Fantasy Earth's Waltz [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

Character List: Click

Darius Landau woke as the rays of the sun started to warm his face. He usually woke with the sun, and he rolled over towards it, putting more of himself into the gentle light and warmth that came through the navy curtains. A light smile came to his face. He knew it was the weekend – otherwise he’d be waking before the sun when his cursed alarm went off, all thanks to daylight savings time. On weekends, he got to sleep in a little later – which really wasn’t that late.

Gradually, the Nephilim opened his own dark blue eyes, and took in the morning around himself, the room painted in hues of white and blue, crispness to the air. ‘It must be freezing outside.’ Not that Darius ever seemed to notice. His blood burned hot, all thanks to his mother being inclined towards fire.

So, too, was he.

He rolled out of bed and marched right into his joined bathroom, using the water of a quick shower to wake himself up more, and smiling blearily at his own reflection before sticking a toothbrush in his mouth, once he’d stepped out of the quick shower. He didn’t bother touching his hair. The natural curliness of his hair made it hell to touch with a comb or brush, so he usually just went through it with his fingers once it was dry again.

Cleaned up, he grabbed a towel to dry off with as he strode back into his room, only to toss the towel haphazardly onto his bed. It was never made. The laundry was a pile he dealt with later – well, the dirty laundry. The clean laundry was always hung up or put away nicely. He didn’t go to his closet, though. He went to the dresser, and he drew out a pair of simple black sweatpants for the morning. He’d get dressed later – not before breakfast.

It was his home. He didn’t need to get dressed until he had something to do, and he’d grown comfortable around Charlotte. Perhaps, too comfortable. ‘This is her home more than it is your home.’ Though it felt like it was their home, and at times, he wondered how it would be to separate from her and live on his own.

He never liked those thoughts, but there was a voice in the back of his head that told him that, one day, he would have to. He needed to go get a life of his own. ‘When she’s safe.’ And Darius knew that Charlie was not safe. That was why they were training every morning that they could, to make sure she was prepared. Perhaps she was not as strong as her father, by virtue of her mixed blood, but she had grand potential, and even Darius knew that humans could do fantastic things without the help of angelic blood in their veins.

Not feats of magic, but they’d invented guns.

Guns sucked.

Tools and technology were at the disposal of humans, and wits.

With a yawn, he finally exited his room and walked along the carpeted floor to the stairs, descending down them with a bit of a stagger to his step. ‘Guess I’m not as awake as I thought.’ He didn’t dwell on it as he hit the base floor and found the remote on the coffee table of the living space. He flicked on the TV, set it to the usual Saturday morning cartoons. He didn’t really watch them much, but he liked the background noise. He’d move into the kitchen then, to start to prepare breakfast for himself and for Charlie.

That meant two skillets. He wasn’t a vegetarian himself, but he knew his housemate was, and he didn’t want to get any meat in her omelette. He determined that was what he wanted, and he could easily make a delicious veggie-filled one, while he ate one with bacon in it. ‘And hashbrowns.’ Almost on autopilot, he moved through the kitchen, pots and pans ringing as he dug through them for the tools he wanted, the cutting boards, the skillets, the knives, and went about his Saturday routine of preparing breakfast.

He was always up early enough. ‘Oh, right. Coffee.’ And he had to get that started, too, if only for himself.

‘It’s so…domestic.’ He chuckled at the thought, amused by it. It was. It was the kind of normal that Micah would have wanted for his family, and Darius knew he was viewed that way. Family. Brother. Nothing more.

~***~

Planes, hotels, post offices, this life was becoming the norm for Mia Pietus. It wouldn’t have been bad, but the woman woke exhausted and stared across her bed to the other, occupied, bed. ‘You know why you’re exhausted.’ The answer was in her companion, who made life difficult at times. She didn’t want to get up. ‘If you don’t get up, you’re going to die.’ A truth she hated to acknowledge. She was more demon than human. Sleep and food did not provide her with what she needed to subsist for long. For a while – they extended it – but it was like living on only water and bread.

The woman dragged herself out of her bed and crept into the bathroom, grabbing some of her clothes from the dresser and closet of the hotel room. She didn’t change before him – they’d been around each other for years, and yet, she’d never crossed any lines with him, made sure to keep those lines in clear sight, and that meant not changing anywhere he could see.

It wouldn’t tell him much – she looked human. Her mother had been a succubus, after all. The predator lured its prey by enticing, and so she had been the perfect bait.

Mia never thought of herself in such ways. She did not have her mother’s curves, nor her red hair or green eyes. She was not the picture of voluptuous perfection, she was too angled for it, too sharp, her hair was too pale – but she didn’t need to kill, either. Just sap some energy. A crowded bus, a subway, anywhere people were pressed together would be enough, and Mia was already mapping out the plan to get to the rift and how she could utilize the train there.

‘At least this is a large city.’ Though her destination was on the outskirts. ‘You thought this town would hide us.’ Plenty of murders. Plenty of issues. And yet still the hunters singled out her mother from all of that.

The thought was unpleasant, and certainly, her emotions were boiling despite the composed look on her face as she brushed through her blonde hair, dressed well – black heels, black dress pants, and a simple white button-up. The necklace was hidden under the blouse, and when she exited the room, the sword was taped up with orange, to appear safe. Peacebound.

Mia could break that with a pull, but mortals didn’t need to know that. ‘Still asleep.’ Her eyes moved over Andrew, and she thought to write a note, but decided not to waste any time. He knew she was traveling about, writing articles on the various portals to hell for her ‘grant research’. Perks of being an anthropology grad student working on their dissertation…supposedly.

Obviously, she was writing these things to keep getting the funding. She wrote one that was academic, and more recently, she’d started writing one ‘less academic’, and publishing it with one of those clickbait websites for additional funds, under the name M.Pietus. Halloween was right on the horizon…these kinds of stories were hot. Haunted houses and gates to hell were what everyone wanted to know about.

‘And it’s published now.’ She thought just as she exited the room and went to the elevator, checking her phone to see the e-mail of approval and the promise of funds based on views. It even had a horrible clickbait title about the 7 ways to Hell in the United States, and one of those atrocious lead-ins about a small town in Kansas called Stull - or maybe, it was once Skull. 'It wasn't.' But people liked a story more than they liked truth.

It didn’t even amuse her. She just shoved her phone back in her pocket, and as the elevator dinged that it hit the base floor, she was quick to get out and walk on, ignoring breakfast, and heading out to catch a bus to the train station. ‘Rain….’ Well, that might help things be a bit more packed on a Saturday morning.

It didn’t help with the bus, but once Mia descended into the subway, it was easier to end up pressed against others in the actual train car – once she figured out where she was going. She was too tired to pay attention to much going on around her, and fortunately, so were many others, so it didn’t seem too strange for her to seem to be leaning against her own arm as she held onto railing above her, and sway with the others as the train came to its stops at the various stations.

And each brush with others, each moment she was locked against someone, she made sure to pull at their energy, just a bit. Never enough to kill or exhaust – she wasn’t her mother. She wasn’t going to leave a string of dead people around her.

Sure, it showed in ways. Soured moods. Deepened exhaustion. Some would slip into sorrow, and others, a contented sleepiness. Mia was never aware of these things unless the others showed it obviously, and even then, to her it was hard to distinguish the changes energy zapping had on others in the morning, when most were tired, anyways.

So the train ticked on, eventually getting out near the suburbs of the large city, and that was when she finally started taking note of the stops so she knew which one to get off at, to get closer to the hell gate.

 

[Auralunabella]

She awoke with a start, gasping for air, her mind still clinging to the nightmare which ensnared her night after night. Charlie Solomon could not remember the last time she had slept peacefully; almost a decade it must have been. She blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the bright morning sunlight, and attempted to settle herself. She was trembling, and took a few deep breaths, trying to slow her racing heart. She could never remember the dream; only the paralyzing terror that it left her with.

She sat up slowly and glanced around the room. She was safe, she knew she was; Darius was around somewhere and it was just a dream, but that never stopped her from searching for any signs of danger. She had been sensing a change lately; something coming, and it only served to worsen her fear.

She yawned loudly, stretching her arms high above her head. She loathed mornings; she would prefer to sleep until noon at least, but Darius would never allow that. And besides, there was too much to do. She was nowhere near the level she wanted to be at in her training, and with each passing day she felt the pressing urge to be ready. What for, she did not yet know, but she knew she had no time to waste.

Charlie swung her legs over to the side of the bed and bent down to retrieve the shorts she had discarded the night before. Pulling them on, she stepped into her fuzzy pink slippers and groggily made her way to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Darius was probably already in the kitchen making breakfast, as he did so many mornings. He always rose before her, even on weekends. She listened as she turned the water off, and sure enough she heard the all too familiar sounds of him piddling around in the kitchen. She smiled; his presence comforted her, and she was grateful to have him. He was like the brother she had never had; the sibling she had never had even. It's not like Mia had been around much.

She instantly scolded herself for having that thought. It was wrong to think badly of the dead.

Finishing up her morning ritual, she padded into the kitchen to see Darius whipping up his specialty: omelettes. She grinned widely; he made a mean omelette and the smells wafting towards her alerted her that she was, in fact, ravenous. He didn't seem to notice her standing there in the doorway, so she remained silent and watched him for a moment.

He had always been a fixture in her life, for as long as she could remember. She pondered that as she stood there. They were both older now, adults, and watching him now she felt a twinge of something she couldn't identify. Her smile faded. She tried to imagine her life without him, and it felt so cold and empty. He was all she had, when she really thought about it. Her mother was still around but could hardly stand to see her anymore, and she didn't really have any close friends. What would she do if and when the time came for them to part ways? Surely it would happen one day; they would start their own separate lives eventually, wouldn't they?

She sighed, and forced herself to smile again. "Good morning sunshine!" she called cheerfully. She laughed lightly at her own personal inside joke. Darius was Nephilim, like her father, only born of fire, and he loved the sun. She oftentimes considered him to be her sun, warm and comforting, always looking out for her; her beacon in dark times. And there surely had been plenty of those.

*

Andrew Wellington had no idea how he had ended up here. He had always had dreams of travelling, but never quite like this. He could hardly remember what town he was in at any given time. He didn't mind so much, it wasn't like he had roots, or anything that he was tied to, but it could be exhausting. Mia could be exhausting. He smiled as he thought her name.

He could hear her now, trying to be quiet, preparing herself for what he was certain was another of her secret missions. She told him it was research for her writing, but he suspected otherwise. He always wondered what she was really doing, but knew better than to ask. She was never very forthcoming with information, but he was able to discern enough on his own. He closed his eyes and concentrated, as he had taught himself to do, thanks to Mia. There!! He felt her then, a sense of strong-willed determination twinged with... What was that? Apprehension? That was unusual. She was usually very sure of herself, and then amidst all the other feelings swirling around him he noticed a touch of worry, which was his own.

He cared for this girl, immensely. He wasn't sure when or how it had happened, but it didn't matter. What mattered now was that anything that would cause her to feel any kind of trepidation was not something he wanted her to face alone. She could handle herself, he knew that well enough, and she would never dream of asking him along, but he felt like this time maybe he should follow her, just to make sure she was safe. That was all. Not because he wanted to satisfy his curiosity, but to keep her safe. He felt that was the least he could do for her after all that she had unknowingly taught him about himself.

He waited, feigning sleep, until he heard her leave, and then he quickly rose and dressed, grabbing the pile of clothes on the floor that was closest to him. He never cared much for his appearance, he had other things to worry about, and right now that thing was Mia. He left the room and made his way to the elevator, pressing the down button repeatedly, as if that would make it come any faster. He was in luck that day, however; he only had to wait about thirty seconds before the doors opened and he stepped on. He fidgeted impatiently waiting for the doors to close, and watched the numbers light up as the elevator descended. As soon as it reached the lobby and the doors opened he shot out, looking for any sign of her.

He spotted her quickly; he could never miss that hair. She was heading out the doors, and he jogged to catch up to her, taking care not to be discovered. She made her way out into the morning and he followed as closely as he could, pulling his hood up to the rain. When she stopped at the bus stop he hung back, waiting for his chance. She got on at the front door, while he got on at the middle one, making his way towards the back.

The bus let her off at the train station, and he continued to trail her. She didn't notice him, but that was not unusual. Not many people did. It was harder to keep up in the crowded station, but he managed it, climbing aboard her train as the doors were closing.

He watched her as she stood, swaying in rhythm with the motion of the train like all the others; sleepily caught up in some hypnotic dance as they moved simultaneously, almost as if they were one being, packed tightly together like sardines in a can. His eyes narrowed as he watched her; he couldn't make sense of it but it seemed like she was purposely brushing up against as many people as she could as they travelled off together to their individual destinations. He knew she was not overly fond of people, and thought he must be mistaken. She couldn't help it, as much as they were all crammed in together. That was all.

Still, he kept a close eye on her. He could easily lose her in here, and that was the last thing he wanted. Like it or not, today he was along for the ride. "Who knows?" he thought. "I might even get some answers."

 

[Lucyfer]

Darius had not noticed the arrival of Charlie immediately, caught up in getting everything prepared. He was cutting up green bell peppers when he heard her greeting, and he looked up, blue eyes glinting with happiness as they fell upon the pink-haired woman. “Good morning, moonbeam.” He returned easily.

She had that locket, of course, but more than that, he always thought of her as a moon. She reflected so much positivity, so much light, that it radiated out onto other things. He never considered that the moon needed a sun to have light in the first place when he thought of it that way, only thought of the moon’s natural reflective quality.

What she felt, she reflected, and caused it to be felt by others. “Breakfast will be done soon, but the coffee should be done if you want some,” he offered, sliding the cut up peppers into the mix of other vegetables for her omelette. He was always careful to keep things separated so that no stray bit of meat would end up in her food and spoil it.

“You doing all right this morning?” He knew she did not always sleep well. Bad dreams. It was hard to imagine that she could have such nightmares; she’d lived such a charmed life. Her father vanished, but she did not have to witness what happened…thankfully. Darius was in the party that generally believed he was dead, but he didn’t want to believe that.

He had to. If he thought otherwise, he’d be out there, looking for him. A Nephilim wasn’t really made for the domestic life. A knight, a squire, someone with a higher goal seemed…fitting. If he believed Micah was alive, he’d be out there searching for him, turning over everything. “I’m thinking after breakfast we can work some more on your training, if you like.” He knew that she would, so he didn’t even need to look at her as he turned to the shredded potatoes that were already cooking up into hashbrowns. They just needed flipped.

Then he needed to start breaking eggs and stirring in milk, salt, and peppers, to make the mixture for the omelettes. He checked that there was cheese, before he’d add the egg mixture to either skillet. Soon enough, the rest of the ingredients would be added to each skillet, to cook up the vegetables a bit, and the meat in his own, and then to make sure it was covered in cheesy goodness, so that the egg stuck to each bite.

The hashbrowns were basically done, so he turned the temperature down to just keep it warm. ‘Do we still have ketchup?’ He hadn’t checked that. He hoped so, then. He hated hashbrowns without ketchup. Now that he thought of it, he hadn’t checked if there was still creamer for the coffee. He knew there was sugar, at least. He wasn’t badass enough to drink it black – and why would he want to be? It tasted better with sugar and cream.

~***~

Little by little, her strength returned to her. By the time the announcement finally rang out for the stop that she wanted, Mia felt a bit more awake, a bit less exhausted, and she made sure to quickly break free of the crowd at the door, brushing her hands over her arms as if it would wipe off the people. No, she didn’t like others – she didn’t like contact, but it was necessary. ‘And if Andrew wasn’t around….’ But Andrew was around, and she had a reputation.

Even if it’d be interesting to see how scandalized he could be if he ever found her in a nightclub. Those were the best places for energy sapping – people just wore it all on their sleeves, and no one questioned if a drunk fell unconscious after dancing. ‘You could leave him.’ The thought came as she started to walk out of the station, blissfully unaware the one occupying her thoughts was following closer than usual. Much closer.

She stepped up and out into the rain again, and drew her phone out for directions again. ‘7th Heaven.’ The name of the bar made her shake her head. Of course, hunters built a bar where the rift was. Of course, hunters had an outpost here. It was why she wanted to check it out in the daylight. At night, it would likely be occupied by multiple hunters. In the day, odds were good it’d be near empty and she could be done with this before they ever knew she was back. ‘Who builds a bar out in the suburbs, honestly.’

Okay, it wasn’t out in the suburbs. Mia took a left, ignoring the bus station, and quickly found a gravel path that led away from the main road. ‘This didn’t used to be here….’

“We’ll stay here!” Her mother’s defiant voice echoed in her head.
“Sirena, this is—”
“What, dangerous? To you, maybe. It’s close to Hell. Maybe I’ll go home one day.”
“There are hunters here, because of its proximity, and you’re…not subtle. Our dau—”
“MY daughter.”
"Which is why Hell is dangerous to you, as well...."
"No. No, it won't be. She's mine. Not yours."
"Then why did you insist on leaving it? I thought it was something about our daughter, and my blood...."
"Shut up."
​

Her mother knew better, rationally. Otherwise, she may not have left Hell in the first place - Mia presented a danger, simply because she was Micah's child. Mia could still remember this area, though it was years ago. She couldn’t have been older than three when Sirena and Micah got into a fight of location and who, exactly, she belonged to. Before Hell was sealed, Sirena had escaped it here, with Micah, and then decided to live in the city near the backdoor, thinking one day she’d go back.

‘Never happened.’ For all her bravado, her mother knew she wouldn't be accepted in Hell again. Mia pushed her fingers back through her wet hair, irked with herself then. She should have worn black. Or a coat. Anything.

Instead, she came up to the bar with the annoying neon sign looking more disheveled than she wanted to. There were still a few vehicles parked outside it, and some lights on inside it. Movement. The sounds of music could be heard from outside as she drew closer, figuring the only way she was getting through to the rift was by walking in through the front door.

 

[Auralunabella]

Charlie giggled at Darius's endearment. She knew that home was more than a place to rest your head each night. She had known the comforts of home once, long ago. She had known it, and Darius had been a part of it, and he felt like home to her. He was the only home she had left; the only ties remaining to her father. Amelia, "Mom," she admonished herself, and everyone else all thought Charlie was crazy for still hanging onto hope. They all thought her father was dead. "Well let them." Indignation filled her mind as she thought of all the times she had been told to stop looking. "You're 18, you're an adult now, you should do something with your life. Get a job, go to college," blah blah blah. They all expected her to give up, but how could she? She knew something wasn't quite right, and until her father's body was placed before her and she could look upon it with her own eyes she knew she would never give up hope. Not while there was any chance that he was still out there.

Darius was the only one who still supported her. Everyone else had given up and left her to her own devices. She wondered why he did it sometimes. She didn't truly think that he believed Micah was still alive. He was Nephilim; if he honestly believed that she knew he would be out there looking for him more fervently than she ever could. He wasn't though. He was here, playing house with her, cooking omelettes and doing laundry and teaching her how to use her pathetic abilities. She hardly knew what they were, much less how to use them. She was weak; she couldn't do it alone, that was clear, but she wasn't sure if even he could help her. "He's wasting his time here with me," she thought sadly. "He could be so much more." Charlie knew that Darius was destined for greater things than this, and the thought filled her with sorrow. The day that he too realized it he would be gone and she would be alone. Alone with her hope and her memories and little else.

She mentally shook her head and checked herself; good, her expression had not betrayed her thoughts. She moved towards the table and took her usual seat, her back to the window. She knew Darius liked to look upon the sun while they ate. The air smelled amazing; yet another thing she could not do she realized. Cook. "That's enough," she told herself, determined to channel all this negativity into her training rather than self-pity. It was unlike her to think this way; she was typically such an optimist. It was one of her best qualities, the ability to see the good in things, and to embrace all things with the expectation of a positive outcome. She wasn't one to dwell like this, but she had been feeling so uneasy lately that it was hard to keep these types of thoughts from creeping in. She knew they were there, lying dormant, waiting for the chance to express themselves. She used to be able to keep them at bay, but it was getting harder and harder. "As if the nightmares aren't enough."

Charlie snapped out of it when she realized Darius was speaking to her. "Yes, of course..." she trailed off, not sure what she had agreed to. She watched as he expertly prepared breakfast, taking care to make sure he made their meals completely separate. He was so considerate of her. He didn't have to be. She didn't mind if he used the same skillet to prepare both their meals, but he insisted, not wanting to risk her eating meat unknowingly. She flushed and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

*

Andrew wondered if Mia knew how intimidating she really was. She didn't seem to notice the way that people automatically noticed her; she didn't notice the wary looks they gave her, or that each time she brushed up against someone one they took care to quickly move away, as if her touch shocked them or gave them an uneasy feeling. She never made him feel that way. She made him uneasy, sure, but that was a different thing entirely. He was accustomed to her ways and mannerisms, and coupled with the feelings he got from her, it all made sense to him. It was just how she was. She must have had a hard life up until now. She had to get her strength from somewhere. People generally weren't born they way she was; it was typically something they learned to become. She had worked hard to acquire her skills and knowledge, and she worked hard to keep herself in good working order, almost like she was preparing for something, though he had no idea what that thing could be. She was a writer, she did research, what could she possibly have to prepare for? Wasn't she already where she wanted to be? Her position would be an end goal for most people, but it only seemed to spur her on more.

She was an enigma to him in a lot of ways. Not all, but most. He was glad she was unaware of what he was actually capable of. He feared that if she were ever to find out she would disappear and he would never see her again. Not only would that break his heart, but he would no longer be able to afford himself the illusion that he was protecting her in some way. Surely he had to be doing something for her. She was still with him, wasn't she? It wasn't like he made a lot of money, and she made her own, much more than he did. So there had to be some reason she was still there. He owed it to her to do whatever he could for her. She was ignorant to how much she had given him; order amidst chaos, a way to silence and concentrate the noise within him. It was the greatest gift he had ever been given, and she was completely unaware that she had even given it.

The sound of the train coming to a halt jolted him from his thoughts as his eyes made their way to where she was. She seemed to be preparing to disembark, so he readied himself as well. It wouldn't do to be spotted just yet. He had to remain in the background until he found out where she was going and what she was up to. He pulled his hood down over his face and tightened it; the rain was a blessing truly, for he would have looked highly suspicious without it.

Once the train stopped he saw her get off and did the same, quickening his steps to maintain his distance. He didn't want to get too far behind. This was a large and bustling city, easy to lose yourself in. He suspected that was why she had chosen it, though he couldn't figure out why. He saw her stop to check her phone and ducked into a doorway, peering out. "Must be checking directions," he mused, which told him that she didn't even know where she going. He followed her until she came to a gravel path. Andrew was confused. Where was she taking him? He reached out then, trying to get a sense of what she was feeling, and hit a brick wall. "What the hell......?" He felt nothing. Not from her, not from anyone. That had never happened before. He was always able to find her emotions, no matter how many people were around muddling the frequency, or whatever it was. He still didn't understand it, but he knew that each one was different; each person had a flavor, so to speak, and once he familiarized himself with an individual he was always able to find them again. Mia's was the most familiar of all; he had had plenty of time to become attuned to her particular flavor.

He felt fear creeping in as she continued down the path. He wanted to call out to her but stopped himself. This was not good. He felt naked and exposed and empty. How could he feel nothing? All the times he had longed for silence he could never imagine that it would feel this way. It was terrifying.

There wasn't much around to hide himself, so he flattened himself against the nearest building and crossed his fingers hoping she would not choose that moment to turn around. She didn't, thankfully, but instead led him to, what he could see from where he was, appeared to be a bar or a nightclub, he couldn't be sure. He shook his head, completely confused and rattled. He watched as she stood there appraising the place, the lights of the neon sign above it playing through her hair, wondering what she was feeling. And then, to his horror, she went in.

 

[Lucyfer]

Darius flushed, not realizing that Charlie hadn’t heard what he said. He thought he spoke of his ketchup dilemma aloud as he went to grab two plates for them. “Ah, nothing – just wondering about ketchup. I forgot to check before I started cooking. I really hope we have some, otherwise I’ve wasted hashbrowns on myself,” he chuckled, evenly splitting the hashbrowns on both plates, before sliding her omelette on one, and his on the other. He spun back around and set her plate down, and then his, before he returned to the counter to get his own mug of coffee. “I guess you can always have them if you want – you might even need the extra energy for today’s training.”

Weekends were usually better for training, so far as how long he could spend with her and help her learn things. Compared to weekday evenings after work and classes. He was always exhausted from such things, but bills didn’t vanish just because someone was related to a hero who saved the world, unfortunately.

They still needed money to survive. So, he did what he could, while working to a degree. He was still undeclared. He really didn’t know what he wanted to do – in truth, he didn’t even want to be in college. He considered instead going to a dojo or some sort of school like that, learning the arts and then teaching them, but that would cost money he didn’t have for the lessons.

So, school it was. He was thinking of going into kinesiology. That could eventually lead into combat training, while he made money as a personal trainer. As it was, he waited tables at one of the fancy steakhouses – he made good money through tips, mostly. People liked him.

He set his mug down on the table before turning to the fridge and opening it, “Ah ha! We do have ketchup,” he popped it up and out, catching it in his other hand, “Do you need anything?” He asked, glancing back as he also reached for the creamer, flavored chocolate. He’d grab any condiment or extra she might need to start her morning off, and set it on the table, before taking his own seat to dig in, and let her wake up a bit more, adjust to the day and figure out her own plan in her head.

Prepare just for existing.

~***~

A little bell rung above the door as Mia walked in. She cast a glance up at it, before her eyes shifted to someone who spoke up, “Hey, we’re not open…yet,” the woman’s voice trailed off as her eyes fell on Mia, and then, on the sword. She straightened up from getting the bar in order, as a man sitting at the counter with a bowl of cereal glanced over, looking rather beat up in his leather jacket and dark jeans.

Definitely a hunter.

The bartender was likely an informant.

“My apologies,” Mia wasn’t sorry in the least, “I’m writing a paper on the various gateways to hell. I understood there was one here at 7th Heaven.” She answered, walking forward to the counter, hoping her human guise was enough to trick these hunters. The sword obviously wasn’t, the man at the bar was eying it down. “I’m a graduate student with the University of Chicago, I’m working on a dissertation about perceptions of Hell in early America.”

Not just America, but they didn’t need to know that. It made more sense if it was in America.

“That it, huh?” The man at the counter asked, “Where’d you get that fancy sword?”

“Sirena, who had it from Lothario,” the truth, her mother and the grandfather she never met. She didn’t care if they knew the names or not, if they guessed the names or not. Her eyes didn’t shift to the man, but stayed on the woman instead. “I can pay, I just want to have a look around the bar and the grounds to see if I can discover why this area was singled out as a hell gate by early colonists. That’s all, then I’ll be on my way.”

“Isn’t Lothario the name of some incubus?”

Mia shrugged.

 

[Auralunabella]

Charlie laughed out loud. Darius and his ketchup. She didn't like it much herself; she preferred the flavor of the food she was eating. She rarely used condiments, but she did love her spices. If it wasn't spicy, she wasn't interested. "Actually, would you mind grabbing the red pepper for me?" she asked him. "I'll love you forever!" She gave him her biggest, cheesiest grin, laughing again. There relationship was so funny. If they hadn't grown up like brother and sister they would probably seem like husband and wife. The thought made her smile. "He will make someone a good husband one day, considering how well he takes care of me."

Darius handed her the canister of red pepper and she sprinkled it generously over her entire plate of food. Most people couldn't eat food as spicy as she liked it, and that was fine with her. She felt like it made her seem tough, and she liked it. They both tucked in, and as they ate she thought about her training. "What do you have planned for me today, hmm?" she asked him, grimacing. She winked to let him know she was joking... sort of. Training was hard on her; she hated that she had so much trouble with her abilities. She was like a baby in comparison to him. Granted, she was only a quarter angel, but she still felt like she should have come farther by now. It was as if she had some sort of mental block that kept her from accessing them, but she couldn't pinpoint it, therefore she couldn't solve it. Even Darius seemed baffled by it. Abilities came so easy for him. She had to try though; she would never be able to engage in anything physical, she wouldn't stand a chance. She couldn't always rely on him to fight her battles for her, and she seemed to get into more trouble than she liked to, especially lately. It was harder to keep a reign on her emotions, what with everything she was dealing with; the nightmares, the training, her mother's absence, her recent uneasiness, worrying about what she would eventually do with her life. She wouldn't always have this mission, finding her father. She knew that there would eventually be some sort of resolution, and then what? She had no plans, nothing. She couldn't think much outside of being desperate to uncover the truth.

The omelette was delicious, as usual. She could eat his omelettes for every meal. He was such an amazing cook. He was good at just about everything he did, it seemed. She wished some of that would rub off on her. She tossed a pepper at him. "Are you gonna douse me in fireballs while I try to shoot sparks from my fingers?" She loved to tease him.

*

Andrew was worried. Very worried. He had a very bad feeling about this place, even though he couldn't feel anything at all. What kind of place would block his ability to sense emotions? Every living thing had them; it was highly unlikely that anything else was causing this. Something was blocking him; something or someone, and it made his skin crawl. And Mia had just gone inside.

He walked a bit closer, reaching out to see if he could find anything, even just a whisper. Still nothing. He stood observing the place, debating whether or not he should go in after her. That would blow his cover for sure; she would know he had been purposely following her, and she would be furious, but did it matter when she could be in danger? What if he was the only one who could keep her safe? He didn't know what kind of people or beings were in there; he didn't know their business. Maybe it wasn't even a proper establishment; it could be a cover for something illegal, like drugs or weapons, and those types of people didn't appreciate outsiders encroaching onto their turf. He smirked sarcastically at his choice of words, but it was the truth. People like that didn't play nice and they didn't play fair. He knew that well enough. Granted, it had been years since he had had to deal with anything like that, but he still remembered all too well.

And boy did Mia have a temper. It took very little to set her off, and once she got going her anger had to run it's course. She couldn't just shut it off; there was no calming her or stopping her. If he could feel her it would be different; at least then he would have an idea of what was going on based on her reaction, but he still felt nothing. He was starting to feel like following Mia today was the best idea he had ever had. This outing of hers had high potential for disaster. He didn't have to know what she was up to to recognize that. He walked up to the building, trying to peer inside the window, but not only was it filthy, "ugh", but it was also painted over. "Great," he thought.

Suddenly he smacked himself in the forehead. "I am such an idiot." Shaking his head, he reached into his pocket, feeling like the biggest dumbass in the world, and pulled out his phone. He dialed her number and waited.

 

[Lucyfer]

Darius made a face at her request for red pepper, but said nothing to it. He had expected it, or the tabasco sauce – something to spice it up. Despite his love of heat, he didn’t need that much heat in his life. He didn’t mind spicy foods, but it had a time and place. Breakfast was absolutely not that time – he was too sleepy to deal with it. Still, he wouldn’t deny it to her, and he did laugh a bit at her comment. “You’d better!”

Darius knew he’d always love Charlie. How could he not? Even if they had not grown up together, she was a lovable woman, joking and kind, hard-working and determined. Perhaps not in the standard sense of going out to get a degree or a job, but her determination was still present all the same, overcoming the odds of and trying to live a different life, in the face of the everyday struggles of the ‘normal’ life and ‘normal’ existence.

He did consider the plans. In truth, he didn’t have any. It was getting more difficult to figure out how to train Charlie. The same rules should have applied to her as they did to him, kinetic magic, movement, but it was possible that the magic she could access thanks to Micah’s nature didn’t have the same movements. Darius had taught her the movements he’d seen Micah practice, to try and channel her magic, but it never amounted to much.

He didn’t know what to do, except keep hammering at it – as she said, douse her in fireballs. She meant it as a joke, but he couldn’t laugh. He caught the pepper and popped it into his mouth, finishing up his omelette before adding the ketchup to his delicious hashbrowns, saturating them in the red sauce. “Well, I was thinking we could take a break from the magic for a bit. We’ve been going hard at it. Maybe we can just work on your physical health today? Unless you’ve got some ideas for the magic that I haven’t thought of yet,” he offered.

Perhaps a break would be best. Sometimes, epiphanies happened when one stepped away from something, and they’d been practicing the magic more than anything else, no doubt to the detriment of her physical fighting abilities. She would need those, just as much as she’d need her magic. Micah didn’t do everything with magic. He did plenty of fighting with weapons, much as Darius now did. He preferred the polearm, but Micah had been a swordsman.

It gave him that knightly image.

“That okay?” He asked, glancing up and canting his head a bit, wanting to make sure it would be agreeable. He didn’t want her to think it was him giving up on her magic – just the thought that they needed to step back from it. If she wanted to keep at it, though, he’d oblige. In the end, this was for her needs, so she could set the course differently.

~***~

“And Sirena…that was definitely a succubus from 10 years ago, right?” The hunter asked, apparently not smart enough to drop the topic this early in the morning.

“I thought that sounded familiar. She had a sword? Huh…wouldn’t have known.” Mia was trying not to lose her temper. “How’d you end up with it?” The question was thrown back to her.

“Ran into one of the hunters. Bartered for it.” Not. The hunters hadn’t known where it was. There was no bartering with them, ever. “I’m not here to discuss history.” The less, the better. She would murder them all. She was going to murder them anyway – but she’d rather them be surprised by it, when the backdoor opened a few hellhounds or something jumped on them and tore their throats out.

Or something. There were usually hellhounds at the gates though, or that’s what she noticed, as if they were guarding it on the other side. She didn’t know – she couldn’t pass through. It only let things of lesser power through, even when opened, because the main seal hadn’t been undone.

Which was a nice ego boost at times – she was deemed too powerful to cross.

“Listen, I don’t need the tourism here,” the bartender said, trying on a sympathetic tone, “and the fact you know these things are real doesn’t make it any better, so I’m going to have to say no.”

“Maybe if you want to trade that pretty sword.”

Mia was about to agree, only because she’d have it back in about five minutes, but her phone rang. She held up a single finger as she took it out of her pocket, noted the name, and then answered it, “Hello, Andrew. Do you need something? I’m a bit busy right now.” She didn’t want to be on the phone long. Her voice was monotonous, offering no indication of the growing irritation or impatience she was feeling with the two hunters.

Especially not after the two in the room exchanged a look while she kept her finger held up.

 

[Auralunabella]

Charlie let all that process for a moment. On one hand, he made perfect sense. She did need physical training as well. Perhaps she needed it even more. She was small, and not very strong. Even with extensive training she still didn't have much of a chance in that department. It was just that though. That's why she hadn't wanted to focus much on it. Because no amount of training could change the fact that just about anyone she tried to challenge physically would have the upper hand due to her size.

With the magic, it had nothing to do with strength or physical prowess. With that she had a chance, and she also felt that ultimately that was the skill she was going to need when she found her father. She didn't know what was keeping her from using it. None of her research online offered any answers. She was going to have to dig deeper, but she wasn't sure where to start. Nor did Darius.

"Maybe I should call Mom," she mused. She shuddered at the thought; it was so hard to talk to her these days. Yet... perhaps her mother knew something from Micah. Amelia had been with him all that time; perhaps she picked something up or saw something, maybe he told her something that she didn't know that Charlie needed to know. She was missing something, something big, and someone somewhere had the answers she needed.

In the meantime, perhaps it would be beneficial to work on the physical aspect for a while. It wouldn't hurt to get stronger, and perhaps the answer to her abilities was hidden inside herself somewhere. Maybe it could help to unlock something. Also, she could learn something helpful, like escape methods, or dodging; she was small, those types of tactics could work for her. She made a face at the obscene amount of ketchup Darius squirted from the bottle. He had ruined perfectly good potatoes. She laughed and nodded her head. "Okie dokie, that's not a bad idea. Don't go easy on me, 'kay?" She grinned and winked, knowing he would do just that. He was afraid to break her. Well, she was tougher than she looked.

Charlie squared her shoulders and concentrated on her meal. She was going to need all her strength for this, so she dug in and began to mentally prepare herself. Being the optimist that she was, she had decided that this was somehow the answer; this was gonna clue her in on whatever she needed to be able to use her abilities properly.

She also needed to get her life on track. There was no reason she couldn't get a part-time job and take a class or two. She could help out Darius with the bills; he worked so hard and trained her almost every day, it was the least she could do. She was going to have to learn how to take care of herself, because there would come a time when she would be the only one who could.

She swallowed her last mouthful regrettably, she could have eaten another, and asked Darius, "Do you think you could teach me to cook?"

*

Mia answered on the second ring. As soon as he heard her voice he knew something was wrong. She sounded robotic, like she was using all her will to keep from revealing something, and no one ever tried to do that in a good situation. He stumbled over his words at first, not sure what to say. Should he tell her he was there and ask if she needed help? Or should he play dumb and ask her to stop at the store on her way home or something and get a feel for the situation. He knew he felt anxious about her being in there; she didn't know what kind of place this was. Andrew didn't know either, but he had a better idea than her he was sure; she couldn't feel what he.. couldn't feel.

"Uh.. hey.. Mia. I just woke up and noticed you weren't here. You hungry? Wanna meet up for breakfast? Say in 30?" He paused. "Everything okay? You sound a little tense."

"Crap, I shouldn't have said that," he cursed himself silently and cleared his throat.

"Listen I thought maybe afterwards I could, uh, help you with some of your... errands or something. I haven't found a job yet and it gets boring sitting around here alone all day. Plus I'm craving steak and eggs. What do you think?" He felt foolish; she wasn't dumb enough to fall for this. Still, he had to try.

"Act natural. Just try to get her out of there before she gets herself into trouble. Something's not right here," he told himself.

Andrew had heard stories and rumors about things like this; places and items that could block abilities, or had certain powers of their own. He knew they were just rumors, but most rumors these days seemed to stem from some basis of truth, and of all the stories he had heard, none of them had ever had a happy ending.

He heard light background noise but it didn't sound like there was any talking or arguing, which was something he often heard when he called her; she never called him. Maybe she was okay after all, but he still felt uneasy.

He waited impatiently for her response.

 

[Lucyfer]

Darius was glad when Charlie agreed to the idea of physical training. He knew that she would never be as strong as him, but there was more to fighting than strength alone. There was agility, evasion, and even using the strength of one's opponent against them. With how small Charlie was, she could at least learn to be quick and evasive. If her opponent couldn't catch her, her opponent couldn't hurt her, and she may eventually wear them out. Hopefully, anyways. Stamina and endurance would have to pair with agility, or she'd only wear herself out and be easy prey for someone who wanted to hurt her.

Those just came with practice, developed with the exposure.

"Sure. I won't hold back." Darius absolutely would, and the glint in his blue eyes said as much. He would still press her. She wouldn't learn anything without a challenge, after all.

He ate mostly in silence then, finishing up his hashbrowns, content with the fact they were mostly just ketchup. It tasted good to him, like his sugary coffee.

The nephilim was just starting to rise to take his dishes up and wash them off when Charlie inquired about cooking. "Hm? Oh, yeah, I guess I can. I was thinking of making tuna sandwiches for lunch - the almonds should be ready." The tuna for her was made of almonds and sunflower seeds, with spices like dill added in, mixed in the food processor, "And maybe buffalo wings with some carrot and celery sticks for dinner." He would already be using the celery with the tuna salad.

The buffalo wings were another story. He hadn't figured out how to make those, so he bought the fake frozen chicken and made the hot sauce. "You could help me with those. Shouldn't be too hard."

The waiting with the almonds while they soaked was the only hard part, so he'd put those in the fridge last night. They were probably ready now, but he hadn't encountered an issue with letting them soak longer.

He started to rinse off his plate, before he bent over to put the dish into the dishwashing machine, adding his fork as well, before going to get the rest of the tools used to cook the meal.

~***~

Mia suppressed an eyeroll. She didn't interrupt what was being said by Andrew, and admittedly, she was touched by his care. Wanting to simply get breakfast with her, to assist. The sense of responsibility he felt - of course, had it been any other way, were he content to simply live off her grants, he wouldn't even be here. She couldn't tolerate such entitlement.

Not to mention he was literally the only person who seemed to remotely understand her... even if he had no idea what she was. Even now he heard the stress in her voice. Somehow. She thought she covered it better - then again, she always thought she hid things better around Andrew.

"I'm alright, Andrew. Only annoyed. I did not grab an umbrella. I am a bit far out for breakfast to be feasible, however, I should be back in time for lunch."

Quiet conversation continued in the background. "Did Vince ever report a demon blade?"

"No...none of them did."

Mia continued speaking, though she knew the game was about up. "We can discuss assistance then, though I don't think we'll be staying here as long as some of the other towns." Like Lawrence. Or places she hadn't known exactly where to go.

"Didn't Sirena have a daughter we never...?"

There it was.

The bartender went for a phone and Mia extended her wrist out, the raised finger now pointing towards the bartender as she pulled the phone out from under the counter. The aim wasn't great, out of the corner of her eye, but she saw the spark of light fly and heard the phone clatter to the ground. "I'll see you soon, alright?" She needed the conversation to end.

The hunter was pulling his gun as the bartender cursed in pain.

 

[Auralunabella]

Charlie felt a stab of guilt when Darius agreed to help her with cooking. He already did so much, and here she was asking for more. She really didn't have the right to, but she didn't have anyone else she could ask. Her mother was essentially useless as far as these things were concerned. She saw Charlie as nothing more than a painful reminder, not a daughter. She had no other family that she was aware of. Not living anyway; Darius was the only one.

She sighed, but quelled her guilt by telling herself that at least this time the favor she was asking was for his benefit as well as hers. If she could learn more life skills she would be that much closer to independence, and Darius would then be able to do less for her and more for himself. She kept her thoughts close however. He didn't need to know she felt this way, it would only make him worry.

Instead she smiled gratefully and said," Thanks! I'm looking forward to it! I'll try not to burn the place down, I promise." She laughed and stood to bring her place to the sink, where Darius was cleaning up after their breakfast. "Can I help you with those?" she asked. She gave him no time to answer; instead she just kind of shoved her way in between him and the dishes and took over, rinsing them and placing them in the dishwasher. She was pretty sure she knew how to turn it on.

Once that was finished, having accomplished the chore with no incidents and nothing broken, she said, "I'm gonna go change so let me know when you're ready for me, 'kay?" and danced out of the room. She was feeling much better already. She felt as if she had begun to take control of her life and to take responsibility for herself.

Charlie made her way up to her room and kicked off her slippers. She went over to her dresser, where she kept her workout gear, and pulled on the first thing she saw; black full-length leggings and a long-sleeved gray workout top. She braided her long hair into a single plait down her back, and then twisted it up into a bun, pinning it there securely. It wouldn't do to have to struggle with her unruly locks as well as the challenge of anything physical with Darius. He dwarfed her. She needed no further disadvantage. She laughed to herself, picturing the two of them out in the yard fighting. It seemed ridiculous, but she knew he would teach her well. Besides, thanks to her they were making no progress anywhere else. This was all they could do. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, not badly, and she had to do something.

She pondered her magic dilemma as she tied on her trainers. So far she was able to create small sparks of light that weren't strong enough to take down a fly, much less any other type of creature, and she could heal; minor scrapes and bruises, that was all. She felt more within her but it was locked up tight. If she could just develop those two skills it would be very helpful. Darius's magic was strong. But he was Nephilim. She sighed again. She was a quarter; not much, but it should have been enough for something. The trick was finding the key to unlocking her power and letting it out. She regrettably admitted to herself that she would probably have to call her mother. It was a longshot, but it was her best idea for now. If that didn't pan out, she would rethink things, perhaps ask Darius if he knew where she could go digging for answers. She wouldn't ask him to do it for her this time. She would sort it out herself.

Maybe she could starting working with an item or a weapon. Perhaps, being as weak as she was, she needed some type of conduit for her magic. She fell back onto her bed, fingering the locket her mother had given her when she turned 16. She loved how it always felt warm to the touch. It was precious to her; silver, with a beautiful engraving of the moon on the front. It was her most prized possession; she never took it off, not even to shower. Somehow, the pictures inside never got damaged. "It must be watertight," she realized, shortly after she had received it. She had gone swimming that day and had forgotten to take it off; she rarely wore necklaces so the thought to remove it had never crossed her mind. She was dismayed when it happened, thinking the pictures of her parents inside it had been ruined, but when she had opened it up it was perfectly dry and everything was intact.

She let her eyes close; Darius was taking a while and she was still sleepy. The sun was warm on her face, breakfast was heavy in her belly, and she felt herself starting to drift off. "A little power nap won't hurt," she assured herself. She would get up as soon as Darius was ready for her. She reached for Fuzzy, the little stuffed unicorn her father had given her as a baby, and snuggled up to him as she fell asleep.


*


Andrew listened to Mia with growing impatience. He knew she wasn't telling him the truth. Still, it did seem that she was merely annoyed rather than afraid for her life. That was the thing about Mia though; she was too confident. He often wished that she would be more afraid. It would keep her out of situations that, though she always came out unscathed, put her in danger.

He did a poor job of concealing his disappointment, saying, "Okay, if you're sure..." he trailed off, listening closely. He heard voices in the background. Of course that was to be expected; she was in someone's place of business and there would be customers, even this early in the morning. He hadn't heard them before, however, and they seemed to be growing louder. Male voices.

He continued, "I suppose we could meet up for brunch instead," the voices grew louder still, and then he heard what he thought was something falling to the floor, then a man cursing. "Shit, what is going on in there?" he wondered. It was too early for a drunken brawl; her mere presence was cause enough alone for him to know that she was involved somehow.

He didn't know what to do. If he went in, not only would she be pissed that he was there, but with him being blocked as he was there was a high chance of him being more of a hindrance than anything. Right now he was just an ordinary man, and he was fairly certain that this place contained little that was ordinary.

"How long do you think you'll be?" he inquired as stepped to the door, trying to see inside. He still couldn't see anything. He put his hand on the door handle and just as quickly pulled it away. "Not yet, not unless it's my only option," he told himself.

"We could still make breakfast if I meet you halfway," he listened harder. Something was wrong, he just knew it. "If only I could feel something. Anything," he agonized over his indecisiveness. He should just tell her he was there and ask if she needed help. He couldn't do it though. Her fury was no small thing, and he was loath to be on the receiving end of it with no good reason. He was probably just overreacting. He was always doing that. It came with his nature. He was simply anxious about being blocked, that was all.

Andrew stepped back from the door and went around to the side of the building. He would wait here and listen. If he heard anything worrisome he would go in, but if not he would just wait for her to leave and then hurry to beat her home. She would never have to know he followed her if all went well.
"If all went well..."
He leaned against the building and waited.

 

[Lucyfer]

Darius didn't have time to tell her yes or no either way before he was bumped out of the way. He laughed a bit as he stumbled out of her path and stepped back to observe, make sure things were set up properly with the dishwasher. He knew he should trust her, but she didn't often do this, and he was quite familiar with the dishwasher. And the rest of the appliances.

She didn't mess it up though - he hadn't expected her to. So long as the dishes were rinsed beforehand it was really hard to mess things up. He had forgotten to do that for a while...wondered what the point of a dishwasher was if he still had to rinse things off. He learned. "Alright." Darius agreed to her words. "Shouldn't be long." Really he could just throw on a shirt. He didn't care about shoes.

He should probably offer the illusion of being changed for training though, but he wasn't going to put on armor or anything like that. He had a few sets. They rarely got taken out any more. The world was moving beyond the need for people like him. Warriors. Knights.

As it should.

Still...It was hard being without purpose.

He walked into his room and sought through his closet for a decent muscle tank, which he slipped on before finding a pair of fingerless gloves - black. The tank was black. He considered digging out matching sweats but figured against it. They were just going to get dirty. He was about to grab his sneakers when he noticed his phone light up.

He walked to it, and flipped it open to a message from one of his contacts in a hunters guild. He had a few friends there, though he generally avoided them. Their rampant racism was problematic.

The message was simple: I think I found the source.

Some stupid clickbait article was attached about gates to Hell. Darius rolled his eyes and typed back: Let me know when you find something real. before he threw the phone on his bed and sat down to lace up the sneakers.

The phone buzzed again. Darius hadn't expected an answer that fast.

Read the author's name.

Darius opened the article.

M.Pietus.

' No, no, no, no....' he started going through the list. He realized they lined up with places that had seen a surge in demon activity. He cursed, and typed back another message.

Give me an hour or two to get back to you.' He had to mention this, he knew, but first training. Then he would tell her. Otherwise she'd be too distracted. Besides, wearing her out might help her. That, and it could be a coincidence.

He left his phone on his bed before exiting his room and going to her, knocking on it, before loudly declaring, "Its time! I'll meet you outside!" And then heading off to go to their backyard, fortunately with high fencing made possible by quick growing foliage.

~***~

The anger boiled under the surface as this once, Andrew didn't get the hint. "I won't be back in time for--!" Her words were cut off with a gunshot, the bullet grazing her cheek and across her ear. Her fingers were burned, but she simply drew them away from her face. "Thank you." She really didn't need to try and carry that conversation on, nor pretend it bothered her. She'd get a new phone. The wounds would heal. Bloody clothes would be discarded, as always.

This was far from her first fight.

The hunter sneered. "You won't be making that date, succubus." He assumed whoever she was speaking with was simply the next meal as he re-aimed his gun for her head.

She reached back for the sword and pulled it out on time to use the white blade to block the next shot, now that her focus was no longer distracted by the call. The woman behind the bar had ducked down, no doubt scrambling for something. For the moment, Mia paid her no mind and rushed forward as the hunter fired again, narrowly avoiding another shot. The man hadn't really been prepared to fight that morning. He had only been prepared to eat cereal.

The blade cut through him with ease and he slid to the ground in two pieces as Mia turned to the woman who, much to Mia's surprise, was holding a shotgun. "Throw your sword down and surrender!" She demanded with as much confidence as she could muster.

Mia did not. She rushed forward, reaching out to bend back the shotgun muzzle. Or, she meant to. From her mother she had telekinesis - her mother's species was all about touch in all forms. Unfortunately for Mia, she couldn't reach out. 'What?!' the shock was present.

Enough for her to nearly get shredded when the shotgun blasted and the pellets flew. She shifted, skidded to a stop and moved the sword as cover, but it was not nearly wide enough to fully shield her and pellets tore through either side of her abdomen, forcing her to take a knee as she heard the click of the shotgun being opened to be reloaded.

She swallowed, hard. If she was human this would be fatal. She forced herself back to her feet with a deep inhale.

 

[Auralunabella]

Charlie was jolted awake by a sudden knock at her door and sat up with a start, just in time to hear Darius call out to her that he was heading out back. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and glanced at the clock; she had only been out for about thirty minutes. 'Hmm... no nightmares.' Granted, she hadn't slept for long, but still, this was promising. Perhaps if she slept in smaller increments she would be able to avoid them altogether. That would be something. The dreams had been plaguing her ever since her father disappeared. It was nice to wake up peacefully for a change. Semi-peacefully, anyway.

She shrugged it off for now; she would think about that, among other things, later. She had more important matters to deal with now. Such as getting her ass kicked by her big brother.

Charlie stretched and hopped out of bed. She could feel the anticipation building; she was really looking forward to this session. She desperately needed an outlet for some of the emotions she had been carrying around lately, and this would be the perfect remedy, or so she believed. She would make the most of it, and try to learn as much as she could. Anything would be an improvement compared to all her previous failures. She made a mental note to talk to Darius about contacting her mother to see if she had any information about magic. He would know if that was the right decision or not.

She headed downstairs eagerly, ran through the house, and out the back door. Darius was there already, warming up with some simple stretches. She jogged over to where he was and began copying his movements. It felt good to use her body for a change. It was chilly outside but she hardly noticed; the sun was bright and warm on her skin and the air was crisp and clean. She felt refreshed.

She glanced over at Darius, who was being unusually quiet. He looked deep in thought and his face was serious. She frowned. She knew he was generally withdrawn towards other people, but it was unlike him to be this way around her. She wondered what was on his mind; he looked positively stoic.

She punched him lightly on the arm. "What's eating you?" she asked him, trying to make light of the situation. "Did all that ketchup give you a tummy ache?" She grinned; she was hoping to put him in a better mood. Otherwise she might end up with more bumps and bruises than she bargained for.

*

The line went dead in the middle of her reply, and Andrew's blood ran cold.

That was a gunshot.

There was no mistaking it, someone had just shot at Mia, and narrowly missed, by his assumption. He didn't think her phone was quite so lucky. He sighed heavily and darted towards the door. He had no choice now, he had to go in after her. Mia was always getting into scraps with one person or another and she handled herself well, but guns were something else entirely. Bullets weren't known for being forgiving.

His heart was racing as he pulled open the door. He didn't know what he was about to encounter, or how he could possibly help, but he couldn't just stand by and hope for the best while there were bullets flying around. He ran in and stopped, dumbfounded. He was not prepared for the scene before him.

A man, or at least he thought it was a man, was lying on the floor. Dead. In two pieces. He had to do a double take to be sure that that was what he was actually seeing. Mia was bleeding from multiple wounds and being held at gunpoint by a woman behind the counter. She was using her sword as cover. The first thought he could manage was, 'Oh my god she's been shot.' The second, immediately following the first, was, 'That's a frickin' shotgun!'

Andrew just stood there shocked. He was frozen; he couldn't move, he didn't know what he could do to diffuse the situation. Mia was injured and he didn't know how badly. She was going to need a hospital. He wasn't sure if he should call the police; Mia had a giant sword, that might not be the best idea. He just stood there, looking back and forth from Mia to the woman behind the counter, his mouth hanging open.

 

[Lucyfer]

Darius should have known that being withdrawn would attract Charlie’s attention, but he hadn’t been aware enough to think of it as his mind sunk into the thoughts, while his body continued acting on auto-pilot. The stretches were known by rote. He naturally knew how long to hold the pose before sliding into the next. It was all thoughtless, and so his mind was free to wander back to the name. ‘It’s an uncommon surname, but not impossible others have it….’

But what were the odds someone with that surname, would be hunting down hell gates and throwing them open, that wasn’t Micah’s other daughter? ‘The black sheep.’ The mistake. The regret. Micah had attempted to be in her life more, Darius recalled, but Sirena wouldn’t have it. She was ever-bitter about coming in second, even if she didn’t love Micah.

She had wanted him trapped in her snare all the same, and failed.

So, when he felt the punch to his arm, he was jolted from his thoughts and nearly lost his balance. Fortunately, he kept it, and gave her a teasing smile for it, though it didn’t reach his eyes. The blue remained deep, and far from calm, “Something like that,” he didn’t want to lie to her, but he still didn’t want her to sink into these thoughts when he was trying to teach her. If they were bothering him this much….

‘Micah would hate me.’ For what happened to Mia. For what she may have become. Micah would be livid if one of his daughters slipped and fell, if one of his daughters ever became a threat to the world – and Mia could. He didn’t want to think it, but he did – Mia was likely far more powerful than Charlie was now, or ever could be. She had the human, she had the angel – and then she had the demon, and her mother hadn’t been a slouch.

Her grandfather, Lothario, was a beast of another sort all together, and one of the reasons that Micah had sealed up Hell. Demons like Lothario, who saw humans as nothing more than food, and imagined themselves at the top of the food chain, and humans akin to cattle. ‘If Mia has lost her way….’ He shook his head, and restarted his poses from the top so that Charlie would be sure to get through them all and get well and limbered up.

“Got some things that came up, but we can talk about them after all this. Just some news from the Orders that Micah founded – nothing about him.” He added hastily, hoping that would help to drop the topic for the moment. “You ready?” He said, slipping into one of his combat stances then, “I promise I’m going to go slow. I want you to practice dodging, but learning what to look for first, so you can figure out the best way to evade, okay?” He didn’t want to leave the talk of Micah’s orders open, so he slipped into the conversation of fighting.

~***~

Mia was not prepared for the sight of Andrew.

Nor was the bartender, who paused as well, eyes widening at the sight of someone entering and looking about. Murder shouldn’t be the norm to civilians, and no doubt she was already thinking about the best way to explain this so that they didn’t have a scene with police.

That was her failure. Mia took the moment’s pause to straighten up, take a breath, and then hurl the sword right at the bartender’s head. She may not have the use of telekinesis, but she had all the strength her mixed blood gave her, and the sword flew with enough accuracy to pierce the woman’s skull and pin her to the wall of the bar, shotgun clattering to the ground, but not fully reloaded enough to go off or be a threat.

Mia collapsed to her knees then, without the sword holding her up, and she took in another deep, shaky breath, before turning her eyes up to Andrew in a glare. He shouldn’t be there. He shouldn’t have entered. She was far from pleased. “This is why I do not bring you along.” He’d seen her get into fights, some real, some simply a part of her upkeep of tai chi or swordplay. He’d never seen her murder anyone, let alone two people.

Or get shot.

Really, this was going to be a bit difficult to explain now. She winced as she managed to get to her knees and rock back, wrapping her arms around her torso and closing her eyes, trying to breath, trying to ignore the taste of blood in her throat. “You’d die.” Simple. She shouldn’t care so much, though, and she knew it.

‘Get up. Get up and get to…wherever the rift is in this building…get him away so he doesn’t get murdered by demons….’ He was probably going to insist on some nonsense about a hospital, or the police, or god knew what. “Go back to the hotel.”

 

[Auralunabella]

Charlie knew Darius was purposefully trying to distract her from thinking about his words. She decided to let it go for now, she was sure he would tell her later. To her knowledge he didn't keep things from her, and she believed that since he said they would talk later, they would. Still, she couldn't help but worry over what he had said, if only to herself. "Father's Order..." Charlie considered what that could mean. She had a feeling it wasn't good news. Darius didn't seem to get much of that lately concerning anything to do with her father, even something as mundane as the Order he had founded. In the past she had found that type of thing boring, never paying much attention when her father had mentioned it to her. In hindsight she wished she had paid attention. At least then she would have some idea of what the Order did, which would give her a better idea of what to expect when Darius heard from them. "I wonder if it has something to do with Sirena, or even Mia?" She knew they both were dead, at least that's what she had been told. Whether or not she believed that was another matter, but she had had no news of them since their supposed death, and sometimes she wondered if perhaps she was just chasing rainbows, although even thinking that she could never allow herself to give up. Charlie sighed inwardly. She pushed the thoughts from her mind and focused her attention on Darius. It wouldn't do to let anything distract her from training; she needed all the help she could get and it would be ungrateful of her to not take full advantage of all that he was doing to help her.

Charlie nodded and shifted her body, mimicking Darius's stance. "Like this?" she asked, bracing her lower half and squaring her shoulders, rotating her torso towards him, just like he had done. She lifted her arms to the ready, although she wasn't sure what type of stance this was; defensive or offensive. She was completely inexperienced with hand to hand combat; had never done more than wrestle in the mud as a child. She didn't even play-fight, she just liked to get dirty; back in those days the cleanest one lost. She smiled at the memory, she and Darius covered in mud from head to toe. Her parents never got angry, they had always just laughed and helped them clean off. "Kids will be kids," they had always said. They had always been so happy just being parents.

Things were much different now. Her mother couldn't even stand to be in the same room with her. It made her heart ache, she missed her so, but she understood. For some people the pain of loss was so much that they just couldn't get past it, no matter how hard they tried. Amelia was one of those people. She was fragile, much too sensitive; she didn't have the strength of character required to fight through it and continue living. She only existed now, hiding herself in her tiny little apartment, dulling her pain with alcohol, escaping reality with books and internet. She was hardly even a part of this world anymore, and try as she might, Charlie was unable to bring her out of it. She knew her phone call would be painful for her mother, and she didn't want to hurt her more, but it couldn't be helped. She had no new leads on anything. Her mother had to have answers, even if they were locked away somewhere within her shattered mind. Charlie was determined to help her remember, even if her motivations were selfish.

She held her pose, waiting for Darius to correct her, as she was sure he would. It felt awkward; it couldn't be right. Sure enough she saw the corners of his lips twitch as he suppressed a smile. He wouldn't let her see him laughing at her, but she knew he wanted to all the same. It didn't bother her; she was sure she would laugh too if she could see herself. She felt silly, and slightly off balance. He saw her watching him and she stuck her tongue out, wobbling and almost falling over. She laughed and relaxed into a natural pose. "Okay, you're gonna have to show me," she told him, as if he didn't know.

*

Andrew barely heard Mia as he surveyed the scene before him. He was lost in trying to formulate a plan to hide two dead bodies without attracting attention. At the same time he was trying to figure out what to tell the hospital staff once they got there; he knew all gunshots had to be reported to the police. "An accident... no that won't work," he murmured to himself, unaware that he was speaking aloud. She had more than one injury, he couldn't explain them both away as an accident. There would most likely be evidence, powder burns or something, he was unfamiliar with guns but had watched a lot of crime shows on television. They were always able to identify gunshot wounds.

He ignored her and asked, "How badly are you injured?" Her safety was his first concern. Then came his. In the back of his mind he knew he probably ought to call the police and let them deal with it, and Mia as well, but she had killed two people. Even if she'd done it in self defense, it would mean an investigation, and questions, and he was certain that neither of them wanted anyone delving too deeply into who they were and where they came from. They would have to question them both, of course. He was there which made him an accessory.

"Not today," he decided, and moved towards the closest body, the man, trying to decide where to start. He grabbed the dead man by the legs and started dragging him, not noticing that he was only managing to move half of him. He then stopped suddenly and looked towards the door, realizing that anyone could come in at any time. He let go of the body and rushed towards the door, locking it and flipping the sign to closed. He was grateful then for the dirty glass; at least no one could see in. He was considering that there might be a back door when he heard Mia telling him to go back to the hotel.

"What?!" he asked incredulously. He gawked at her, covered in blood, not believing what he heard. "You've got to be kidding..." he trailed off as her previous words finally registered.

"This is why I never bring you... you'd die." That was what she had said to him. Which implied that this was not an uncommon occurrence for her. He felt a slight twinge of fear then, impeding on his desire to protect her; he'd always believed he knew Mia fairly well, better than anyone else for sure, but now he was starting to wonder what kind of person she actually was. Who had he gotten himself involved with? Who should he be trying to protect; Mia or himself? He unknowingly took a step back, instinctually retreating from what he was beginning to perceive as possible danger.

"We - we should get you to a hospital. Mia - you're - you're bleeding," Andrew stumbled over his words, his thoughts and feelings conflicted. He was afraid, for himself now, but still for her. He loved her. He didn't want her to die. "Just - please - come with me," he pleaded, holding out his hand to her. "We can disappear; no one needs to know we were here." He just needed to get her out of here and make sure she was okay. He could decide on other things later. "Just keep her safe," a voice in his mind told him. "That's your job, your duty." It didn't make sense to him, but he believed it to be true. He stood there, hand outstretched, pleading with his eyes for Mia to join him. He held his tongue and waited.

 

[Lucyfer]

The pink-haired woman mimicked him all the way through, even into his offensive pose. He couldn’t help but laugh a bit as she asked if that was correct, shaking his head a bit. ‘No.’ She was the defender, she needed to be a bit more relaxed to dodge, to move, without locking up. He had forgotten how little she knew of fighting. Sure, magic was a sort of fighting, and it required its own movement, but it was nothing at all like this.

He’d learned to weave magic into combat seamlessly, though, so he made it look like that, but sometimes it was tricky to get things just right.

They should have started this a long time ago. ‘Especially if….’

He shut the thought down. If it was Mia, he would deal with it. He wouldn’t want sister against sister…Micah wouldn’t want that.

Her tongue stuck out caused him to walk forward, ceasing shaking his head. “No, that’s how you’d pose for offense, and you’ll learn that…but not now. You need to be more relaxed, more loose – you’re going to be moving out of the way of attacks, not locking yourself up to try and take them.” She was tiny. She would not be able to withstand an attack, not like him, anyway. “Here,” he walked around her, and set his hands on either arm as he stood behind her, sliding them down a bit to relax them, lessen her tension, “Keep your knees bent, but not locked,” he noted, pressing down a bit to exaggerate the bend – to help her get the idea.

He’d go through helping her learn how to be relaxed, but tense. It was a kind of tension that wasn’t locked up, prepared to spring and move at a moment’s notice, like a cat. Much of his time was spent with that, and then helping her learn how to read her opponent’s body language so she could dodge, through quite a bit of slowed-down movement so she could see how his own body twisted, and learn the cues to pick up on so she’d know how to protect herself when she saw the build-up happening.

It was only near the end that he finally spend it up and did throw a few attacks at her, faster, to help her learn in actual ‘combat’, so she wouldn’t be totally blindsided when someone threw a punch at her, at normal speed.

They’d need to do this more, that Darius was certain of. He’d been at this for years, learned to read his opponents, and that took time. He’d gotten his ass kicked numerous times by Micah, but it had all been good – preparing him to train her, and to protect her.

It had been a few hours before he called it, smiling, “We’ll get to this again – we’ll have to learn to mix this with your magic training,” he noted at the end, not at all breathing hard. Not really even sweating. This hadn’t been hard for him, and he was a bit embarrassed by it. And proud. It was a strange mix of emotions, “Let’s head back in for now, I’m going to get changed, and then we can talk of what the Order found,” he promised. He knew she wouldn’t be happy if he tried to avoid it, and there was no avoiding it now.

Though, he’d take a few minutes to try and get his mind together, try and figure how to phrase it – and to make sure the Order hadn’t found anything else out.

~***~

Mia was breathing slow, channeling the energy in her to try and heal. Healing was not her forte – in truth, she really only learned the violent aspects of her angelic nature, and her healing usually came from draining her enemies of energy, from the demon-half, rather than the angel. Only, she was low on that. She could barely close the wounds, and in fact, couldn’t close them all. Her facial wound did, and she tried to channel it through her abdomen, but the exhaustion pressed at her instead.

Her head ached with more than the bullet wound. She wanted to just fall forward and rest, but she couldn’t. ‘Should have taken more on the train…should have….’

Andrew wasn’t running off, and as Mia started to register that, she also realized he seemed to be contemplating what to do, how to cover her decision. ‘Strange.’ She murdered two people, and here he was, talking about just running off or hiding it all. When he paused, she almost smiled, seeing the realization in his eyes.

This wasn’t the first time. This wouldn’t be the last time. Yet, she didn’t smile. She was expecting him to run then, but not to some place she could follow. Run, call the police, cut all ties…but he didn’t.

He offered his hand, and her eyes moved to it. She hesitated. ‘Take it. Take his energy.’ She shoved the thought far down, and pushed herself up to her feet, knowing too well she was too exhausted to risk touching him. She walked to where her sword was, and tugged it out of the wall, out of the woman’s skull. “No.” She denied him. “I have to finish what I came here for. If I do not, my next try will have me facing far more of them,” she gestured out at the bodies casually, as if they were animals to the slaughter.

Some of her façade was starting to drop. When she looked back, there was a subtle smirk upon her lips, “No one will know. Hunters and the Order do not like the rest of you to know things like me exist. This will be covered up so the public won’t know.” Only the Order and the random hunters. “So please, listen to me. Go back to the train. Go back…somewhere. If you want me to meet you, tell me where, because in a few minutes, this place is going to be swarming with demons, and while I’m rather convincing, I can’t stop every hellhound from trying to devour you, as they’ll devour these bodies.”

She held his gaze, speaking every word firmly, leaving no suggestion that she was joking. “And I’ll meet you after…and I’ll answer your questions.” He, no doubt, had several right now, and some time away may help him to sort those.

Or decide if he still wanted her around. “Do you understand, Andrew?”

 

[Auralunabella]

Charlie was sweaty and breathless as training came to an end. She wasn't used to such a level of physical exertion, but she felt good; accomplished. She knew she wasn't very skilled in this area, or any for that matter, but towards the end she felt like she was starting to catch on and pick up on at least a few moves and strategies. She was also looking very much forward to tying all this in with her magic use; she was still convinced it would help her somehow.

Darius was such a good teacher; he was patient with her where most people probably wouldn't have been. Teaching her was no small task; she didn't pick up on things easily and often had to be shown a move or stance repeatedly before she caught on. Still, he kept at it, making sure she had each new thing down before he moved on to the next. When they were about finished he decided to try and tie it all together, practicing some actual combat. She wasn't perfect, not even close, but she felt like she didn't do half-bad. All in all a good session. Charlie was pleased.

She was still catching her breath when Darius made mention of the Order again. He went inside to wash up, leaving her alone with her thoughts. Her curiosity was piqued; she knew nothing of the Order, aside from the fact that her father had founded it, but that knowledge alone, in light of his disappearance and her growing sense of unease, was enough to stoke her imagination. Her mind was full of possibilities.

Charlie headed inside, wiping the sweat from her brow. She, too, needed to wash up. She was a mess. She headed straight for the shower, stopping off at her room to grab some fresh clothes; sweats and a t-shirt. She had no plans to go anywhere, so she figured she might as well be comfy. She showered quickly, in a hurry to hear what Darius had to tell her. She was still damp when she pulled her clothes on, and couldn't be bothered with more than running her fingers through her hair. Leaving the bathroom in disarray, she went downstairs and settled in on the couch, flipping through channels but not really watching anything. She let her mind wander as she waited, reliving happier times from her childhood, wishing she could go back somehow; back to when things were simpler and she was still blissfully unaware that not all things in the world were happy and good.

*

Andrew was getting frustrated. There was no way he was leaving her. He couldn't conceive of it.

And now, all this talk of demons and hellhounds and hunters. "Oh my," he thought, smiling bitterly at his private joke. It was in poor taste, he knew, so he kept it to himself. He didn't understand what she was saying. He knew such things existed, he had accidentally encountered a few himself at various points in his life, but he didn't know what any of that had to do with Mia. Unless..

Realization dawned on him. "She said things like us." That would imply that she was of a different ilk than he had been led to believe all these years. Based on her words, he was able to deduce that she could very well be one of those creatures. He shuddered with distaste. She was like them, not like him, which was what he had always assumed. She didn't outwardly appear any different; to him she was just a woman. Hard as nails, but still just a woman. A person. Human. In light of all that had happened today, however, he was beginning to see her in a new light. One filled with death and shadows. Suddenly leaving didn't seem like such a bad idea. This had all become bigger than he thought he could handle. Still, he had to know. He couldn't leave her to face demons alone without knowing one thing.

"Fine, I'll go if you just answer one question," he told her. "What do you mean, things like us? Who are you? Or should I ask what?"

He held her gaze, his face blank while his body language suggested that he was perfectly willing to wait there and succumb to whatever fate befell him unless she told him the truth. He watched her face closely, wishing more than ever that he could feel what she was feeling. He hated this place, for blocking him and for shattering the image of Mia that he'd had since he met her. He had always perceived her as a cold, hard, strong woman; it was part of what he loved about her. He loved how tough she seemed to be in any situation. Now, however, his love was tainted with something else, something he couldn't put a label on yet. Not until she confirmed his suspicions.

 

[Lucyfer]

Darius simply changed back into other attire, jeans and a t-shirt. He didn’t really need to rinse off, and he’d already taken a shower that morning. He didn’t feel like washing up again, but he did take time to sit on his bed and see if there was more.

There was.

‘Oh…damn it.’ It wasn’t far, either. He sucked in a breath, burying his head in his hands. ‘I should have known.’ Of course, Micah would put the two halves of the key into two necklaces. Of course, he would give them to his progeny. It was expected. Anyone who wanted to unlock Hell or bring harm to him, would go after his kids, and find some of his power, there.

He’d known Charlie was in danger from a young age, and realized it more each day as more portals were opened. With the article written by a Pietus, and another issue in the town Mia was raised in, he hardly thought it was a coincidence. Still…he had to make sure.

He opened the article earlier sent and went through the towns, the details, measuring the cadence and melody of the words and trying to recall if the phrasing at all sounded like her. ‘And what would you know of her?’ Well, he knew Sirena. He knew Micah.

Yet, the voice in the article hardly seemed like what he’d expect. It sounded like anything else, immature language, puns, it was…what he’d expect from any other 20-something writer trying to make a quick buck from clicks on an article. He read the details under the blurb about the author, though, where it still did not spell out her full name. It only indicated she was a graduate of a university in Anthropology, and was traveling the world for a dissertation about Hell.

‘Yeah, that’s not suspicious.’ He rolled his eyes, but forced himself up, and out into the living room shortly after Charlie had arrived. He sunk into the couch besides her, and glanced at the television, which was no longer playing cartoons. He only stared a few moments, before he looked to Charlie.

“So…I think the best way to tell you what the Order found is to show you, first.” He said, and he held out his phone to her, already unlocked, and open to the article page. “Look at the author blurb.” He told her, so she’d know what he really wanted her to see. Then he’d have to explain a bit more about why the places were significant, and what may be going on. First, he’d let her see…and digest the information.

~***~

Andrew shivered. The disgust revealed itself in his features, and it was in that moment that Mia felt her heart sink, before everything froze over. Her hopes that Andrew would be different would have shattered if she hadn’t frozen within so quickly, hardened herself with the fact that this was, indeed, why she never told him.

It didn’t stop the wave of anger from rolling within. It didn’t stop the sorrow at knowing that still, she did not belong, and even Andrew knew it. No, it stopped none of that, but not a speck of it was shown in her eyes or her own body language. Only the physical weakness as she leaned against the bar counter, and waited.

He spoke, and he asked a question then – when he should be leaving. His own posture indicated he wasn’t leaving without an answer of sorts. “I’m a mutt,” she spat the word. She could never quite say what she was without harboring some resentment for it. She was a mutt – she belonged no where. She was nothing proper, no matter how strong she was, what she was didn’t even have a name.

Half-demons didn’t get names. Nephilim did – but not what she was. It was just ‘demon’, because of course it was. Half-demon. Nothing pretty. Nothing acceptable. The emotion left her tone then, resuming the normal monotone, hiding the stress behind the simple facts. “Half-demon, a quarter human, and a quarter angel,” she told him, not using the better term ‘half-succubus’. The connotations of the word were not things she ever wanted applied to herself.

She pushed herself from the counter, “I trust that answers your question?” If so, he could go. Grab his bags and leave – it was apparent she was now abhorrent to him. She made a mental note that if it was the case, she’d need to change her phone number, and forget his.

 

[Auralunabella]

Charlie looked at Darius quizzically as he handed her his phone, unlocked no less. This was a first; he always kept his phone locked up tight, and she never questioned it. It was completely natural for a person to want their privacy; especially a young, attractive guy like him. She didn't want to know his secrets, or who he might be dating or talking to; they didn't talk about stuff like that.

She took the phone from him when he offered it however, even though it felt odd. As she glanced at the information it displayed she realized it was an article, poorly written by her standards, about portals and doorways and hell; nothing of any interest to her. She was part angel, she had no interest in hell. She had only ever known of one full demon in her lifetime; Sirena Pietus, Mia's mother, and only indirectly. She had never met her, and never had any desire to. She was dead now, and of no concern. And then there was Mia, but she was only half-demon, and of little significance. Dead as well, to her knowledge. Though as she skimmed through the author's blurb, something caught her attention. The author's name, M. Pietus. "Pietus... that was Sirena's last name. What an odd coincidence," she mused. She continued reading, unsure as to why Darius was showing her this. It didn't tell her anything about the Order, and didn't give her an inkling as to what Darius was so concerned about. She noted the author's location, "Hmm.. not far from here," and looked at Darius.

"I don't understand," she told him, feeling guilty, like she was missing something that should have been clear to her. He obviously saw something there or he wouldn't have shown it to her. She looked back at the article. "M. Pietus... surely not," she thought as she made a far-fetched connection. "M. Mia? It couldn't be." Mia was long gone. But was she? Charlie had always wondered, just as she had wondered about her father. It was hard to be certain of a person's demise when no one was ever able to find a body. But just because they had similar names, that didn't mean that it was her. Mia. Even if she was still alive, why would she be writing cheesy articles about hell? It was like she was asking for trouble. Demons didn't want their affairs publicized; if this was Mia, and she was certain it wasn't, why would she putting herself out there like this? She would have made it so easy to find her. Hunters were not so easily fooled.

Charlie let it all sink in. She was conflicted; she wanted to believe Mia was still alive because it gave her hope that her father was as well, but she couldn't fathom it.

She looked back up at Darius. "What does this mean?" she asked in a small voice.

*

Andrew nodded. It most certainly did answer his question. He felt better knowing that Mia was not a full demon; those creatures were unpredictable and could never be tamed. At lease Mia still retained some humanity, even if she was not aware of it. She had demonstrated that time and time again; she had fooled him for years, and he was typically pretty good at figuring people out. His ability saw to that. He could work with this. She was still just Mia to him. He felt bad for his previous thoughts; he wasn't typically so quick to judge, but considering recent events he had allowed himself to jump to conclusions. He hoped she had not noticed. He would have to apologize later, however. If there were masses of demons on their way he needed to get out of there. He would only get in her way.

He looked her over once more. "Are you sure you're okay? Is there anything I can do to help? You are injured after all." He pointed to her midsection. The bleeding had slowed, but not stopped. Somehow the injury to her head had healed; he wondered if she had done that, and if so, how. If she could heal herself... well then she didn't need anything that he could offer her.

Reaching a decision he agreed. "Okay, I'll go. I trust that you can handle yourself, but I am not going far. There is a café across the street, a few buildings down. I'll wait there. You come find me once you settle things here, and we can go somewhere safe to talk. We have several things to discuss. Such as where we go from here. Okay?" he asked.

He didn't give her time to answer, he just turned and left. He jogged the half block to the café, eager to be out of harm's way now that he understood the situation. He was surprised by Mia's revelations, but more so that he had not picked up on anything unusual. Perhaps his ability was weaker than he thought. He didn't like to think about that. So he didn't. Instead he focused on Mia. He hoped she would be okay. He was even more confident in her abilities now, but then again she was only half demon. If she had to face multitudes of full demons, hunters, and hellhounds... well, she seemed like she knew what she was doing. She also seemed like she had been around the block a few times, in that respect.

"She'll be okay,' he said aloud, trying to convince himself more than anything else. She had to be. He was fairly certain that even if she had told him she was a full demon he would still be making his way towards this café to wait for her. She had been an intrinsic part of his life for so long now; you don't just stop caring for someone, no matter who or what they are. In fact, a sign of strong love or friendship is accepting a person, faults and all. And he wasn't sure this was a fault. Merely a difference.

He reached the café then and entered, settling down in a booth by the window to await her arrival. A waitress came over and he ordered a coffee; plain black. She was angry, he could feel her rage and wondered what had her so riled up. "Ahhh..." he was relieved to be able to feel again. He felt more like himself. He let his thoughts wander as he stared out the window, looking for her white hair. Only when he saw her, in one piece, would he feel completely at ease. He didn't have to make any decisions now; those would come later, after she was safe and they had a chance to... talk.

 

[Lucyfer]

Darius was actually surprised when the first words from Claudia were of not understanding. His blue eyes widened, expecting she would have jumped at the name, and the realization, much quicker. Hell and demons went together. Pietus was a demon – half-demon, but a demon all the same, because Micah had to get seduced by a succubus in Hell and then not leave the bitch there where she belonged. Yet, she looked back before he could say anything, and he waited a few beats for her second query.

‘What does it mean?’

He took a breath and laid his hands flat on his lap, turning a bit so he was more directly facing her. “My contacts in the Order believe that this is either Mia Pietus, or someone using her name, for the purpose of getting to you.” That was the current theory, based on what they knew of the locket that Charlie wore.

Based on what they knew of the activities of Pietus.

He kept his gaze steady on her, even if her eyes were distracted by the article. “All the places mentioned in the article have actual hell gates, back doors. They can’t let powerful demons slip through, but in those areas, the doors have been thrown open. Most recently, today…the door in Mia’s hometown was thrown open. Someone is trying to release demons and Hell onto Earth again and…and I’m sorry, the running theory is that it is Mia Pietus herself. From what reports we have,” and there weren’t many.

There weren’t exactly many survivors.

“The one doing it has the…locket that matches yours.” Mia’s locket. It was the only way it could be done in the first place. A certain blood, a certain key…she couldn’t throw open the gates without them, and certainly not the larger ones without both. “You’re in danger, Charlie. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I only was made aware of this article today.” He bowed his head a bit then, lowered his eyes, his confession containing the knowledge he’d known something was amiss before now and he’d kept it from her.

~***~

Again, Andrew asked to help. Mia waved it off. There was something he could do, but she’d not call on it. Someone offering was already new enough…and how was he not trying to leave her behind? How was he still…interested? ‘Perhaps you are more like your mother than you want to admit.’ Mia detested the thought, and ignored it. She didn’t have that natural lure, she was certain of it. Otherwise it wouldn’t be just Andrew she had trying to make good, and not just Andrew telling her where to meet him after all of this.

A café.

Close.

No time to change then, and no time to heal or find a meal. ‘Well then, we just tell people there’s a zombie thing, somewhere. It’s all make-up. Sure.’ She was going to die. Mia just gave a nod, agreeing, and let him jog off, watching him for as long as she could. ‘You should have just cast him out.’

She turned, and started to search the bar now that she had it to herself. Naturally, the rift ended up being in the basement. It wasn’t truly visible, it was more a feeling, though it was muted. ‘Like my powers….’ They were muting multiple things here, it seemed, and trying to mute the portal was going to make this difficult, but Mia knew where it was. She drew the locket out, golden and decorated with the sun upon it.

It was empty, completely, only a tool to her now, and she slipped it over her head and closed her fist around it a moment, taking a breath, before she did open it and let some of her blood slip into it. She closed it, and tossed it towards the opening, where it suddenly flared as bright as the sun it was named after, revealing in its light the foggy energy of the portal, and then the tear in the fabric between the two worlds.

Mia began to sing. It had been her lullaby, though only later had she learned it was a spell her mother memorized to go home, only she was never able to do so. The energy around her seemed to catch fire, and the locket opened of its own accord, weaving the blood into the spell and burning away at the opening, widening it, tearing it open to allow other things to begin to actually escape through it.

And they did – hellhounds first, always. One paused as the others ran ahead, ran free, howling their joy and excitement. The one that stayed fixed its eyes on her as the spell came to its end, and Mia walked to the locket. It started to growl, and Mia just gripped her sword tighter.

As it lowered on its haunches, a voice spoke through the rift, “No.” A simple denial. The hellhound let out a whimper like any dog of earth, and slunk back and away, towards the stairs and the path its companions had taken.

The voice sounded vaguely familiar to Mia, and it caused her to pause in grasping the locket, to look at the opening she knew she couldn’t step through. “Mi’Amore.” Now Mia knew it had to be a voice she knew, and despite what she understood of the backdoors, she still reached out to it, tried to pass through it, and felt the energy of it burn her hand. She quickly drew it back and cursed under her breath, staring at the passage.

“How do you know me?” How did it know that nickname for her? Her mother’s… ‘Lothario?’ Though Mia had never known him, though her mother indicated he may be dead, that didn’t mean he hadn’t known her as an infant or younger.

No answer. Only silence, and Mia wondered if she imagined it. She ignored the swell of frustration as she snatched up the locket and turned, putting the sword back in its sheathe. The orange tape was still technically there, so it had the image of being peacebound, if no one looked too closely. She staggered up the steps and out of the bar, ignoring the hellhounds and knowing more creatures were likely behind them. She briefly considered burning the bar, but chose not to. ‘It isn’t like they know how to seal it back up.’ If anything, keeping the bar here would keep a bunch of hunters more or less trapped here as they watched the portal.

She walked on, starting to reach for her phone to figure out where this café was, before remembering that was destroyed. ‘Right….’ So, it took her a bit to get there, but when she saw Andrew in the window, she knew she had the right one. She stepped in and went right to the booth, sitting across from him. It was a relief to sit. It’d be better to sleep, and she pushed one hand up to brush back some of her hair, before letting her eyes focus on Andrew, commenting, “I’m surprised you haven’t run away yet,” honest, before she heard the steps of the waitress coming over.

She did not look happy, at all. “Ma’am, I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave…your costume is going to get everything dirty.” Apparently, the waitress wanted to believe this was a costume, as well. Humans. Always believing what they wanted to. No one was going to honestly think a person came in with a shotgun wound, “Even if it is really good.” She added, as if that would soften the blow.

 

[Auralunabella]

Charlie fingered her locket absentmindedly, absorbing what she had read and what Darius had told her. Mia, or someone impersonating Mia, was opening hell gates. On purpose. And whoever it was would be coming for her locket. For her.

It was a lot to take in. She didn't know how to react. Obviously Darius had know about this for some time now, or at least suspected it. It had only now been confirmed, but still, he knew. And he hadn't told her. She was in danger, and he hadn't told her. She felt a twinge in her heart; it hurt.

She found that all of a sudden she couldn't breathe as a paralyzing fear gripped her. What were they going to do? No, what was she going to do? She couldn't face Mia; she couldn't face demons; if they came for her that was it, it was over. She would never be able to defend herself against demons, much less defeat them. She was nowhere near ready. Hell, she couldn't even defend herself against a human. Her magic was useless, she couldn't fight; she could hide. That was all she could do.

Darius didn't tell me. Charlie didn't know why that hurt so bad. She could see his perspective; he was probably trying to protect her or keep her from worrying, but had she known then she could have at least prepared. They could have intensified their training, she could have worked harder. Something. But Mia was practically at her doorstep, releasing demons from hell, to get to her. She spent her time playing house and watching cartoons, completely oblivious to what was going on in the world.

She supposed it was partially her fault; she wasn't sure how but Darius could be entirely at fault. Still, he should have told her.

Her breathing was ragged. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and welling up with tears. "Why didn't you tell me? Do you know how foolish I've been? I could have been getting ready; I could have moved somewhere safer or we could have trained harder," she felt the hysteria bubbling up in her chest; shit she was losing it. "I need to call my mother."

She jumped up suddenly and began pacing. Her mind was whirling; so many thoughts, she couldn't organize them. "What does the locket have to do with all this? It doesn't even help me with my magic. It's just a useless piece of jewelry. Should we destroy it? We can't let Mia have it. " She took it off and ran into the kitchen, tossing it in the trash. She felt dizzy then, and sat on the floor. "Mia is alive?" She voiced the question aloud but was speaking to no one. She couldn't believe it. If Mia was alive.. "What about Daddy? Is he alive too? Why didn't you tell me?" she repeated accusingly. She was sobbing now; she was terrified and confused and felt completely alone.

"We have to get out of here," she insisted. "We have to go now."

*

While Andrew waited for Mia he tried to do some research. He typed 'demons' into his search bar, but didn't come up with much aside from some Bible references and cheesy horror movie titles. He wasn't really sure what to look for; there wouldn't be much good information on demons; most people didn't even believe they existed. The only ones he had ever encountered were foul, evil creatures; posing as humans and wreaking as much havoc upon the world as they could.

That wasn't Mia. She had always been good to him. Cold perhaps, and not overly friendly, but she had never done him wrong. He decided to wait and just talk to her. It was the only way he would get the truth.

It did explain somethings. Why her feelings were always so intense. Why she was so private and secretive. He wondered what she had been doing all those times she told him she was off researching her next article. He didn't doubt all of it; he sometimes read the articles so he knew that part, at least, was true. Obviously there was more to it though. He wondered how many times she had been in situations like the one he just witnessed. He doubted she acquired all of her injuries from martial arts training, as she often told him.

He needed more information. He wanted to know what she was doing in that bar that would cause hunters and demons alike to come swarming. It gave him an uneasy feeling; he wanted to believe it wasn't anything sinister but he had his doubts. Still, it was Mia. He had already made up his mind that whatever she was up to he was in it for the long haul. He couldn't give up on her now, and as long as she retained some shred of humanity he vowed he would stay by her side.

He kept glancing out the window, hoping for some sign of her. He hadn't even touched his coffee; he had no interest in such things right now. He looked around at all the people in the small café; they were all oblivious to things going on right under their noses; just down the road. He almost couldn't believe it; how could they not know? But then, he himself had been just as oblivious a mere hour ago. He took a deep breath, holding it in until he felt dizzy, then letting it out slowly. It helped to calm him, helped him clear his head.

He spotted her just then, coming this way. She looked awful. HIs concern grew. He didn't think they would be able to stay here long considering the state she was in. She was a mess.

She walked through the door and walked straight over to where he sat, practically falling into the booth. She looked exhausted. “I’m surprised you haven’t run away yet,” she told him. He only smiled; she wasn't getting rid of him that easily. He was about to suggest they go somewhere a bit more private, where she could clean up and rest and they could talk, when the waitress approached, looking less than pleased.

"Ma'am, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask you to leave," she began, and he tuned her out. Yes, we should leave, he thought. Mia is only going to draw attention to us, and I don't want to stay in such close proximity to a bar full of nightmares. The woman finished her sentence and he spoke, barely looking at her. "Yes, we were just leaving, I was just waiting to meet a friend, as you can clearly see," he stated, with a touch of sarcasm. He glanced at Mia. "Are you ready? I know a great place, with excellent customer service, and it's not far from here." He was speaking to Mia but his words were obviously meant for the waitress. She rolled her eyes and huffed off and he stood, tossing some crumpled bills on the table. No tip. "Shall we?" he asked her, holding out his hand. She looked like she needed it. He wasn't sure how she had even made it here.

 

[Lucyfer]

Darius had expected a reaction from her, but not this one. His own heart ached as he watched Charlie start to break down, and he fully accepted the accusing tone she used against him. ‘I know. I’m sorry. I wanted to pretend…I wanted to believe we wouldn’t actually have to deal with it.’ Darius knew he was meant to be a warrior, a knight, and nothing else – but he had tried to be something more. He had tried to be her guardian, and also try to live a domestic life, because Micah never wanted his own life for Charlie.

Darius didn’t want that life for her.

If they had pretended, there was always the chance the Order would deal with any threats, as they were meant to. They were an elite group of Hunters who were meant to make sure the Hell Gates never opened, and here they were…failing.

Darius rose as Charlie did, following a few steps towards the kitchen, “You shouldn’t—,” he cut himself off as Charlie threw the necklace in the trash, giving it a hopeless look, unable to look at Charlie right then as she continued her raging, her sorrow on full display. He did not blame her in the least, he should have told her. He should have prepared her better. He could have done a better job of protecting her by not leaving her in the dark, couldn’t he?

He always thought the last words spoken before a pause were the most important. Just as every word before ‘but’ didn’t matter, he latched onto Charlie’s determined words of leaving, “Right,” he agreed, “She probably….” Probably knows right where they lived, and she was near. Hours away, only. “I’ll call someone in the Order, we can use their shelters, stay with them….” Perhaps not the safest route. ‘She’ll still come here.’ “You shouldn’t…leave the locket in the trash. If you don’t want to keep it, I can, but we can’t just leave it here.”

He finally lifted his gaze, and saw she had dissolved. Hesitantly, he approached, and moved to put either hand on her arms, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, moonbeam. I was…I was foolishly hoping it wouldn’t affect us." The us was used easily, his life linked to hers so easily, "I didn’t want you to have to deal with any of this.” He said, and he lifted one hand up to her chin, to lift it, if she’d allow, “I promise I had no ill intentions, I just…didn’t want Micah’s life for you. And I don’t know anything about him,” he added, “there’s never been any word of him. I wouldn’t hide that from you. There wasn’t word of Mia until today.” Just her locket. Only her locket. “I’m sorry…I fucked up.” It wasn’t like him to use such a strong curse, but he felt like he had, right then, seeing her sobbing.

He had really fucked up.

~***~

Mia didn’t hide the smirk that touched her lips at the comment from Andrew, before it faded just as quick. Too much pain. Too much pain at even the thought of getting back up, and again, Andrew seemed to read just that, offering his hand. She shook her head, “I can’t,” she told him. Wished she could, but taking his hand, leaning on him, her survival instincts would kick in.

At least her pride was strong.

Or her affection for the human. Whichever. She preferred to think of it as pride as she pushed herself out of the booth again, using her hand to briefly balance against the table, palm flat on it. ‘Okay…this isn’t going to work.’ She was running on dregs, and her eyes alighted on the waitress. She’d offered a compliment, right?

Mia moved by Andrew, offering him a quick look as she went to the waitress, “Miss?” And the waitress turned, agitated look still on her face. Mia lifted a hand to her arm, forcing a smile to her own lips. “Thank you – I’m sorry for messing up your table, I didn’t even think – I’m not used to this costume stuff yet,” the lies were easily spoken, used to maintain the hold as she drew at the waitress’s energy, “I hope you have a good day,” she had to draw herself back, she knew that, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to draw the woman in closer, take her for all she was worth, but she didn’t.

She squeezed the waitress’s shoulder a moment, before she let go.

She didn’t see how the waitress had to reach out to steady herself, at a loss for words in her momentary confusion at the approach, and the sudden exhaustion that swept over her. Mia took far more from her than she had any one person on the train, and it was used immediately as she walked towards the door, and then gestured for Andrew to take the lead so far as where to go.

The wounds closed – but that was about it. “Lead the way.” She was at his disposal right then – she owed him answers. She’d follow him wherever he wanted to go right then, and she folded her arms over her chest to make it clear she still wasn’t planning to reach out and touch, nor lean, on him.

 

[Auralunabella]

Charlie allowed Darius to lift her chin, but she couldn't quite look at him. Not yet. She heard his words and she understood them. It was what she did; she was very understanding. A short, harsh laugh burst from her lips and she instantly silenced it. She could even go so far as to say she believed him. Nevertheless, it did nothing to alleviate the sense of betrayal; the hurt she felt that he had kept so much from her. Was she really that fragile? She supposed she was; she knew she was severely lacking physically but she had always considered herself to be quite tough otherwise.

When she thought about though, she supposed it was more of a false hope, that she had any redeeming qualities. She remembered how she had been incapacitated for nearly a year when her father disappeared. Weak. She thought about the few times she had met Mia; how she had cried so much when Mia was mean to her when all she wanted was for her to like her. Weak. She considered that she wasn't even able to take care of herself as an adult; Darius had to sacrifice his life to care for her and make sure she was safe. Darius the Nephilim had reduced himself to little more than a housewife due to her inability to complete simple, everyday tasks, like cooking or laundry. Useless. And there was the matter of her current breakdown. She shook her head, disgusted with herself. She wasn't tough. She was weak. Weak weak weak.

She hated that word, and everything it represented to her.

She met his gaze then, tears drying on her cheeks. "It's okay. I understand. It's my fault. You shouldn't have to protect me. I should be able to do things for myself; protect myself. If anything, I'm sorry. Sorry that you had to lessen yourself to care for me. You deserve better. You are so much more than this." She shrugged his hands off of her arms and rose, pulling herself together. No more. She would not be weak any longer. This was about her, and she would step up and deal with it.

She walked to the trash can and pulled out the locket. She wiped it off and placed it back around her neck. "You're right, I should keep this. If Mia wants it so badly it must be important, and should be kept safe. I'll keep it safe."

She contemplated his earlier words. I don't want Micah's life for you. Well, that was just nonsense. If it was good enough for her father, it was good enough for her. She would be honored to be a fraction of what her father had been. He was a legend; he was her hero. "I'll decide what kind of life I live from now on," she said to Darius. "We should leave, though. If Mia is that close she could show up at any time, and it's probably best if we aren't here when that happens. Do you know of a safe place we could hide out until I figure out what to do?" she queried. "You don't have to come with me. You've done enough. If you could just help me find somewhere safe to go, I promise I'll be out of your hair. You don't have to protect me. I'll manage."

She desperately needed to call her mother; it was more important than ever now, but there wasn't time. First, they needed to secure their safety. Hers and his. She would never forgive herself if something happened to Darius because of her. Once they were safely tucked away she would contact Amelia and go from there. She needed more intensive training. She needed to figure out what Mia was up to, and what role the locket played in the opening of the gates. She was disappointed in herself and how little she actually knew.

"We should pack, quickly, and get out of here. Within the hour at most. Can you find us a safe house?" she inquired. She felt changed inside; colder somehow. So be it. This was what she had to do. It was about time she took some responsibility, rather than letting it all fall on Darius.

*

Andrew paid close attention as Mia approached the waitress. What is she up to this time? He watched as she placed her hand on the woman's arm and spoke a few words. It wasn't long before her intentions were made clear; the waitress swayed and had to place her hand on the counter to hold herself up. Mia had... drained her energy somehow. That's why she keeps refusing to take my hand, he realized. She's afraid she'll drain me.

He pondered this. It explained how she was able to heal herself in the bar. She hadn't had much to draw from then, which was probably why she was unable to heal her stomach wound. As Mia made her way back over to him, he noticed that it, too, had healed. Using the waitress. He wondered what side effects were involved; she was like a vampire, only instead of blood she stole energy.

"I know what you did," he told her as she reached him. "And I would prefer, from now on, that you borrow from me instead, if at all possible. These people don't deserve that; they didn't offer and it's stealing. I'm offering, and I say it's okay. Use me," he insisted. "I can handle it, trust me. I have plenty."

He watched her face closely as he spoke, curious as to what her reaction would be. It made more sense this way though. He absorbed the emotions of all the people around him; if anyone had enough energy to sustain her without suffering too many consequences, it was him. She didn't know this about him yet, but she soon would. It was only fair that he fill her in, especially if she cared enough not to risk his well-being by taking energy from him. Well, that needed to change, and he would make sure it did.

He led the way out of the café, turned right, and walked a couple blocks down the road until he reached a drugstore. "Wait here," he told her. He went inside, selected several items off the shelves, and paid for his purchase. Once outside, he handed her the bag. "You're going to need to clean yourself off, and then we need to find a new hotel. Let's swing by and grab our things. I think I know a place. It isn't classy, but we can hide out there until we sort things out. I have questions, and I have something I need to tell you as well. Are you okay with that? Did you get enough from the waitress, or do you need more?"

 

[Lucyfer]

Darius could offer her no comfort. He sensed it in the way she shrugged off his hold and called it her fault. ‘She hates me.’ It was a painful thought as he stepped back from her, biting the inside of his cheek as she protested his presence, protested the life she was leading. Suggested he was lessening himself, too, words that hurt, and would have pushed many away, but Darius was ever-stubborn. It was his mother’s trait, and now, it was his. Stubborn.

‘You were happy….’ That was how he wanted to see her. Happy, laughing, and enjoying the life she was given. The sacrifices had already been made, she didn’t need to be a part of it.

‘But she is.’ By curse of blood, she was a part of it, and Micah wasn’t there to protect her. Only him. And herself. He swallowed down his own emotions and managed a nod. “I can get us a place easily.” That wasn’t difficult. He hadn’t truly considered this day would come, but the others had, and they’d made it known that the daughter of Micah would be protected with them. Charlie, anyway. “I’d like to stay with you, Charlie. You’re like a sister to me,” he didn’t want her to think anything but that.

She meant so much to him. He wouldn’t let her go through this hardship alone, he would be there to help her, no matter what help she needed. Besides, it wasn’t only her fight. His mother died for it, too. For him to have a better life – a peaceful one. She wasn’t wholly successful, nor was Micah, but they’d done much to save the world from the demons of hell.

Perhaps he wasn’t obligated to continue it, either. His mother likely wanted a different life for him, as well, but he knew what was going on and felt obligated, nonetheless. “Go pack what you need,” he suggested, “I’ll get my things, too,” he hesitated to leave the area for a moment, afraid she might run away without him, but she needed him for a safe house, right? ‘Right….’ “I’ll make the call now.” He said, finally turning himself away to go back to the living room, feeling a huge weight in his gut as he picked up the phone from where it was left, and quickly went back to the original message.

He dialed the number, and put it to his ear as he started to walk on towards the stairs to go to his room and get his things, the weight not leaving, as he wished he could have done more in the moment for Charlie, but knowing it was all too late. He’d hidden from her. He’d lied to her, in that way, and now, she hated him.

He just had to stay by her side to make it up to her again, to make her learn to trust him again.

~***~

‘Good. You are clever.’ Mia hadn’t hidden it that time, and was not surprised that Andrew understood what she had done, now that he knew a bit of what she was. She had expected him to not want any part of it, though. Instead, he offered himself. Mia didn't know what she was going to do with him - offering so easily, asking after her health...he couldn't just be like other humans, could he? 'If he was, he wouldn't be here, would he?' No, obviously. She did not respond to his statements about taking from him. There was amusement at his request, and fear, indeed, that she would kill him. ‘You have no idea….’ She didn’t trust herself to take energy from those she liked in the least.

Only her enemies, or random strangers. Yes, it was stealing, but she was already a murderer, and so much more. Stealing seemed a lesser crime. ‘Just make sure he doesn’t see.’ She determined, even if it would be pointless. She didn’t need the fight with him, and she had no desire to lie to him and say that she would use him. Silence seemed better as they walked, even though he seemed to be studying her features intently.

Fortunately, he ducked into a drug store. She did wait outside, leaning against the building and closing her eyes for the time he was in there. They didn’t open again until he returned, and she pushed herself off the wall, “I have more than enough money to pay for these things…,” she murmured, not sure why he had to use his money for things for her. ‘Why do we need a new hotel?’ She arched a brow at his words, but recalled the hotel was in her name. Potentially trackable.

His name would be unknown. “Fine.” She was okay with that. “I’m all right,” she said to his offer. She didn’t have enough, but she had enough to travel. It’d only become a problem if she got into another fight, and she wasn’t planning on that. “I’ll clean up in the bathroom,” she gestured to the building, “I assume it’d be better than going onto the train like this,” she noted, and took the bag and walked into the drug store, then into the restroom to get cleaned up.

There was plenty of things to clean the wounds with, and enough paper towels and water to clean the blood off of herself. What she really needed was new, not-bloody, clothes. Fortunately, there was a t-shirt in there, nothing fancy, and it was too large. She almost cringed at the sight of herself in it, but it worked. She threw away her old shirt, and this one fortunately hung long enough to cover the waistband of her pants, so the issues of bloodstains on it were covered, too.

Cleaned up, she strode out of the drugstore, absently pulling her hair back into a ponytail, “Come on, let’s get back to the train and our original hotel to check out.” She indicated, and would lead the way back to the train to get them back to the hotel.

 

[Auralunabella]

Charlie couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that Darius seemed to want to stay with her. He was Nephilim; not a guardian angel. He was never meant for this; babysitting duty. Ugh. The thought made her cringe. That was what she was to him; his ward, like he had been long ago to Micah. Granted, they had all considered Darius a part of their family, especially Charlie. She had loved having a brother around. She had to wonder though; would it have been the same if Darius's mother hadn't died fighting with her father? She liked to think so, but she honestly wasn't sure. Her father had probably felt the same sense of obligation towards Darius that Darius was feeling now towards her. He felt obligated to keep her safe out of reverence for Micah. She was sure of it. It was the only answer that made sense. She brought nothing to the relationship. Why else would he stay?

She didn't want to be anyone's obligation. She wasn't his responsibility. They weren't even technically related. He owed her nothing. Still, she couldn't just cast him aside after all that he had done for her. She supposed she felt a sense of obligation as well. Another word she hated.

She could tell he was feeling guilty, and she almost felt bad for him. Almost. He should feel guilty; he had lied and kept things from her, something she had never done and would never had expected from him. Granted, they didn't disclose everything to each other, but she didn't keep secrets, and he had kept many. Big ones. Secrets that caused problems that couldn't easily be undone. Like her inexperience.

How long had he suspected that Mia was alive, knowing that Charlie was searching for her? It wasn't just her father that she wanted to find. He knew that. He could have mentioned it, pointed her in the right direction. He had locations. If it was dangerous he could have told her, and why. She would have stayed away. Just knowing, even now, brought her so much relief. She still had a sister. It didn't matter that Mia might want to kill her or use her for her nefarious schemes; she was happy just knowing that she was alive.

Charlie sighed, and nodded at Darius's suggestion of packing. She would have to pack lightly, they had to be able to move fast. She wouldn't be surprised if they had to relocate multiple times. She had to be ready to move at a second's notice. She could do that. She would miss this house; she had never left it, had never wanted to. It was necessary though. Mia knew exactly where they were; they were like sitting ducks, ripe for the taking.

As Darius picked up the phone, to find them a safe house she assumed, she headed upstairs to pack. She entered her room and headed straight for the closet, grabbing her largest backpack. It was a large camping backpack that Darius had gotten for her one year when she decided she wanted to go camping for the first time. She smiled at the memory; the trip had been a disaster. It had rained the entire weekend, they'd gotten lost three times, and she forgot to pack the poles to the tent; they ended up having to sleep in the car. She chuckled quietly. Those were the good days. All good things came to an end however. She only used the backpack that one time; it would be perfect now.

She moved around the room loading up her bag, tossing in essentials; clothes mostly, and hygiene items that she would need; she could pick up whatever else later. As she was finishing up she glanced over at Fuzzy. She was loath to leave him behind; he had been such a source of comfort to her over the years, as had Darius. As a last minute decision she stuffed him in on top of everything else, zipping up her bag and heading back downstairs. There. It was done.

"I'm ready," she told Darius, as she re-entered the living room. "If you really want to stay with me you can," she had decided that while packing. She couldn't think of a good reason for him not to. "I would appreciate the company. Do you know where we're going?" she asked.

*

Andrew didn't believe Mia. She didn't look fine. He decided not to press the issue for now, however. They had things to do.

He noted how she avoided the subject of taking energy from him. That was fine. He didn't expect her to be agreeable right away, that wasn't her style. He grinned wryly. It was only because she didn't know his secret. Once she knew, he thought she might be a little more willing. Especially when she realized how much he could actually give her. She didn't even have to take it. He could give it. It wouldn't deplete him a bit. He had endless stores at his disposal. Sure, she could probably hurt him; even kill him maybe. But it would take a lot, and he wasn't worried it would ever get that far. His death would have to be her purpose for it to ever occur. He trusted her. Maybe it was a mistake, but he would worry about that if and when he had to.

He was grateful that Mia didn't put up too much of a fight at the drugstore. He knew she had money; he didn't care. He had money too, and she needed to be seen as little as possible right now. She wouldn't be noticed ducking into the public restroom, but if she approached the counter looking the way she did it was a possibility the cashier would ask questions or, god forbid, call the police. That was the last thing they needed.

While she was washing up he wandered around the store, looking for anything they might need on the way. He spotted a display case filled with cheap burner phones. He recalled hers had been destroyed in the bar, and purchased her a new one. It was nothing fancy, but it would do for now. It wasn't smart for either of them to be without a phone right now. They could get separated, and this city was easy to get lost in.

After about fifteen minutes she came back out, looking much better. The shirt was too big on her, but it wasn't covered in blood, and she could pass unnoticed in public now. Well, not unnoticed. Not Mia. But it wouldn't be bloodstains that drew people's attention. He looked her over and smiled, giving her a thumbs-up. He thought she looked cute in the baggy shirt, but he bit his tongue and followed her lead. She was back in control now, and that was fine with him. They headed towards the train station, and he let his mind wander again. He wondered what her plan of action would be. He couldn't wait to get her alone and talk. They had so much to talk about.

 

[Lucyfer]

“This is Nina, how can I help, Darius?” The woman on the other line asked when at last the phone was answered, chirpy voice.

“Nina, Charlotte and I are leaving here, we need a place to crash. The last Hell Gate was close to us, and we think that we’re the next stop.” Darius answered the question, while moving through his room and throwing his gym bag on the bed, and then throwing clothes and other such things at it, including his own sword.

“Mm…closest one I got is about 100 miles away. I can alert them. Will that work?”

“Is that Galena?”

“Yes.”

‘That puts us closer….’ Closer, yes, but Mia didn’t know they’d be there, and she wasn’t targeting Order havens. Just Hell Gates. “Yeah, that’ll work,” he agreed before he could overthink it. It got them out of here, and that was what was important. They could travel elsewhere after a night. He’d just have to discuss it with the Order members when he actually saw them in person.

“All right, I’ll call out to Galena and let them know you’ll be on your way.”

“Thanks, Nina,” he sighed, and clicked the phone off, before he went back to packing, making sure to grab his phone charger then, and adding it all haphazardly into his bag. He wasted no time folding, he just stuffed it all in, and grabbed his things from the bathroom as well and stuffed them in. Once it was all packed, he hefted it over his shoulder and went out to the living room, where he waited for Charlie.

She didn’t take much longer, and the first words out of his mouth relieved him. He could stay with her. “Thank you,” he managed a weak smile at her acceptance, hoping he wouldn’t fuck it all up in the future and make her hate him more. Or never trust him again. “Let’s get going then. They have a place for us up in Galena for the night, then we can move on from there,” he didn’t want her to think they’d be staying at this first one, in case she could connect the dots and realize how close it was to where Mia’s hometown was.

He lifted his bag back over his shoulder and walked towards the living room door, forcing himself not to look back. He pressed the unlock button on the key fob for his white sedan, and popped the trunk as well. He threw his bag in the trunk as he walked around towards the driver’s side.

~***~

Mia tried not to smile at the thumbs up, and failed dismally. It was such a stupid gesture, such a ridiculous compliment, and yet, she appreciated it all the same. They got on the train when it arrived at the station, and then off it, and onto a bus together to get to the hotel. Mia quickly checked them out after they got their things from their shared room, and after that, she allowed Andrew to take them to the next one.

He said not as classy.

He was absolutely right, and Mia wasn’t at all pleased with the place. It was hardly up to her standards, but she had no room to complain. She’d lived on the streets before, so she would endure this, too.

There was one bed. She didn’t claim it. She threw her bag onto the couch, claiming that in place of the bed. She could easily endure a couch for a night or two. Andrew never had to live as she once had, she wouldn’t make him take the couch.

With her claim silently made, she turned to Andrew, “Did you want to talk here?” She supposed this would be far more private than a diner. He was probably hungry, he didn’t have breakfast. “If so, we can order a pizza, chinese, or…something so you don’t starve.” And so they didn’t have to interrupt any questions for food. They could stay comfortably inside and he could ask all he wanted, and get all the answers he wanted from her.

She wouldn’t always be so generous with information, after all. Even she knew she might close back up after this session. Sharing and being open weren’t exactly her forte, but she wouldn’t lie.