Shadowess Posted July 26 Share Posted July 26 The world was already chaotic with a secret society of supernatural creatures hiding their existence from humans to simply survive. Throw in the afterlife and alternate universes and you've got some realms in desperate need of balance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted September 27 Author Share Posted September 27 Shadowess - October 22, 2023 (To save my computer/phone throwing a fit when trying to load the page xD ) "My love..." Hannes breathed as he caressed Jean's face. "I am so glad that you found me," he said sleepily before falling asleep. Layla watched the boy patiently. She pulled a nearby chair away from the desk and offered it to Theron while sitting at the end of Nil's bed. "You're not the bringer of death." she began then held up her hands. "I know, right? How could I possibly know? After all, I just met you." She lowered her hands and gave him a small smile. "Because that's what we were led to believe about ourselves." she gestured to herself and Nil. "We were trained to be emotionless, obedient killing machines. Him more than me, admittedly. Neither of us really had a family either. Mine all died when I was young so my work was the only family I really knew. I'm fairly sure the same can be said for Nil. But you know what?" She shrugged. "Whether you're raised or trained as a killer, at the end of the day the decision to change is still your own. If you hate hurting people and you know in yourself that isn't the type of person you want to be then it's never too late to break free and start walking your own path. That's what we did. We broke free. Because we want to help people, not hurt them. And yeah, it's going to be tough to learn how to trust people after being used for so long but that's natural after what we've been through. It doesn't mean that everyone we meet is going to be bad. Be careful about who you trust, sure. But don't go isolating yourself, OK kid? Because loneliness can also mess you up." --- "Damien?" Tristan paused. This was the first time he'd heard his name. He closed his eyes and smiled. "Damien..." he said again as if savouring the way it sounded and the way his lips moved to form the name. He focussed on the image of him in his mind. His strong jawline, fiery red hair and shockingly green eyes. "Damien..." he said dreamily and envisioned the way the name suited the face perfectly. Without meaning to, he'd tapped into the remaining Devil power in his blood and jumped as the sound of cries and beeps suddenly surrounded him. He could see Damien as though he was in the hospital with him. Watched him pace around the room. "I see him!" he gasped out loud, no longer aware of Will's presence. "God, he's beautiful!" he grinned then frowned as he saw the torment in Damien's eyes. "He's in pain... beloved, why are you in pain?" he asked and as he did he could feel a mild connection to Damien's emotions. Two words sprang forth. "Parker's hurt?..." Tristan tilted his head. "Who's Parker?" he asked and again, as if Damien was unconsciously answering his questions, Tristan heard a single word. "Son..." Then he was gone and Tristan felt very dizzy as he felt the last of the Devil's power evaporate, leaving him hungry and weak. He collapsed, barely conscious. --- Damien barely heard Kite as he paced back and forth while waiting for news. When he realised he'd spoken to him, Damien looked at him briefly and then shrugged while shaking his head. "This isn't your fault," he told him flatly. "You did the best you could just by simply bringing him here and getting him the help he needed. For that, I'm grateful." He said then realised he may have sounded distracted and irritable as he'd spoken so he stopped pacing to look at Kite properly. "I mean it. Really. Thank you." he reassured him. Every time a nurse ran by, Damien caught himself looking up anxiously but right now it was far too early to hear anything about how his son was doing. He placed his hands behind his head and continued to pace the waiting room. As he did he couldn't help remembering the day he'd been born. The first time he held him. Trying to care for him in secret before being found by Lucifer. The day he had to say goodbye. He felt tears sting the corner of his eyes and for no other reason than needing to release his frustration due to feeling utterly helpless, he growled and punched a nearby wall. Then cried out in a mixture of pain and frustration as he felt a few bones in his hand break. But then, without breaking stride he went right back to pacing. --- "River?" Alex called out when he noticed his brother appear in the midst of the chaos. "Hey, you two ok?" River jogged over to them. "Yeah, just about... Gary sensed it and knew to get us out before I could make sense of what I was sensing." Alex explained. "I'm still not used to all this wolf stuff but at least it saved our asses. What're you doing here?" "Dad sent me to see if you're ok." "We're fine. Why didn't he come himself?" Alex sounded a little disappointed as he asked. River hesitated. His eyes darted between Gary and Alex. "Parker got hurt. Badly. He wanted to stay with him but also wanted to know if you and Jessica were alright. Jessica is fine too. She's pretty much doing the same thing you two are doing in the place that she lives." he explained. "Wha-?" Alex stammered then looked at Gary. He glanced at the people who needed help then looked back at Gary as if asking permission. "He's my brother..." was all he could say. --- Kat smirked. "Easy Fox. Save the smooth talk for when we get a chance to rest." His smile slipped as they rounded a corner and saw a dozen men in black suits with shiny black vehicles. Behind them, a building was burning. Kat cursed in Japanese as he slammed on the brakes. Before he could set the vehicle in reverse, two more black vans pulled up, blocking their route. The men in front of them aimed their handguns at them and barked orders for them to get out of the vehicle. Kat could see members of his gang being cuffed and escorted into the vans in front of them. His heart was racing. "Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! What did I tell you? Like damn roaches! Coming up out of the cracks! Hold on!" He said as he switched gears and prepared to drive across the field near the road to get around them. It would be tight but Kat was panicking and prepared to do anything to escape. --- John eagerly turned his whole body to face Adam. He couldn't mask his excited smile as he began asking question after question. "I know the Garden was originally Hell. Was it as beautiful as the stories make it out to be? What did the fruit taste like? Whatever happened to Eve? Are the stories about Lilith true? What have you been doing in Hell all this time?" John had to force himself to stop and coughed awkwardly into his fist. "Uh, sorry. I never thought I'd get this opportunity. I'd heard rumours that you were still in existence somewhere but when I came to Hell to search for you the first time... well, let's just say Lucifer found me first." --- Amelia watched the pair head out on their first step towards redemption. She couldn't help but smile, glad that she had been given the chance to create such a system to help those who wanted to better themselves. Her smile quickly slipped as she worried for the safety of her family as well. She would need to make sure Charles and Oliver were alright, then she'd need to check on David and the others... she paused halfway out of the library and lifted a hand to her forehead. For a moment she'd gone extremely dizzy and needed to lean against one of the still-standing walls of the library to remain on her feet. She felt a little out of breath and hot. But that just had to be stress, right? Devils can't get ill, right? She thought these questions as she tried to take a few deep breaths. She attempted to walk again but that would be the last thing she'd remember before passing out. --- "We should get out of the street... and find somewhere safe to recover." Sebastian pointed out as he became a bit more aware of their surroundings. --- Ever the proud and loyal servant, Carol skipped cheerfully alongside Charles as they headed off to rebuild his kingdom and convince Demons to serve him. All while humming a merry little tune. --- "Me too, man..." Bob agreed with a sigh. "Me too..." Only mere moments after saying this, they would get their answer. Both Bob and the girl in the chair let out agonised cries. Bob fell to his knees. First, he clutched his abdomen, then his chest as pain shot through his entire torso. Bob looked towards the others for help but then caught sight of the girl in the chair and his eyes widened. She was already dead and slumping in the chair. Her skin had already turned blue. Breathing heavily, Bob groaned and grit his teeth as he felt the pain in his chest again and this time he understood. His heart was failing... which meant... "Li-lly!" he gasped as he slumped forward against the cold floor while clutching his chest with both hands. In flashes, he could swear he saw her as if she were lying across from him in the room. She wasn't, of course. But the connection between them caused him, for just a few moments, to see her. Her usually sleek and neat black hair was a mess and covered in dust. There was a red pool gradually growing underneath her as her already pale face somehow lost more colour. She was gasping for breath but staring back at him sadly. He saw the tears welling in her eyes and though he couldn't hear her he recognised the words 'I'm sorry' as she mouthed them. She then gave him a sad smile and he felt something break then suddenly she was gone. Just as suddenly, Bob's body jerked and he started gasping as though he'd been holding his breath for some time. He coughed and sat up quickly, feeling life flood back into him and he gripped a nearby empty chair to steady himself while looking at the others. "She... she broke it... the tether binding us... she- released me... she saved me. I saw her... she-..." Bob began to sob as he looked up at the dead girl. "She was dying." he wept. "I lasted longer because I was older and stronger... but I would've died... So she broke our connection to each other... But she- she..." he shook his head and broke into uncontrollable sobs. --- The sudden agony and spreading numbness snapped Lilly out of her trance. With no memory of what had happened, she dropped to the ground as her hips separated from her torso. She'd gasped from the pain and then began to shiver violently as shock set in. Heavy, wet thuds drew her attention and she moved her eyes to the source of the sounds. The corpses were losing their connection to her and one by one they dropped, returning to their former, lifeless state. 'Had I done this?!' she thought to herself with a mixture of horror and guilt. Unable to find the strength to speak or even lift her head, she looked around in the hopes of seeing someone she knew for comfort but her vision was fading fast. If she was truly responsible for this nightmarish scene then she felt awful. She also felt alone, cold and frightened as she realisation of why she couldn't move began to sink in. Azrael watched the corpses around them drop like flies. He looked over at Lilly and no longer saw the terrifying necromancer she'd been just moments before. Now he just saw a frightened and confused girl. He glanced over at Hades, apprehensive about how she may react to all this, before returning his gaze to Lilly. In the short time they'd communicated he'd gotten the impression that although she was stubborn, she wasn't inherently evil. All of this may have been an accident brought on by a simple lack of training. He couldn't help but pity her. Perhaps if she'd had the correct guidance... the correct teacher... perhaps all of this, as well as her unfortunate fate could have been avoided. He looked to Death sombrely. It was a look that Death would know well by now. It was his way of silently imploring his King's mercy. After all, considering she wasn't naturally from this universe, there's only one place that her soul would likely end up- which would soon make her soul their responsibility. Speaking of which... out of curiosity, Azrael took out his book and looked at the last place. There he watched as a name began to write, erase then re-write itself over and over. As if the book itself was fighting to claim this person into the realm of the dead. 'Lillian Morte' As Azrael watched the book in fascination, Raguel managed to catch his breath and bring himself back to his feet. He growled angrily while brandishing his own weapon. He glared at Lilly with a new, dark and murderous look as Donnie's bloodlust momentarily took control. He began marching towards the already helpless and dying Lilly, intent on making her end as bloody and violent as possible. Denix Vames - October 22, 2023 Nil suddenly gasped awake. His eyes glowing green like that teenage boy from across the world. Theron jumped. He hid behind Layla. Tears suddenly ran down Nil's cheeks. He sobbed uncontrollably, "The trees and the plants! They're hurt from the earthquake! I can hear their screams!" --- Will raised a brow. "Yeah, I'm gonna go. I'll question you when you're awake." He walked away. --- Kite placed his hands on his shoulders. Stopping him. "Hey, calm down. It's going to be ok. You just need to relax. Try to take some deep breaths." --- Gary nodded. "Go. Me and the rest of the firefighters got this." --- Sawyer bit his lip. He aimed his gun at Kat. "Kat...Put your hands up. I'm with the government." A tear ran down his cheek. Regret was in his eyes but he knew that this was part of the job. "Get out of the car and please don't try anything stupid. I don't want to pull the trigger." --- Adam chuckled. "That's alright. Anyways, Eden sure was a beautiful place. Like nothing anyone has ever seen! And the fruit? Well, it tasted freaking sweet! Something you would definitely put on bread. Lilith and I were a thing until God realized she wasn't going to be obedient. Then Eve showed up and we sort of got a long. Long enough to break the rules. Now, that was fun." He thought for a moment. "Lucifer huh? That guy wasn't so bad. I mean I get the idea of being overprotective. God wasn't exactly being merciful to anybody. Not even his own angels." --- Carter got up and kept Sebastian in his arms. "Where should we even go? Everything's a mess!" --- Charles suddenly stopped. "Before we go, are my wife and child safe?" --- Grim dropped to his knees and hugged Bob tightly. Crying along with him. Hot bitter tears ran down Pain's cheeks. He let out a scream of frustration. "NO! This can't be happening! I just met her! I barely got to....!" Storm could only watch on as everyone seemed to be at a loss. --- Napoleon shouted, "Stop!" He appeared in front of Raguel. Clashing his sword against his. "She is already suffering! Her death will soon come! Just let her be!" Death ran over to her. He knelt by and looked her over. He touched her blood. Seeing what had become of the battle. Shame and regret reached his heart. He frowned with trembling lips, "I'm sorry. I wished I had seen it sooner. You and I could have understood each other. If only I had just...." He caressed her cheek. "I will make it up by helping you through your afterlife. Please let me guide you personally. For I am Death itself." Denix Vames - October 22, 2023 (forgot about this) Jean smiled. "I am glad too." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted September 27 Author Share Posted September 27 shadowess - October 28, 2023 Layla glanced at Theron and then at Nil. She took a breath. Just as this was all new to Nil, Layla was learning how to help Nil cope with his new powers. She patted Theron on the shoulder for reassurance then hurried over to Nil and sat beside him. She pulled him into her embrace and ran her hand through his hair in a gentle way. "It's ok. It'll be ok. Don't forget, the great thing about nature is that it's resilient." She said to him in a soft voice. "There's going to be earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural weather that will affect the forests. We can't save them all but we can help it all regrow, can't we? And I'll be right here with you, always." --- (I figured Will would overhear what Tristan said about Parker xD ) Damien looked at Kite irritably. "Do you have kids? How would you react if it was your kid?" he asked. "What's worse is I wasn't even there for him for most of his life. I wasn't there when he needed me. Now I'm here but I can't do a damn thing because of this GOD DAMN BRACELET!!" he yelled angrily then kicked a couch before growling at the pain in his toes. "I hate this. I feel so fucking helpless." Alex rushed up to Gary and kissed him deeply. "I'll be back as soon as I know he's ok. Ok?" He said hurriedly before running back to River. With a final worried look, they both teleported to the hospital. "Dad! Is he ok?" Alex asked as he ran over the Damien. "I don't know," Damien answered in an exhausted tone as he sat on the couch and held his head in his hands. --- Hearing the click of Sawyer's gun, Kat froze without looking at him. Slowly he lifted his hands from the wheel while staring out of the windscreen. "You're a rat?" he asked then cursed under his breath. "I vouched for you. I thought-..." he trailed off and shook his head. He looked over at Sawyer, angry and betrayed. He then noticed something odd about the "police" who were slowly surrounding the vehicle with their weapons drawn. They were all wearing black, armoured clothes... with no badges or identification. For a second he wondered if this was because it was some kind of SWAT squad, but then the backdoors to one of the black vans burst open and one of Kat's gang jumped out, trying to make a run for it. The gang member caught sight of Kat and Sawyer in the car and yelled at them in Japanese to run. He was clearly in a blind panic and looked as if he'd been badly beaten. Bang. Blood and brain matter splattered Kat's windscreen and he watched between the dripping mess as his former friend dropped dead. Without hesitation, he switched gears and slammed the vehicle into reverse. "They're not police!" he said as he did this to alert Sawyer that this wasn't an attempt to flee the authorities. Their lives were in danger. Whoever those people were, they weren't messing around and Kat did not doubt that Sawyer was in just as much danger as he was right now. A rain of bullets struck the car as it smashed between the two vans that had parked behind them. He swung the car around, switched gears again and sped away while zig-zagging around debris from the quake. He flicked a switch near the steering wheel and water sprayed the windscreen while the wipers tried to clear off the bloody mess. Within seconds there were several black vans on their tail, continually trying to shoot out their tyres as Kat tried his best to see through the red gunk and avoid their shots. "Sawyer, use that damn gun! Shoot their tyres! Engine! Anything!!!" --- "Wasn't so bad?" John scoffed. "He was an ass! He obliterated me and my followers when we came looking for you the first time. And he took your kingdom from you! Hell-no- EDEN is rightfully yours! It was created for you! He had no right!" John stopped himself and took a few breaths to calm himself. "I'm sorry, please forgive my outburst, Adam. I just get so angry when I think of the way you were wronged." --- Amelia's head was throbbing. She opened her eyes and found herself in a new location. An apartment by the looks of the layout. She was lying on a couch with a blanket over her. The last thing she remembered was standing in the ruined Library in Hell. But the air here smelled like Earth. How did she get here? She tried to sit up but her muscles felt exhausted. "Easy there, Little Devil" came a familiar voice. Smooth as silk. "Tuzokath?" "I still prefer just Tuzo," Tuzo replied as he walked around the couch into Amelia's view. He was smiling at her, seemingly unphased by her glaring while holding a glass of water. His brown, loose curls fell just short of his shoulders and his eyes were intense, dark pools that you could very easily lose yourself in. His smooth, pale skin seemed to gleam with a dull radiance. He was utterly gorgeous. Amelia knew him as an Angel but not just any Angel. In much the same way that some Demons were Incubi, he was the Angelic equivalent and he had always relished in this fact. He thrived on primal passion. He placed the glass down on the coffee table nearby before turning back to face her. "Would you like some help sitting up?" "What did you do to me?" "Ouch!" Tuzo feigned being insulted before chuckling and shaking his head. "I wouldn't hurt you. You know that." "I thought I did." Amelia snapped in an acidic tone. This caused Tuzo to falter momentarily. "I'm sorry for leaving," he said quietly. "But I'm not to blame for what you're feeling now. You're sick, Amelia." "Devils don't get sick." "Yes. They do. Newborn Devils, that is to say, Devils who are less than a century in age, can catch a particularly nasty illness that is highly contagious to other Newborn Devils..." Tuzo explained as he resorted to sitting in a chair across from her. "Black Vain..." "That's the one..." he nodded with a grim look. "Am I going to die?" "That's up to you... or well, it's up to how strong you are. But you don't want to be going anywhere near that precious little boy of yours anytime soon." "Oliver!" Amelia tried to sit up and winced as she struggled to find the strength to do so. "He's safe," Tuzo reassured her. "And just how would you know that? Have you been stalking me?!" "Sort of," Tuzo admitted calmly. He didn't seem the least bit guilty or ashamed of himself. "I was in the area and sensed your presence. I wanted to see you but knew you wouldn't want to see me. Not yet, anyway. So I kept my distance. Watching. He's beautiful by the way. He has your eyes." "Where is he?!" "Safe," Tuzo repeated. "I'm not your enemy, Amelia. That sickness ravaging your body is. Oliver is with your friends. The pair with the little girl... I didn't have time to catch their names... I hope they didn't mind that I dropped in and placed him in their living room then just left. The girl seemed happy enough to see the little tyke." Amelia relaxed on the couch. She was still uncomfortable in Tuzo's company but knowing that her son was safe with Elliot, Vincent and Neva was a relief. "Why now, then?" Tuzo shrugged. "I was on the fence about approaching you. I didn't want to bring up the past when you seem to be making a new future for yourself." he pointed to the wedding band around her finger. "But then the quake forced my hand. I saw you were busy dealing with the Ancient Devil at the Library so I teleported to make sure your child was safe first. When I came back, I found you face down in the rubble. At first, I thought it was the Ancient Devil's doing but when I checked you over..." he pointed towards the back of his neck and Amelia got the impression he'd seen something on the back of hers. She placed her hand on her neck but of course, she couldn't feel anything different there. "You're in the early stages. It's going to get worse." "I'm surprised you know so much about it." "The library helped." Tuzo chuckled. "Your husband should be safe from the illness. We were nowhere near him in Hell but I could sense him... he's powerful and quite old. But if you want to keep your son safe, it'd be best if you stayed here. Away from both of them. If he visits you, he runs the risk of carrying the disease back to your child." --- "What about Ricky's mansion? or your old house? We can check in on the others while we're there and make sure no one else got hurt." Sebastian suggested. --- Carol stopped skipping and humming to look at Charles in alarm. "I teleported straight to you after the quake... I had assumed they'd be with you," she admitted with a lurching feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was frightened for her daughter and grandson. She also felt ashamed that the thought of them hadn't occurred to her after she'd teleported to Charles and worried that he would be disappointed in her as a result. --- Bob held on to Grim and sobbed into his chest. For a long time, he'd be utterly inconsolable and unable to bring himself to speak again. Just when he felt like he was calming down, he would realise again that Lilly was gone and would begin to sob again. He only began making an effort to stop when his eyes became sore and sensitive from the amount of crying he'd been doing. At this point, he noticed a smell in the room and his eyes landed on the source. The dead girl in the chair. "Sh-she's starting the smell... we need to move her." He said numbly. --- At first, Raguel had given Napoleon a very dangerous look as if he was considering lashing out at him for getting in the way. But then he blinked and looked back at Lilly just as Death reached her. He shook his head a little, as if coming back to his senses and he stepped back from Napoleon, pulling his weapon away from his. He glanced away, breathing a little heavily as he considered what had almost become of him. He looked back at Napoleon and nodded without a word. A way of thanking him without saying it. He then looked around at the other Angels who had been floating nearby and watching them tensely. "Angels! Secure the area! Clean up the bodies! And do not allow mortals to wander in. We need to figure out how to close this damn thing before it gets any bigger!" He commanded them then looked at the portal that was still humming and crackling with unknown magic as if trying to look for a way to close it. Lilly's surroundings were a blur but as Death came closer and knelt beside her, he came more into focus. She moved her tearful eyes up to look at him. When he spoke to her and caressed her cheek she felt her fear evaporate, if only slightly. His words were confirmation that there was something afterlife and that she wouldn't be alone there. She felt her strength return and the blood vanish from her lungs. She even felt the feeling in her legs return. Moving slowly, she took Death's hand and let him help her to her feet. It was then that she looked back and realised why she no longer felt any pain or that she could stand at all. She gasped and gripped Death's arm tightly while lifting one hand to cover her mouth as her eyes took in the sight of her own corpse. The blood and organs glisten on the road. The eyes were still open, staring vacantly across the street. When she couldn't bear to look at it any longer, she tore her eyes away only to see the dozens of corpses that her powers had disturbed and mangled beyond recognition. She shook and sobbed, not knowing where else to look or what to do. She could feel a scream rising within her that she knew she wouldn't be able to stop. All of this, the horror of it, was her fault. She could only feel hatred and disgust at herself. 'I am a monster! A wretched agent of evil!' She thought to herself as she wept. The moment Lilly that had taken Death's hand, she had accepted the end of her life. In doing so, her soul was able to step out from the body and the book that Azrael had been watching was finally able to write her name in without it being erased. He looked up with a sigh of relief. While this had been a tragedy for Lilly, at least now she would be able to learn her powers in a controlled, safe environment, and she could not ask for a finer teacher than Death himself. He looked up from the book and frowned as he watched Lilly's turmoil. She'd screamed and screamed, looking around them at the mess she had made. Azrael jogged over to them and looked at Death. "We should take her away from here." Denix Vames - October 29, 2023 Nil nodded. He leaned into her hold. Theron slowly made his way over. Nil lifted a hand, "Who are you?" Theron nervously rubbed his arm. "I-I'm Theron. Are you a real fairy? My family told me about you. They said you protect the forest. Is that true?" Nil held a small smile. "Yes it is. I'm Nil." "Th-Theron..." "Theron. You don't have to be scared. I'm sorry if I made you feel that way." Theron reached out, "I'm always nervous but I want to not be." Nil hooked his finger over his like they were doing a pinkie promise. "Then consider me as a friend. I can teach you what I know about fairies." Theron smiled, "Thank you." --- Will appeared in the waiting room. Kite ran over to him. "Will! You have to give him his powers back!" Will frowned. He walked towards Damien. "I think it's safe to say you've been wearing this long enough." He took the bracelet off. "Parker will be alright. I know this because he's going to be my finance. I just need to wait for the right moment to propose. And I'm sure once that's done, you and I can talk about anything. Eh father-in-law?" He winked with a smile. --- "Stop Kat! They must be secret agents! I work for the CIA! They'll listen to me!" ,said Sawyer. --- Adam frowned. He sighed. "I can't blame you for feeling that way. Guess I never thought about it since it's been forever." He walked over to a window. Looking out at the city. "I do miss a lot of things." He looked at his hand. "You're right. We have to take Eden back. And this time, I won't let anyone take it away from me again!" --- Charles said, "I must look for them!" "Don't worry! You won't have to do that." He looked around. "Who said that?" A lady appeared in a red dress. She had long grey hair, a grey eye and yellow eye, and appeared to be young but old in some sense. She raised her hands, "Now before we go crazy here, let me explain. I was just created by this power that was left sealed. When I just showed up, I decided to sneak everywhere and listen to everyone's conversations. Sounds like to me that shit's getting chaotic." She gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Now, I don't know if you'll believe me or not. You can ask Amelia yourself. But she's sick. And I mean you can't go near her kinda sick." "And who are you to this situation that we are under?" "Somebody who wants to help out and have fun. Just call me Eris." Charles raised a brow, "Carol, what do you think?" --- Carter nodded. "Let's go see Elliot and the others." He zoomed towards his old house. Once there, he ringed the doorbell. Vincent opened it. "Carter? Sebastian? Is everything ok?" "Yes and it looks like everything's fine here. We just need to rest. Can we come in?" "Of course. This is still your house." Carter stepped in and placed Sebastian on the couch. He noticed Neva playing with Oliver. "Where's Amelia and Charles?" Vincent frowned, "We're not sure. Oliver just appeared." Elliot handed a coke to Sebastian. "There ya go buddy." --- Pain and Storm carried her out into the backyard. Pain grabbed a shovel from the shed before handing another one to him. They started digging. Grim continued to hold Bob. "It's going to be ok. We'll find a way to move on. Right now, let's just stay here like this." --- Death nodded. All three disappeared. Hades yelled, "NO!" She raised her hands. Throwing her energy at the portal. Putting all her anger into it as she forcibly tried to close it. Suddenly, a blast of energy hit her back. Knocking her off her feet. Her skin began to grow fur as her body transformed. It seemed like she had become a type of wolf. Only she was two legged and somewhat resembled a Hell Hound. Napoleon ran over to her side. He touched her arm. "What has the portal done to her?" --- Death, Layla, and his right hand man appeared in Death's throne room. Death had tears running down his cheeks. "Forgive me for my hasty judgement of you. I can only now help you in this afterlife as a means of apologizing for the wrongs I have done. May you be alright with it, I would like to have you as one of my reapers. A being who's only role is to guide the dead to their afterlife and treat them with such kindness." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted September 27 Author Share Posted September 27 Shadowess - December 2, 2023 Layla smiled at the heartwarming scene as she rubbed Nil's back and kissed his forehead lovingly. "Excuse us!" Came Larissa's voice through the closed door. "Sorry if we're disturbing you!-" "Just her..." Bianka chimed in. "But we seem to have misplaced a very curious boy! He sort of vanished with a pop!" "There wasn't a pop..." "There WAS a pop! I heard it! It went-" a small popping sound came from behind the door followed by Bianka's exasperated sigh. "-And then he was gone!" Larissa finished. "Sorry to have disturbed you!" "If he is in there, we're not mad! Just want to make sure he's ok! It's all a bit disorienting, all these people that can just pop in and out of places like that. Whatever happened to walking?" Layla couldn't help but chuckle in amusement. "Who are they?" she asked Theron. "They seem nice." --- Damien had been sitting with his head in his hands when Will had approached him. He'd spent so long in the bracelet that he hadn't expected it to be removed at all. So when it was, he sat for a moment and stared at his wrist. It felt oddly naked without it but he was relieved to feel his power rushing back to him. He stood and looked at Will, about to thank him when his next words almost knocked him back on his ass. He grinned and let out a small chuckle as he nodded. "I'd be honoured to call you 'son'," he told him proudly. "But right now, I need to check in on him. I just have to know if he's ok." before anyone could stop him, Damien had teleported into Parker's room. The waiting room was so crowded and full of panicking people that hardly anyone noticed Damien's sudden disappearance. Any that did put it down to them just seeing things because everything was just so chaotic. The nurse in Parker's room had jumped and dropped her clipboard when Damien had appeared. She then threw Damien a dirty look as he snatched her clipboard from the floor. "You should be in the waiting room!" she scolded him. "Give me that! It's confidential!" "I'm right where I need to be," he responded simply while looking over the notes. Parker rolled his eyes at him "What the fuck are you doing?" He was in a hospital gown and sitting in a bed with white sheets draped over his legs. He was hooked up to an IV drip. Damien's smile slipped as he read the notes before the nurse finally snatched the clipboard away from him. "They're amputating?!" "Waiting room, now! You're stressing the patient!" "He's my son!" Damien snapped back at the nurse. "Only when it suits you!" Parker said angrily. "What do you care what happens to me?" Damien paused and took a breath to calm himself then approached Parker's bed. He sat on the side. "I haven't been a good father to you. I know that. But I want to be better. I missed your childhood and I'll regret that for eternity. I should have been there for you. All those times you needed me... I'm so sorry that I wasn't there. But I'm here now. Please, let me make this up to you. Let me help you." "How?" Parker asked, biting back bitter tears. Damien glanced down at his leg and sighed. "I can't heal you. I don't have that power. But I can take you to Hell. Make you a Devil." "So your answer to saving one of my legs is to kill me to hurry my transformation?" "You'd be whole." "But I wouldn't be human anymore! I already had my humanity taken away from me once." "This isn't like that." "Isn't it? Because in both scenarios, I don't get a choice! If you want to be my dad, you can start by respecting my decisions. I'll change when I'm ready to. But I want to be human for as long as I can be, first!" Damien paused and thought for a moment. "You're right," he said reluctantly. "If this is what you want-" "-It is." "...Then I'll do whatever I can to support you." He hesitated before gingerly taking Parker's hand. "Will is here. Do you want to see him before your operation?" Parker nodded tearfully. "Alright, then. I'll go for now and send Will in. You'll be ok. I know you will. You're strong, like me." he tried a smile and let go of Parker's hand to stand before teleporting back to the waiting room. He wondered if he should tell Will what was going to happen to Parker but decided Parker should have the chance to tell him himself. "He wants to see you. He's in room 11B." is all he said to Will before turning to his newest friend, James. "I'm going to be hanging around at the hospital for a few days while Parker recovers. You don't have to hang around here if you don't want to." --- "Oh, you must be a special kind of stupid!" Kat snapped as he drifted around a sharp corner. "Think about it for just two seconds, 'Red Fox'! Would your CIA buddies point-blank execute an unarmed man? He wasn't even running anymore! He was trying to warn us of something and my gut tells me we shouldn't let those fuckers catch up to us... so SHOOT OUT THEIR DAMN TIRES ALREADY!" he yelled the last part as a flurry of bullets took out his wingmirror. "This isn't an arrest, it's a clean-up operation!" --- "Yes!" John beamed as he stood from the bed. He walked over to the window as well to look out at the world with him. "We have much to do to make it happen." he turned his head to look at Adam, finding this view to be much more pleasing. He couldn't help staring at his features, his jawline and the way his hair framed his face as 'Cry Little Sister' began playing from the movie on the TV behind them. It struck him how perfectly beautiful Adam had been created. The way the colour of his eyes caught the light from the sun. He was the epitome of forbidden temptation and what John wouldn't do just to have a little taste... he caught himself and looked away quickly. Their mission was of the highest importance. They couldn't afford to be distracted. --- "So, I guess you want to know why I left back then?" Tuzo asked awkwardly from his chair. "Not really," Amelia replied coldly. "I kind of put it together after your Angel friends grabbed me." "Dammit Raguel!" Tuzo hissed under his breath as he covered his mouth and turned his head away. Between his whispering, covering his mouth and her stuffy head, Amelia didn't catch what he'd said. But she didn't care as she pulled herself into an upright position with a pained grunt to glare at him. "Do you have any idea what they put me through?!" "I can only imagine... Ameli-" "No! Just shut up! You don't get to talk to me after what you did!" She snapped. "I trusted you! I thought you were different! I thought you wanted peace, like I did!" "I did-!" "Stop it! Stop lying! Or is that all you know how to do?! I can't believe I fell for y-..." Amelia cut herself off and Tuzo raised his eyebrows slightly. "No, fuck you!" She said after a moment to catch her breath. "As soon as I'm feeling better, I never want to see you again! If you come anywhere near me, Charles or Oliver, I'll FUCKING RIP YOU IN HALF!!" "Amelia, calm do-!" "Fuck off!-" "No seriously-" "Don't you fucking tell me to calm down!-" "You're heating up-!" "Why the fuck did you come looking for me?!-" "The blank-" "After what you did, did you really think I'd be thankful that you-?" "-The blanket is on fire!" Amelia's eyes snapped to the blanket that was draped over her legs. Sure enough, a small fire had started and it was growing. Before she could react, Tuzo had already snatched it from her lap and thrown it into the sink. He turned the water on and the fire died out with a hiss. Some smoke puffed up, causing Tuzo to cough a little as he hit the extractor fan before turning and walking back into the living room. He looked over at Amelia worriedly. "Are you alright?" "Of course I am..." Amelia huffed quietly. A little embarrassed that she'd set fire to something unintentionally. "I'm fireproof, remember?" "Yeah, well, my furniture isn't. So unless you want to try getting better in a chilly, burned-out ruin, I'd suggest not setting fire to my things?" "Wait until I'm better, then. Got it." Tuzo couldn't help but chuckle as he walked out of the room to let her rest. "I missed your humour." "Go fuck yourself." --- Sebastian looked at the coke in Elliot's hand and couldn't help but smile in amusement. "I appreciate the gesture, Elliot. But I'm still very much a vampire..." "Daddies! Oliver smells!" Neva called out. Oliver giggled at Neva as she wrinkled her nose at him in disgust, thinking it was just a funny face. "So, wait, they dropped their son off without saying anything?" Sebastian asked worriedly. "That doesn't sound like Amelia. You don't think the earthquake hit their home too, do you?" --- Carol eyed the newcomer warily. After all, they had gone through a lot recently. Especially when it came to Donnie's followers. "I don't know about her," she said bluntly while looking Eris up and down. After hearing that Amelia might be seriously unwell, she was half tempted to teleport to her to check. But two things stopped her. If it was true, then she herself risked bringing the disease with her. The second thing was that she didn't want to leave Charles alone with this strange woman. As confident as she was that Charles could handle himself, she wouldn't be a very good bodyguard if she up and left her King with a suspicious transient. She then looked at Charles thoughtfully. "Amelia's telepathy isn't great, but yours is the most powerful I've ever come across. Maybe you could reach out to her mentally? Ask her if she's ok?" --- Bob nodded and buried his face in Grim's chest. He didn't have the energy left to continue crying. He blinked slowly and tiredly as he stared across the room. "We should have a funeral for Lilly..." he said in a broken voice. "Lots of purple and black... she'd like that..." --- "Foolish girl." Raguel merely commented as he glanced back at Hades. Though admittedly he was intrigued by the strange power that had caused her sudden transformation. "Take her to Heaven's hospital. See if there's anything our medical staff can do to help her," he ordered without moving. He continued to stare at the portal, pondering on what to do next. --- Being away from the carnage helped to calm Lilly down a little but her heart was still racing. She barely heard Death's words as she couldn't help thinking of what she'd done. She was shaking and whimpering while staring off into space. The sight of her in this state caused Azrael to worry. He stepped forward to lightly place a hand on her shoulder. This action caused her to flinch and look up at him with wild eyes. Then she blinked as if now realising they had moved. As if a simple touch had brought her back from her spiralling. If only for a moment. "What is this place?" she asked. Her voice was a dry whisper as her throat stung from her screaming earlier. "This is Death's Kingdom," Azrael told her slowly and gently. He realised that in her current fragile mental state, there may be a necessity to take their time with her so as not to overwhelm her. Even if that meant repeating what Death had already told her. He gave Death a swift, knowing glance. As if confirming this with him without saying it out loud. "Your new home." Lilly's eyes dropped to the ground as she allowed this information to sink in. She wanted to object. To tell them she already had a home. With Pain, Bob and the rest. But knew what they meant. She couldn't go back. She had really died and this was her new beginning. Whether she'd been ready for it or not. "Death has offered you a valued role among his subjects." Azrael reminded her gently, wondering if she'd even heard Death speak before. "A reaper..." Lilly muttered. "Yes. Such a title is an honour," he confirmed, hoping that this would help to cheer her up, or even give her the slightest bit of hope. He then hesitated, glancing again at Death as he wondered whether to say something about what he'd seen in the book now or tell Death in private later so that he could decide what to do with that information. Considering Lilly had yet to adjust to her new unlife, he decided it would probably be best to talk to Death in private once Lilly was taken to her new home to settle in. Just as he'd made this decision, Lilly turned to face Death and looked up at him with a guilty expression. Her lower lip shook and her eyes watered again but she dug deep to find what little strength she had left as she opened her mouth to speak. "I'm sorry." a couple of tears dripped from her eyes. "You even tried to warn me but I didn't listen! I just wanted to help. Before I came to this universe I would never have dreamed of using my powers. I would have been hunted for having them. They would have called me Monster. Witch. A Wraith Whore. If I'd been caught they would have burned me. I was so careful to never use my powers to hide them but I always felt that it was such an injustice... I couldn't help having what I'd been born with... but now?" she shook her head and lowered it while closing her eyes tightly. Her hands balled into fists by her sides as she strained to stop herself from crying more, but she couldn't stop the few tears that dripped onto the floor. "I AM a monster! They would've been right to burn me! I bring nothing but pain and death! You were right to strike me down! I deserve it! I swear, I will never use my dark powers again! I swear it!" Azrael was taken aback by the outburst and his heart ached at her story. He looked at Death briefly before stepping forward. "No," he said firmly yet softly. "You lost control the way that you did because you had no idea how to use your gifts. You've spent your whole life suppressing them, it's no wonder they overwhelmed you when you finally tried to use them! You're no monster, Lillian. Just a girl who was never given the chance to flourish. Your death was not planned nor did it bring us any pleasure." He looked back at Death and emphasized his next words, aiming them more at him as a way of comforting him simultaneously. "But it was necessary and unavoidable." He turned and placed a couple of fingers under her chin and gently lifted them to make Lilly look at them again. "This isn't the end for you. It's your brand new beginning. But this time, you have us to teach and support you. You don't have to go through this alone, Lillian." Lilly stifled a sob as she moved her chin off of Azreal's fingers and she looked between the two men briefly. Her eyes landed on Death once more as new hope began to fill her. "C-can you teach me how to control my powers?" She asked. Denix Vames - December 2, 2023 Nil smiled. He opened the door. "It's alright. He was no trouble. In fact, he's a good kid." Theron backed away as he gripped his own arms. A kid is all he will ever be. He knew that now. Yet, that's not what he wanted. He needed to be ready to protect everyone. He dropped to his knees and clutched his head as black blood dripped from his mouth, eyes, and nose. Nil walked over. He knelt. "What's wrong?" "I want to be strong." "You already are." "I mean....I want to be the real me." He nodded, "I see. Then go ahead. Be the real you." He stood back. Giving Theron some room. Theron realized then and there that he could finally start making his own decisions. He stood up and closed his eyes. His body glowed before he suddenly transformed. He became an adult man with purple robes. He had short black hair with a tinge of grey. He opened his eyes. Wondering how everyone would think of his new appearance. Yet, already he was assuming the worse. He looked at his hands and twiddled his thumbs. "I wanted to be a grown up so I became one. I hope that's alright." Nil took his hands. Surprising Theron. Nil smiled, "It's perfect because it's who you want to be." Theron held a small smile. --- Will nodded. "Thanks." He entered Parker's room. He smiled with tears in his eyes. He held his hand tightly. "I'm so glad you're awake. What did they say about your condition? Are you alright?" James nodded. "I understand. However, you are my first friend. I am loyal to you until there is nothing." He got down to one knee and bowed. "I will call you sir if that's alright with your orders. I was once a soldier for ADIEU. Now, I am your soldier." --- Kat knew well that the CIA could do just about anything and see it as a right. Nevertheless, he fired at each tire. Never losing sight of his targets and never missing. --- Adam chuckled. "You sure do know how to make a man feel special." He tiptoed his fingers on his shoulder. "You know, that offer is still up on the table." --- Elliot blushed. "Oh yeah. Right. I forgot." Vincent took Oliver. Placing him on a towel where he changed his diaper. He held him in his arms. "There. Clean as a whistle." Carter shrugged, "Charles and Amelia have been through the worst before. Seems like Oliver wouldn't have shown up unless one of them had come here." --- Charles nodded. He closed his eyes. 'Amelia! Hear me! Are you ill?' Eris gave two thumbs up to Carol. "If you guys ever need me again, just let me know." She sank into the ground. Turning into a liquid as she was soaked in. --- Storm nodded. "But first, I need to find Hades. I have to know she's alright. She was with Lily. Who knows what might have happened?" --- Napoleon nodded. He lifted her off the ground. Appearing at the hospital where he placed her on a bed that a doctor offered to place her in. Once they did do a basic check on her, they would soon quickly find out that she had become a Hellhound. --- Death wanted more than anything to run away and sob in despair at his throne. Yet, this was not the time. He took a deep breath before nodding. He held her hands. "You will never have to worry about your powers instability. I and my fellow reapers shall be your new companions. Your people to look to for guidance when you will need it. However, if it's not too much trouble, I need you to stay with another reaper for now. I and Azrael must discuss some matters in private." He nodded at a reaper. "Please take her away. Give her something to busy herself with. I shall return." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted September 27 Author Share Posted September 27 shadowess - December 3, 2023 Layla quietly watched the scene unfold from the bed. Having not moved since Nil had stood up. Both Bianka and Larissa watched the transformation in shock. After a moment, Bianka chuckled. "Well, I guess we don't need to get him enrolled in school anymore." "They grow up so fast!" Larissa sniffled with a happy smile. Grinning at Larissa's humour, Bianka wrapped an arm around her and they both approached Theron. "We're happy if you're happy. If you ever need anything, you know where we are," she told him. --- "Uh... sort of..." Parker started as he squeezed Will's hand for comfort. "My leg was crushed really badly. I'm on so many drugs to stop the pain right now..." he told him with teary eyes. "They tried to save it but there's just too much damage. They're going to amputate." Parker burst into tears and covered his face. Damien was taken aback by James's display. Once upon a time, he would have welcomed James as a soldier and may have even promoted him to a Demon Bodyguard. But now? Now Damien wasn't a king anymore and he didn't have any need for a soldier. But a friend? Damien had almost forgotten what having a real friend felt like. "Man, please, don't do that." he grinned. Unable to help but enjoy it just a little. "I'm not a king anymore. I don't need a soldier. In fact, before I met you, I'd literally forgotten what it was like to have a friend. So, thank you for that. I guess I was so wrapped up in being Lucifer's apprentice and making him proud that I forgot how to live my own life." he offered a hand to help James to his feet. "So my new life starts today. I'm going to be a better person. A better father. And a best friend." --- They raced around the city. Drifting around corners and zooming through tight alleys expertly. Even when they had long since lost sight of the other vehicles, Kat kept going. Determined to not let their guard down for a second until he knew without any doubt that they'd really lost them. Finally, just as they were running low on fuel, he skidded into an abandoned fish processing facility's warehouse. Although the equipment here was no longer in use, the place stank of fish. Kat didn't seem bothered by the smell at all as he turned off his engine and took a moment to catch his breath. His adrenaline made him shake slightly. After a moment of pure silence, he turned his head to glare at Sawyer. Without a word, he opened his door and stepped out before slamming it shut after him. He took a step to the rear passenger door and opened it. Carefully, he lifted the old vase that he'd picked up from his ruined apartment building and held it to his chest. He then walked away from the vehicle, heading to a back area that was concealed from the view of the city and overlooked the ocean. Possibly a place where the people that once worked here could have taken a break? There, he sat on one of the benches and hugged the vase while watching the sunrise. Wondering how much freedom he had left and replaying the events of the night over in his mind. --- John blushed deeply, and when Adam again brought up his offer, his wings burst from his back out of excitement. "Um, sorry. I- uh..." he started stammering then caught sight of Adam's eyes and he stared again. Lost in them. "Oh, fuck it," he whispered then pressed his lips hard against his. He pushed his body against his, pinning him to the wall near the window and kissed him passionately as the song from the TV reached the chorus. He moved his kisses to Adam's neck then made his wings flutter and vibrate. --- Oliver giggled mischievously while being changed and tried to roll away a few times. When he was cleaned up and in Vincent's arms, he looked around the room interestedly at the new guests. He stared at Carter for a long moment. Taking in his facial features to commit them to memory. "AaaAAah!" He sang loudly while looking back at Vincent with a big grin. He lifted both his arms in the air and threw his head back. Wanting Vincent to play either by pretending he's a plane or tickling him. "I guess you're right..." Sebastian nodded. "Maybe Hell was hit and they have to prioritise their subjects?" he theorised. "Are you like Dracula?" Neva asked Sebastian. She'd walked over to keep herself occupied while Oliver's diaper was being changed. "Huh?" Sebastian blinked at the girl, confused momentarily by the sudden change in subject. "You said you're a vampire. I watched this funny movie about a vampire called Dracula. It was Dracula, Dead and Loving It. He was silly. But he couldn't go in the sun like you can." "That's because me and Carter are a special, new kind of vampire," Sebastian explained simply. "What about crosses? He hated those." "That's a myth. Some vampires are religious and like looking at crosses." "Do you have fangs?" "I sure do." "Can I see?!" Sebastian chuckled awkwardly. "I'm not sure that's appropriate." "Why? They're just teefs!" "You've got me there..." Sebastian grinned at her and allowed his fangs to show. Neva looked at them in awe then reached out to poke one with her finger but Sebastian gently caught her hand before she could reach. "No, no. Only look with your eyes. They're very sharp." "How do you brush your teeth?" Neva asked while bringing her hand away. "Do you go to the dentist? Do you ever accidentally bite your lip? Do you bite people?! Do you really drink blood? Do you-...?!" Curious Neva began bombarding Sebastian with question after question. To Sebastian's credit, he answered them all calmly and at her level so that she understood each answer. When she was done, she happily went back to playing with her toys as Sebastian took a breath and looked at both Elliot and Vincent. "I hope that was ok. What's made her so interested in vampires all of a sudden?" --- "What a strange... yet oddly endearing woman..." Carol mumbled as she strode over to inspect the puddle of liquid with her hands on her hips. Amelia had just started to settle down again, trying in vain to take a nap but with Tuzo in the next room to make her uneasy, it was difficult. Her eyes snapped open and she gasped when she heard Charles's voice. "You ok, in there?" Tuzo called out, having heard Amelia's gasping. "Yeah, I just said you're still an asshole!" Amelia responded. "... Ok, then... Let me know if you need anything." Amelia relaxed into her pillow and closed her eyes as she focussed on responding to Charles. She had no way of knowing if it would work until Charles would respond. "I am," she confirmed. "I think it might be Black Vein. I feel awful and I miss you. I miss Oliver. And Charles, don't be mad... the person that found me and is taking care of me... his name is Tuzo... he's an ex-lover from years before I met you. I hate him and I don't trust him but right now I don't have a choice but to let him help me." Amelia paused before adding. "Charles, I'm scared. I know you can't be here physically, but please stay in contact like this?" --- Bob looked up at Storm in alarm. He'd been so consumed with grief that he hadn't thought about Hades. "There was a lot of death around Lilly. I could sense it. I couldn't see or sense Hades among the dead though. Maybe she's ok? Isn't there anyone we could call to check? And maybe even retrieve Lilly's body for the funeral?" --- When Death confirmed that they would not only help her to learn to control her powers but that she would also be welcomed into this new community as one of their own, Lilly was overwhelmed with relief and hope. As another reaper stepped into the hall to guide her away, she couldn't help but fling her arms around Death to hug him tightly. Both Azrael and the reaper in the room tensed at the scene. It was unusual for anyone to be so forward, especially without seeking Death's permission first. They didn't know how to react as they watched silently. "Thank you." Lilly sobbed before letting Death go and turning to the reaper and following him out. As they walked, Azrael heard the reaper eagerly introducing himself to her and offering her a tour of the Kingdom. He smiled, knowing that Lilly would fit right in here. Once they were alone, he turned his attention back to his King. He was always amazed when Death seemed to know he wanted to talk to him without him ever saying anything. Perhaps he'd spent enough time serving him now that Death knew what he wanted by simply looking at his expressions. "Sire, I think you should see this." He wasted no time and produced the book from his pocket. "When Lilly was struck down, the book struggled to write her name in. I'm assuming that because she wasn't originally from this universe that it needed to sort of 'claim' her first. It was only when she accepted her fate that it was able to write her name in without it being immediately erased. But that's not the most interesting part! Look!" he opened the book to her name and showed it to Death. Her first name remained as 'Lillian' but her surname kept swapping and changing between languages. All with roughly the same meaning:- 'Of Death.' "I think it's trying to translate from whatever tongue or alphabet her universe uses." Azrael guessed. "But it's the same word over and over. I think, in her universe, she may have been a descendant of a Reaper. Perhaps even that Universe's equivalent of, well... you." Azrael looked at Death, eager to know his thoughts. He was simultaneously intrigued and in awe of Lilly's potential heritage. It would certainly explain why her powers specifically revolved around death. "I don't know for certain, I'm just guessing," he admitted. "But it just seems too coincidental to not be something. I don't know if it might be too soon to talk to her about it right now though. She has a lot to wrap her mind around already. It might be best if we wait before we ask." Denix Vames - December 3, 2023 Tears dripped down Theron's cheeks. His smile grew. He threw himself into their arms. "I'm glad that I came here." --- Will gripped his shoulders. "No! There's got to be another way! We can get Nate to heal you!" James looked at the stump that was once his arm. He sighed. "Maybe you're right." He took his hand. Standing up, he sighed. "I haven't exactly been a good friend to my fellow soldiers. You heard the story. Still, it feels weird not receiving orders." --- Sawyer frowned. He walked over but stayed across from him. "I'm sorry." He clenched his fists. "Before I ever even met you, I thought all gang members were cold heartless monsters. Now, I realize that you've been doing what's best for yourself and your friends. Some people don't have a choice. Just like me. You see, I may have signed up for the CIA but I didn't have a choice. Not really. I lost everything because of that day. I thought being in the CIA would help me somehow. Instead, I was forced to take tests to prove my loyalty. To show them that I could be a killing machine. Yet, something was already bothering me. I didn't know what it was until I met you." He sighed. "You don't have to accept my apology. I understand." He stepped close to the edge and pulled out his handgun. "I don't have anywhere to go now. Not after tonight. I'll make things less troubling for you and kill myself. I'll keep myself deep in the waters so no one will find my body." He nodded. "I know that's your brother. I just hope he doesn't mind me joining him." He smiled. "Sorry for the inconvenience." --- Adam gasped. He moaned as he dug his nails into his back. "Oh my! You really did want this, didn't you?" He moaned louder when those wings vibrated. "Oh! Take me!" --- Vincent lifted Oliver up and began making plane noises as he moved him around. Elliot shrugged at Sebastian. "She's always finding something interesting. It can be just about anything." Carter raised a brow, "That movie she was talking about. I'm pretty sure that's not meant for kids." Elliot blushed. "Well, I was there. So supervision and all that." --- Charles sighed. 'As much as I hate the idea of you being there, I trust you to be safe and stay on your toes. I will keep in contact with you. However, if anything does happen, let me know. I don't care how sick or infectious it is. I will be there!' --- Storm frowned. "I'm not sure. From the looks of things, everyone's all over the place probably. I mean, you guys felt that earthquake." "There has to be something we can do!" ,said Pain. "Does it look like I know magical people?!" ,asked Storm. --- Death looked at Azrael as tears started to slowly form in his eyes. He suddenly threw himself at him. Wrapping his arms around him as he sobbed. "Oh Azrael! So much has happened! I needed her to go, you see? For I cannot hold it any longer. This pain hurts me so! I must let it all out!" He caught his breath. "I shall treat her as one of my own after what you have told me. Nevertheless, I ask that you stay here for a moment. That you hold me like this. I need you by my side. I must have someone here to heal these mental anguishes." shadowess - December 3, 2023 "Why does everyone we know rely so heavily on magic and the supernatural?" Parker asked as he lowered his hands from his face. "It's not fair on our friends that we're always exploiting them like that! Sure, I'm scared and I really don't want to lose my leg but how many other humans go through something like this and have no choice but to just live with it?" He wiped away his tears and took Will's hands in his own. "It could've been so much worse but it isn't. I'm still here... mostly. I'll figure out a way to live with it. Maybe I could get one of those cool robo-legs or something?" he laughed dryly. "I just want more than anything to be a normal human, including all the hardships that come with that." "I hear you." Damien nodded. "It feels weird for me to not have to live up to Lucifer's expectations anymore. Maybe we can get used to this new beginning together, eh buddy?" --- Kat glared at Sawyer when he'd followed him. His eyes followed his movements to the cliff edge. Kat supposed that the earthquake had caused the cliff face to crumble. Taking the safety rails and wall with it. He watched him take out his gun. When he was finished speaking, Kat shook his head. "So, that's it, huh?" he asked. "You're just gonna leave me alone in this mess? A traitor AND a coward?" he questioned him angrily. But right now, he didn't know how else to react. "Just what the fuck am I supposed to do now, huh?!" he shouted. Tears in his eyes. "I have nothing now! No home! No gang! I'm on the lam! and now you're just guna fucking take the easy way out?! You asshole!" he tilted his head to rest it on the top of the vase as he suppressed a sob. "What the fuck do I do now...?" --- John lifted Adam and turned, flinging him across the room and onto the bed. His shirt was already ripped at the back from his wings sprouting so he gripped at his chest and tore it the rest of the way off, revealing his toned muscles as he marched over to the foot of the bed. He loomed over Adam for a moment, his wings arching around the sides of the bed as he again considered what he was doing. But the come-hither look in Adam's eyes was irresistible. He knelt on the bed and crawled over him as if under his spell. He moved a hand over his chest as he leaned in to capture his lips again. --- Oliver laughed and giggled loudly. "Oh! you're flying so high, Oliver!" Neva cheered as she looked up at them. While being lifted, Oliver kept trying to reach up to touch the ceiling. "I'm sorry, Elliot. But I don't suppose you still have a few bags of blood in the fridge?" Sebastian asked. "I'm still recovering and my head is throbbing." "Daddies hid them away." Neva shrugged at Sebastian before sticking one of her dolly's arms in her mouth to chew on. "What-? Why?" Neva shrugged. "I wanted to play pretend Dracula but daddies said 'no'. I was only pretending though! I wasn't really going to drink it..." she replied then not-so-casually moved her eyes away, making it obvious without meaning to that she might've actually ripped a bag open out of curiosity if she'd been left alone for long enough. --- Amelia smiled to herself as she heard Charles's response. "I love you so much." she thought to him. She then had a thought. "If Tuzo is here taking care of me then that means he's also stuck here in quarantine or he risks causing an epidemic. That gives us an advantage to figure out what he's up to. The last time I saw him was when Damien was ruling Hell and the war was still on. He sold me out to a group of Angels and they tortured me for a week before I... escaped... Sorry, but that's all I have right now. Maybe you can dig up some more info on him from out there?" Not being able to hear any of this conversation, Carol turned her back on the puddle to look at Charles. "Anything?" she asked worriedly. --- Bob flinched when Storm snapped at them but he understood the helpless anguish that he felt. "The guy that was here. The one who tried to take Lilly away. What was his name?" Bob recalled. "He said he was with the CIA. Maybe we can contact them somehow?" --- Azrael was shocked by Death's hug and his need for him in such a way. His breath caught in his throat for a second and then he wrapped his arms around his King to hold him. "Of course! Whatever you need. I'd do anything for you." he said softly. He really would. He'd served Death since his arrival in this realm and despite being an Angel, he hadn't been treated any differently by any of the reapers. He'd been welcomed as one of their own. In those first few years, Azrael had been shy around his King. Unsure of what to make of him. But as the years became decades and then millennia, his loyalty and appreciation for Death had only grown. He could no longer imagine having a different life or serving anyone else. He'd give his life to Death if he asked him for it. Hoping to ease Death's pain, he emitted his calming aura around them. While running a hand through his hair, Azrael began to sing a soothing melody. Apart from his wings, the only other giveaway he had that he was from Heaven was his Angelic singing. His high notes, coupled with the echoes of Death's throne room, made for elegant vocals that stirred hearts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted September 27 Author Share Posted September 27 Denix Vames - December 3, 2023 Will frowned. He sighed. "Ok. If this is what you want then I'll be with you through this." His brows furrowed. "I don't like this but pushing you won't help either. I'm sorry that I wasn't there to protect you." James smirked. "Sure, why not? Sounds like we both might be able to work this out together." --- Sawyer lowered the gun. He placed it back in his holster. He walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I thought that was the right answer. Turns out I don't know what to do." He looked out at the horizon. "Looks like you and I are going places. If you want to go to places with me. Despite everything that's happened, I want you to know that you really are my friend. So, I will protect you. Become your bodyguard. You still have the power to do what you want to do. Don't forget that." --- Adam ran his hands down to his sides. Getting lost in the kisses. His body suddenly glowed. He was like a shining naked ornament. A present ready to be unwrapped. He winked. "Get it in baby." --- Elliot sighed. "Neva sweetie. You're not a vampire. Trust me. I'm sure you would know already." He took out the cooler filled with ice from the hallway closet. Opening it to reveal blood bags. He took one out and handed it to Sebastian. "We kept this door locked just to be safe." Carter knelt by Neva. He ruffled her hair with a smile. "I appreciate the interest in vampires but don't drink blood, ok? Can you promise your parents and me that?" He held his pinkie out for a possible pinkie promise. --- 'I will work on this. For now, I must attend to our people. I need them to know that everything will be alright. I'll talk to you another time. I love you Amelia.' Charles opened his eyes. "She is safe. So is my child. Let's go and see Hell's people. I need them to be hopeful. I'm going to need their help." He walked past her. Finally making his way to the wide lands of Hell. --- Grim raised a brow. "I don't know. He didn't seem trusting." Storm shouted, "CIA guy! Come out! You owe us!" Xenos appeared. He glared. "How dare you think that you can order me around?!" Storm poked at his chest, "You led her to her death! You need to give her body to us! And get Hades back too!" Xenos rolled his eyes, "I can retrieve Lily but Hades is not anywhere near earth. She has been taken by Heaven to study her. Apparently, that portal did something to her." Storm glared. "What? Then let me talk to an Angel! Now!" "Talk to Napoleon. I heard he's popular." Xenos disappeared. Pain punched a wall. "Napoleon, where the fuck are you?" Napoleon appeared. "I'm sorry but she cannot come back. Not until we can find out if she is safe to be around others. For you see, she has become a Hellhound. One of Hell's lapdogs. As for Lily, she has already been taken care of. Her body is in a coffin at the local cemetery. I can take you to her." --- Death sighed. He rubbed his eyes. Parting himself from Azrael's hold. "It is not appropriate. Yet, I cannot stop my heart. It aches when you are around." He leaned against his throne. Gripping hard. He couldn't face him. "For you see, my heart belongs to you. Please do not feel as if you must stay with me. I understand that this sudden truth must be overwhelming." shadowess - December 3, 2023 "I don't think there was anything anyone could've done to stop it..." Parker said as he wiped away more tears. "Thank you. It means so much to me that you respect what I want." he fiddled with a loose thread in his blanket. "So, um... did you catch my dad's creepy stalker?" "I look forward to it." Damien nodded then glanced at the clock with a small frown. He sighed, turning away from the others to whisper to James privately. "They have to amputate his leg. The damage was too much. I offered to make him a Devil to save it but he turned me down. He says he wants to keep being human no matter what. I said I'd still support him and I will, you know? but... I'm still worried for him." --- Kat couldn't help but scoff at Sawyer's hopeful comments when right now, he felt like they were just a wrong step away from being spotted by whoever was chasing them. Not to mention Japan's police force, secret agents and, of course, the CIA. The thought alone was overwhelming but first things first, they needed to work together if they were going to survive this. He stood and carefully placed his brother's urn onto the bench before turning to look at Sawyer. Then he punched his chin. "Sorry, I needed to get that out of my system," he said afterwards. "And also you deserve it, you prick. But I... I need you. So you better not betray me again!" he offered him his hand to help him up. "Now come on, we need to stay out of sight and lay low for a little while. Who knows where those assholes went. We should consider making a small fire in there too. Not big enough to draw attention but enough to keep us warm at night." he nodded to the warehouse. --- When Adam glowed, John took a moment to stare at him in awe. Was he really about to do this? To take Adam, the first human man, for himself? It felt like it should be a sin. To defile one so perfect as he. Adam's words drove his passion over the brink and he lost himself again, unable to resist this sweetest of temptations. He kissed him deeply, passionately. All while unbuttoning his own pants and pulling them down. All thought left him then as pure, primal instinct took over. (Private time.) --- "Smart." Sebastian nodded to Elliot as he revealed the cooler. He then nodded in thanks as he took the bag from him. Neva pouted as Elliot told her she wasn't a vampire and continued to pout as Carter knelt to her level to talk to her. She stared at him for a moment, clearly listening to what he was saying. Reluctantly she wrapped her little finger around his. Her action alongside her continued pouting said that she would do as she was told but she wasn't happy about it. "What about when I grow up?" she asked him. "That's a long way away, you might change your mind by then." Sebastian pointed out before biting into the bag. "Nuh-uh! I'd make a pretty vampire. Like Mina in the movie! But my hair is white, not red..." she paused for a moment. "Daddy, can I have a green dress like Mina's for my birthday?" she looked at Elliot. Oliver was still giggling and trying to reach the ceiling as Vincent carried him around. Although he was getting a bit frustrated that he couldn't reach so he focussed on what he wanted and with a pop he vanished from Vincent's arms and appeared in the middle of the ceiling, sitting on it like it was the floor with his little blond locks falling downwards towards the floor. Making him look like he had his hair spiked up. He sat there giggling even more heartily than he had been, especially when he saw the shocked looks on their faces. --- Relief washed over Carol, quickly followed by determination. "Alright! Where do we start?" she asked and then snapped her fingers as she answered her own question. "Donnie's followers were locked in Hell's Cells. We should start there. If we can get them on our side then they can fan out to help the rest of Hell." Little did they know, that half of Hell's Cells had collapsed during the quake and most of the prisoners had escaped. Some were Donnie's followers. Some were Demons and Angels that had been locked away centuries ago by Lucifer and long since forgotten. Those particular prisoners could potentially seek revenge on Lucifer... or his progeny. --- Bob felt awful for Storm and Hades. He didn't have a clue what a Hellhound was but it didn't sound good. Then the offer to see Lilly's body was brought up and Bob nodded quickly. "Yes, please," he said hoarsely. "I need to say goodbye." he tried to lift himself to his feet. After spending so long sitting on the cold, hard floor with Grim, his legs had fallen asleep. --- Azrael stopped singing and his notes faded against the room's stone walls. He stared at his King in shock as he considered his confession. "Sire...?" he whispered. Then, he chuckled as he shook his head and looked away from Death. "Of course!" he chuckled as he rubbed his forehead. "Of course, it's you! It's always been you!" he looked back at Death, fully expecting him to be surprised by his reaction. "How did I not see it? I've dedicated my whole life to you and this job. I love this life, I always have. So much so that I've struggled to start any relationship that wouldn't be anything more than just a quick fling. I always thought it was because my dedication to my work would put a strain on whatever relationships I'd start so inevitably they'd end anyway. But that's not it. It's you. I don't feel right with anyone else because... they're not you..." He beamed tearfully. "Because I love you." Denix Vames - December 3, 2023 Will nodded. "And he's going to stay in that cell until somebody can get him to stop acting like that." James awkwardly cleared his throat. "We could go out and drink. We did that when we were in bad moods." --- Sawyer clutched his chin. Groaning at the pain. "I definitely deserve that one." He took his hand. Standing up and heading into the warehouse. "I'll find something to burn. I can start building a small fire." He grabbed a small wooden box which was empty. He began ripping it apart. Placing it in the middle as it was surrounded by rocks. He ripped his late wife's photo. Using it as fuel for the fire. He took out his lighter and lit the fireplace. --- Elliot smiled. "Sure thing pumpkin." Vincent's mouth gaped open. Everyone couldn't stop looking. He quickly grabbed Oliver and placed him on the floor. Carter said, "How the hell did he do that?" "I guess he really did want to touch the ceiling. Oh dear. How am I going to explain this to Amelia and Charles?" Elliot replied, "Oh boy. Looks like this little fella is gonna be a handful." --- "Alright then. Follow me." Once they reached Hell's Cells, Charles's eyes widened. "Oh dear. This is bad." --- Grim helped him up. Napoleon nodded. "Everyone. Touch my back." Once the whole group did, they appeared by a hole with a tombstone. The coffin was closed. Laying nearby. --- Death slowly reached out as he turned. He cupped his cheek. "Azrael..." He gently pressed his lips against his. "I am forever grateful to Heaven that you were given to me. Since that day, I do not regret our time." shadowess - December 4, 2023 "Good." Parker nodded. "Don't tell my dad, but I was actually pretty worried. I know what it's like to be preyed on like that." he shivered as the memory of Bryce's golden eyes flashed through his mind. "To feel hunted and helpless. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Not even my dad." Damien grinned. He was very tempted. He looked at the clock again. "I guess we could. His operation will probably take hours and it'll take him a while to wake up from the anaesthetic. But I'll need to be back here and sober for when he wakes up. I owe him that." --- Kat watched Sawyer head inside before lowering his eyes to his brother's urn. He sighed heavily, knowing what he needed to do and not feeling certain as to whether he was ready to do it. But it was necessary. The urn would only get in the way and there was always the risk that it could be shattered or lost while they moved around. He walked back to the bench and lifted the vase into his arms before carrying it to the ledge. He stood there for a moment, looking down at the intricate paintwork on the chipped lid. "I guess this had to happen sooner or later... I'm sorry that I didn't live up to your reputation. I guess I was never cut out for the Yakuza like you. I don't know what to do next but I know that I need to keep moving. So, I guess it's time to let you go... goodbye brother. I'll see you in the next life... if there is one." He removed the lid and scattered the ashes over the ocean. He watched the ashes dissipate and although he was saddened, an odd sense of relief washed over him. He threw the vase over the cliff with the lid and watched it hit the water with a splash. It bobbed on the surface for a moment until water slipped into the neck and he watched as it slowly vanished under the waves. It was done, he was gone and it was time for Kat to focus. He walked back into the warehouse in time to see Sawyer's campfire begin to grow. "We should think about our next steps. We'll have to do food runs while we lay low. When it's quiet enough for us to move, our best bet of escape will be to leave the country. We're pretty close to the harbour. Maybe we could stow away on a vessel? or tell the captain we're new members of the crew?" --- Oliver giggled even more loudly when Vincent grabbed him from the ceiling, flipped him around and placed him on the floor. "How did you do that, Oliver?!" Neva laughed. Sebastian had been just as shocked and even felt his stomach lurch in fright at the thought of baby Oliver potentially falling from the ceiling. "Well, he is mostly Devil with a smidge of Fairy..." he pointed out thoughtfully. "Maybe he inherited powers from both sides?" Just as he said this, Oliver was on the ceiling again, laughing loudly and holding his arms up (down?) towards Vincent. This was now a game to the child who had no way of knowing any better. --- Carol looked at the ruin in absolute shock. These cells were supposed to be indestructible! Now half of it is rubble! She'd already guessed that whatever had caused that quake had to be immensely powerful, but this? She dreaded to think which prisoners might've escaped or become trapped under the debris- "The boy!" she gasped suddenly and began running at full speed towards the Cells. Sure he was Donnie's son but he was still just a kid. He didn't deserve to be buried under heavy bricks! Carol was brutal when she needed to be, but she wasn't heartless. "Sam? Sam?!" she called out as she ran around the open corridors of the cells, not knowing that Sam had escaped with a large group of Donnie's followers earlier on. --- "She was going to be buried so quickly?" Bob asked as he looked at the coffin near the open grave plot. "Did no one stop to think she might have loved ones who would want to say goodbye?" he sounded a little offended. But all the while, he couldn't take his eyes off of the coffin. Knowing she was in there was unbearable. Her death suddenly felt very real and Bob's heart hurt as he stumbled over to it. He fell to his knees next to it and flung his arms over it, sobbing into the wood. --- "Nor I," Azrael replied as he placed his hand over Death's. His heart had fluttered at their kiss and as he stared into his eyes, he knew without any doubt that he truly loved him. "That out of all the Angels in Heaven, I was the one that was chosen to be your gift. I will forever count myself fortunate. Heaven is my heritage but you are my home." he whispered to him softly. Denix Vames - December 4, 2023 Will caressed his cheek. "I understand. Don't worry. I won't tell a soul unless you tell me to." He kissed him. "I'll be here when you wake up." James awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "You make it sound like we shouldn't. Is there something that we can do?" --- "We have to gather enough supplies and steal a boat. No one will fall for that trick." ,said Sawyer. --- Vincent grabbed him again. Keeping him in his arms. "Oh Oliver! What are we going to do with you?" --- Charles shouted, "Carol! We must find anyone who will fight alongside us! I cannot let these bastards potentially destroy everything else!" --- Napoleon smirked. "It was pretty obvious that she came from a different place considering her powers aura. I know that you all are the only ones she has ever known." Pain dropped to his knees and slammed his fists against the ground. Silently crying with anger boiling inside him. Napoleon rolled his eyes and sighed. "Would you all please calm down? Her body may be deceased but her spirit still is here. She is merely in the afterlife. She will return when she was become what fits her spirit." --- Death kissed him again. "Come. We must see her. I wish to guide her personally. You will be there to help." He walked past him. Heading out of the room. "Lily? I assume my fellow reaper has given you a good welcome." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted September 27 Author Share Posted September 27 Shadowess - January 1, 2024 Parker held on to Will's kiss for as long as he could. He was understandably nervous about what was to come but knowing he had his support brought him some comfort. "Don't- don't let me sleep in too long. Bedhead doesn't look good on me." He said with a nervous laugh, trying to lighten the mood. He wasn't sure if he said it to cheer Will up, or himself. Damien's smile slipped. He hadn't meant to sound reluctant but he supposed, given his obligation to Parker, they would need to be quite a bit more responsible than Damien was used to being. "Huh... I'm not sure... " he sighed and thought for a moment. "We could still go get some drinks, we'll just need to be... sensible about it." He suggested and felt himself cringe at the word 'sensible.' It wasn't a word that he ever really used and for a moment he'd sounded a bit like David. He caught James's eye and realised he was still visibly cringing at the way he'd said it. He laughed quietly then nudged his elbow with his own. "Come on, I'm buying. You know any decent, quiet bars around?" --- Kat sat on the ground, on the opposite side of Sawyer. He shook his head with a frown. We might not get far on a stolen vessel. Especially if it's just us two manning it..." he ran his hand through his hair. It was a difficult situation but they would need to lay low for a few days before making any attempts to move anyway. So they had a bit of time to think things through. Kat's eyes lifted to meet Sawyers. "So, you're a fed... " he began, trying and failing to hide his disdain. "Who are you? Really? The Yakusa have clans all over Japan... why choose this one to infiltrate?" --- Once again, Oliver laughed heartily as Vincent grabbed him and he turned towards the floor expectantly. When Vincent didn't put him down again, he reached out to the floor to show Vincent he wanted to be put down. But when Vincent kept him in his arms instead, he began getting frustrated and fussy. He started wriggling, putting his weight down and whingeing. A tantrum was imminent. --- Carol paused in her tracks at Charles's command but she frowned as her eyes gave one last sweep over the debris. She couldn't see him and he hadn't responded to her calls so she prayed that he'd made it out safely. But as of yet, she had no way of knowing for sure. For all she knew, the poor lad could've been crushed. Her shoulders dropped and she lowered her head before reluctantly turning back to Charles. Inwardly she scolded herself for growing soft. Since when did one little traitor matter anyway? First and foremost, her duty was to her King. Always. "We'll find them, sire!" She called as she ran back to him. "They could have teleported by now. Most of the prisoners who escaped were either Donnie's followers or..." she hesitated to finish her sentence but he needed to know. "Demons and... A couple of Angels from what I can tell of the broken cells. Sire, those specific prisoners where locked away by... by your father. During the war. They won't know that the war is over and they'll likely see you as just as much an enemy as Lucifer had once been to them. Sire..." she stepped forward with an urgent look. "We need to find them before Donnie's followers do." --- At first Bob lifted his head to glare at Napoleon for being so insensitive to their pain. Then he realised what he was saying and his eyes widened. "Y-you're sure?" He asked uncertainly. "But we- Lilly and I- we come from a different world. I'm not even sure it's the same universe... our world's rules of death are so much different to here. How do you know she wasn't sent there? Or that her soul even still exists at all?" --- "Yes, Your Grace." Azrael replied as he took a quick breath to calm his heart which now beat so strongly for him. Within seconds, he appeared to be as professional as always. He placed the book back into his pocket and followed Death out of the throne room. Meanwhile Lilly and the Reaper who had since introduced himself as Garrett had just finished a quick tour of the local town. It was equally jarring and fascinating to her that the Reapers here lived a life that closely resembled human life... But from a time long since past on Earth. There were no electronic items. No vehicles more advanced than a horse and carriage. Gas lamps brought light to the grey, foggy streets. It might seem depressing on the surface but the gothic decor and architecture where hauntingly beautiful. The locals were warm and welcoming in contrast to their surroundings. Despite the gloomy atmosphere, there was a deep sense of peace here that settled even Lilly's heavy heart. They had stopped to rest by sitting near a stunning fountain, depicting a hooded figure holding a sun in one hand and a moon in the other ,located in the center of the town square. "That's our King." Garrett told her as they looked up at it. "The sun and moon represent our role in the universe. When the lasting darkness falls on the mortal soul, it is our duty to light the path for their final journey." "That's beautiful..." Lilly said then caught sight of Death and Azrael heading towards them. At Death's question, she nodded and looked around at the town once more. "I never imagined that the afterlife in this universe would be so... beautiful." She smiled as she turned back to look at him. The moment he'd realised Death approached, Garrett bowed deeply and waited quietly for further instructions. Lilly glanced at him hesitantly before asking. "Oh, um... should I be bowing too?" Denix Vames - January 2, 2024 Will smiled. "I'll be sure to do that when I get the chance." He suddenly frowned. "Sorry. Kind of hard to keep a confident face on, ya know?" Tears continued to drip down his cheeks. James shook his head. "I try to keep telling you. I was only ever a soldier. Do you really think I had a social life before meeting you?" Though he kept his typical cold expression, his voice gave a hint of hurt. Frustrated with the idea that he never had a life of his own. --- Sawyer couldn't help but smirk. "Well for one, I'm a CIA agent. And two, you guys were getting involved in business that was getting innocent people killed. Supernatural people to be exact. You see, that whole story about my wife dying from vampires? Not true. She did die but at the hands of ADIEU. She was used as a plaything for them to dig their knives into. I'll never forgive them for that. That's why I have to stop this from happening again." --- Vincent sighed. "Oh alright." He set him down. "I rather not make you cry. It would only make me cry as well." --- Charles sighed. He rubbed his forehead. "My father was quite the 'friend.' How exactly are we supposed to find anyone? Hell is a maze. Carol, surely there's some way to make this a little easier?" --- "Because she died here, she became a new resident to this world. She is currently being guided in the afterlife by Death himself." ,said Napoleon. --- "Not at all. You are above bowing to me. It may sound confusing but I will explain everything to you in private. Garrett, you are excused. Thank you for keeping her company." Death nodded at her. "Follow me back to my throne. I will tell you everything. Azrael, keep yourself near for possible support for Lily. She may need it once she is done hearing what I have to say." Death walked to his throne room. Once Lily was there, he slowly explained as best as he could. "It may be hard to comprehend but you are somehow like me. A being with powers associated with death. Far stronger than my own people. Equal to me. That is why I will personally teach you the ways of the reaper. Under these circumstances, I see you as...." He cleared his throat. "Perhaps that last comment would be impolite." shadowess - January 2, 2024 Parker took Will's hands in his own and gave them a gentle squeeze. "I know." he smiled sadly. "We'll be ok. It'll just be an adjustment, that's all." The nurse entered the room and made a small, polite cough to let them know it was time to prep Parker for surgery. Parker glanced at her and his heart dropped. He looked back at Will, holding his hands tightly out of nerves. "You'll be here when I wake up?" Damien faltered and looked away from James. "You did tell me..." he said and sighed while rubbing his forehead. "Sorry man, I've got so much on my mind right now. C'mon. Let's go find somewhere to drink." Not that Damien had realised it yet, but he had just apologised to James without stammering, cringing or generally any difficulty at all. This was a first. --- Kat listened to Sawyer quietly for a moment. As he mentioned what ADIEU had done to his wife, he averted his gaze. "I'm sorry about your wife..." he mumbled without looking up. "So, it's those guys you're after..." He thought for a long moment before looking up and staring hard at Sawyer. "So, what happens if we do manage to get out of Japan? You planning on handing me over to your CIA for questioning?" He scoffed and shook his head. "Fuck... that's what you're going to do, isn't it?... It's over for me... I have no gang to go back to... and those guys that chased us... Well, are you willing to guess who they were? Cos I can give you a hint, it sure as fuck wasn't your CIA. Like I said in the car... it's a 'clean up' operation. After a quake like that, the authorities are likely to use the opportunity to conduct raids. So, 'they' needed to plug any leaks before that could happen... You think they were brutal in your country?" Kat shook his head grimly and a couple of beads of sweat rolled down the side of his face. "You have no idea..." He shifted uncomfortably. It was clear by the way he was talking that he may have been working for this organisation, not just out of loyalty to his gang, but out of fear of what they'd do to him if he didn't. "I think I'm the only one of my gang who got away... they'll be looking for me. To 'take care of me' before I can become a problem for them. And they saw you with me... you're in just as much danger as I am now, even if I don't spill the beans on their operations to you." He bit his lip nervously. "I'll make you a deal 'Red Fox'. I'll help you get out of the country and I'll even hand myself over to your CIA. You can hand me in like a neatly wrapped gift for all I care. And... I'll talk... but ONLY once we reach the safety of the US. You're not getting another word out of me about ADIEU until then. In return... I want immunity, citizenship and a new name or whatever your guys have to do to stop those bastards from ever finding me. Deal?" --- Sebastian grimaced as he watched Oliver pop back onto the ceiling instantly with a roar of laughter. "I would say it might not be a good idea to coddle him but then what else can you do when he can teleport at will?" he commented then raised his eyebrows as Oliver rapidly started crawling across the ceiling and reached out to the wire of the light in the centre. "Oh, watch out!" "Silly Oliver!" Neva laughed. --- "My sister figured out all the shortcuts and she was just a soul at the time... But then it did take her a few decades and we don't have that long..." Carol shrugged. "But it should be easier for you. You're a Devil. And not just any Devil! Lucifer's son! Whenever I'd follow him on a mission, he'd always walk in a direction and end up right where he needed to be in a couple of miles. Let me..." Carol thought hard for a moment. Straining to remember if Lucifer had ever mentioned how he'd done it. "I can't be sure, he never said exactly, but I think he focussed on which part of Hell he needed to get to and... it was kind of like Hell re-arranged itself as he was walking... I think the same can be done for areas you've never personally visited. If you want to explore Hell's expanse, just... focus and walk?" She looked at Charles curiously. "Does that help?" --- Bob considered Napoleon's answer carefully before nodding. He ran his hand over the coffin and then stood while wiping the tears from his eyes. He hadn't stopped frowning. "Forgive me if I'm not exactly jumping for joy," he said sourly. "Even though I know she isn't gone for good, she still died. She died horribly. I saw her in her final moments and that knowledge is going to haunt me forever." He kicked a rock across the dry grass. "I'm supposed to be her friend. I wasn't even there for her when she needed me the most... And you... You talk about death as if it's no big deal. Are you so desensitised to it? Do you care at all?" --- Azrael nodded and followed them back to the throne room. He remained silent to allow Death to handle this without interruption and stayed close in case he was needed. Lilly followed them, curious about what Death had meant. How was she above bowing when other Reapers weren't? She stopped when Death stopped and she studied his features carefully as he explained what he'd meant earlier. Given all that had happened so far, she was already somewhat in shock and struggling to grasp that this new world was her life now. Or rather, afterlife. So when Death told her that she was like him, she was understandably stunned. "Me-? No, no, that can't be right. I'm just- just a necromancer." she stammered as she struggled to understand how she could possibly be like Death. Azrael gave her a small, understanding smile. This would take patience but at least now she was where she needed to be. Somewhere she belonged. After a moment of denial, she suddenly caught on to Death's last comment. "What do you mean?" Lilly asked curiously. "See me as what?" Denix Vames - January 3, 2024 Will kissed him. "I won't leave until you wake up and I'm the first thing you see me." James raised a brow. He nodded. "Lead the way." --- Kat looked at the fire. "Earlier, I would have done that. But now? Things are clearly different. You're not who I thought you were. It seems like I was completely wrong. So no, I won't turn you in. Guess that means I'm out of a job. Frankly, it's not like there was much to look forward to when I got back. But you? You're my real friend. Consider me a deserter from my own kind." --- Vincent immediately grabbed Oliver. Carter took Oliver from his hold and kept him in his arms. "Watch. I had to do this with my kids. You can't let them get everything that they want. No matter how much they cry. He's going to stay in my arms and not get on the ceiling. No matter how many times he makes a fuss." Vincent began to tear up when Oliver started crying. "Are you sure this is right? I don't know about this." "It's all about teaching them discipline." --- Charles thought for a moment. "I think so." He took a deep breath and thought about finding the prisoners from Lucifer's reign. He began to walk. Once he reached another area, he faced the old Angels who were clearly pissed. He cleared his throat. "The war is over gentlemen. I am the King of Hell. My name is Charles. Son of Lucifer you see. Unlike my father, however, I have come here to settle matters diplomatically." --- Napoleon cleared his throat. "Let me explain. I was once a human like all of you. I died long ago. Because of that, I became an Angel. It seems that there's a lot to explain. Oh dear. Well, the fact is that Lily will most likely become an Angel or a Demon based off of her forgiveness to herself. However, that does not matter now. Slowly but surely Angels and Demons have been able to cooperate with each other." Grim covered his mouth. His eyes widened. Storm facepalmed. "Oh shit! We forgot to tell Bob about the afterlife. We were so use to that we just assumed...." Pain frowned, "We're sorry man." --- Death's cheeks held a tint of red. He awkwardly smiled. "As my own daughter." He quickly turned around with his hands behind his back. "However, that title does not have to rest on you. You can choose to discount that idea. It is your decision." In truth, he felt embarrassed for having said it in the first place. Believing that he had offended her somehow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted September 27 Author Share Posted September 27 Shadowess - February 16, 2024 Taking a breath, he gave Will a thankful smile before nodding to the nurse. "You'll need to wait in the waiting room. We'll call you back in when the surgery is over so that you can be here when he wakes up." The nurse told Will in a reassuring tone while ushering him out of the room. --- Damien led them out of the hospital and down the street. It was the very early hours of the morning and he supposed they'd completely lost track of the time. "Damn... is that the sun coming up? Nowhere is going to be open at this hour... Fuck! That's right! I can teleport now!" He laughed while slapping his forehead. "C'mon, buddy! I know exactly where I can take us!" He beamed while placing a hand on James's arm. In an instant, they were standing in the red light district in Amsterdam. "Drinks! Weed! Women! or men, if that's what you're into." he chuckled with his arms outstretched in front of James. "And waffles too, if you're hungry. Here, dude." he gestured to a nearby pub. Inside its walls were decorated with an array of medieval armour and weapons. Heavy metal music played in the background. The pub itself was a little busy but not crowded. "I used to come here all the time when I first got my powers. When I just needed to get away for a while... What do you want to drink?" --- "Don't be a fool." Kat shook his head and sighed heavily. "Handing me in is the best chance either of us have of surviving this, and you know it. Your government gets the information they need to stop ADIEU, you might get a promotion out of it and if I'm lucky enough I'll get a second shot at life. Hell, maybe you can even be the one to check in on me now and then. But mostly, we'll be out of ADIEU's reach." Kat fell silent for a moment. Staring into their campfire as he tried to imagine leading a completely different life. He'd finally be out of organised crime. Maybe he'd settle down? Run a little shop or something? Even the idea of being locked away in a US prison sounded better than the alternative... He rubbed his face tiredly then removed his jacket, bunching it up into a makeshift pillow. He then removed his shirt and placed it carefully on the concrete floor before laying on it. He could still feel the cold from the ground through it and that might become a problem later in the evening but right now he barely noticed it as he stared up into the metallic rafters of the abandoned factory. His muscles seemed to ripple as the light from the fire danced across them, bringing life to the coloured ink of his dragon tattoo which coiled around his torso like a fierce emerald-opalite serpant. "Anyway, what we plan to do doesn't actually matter until we make it to the US. Until then, we need to watch each other's backs and make sure we're not followed. Or we're fucked." --- Oliver giggled at first and pointed at the ceiling. Fully expecting Carter to give in to his demands. When nothing happened he whined and jabbed his finger towards the ceiling in annoyance. Soon he realised he wasn't going to get his way and started to cry, scream, kick and slap. Despite being a full-blooded Devil child, he was still just a child. Which meant all of his kicks and slaps would only hurt as much as if it were a human toddler throwing a tantrum. Before long he'd tired himself out and with one last frustrated kick, he gave up. His screams dwindled into weary crying as he rubbed his eyes and rested his head against Carter's shoulder. Having no experience as a parent himself, Sebastian watched all this silently. Like Vincent, he'd been a little worried at first but he trusted Carter's judgement and observed the way the child was handled. When Oliver tired himself out, he gave Carter an impressed smile. --- Thankfully the Angels that Charles and Carol stumbled upon hadn't had enough time to make any plans. Their first focus had been on getting as far away from the cells as they could without dying and dooming themselves to become Devils. Seeing the pair arrive, the four Angels immediately had their backs up. "You expect us to believe you with her nipping at your heels?" One of them snapped while pointing a finger at Carol. Unbothered by this, she simply shrugged. "New King, new rules." The Angel that had pointed to her bristled, then quickly plucked a feather from his wing and pointed it toward her threateningly. They didn't have many options in the way of weapons but to Charles and Carol, an Angellic feather was already quite dangerous. "I don't buy it! Not for a second! What do you get out of this, huh?" "A clearer conscience?" "You're messing with us! Both of you! We're nothing but entertainment to you!" "Oh, stop stressing, would you! You're free! The war is over! Don't you sense it? You're not trapped in Hell anymore. You can go HOME if you want. No one is stopping you." The four Angels paused with puzzled expressions. They each exchanged wary glances as they realised the ethereal barrier preventing their escape had indeed vanished. They turned back to Charles and Carol with uncertain expressions. The first Angel had lowered his feather slightly. "We... can go?" "Sure can." "Is this a trick?" the second Angel asked. "Nope. Tell Raguel I said 'Hi!'" "And Lucifer... he's really gone?" Carol winced subtly before giving a slightly strained smile. "Gonzo! You don't have to worry about him anymore." The first Angel stared at Charles for a moment. "I don't know. It feels too good to be true. The war has been going on for centuries. You could've followed in your father's footsteps and kept it going but your Demon says it's over. Why? What do you get out of ending the war?" --- Bob stared at them all as they each spoke. The frown never left his face. Despite his concerns, they all seemed to assume that he was just upset that Lilly was gone. He felt he hadn't actually been heard. That his emotions were being dismissed. When they finished talking he sighed with a defeated and disappointed look. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and immediately became aloof. "I... need some time." He said as he looked away from them all. "I'm going for a walk." He then turned and headed towards the graveyard exit. --- Was this real? What if all of this was her mind playing out a made-up scenario and in reality, she was still bleeding out on the asphalt near the portal? Lilly was speechless. For a moment, her mouth opened and closed as she struggled to find the right words. The moment was tense. Azrael watched Lilly's reaction carefully. The way her cheeks reddened, her eyes darted back and forth as her mind was clearly racing, and her little frame trembled once more. "Miss?" He placed and hand on her shoulder and she seemed to come back to herself. Her face drained of colour instantly and she caught her breath while quickly gripping Azrael's arm for support. "I think I need to sit down..." she said quietly. "Of course, here..." Azrael carefully guided her to a nearby chair at the side of the hall. "This must come as a shock to you. Do you need anything? Water, perhaps?" She shook her head and took a breath to stop the room from spinning. She then looked up at Death. "I- um..." she stammered. It was difficult for her to open up. "In my world... I never knew my family. No mother to hold me. No father to protect me. Just an orphanage until I discovered my powers at age 11... then the road as I tried to hide or outrun people who would've burned me for being different. I spent 7 years on the road after I accidentally raised Bob from his grave... he was the closest thing to family that I knew..." she paused. Taking a moment to try to gauge Death's reaction before continuing. "What you're telling me... is that you want me to be your daughter. That I'm somehow like you. But you're a King... I'm just-... Just an orphan nomad necromancer nobody... I don't know how to be a daughter, much less a-a..." she trialled off. "A princess?" Azrael finished her sentence with a gentle smile. She glanced at him then lowered her gaze while nodding. "You can be. We can teach you etiquette. How to use your powers. Lillian, this can be your home. Your family. You would be valued. You would be loved. You don't have to be alone anymore." Lilly thought on this for a moment. Tears hung in her eyes but she wouldn't permit them to fall. She looked up at Death. "So, should I call you Death? Or father?" She asked uncertainly. Azrael beamed and stood back. Although she still seemed unsure, it was clear that she was open to the idea. Denix Vames - February 16, 2024 Will blew a kiss at Parker before leaving. He sat in the waiting room. Hoping that he would be ready to see the end results. --- James twitched a smile. He wasn't exactly use to smiling. But when Damien showed his fun side, that smile couldn't leave him. He said, "Got any hard whiskey?" --- Sawyer blushed when he saw Kat's bare chest. Immediately, he looked away. He squeezed his knees as he grit his teeth, "No. We can't go to him. My boss....He use to be understanding and happy. You think him having a family would have helped him keep that attitude but he's changed. I think it's because of what he is. A Blood God. Not an actual god but a mix of vampire and devil. Still, they're not known for kind gestures. They are bloodthirsty rage filled creatures. Not even those of the Supernatural want them. Typically, they're killed because they always start bloodshed. I wonder if being a boss made him thirst for chaos." He sighed, "All I'm saying is, we need to talk to a demon agent first. I need to ask someone if they can get the King of Hell to talk to him. Clearly, he needs help." Bitter tears ran down his cheeks. He hid his face, "Fuck! This is all my fault. Believing that everything we did was so fucking righteous. Like we were the good guys and nobody else. I'm just as bad as.....No, I'm worst than any crook out there. At least they have better reasons than I do." --- Carter smiled, "And that's how you do it." Vincent's eyes sparkled. "Wow! I can't believe you did it." He frowned, "It's really hard for me to be like that since you know?" Carter nonchalantly waved a hand, "That's fine. I can always help out. Just tell me when you need me." Vincent couldn't help but cry with a smile. He finally felt the love he had for Carter. A real kind of love that was true friendship. "Damn it! I'm such a softie." Carter handed Oliver back to him. Vincent looked at Oliver before hugging Carter. Elliot sniffled as he had his hat in his hand. "Ya'll really making me burst a pipe in my eyes." --- "Before I woke up, I stayed hidden because of so many reasons. One of them being Lucifer, my father. I didn't know at the time but even so, I'm sure he would have killed me anyways. Didn't like competition and all that. So, I am happy that he's gone. Otherwise, none of this would have ever stopped. My people would have kept getting killed by your hands. And your people would have kept getting killed by my hands. A neverending war? Who the fuck finds that shit amusing? Well, I don't. So go. Reunite with your people. Be happy for the first time in centuries. Let me make up for what my father did." He nodded, "I apologize for his childish actions." A black pool moved about it. Forming itself into what appeared as a devil with a deer-like features but had a suit. It laughed maniacally as it shapeshifted. Making itself become larger. It reached out to the Angels. Charles immediately fired his energy at the devil. Making it stumble back. He turned to the Angels. "Go! I can take care of this!" The devil growled. Glaring at everyone. --- Pain ran over, "Bob! Wait! Please be careful. Just yell if you need anything, ok? I know this is hurting you right now. I can't imagine what you're feeling. Just don't forget that you've got us." --- Death's ears perked up. Having heard a surprising a statement from her. He smiled because he knew his back was still on them. He quickly withdrew that smile and turned to face them. Looking composed as usual. "You may call me whatever you like. I rather not force you to call me a certain name if it makes you uncomfortable." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowess Posted September 27 Author Share Posted September 27 STORY CONTINUED HERE; Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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