit. Just until I recover." she breathed. "I know lad, I know," Gunnar said gently, wiping away his tears. "I wish he was here too, believe me, I do." Gunnar thought for a moment. "The red-headed lass. One of those new Blood Gods. What did she say to you to stop your rage?" he asked curiously. None of them on the ground had been able to hear what she'd told him. --- Kodi smiled at Autumn then nodded. "Of course. I'll go make some fresh mugs. Here, have this one. I just made it." he gave Autumn the one he'd been planning to have for himself that he hadn't touched yet. After all, he was going to make more anyway. Why not give her the one that was ready to save her waiting? "I'll be back in a minute with one for Phineas," he said then made his way back to the kitchen, humming the same tune he'd hummed a couple of minutes ago. --- "Speak for yourself!" Parker grinned, taking off his pants and slipping under the covers before looking at Will cheekily. "I used to eat them all the time when I was a rookie! It's a wonder I didn't put on any weight!" he laughed. --- Hannes nodded then smiled at the doctor awkwardly as Gabriel stepped into the room. With the door closed, Patience looked up and smiled at Gabriel. "Um, yes." she nodded. "I uh...thank you, for asking the Doctor to tell me what he did... I didn't realise you were friends with David." Patience half laughed. "Though, given the peace treaties, maybe I should've known that you two knew each other... anyway, I um-... Well, I just wanted to say thanks and to tell you that when I was training to be a Warrior Angel, I always... sort of... looked up to you." she smiled at him. "Like, you were the kind of Angel that I wanted to be. Sorry...I don't mean to act like a-...what do they call it now...? a fan-girl?" Patience tucked some hair behind her ear, feeling a little awkward. "I want to leave but I'm nervous to... I was hoping you could help me? That maybe taking me somewhere to distract me from what happened might help me to feel more comfortable out there again? Then maybe I can bring myself to face David." she fidgeted with a loose bit of fabric in her hospital gown nervously. "Do you... do you think you could take me to the old Angelic Weapon exhibit? When I was training, I had always had a fascination with the old weapons and how they were used. I'd be especially interested to hear how some of those weapons relate to your own stories? If that's ok?" Denix Vames - December 28, 2021 "What do you think, Cindy? Should we leave now? You could rest for a bit here. I'll have to look into buying a house later so that our kids can have plenty of space." ,said Kite. --- "Sure thing." ,said Ben who went to those who needed his blood. Elimar sank to the ground as he sat next to her. He covered his face. "I've always hated them. I never had the courage to tell Rachael about I felt because of her relations to them. I believe the Steinhells are the ones who killed my parents. I'm not sure whatever happened to them but I was found near the castle. Raised by others." Jean shut his eyes. "She mentioned Hannes's name. Said something about him coming back. But will that truly happen?" His lids opened. Revealing dark blue eyes. He sobbed. "I hate this! Why did Xenos have to place me as the king? He was wrong to do this!" --- Autumn accepted the drink. She was about to take a sip when Phineas started screaming. She set the cup on the drawer nearby. Running to him. He clutched his head as he kept screaming. She sat at the edge of the bed. "Hey, it's ok." She held his hands. "It's alright." Phineas embraced her gentle hug. Crying over her shoulder. Having dreamt about what he went through before and after his death. --- Will took off his clothes. He rolled his eyes but smiled before getting into bed. "And this is why I stick to healthy foods." He kissed him. "So I can spend some real quality time with you." --- "Oh! Um..." Gabriel blushed. "Sure. I didn't know you felt that way. You don't mind if I bring someone along, do you? I have to help him out. Don't want him left in the dust." shadowess - December 29, 2021 Cindy smiled at Kite while gently rocking the child in her arms. "One thing at a time." she chuckled. "We should give these two names first. Then we can all go home together to rest up there. I still have that money left over from selling my apartment. So, we could use that for a deposit on a house." she said while sitting back against the pillow and uncovering herself to feed their daughter. As soon as their daughter began drinking, their son immediately caught the smell of milk and began crying. Cindy looked over, feeling helpless. "I think we're going to have to buy a breast pump too...so we can feed them both at the same time." --- Jessica was quiet for a moment. Resting against the wall while Ben helped the wounded. She looked over at Elimar with a sympathetic expression. "You seem like you care about her a lot. If you want your relationship to work, you need to be able to open up to each other about how you feel. Otherwise, you just bottle it up and it'll end up exploding in your face...like it just did. Then you both end up getting hurt." She glanced around the castle. "I don't want to give you any false hope here... but if you don't know what happened to your parents then how can you be so sure they're dead? Have you tried going out and looking for them?" She shrugged. "I don't know, maybe you could go travelling? See the world? There's a lot to see outside of these walls. Who knows, maybe you'll find some clues about who you really are along the way?" she suggested. "After all, if you get homesick, you could always just come back. What have you got to lose?" Gunnar listened to Jean patiently then gave him a gentle smile when he expressed his self-doubts. "Personally, I think he made a very wise choice," he admitted. "Too many people are easily corrupted by power. They forget where they came from and treat their subjects poorly. I think, when he chose you, he saw the potential in you to be a truly great leader. Someone who would be able to make judgements based on fairness. Such a leader is so very rare to come by. So If Xenos believes you have what it takes, then I believe in you too, lad." he pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to Jean. "As for Hannes...well, we've all seen stranger things here. Especially recently! Up until Xenos arrived, we were all beginning to think Blood Gods were a bit of a myth! It had been that long since we'd seen one! Hell! Even Niko has come back from the dead! So, if that Blood God lass out there thinks that Hannes will return too, then I say, who are we to doubt her?" he glanced around the room. "Now with that in mind, why don't we go on as if we're expecting him to come home at any time? By doing everything we can to make him proud!" --- Kodi heard the screams and frowned as he poured the hot chocolate into another two mugs. He could hear Autumn trying to calm him down, so decided that running in there might not help to keep him calm. Instead, he picked up one of the mugs and carefully carried it to the room they were in. He knocked on the door lightly and offered them both a kind smile. "Hey, is everything alright?" he asked gently, walking in. "Here, I made you a hot chocolate," he said while carefully placing it on the bedside table. "Let me know if I can get you anything else. I don't mind." --- Parker smiled, running his fingers over Will's arm, to his shoulder. "I appreciate it." he grinned then kissed Will again. --- Patience blinked and hesitated but then smiled with a short nod. "Sure, that's no problem." She stood. "I'll need to get changed into my normal clothes..." She gestured to the door as a hint. "And you might want to let the doctor know that I'm ready to leave. Thank you, Gabriel. This means a lot to me." her smile grew a little. Denix Vames - December 30, 2021 Kite looked at his son. "Carter....I was thinking of naming him after Carter. Is that alright with you?" --- "It would be difficult. I wouldn't know where to start. But I do know what to do now." Elimar zoomed to his home. He knocked on the door. "Rachael? It's me. Elimar. I wanted to apologize and explain everything. Could you please open the door?" Jean's aura suddenly radiated as Gunnar said this. He jumped up. "Oh yes! We need to make sure everyone's alright! And then we have to make peace with the Steinhells somehow." He hugged the handkerchief. "Although, I don't think they're going to listen after what I did to their people. How can I show them that we aren't monsters?" --- "Are you kidding me?! After everything that I did, you still care about me?" ,said Phineas. "It's what we do." ,said Autumn. He shook his head. "I don't deserve your kindness. I should be punished for what I did. Maybe they were all right. Maybe I am crazy." She gave him a pile of papers. "What's this?" "It's all about you." Phineas read them over until the information sunk in. His eyes widened at what he found. "I-I can't believe this. I helped those doctors? And I helped anyone who had brain issues." "There's also drawings of you." Autumn displayed her phone which showed fanart of him smiling. Phineas suddenly laughed as he cried. "I can't believe it! I'm a hero to these people!" A white light suddenly appeared above him. "Huh?" It was Heaven calling out to him. Letting him know that it was time to pass on. "What's that?" --- "I'm glad you do." Will kissed him slowly. --- Gabriel nodded. He stepped out of the room. Telling the doctor what Patience told him. "Alright Hannes. Looks like we're taking a little field trip to an exhibit. Hope you don't mind." shadowess - December 31, 2021 Cindy looked at their son and smiled with her eyes full of love. "I think that's a great idea," she said warmly as she brought her eyes up to meet Kite's. Her smile grew a little then she looked down at their daughter. "What about Emily?" she suggested. Carefully, Cindy pried their daughter from her breast before getting up and gently setting her down in the plastic crib. The child made a brief cry in complaint and Cindy chuckled. "Hush, it's your brother's turn now," she said softly before walking over to Kite. She gently lifted their son from Kite's arms. She grinned and kissed Kite while she was stood close to him. Smelling the milk so close now, their son cried impatiently and hungrily, making their kiss short-lived. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she started feeding their son and watched him with soft eyes for a moment. "I can't believe I'm a mom now...it feels like a dream... a kind of sore dream!" She chuckled while shifting a little uncomfortably. "But still a dream come true." she finished, looking up at Kite. --- Racheal stood when she heard Elimar's voice and she looked at the door while wiping tears from her face. She hesitated but walked over to the door. She was angry but she still cared about Elimar. Slowly, she unlocked the door and opened it. She stood back with her arms folded to let Elimar walk into the room, not looking at him and remaining quiet until the door closed behind him. Gunnar thought for a moment. He watched Jean and once again he couldn't help but be reminded of the son he'd lost. His kind heart and his big dreams. Gunnar bit back tears as he stood and walked around Jean to face him. He placed a hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "I used to warn my boy that his dreams were just dreams... but maybe I was wrong? Maybe he was on to something all those years ago? And we were just too blind and afraid to see it." he began. "Jean, don't let those bodies be burned up in our furnaces. Not this time. We can't bring them back but we can at least return the dead to their families. It will show them that we will defend ourselves if necessary but that we also have sympathy for their losses. Then...maybe we can do something that will make my boy's old wish come true? This castle and its people have been isolated for far too long. It's time we opened up our doors to those who would visit. Not just vampires. What do you say?" --- Kodi watched patiently as Autumn showed Phineas that he was a hero, rather than the monster he'd been lead to believe he was. When the light appeared, Kodi smiled. This was a rare sight, even for Angels and Demons. So, to see a soul finally find peace and ascend was a truly special thing. "You're being called." A new voice made Kodi jump and whirl around. His jaw then dropped at the sight of black wings, a crown of black curls and silver eyes. This Angel was the equivalent of a celebrity among the dead. Alongside other famous Angels like Gabriel or Michael. The Angel of death smirked at the recognition but his focus was on Phineas. He had pleasant facial features and kind eyes. "Don't be afraid. My name is Azreal. I have come to guide you to your new home." he held out a hand for Phineas. "It is time to finally have some peace, my friend." --- Cherishing those sweet, slow kisses. Parker kissed Will back just as slowly. He hung on to his lips for as long as he could then slipped his tongue into his mouth. The kiss remained slow and sensual as he caressed his tongue with his own while his hand ran through his hair. It was a sweet moment, charged entirely with love. --- When told that Patience wanted to leave, the doctor looked back at the door to Patience's room with a concerned expression. Considering she was mentally shattered just a few hours ago, he was worried that she might be trying to go back to normality too quickly. But he didn't speak up. It seemed that she had not only made up her mind but that she'd gotten Gabriel on board with the idea as well. He knew too well that nothing he could say at this point would change anything. So he sighed and nodded. "We'll get her signed off. But please, let her know that she can always come back if she needs to," he said to Gabriel before turning and walking away. Hannes was a bit confused by everything that was happening. "Will this help me to become an Angel?" he asked. "It sure helped me when I first got here." Patience answered as she stepped out of the room wearing more normal clothes. She took a deep breath and looked at Gabriel excitedly. "Alright, I'm ready." she then looked at Hannes and gave him a nod in greeting. "You must be the soul Gabriel is helping. I'm Patience. Nice to see another vampire wanting to be an Angel. There aren't many." "Hannes. It's nice to meet you." Hannes greeted her then held out a hand to shake. He then hesitated when she flinched and recoiled. He quickly withdrew his hand and looked at her in confusion, worried that he'd frightened her. "Sorry." Patience said. "I'm still recovering from a...a bad experience..." "I didn't realise. Forgive me." "It's ok. You couldn't have known." Patience sighed and looked at Gabriel, feeling a little awkward. "Shall we?" Denix Vames - December 31, 2021 "Emily sounds like a great name." Kite walked to his daughter. "Maybe you can feed them both at the same time?" He kissed Cindy's head. "It's hard to believe but I'm glad this happened to us." --- When Elimar was inside, he merely stood across from her. "I told you how I never knew my parents. That I assumed they were killed. I always blamed it on the Steinhells because of what they've done to us. The truth is I don't know if they actually did anything to my parents. For all I know, my parents could be alive. Living somewhere else." He shook his head. "I should have never said the things that I said to Jean. We've all been terrible at some point. I'm no better than anyone else." Jean nodded. "Yes! You're right, Gunnar!" He hugged him. "Thank you!" He appeared at where his people were going to burn the Steinhells bodies. "Please don't! We need to return them to their family. We have to let them know that we understand what it's like to feel loss." --- Phineas was about to reach out but then a red aura surrounded him. He clutched his head. "No! I don't deserve it! Not after what I've done!" He fell into a red portal. Entering Hell. "Phineas!" Autumn jumped in before the portal closed. Phineas had caught Autumn but left her. Wandering the depths of Hell. --- Will got on top of him. His wings sprouted. He kissed his neck. Brushing his lips there. He caressed his thigh. --- Gabriel smiled. "Of course." They appeared at the exhibit before stepping inside. Shadowess - December 31, 2021 "Me too," Cindy said softly as she sat on the bed with her back against the pillows again. She looked at Emily uncertainly. "I don't know... Maybe I could give it a try? Could you help me to get her in position?" she asked Kite, looking up at him. She was worried that she'd struggle to hold them both at once. --- Racheal listened to Elimar in silence. When he was finished speaking, she lowered her eyes to the ground and sniffled, wiping at her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked in a trembling voice. "I would've understood Elimar... I know my family have done some awful things. I did awful things when I was human. When I was one of them. I regret it all now... now that I know the truth." She lifted her hands to the sides of her head, gripping her hair as she cried. "I feel like no matter what I do to try and move on and be a better person, I'll always be judged and treated like I'm still a hunter who's blinded by fear!" The vampires in the cellars froze when they heard Jean's voice and they looked at him in alarm as they held the bodies, having been about to throw the first one into the furnace. "S-sire?" one of the vampires asked nervously. "They blew a hole in our castle. They killed some of our friends...our family..." the vampire said, confused and concerned about whether this was a good idea. Most of the vampires in this room were still shaken by the attack. --- "What?!" Kodi stood in shock, staring at the spot where Phineas and Autumn had been. Meanwhile, Azreal scowled at the point in the ground where the red aura had emerged. "This isn't right," he said darkly. "What the hell just happened?!" Kodi asked, his voice tinged with panic. "Go get your Demon friend. There is an innocent, living human wandering your plain. She needs to be rescued immediately." Azreal instructed him. "I must investigate this discrepancy with Phineas. Something about this feels...wrong." Azreal vanished, in search of Phineas. Meanwhile, Kodi ran out of the room to wherever Harris was. "Harris! Harris, we gotta go! Autumn needs our help!" --- Parker let out a shaky breath and tilted his head back as Will kissed his neck. He ran his hands over Wills chest and sides, down to his hips. "Oh, Will..." he breathed excitedly. Meanwhile, in the spare bedroom, River had drawn a rough sketch of a woman. When he finished, surprised at how easy he'd found it to draw something like this so well, he admired the image for a little while. "I'll figure it out..." he muttered to the picture. "If I can have a life of my own then there must be a way for you to have one too... I'll figure it out... I haven't forgotten you..." he smirked. "Carol..." with a dreamy look in his eyes, he wandered over to the bed and lay on top of the covers. Closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. --- Patience and Hannes followed Gabriel into the exhibit. While Patience looked around with a look of familiarity, Hannes stared around at each weapon with immense fascination. These were nothing like the weapons he'd ever seen on Earth. Some of them even glowed! "You were famous among the Angels for your skills on the battlefield." Patience commented as they walked around. "You were an inspiration to souls like me when we applied for our wings. Do you have any stories about any of these weapons? Which were your favourites?"

Shadowess - December 28, 2021 Cindy held her stomach as the ambulance sped towards the hospital. She held Kite's hand tightly, groaning from the pain. Being a Demon, she'd never prayed before, but right now she was doing so openly. "Please God, let them be ok. Please. Please. Let them be alright." she whispered frantically with tears rolling down her cheeks. She could feel them both moving still and was praying that this was nothing. That maybe it just seemed like there was more blood than there really was. Bleeding like that can happen in pregnancy, right? Right? But then there was the pain. What was that? It's too early to be labour. She was only a few months in! They finally arrived at the hospital, after what seemed like forever. The paramedics helped her into a wheelchair and hurriedly wheeled her into the emergency part of the hospital while she gripped her stomach and looked around to make sure Kite was still nearby for support. Once inside, she was helped into a bed. A couple of nurses ran into the room with a machine. They uncovered her belly and told her to lay back and relax while they try to find out what was going on inside her womb. She lay back and anxiously watched them work while holding on to Kite's hand just as tightly as before. A nurse rubbed some cold gel onto her stomach and rolled a device over it gently. The machine beside the bed sprung to life and within moments they could hear two rapid sets of heartbeats. But the image onscreen didn't look right. Those weren't the usual humanoid shapes they were expecting to see. The nurse's eyes widened and she looked back at Cindy and Kite for a moment before looking carefully at the images again. "Um... by any chance are either or both of you werewolves?" she asked, looking back at them. Cindy was taken aback by the question. Not expecting anyone at this hospital to know about the supernatural world. "Y-yes, Kite is. Why?" The nurse turned off the machine with a small smile then turned to the other nurse and whispered something. Within minutes, the blinds in the room had been snapped shut and the other nurse made sure that the door was definitely closed. The other nurse then got to work, pulling out gloves and other tools they might need. The nurse who had been working the machine looked at them patiently and rested a hand gently on Cindy's belly. "Your children will both be wolves too. Due to their genetics and a long history of being hunted, wolves evolved so that they don't need as much time to grow in the womb as a human does. In fact, they only take about half the time. How far along are you?" she asked. Cindy was flabbergasted by this news. "Um...f-four...almost five months," she answered, squeezing Kite's hand nervously. "Then you're actually overdue. You're going into active labour. But you're lucky. It's not nearly as bad for wolf mother's because right before labour starts, the babies shift into their wolf forms. Making them smaller and therefore easier and faster to bring into the world." the nurse put on a pair of gloves and stood at the end of the bed. "I'm going to need you to bring your knees up so that I can take a look to see how far into labour you are, ok?" Cindy nodded, shaking. She let the nurse remove her panties then brought her knees up. Her stained nightdress is the only thing keeping her covered. The nurse was quiet for a minute as she looked under her nightdress. Cindy looked at Kite tearfully with a nervous smile. "I'm having our babies. It almost feels like a dream!" she chuckled, resting her head against his then groaned again at the pain. "Ok, you're not quite there yet but a few more minutes and you will be. You just need to hold off until I say, ok? Take some deep breaths. You're doing well." The nurse looked back up at her with a small smile, resting her hands on Cindy's knees. --- "That wasn't necessary." Jessica scolded Elimar from where she lay on the ground. "He's lost enough to have learned that lesson the hard way." she tried again to sit up and groaned from the effort. "Ben?" Jessica called out, looking at the group of vampires and searching their faces for his. Behind her, some of the civilian vampires had come out of hiding. Including Racheal who stared at Elimar, having heard him shout at Jean. She opened her mouth to say something then shook her head. Tears stung her eyes as she marched out of the hall towards their home. Gunnar placed a hand on Elimar's shoulder. "Pro-tip, lad? When the woman you love has a family full of assholes, maybe don't shout about how you'd rather kill them than talk to them in front of her?" he patted Elimar's shoulder before walking away in the direction of Jean's home. "If I were you, I'd see if there are any trinkets or perfumes available in storage that she might like. It might help you get out of that dog house you're in!" he chuckled as he called back. When he reached Jean's door he hesitated before knocking on it lightly. "Lad? It's Gunnar," he called through in a gentle voice. "I know the pain you're feeling and I know that it's tempting to lock yourself away but it won't help anyone. Especially not you." He leant against the wall by the door. "Hannes was a good man. Knew him since he was a boy. I could tell you some stories if it'll help ease the pain a bit? Maybe over a couple of bottles of venomed blood? Some company can help in hard times like these." he waited to see if Jean would answer him. --- Once back at home, Kodi nodded at Harris's suggestion with a smile. "You're right." he moved over to the computer and began printing pages from documentaries that told the real story of Phineas's life. "Maybe he'll appreciate seeing it on paper," he said as he bundled the pages together and brought them to the room Phineas was sleeping in. He handed them to Autumn. "Here. He seems to respond better when you talk to him," he said then placed a hand on Harris's shoulder. "I know it's been hard but you've done well today," he said kindly. "You've displayed both courage and selflessness. Traits like those go a long way to changing a person for the better. Now, I know it's late but I'm craving a hot chocolate. Does anyone else want one?" he smiled at them. --- Parker rose a brow then chuckled as he glanced at the clock. "At 5 am? I think they'll survive a couple more hours if you wanted to get some sleep first. If you're really worried, you could just give them a call for now? Let them know you'll be in later. I'm sure they've got things handled." --- "Good night," Rickster whispered as he closed his eyes as well. He drifted off into a somewhat disturbed and restless sleep. --- Hannes blinked and looked around him at the tall columns in a hall of white marble. When they arrived in Heaven, he'd half expected to be dressed in some sort of white robe. But he wasn't. He was wearing the same clothes he'd died in, albeit cleaner and newer looking than they had been on Earth. He looked at the Angel who'd brought him here as they walked further in until he came to a stop in the centre. "This is where I drop you off. A guide will be along shortly to help you settle in." The Angel told him before turning to leave. "Wait, settle in?" Hannes asked, causing the Angel to pause. "Yes. You died Hannes." the Angel replied patiently. "I know it hasn't quite sunken in yet but this is real. Your body is on Earth. I expect they'll be prepping it for your funeral as we speak. But you don't have to worry about all that anymore. This is your home now. You'll have everything you can ever want or need here." "No..." Hannes glanced away from him in disbelief then looked back at him angrily. "No! Everything I ever wanted or needed was back there! I need to go back! I need to go home!" "That's not possible." The Angel sighed, turning back to face him again. "Like I said. This is your home now-" Hannes gripped the Angel's shirt and pushed him against one of the columns, glaring at him. Baring his fangs angrily. "I only have one home! He has blue eyes, blond hair and the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known and his name is Jean! My home will only ever be by his side! Now take me back to him! Take me back!" The Angel was quiet. This wasn't the first soul in denial he'd had to deal with. He merely stared back with silver eyes at Hannes while patiently waiting for him to get his frustrations out of his system. Seeing the Angel unbothered by his rage, Hannes wavered. His grip on the Angel's shirt loosened as tears filled his eyes. "Please?" He cried desperately. "I'm not ready. I can't leave him. I made an oath..." The Angel took hold of Hannes's hands and gently pried them from his shirt. "I am aware of your oaths," he said calmly. "To defend the ones you make with your life, for a minimum of one hundred years. The thing is...that oath, technically has been fulfilled. You gave your life to defend him." "But he needs me..." Hannes pleaded. "You need him." The Angel pointed out. "We need each other then!" Hannes grew frustrated again then sobbed as he stepped away from the Angel and ran a hand through his hair. "I was going to marry him..." "I know..." The Angel admitted sadly. "Is there nothing I can do?" Hannes asked, looking back at the Angel tearfully. The Angel sighed heavily and straightened out his clothes again. "You know, after centuries of doing this job, you'd think I'd be used to all these sob stories by now..." the Angel said as he glanced around the hall. "It's not easy and in some cases, it can take decades..." "What is it? I'll do anything!" Hope filled Hannes's eyes as he took a step towards the Angel again, listening to him carefully. "Apply to become an Angel." The Angel told him with a serious expression. "They don't let just anyone in though and the training is difficult." the Angel bit his lip, debating whether or not he should say the next part before relenting and saying; "There's an Angel here that might be able to get you in quicker. Talk to Gabriel. Tell him Azrael sent you. He owes me a favour after-" Azreal paused. His cheeks turned red. "You know what? It doesn't matter. Just tell him I sent you." he turned and began walking away again. "Thank you!" Hannes called after him in relief as he wiped his tears away and waited for his guide to help him settle in. --- In the mental hospital in Heaven, Patience sat on her bed. For obvious reasons, she hadn't been allowed to keep hold of the knife that the doctor had shown her at Gabriel's request. But after he'd told her his message and left her to think it over, she'd had some time to think a few things through. Hesitantly, she got up from the bed and walked over to the padded door. "Excuse me?" she called through and an orderly on the other side slid the little hatch over so they could see each other. "How are you feeling today, Patience?" he asked her in a gentle tone. "Better." Patience answered then paused. "Is there something I can get for you? Food? Water?" "N-no, that's alright. I was just thinking. Maybe I'm ready for visitors." "That's good to hear! Who would you like to see? We can send out a request for you right away." Patience paused then said in a more confident tone; "Gabriel. Please." The orderly blinked and became visibly nervous but nodded. "Right away, miss," he replied before closing the hatch. Patience heard his footsteps as he walked away from the door. She turned and looked at the bare room, walking over to the bed to sit on the edge while she waited and thought through what she wanted to say to Gabriel when he'd arrive. Denix Vames - December 28, 2021 Kite smiled. "This is really happening!" He covered his mouth at the scents. "Oh god! I forgot that I can smell all this." --- Elimar ran after her. "Rachael! Wait! Please let me explain. It's just...You saw what happened! Don't you understand?" Jean was paler than usual. He laid in the bed. Feeling ill. "Gunnar....I can't get up. I feel so sick." After seeing Hannes's die, his heart began to weaken. --- Autumn looked at the papers in her hand. "Why does he only like me?" "Well, I wouldn't say that. It's more like you showed him love when no one else would." ,said Harris. He smiled at Kodi. "Hot chocolate would be nice." She headed upstairs where she sat in a corner near the bed that Phineas was sleeping in. Waiting for him to wake. --- "But I really should be there! What if there's a situation? And what about my paperwork? Or what if something happens that involves a kidnapped officer?" Will suddenly clutched his head. He flinched at the pain. "I-I'm fine." --- Gabriel appeared. "So, I hear you want to become an Angel! Well, I'm your man! I'll get your wings in a jiffy. Just follow me. I do have to make a quick visit to a friend. Hope you don't mind." He grabbed his arm. They appeared at the mental hospital. His cheeks became red when he saw the same doctor that he had threatened earlier. "Uh hey....Look sorry about before. I think I let my title get the best of me." Denix Vames - December 28, 2021 (forgot to reply to this) Ben held Jessica in his arms. "C'mon. Let's go see the injured." He would take her to those wounded. Others would help in giving her blood to them so that they could heal. Shadowess - December 28, 2021 Cindy couldn't help laughing at Kite through the pain. "I would say sorry, but this is kinda your fault!" she joked then groaned and tilted her head back while gritting her teeth. "Alright, you're just about ready. This'll be over in no time. You'll only need one good push per pup. Are you ready? Deep breath." Cindy prepared herself by taking several quick breaths before groaning and squeezing Kite's hand harder. The nurse caught a furry bundle and quickly handed it over to the other nurse who started wiping its fur with a clean towel. She placed it into a little plastic cot and within seconds of taking its first few breaths, it rapidly shifted into a screaming, full-term baby. Hearing those cries brought joyful tears to Cindy's eyes as she couldn't stop staring at the baby while the other nurse continued to clear its airways and wrap it up in blankets for warmth. "Congratulations. Your firstborn is a boy." The nurse said to them. "But we're not out of the woods yet. One more to go. Ready?" Once more, Cindy readied herself and once more they watched as the nurse caught another furry bundle and hurriedly place it into a second plastic cot to allow it to shift into a baby before cleaning it up and wrapping it in blankets. "And a little girl." The nurse said as she lifted one of the bundles into her arms and carried them over to her. One nurse handed the son to Kite and the other nurse handed the daughter to Cindy. "Oh my God..." Cindy cried softly. Looking between their children and Kite with a smile. "We're parents! Look at them, they're beautiful!" --- Racheal stopped in the hallway and turned to look at Elimar tearfully. "You know before Niko kidnapped me and made me what I am...I was like that..." she gestured to the Steinheil bodies that the vampires were now dragging away to burn in the furnaces below the castle. "I was a hunter too. I hurt people. I hurt vampires. Right before Niko caught me I had gotten injured doing something similar to what they were doing!" She took a couple of steps towards Elimar, glaring at him. "Not out of hate though. Out of fear. Because that's all they know. Just blind fear of something they barely understand. Fueled by years of having to fight to survive. Years of losing family to that very same fight. That's all they really think they're doing. Surviving." Racheal shook her head and wiped away some of her tears. "When I first came here I thought it was just my family that had it all wrong about vampires...turns out both sides are wrong about the other..." she turned and continued to march back to their home. Gunnar heard Jean and became alarmed by how frail his voice sounded. He listened carefully and heard how weakly his heart was beating. "Jean?!" He stood away from the wall and looked at the door. "I'm coming in!" he announced so as not to startle Jean when he kicked the heavy door open. He raced into Jean's bedroom and lifted Jean into his arms. "Hold on, lad," he said gently. "Look at me. You're going to be alright. Don't forget, these people need you. You were chosen for this. You can't give up on them now. I know it hurts. I know you're suffering but please stay strong." --- Kodi nodded and headed into the kitchen. He hummed a soothing tune while heating up the milk in a small pan and added the hot chocolate to it. It was a slightly longer way of making it but it tasted infinitely better than just using water and powder. Once done, he ladled the hot chocolate into two mugs and took one to Harris. He tapped on the door to Phineas's room lightly to get Autumn's attention. "There's plenty left in the pan if you want one too?" he offered, keeping his tone soft so as not to wake Phineas abruptly. --- Parker frowned. "No, you're getting yourself worked up again." he pointed out. "A couple of hours isn't going to make a difference. Come get some sleep. Try to relax. Then you can surprise them all with a box of doughnuts or something when you go in in the morning." he suggested then tilted his head to give Will an innocent look. "Please?" --- Hannes jumped and spun around when he heard the stranger's voice then gasped when Gabriel teleported them to what appeared to be a hospital. "A-are you Gabriel?" he asked curiously. He then watched the way the blonde Angel apologised to what appeared to be a doctor. The doctor gave Gabriel the same patient, yet passive look that he'd given him earlier. "That's alright, Arch Angel. Water under the bridge. You've been requested by her..." The doctor gave Hannes a questioning look then looked back at Gabriel. Not wanting to risk getting on Gabriel's nerves again, he decided it wasn't worth the trouble of bringing it up and just turned to lead them both to Patience's room. Once outside her door, he unlocked it and stood aside. "We'll be out here if you need us," he said, gesturing to the door. Shadowess - December 28, 2021 (lol It's cool. Just saw it. ) Denix Vames - December 28, 2021 Kite smiled at the baby in his arms. Tears ran down his cheeks. "They're here! They're actually here!" He kissed his son's head. --- Elimar didn;t know what to say. He only felt shame for what he had said. Instead, he walked away. "If only Hannes was here...." Tears left him. Jean was shivering. --- Autumn opened the door. "Can you make one for Phineas too? I want him to feel like he's welcomed." She lowered her head. "It's hard to see him suffer." --- Will read his face and nodded. "Alright. I'll stay until later." He chuckled. "But you do realize that doughnuts aren't our only diet, right?" --- "Please wait here, Hannes. This is personal." ,said Gabriel. He stepped into Patience's room. "Hey, you wanted to see me?"

Denix Vames - December 27, 2021 Jean looked at the chaos around him. Seeing his own people getting killed. He clutched his head before letting out a scream that shook the ground. Tears ran down his cheeks. His aura suddenly entered the Steinhells. Burning inside their bodies as a light shot out of their eyes. Leaving them dead. However, he never killed the Steinhell who had once been a prisoner. He found himself staring at a survivor of the burning. Someone who had not been burned at all. He walked towards them with a cold stare. Grabbing him by his neck and lifting him off the ground. "You and all your family will be executed the moment they dare do this again! Send the message to them! Let them know! The evidence you see is proof enough of my promise!" He let him fall. Walking away before he sobbed at the pile of ashes who were once vampires. --- Gary chuckled. "I always do." (private time) --- Phineas shouted, "No! Stop!" He pulled into the black liquid. Out popped Tricky who gasped for air. He glared at them. "You! You all did this!" He reached out before he was suddenly dragged back into the pit. Phineas jumped out. There were bruises on his face and hands. His clothes were somewhat torn. "I can't let him ever hurt you guys again!" "Then let us help you! Please!" ,said Autumn. Phineas shook his head. "You'll only get hurt!" --- Gabriel became lost in the kisses. Keeping Rob closed while they laid in bed together. Tonight, he was showing him true love. (private time) --- "Looks like I'll be leaving too. Take care Will." said Balconi before disappearing. Will followed Parker to the bedroom. "Hey...Are you doing alright? Look I'm sorry about what I said. I care about giving people second chances but I should have thought about how you felt. I'm supposed to love and support you. I only made you feel terrible." --- Tears suddenly left Ricky as he transformed back as his normal self. He broke down into sobs as he got to his knees. Shadowess - December 27, 2021 Sharp pain in her abdomen caused Cindy to jolt awake with a groan. For a moment, she was dazed as she woke up. Her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness of the bedroom. Another sharp pain made her cry out and she realised she felt wet. Quickly, she sat up and turned on the lamp by the bed. Flinging the covers from herself, she stared in disbelief at the sheer amount of blood soaking her nightgown and the sheets. "KITE!!" she screamed, starting to panic then cried out again as another sharp pain shot through her stomach. "Kite, I need to get to the hospital! Now!" --- Hannes had been fighting one of the Steinheil's when Jean had screamed. He watched the hunter tense up as if being electrocuted then flinched as the hunter's body suddenly fell forward. He stared at the dead body for a fraction of a second before he felt the sudden burning sensation in his hand. He looked down at it and saw the skin around the fresh wound beginning to turn yellow. Panicking, he gripped his wrist in a vain attempt to stop the venom from spreading. The hunter's weapon must've caught him when he'd fallen. He looked up, trying to see through the other fighters. Trying to see Jean. But a male dressed in black with black wings stood in his way, giving him a sorrowful look. Time seemed to stand still for a minute as Hannes realised with horror that he'd seen this male before. "Yes. You saw me when you burned. You should have died then. Once a name is written in the book of death it cannot be stricken from it. This was only a matter of time and is no one's fault. I am sincerely sorry for your loss." the Angel of Death said in such a gentle and sympathetic voice. "J-Je-!!" Hannes struggled to breathe. He felt his veins burning and his lungs filling with his own blood which frothed from his mouth. He fell back with wide eyes. Gunnar saw Hannes fall, his heart sinking. "HANNES!" he screamed, running to his side. No one else but Hannes could see the Angel who now knelt by his side, trying to offer Hannes some words of comfort in his last few minutes. "Don't be afraid." the Angel told him softly while stroking Hannes's hair. "The pain will subside. It will be over soon. You've repented your sins so when you cross over, I will guide you to Heaven." "JEAN! SOMEONE GET JEAN!!" Gunnar screamed at the others. Jessica had let go of the male she'd been drinking from when his blood had suddenly turned rancid. She looked at the body and realised that the male had been killed while she'd been drinking from him. Gagging, she stumbled away from the hunter's body then looked towards the castle as if coming out of a daze while she wiped her mouth. She saw Egon running as close to the hole in the castle wall as he could get without getting burned. Half of his face had already been burned from when the rocket had hit the wall. He was covered in dust and blood. His eyes were wild and full of pain. "JEAN! IT'S HANNES!" He screamed at them. Jessica's eyes widened. She looked at Ben then at Jean with a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach. --- Kodi was enraged by what he was seeing. Was this Phineas's way of punishing Tricky for what he'd done? "This is not how we handle this!" he shouted at him. "Enough is enough! Fighting evil with evil doesn't get us anywhere! We can help you! We can help you both! Let us rehabilitate him! We can change him for the better! There's a programme for that! Let me show you! Let me show both of you! It works! You just have to give it a chance!" --- Parker had taken his shirt off, about to change into pyjamas when Will walked in and started talking. As soon as he apologised, Parker immediately burst into sobs as he dropped his shirt on the floor, turned around and walked to Will. He hugged him and buried his face in his chest while shaking his head. "No..." he groaned between sobs. "You were right... I should've listened... instead, I treated him like shit. The first time I ever get to talk to my dad and I acted like a complete dick to him! What's wrong with me?!" He cried, venting his emotions that had built up over the course of the night. The reason he'd been so quiet and reserved after Damien had told them his story was because he felt guilty and ashamed about the way he'd acted towards him earlier in the evening. Meanwhile, River had found a spare bedroom to stay in and was eagerly thinking of ways he could spend time with his father. He couldn't help wondering if Damien was the kind of dad to play catch with his kids. He immediately chuckled at the idea. --- Rickster knelt with him and held Ricky close to him, rubbing his back to try to comfort him. "Shhh, it's ok. It's going to be ok," he said softly, rocking with him as he hugged him and kissed the side of his head. "It's ok," he repeated. "It's ok to be mad. It's ok to get upset. But let's try to get some rest. We'll be in a far better position to help David once we've had time to clear our heads, hm?" Denix Vames - December 27, 2021 Jean appeared in front of Hannes. He fell to his knees. Holding him close. "NO! Don't leave me!" After Hannes would say his goodbyes, Jean's aura went rom sending off happiness to sending off sadness. He cried out at the sky which became dark from his blue aura. His wings were bleeding before their feathers fell off. His hair became spiky as his eyes turned dark blue. His teeth were all razor sharp. A dark robe/armor suddenly appeared on his body. Making the ribbon disappear. He stomped his boots against the ground. Making everything shake. "Darkness will reign on those who choose to kill my kind!" He flew up. "I will kill all humans for their injustice!" Ben shouted, "Jean! Hannes wouldn't want this!" "Silence!" Jean sent out a ray of dark blue light. Making him fly back some feet before hitting the ground. Ben struggled to get up by such a power that he had never come across. --- Autumn floated over to Phineas who wasn't about to decline Kodi's idea. She cupped his cheeks. Looking into his eyes. "It's going to be ok. I promise." Phineas shut his eyes. The ground opened again. Everyone was taken back to the surface. Phineas was holding on to Autumn while this was happening. Tricky found himself being sent to Hell through a portal. Phineas, exhausted, breathed heavily. He laid on the ground where everything became blurry. "Looks like you used too much of that power. All ya need is some rest now. Don't worry about a thing. The fighting's over." ,said Jasper who smiled. --- "There's nothing wrong with you. I would have reacted the same if I was in your shoes. None of us are perfect. Just remember that." Will kissed his forehead. --- Ricky nodded. "Y-Yeah..." He followed him to the bedroom where he collapsed on the bed. He was exhausted from his transformation. "I've never done that before. Now, I'm tired? I wish David could tell me what's happening. I'm so scared." shadowess - December 27, 2021 (Cindy? lol) shadowess - December 27, 2021 "Let him go!" Jessica shouted at Jean as she took off flying after him. Once in the air, she dove at him to knock him back a bit. This was more of a way of trying to snap him out of his madness than trying to start a fight. She beat her wings to hover close to him. "Listen to me. Hatred is what started this fight in the first place! You're supposed to be better than this! You're people need you! They're going to need help patching up their home. There are wounded that need tending to. Look at them! You're not the only one who lost someone today! There are losses on BOTH sides!" She sighed, her shoulders slumping. She was fighting so hard to not let Jean's aura affect her but it was difficult. Particularly given her past and history of depression. "Hasn't there been enough suffering?" she questioned, struggling now to stay strong. "I know you're hurting and I'm sorry about what happened to Hannes but that doesn't mean it's the end for him..." her wings began beating slower. She was breathing a little heavier and her cheeks became flushed from the effort. She was becoming exhausted and before long she wouldn't even be able to hold herself in the air. She'd fall. "Jean... H-he can come back... H-he can..." she let out an exhausted sigh, her wings seized up and her eyes rolled. She hung in the air for a moment then began to fall. --- Kodi looked at Phineas and Autumn, relieved to see them both calmer now. He turned to Jasper and held out a hand for him to shake. "Thank you. I don't know how I can ever repay you," he said then glanced around. "I don't suppose I could ask one last favour? There was a Demon in my care. Harris. He vanished right after everything got crazy. I'm worried he got freaked out by it all. Would you mind keeping an eye on these two while I try to find him?" --- Parker nodded and stepped away, wiping away his tears. Now that he'd had a chance to properly vent and knew that Will wasn't angry with him, he felt a lot better. Like a weight had been lifted. He sniffled as he walked over to the bed and sat on the end of it. "So... I don't know... where do we even go from here? Am I supposed to just, I don't know, invite him over for coffee or something at some point? This is new to me. I've practically been an orphan since college..." --- Rickster took off his shirt and pants then joined Ricky on the bed. He sighed and wrapped an arm around him. "I know. We'll ask him in the morning when he's sober. Maybe he knows why you're changing like that?" he said optimistically. "Hey, I don't suppose anyone in your family ever had any powers or odd traits or anything like that? I know some magic is genetic like being a Trickster... and without proper training, it can be really unpredictable," he suggested. Denix Vames - December 27, 2021 (wait what?) "Jessica!" ,said Ben. Jean dove towards her. Catching her before she could fall. His aura suddenly became bright. The sky was clear. His happiness spread around the castle and its people. He landed on the ground. His form had been turned back into the love that he represented. He placed her on the ground. "I'm so sorry." He placed a hand over his heart. "I never meant to do this. Please. Don't be filled with sorrow." His love began to heal those who were injured. Slowly but surely. --- "Sure thing." Jasper shook hands with him. He stayed by them. Harris was crying in the library of Hell. "This is all my fault. I should have never used him!" --- Will placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's all up to you. We can take this one step at a time. Together." --- "As far as I'm concerned, my family and I are human. Sorry. Wish I had the answers." Ricky rested his head against his chest. Shadowess - December 27, 2021 (lol No worries, I'll re-post it in my next post.) shadowess - December 27, 2021 Sharp pain in her abdomen caused Cindy to jolt awake with a groan. For a moment, she was dazed as she woke up. Her eyes tried to adjust to the darkness of the bedroom. Another sharp pain made her cry out and she realised she felt wet. Quickly, she sat up and turned on the lamp by the bed. Flinging the covers from herself, she stared in disbelief at the sheer amount of blood soaking her nightgown and the sheets. "KITE!!" she screamed, starting to panic then cried out again as another sharp pain shot through her stomach. "Kite, I need to get to the hospital! Now!" --- Once on the ground, Jessica blinked and looked up at Jean. Seeing him changed back into the better version of himself. She smiled weakly. "As long as you promise you won't be either." she breathed. She turned her head towards the castle, looking at the group of vampires who could do nothing but look on from the safety of the shade. "We should...we should go and help..." she tried to get up but was so exhausted from exerting herself that she could barely sit up. She then remembered something that would help the vampires not only heal a little faster but also grant them immunity to sunlight so that they could start rebuilding. "Jean, could you take me to the other vampires? I could give them some of my blood. It might help." --- "Although I agree that you shouldn't have used Phineas in the first place, the whole crazy ringleader kidnapping him wasn't your fault," Kodi commented. He'd teleported into the library just in time to hear Harris's cries and was leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. "Harris, you can't blame yourself for everything that happens to one person just because you have a history with them. Besides, you've already made amends with Phineas and you've already proven that you're capable of changing for the better." Kodi walked into the room and knelt by Harris, giving him a gentle smile. "It's over now. Phineas has calmed down. Autumn is safe and the ringleader is somewhere in Hell...I'm sure David will round him up for the programme soon." he shrugged. "But my main priority is you. Come back with me. Let's start again. What do you say?" he held out a hand for him. --- Parker smiled and turned his head to kiss Will's hand. "Thanks," he said softly. --- Rickster kissed Ricky's head and lightly ran his thumb back and forth over his arm. "It's ok. We'll figure this out. Let's just try to get some rest for now, ok?" he said in a soothing tone. Denix Vames - December 28, 2021 Kite got out of bed. He called for an ambulance. Afterwards, he carried her outside. Taking her into the ambulance once it was there. He hopped in too. Sitting right by her while he held her hand. "It's going to be ok. I'm right here." --- "Rebuild....I want to rebuild my home." Jean raised his hands at the castle. The broken pieces began to morph back to the castle it was once a part of. Now, it was whole again. He caught his breath as he felt such power tire him. He picked Jessica up and teleported her inside. "We need to keep some of your blood just in case this happens again. Please someone. Help her with this." Elimar suddenly slapped Jean. "You let them all die! And for what? Because you wanted to talk about peace?! These Steinhells will never know peace! Very few have accepted us! Our friends are dead! And you only did something when they didn't agree with you! You need to learn to fight when it's time for fighting!" Jean glared. "Elimar....If you hit me again, I'll burn you too." Elimar's eyes widened at the threat. Jean had disappeared into his bedroom. Leaving Jessica where she was. He sobbed in bed as he recalled Hannes's death. --- Harris looked at his hand before taking it. Once they appeared at the circus, Autumn turned to them. "He's sleeping. We need to go back to Kodi's place." "I'm on it." Harris placed a hand on Phineas's shoulder. Letting everyone touch him too so that they could appear in together. Jasper nodded. "See ya'll. Call me anytime." He disappeared. At Kodi's place, Harris carried Phineas into the bedroom where he placed him on the bed. "Phineas....We have to show him that he's no monster to anyone. What's on the internet is now the truth." --- Will smiled. "No problem. So, what do you wanna do now?" His eyes widened. "Oh my god! I haven't been at work in a while! I need to let them know that I'm alright!" --- Ricky sighed. "Alright. Good night." He closed his eyes.

shadowess - December 27, 2021 (Just a heads up, I have a plan for Donnie's final downfall. I don't want to spoil it 😛 It's a little drawn out but once it's played out it'll make sense ) Gunnar grinned, happy with Jean's answer. "As you wish, sire," he said with a short bow. Niko stood in shock. He'd wanted to be welcomed home but hadn't expected a party. He didn't even believe that he deserved one. He wanted to object but didn't dare. Besides, quite a number of vampires cheered at the idea of another big party so he didn't want to ruin their fun. Seeing the conflict in Niko's eyes, Hannes smirked and looked around at a couple of vampires nearest the pantry. "Fetch us some bottles of venomed blood. I think Niko is in need of a drink." he chuckled. As they ran off, Jessica rose a brow. "Venomed blood?" she asked and Niko shrugged at her. "Our version of alcohol," he explained. Within minutes, the hall was partially decorated and Egon had returned with the prisoner. The Steinheil's hands were bound in front of him and Egon had guided him out by his arm. The male looked around curiously at the preparations then brought his eyes to Jean. "Du bist derjenige, der mein Leben gerettet hat. Du siehst anders aus." he said calmly with a small smile. "He recognises you as the one who saved his life." Hannes translated for Jean. "He says you look different." he smiled. Seeing his white-blonde hair and his brown eyes, Racheal realised immediately that they were related. Likely a very distant relation, but still related. "He's a Steinheil!" she'd gasped, having been at the docks with Elimar when he'd been captured. They'd missed his trial completely so had no idea that he'd been held prisoner or that the reason for his arrest was that he'd been stalking them. "Ja, Fräulein." The prisoner nodded, looking over at her sadly then continued. "Es tut mir leid..." "He says he's sorry," Hannes said, looking at Racheal and Elimar. "What for?" Racheal looked at him, puzzled. "He was captured by our previous King outside the castle." Hannes shrugged. Truthfully, none of them had been told exactly what he'd been doing to get himself caught. "I can only guess he was up to something that would have resulted in one or more of us being harmed." Hannes turned to look at the prisoner and asked him in German. "What were you doing when you were captured?" The prisoner hesitated then moved his hands to his pockets which he couldn't reach. "Mein Handy!" Hannes rose a brow then nodded at Egon who nodded back before reaching into the prisoner's pocket. He pulled out a mobile phone and looked at it curiously. "What is it?" "It's a phone!" Jessica said, walking over and taking it out of Egon's hands. She brought it up to the prisoner's reach. "Ask him to unlock it." "Können Sie Ihr Gerät entsperren?" Egon asked the prisoner who nodded and brought his hands up to type in his pin. Once it was unlocked, Jessica routed through the phone and found pictures of Racheal and Elimar at the pier. "Oh...I can see why he's sorry..." she said, looking back at them. "He'd been watching you two..." she did some more searching. "And he sent your photos to more Steinheils. I can't read these messages though...It's all in German." "Let me see?" Hannes asked, holding out his hand. Jessica handed over the phone and he started reading through the messages with a serious expression. Quite a few messages were recent and seemed to be in a group discussion. When the prisoner hadn't replied to their messages for a couple of days, they'd all assumed the worst and had pushed their plans forward for revenge. Hannes ran a hand through his hair. "They think he's dead. He hasn't been able to message them while he's been here. He tried to warn us, the day X...I mean, Xenos, brought him here but his warnings were dismissed. They're planning an attack but they haven't included any details nor dates and times here but they've been communicating for the past hour...to make sure they're all 'in position'." he looked up at them all worriedly. "The sun has already risen. If they attack now..." "We'll be trapped." Gunnar nodded. The prisoner looked at them all curiously. He couldn't understand what was being said as Hannes and Gunnar had spoken in English. Racheal hugged Elimar tightly, frightened. Party preparations suddenly stopped and the vampires in the room became fearful. Seeing this, the prisoner's heart began beating a little harder. He could guess by their reactions that something bad was about to happen. "Let me go!" he said hurriedly in German while holding up his bound hands to them. "Let me contact them! Let me try to stop them!" Just as he finished saying this, a loud explosion outside followed by gunfire caused them all to jump. Some of the vampires screamed in fear. "Something tells me it's too late for that," Hannes replied to the prisoner in German. "All civilian vampires retreat to the castle cellars! Round up the sleeping vampires and the children from their homes and evacuate them to the cellars now!" Gunnar called out commandingly. "All warriors, watchers and scouts, take up arms and defend the castle! Take your positions at all the castle doors and weak points! We've defended this castle for thousands of years, this is no different! Move!" Hannes turned to Jean and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you Meine Geliebte. I need to do my duty now and protect our people." he said hurriedly. He pressed his head against his, nervous to leave him. "Stay safe, my love," he said before running off to arm himself and join the other warriors who were taking up positions around the castle. Jessica looked at Niko hurriedly. "Help them get to safety," she told him. "Nein Liebchen-!" Niko started but was cut off by Jessica. "You said it yourself. I'm too strong for you to protect. Besides, Ben and I are immune to the sunlight. We'll have a better chance at protecting the castle out there. But there are people in here who need protecting. They're the ones who need your help!" She said stubbornly and Niko couldn't help but smile at her proudly. "How far you've come, Liebchen," he said with a nod before turning and running with the others to help gather up the children of the castle and take them to the safety of the cellars. Jessica turned to Ben and Jean. "I can only guess that you're something close to what we are," she said to Jean. "These people are trapped and vulnerable. They need our protection now more than ever." Another explosion could be heard from outside. "Do you know if you're immune to sunlight too?" Outside, two of the patrol vehicles that had belonged to the German authorities were engulfed in flames. The few surviving officers were returning fire on the Steinheil hunters who were firing at them from the cover of the forest. Another rocket shot out from the trees and struck the third vehicle, sending agents who had been stood close to it, flying across the field. The ones who survived the impact were left gripping their burns and groaning in pain. Standing by a tree and unseen to all, a male dressed in all black was smoking and watching the battle passively. Today was going to be a busy day for this reaper. --- Alex had leant forward a little, ready and wanting to kiss him when Gary had teased him. He smirked and bit his lip while watching him. "Naughty." he purred as he watched Gary getting onto his knees. When he kissed his thighs, Alex gasped softly, feeling the electric thrill shoot up his spine. "You're so fucking sexy," he whispered to him. His voice trembling out of excitement. --- Kodi had stumbled and lost his footing when the crack in the ground had fused back together. He fell back and watched as Autumn became hysterical and Harris vanished. He felt lost. This wasn't exactly a usual assignment and nothing like this had ever happened to him before. He stood and ran a hand through his hair. He needed help from someone who knew how to handle spirits. Preferably from another spirit. He called out mentally for help from anyone who might listen as he made his way over to Autumn and placed a hand around her shoulders. "Hey, it'll be ok. We'll figure this out," he said uncertainly to try to comfort her. "We'll find a way...I don't know how yet but we'll find a way to help him." --- Robb gasped and tilted his head back as Gabriel kissed and bit his neck. Once in his bedroom, he looked at Gabriel adoringly while feeling his chest. His wings fluttered a little again out of excitement. "I never want this feeling to end," he whispered as he brought his lips to Gabriel's collar bone, kissing from there to his shoulders and to his chest. --- "Thank you." Damien nodded, taking another deep breath before teleporting back to Will's house. They'd arrived just as Parker had turned to argue with Will. Seeing Damien and Balconi standing behind Will though had thrown Parker off and he'd quickly forgotten what he'd been about to say as he stood glaring at his father. There was tension in the air and the silence in the room was deafening. "I... what happened...that wasn't..." Damien stammered, trying to find the right words. "What?" Parker snapped, his arms still crossed. "It wasn't intentional..." Damien admitted, scratching his own arm out of nerves. "My training was harsh. It's hard to... there are certain things that I just can't...help..." "Like attacking our friends? Oh, how about abandoning your kids? Could you help that?" Parker asked sourly. For a moment, Damien looked hurt and averted his eyes from Parker's. "I had no choice," he said, looking at the ground. "Of course, you didn't..." Parker said sarcastically turned around again, looking out of the window. Damien sighed and looked between them for a moment. Noting that there was one person missing. "Where's the other one? River?" he asked. "Here..." River's broken voice came from the stairs as he cautiously and slowly descended them. His eyes were a little red from crying. "Why did you freak out like that?" "I couldn't help it..." Damien answered gently. Hearing Parker scoff, he closed his eyes briefly then took another deep breath. "Before I died... Heaven and Hell were at war. I was Lucifer's apprentice so that automatically put a price on my head. So, when an Angel would randomly appear near me back then, it was usually to try and kill me. I lost count of how many times I had to fight for my life because an Angel just popped up out of nowhere. So, when you're friend appeared next to me...it was like I was back to fighting for my life..." he explained. There was a quiet pause. Then Parker slowly turned around to look at Damien with a far less angry expression. "You died?" he asked quietly and Damien nodded. "Reason one of many that I wasn't around..." he replied. He then gestured to the couches. "I can explain everything if you'll let me." Parker hesitated. He felt like an ass for being so hard on Damien but was still cautious about letting Damien into his life in case he or River got hurt. He looked at River who was looking back at him with a pleading expression. He sighed and nodded, walking over to the couch. "Fine…" Damien nodded. A sense of relief washed over him as he'd finally managed to get Parker to listen to him. Though he wasn't naive enough to think he'd win him over just like that. He sat down as well. River sat in a nearby armchair. Without wasting any more time, Damien began telling them the same story that he'd told Alex and Jessica. --- "We were monsters once too." Rickster pointed out calmly though he'd been a little startled by Ricky's anger and the effects that it had. "Especially me. Yet here I am doing everything I can to make up for my past... why should he be any different?" Rickster got to his feet and looked at Ricky. "Please, we just need to try." Atma had stumbled back and hugged the doorframe while looking at Ricky nervously. Whatever had happened to Ricky just now, it hadn't been the man that had taken her off the streets to give her a home and a job. In fact, this angry Ricky made her feel almost afraid to be near him. Denix Vames - December 27, 2021 (cant wait to see what it is) Jean said, "We don't have to fight." He appeared in the battlefield. Floating above. His aura blanketed everyone. "Please Steinhells! Think about what you're doing. This is nothing but violence. Vampires and humans are not so different." He placed his hands over his heart. "Love is the only answer. Please look at what you've done. Children live here. Families live here. Don't take their home away." Ben had appeared to fight but stopped when he saw Jean. "So, who should catch him when this whole peaceful plan thing doesn't work?" --- Gary smiled. He got on his lap. "You're not so bad yourself." He rubbed his crotch against his. Moaning. --- Jasper appeared. "Alright. Ya'll needed me. What's going on?" Once Kodi would explain the situation, he said, "Phineas? As in that Phineas? Heard about him on the papers. And you said he's down there? Not sure how I'm supposed to fix this. Sounds like a tall order." "Take me to him! Let me talk to him! Please!" ,said Autumn. Jasper read her face. "Alright. Ya'll take my hand." He held their hands before appearing in the darkness. They were all floating. Phineas was chained by his wrists as he was on his knees. He was on a glossy part of the darkness. Some kind of platform. "Phineas!" ,said Autumn. Phineas's eyes widened at the sight of them. He grit his teeth. Pulling against the chains. "No! I'm not letting you out!" It was Tricky who was trying to be free. --- "Me either." ,said Gabriel. His wings vibrated as he moaned. --- Will wasn't sure what to say. Balconi stepped in. "Do you see now? He's just like all of you. He's like me too. Nobody's different from anyone else. We all deal with our own struggles. In the end, we're all we've got." --- "You don't understand! He's worse than any of us! He hurt our friends! He hurt David!" His eyes became red. He clutched his head as his teeth were now jagged. His nails were sharp. He screamed as blood-made wings sprouted from his back. The more he rejected the idea of Donnie ever being good, the more of a monster he became. Shadowess - December 27, 2021 Jessica teleported outside with Ben and looked around at the carnage and at Jean. Although Jean's aura and his words affected all the agents as well as most of the Steinheil fighters, he would soon learn that some people are so consumed by hatred and evil that not even his aura would stop them. "We should tend to the wounded and pull them out of the firing line," Jessica commented to Ben as Jean spoke. During the distraction, one of the Steinheil fighters glared through the trees at Jean, Jessica and Ben. "They have vampires who can go out in the sun?!" he hissed in German, then marched over to one of his comrades who had been affected by Jean's aura. He shoved him down and snatched the rocket launcher from his grasp. "Nein! We need to listen!" the fighter tried as the angry male kicked him back. "Listen to yourself, idiot! He has you under a spell!" the angry soldier said as he took aim at Jean. "and I'm going to break it!" he fired. "Shit! Jean!" Jessica shouted. Her own wings sprouted, surprising her but she had no time to look at them as she sprinted forward and took off to tackle Jean out of the rocket's path. Then chaos. The rocket had struck the castle, leaving a large opening in the front. Surprised vampires who'd been standing guard by the doors recoiled and screamed as daylight hit them. Some lost their footing and fell out of the castle, out into the open where they flailed and burned. The rest retreated into the castle's shade, some burned and all of them terrified. All held shields and medieval weaponry, ready to fight. Gunfire started again. The Steinheil fighters snapped out the euphoria and began charging towards the castle. Jessica had tackled Jean out of the way but she looked back at the chaos and carnage near them. "Peace is a nice thought but right now we need to fight," she said to Jean as she got to her feet. "Your people need us to defend them!" she turned to face the Steinheil's, her eyes turned red and her fangs lengthened as she watched Steinheils breach the castle walls and begin fighting the vampires inside who had formed a wall to try to stop the hunters getting any further into the castle. Among them was Hannes, Egon and Gunnar. A couple of hunters got lucky hits on some vampire warriors with their weapons who immediately fell and began convulsing. Their skin turned yellow and red foam frothed from their mouths. "Their weapons are laced with venom!" Gunnar shouted as he knocked a hunter back with his shield. Jessica ran at the hunters and began grabbing them and throwing them back like rag dolls, away from the castle. Seeing her interference, one of the hunters began swinging a knife at her wildly and she ducked and dodged backwards to try to avoid the blade. She gasped and squealed when it sliced into her arm. Taking a step back, she gripped the wound and looked at it, then at herself, expecting to start convulsing like the other vampires. When she didn't, she looked up to see that even the hunter was confused that she hadn't immediately died. His confusion then quickly turned to terror while she began grinning when they both realised that she was immune to venom as well as sunlight. Desperately, he tried swinging the knife at her again. "Seriously?" she said while catching his wrist and snapping it with little force, making him scream. She then growled and gripped the male's shirt to drag him to her before biting into his neck. She'd never felt anything so exhilarating. So, thrilling. She could feel the Steinheil struggling in her grip. Even his generations built immunity to vampire venom couldn't protect him from a Blood God's bite. All of his struggles were in vain though as she easily overpowered him and started drinking deeply. She could hear his heartbeat so loudly in her ears that the other noises around her were drowned out. --- Alex rested his head against the back of the chair and let out a moan of his own as Gary moved on him. His hands wandered to Gary's hips while he moved his own in time to Gary's rhythm. "Oh, fuck! you really know how to turn me on!" --- Kodi had no idea who Jasper was but he was thankful for any help he could offer. He was a little alarmed when Jasper teleported them to a different plain but then, Spirits had always had their own mysterious powers that Demons and Angels seldom understood. Kodi looked at the scene below them and something in the pit of his stomach told him that something about this just wasn't right. "Something about this feels off!" he commented nervously, feeling a bit out of his depth here. "I don't think we should get any closer." --- Robb moaned as well while running his lips across Gabriel's chest. He kissed up his neck and across his jawline. Moving slowly and sensually, his hands wandered down to Gabriel's hips, tracing his fingers across his lower abdomen. His lips reached Gabriel's and he kissed him lightly before gently pulling on his lower lip with his teeth. "Make me yours, my love. Truly yours," he whispered shakily. "I would do anything for you. Anything." he then slipped his tongue into Gabriel's mouth and let his passion take over him as his own wings vibrated. --- Damien looked between them. He felt anxious but his body language and expression didn't give that away. Parker was sitting back on the couch with his arms folded. He was silent. Contemplative as he stared at the ground. River was staring at Damien, taking in the story they'd just heard. "You really loved our mother?" he asked finally. "With all my heart." Damien nodded, looking at him. River was quiet again for a moment before speaking once more. "So, now that you're not the King of Hell anymore... will you stick around?" Damien blinked. He glanced at Parker who'd lifted his eyes from the ground to look at him expectantly. "Uh, sure. If that's what you want. Of course, I'd understand if you wouldn't want me to." he answered. Parker lowered his eyes again. He was still not certain whether or not he wanted Damien to be in his life. River, on the other hand, immediately lit up at the idea. "I think I'd like to get to know you." he smiled. Damien smiled back and nodded. "Alright. Then I'll be around if you need me." he looked at Parker. "For the both of you." Parker stood suddenly and gave Damien a serious look. "Just to be clear," he said sternly. "You can be a part of my life if you want but that doesn't mean that I trust you yet. That you'll have to earn." Damien's smile slipped but he nodded. "I understand." Parker looked away from him. "Now, if you'll excuse us. I'm tired." he walked away and headed straight for the bedroom. Damien sighed and stood from the couch. "I think that was a hint for me to leave..." he said as he looked at the others. River gave him a sympathetic look. "He'll come around. He's been through a lot. Just give him some time." Damien smiled and nodded. "I'll let you get some rest. Call for me when you want me to come to visit or if you ever need my help." he then turned to Balconi and Will. "Thank you for understanding...and giving me a chance to have my say. You have no idea how much I appreciate that." he then vanished. --- Frightened by the transformation that was taking over Ricky, Atma cowered and backed away from them. "Stop it!" she cried, fear in her voice. She then ran up the stairs to get away from them. "Ricky, you need to stop! Look at yourself! This isn't what we were taught! Compassion and forgiveness are what David taught us, remember?" Rickster tried desperately. He ran to Ricky and held his face in his hands. "Please stop. Please. For me?" he begged him while looking into his eyes.

Denix Vames - December 15, 2021 Jean stood with the help of Hannes. He looked at himself. "Oh! This feels really weird. Am I actually naked in front of all these people?" He blushed. X walked over to Jean. "I don't know what you are now but I do know that you have brought such great joy to us. We have you to thank for stopping this fight." He placed a hand on his shoulder. "I realize now that my leadership isn't what it use to be. Which is why I am honoring you as King of this castle." Jean's eyes widened. "What?! But I don't know the first thing about being a king!" "That's alright. You have family and friends who can help guide you. Besides, I need to look after my men in the facility. They need me more than these people do." He cupped his chin. Looking at him. "I know you'll do just fine." Tears dripped from Jean's eyes. "Thank you....Uh..." "Xenos. My name is Xenos." "Xenos, thank you for everything." X disappeared. Jean looked at everyone. "If I'm going to be a leader here then I want you all to know that every opinion of yours matter! That I cherish you all!" Elimar kissed her head. "Then I'm ready to forgive too." He walked to Niko. "I'm sorry about what happened between us. Hope you can forgive me for that fight we had." He held out a hand for him to shake. --- Gary chuckled. "Yeah, we probably should. Let's head upstairs." He walked up the stairs where he got to their room. He practically collapsed on the bed. "Whew! It's been a day, hasn't it?" --- Phineas turned around. Glaring at Kodi. "I am tired of everyone thinking that they can control me! That they can tell me what to do!" He slammed the end of the iron rod against the ground. Making the ground crack. "Well no more! I get to be in charge!" Autumn ran to him. "Phineas! This isn't you! Please think about what you're doing!" "Shut up!" She gasped as the crack grew wider. She nearly fell in but clung to the edge. Her body was dangling as she kept her grip. Afraid to die. Harris ran to her. Helping her out of the crack. He took her out of the circus. --- Gabriel smiled with tears in his eyes. "As are you." He kissed him. --- Will walked to River. "I'm sorry that you didn't get your answers. Would it help if I teleported you to him?" --- "No, they're not!" Balconi sighed. "Look, when I came back into Will's life, it was insane. He nearly killed himself after all the guilt and pain that was in his heart. I had to convince Parker that he was a good man for him. That Will only did what he did because he couldn't think straight. And then there was River who thought he was a burden to Will after all the fights they had. The truth is family can be chaotic. But there's also love and forgiveness too." He laid a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's hard after how long it's been but you haven't given yourself the chance to try." --- Ricky shook his head. "Patience's left David. I got so mad about it." He looked at his hands. "And suddenly I felt different." --- Insanity took off his own shirt. Letting Donnie explore his chest. He bit his neck. Nibbling there as he kissed it. Shadowess - December 25, 2021 Hannes and the other vampires watched the exchange in silence. All were in shock when Xenos revealed his name and passed on his leadership to Jean. When he'd vanished and Jean had addressed them, the vampires around him bowed their heads as a show of acceptance and respect. Hannes was looking at Jean in awe, still taking in what had happened as he stepped towards him and caressed his cheek. "Jean...Meine Geliebte, my love...and my King?" he gasped in a soft whisper to him as he ran his fingers through his now long hair with a loving expression. He kissed him very lightly and looked at him again in utter amazement. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered to him. Niko looked at Elimar nervously when he approached as well. Racheal followed, staying close behind Elimar. Taken aback, he looked at Elimar's hand. Slowly and with a trembling hand, he clasped Elimars and looked at him humbly. "Forgive you? There is nothing to forgive. I was at fault. If not for you breaking into my room, I wouldn't have changed. I owe you." he replied, trying a small smile. --- "It sure has." Alex chuckled while taking off his jacket and carefully folding it over the arm of the chair by the vanity table. He ran a hand through his hair and turned to look at Gary. He smirked. "So how about that show you were going to put on for me?" he asked playfully. --- Kodi had ended up on the opposite side of the crack, unable to reach Autumn. So he was grateful when Harris ran to her and helped her escape. He turned his attention back to Phineas. "Enough! Look at what you're doing!" He shouted at him, marching over then stopping a short distance from him. "We're trying to help you, dammit! We're your friends, remember?" --- New happiness washed over Robb as Gabriel kissed him. This was the first kiss that they would share as equals. Not as Gabriel's servant, but as his lover. It was as if a new chapter of his life was truly beginning at this moment and he couldn't wait to see what kind of future the two of them would have together. --- River frowned. He heard Will and seemed to consider his words for a moment before shrugging. "No... I don't know...Maybe Parker's right..." he mumbled miserably. "Excuse me..." he then walked off towards one of the bathrooms, not wanting to be seen while he felt so vulnerable. "Wow..." Parker said with a little surprise to his tone as he'd watched River walk away. "Wouldn't think he used to be an insane, angry Blood God...He really has changed. I feel bad for him." he folded his arms and glanced off with a faraway look. --- Damien looked at Balconi's hand on his shoulder for a moment before looking at him. He bit his own lip nervously and seemed to want to say something but struggled to bring himself to do so. Finally, he sighed and glanced away while shaking his head a little. "How do I tell them?" he asked in a quiet voice. "That-...there are some things that I just...-can't- say..." he looked back at Balconi, referring to his years of conditioning under Lucifer's training. "and that there are some things that I-I..." he glanced off again. "I can't help...?" --- "The whole house shook," Atma added, looking at Rickster. Her expression hadn't changed. "David was drunk. Viktor's taken him to one of the spare rooms so he can sleep." Rickster looked between them for a moment before walking over to Ricky and kneeling beside him. He pulled him into his arms. "Today has been a hell of a day. We don't have to figure this all out right this minute. Let's try to get some rest. Sleep on it. We're no good to anyone if we're too tired to think straight." he said to Ricky in a gentle voice. "C'mon. We'll talk about it in our room. You tell me about what happened here and I'll tell you how my day went." --- Biting his lip, Donnie couldn't contain himself anymore. He playfully tackled Insanity to the ground, pulling his clothes off him forcefully. "I've missed this." he grinned. (Private Time) Denix Vames - December 25, 2021 Jean smiled. He raised a brow at everyone though. "I'm not sure what to do now." "You could start by welcoming someone back." ,said Ben. Jean looked at where Niko was. Elimar smiled. "I'm glad we can move on from this." Jean appeared in front of Niko and hugged him. "Welcome home!" Elimar chuckled. "Someone's more excited than me." --- Gary blushed. "I did mention that, didn't I?" He slipped his tie off before letting his coat slip to the floor. He placed his belt around his neck. He winked at him. "Woof." --- "Help me?! I see it now! Everyone just wants to control me!" Phineas appeared in front of him and swung at him. --- Gabriel passionately kissed him. Running a hand through his hair. --- Will glared at Parker. He walked to him. "How could you? This was River's opportunity to find out something important. Not just yours. He needed this and you took that away from him." --- "They will understand. Trust me. They have been through their own struggles. No one could understand as much as they do." ,said Balconi. --- Ricky shook his head. "It's not fair. What happened to David. I wanted to kill Donnie for this. I felt so much anger. That's when a strange feeling showed up. Like I had all the power in the world. That's also when the house shook. What's happening to me?" shadowess - December 26, 2021 Seeing Elimar's smile, Niko relaxed a little. His own smile grew. Then his eyes widened and he'd jumped as Jean appeared in front of him. He had a look of utter surprise on his face as Jean hugged him. Instead of recoiling out of fear or trauma, the aura Jean was emitting made him feel more relaxed. Hesitantly, Niko hugged Jean back and looked around at the others with pink cheeks out of mild embarrassment. His eyes finally landed on Hannes who looked back at him with a tearful smile. Tears rapidly filled his own eyes and he grinned. "It's good to be home!" he said happily. "I'm so sorry. For everything I did. Thank you for this second chance!" "Guess you won't be needing that training after all, eh lad?" Gunnar laughed, looking at Jean. Egon cautiously approached Jean and half bowed. He was smiling. "Sire, the human prisoner. What should we do with him? If you don't mind me saying so, he doesn't seem to be a threat at all. In fact, he's been co-operative since his arrival." --- Alex grinned, looking at Gary excitedly. He sat in the armchair to enjoy Gary's show. "Good boy," he said coyly before blowing him a kiss. --- Kodi caught the iron bar to stop it from striking him. His hand stung from the impact but he maintained a firm grip on it as he stared Phineas down. "We don't want to control you, Phineas! We're your friends!" he shouted, giving the iron a yank to try and take it from his grip. "We care about you! This isn't you! You're better than this!" --- Lost in the moment, Robb relaxed into Gabriel's kiss. He ran his hands over the armour on Gabriel's chest until he reached his shoulders and he pressed his body against his. His newly released wings fluttered a little from Robb's excitement before slowly moving around them to envelop them as their kiss became passionate. --- Parker blinked at Will then gave him an offended look. "Are you kidding me? You saw what he did! The guy is a psycho! We're both better off without him in our lives!" he marched away from Will, refusing to look at him as fresh tears stung his eyes. He walked over to the window and stared out with his arms crossed over his chest. "It's not like he's the only one upset by this, you know?! How the fuck do you think I feel?!" his voice wavered. --- Damien closed his eyes. "Struggles I wasn't there for..." he muttered while clenching his fists. He swallowed hard then took a deep breath before looking back at Balconi and nodding. "Alright." he sighed. "I'll try again... Could you come with me? You might be able to explain to them things that I otherwise wouldn't be able to say." --- Rickster frowned as he listened to Ricky's explanation. "I don't know..." he admitted with a small shrug. "We'll figure it out though. We always do. And Donnie is an ass, sure. After the whole..." he shuddered. "clown...thing...I was about ready to put Donnie six feet under too. I mean...who does that to a little girl? I wasn't the best to Neva but even in my bad days, I'd never do THAT! But I won't go looking for revenge... because that's not what David would do." Rickster sat on the floor with Ricky and kept his arms around him. "I mean David when he was sober and when we could all turn to him... I haven't known him for long but I can already imagine what that David would be saying in this situation. 'Everyone can be saved. We are better than petty revenge and violence'... We just need to work together on this...put our heads together and think of a way to help Donnie realise that he's not too lost to be saved." Denix Vames - December 26, 2021 "I still have a lot to learn. Don't think that I won't need your help." ,said Jean. He looked at Egon. "Bring him here. I want to talk to him. And can we set up a party for what happened? This could Niko's return party." --- Gary unbuttoned his own shirt and took his pants off. He rubbed his hands over his chest before throwing his shirt aside. He placed his hands on Alex's knees. Letting his hot breath hit his lips as he was close to kissing him. But he didn't. It was another tease. He got to his knees and kissed his thighs. --- Phineas lost his grip on the iron rod. He jumped far back. "Phineas!" ,shouted Autumn who reached out. Harris kept her from trying to go inside. "Autumn?" Tricky appeared as his spirit self. He looked around. Wondering why he hadn't moved on. His eyes widened at the sight of Phineas whose eyes were flickering from red to blue. Phineas grabbed him from behind when he appeared. Both men appeared above the large crack of ground. Floating. "I'm tired of being everyone's prisoner! You're my prisoner now!" Tricky shouted, "Help! Someone help!" "Let's stay in this miserable world together!" They fell into the dark abyss. The ground soon closed up afterwards. "NO!" Autumn ran over. She fell to her knees. Punching the ground with her fists. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Harris frowned. He disappeared. Feeling like he was to blame for all this. --- Gabriel snapped his fingers. His armor laid on the floor. He kissed his neck. Biting their before carrying him to the bed. --- Will walked over. "You're missing the big picture here! We aren't exactly goody two shoes! We've done some fucked up things to people. Can't you see that he's trying to make up for what he's done? We give everyone else a second chance but all of a sudden he's different? You know that's not right!" --- "Of course. I'll be right by your side." ,said Balconi. --- "Are you fucking serious?!" ,said Ricky as he stood. "Did you forget about what he's done?!" The mansion shook again. A red aura surrounded him as his eyes became red too. "He's a monster!"

Denix Vames - December 13, 2021 (whoops. totally forgot about Tricky needed to present. I'll change it real quick so that you can reply to it D X flew to them. Looking at Jessica. He landed on his feet. "It is true. I could easily call everyone hear to attack you but I won't. I realize now that I have made a few mistakes. But I can assure you that Niko can live here again if my people wish for that to be. And if they grant it then he will have to be by my side so that I may keep an eye on him. In return, I will make him into my pupil." Jean gasped when he realized what he was about to do. Tears ran down his cheeks. He shook his head as he backed up. "I'm sorry....! I'm so sorry!" The crystal from his pocket suddenly floated up into the air. Glowing as Jean glowed too. It brought him floating. His eyes closed. Red wings sprouted from his back as his other eye glowed red. His clothes were gone but he was wrapped in red silk ribbons that covered his butt, crotch, and chest. Most of it clung to his arms and legs. His hair had grown longer and more vibrant. Even X was surprised by this. Jean had lowered to the floor until he laid there. Unconscious from the transformation. "He's alright but I'm not sure what that crystal has done. It seems like it grant him powers but for what? What purpose?" ,asked X. --- Vincent smiled at Elliot. He caressed his cheek. "You're probably right. Only I think I'm going to his human habits. Like cooking." "Oh I cook too. Sort of. I'm really bad at not burning food." ,said Gary. --- Tricky came out from the curtains. "I present to you all the acrobatic delights of....!" He had said the name of the twins who could swing from one place to another in the air with those swings. "What is he? How did he get Phineas?" ,said Autumn. --- Gabriel shouted, "Stop calling me master!" The room suddenly shook. He read Rob's face and realized what he had done. He sighed. Dropping the weapon. "You're right. I shouldn't be mad. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." He turned away. "There's no way you can stay with me. Not when I act like this. I don't care what that damn angel says. I'm going to free you." --- Insanity had flinched at the pain but once he got the ability, he licked his lips. Knowing that Donnie wanted him. He got to his knees and unbuckled his belt. "How about you relax? Or do you want to show me no mercy?" --- Balconi appeared just as Will was about to intervene. "ENOUGH!" Balconi stood between them. He glared. "Arguing like this isn't going to get any of you guys anywhere! Just give Damien a chance and listen to his story." He turned to River. "I thought I taught you better than this." Will walked over. "Sorry to say this Parker but maybe Balconi has a point." --- "I-I don't know. Who does she trusts?" Leo rubbed his eyes of their tears as he started to wonder. "Oh god! I don't know anything about her." "What?! That's some fucking bullshit!" ,said Ricky. He ran to the middle of the area. Yelling out, "Hey Donnie! Come and get me you bitch! You don't deserve mercy! What you did to Patience and David is unforgivable! I'll kill you for this!" --- Insanity sighed and rolled his eyes. "Sounds like someone's mad at you. Would you care to shut them up for me?" shadowess - December 15, 2021 (lol No worries) Niko blinked at X when he'd said he'd make him his pupil. "Me?" he asked in surprise. Thinking that he didn't deserve such an honour. They all watched as Jean changed. When he landed on the ground and it seemed safe enough to do so, Hannes ran forward to lift him into his arms. "Jean?" his voice shook as he looked at him worriedly. Jessica looked at X. "That crystal. Where did he get it?" she asked curiously. She could smell blood on it and its smell matched X's scent. "Maybe it changed him into what we are?" she suggested. --- Alex chuckled. "Raw meat will definitely be on his menu more but that doesn't mean to say he'd forget how to cook or stop doing it altogether." He held Gary's hand and looked at him adoringly. "And honestly, I've never felt safer," he said in a soft voice and smiled. --- Just as they were about to move, Tricky had come out and Kodi froze to watch him. "I can't put my finger on his scent... It's like... Trickster but... something else." he whispered to them. It was possible that the sheer amount of different scents in the room was throwing him off, but he couldn't be sure. "C'mon. Let's ambush the bastard. We'll sneak into the back that way." he nodded to a gap in the stage curtain on the far right side of the room. What they weren't aware of was the cannibal clown moping around back there. Crying silently as his whip marks across his back and arms still stung. He paced in front of Phineas's cage-like an obedient guard dog, ready to attack anyone who attempted to set the new prisoner free. --- Rob jumped and backed up a bit until his back was pressed against the doorframe. He stared at Gabriel with a frightened expression. Though he was shaking, he relaxed a little when Gabriel apologised and dropped his weapon. But his last few words caused him to pause and look down at the bracelet around his wrist. The only thing binding him to Gabriel. He cradled his wrist while looking at the bracelet sadly. "I-I don't want to go," he said nervously. His eyes watered. "When I serve you... I feel like I'm a part of something bigger and better than myself," he said quietly. "You can take the bracelet. Free my wings. But I don't want to leave you." he looked up at Gabriel. "Please. Don't make me leave." --- The second that Balconi appeared, Damien's eyes shone red. This wasn't out of malicious intent, but sheer PTSD. Before his death, whenever an Angel appeared near him abruptly it had always been to try and kill him. After all, back then they had been at war and Damien had been Lucifer's apprentice. So, it would only make sense that after being a target for so long and being attacked in this way almost constantly, Damien would react negatively to an Angel randomly appearing next to him unannounced. Reacting entirely out of a combination of habit and fear, Damien had charged at Balconi only to be knocked off his feet and sent flying across the room by River who had seen the sudden shift in Damien's expression just in time to react. Damien hit the wall on the other side of the room and looked up at River in surprise. River looked back at him with a mixture of confusion and hurt. "Why?!" he demanded. "Pfft! Knew it..." Parker scoffed and shook his head at Damien. Looking at each of them, Damien realised what had just happened. His heart was already racing and he'd begun shivering. He looked between them all with a shameful expression. He knew he should apologise, but the training instilled in him to never do so was difficult to overcome, especially while he already felt so vulnerable. He opened his mouth in an attempt but quickly closed it as he found himself simply unable to bring himself to do it. He then vanished, too ashamed to continue to face them. --- Oscar had to think for a minute. Trying to recall all the times they'd been around when Patience was involved with the group. He pulled Leo into his arms to hug him. Trying to comfort him. He thought back. Way back. To when they first met Patience. Then Oscar remembered something. "Sebastian," he said, looking down at Leo. "She made Sebastian, didn't she? I'm sure I heard at least one of them say they'd been close back then. Maybe she'd talk to him?" David sniffled. He was touched by Ricky's reaction but knew it was not the right way to face the situation. "He's in Hells Cell...he can't hurt anyone anymore...Besides, it's not the right thing to do," he said in a broken voice. "Here, you should drink some of this," Viktor said gently, pushing the coffee mug into David's hands. David grimaced at the black liquid but reluctantly took a sip. He cringe and gagged. He then took a deep breath, pinched his nose and took another sip. "What on earth is with all the shouting?" Atma asked in an irritated tone as she walked into the kitchen in her nightgown. She squinted at them, apparently having just been woken up by the commotion. "What's happened?" she asked as she realised exactly what she was seeing. --- "I want to fuck you every way that I can, in every part of this village." Donnie grinned as he watched Insanity get onto his knees. When Insanity seemed to pause, however, he glanced off to one side to see who he was referring to. Seeing Ricky's anger and hearing the pain in David's voice only made Donnie's pants grow a little tighter. He chuckled evilly. "That would be foolish, my love. Then they would know too soon that we've escaped. Not to mention we don't have the proper spells in place yet to protect us, should they decide to come looking. But don't you see? This is wonderful. Listen to the pure agony in David's voice. It's like music to my ears! It means I've almost completely broken him." he reached down to stroke Insanity's cheek then re-buckled his belt. "But they are getting restless, and that worries me. We should put these spells up before we rest and have any fun. Or they might ruin everything before our bet even begins." Moving to the outskirts of the village, Donnie began collecting stones which he then placed around the entire village in the form of one big seal. Once they were all in place, he began chanting his spells, making it so that no one could teleport to them or even enter their village. At least, not without them bringing them in personally. It was essentially the same spells that he'd put in place back in the mansions they'd previously hid in. As he chanted, the stones melted into the earth then solidified, creating a permanent seal around them. When he was done, he looked back at Insanity with a smirk. "There. Safe and sound. Now, where were we?" Denix Vames - December 15, 2021 "I gave it to him as a sign of his bravery. But I never thought it would do this." ,said X. He shook his head. "He's not like one of us. I can tell. He's something else but I don't know what." Jean slowly opened his eyes. He smiled at Hannes as a sudden wave of positive energy spread around everyone. "Hannes...." He cupped his cheek and kissed him. --- Gary smiled at Alex. Vincent smiled. "Maybe you're both right." Elliot opened his eyes. "Hey there. How do you feel?" He looked at him. "Like a million bucks. Damn thing was painful." "I can't imagine what it must have been like but we're safe now. And I'll always be here for you." He grabbed Vincent by his shirt and kissed him passionately. --- Tricky went to the back. Seeing that Phineas was still there. He smiled. "Good to see that I've still got my star." A red aura surrounded Phineas as he was filled with hate and sorrow. "What the-?!" Tricky was suddenly pinned to the ground. "Get them Patches! Don't let them win!" Autumn had sneaked by while they were fighting. She used the iron rod in order to break the lock off. She opened the cage. "C'mon Phineas. We can still-" Phineas's eyes were covered in a glowing red. His nails were sharp as his teeth were jagged. He grabbed the iron rod from her hands and slapped her. Making her fall back. With all the trauma he had gone through, he had become a poltergeist. He suddenly laughed maniacally. Tricky stood. "Now, you listen to me! You belong to me!" Phineas pierced the iron rod into his chest. Tricky's eyes widened as blood dripped from his mouth and wound. He collapsed. Having his heart destroyed, the spell was broken. All spirits were free. Phineas threw his body at the audience who screamed and ran out of the circus. He chuckled at their reactions. --- Gabriel walked over. He took the bracelet off before he hugged him. "I love you...And I'll never yell at you again." --- Will frowned. He hugged Parker. "I'm sorry the conversation didn't go so well. Maybe I should have said something before?" --- Balconi appeared in front Damien. "You should go back there and talk to them. I'm sure they'll understand why you did that. After all, I do. But things have changed for the better. You and I can be friends." --- Leo nodded. "That sounds about right. We should tell him about this. I'm sure him talking to her will make her feel better." Ricky slammed his fists against the floor. "Not right my ass! He deserves everything that's coming to him!" The mansion suddenly shook as his eyes glowed red just like Phineas's. Surprised by the shaking, his anger had stopped. Making the mansion still and his eyes normal again. --- Insanity passionately kissed him as he stroke his crotch. Shadowess - December 15, 2021 Jessica looked at Jean curiously. Then the aura hit everyone and suddenly, there didn't seem to be any sense in being suspicious of one another or for grudges to be held anymore. Hannes grinned at Jean and continued to smile into his kiss. "Meine Geliebte," he said softly before kissing him again, feeling consumed in bliss. Jessica looked at Ben, also feeling overwhelmed in positive emotion. She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Niko's worries seemed to lift and he looked around at the other vampires who all rose to their feet while looking around at each other, trying to fathom why they all suddenly feel very different. His eyes then landed on Racheal who was looking back at him with a softened expression. He watched her nervously as she approached him and stood a short distance away. "You've really changed?" She asked him in a soft voice. Holding his breath, Niko nodded. Racheal seemed thoughtful for a moment before nodding at him in turn. "I forgive you." Niko gasped and silently cried a little as he felt a weight lifting from his soul. "Thank you," he whispered between breaths. "Just don't let me down or make me regret it," Racheal added and Niko nodded at her with a small smile. "I swear," he said to her. Content with the outcome, Racheal turned away from Niko and walked back to Elimar. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her head against his. "I think I'm ready to let go of the past and focus more on my future with you," she whispered to him. Niko watched them for a moment. Simply glad she'd found someone who would cherish her the way he never did. He wiped away his tears then jumped as Gunnar's wide hand patted him on the back. "Maybe I shouldn't have been so critical of you, lad. You messed up but you paid for it tenfold," he said in a clear, loud voice for all the vampires in the room to hear. "Facing your faults takes some courage. More so to make amends." Gunnar looked around at the other vampires. "All in favour of allowing Niko to return home and be one of us again?" Almost the entire room lifted their hands. Niko stared at them all in shock. Absolutely overwhelmed with emotion. He sobbed openly, though he couldn't help the smile spreading across his face. "Well, there you have it. Welcome home Niko Bernbaum." Gunnar announced with a smile. --- Alex grinned at the happy couple. Rickster looked a little awkward as he took his eyes off the window to see what was going on. "Ah, um... I guess you guys are alright then. I'll just- um, I'll just head back and leave you to it. Give me a shout if you need help again." he said before vanishing. Once Rickster was gone, Alex chuckled and looked back at Gary. "Maybe we should let them get settled?" he suggested. --- Patches had run to try and help his master but froze on the spot with his hands in the air when Kodi pulled out a gun and aimed it at him. "Don't move!" Kodi had ordered while Harris and Autumn took care of Tricky and Phineas. Then a lot of things happened at once. All of it started when Phineas was freed from the cage. Hearing the slap and Autumn's cry, Kodi took his eyes off the clown to see what was happening. As he did, Patches ran at him and grabbed his arm. He forced his arm upwards just as Kodi pulled the trigger and tried to bite at his neck. Trying to avoid the clown's teeth, Kodi fell backwards with Patches falling on top of him. Kodi used his free hand to push at the clown's neck in a bid to keep his teeth away from him. While they wrestled, Patches paused and looked up when he heard his master trying to bark orders at Phineas. He looked up just in time to watch Tricky being killed and he let out an agonised, grief-stricken scream. Using the distraction to his advantage, Kodi punched the clown across the face. Knocking him off him. He then scrambled away from him and looked at Phineas in shock. "Phineas! Stop!" He shouted. Patches used this opportunity to run away from the scene, crying as he went. --- As soon as the bracelet was removed, Rob gasped as his wings burst through the back of his shirt. He then sighed in relief, feeling the magic that had been restraining him lifted. He relaxed into Gabriel's embrace and felt his heart flutter in his chest as Gabriel told him he loved him. "I love you too," he said softly, his voice still trembling a little from when Gabriel yelled. He stayed in his arms and moved to look at him in awe while caressing his cheek. "You're so beautiful," he whispered. --- Parker sighed and shook his head. "Forget it. He hasn't been around for my entire life. It's not like it's going to make a difference if he's not in it now. Maybe it's better if he's not...he seems a bit unstable." Meanwhile, River was taking this situation a little harder than Parker. Having gotten his hopes up of finally getting some answers and maybe even a chance to finally have a father. He hugged himself, staring off at the window as he tried to fathom whether he wanted to feel angry or sad about this. He fell quiet, withdrawn as he stared off into space. Replaying what just happened over and over in his mind. --- When Balconi appeared again, Damien looked at him suddenly with wild eyes before relaxing a bit as he realised he wasn't a threat. He'd been pacing one of his old homes situated in Poland. He hadn't yet noticed the thick layer of dust that covered all of his old possessions. "How?" he asked Balconi after listening to what he had to say. "Not the peace thing. I know my sister accomplished that. I mean, how do I explain this to them? Where do I even begin trying to explain why I just attacked someone that they know for no apparent reason?" He couldn't shake the image from his mind of the way his sons had looked at him in sheer disgust. "I got cocky... Meeting Alex and Jessica went so well that I thought this would be the same... But then I learn I basically have ANOTHER son and now they BOTH hate me." He said while pacing again. "Fuck! I knew coming back into their lives was a bad idea. They're better off without me..." --- David, Viktor and Atma looked around in alarm. Even Oscar looked around at the walls warily as the building shook. "What now?" He sighed heavily. David looked at Ricky with a pained expression. "Please...just stop..." he said quietly, in the same broken voice. "I don't want to think about Donnie anymore... I just... I just..." he put the coffee cup down and rubbed his eyes. "Want to sleep..." He almost fell off the stool but was caught by Viktor who looked between Atma and Ricky with a sad expression. "I'll put him in one of the spare rooms so he can get some sleep..." he said as David began to sob quietly again. He lifted him into his arms, surprising himself with how easy he found it, then left the kitchen to carry David up the stairs. Atma watched them go then looked at Ricky with the same worried expression. "Are you alright?" she asked him in a gentle tone. Just as she did, Rickster appeared in the room and immediately wrinkled his nose. "What smells like puke and booze?" he looked around quickly. "Did I miss a party?" --- Moaning, Donnie slipped his tongue into Insanity's mouth to deepen the kiss. His hands slid under Insanity's shirt and he ran his nails over his skin. Scratching him lightly.

Denix Vames - December 12, 2021 X said, "Now, if you would all-" "Liar!" Jean ran over. Standing in the middle. "You're nothing but a monster!" X's eyes widened at the sight of the red eye. "Jean? Where did you-?" "How can you believe him?! He only hurts people!" His red eye glowed. --- "I think we'll have to leave the party early. We should go home now." ,said Gary. Once everyone held hands, they would appear in Gary and Alex's home. "Make yourselves comfortable. You can put Elliot on the couch." Vincent did. --- Once Patches finished, Tricky snapped his fingers. Making the bodies vanish into thin air. He whipped the clown. "Next time get the job done right!" Autumn glared at the sight of Phineas being forced to perform. "Phineas!" Harris grabbed her arm. "Hold on a minute. There's a spell here that's keeping all the performers trapped. No one can release it unless they are the one who cast the spell. And I have very good idea on who it is. We need to find the boss of this place." Phineas soon went on the other side. He got down by ladder and began to balance on a large ball as he waved to the crowd. --- Gabriel appeared back home. "That lowlife! Thinking that he can tell me what to do!" He smashed a vase with his weapon. "I'll show him!" --- "No offense but that all sounds complicated. Why don't we use Phineas? You see, I've been sensing something about him. That maybe he's no ordinary spirit. We could use him as a weapon." ,said Insanity. --- Will glared. He grabbed Damien by his shirt. "Don't play this fucking game! You're here to try and kill us! Aren't you?" --- Leo appeared near Oscar. He covered his nose. "Oh god! I was gonna update you but I think I'll do that a bit later." Ricky headed downstairs. He was surprised to find David drunk. He walked over to him. "David? What's going on?" shadowess - December 12, 2021 "Jean!" Hannes called after him when he ran into the centre of the room. Niko turned to look at Jean with a horrified expression. His worry increased as it seemed like most of the other vampires in the room nodded in agreement with Jean. "N-nein!" he gasped while shaking his head a little, feeling his desperation growing. "I haven't lied! I swear!" Jessica turned and glared. She stood in front of Niko defensively and stared Jean down. Her own eyes began to shine red. "He's telling the truth," she said stubbornly. "He knows what he did was wrong and believe me, he's paid for it! He suffered through horrific things. Despite that, he put all of his trauma aside to try and be a good person. But he can't heal. Not properly, until he has a chance to come home and prove that he's changed!" Murmurs spread around the room. Mostly about how they were all only just realising that both Jessica and Ben were Blood Gods too. "How has he atoned?" Gunnar asked, speaking over the other vampires. "You say he suffered and that he has tried to do good but you haven't told us how. You expect us to just trust you blindly?" The other vampires hushed their whispers to look at Jessica expectantly. There was tension in the air. Gunnar, much like Jean, had just spoken up in blatant defiance of a Blood God. But he had asked a question that was burning in all of their minds. How were they supposed to trust Niko after the crimes he had committed? Jessica faltered. Her eyes rapidly returned to normal. Not wanting to announce to everyone here how Niko had suffered. "I- uh-..." she glanced back at Niko nervously. Seeing his down heartened expression, she regathered herself and looked back at the crowd. She had to try something. She didn't want to let him down. "He tried to protect me," she said and immediately, Gunnar looked at her sceptically. "Protect you how? You're a Blood God. He's just a vampire. Surely you are much more capable of defending yourself?" he questioned and once again, Jessica flustered. "He-... he's the one that turned me." That one sentence caused an uproar in the hall. How a Blood God is created had always been a mystery to these vampires but now they were supposed to believe that any ordinary vampire could just make one? Doubt, accusations and scepticism spread around the room like wildfire until Gunnar raised his voice. "QUIET." he barked in a commanding tone then looked at Jessica in ridicule. "Even if Niko had the ability to create a God, that would then make your opinion on this matter biased! You're as brainwashed as poor Racheal was when she first arrived in the castle! But, let's say for argument's sake that he did have the power to create you. You haven't explained how that happened or how Niko suffered." "I-I-! Why does that matter?!" Jessica snapped, her cheeks turning red. "He's apologised and he's trying to change! Why can't any of you see that?!" "Because you're not telling the truth! You're actively concealing it!" Gunnar argued. "How are we supposed to trust any of you if you won't tell us what happened?!" "I was raped!" Niko shouted, finally finding his courage. Almost immediately he came close to breaking down again but he stood firm and stared at Gunnar with a determined look. "I was kidnapped. Tortured by Demons then raped by them both. They starved me until I lost my senses then locked Jessica in the room with me. I fed on her." his voice quivered with a hint of guilt to his tone. "When I came to my senses, I realised what I'd done and tried to save her. I didn't know she'd become a Blood God. I didn't even know I had the ability to do that. I just wanted to save her. To do the right thing and right my wrongs. I vowed to protect her because I thought this could be my second chance to do for her what I never did for Racheal. But she's too strong...she doesn't need me... and no matter what I do out there, it will never make up for what I did to Racheal. It's her that I need to seek forgiveness from. It's her that I need to prove myself to. That's why I came back. I can change. I HAVE changed. I swear it. And I'll do anything you ask of me if it means that I can earn my place back in this castle. Please. PLEASE! I want to come home! I've learned! I'll do better! Please don't exile me. This is my family. This is my home." The room was quiet. Vampires exchanged uncertain looks with each other. None of them had expected the story that Niko had come out with. Gunnar was stroking his beard thoughtfully. "I believe we would need to deliberate on this." He said carefully while looking around the room. Judging by the nods he was getting from the other vampires, it seemed like they wanted to talk about this amongst themselves before casting a vote. He snapped his fingers and two of his trained warriors stepped forward. One of them was Egon. "These two will escort you three to an empty room," he said, pointing to Jessica, Niko and Ben. "You can understand why we don't trust you to go off on your own unmonitored within our home. Until we've talked about this, we must ask that you wait in that room." "So, that's it?" Jessica asked, lifting her arms by her sides briefly. "You're sending us away so you can judge him behind his back?!" "We have a right to be careful and to talk it through. What you have told us calls our very faith into question. If you really want us to consider Niko's requests then you will respect our processes." Jessica's shoulders slumped as she looked around the room at the other vampires who all stared back at her with stony expressions. She gave one last glare to Jean, blaming him for their doubt, before conceding and walking with Niko and Ben to the empty room. --- Alex watched Vincent and Elliot. He recognised what was happening to Elliot immediately. "How are you both doing?" he asked Vincent gently. Meanwhile, Rickster moved over to the windows to shut the curtains quickly before anyone could catch a glance at him through the glass. He peered out from the side of the curtains to make sure no one outside saw him. "Had to be London..." he muttered to himself. --- Although Patches had some magical abilities, they were only minor. So he was always amazed whenever Tricky used his powers. He was still licking the blood off his fingers when the bodies vanished and he bounced on his knees excitedly at the sight. Until the first whipping struck him and he jumped, screamed and scrambled across the floor to the corner of the room where he cowered away from Tricky. He groaned and screamed with each lashing. When he managed to look up guiltily at Tricky, his tears had left clean lines through his pale makeup. "He's right," Kodi said quietly to them. "We're well hidden here. If we're patient and hold out until Phineas's act is over then we'll see who this ring leader is when they announce the next performer. Then we can sneak into the back and ambush him. What do you think?" --- Hearing Gabriel's shouting, Robert paused mid-polish and looked up. Carefully, he placed the golden ornament down on the mantle then turned to walk into the next room. He jumped and froze when he heard the vase smashing in the next room, followed by Gabriel shouting some more. Immediately, Robb became nervous. Gabriel was a beautiful Angel. Beyond beautiful. But when he was angry, he was absolutely terrifying. Swallowing his nerves, he cautiously made his way to the doorway and looked in on him. "G-Gabri- M-master Gabriel?" he quickly corrected himself. "I-is everything alright?" --- Donnie was a little annoyed that Insanity didn't agree to his plan but he smirked playfully as an idea crossed his mind. "I have another idea." he chuckled. "Let's make this a game. Whoever becomes a Devil first, wins. You do your plan and I'll do mine." he shrugged. "Then, whoever wins changes the other one too and we celebrate by slaughtering those bastards for locking us up and always getting in the way! What do you think?" --- Damien didn't flinch nor react when Will grabbed him. Merely stared at Will with mild amusement. "A Leviathan, huh?" he asked calmly then looked at Parker and chuckled. "Attaboy." Parker was too stunned by the news to react. River too, for that matter. Damien, meanwhile, looked back at Will calmly. "Listen, I'm not here to cause trouble. All I want is the opportunity to explain myself. Then, if Parker decides he doesn't want anything to do with me, I'll respect his decision. Cool?" --- Oscar rose an eyebrow at Leo as he took his soiled clothes off and threw them into the laundry basket. "Hey, I'm the one who got puked on." he chuckled. "Plus, my Demon form is a Dragon...my sense of smell is way more sensitive than yours and it also happens to be in my tongue, so how do you think I feel?" he asked as he walked into the en suite bathroom, leaving the door open so that Leo could continue talking to him as he climbed into the shower. "So, how did it go? Did you see Patience? How did she look? Also, what's Heaven like?" Viktor had just finished pouring David a mug of coffee and placed it on the table in front of him. He shrugged at Ricky when he came into the room to show he had no idea what was going on either. At Ricky's question, David sniffled, on the verge of tears again. "Patience broke up with me," he said in a broken voice. His words still slurring heavily. He leant on the table with his head in his hands. "I failed again." Denix Vames - December 12, 2021 X's eyes glowed as he glared at everyone. His wings sprouted. He flew up into the air. Just as Jean was about to attack Jessica, X shouted, "STOP! Niko is telling the truth! I will have no more childish banter in my home!" --- Vincent frowned. He got to his knees where he placed his head over Elliot's chest. "I wish none of this happened. I can't stand it. Seeing him this way...." Gary walked over. "It's not all that bad. I'm doing alright myself." Vincent sighed. "I suppose you are." --- "It's worth a shot." ,said Harris. Autumn nodded. Phineas had left the stage. Having gone to the back of it where he was forced to go into a cage. He sobbed in it. The next performer was already up on stage. --- "That damn doctor disobey me! He wouldn't listen to me! I told him that we needed to see Patience and he kept saying no!" ,said Gabriel. His eyes gleamed. "I've got it! I'll chop his head off! You can watch." --- Insanity smiled. "I do like games." He caressed his cheek before kissing him. "But I'll need the ability to teleport. I'm not quite certain if you gave that to me already or not. And I'll need a tool that can keep a soul chained to my command." --- Will growled before letting him go. "Fine." He stepped into the house where he stood nearby. Ready to attack if needed. --- Leo leaned against the wall. "That's the thing. We couldn't see her. The doctor said that she needed some time alone. All of a sudden Gabriel got pissed off. He threatened to chop the guy's head off if he disagreed with him next time. Then he gave him the angelic knife and told him to tell her that we were all here for her." He shrugged. "And Heaven's like....Heaven." Ricky's eyes widened. "What?! Why?" He sat next to him. "David, you have to explain everything. Please. Maybe I can fix this." shadowess - December 13, 2021 Niko had seen the danger and had jumped between Jean and Jessica defensively just as X had started flying. Everyone in the room had jumped when X's voice had boomed throughout the hall. Immediately, all the other vampires in the room fell to their knees and bowed to X. Fearful that they'd made him angry. Jessica and Niko remained on their feet. Niko didn't dare to take his eyes off Jean as he watched him warily. Jessica had looked at Jean in surprise when she realised he'd been about to attack her. She then watched the way the other vampires reacted to X and she realised that what she and Ben were didn't really matter here. They might be respected for being Blood God, but X was undeniably the King here. Jessica took note of this. She would need to be a little more careful about how she conducted herself while they were here. After all, they weren't quite the authority she'd first assumed. More like 'honoured guests'. But that 'honour' could potentially be subjective, depending on their actions. If X ever decided to turn against them, he had what was effectively an entire army here to back him up. --- "I know that what you're going through isn't easy," Alex said gently. "If I'm being honest, I didn't know what to expect when Gary changed. I was nervous. But honestly, once you get that first moon out of the way, the rest is easy. He's in full control of himself now and it's almost like nothing really changed. He's still the man that I fell in love with at the end of the day." --- "What the hell? Where's the ring leader?!" Kodi muttered to them. Noticing that the next act hadn't actually been announced. "Fuck. Alright, plan B. Let's sneak into the back and get a look at what we're up against. Careful you're not seen!" --- Robert's face turned pale. "N-!" he was about to say no but seeing how angry Gabriel already was after being told 'no' by someone else, he didn't dare. Instead, he shook his head a little and gave him an imploring look. "Please. I-I know you're angry but please don't hurt anyone. I-It won't solve anything. Maybe w-we could try talking to him again? When you've calmed down a bit. I-I could make you some tea. Would that help?" he tried desperately then almost forgot himself and added. "Master?" --- "I suppose it would make for a fairer bet. I have just the abilities." Donnie smiled, kissing him again. "I have the ability to 'possess' others. If you focus on your target and mutter a specific spell, they will behave exactly as you want without you needing to give orders verbally. The words are..." he leant in to whisper the spell in the demonic tongue to Insanity with a smirk. "The best part about this spell? The target doesn't need to hear it for it to work." he winked. "Now, to give you this ability. You know the drill, this will hurt," he said as he brought his hands up to either side of Insanity's head and pushed his abilities into him. "Now then. First things first. We need to fortify our lair. Then I can resurrect you so you can teleport to Earth at will. THEN our bet can truly begin. But before all of that..." Donnie's hand slid into the front of Insanity's pants and he grinned at him lustfully. --- Damien grinned at Will's readiness to fight him. At least he knew Parker was well protected. "Nice place." He said, looking around as he stepped into the house. River followed, watching Damien carefully with a dumbstruck expression. Technically speaking, Damien was River's father too. "You're mother would've been proud. Nice house, protective lover...you've really done well for yourse-" Parker's fist struck Damien's jaw but with how strong he was, Damien barely moved and merely looked at Parker in surprise as he watched his son stumble back, groaning while cradling his hand in apparent pain. "Huh...you really ARE my son!" Damien grinned, earning a scowl from Parker. "Fuck you!" Parker snapped. He looked down at his hand and winced. It had already turned red and started to swell. "Fuck...I think I broke it. The fuck are you made out of?!" "Calm down. Stick your hand in a bowl of ice, I'm sure it'll be fine." Damien said calmly. "Fuck you!" Parker snapped again. "Who the hell do you think you are?? S-saying that you're my dad? My dad is dead! And good riddance! That lying, cheating bastard didn't give a shit about my mom!" For a second, Damien seemed hurt but he quickly hid it and sighed while looking away from Parker. "I had to leave. I didn't have a choice. And I meant what I said, if you don't want anything to do with me then I'll respect that. The only thing that I'm asking of you, is that you just give me the chance to explain my side of things." "Why should I?!" Parker demanded, glaring at his father angrily. "Why now?! Why come back now, huh?! Why not when I was a kid?! Why not when I was kidnapped by a psychotic vampire?! All those times I needed you, you weren't there! Well now I don't need you, and I don't need to hear your fucking sob story!" "Maybe I wana hear it!" River snapped back, looking at Parker desperately. "I have just as much right!" Parker paused and Damien turned to look at River in confusion. "Uh...ok?" "M-my name is River." River began, now turning to look at Damien. "I was born when Parker became a Blood God for a while. I didn't have a body of my own, so I was stuck in his head." he pointed at Parker. "Wait, I'm confused." Damien shook his head and stared at River. "I already met Alex." "Yeah...Alex was the second soul that was stuck in Parker but I was a manifestation of the Blood God energy that was created when Parker changed. Except...I developed a mind of my own too." "So...you look like this guy because...?" Damien asked, still clearly confused. "Because Will made a body for me out of his own body." River answered. "It's a long story. I started off crazy. Then a Leviathan called Hades kicked the shit out of me and trapped me into a fake eye. That fake eye was put into Will then when I gained my sanity, Will put me into this body." "...Makes sense..." Damien commented but still looked a little lost. "So, wait...that would make you-?" "Technically your son, too. In much the same way that Alex is." Damien blinked and looked between them all for a moment. "Oh, this family tree is way more complicated than I first thought..." "Who the fuck cares?!" Parker shouted. "Are you serious right now?!" he yelled at River. "If this guy really is who he says he is then I don't want shit to do with him!" "So that means that I can't have anything to do with him either?!" River shouted back. "How is that fair?!" "Fair?! FAIR?! You wana talk about fair?! HE LEFT OUR MOTHER! HE LEFT US IN POVERTY WITH OUR GRANDMA WHO DIDN'T EVEN LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO SEE US GRADUATE!" "WE SHOULD HEAR HIM OUT!" "HE SHOULD LEAVE!!" --- Oscar looked at Leo while rubbing soap onto his body. "I've never been to Heaven. The war had already started before I was even born. Apparently, before that, Demons and Angels had free reign and could visit either world whenever they wanted." he seemed thoughtful for a minute as he stood in the stream of the hot shower to wash off the soap. "David said it was because Donnie hurt her. I don't know. Something like this isn't an easy fix. If we try pushing too hard to see her, we might end up doing more damage and push her further away. I guess the main thing is that she knows we're here for her when she's ready. Sometimes, that's the best help we can give." he said gently. He turned off the shower and stepped out. Steam still rising off his skin as he picked up a towel and wrapped it around his waist. "We'll keep trying," he assured Leo with a nod. "Not by trying to force her to see us. Maybe you could visit the hospital once per day, just to show her that she's not alone? Maybe that'll help her? Or...I duno, is there anyone else she knows that she trusts like she trusted David? Maybe she'll talk to them?" David sobbed into his hands. "D-Donnie... that bastard! He wanted to punish me for betraying him years ago... he kidnapped her... he hurt her... I didn't even know she was missing until it was too late! I was too busy helping everyone else! I wasn't even the one who saved her in the end! and now she can't look at me without seeing him! She tried... she tried to make things work but she couldn't stop reliving what he did to her... she wouldn't let me hold her... she stopped sleeping... she stopped eating... she said she needed help and that she was going to give herself over to the mental hospital in Heaven... but that she had to let me go too... She told me this was goodbye then just left... I tried to see her but the doctors kept turning me away. She doesn't want to see anyone." he told Ricky between sobs.

shadowess - December 11, 2021 Even Jessica was taken aback by X's willingness to listen to her. For a moment after X had vanished, she stood in stunned silence while looking awkwardly at Elimar and Racheal. They heard X's voice boom through the castle, causing the rest of its inhabitants to stir. Niko swallowed nervously, not daring to look up at Elimar and Racheal. He shivered, knowing that his return wouldn't be a welcome one. "We should go... We shouldn't keep them waiting..." he said shakily. "Right." Jessica nodded, still looking at Elimar. "We'll teleport ahead and see you there," she said seriously as she took Niko and Ben's hand then teleported to X's side in the hall. They watched from the end of the room as curious (some even angry) vampires filed into the room. "It'll be alright," she said to Niko quietly. "You've changed. We just need to get them to see that." --- Alex frowned. He knew what Gary meant. He'd seen Gary almost die enough times that he was petrified of losing him. He couldn't even begin to imagine what it would do to him if he ever saw Gary die. Caressing his cheek lovingly, Alex looked into his eyes. "It's alright. I don't want you to have to go through that... If there's no other way though, then maybe you don't have to see me 'die'? Like, I could just 'go for a walk' one day and then come back as a Devil. That way it'd be no different than me going out to get a new haircut or a tattoo or something." he suggested, hoping it would make the idea a little easier to handle. "If you think about it...I already had to die once to become human. This would be no different." --- Kodi walked back to Harris and Autumn to take their hands. A second later they stood in the break room of the precinct again. Kodi sniffed the air but any scent that was around was long gone by now. He looked around and spotted something on the floor. Picking it up, he looked it over. "Autumn, stay here where it's safe. Harris..." he turned to look at him. "Hope you're not afraid of clowns. Because we're going to the circus." he held out his hand for him to take. --- Patches the cannibal clown teleported back to his home and his master. Donnie had paid Tricky handsomely to hire his 'muscle' for a job that was unsuccessful. While Phineas was forced to perform, Patches approached Tricky behind the curtain with a guilty look while fiddling with his hands nervously. With no lips, he couldn't speak. So he communicated through grunts and other such noises. He made a quiet, sad sound as he hung his head and averted his eyes from his boss. An apology for not delivering the child as promised. He then made another saddened sound and rubbed his belly to signal that he hadn't been able to eat the fathers either and was therefore still hungry. --- Hannes looked at his crystal curiously. Before he could really think on it further, they heard X's voice echo from the main hall. Hannes froze, staring at the door. "Niko is here?" he gasped. He looked back at Jean. His eyes had a small glimmer of hope but at the same time, he seemed hesitant. "Do you think he could really have changed?" he asked then held out a hand for him. "Come. We must go and see." --- The doctor's patient smile wavered at Gabriel's outburst. His eyes hardened but the smile remained. Quietly, he stood and stared at both Gabriel and Leo for a moment. "Of course. I do not have the authority to disobey an Arch Angel. However, for the sake of my patient, I must ask you to consider Patience's health. Do you really think barging in and demanding that she talk to someone when she is barely able to help herself is right? Or even fair? Think it over. But if you really must insist, then I will lead you to her room." he said firmly before turning and leaving the room. Patience was sitting in what looked like an ordinary hospital room. She wore the typical hospital gown while she sat in the bed. A nurse finished drawing some of her blood into a small syringe and placed it onto a metal tray. "We'll know the results soon. You should think about what you want to do... Just in case." the nurse said to her quietly. Patience nodded but stared down at her hands with a faraway look in her eyes. --- Biting his lip a little, Theo moaned and caught his breath before pushing Greg down onto the bed. He looked at him with lustful eyes. "You're making me want to go wild on you," he said as he climbed onto the bed, poising himself over him. "Prepare yourself." he began unbuckling Greg's belt with one hand. "I don't believe in showing mercy," he smirked. --- 'Fireworks it is.' Donnie thought to him as he tilted his body in the air, turning to fly towards the village. As he approached, the souls ran out of their tents to look up at him in horror. Immediately, they began running. Abandoning their village and darting across the open fields. Donnie opened his jaws and spewed liquid fire at them. Setting the fields and the souls on fire. They screamed, dropping to the ground and writhed in pure agony as they burned until their bodies simply dropped. As they 'died', their bodies vanished one by one as the souls would awaken elsewhere in Hell. Likely separated from each other in random parts of this world. Donnie encircled the area for a few minutes until it was cleared of souls before landing on the still smouldering ground. The powerful gusts from his wings put out the flames but the ground was still very hot to the touch. To Donnie in his current form, this was a comfortable heat. He landed close enough to the village to allow Insanity to climb down where it was safe from the flames. 'Shall we claim this remote land for our own?' he suggested. He then tilted his head and looked away for a moment, honing in on Alex and Gary's conversation. He chuckled to himself in a sinister way. 'My love, I do believe there might be a way for me to become a Devil after all.' --- River hugged Will back, unable to contain his smile. "It's good to be back," he said then glanced to one side and noticed a red-haired stranger nearby who was watching them. "Who's that?" --- Rickster nodded. Then realised Ricky couldn't see him nod. "A-alright. Alright. We're going now. Ricky, tell Atma and Viktor. Look out for each other until I get back. I don't know what species he is or if he has powers but we can't rule anything out. I love you." he said hurriedly before ending the call and looking at Vincent. "We gotta go. C'mon, I'll take you straight to Gary and Alex." Denix Vames - December 11, 2021 X took a step forward to the crowd which Hannes and Jean was a part of now. "I know this is strange but hear what Niko has to say. He has understand the wrongs that he has done. In doing so, he has done many rights. Please listen to him." He placed a hand on Niko's shoulder. "You have the floor." --- "I guess that could work. Just promise me that you'll be back? I don't know where that Donnie guy is. And anything could happen." ,said Gary who cupped his cheeks. Looking into his eyes. --- Harris was about to take his hand when Autumn shouted, "No!" They looked at her. She ran over. "I can't leave him! He's my friend! All of you are! We don't leave friends behind!" Harris bit his lip. "She might be helpful. She was able to calm him when he was about to attack us." --- Tricky glared. "What kind of killer are you? Can't even take down a couple of nobodies." He rolled his eyes. "I'll take care of this hunger problem. Give me a minute." He headed to the crowd where he peeked in and convinced a couple to go to the back of the circus. They followed him where he shoved them towards Patches. "And don't worry. The crowd won't hear them scream so enjoy your meal before I discipline you." Phineas was balancing on a tightrope as he was holding the iron rod. Focused on not falling. But with the spells around here, he would be fine. Still, he didn't like doing this. He frowned but suddenly smiled when one of the performers told him to smile by moving their hands. --- Gabriel grit his teeth and grabbed the angelic knife from Leo. He appeared in front of the doctor. "Here." He placed the knife in his hand. "Give this to her. Let her know that David was holding on to it. And let her know that all of her friends are here for." He glared. "But I swear if you disobey me again, I will have your head." He cut his cheek with his spear before disappearing. Leo assumed he could leave so he disappeared too. Wondering what was going on with Gabriel. --- Greg smiled. "At this point, I don't want you to! Give me everything that you've got!" (private time) --- Insanity looked around. "I think this will fit us nicely." He raised a brow. "Oh? Does that mean I'll get a chance to become one too?" --- "Oh. That's Parker. My boyfriend. You two have met before under different circumstances. Parker, this is River. My now twin brother." ,said Will who had stood back to let them look at each other. --- Ricky sighed when he heard him hung up. He would tell Viktor and Atma news about this. Vincent held Elliot in his arms as he walked over. Letting Rickster teleport them. Shadowess - December 11, 2021 Niko nodded at X then stepped forward. He looked around anxiously at all the scornful faces. He swallowed, trying to keep himself together. Knowing that the majority of the room spoke mainly German, he decided to speak in his native tongue so that everyone could understand him. Unfortunately, this would mean that Racheal, Jean and Jessica wouldn't be able to understand what he was saying. He wasn't sure about Ben but he guessed that with his telepathy, he'd be able to understand his intention regardless. "Decades ago, your people found four boys who had gotten lost in the woods. Helpless humans." he looked over at Hannes. "Brothers and best friends who went on an 'adventure' but lost their way. By the time you found them, they had been lost for days. Their families had given up hope of finding them. They were starved. Thirsty. Cold..." he paused and continued to look around the room. "You could have left them out there. It would have been safer for you. After all, humans only ever brought you pain and fear. Why should you help them? But you did... You took them in and raised them alongside your own children. They wouldn't remember what their lives were before the forest but that didn't matter to them. Because they were happy, healthy...loved." Niko swallowed and wiped away a couple of tears that fell. "When they came of age you offered to make them truly a part of your family and they accepted without hesitation. Because this was their home and they would have it no other way..." Niko's lower lip shook a little as he lowered his head for a moment and had to regather his strength to keep going. "I let you down. You took me in. You taught me your laws. You gave me shelter, safety and love and I threw it all away. All because I let my anger and my grief get the better of me." he lifted his head and looked at them all tearfully. "I don't deny what I did. But I regret it. I'm sorry. I know I can never take it back. While I've been gone, I've done everything that I could to make amends for my actions here but I know that it will never erase what I did to Racheal!" He looked at her and now he began speaking in English. Tears streaming down his cheeks. "Racheal, I can't take away what I did to you. But I know it was wrong. I know that I hurt you. I did awful things to you because I was angry at the hunters. It wasn't right and I will never be able to make up for it. I should have been better. I should never have hurt you. I'm so sorry, Racheal. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He broke down and began sobbing into his hands. Jessica ran over and wrapped her arms around him, turning him around to help him walk back to where they'd previously been standing so that they could let the votes get started. Racheal had been watching in tearful, stunned silence. She shook in Elimar's arms and her heart was racing. She didn't know how to think or feel anymore. She wanted to forgive him but a small, scarred part of her still thought that this was all some elaborate trick. Hannes was also shaking a little as he held Jean's hand. Waiting in tense anticipation for the votes to begin. Being one of the boys from Niko's story, Hannes wanted desperately for him to be forgiven. After all, they had been childhood best friends. --- "I promise." Alex smiled. "You saw my dad. I don't think this Donnie guy would be much of a match against him." he grinned. "And once I'm a Devil, I might even be able to take him on." Just as Alex said this, Rickster, Vincent and Elliot appeared in the middle of the dance floor with them. Rickster looked around with red cheeks. "Oh... I didn't know you were at a thing..." he said in embarrassment. "Sorry, we wouldn't have barged in if it wasn't an emergency," he said while also still looking around nervously. In a past life, Rickster had sort of made a name for himself in the United Kingdom and was currently wanted for trafficking narcotics in and out of the country... as well as the odd human. --- Despite being a good foot or so taller than Tricky, Patches still cowered and whimpered as Tricky scolded him and threatened discipline. When Tricky said he'd solve his hunger problem, Patches clapped his hands while jumping up and down excitedly. Patches always thought of himself as a predator, and of humans as prey. He'd always been fascinated by animal documentaries when he'd been growing up and had compared himself to large cats when they hunted. For example, most big cats bite into their prey's necks to kill them before feasting on their remains. So, when Tricky threw the surprised humans to him and he caught them with his large, strong hands. He wasted no time and yanked each one to himself, wrapping his mouth around their necks and biting down as hard as he could. Crushing their windpipes and severing their arteries. He held onto the other tightly as they screamed and struggled to get out of his grip. Yet he wouldn't release his jaw until his first victim fell limp and he could drop them without fear of them making noise or running away. He would then do the same to the second one. Once that was done, he knelt by their bodies and began his feast. Eating from them greedily as he cut open their bellies to eat their organs. He never bothered with fat and muscle. That was too much work for not nearly enough nutrients. Just the vital organs were enough for him. --- Kodi wanted to argue but he knew that if they wasted time on this then their chances of saving Phineas would be slim. He was visibly torn but he relented as he offered Autumn his other hand. "Fine. But at the first sign of trouble, I want you to run, hide somewhere and wait for one of us to come and find you. Got it?" He teleported them to the circus, behind the audience where they'd blend in with the rest of the patrons. Looking up to where everyone else was looking, Kodi spotted Phineas. "This place reaks of magic..." he muttered to the other two. "We should be careful...I should have brought back up..." he looked around the place, making a headcount of how many other performers there were. "We need to help these people... but we also gotta bear in mind that not all of them might be here against their will... Thoughts?" --- The doctor had gasped when the spear cut his cheek. One of the nurses had run over once Gabriel had vanished but the doctor held up a hand to stop them. He dabbed a couple of his fingers against his fresh cut, looked at the blood on them then sighed. He headed over to Patience's room and peered at her through the window in the door. By now, the nurse who had taken her blood had already wheeled the metal trolley away to the testing room. Leaving Patience alone in her room. The doctor watched her as she lifted her knees up on the bed and sobbed into them silently. He frowned and stepped away from the door to look at the knife that Gabriel had put into his hands. Right now she was vulnerable and knowing that the man she had just left was in possession of such a weapon would only make things worse for her. He hesitated, wanting to walk away but also not wanting to risk the wrath of Gabriel. After all, he had a bit of a reputation. Steeling himself, he took a deep breath and entered the room. "Good evening Patience." he greeted her in a quiet but warm tone. Patience had gasped and sat up, hurriedly wiping away her tears. He paused when she saw the knife in the doctor's hands. "Doctor?" "There's something that I need to tell you... I know you're not having an easy time right now, and I'm sorry for this but I have no choice..." he said as he took a seat in the chair next to her bed. He then proceeded to tell her Gabriel's message. Back in Gabriel's home, Robert had been making himself busy by polishing Gabriel's ornaments and possessions. Wondering what the story behind each item was as he went along. This just happened to be one of those days where Gabriel didn't need him with him while out on his duties, so he could focus on simply keeping the house clean. --- Donnie shifted back into his human form and walked over to Insanity. Holding his arms, he looked at him with pure excitement. "Yes, my love!" he beamed. "It won't be easy, but I think I know just how we can do it! Do you recall that shape-shifting Demon? Desi? His power became benign when he split into two. But there is a way for me to take it from him. You see, he might not be able to use it himself, but he can still bestow it on others." he explained as he let go of Insanity's arms to begin pacing. A mad look in his eyes. "We take something from him. Something he cares about. We force him to give us his gift as a ransom. But the ransom will be a trick. We then trap him and hide him here so he can't tell anyone what we've done. You take his form and pretend to be him so that no one misses him and comes looking for him. I'll then kidnap Alex and hide him here too. I'll take his form and trick his father into changing me into a Devil." he chuckles. "It's too perfect! Once I am a Devil, I'll destroy Damien then fetch you. I'll change you into a Devil as well then we'll destroy Hell's King and Queen so that we can take this world for our own!" --- "I know who Parker is..." River said as he took his eyes off the stranger in the nearby yard, glancing into Will's house at a puzzled looking Parker who looked right back at them. He then turned his head again to look at the other red-headed male who, apart from having longer hair, looked almost identical to Parker. "That's not Parker." Then male smiled and took out a pack of cigarettes in a calm way. He didn't seem to be in any kind of rush or alarm as he brought one of the sticks up to his lips and lit it with the end of his thumb. "No, I am not," he said with a chuckle. "But you don't need to worry. Sorry if I startled you...I was just considering how best to approach the house when you showed up." he explained while approaching them cautiously. He peered over Will's shoulder curiously to look at Parker and gasped softly. "You really do look like me," he said quietly. "Who the fuck are you?" Parker demanded. After all he and his friends had gone through, he was quick to become defensive. The male didn't answer immediately. Instead, he averted his gaze while taking a drag on the cigarette. Exhaling the smoke away from them out of courtesy, he looked back at him with a serious expression. "My name is Damien Sedley," he answered. "I'm your dad." Both Parker's and River's eyes widened. --- At this time of night, Atma would be asleep in her bed. Meanwhile, Viktor was just getting home after yet another night out with Bryce. He was smirking to himself as he walked through the door and closed it quietly behind him, trying not to wake anyone up. He headed towards the kitchen while humming to himself. Daydreaming as he opened the fridge to look for a light snack. He damn near had a heart attack when Oscar and David appeared in the kitchen and David's hiccup make him jump out of his skin. Viktor then wrinkled his nose at the smell coming from the two and quickly noticed the vomit covering Oscar's clothes. "Disgusting! I don't believe I'm hungry anymore..." he said moodily while slamming the fridge door shut. "Ugh...please don't mention food..." David slurred, looking a little green in the face again. "Oh, you're not going to puke again, are you?? There's a toilet right down the hall. If you're going to do it anywhere, do it there!" Oscar said as he helped David onto one of the stools at the island counter. "I don't think that is a good idea...He barely looks like he's able to stand. Never mind balance on a stool..." Viktor pointed out. "Make yourself useful and put on some coffee for him, would you?" Oscar snapped. Viktor rolled his eyes and tutted but he turned around to head towards the coffee maker. "No...tea..." David complained drunkenly. "No. Coffee," Oscar said firmly. "It'll sober you up better than tea can." "I don't think it really matters," Viktor commented. "Whatever. Tea, coffee, water... just give him something to help him sober up would you?" "Wait, where are you going?" Viktor asked, turning around to see Oscar leaving the kitchen while taking his shirt off. "Where do you think? I need a shower and a change of clothes. I'll be back in five minutes. Just make sure he doesn't fall over." Oscar called back as he headed towards the stairs. He nodded at Ricky on his way past. "Evening..."

shadowess - December 6, 2021 Racheal had screamed when Niko appeared in the room with strangers and had darted behind Elimar for protection. She fearfully peered over his shoulder at them. Niko watched her with a guilty expression. He couldn't bring himself to look Elimar in the eyes. Jessica had shrugged at Ben's explanation and muttered to him discretely. "Devil's actually but close enough..." she then looked at the way Elimar was watching them and guessed by the way he spoke about them that his people held a lot of respect for their kind. "We came to get Niko a Pardon. He wants to apologise to Racheal and come home. He's changed. I promise he's not the same vampire that was banished by your King. We can vouch for him. He saved my life and has gone out of his way to look out for us since he came into our lives." she said directly. "Who is your King? Could you arrange for us to speak to him? We'll do whatever it takes." Racheal shivered but she stayed quiet as she hugged Elimar's back. She had experienced how manipulative Niko could be, so she wasn't quick to trust that he'd changed. Yet she remained silent. Terrified that anything she'd say might make Niko angry. --- Alex looked up at Gary and caught his breath. He thought for a minute. "Really? You'd let me change?" he asked then contemplated his options. "Since I became human, I've longed to be at least a vampire again...but thinking about it...now, I'm not too sure," he said uncertainly. "I wasn't a good person when I changed and I don't want to risk that happening again." he brought his eyes up to look into Gary's. "Maybe...maybe it's fate that my dad came back? Maybe this could be my second chance to be a full-blooded Devil again. Uncorrupted...and really loved this time." he smiled at Gary, feeling his heart swell at the knowledge that he had Gary's support and love. --- Kodi smiled. "Careful, they get hot after a while." he then paused. "Wait, weren't there light bulbs in your time?" he asked, looking over his old clothes and trying to guess the era he was from. He turned to his desk in the corner of the room and sat in front of the computer, powering it up. "Make yourselves at home. Harris, there's a spare bedroom upstairs. It's the first door on the right. You can sleep in there while you're staying here, ok?" he said without looking at them as he typed his password into the welcome screen. --- Hannes gave Jean an understanding smile. "Meine Geliebte, you're worrying too much. Try to relax. You'll fit in with them, I just know it." he said gently as they reached their door and he unlocked it, letting Jean in ahead of himself. "You must try not to judge them before you get to know them. All I'm saying is, they might have a different sense of humour or way of showing comradery than what you are used to." --- One of the angelic nurses paused in his tracks when Gabriel and Leo arrived. "Oh, an Arch Angel?" he muttered nervously, not sure about what to do or how to greet him. Awkwardly, he curtseyed to him then averted his gaze, his face turning a little red. "H-Hi- welcome! Arch Angel Gabriel. How can we help you today?" he asked then spotted Leo, knowing immediately that he wasn't an Angel. "Oh... Have we started the trial already? I didn't think that was going ahead for another few weeks..." he asked, confused. The trial in question was in relation to Demons being allowed access into Heaven one day. With the peace treaty almost solidified and David's promising trial in regards to his own access to Heaven, the Arch Angels had been negotiating the potential for allowing more Demons into Heaven on a trial basis in the hopes that things could return to the way things had been before Lucifer had declared War. Though the original plan was to invite Hell's royal family up first. --- "I'll be fine." Rickster let out a nervous chuckle. "I'll lay low and stick to the shadows. I'll stay in my dog form while I keep watch so I can't be identified..." He spotted a pink ribbon stuck on the branch of the tree in the yard across the street. It billowed a little and looked like it had gotten caught after being blown there in the wind. It caught his eye but it was something so small. Insignificant. He disregarded it immediately. "I promise, I won't do anything reckless." he continued to Ricky. --- Caressing Greg's cheek, Theo brought his hand down to cup his chin. He brought his lips close to his and continued to stare directly into his eyes. "This feeling," he whispered then slowly captured his lips with his own. The kiss only lasted a moment as Theo paused to look into his eyes again, gauging whether or not he'd crossed a line or if Greg would reciprocate his advances. --- Donnie glanced off to one side to see who Insanity was referring to then grinned. "I suppose we do need to replace the last pet you had. We should plan things better this time so that he doesn't escape," he said while stepping away and looking around them briefly. "Hell is far larger than you can imagine. For every soul that lands here, it expands. Now imagine just how many people die in a day...then imagine how many people have died throughout history. So, there are bound to be areas that have yet to be explored. Some areas might even be brand new. I'm sure we'll find something that suits our needs. Then I'll put down my spells to stop unwanted guests from just popping in. Our first challenge is finding such a place. We can't simply teleport to a place if we have no idea what it even looks like. We'll have to find it manually..." Donnie chuckled. "And I have a perfect method for travel. Come, I'll give you a 'lift'." he winked as he took his hand and guided him out of the prison. Once outside, he walked away from Insanity then shifted into his reptilian form. Then, within minutes, he grew rapidly into a full-sized, black scaled dragon. He turned his large head to look at Insanity then lowered his body to allow him to climb onto his back, intending to fly across the expanse of Hell in search of their new 'home'. Denix Vames - December 7, 2021 X appeared. He glared at first but then smiled. "I see what's going on here. However, this isn't how things work. He can't stay. No one would let him live if I even pardoned him. And besides, I rather not have him here. Especially with her living here." He fixed his tie. "I know he's changed but he needs to redeem himself somewhere else. He can, however, apologize to Rachael." Elimar stood. Keeping her close. "Don't worry. I'm right here and so is our King." --- Gary frowned. "But don't you become a Devil by having died? Or is there another way?" --- "My family preferred candles." ,said Phineas. His eyes widened at the sight of the computer. He reached out. "It's a computer but don't push it or anything. You don't want to break it." ,said Autumn. "Oh." Phineas looked around then went upstairs. Exploring the rest of Kodi's home. He realized quickly that his iron rod wasn't in his hand. Wishing that he could get it back. He suddenly found it on the floor in front of him. Not thinking about the weirdness of it, he picked it up. Happy to find it. The mystery man in the top hat had grabbed him from behind. Covering his mouth. Phineas screamed but it came out as muffles. Still, they were loud enough to be heard. "Phineas!" Autumn and Harris ran upstairs. By the time they got there, he was already gone. Autumn gasped. Harris shook his head. "How? Who was watching us?" They ran to Kodi. "Something's wrong! We think Phineas has been kidnapped!" ,said Autumn. --- Jean smiled. "You're probably right." He sat on a chair. Looking at the crystal again. He closed his eyes. Enjoying this calm feeling coming from it. Something that he could only feel. The crystal suddenly glowed as his hair floated in place. He felt a pure sense of energy fill him. Then the crystal stopped its actions. His eyes opened. One of his eyes was red. --- "This is nothing about that." said Gabriel. "I need to talk to Patience about David." ,said Leo. "He's here as a friend. He's a Leviathan. Something that's made from darkness basically. Would you mind taking us to Patience?" --- Greg looked at him for a moment before jumping on him. Kissing him passionately. --- Insanity smiled. He got on top of him. Stroking his scales. "You feel really comfortable. I wonder how it would be like to ride on you naked. Then again, I already did that anyway. But more fun is never too much fun." --- Will sat at the foot of the bed. "River, if you can hear me then I need to know this. I'm sorry for doing what I did to you. It seems like all I ever did was make you miserable. I never meant to do that. But the truth is I never bothered to control my anger either. I'm going to get a crystal soon from Charles. He promised me one. I need to help myself. I know that. I just want you to know how sorry I am. That I see you as my brother." He looked at his enclosed his hands. "I love you." --- Vincent lifted Elliot off the bed. Running down the stairs as the clown chased. He lost his footing. Tripping on the stairs. Elliot had hit the floor while he hit the wall. He forced himself up. Standing in front of Elliot with his knife out. Ready to defend him. "Rickster! Help!" "That's good to know." Ricky raised a brow. "What was that? Rickster? Wai-!" He looked at his phone. Seeing that Rickster hung up. He sighed. Shadowess - December 7, 2021 Niko took a step back when X appeared and he lowered his gaze to the ground immediately. When X told them that he could apologise but that he couldn't return, he felt his hopes being crushed as tears rolled down his cheeks. But he didn't argue. He wouldn't dare argue with X. Jessica listened to X but as he would soon come to learn, she could be just as stubborn as her grandmother had once been. Her eyes remained fixed on him, almost challengingly, as Elimar spoke to Racheal. Racheal shook and clung to Elimar while keeping her tearful, frightened eyes on Niko. When Niko, with his head still lowered, stepped forward to begin his apology, Jessica held out her arm in front of him to stop him. "Wait a minute." she said, her eyes still on X. "You're the King around here? You're just like us. So, what makes your word better than mine?" she challenged. "Jessica, nein-!" Niko warned her hurriedly, his voice low. "No. That's not good enough! I know what he did was wrong but you can't take everything, his family and his home, away from him and expect him to just find another way to heal! What is wrong with you?! Redeem himself? He's already redeemed himself asshole! He's done nothing but look out for me since he changed me, even though I'm stronger than he is!" "Liebchen, please-" "What about your people, huh? Don't they get a say in whether or not Niko can come back? I think he should get to have a chance to prove that he's changed and let them decide!" Niko shivered, looking between Jessica and X, knowing what X was capable of. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife but by Jessica's posture and the way she stared at X, it was clear that she wasn't prepared to back down easily. --- "I don't know..." Alex shrugged. "I'll ask my dad the next time I see him. But it's not like it would matter much if I did. If I became a Devil, I could just come right back. Then the only thing I'd have to worry about is getting on an Angel's nerves." he joked with a chuckle. --- Kodi heard the muffled cries. By the time Harris and Autumn had run to him, he was already on his feet and heading towards the stairs as fast as he could. He reached the part of the hallway where Phineas had been snatched and paused, sniffing the air. "You guys smell that?" he asked, sniffing around some more but the scent was fading rapidly. "What is that?... Trickster?... Sorcerer?..." he ran a hand through his hair. "It's gone..." he said in frustration as he turned to face the others. "Did either of you see anything weird? Notice anyone watching or following us back at the precinct?" --- Hannes had watched what had happened in stunned silence until Jean opened his eyes and he gasped at the sight of the red-eye. "Jean?" he approached him cautiously. "Jean? What was that? Are you alright, meine geliebte?" --- The nurse hesitated. "She's requested not to have any guests." he told them anxiously, looking between them and feeling bad for having to say 'no'. He swallowed out of nerves, not wanting to make the Arch Angel angry. "B-but maybe I can ask a doctor for you? They have more authority than I do. Please take a seat, I'm sure they'll be with you soon." he suggested while gesturing to the waiting area before hurrying off to find a doctor. Several minutes later, the doctor approached the waiting room with a confident stride and held out a hand for them to shake. "Doctor Fenton." He introduced himself. "I understand you're here to speak to Patience regarding David." he gestured to the seats before taking a seat himself on one of the chairs opposite them. "Patience has denied all visitors for the time being, but that's not to say she'd keep it that way forever. It's just something that she's requested for now so that she can focus on her own mental health. Now, I understand that you're both worried and I'm afraid I cannot divulge any information about her health and mental state due to confidentiality, however, you can rest assured that she is in safe and capable hands." he explained while giving them a patient smile. --- Smiling, Theo pinned Greg against the wall and deepened the kiss by slipping in his tongue to caress his. He gripped his hips firmly then turned him around to walk him over to his bed. He hadn't felt passion like this in what felt like years. All the time he'd spent pining after Vincent, it now felt like all of his desires had built up within him, ready to burst. 'Oh wait!...' he thought and paused suddenly, looking down at himself. "Almost... I guess it's been a while." he chuckled breathlessly while his cheeks turned red. "Maybe we should slow down a little bit." he breathed while kissing Greg's neck. "Take our time. We don't want this to end too quickly..." --- Donnie's chuckle would arrive in Insanity's head as all of his communication in this form would be purely telepathic. 'That's an enticing thought, although it can get cold once we get going. Now hold on tight. Don't be afraid of gripping my scales with your nails. They're like armour. I won't feel a thing.' he thought to him as he stretched out his wings, preparing himself for flight. Taking a running start, he beat his wings hard and within seconds, they were in the air. They soared over Hell's plain. Across its seemingly endless expanse. A variety of versions of Hell passed below them. From deserts to forests, to seas. They even passed through mountains of blood-red crystals. As they passed over a part of Hell that resembled fields, Donnie spotted a group of souls that had apparently set themselves up in a little village. 'This is quite remote. I'll bet those souls have been here for a while, thinking they were safe because it's so far out of the way of anything.' his voice had a hint of laughter to it. 'What do you think, my love? Should I burn it to the ground or do you want to have some fun with them first?' --- River sat up. He'd been laying on the bed in the room the German vampires had given him. He glanced at the bottle of blood, still able to smell the venom that he'd poured into it to mask the god-awful taste. "Am I hearing shit? Maybe I drank too much..." he said aloud as he looked around the room. He fell quiet as he listened keenly. He could hear a commotion in one of the other rooms in the castle but he ignored it, trying to hear Will again. When he heard the last few words he gasped and leant back against the headrest of the bed as tears slid down his cheeks. "I love you too..." he said quietly then looked around the room. "What am I doing here?... This isn't where I belong..." he stood then teleported back to the US, standing just outside Will's house where he gathered up his courage and rang the doorbell. --- Hearing the commotion, Rickster's head whipped around to look into the house in alarm. "Gotta go do something reckless! Love you honey!" he said rapidly down the phone before hanging up and darting into the house. When he got inside though, he immediately froze as he took in the sight in front of him. Walking calmly down the stairs was a rounded man in heavy face paint. He wore colourful, baggy clothes covered in patches of differently coloured fabrics. His feet were bare and dirty. His hair, what little he had, was bright pink and stuck up with gel in a whacky, spiked, style. It was utterly uneven and misshapen. Like parts of his hair were cut shorter than the rest. His eyes were red and his tiny pupils were fixed on Vincent. But the most disturbing part of this man was his mouth. His lips had been sheered off completely, leaving his mouth wide open to bear a large grin full of sharpened teeth. Drool oozed from behind those yellowed teeth and dripped down his chin as he lumbered down each step towards them with a dead stare. Slowly, the clown opened his jaw before snarling and snapping his teeth shut at them in a threatening way. That last movement was the last thing Rickster could stand to watch. He darted towards Vincent and Elliot, grabbing their arms and teleporting them to Carter's office where he took a few steps away from them and bent forward with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. His face had turned pale and he'd broken out in a cold sweat. He shivered, feeling his skin crawl at the thought of what he'd just seen. "Fuck...clown...I fucking hate clowns!" he breathed. "Holy shit! Is that what he sent?! The sick fuck! That's messed up, even by MY standards!" he took out his phone, barely able to keep his grip on it due to how violently he was shaking as he started dialling Ricky's number. Denix Vames - December 7, 2021 X thought for a moment. "She's right." Elimar's eyes widened. Ben seemed surprised too. "I'll have everyone gather in the meeting room. You can all join us. We will discuss this matter there." X appeared in the meeting room. He let out an echo of his voice for all to hear, "Everyone! Come to the room where we discuss! I have chosen you all for a very important task! To vote on whether or not Niko should stay!" --- "I know but I've never seen you die before. It's going to feel pretty weird. Not to much a little messed up." ,said Gary. --- "Now that you mention it, there was a strange candy smell before we left." ,said Autumn. "If we head to the precinct now, we might find something that can tell us where he is." ,said Harris. Should they decide to go to the precinct, they would find a business card that hold the address of a circus which was in London. --- Phineas was struggling against the ropes that kept him tied up. His mouth had been taped. He had already been trapped by the spell that was in the circus. Keeping all the ghosts that the leader of this show considered odd entertainment for his customers as prisoners. Never able to leave the property. Tricky smiled at his new finding of another ghost. "I was wondering where you were. Now, you're going to entertain my guests. If you don't listen, I'll have to whip you. Understand?" Phineas glared. He struggled against. Tricky whipped him. Making Phineas flinch and tense. "I believe we get each other." Soon after, Tricky said something in front of the audience to make Phineas seem even more interesting. Phineas soon stepped out the curtains with his iron rod. Holding a fake smile as he bowed. --- "I-I don't know." Jean looked at the crystal. "What is this thing?" --- Gabriel glared. He slammed his weapon on the floor. "I need to talk to her. Now." --- Greg moaned. "Oh yes!" He gripped his back as he rubbed himself against him. --- "I am a bit tired. How about a firework show?" ,said Insanity. Referring to the idea of the souls burning. --- Will opened the door and hugged him tight. Tears dripped down his cheeks. "It's good to have you back." --- Ricky answered. "Rickster! What happened?" After hearing the situation he said, "You have to take them out of the country now. There's no time to waste."

Shadowess - December 2, 2021 (Half of it's written lol working on the rest after work) Denix Vames - December 2, 2021 (thats ok. thanks for updating me) shadowess - December 2, 2021 (Eh, my buses were running late anyway. Got it finished while I was waiting lol) Niko looked around them in shock then. He looked at the bubble, then at Ben, then Jessica. Then he curled up and began sobbing into his knees while he floated. "I'm pathetic! I ruined everything!" Jessica stepped forwards and placed a hand on the bubble, looking in at them. "Niko, stop it!" she said firmly but gently. "You need to stop feeling sorry for yourself. What's done is done. You can't take it back but you can do better." she tilted her head while looking at him. "Is this why you were so desperate to look after me? As a way of making up for what you did?" she shook her head. "Niko, you've already made me strong enough to defend myself. That's something I've never had before. I also have Ben to look out for me. I've honestly never felt safer and that's thanks, in part, to you. By coming into our lives, you've made us both strong enough to look after each other and ourselves. We don't need defending. Maybe the reason you still feel so guilty is that it's not us you should be focussing on? Niko, have you tried apologising to the person you hurt?" Niko paused in his sobs and looked up at Jessica, still breathing heavily. "But I c-can't! I'm d-dishonoured! I cannot r-return!" "Bullshit. That's an excuse so you can keep putting it off." Jessica said in the same firm but gentle voice. "And you know it. Niko, I promise, you won't feel better until you can apologise to the person that you hurt." --- Alex was a little confused by the explanation. Having been away from everything, they'd been blissfully unaware of Donnie and his plots. "Who the hell is Donnie?" he asked. "I'm guessing if they're moving here then whatever this surprise it can't be good... wait... that would mean he'd be trying to hurt Neva. That sweet little girl?" He shook his head and glanced away, frustrated. "If only I still had my powers... I'd kick seven shades of shit out of that guy!" he said to Greg quietly. --- Kodi watched this unfold and felt sympathy for Phineas. He wondered what it must've been like for him to think that way for so long. "We can show you," he said to him gently. "I was about to take Harris here to my home to help him become a better person. Why don't you come with us? I can look up some of those videos on my computer when we get there." --- "Maybe we'll find out someday?" Racheal suggested optimistically. She stood and tried to untie her dress from the back but struggled a little to reach. "Oh...how was this easier to put on than to take off?" she chuckled then looked over at Elimar, feeling her cheeks turn a little pink. "I don't suppose you'd mind helping me to unfasten the back?" she asked. --- Hannes took Jean's hand and they headed back to their home. "So, what do you think? I know he's a bit on the...um...what is the word..." Hannes looked away, a little frustrated with himself for a moment. "Hard side?" he questioned, wondering if it made sense to Jean. "But if you listen to him, he will make you strong. He trained me, you know." --- In his drunken haze, David became confused over which woman Leo was referring to. He shook his head though, knowing it was useless either way. "Jayla's dead but I don't want to face her... and Patience is in the mental hospital in Heaven, refusing to see me...for good reason..." he sobbed. Oscar had an idea that might help all of them and looked over at Leo. "He clearly needs a break away from everything for a while and we're going to need another way to see your family. Maybe we could ask one of the Angels we know to help us? They could take David somewhere that he can relax for a bit while they try to talk Patience around to talking to him and also arrange for your family to visit Earth for a day." he said to him quietly. --- Rickster smiled out of relief. "Alright. You guys will be safe. I'll stay here and keep an eye out for whatever Donnie had planned. From a distance of course. If I can stop whatever it is, then I will." --- Still smirking, Theo maintained intense eye contact with Greg for a moment or two more before nodding and stepping to one side. "Well, lead the way then," he said as he began stretching a bit. "I'll have to change back into a wolf until we get there. Being wanted and all..." Theo then grinned at him playfully. "But maybe you could pretend I'm your pet? If anyone asks, you took me in and now I'm too 'domesticated' to return to the wild. Just don't put a collar on me." he chuckled. --- Amelia kissed him back. Her heart was full of love. She pressed herself against him as they kissed and excitement shot through her. Because of the late stages of her pregnancy and having no time once Oliver arrived, they hadn't been intimate in a long time. She ran her hands over his chest while continuing to kiss him passionately, wanting to lose herself in this moment. --- "Where the hell were you hiding that?!" Donnie growled at Insanity, taken aback by his rage and the appearance of the knife. Given Insanity's romantic history, he'd half expected him to grovel but this was...better? Strangely, Donnie found a thrill in seeing Insanity take control. Maybe he was suitable to be his King after all? He couldn't help smirking at him as he yelled at him, then a look of surprise spread across his face as the knife slid across his throat and he found himself choking on his own blood. The wound was so deep that he had to lean back and rest his head on the bars to remain standing while he gripped Insanity's arms tightly. The blood rushed out of him at such volume that he knew he wouldn't be able to remain on his feet for long. Shakily, he lifted a hand to cup Insanity's cheek as a silent apology. He tried to say something but he simply ended up gargling blood. He knew he wouldn't leave this cell, even if he died from this. Just like when they'd melted, he'd remain conscious and helpless until the wound in his throat healed itself. Even death was no escape from these cells. But that didn't mean he hadn't already thought of a way out. Soon enough, he wouldn't be able to feel his limbs. Which, given Donnie's idea for escape, would be ideal. He lifted his hand and pointed at his fingers with his other hand before pointing towards the cell door. He mouthed the words 'Bones...pick...' hoping Insanity would put two and two together and pick the lock in their cell using the bones from his fingers. He may have to break a couple of them to make them slim enough, but it might work. It was better than the idea of being trapped forever. Denix Vames - December 2, 2021 (cool lol) "Actually, he's telling the truth. Apparently his home holds really old traditions. He was executed by their King which means he can't return. Like ever." ,said Ben. --- Gary frowned. "I only wish. He sounded like an ass from Vincent's tone. But don't worry. I've got my own abilities now. And I'm sure Vincent can protect his family too." A tear fell. He caught his breath. "I almost forgot you were human. I'll have to see you....pass away someday." --- Phineas and Autumn stood. "Computer?" He walked over. "I would like to know everything that happened." Autumn took his hand. Harris could see that Phineas had found a quick friend that he could trust. --- "Of course." Elimar stood behind her. Helping her loosen the dress so that it may come easily off. --- Jean smiled. "I can tell that he holds love in himself too. He's not hard about anything. It's only a shield. Eventually, he won't need it anymore. Neither will the Warriors." --- "No! Sky and Ava are family but so is David and everyone else. I can't leave him like this. I want to help. We have to go see Patience together and talk to her." ,said Leo. --- "Thank you. I'll start packing." Vincent took a luggage out of the closet before filling it with his and Elliot's recently bought clothes. Elliot was sleeping after having his big meal. --- "Y-Yeah sure. That wouldn't be a problem." Greg led him to his house. He opened the door for him. Letting him walk in before locking the door behind himself. "Feel free to use my clothes. They're in my room." He guided him there. His style was more casual but professional too. --- Charles's eyes widened but he soon joined in on the moment. They went to their own room. --- Insanity cut one of his fingers off. He skinned it before sharpening the bone. He soon inserted it into the lock. After some wiggling in the keyhole, the cage was unlocked. He pushed the cell door. Lifting Donnie out of the cage. He placed him on the ground before slicing the rest of his head off so that he could appear again. He stood and looked down in shame when he knew that Donnie stood there. "I'm sorry for earlier. I just needed some space from you and I thought you could be free. But like you said, I was being an idiot." He sighed. "I guess no matter what, I'll never take down those bastards or have your love." He shook his head. "I know you don't want me anymore. I can tell. Maybe I was always meant to be alone in my murder sprees." shadowess - December 4, 2021 Jessica looked at Ben then back to Niko momentarily with a pained expression before her eyes hardened and she became resolute. "No," she said stubbornly. "To Hell with traditions! We owe it to him to at least try to get him a pardon so he can do what he needs to do! He needs this to heal and dammit I'm not going to just let him continue to suffer like this!" Niko was quiet as he stared between them. He wanted to object because he didn't want to be a burden on either of them, but at the same time, he knew it was what he needed to do and not only that, being Blood God's themselves, they were already in a far better position to get his old family to listen than he ever could. --- Alex raised an eyebrow at Gary, although he couldn't disguise the look of concern that crept across his features. "Wait, don't werewolves age at the same rate as humans?" he asked, confused and desperately hoping that Gary wouldn't wind up outliving him. He suddenly felt his mortality the way he used to when he first woke up in this new body and couldn't bear the thought of being so vulnerable. He felt light-headed and gripped Gary's jacket, leaning against him as he tried to hide his panic. "Oh shit... I don't want to die... I don't want to be this weak, defenceless human... I need some air..." he breathed quietly. --- "We'll show you." Kodi nodded but looked at him with a serious expression. "But I gotta insist that you don't try to attack Harris again," he said before turning to Harris and offering him his hand. "C'mon. Let's head to my home now. I'll order us all some pizza when we get there." --- Racheal held the front part of the dress to her chest to prevent it from falling off while Elimar loosened the back. Once her back and shoulders were bare, she turned to smile at him. "Thank you," she said softly then planted a small kiss on his cheek before heading behind the wooden partition where she could discretely change into a nightgown. When she stepped out, the blue silk nightdress she wore clung to her small frame. --- "You're a sweet man, Meine geliebte." Hannes chuckled. "But don't let the other warriors hear you talking like that. Especially while you're new. Just remember, they might come across as mean but they are only joking. It's how they bond. So, if you give them fuel, they will use it." --- "How?" Oscar asked gently. "I'm a Demon. He's a Demon. You're a Leviathan. We can't get into Heaven just like that, we need help from someone who can." he explained, unaware that David had already been granted access to Heaven. Despite this, as David had already mentioned, he'd already tried speaking to Patience himself. By this point, David had devolved into pitiful sobs. Being careful not to lose his grip on him, Oscar bent down to pick up the dagger. Not wanting to leave such a dangerous weapon just lying around in Hell. As soon as his fingers touched the metal though, he flinched and dropped it again while sucking air sharply through his teeth. He looked at his fingers and saw the fresh burn marks slowly starting to heal. "I forgot this metal burns us...wait, how the hell were you holding it?!" He asked David and lifted his left hand to inspect it, finding that the metal had in fact burned his hand as well. "Oh. Right. I guess the drink kinda numbed you to it, huh?" David groaned, pulling his hand away drunkenly. "I don't feel good..." he slurred. "Well, no. Most Demons can only handle a few glasses of that ale, never mind two bottles- Oh, come on!" Oscar then complained as David vomited over his shirt and pants. "Eww! It's so warm! Ugh! Dammit!" he cringed, scrunching up his nose and turning his head away so as not to look at it. "Let's take him to our house and get him and me cleaned up... We'll figure something out when he's sober!" "Sorry..." David hiccupped. --- Rickster nodded and turned to leave the room. "I guess I'll start my watch then. Take care," he said before heading out of the house. Once out, he took out his phone and called Ricky to tell him what had happened and what he planned to do to help. --- Theo had padded alongside Greg until they reached his home. Once inside, he sniffed around briefly before following him to his bedroom. But his interest wasn't in Greg's clothes. He shifted back into his human form and after clicking his neck to loosen himself up a bit after changing so many times in one night, he turned to look at Greg. Smirking, he walked over to him confidently and rested his hand on the wall behind him, by his head. Leaning in close to him. "Let's stop playing around and just cut to the chase, shall we? Are you feeling what I'm feeling or are my senses way off?" he asked him, giving him the same intense stare. --- Losing feeling in his limbs, Donnie had slid down the bars while watching Insanity. He hadn't flinched nor displayed pain in any way when his fingers were severed. He watched Insanity work, his eyes rolling back every now and then but unconsciousness would continue to elude him. That was until the door creaked open and he could finally 'die'. He awoke elsewhere in Hell and let out a brief, crazed laugh before teleporting to Insanity. He barely listened to Insanity's self-pity as he walked over to him purposefully while grinning. He took hold of his hips and shoved him against the wall, pressing himself against him. He kissed him suddenly, deeply and passionately before hovering his lips over his. "Never apologise. You have no idea how much your madness turns me on!" he breathed and began kissing his neck, hard. "I chose you for a reason. Never change. Promise me you'll never change!" he said breathlessly as he pulled back to look at Insanity. "I want to make love to you, but not here. We need to find a place to lay low for a while. As soon as those morons discover our escape, they'll be on the hunt for us. We need to be cautious." Denix Vames - December 4, 2021 "Then let's go." Ben helped Niko up as the shield disappeared. He made sure to hold his hand before holding Jessica's hand as well. He closed his eyes. Imagining himself standing in front of her. Suddenly, they were in Elimar's room where both Rachael and Elimar were. Elimar glared. He stood in front of her. "What are you doing here?! She's better off without you! You bastard! You hurt her and come back after being disgraced by the king?!" His eyes widened. "More Blood Gods?" He kneeled. "This must be a good reason then for you to bring him here." Ben raised a brow. "Uh buddy. I'm not a Blood God." "Of course you are." "Nah man. I'm just half vampire and half demon. The Blood God name is just a name." "Names hold titles. And we honor yours." He sighed. "So much for convincing." --- Gary caught him. "Hey, it's ok. You can turn into something supernatural too if you want. I'll respect that decision." --- Phineas nodded. "Alright. I won't." Once they held hands, they appeared in Kodi's home. His eyes widened at what he saw. He reached over to touch the lightbulb near him. He felt such a burning pain which made him jump back. "Damn it!" A man wearing a top hat and coat had appeared in the precinct. Snatching the iron rod that Phineas had unknowingly left. He disappeared in a flash but clumsily left his business card which held the address of his circus, 'PT Barnum's Revial.' --- Jean frowned. "But how can I act like them? I've always tried to be nice. And now I have to joke like that? It sounds difficult." --- Leo seemed determined. He picked up the angelic knife. "You take him home. I've got a plan." He disappeared. In Heaven, he was suddenly forced to lay on his stomach by the protection that surrounded this place. Gabriel walked over. "Let me guess. Drama with David and Patience?" Leo tried to push the weight off. He glared. "Ugh!" Gabriel snapped his fingers. Leo let out a sight of relief. He coughed before catching his breath. "I'm here to return this and talk to her." He handed him the knife. "Alright. Follow me." They were soon at the asylum. --- Ricky said, "Do you need me to drive over there? I can do it right now. I won't let that Donnie bitch lay a finger on you." Vincent soon finished packing their bags. --- Greg swallowed nervously. His face was red. "U-Um....What feeling?" He awkwardly smiled. He really was attracted to him but wasn't the best at expressing it. --- Insanity smiled wide. Relieved that Donnie still loved him. "Oh how tempting it would be to kidnap that man!" He had seen from his ability, Phineas Gage. Finding him attractive. "Oh well! Are there any secret rooms in Hell?"