An Inevitable Shadow

[Anonymous]

The doors to The Raven's Nest tavern flew open, and Duugre hastily strode into it. Still soaking wet from the night's rainstorm, he only had one thing on his mind: Booze, and a lot of it.
The tall man fell into a stool at the bar, wasting no time in ordering up his first round. There was no doubt that he was in a hurry, but he also was trying to hide that primal fear of being chased by something he could not escape. In what he thought may be one of his last chances, he thought it prudent to take some last drinks.
Duugre was a demon who served the Lord of Dark Fantasies, Paladros, and, more often than not, acted as the liaison between him and the Hellsend of Malignity. He'd lived a life of indulgence and no regrets up until now. Merely hours ago, a man who called himself Mikael appeared to him, and shared some words with him, prefaced first with undeniable truths and knowledge of Duugre's life. He could scarcely believe the man Mikael, and escaped from him before he finished.
He didn't know for sure what Mikael wanted, or what exactly he was implying, but his first impulse was get away. Fast.
And that's what drove Duugre to drink. As his first few rounds arrived, Duugre slammed them all down quickly and wiped his brown beard after each one.
What are you runnin' from? he thought to himself.
Duugre glanced around the bar, albeit nervously, as if his own thoughts were placed into his head by someone else. A gust of wind from the outside rainstorm, just before the doors were closed, caused the candlelights to flicker, making the shadows of the tavern dance around. Duugre grew increasingly agitated by the sudden movement, but forced himself to stay for one last round.
They're a-comin'. They gotta be, he thought once again.
He took another moment to look around the tavern. There had to be some other way out besides the front door, just in case they did find him here. A back door, a supply door, something.
The sound of his last round of alcohol plunking down on the table shook the demon's attention again. He nodded to the bartender, then started on this mug slowly, savoring it. But the fear soon crept back in.
There was something about the way Mikael spoke. About the way he seemed to every little detail, and how everything he did seemed so pre-coordinated.
It seemed that Mikael did not wish him death, but had something in store for him.


Lindraeus paid no heed to the bolsterous entrance of Duugre. The Angel kept to himself at his table, wrapped up in his cloak and low hood like a shield against the filthy (by Angelic standards) tavern. The bellowing wind from the outside rainstorm started to interrupt his thoughts, so only then did he bother to get up and shut the doors behind the loud man. He went back to his table quietly, making eye contact with no one. He was cautious, if not outright anxious, and rightly so.
For the longest time, he was in the employ of secretive group known as the Will of Divinity. The Will's mission was to permanently seclude Heaven from all outsiders, and use force to achieve those ends. At first, Lindraeus sympathized with the Will's cause, and gladly pledged his service. However, as he rose up in the chain to a managerial level and had an oversight to most of the horrible things the Will was doing to meet its ends, he found his morals conflicted. After a long while, Lindraeus finally resolved that the insideous means did not justify the ideal ends, and sought to secretly report all of his knowledge to the Vindication of Province.
But, before he could, Province was effectively destroyed. Having survived the ordeal while the Will, apparently, did not, Lindraeus was bittersweetly satisfied with the outcome. However, it soon turned out that the Will of Divinity located in the city-state of Province was but one leaf on a branch on an enormous tree. He was contacted by another Chapter in the Will, offering the chance for him to come back into the fold. And while Lindraeus accepted, he did so only to be a mole in their midst.
Now, he waited patiently in the most unremarkable, most unlikely place that any Angel would ever go: The perfect spot for him to arrange a meet with a member of the surviving Vindication.
He glanced around the bar, and waited still.

[Anonymous]

The Duugre wasn't the only demon the rainstorm brought in. In fact, the newer face at entrance to the bar was notorious for being just as fiendish and cold-hearted as the next hell spawn. Any noise or sidebar conversations ceased when she entered. Rain water dripped from the woman's black longcoat that nearly touched the ground. Her very wet dark blue hair was plastered onto the collar of her longcoat at the shoulder length it could reach. She pressed her water speckled sunglasses closer to her face after closing the entrance door.
Not even removing the coat or brushing herself off, the dark woman moved across the bar, to the counter. Tables and chairs that housed townsfolk that were familiar with her suddenly moved aside as if clearing a path for her to walk. When she neared the counter, anyone that was within three stool lengths away from her scattered to the free tables. That is, everyone except for Duugre.
"The usual, Fey?" Asked the barkeep, not hesitating to approach the dark woman.
"Cram it, Tomlin! It's been a long day." The woman responded in an irritated fashion.
"Kickin' it up a notch then." Barkeep Tomlin added as he turned away to make her Long Day Special. There was an aura about the woman that somehow screamed, 'Don't fuck with me!'

[Anonymous]

Lindraeus turned his head slightly to see who had entered the bar, but was disappointed when it turned out not to be the Vindicator he was expecting. Still, it certainly was odd that the whole tavern fell into silence when she entered, stranger still when all but one person vacated from the area she chose to sit at. It didn't bode very well, but it was way too late in the game for Lindraeus to change the plan.
Duugre nearly jumped out of his seat when the newest addition to the bar took her seat at one of the stools. After a quick glance at her though, 'Fey' apparently, he didn't recognize her as one of Mikael's group, so he calmed down.
But, as he was polishing off his last glass of beer, he began to have some second thoughts. What if she actually was working for Mikael? What if anybody in this tavern was working for Mikael? What if this whole tavern was a trap?
It was time to go.
Duugre threw down some coins onto the bar counter and quickly started for the door, keeping his gaze locked straight forward. When he came close, he tossed his hands out to open the doors-
But he came to a halt. The doors, as if deadbolted, would not open. He tried again, then once more, but to no avail; it seemed like the doors themselves were denying him his exit. Though he had some limited demonic powers, granting himself passage from Earth to Hell at will was not one of them, and for that he usually relied upon his master or another of his master's servants.
It was a trap, and he had been found out.
"Show yerself!" Duugre challenged loudly to the doors as he withdrew a wicked, curved shortsword and pointed it at them. "I know yer there!"
Despite himself, Lindraeus once again turned his attention to the bolsterous man, as did a few other tavern patrons. Just what he needed, a raving lunatic. He knew he should have expected something like this in this place, but he needed an obscure location that would only on extreme circumstances be visited by any kind of divine host. Though, after establishing contact, he might have to take his conversation away from the likes of the dark woman and the bolsterous man.
When nothing appeared to happen, Duugre grew more agitated. He glanced frantically around the tavern, back at the dark woman at the bar, then back at the doors.
"Come on!" he challenged again, but this time followed it up with a vicious kick that failed to budge the closed doors.
Nothing.
A few chuckles from the patrons, but nothing happened for several moments.
The candlelights flickered furiously and some of them died down, plunging the tavern in almost complete darkness for several seconds. Then, as unexpectedly as the lights dimmed, the fires rekindled and brought the light back into the tavern.
However, about half of the taverns patrons were gone. Vanished.
Lindraeus was one of the first to notice the lack of patronage after the brief darkness, then so did Duugre. The demon glanced around worriedly again, but then took several steps away from the door, still keeping his weapon pointed at the closed doors. He said mostly to himself, "He's a-comin' for me. But Godsdamn if he gets me. Godsdamn."
Lindraeus also grew worried when he noticed the missing people, who all disappeared in mostly dead silence, and it soon became very apparent to him that he chose the wrong spot at the wrong time for his meet. He sat up in his chair, staying alert but not intentionally drawing attention to himself.

[Anonymous]

BANG!!
The shot sounded from the bar counter, if not but to silence the lunatic at the door. The bullet struck the door frame, near the demon, but didn't touch him. The bullet hole was a bit too large for any normal gun.
"The next one will land in between your eyes if you don't shut the fuck up! You are not making my headache any better." The dark woman added, holding out a custom semi-automatic Desert Eagle with a smoking barrel. Still holding out her weapon, she reached for the counter to grab a tall glass that was filled with a number of hard liquors. She downed it all in one gulp, slammed the glass back down on the counter, and turned her head back to the demon at the door. Although, her eyes gazed around the room.
'Where did they come from?' The woman questioned herself, referring to the ones that caused the patrons to go missing. Being able to see in the dark has its perks, but only she really knew what happened when the lights went out. Not taking any chances, she raised her free hand and clenched it into a fist. She held it out in front of herself and a brilliant light began illuminating from her hand.

[Anonymous]

Duugre jumped, stumbled back, and nearly toppled over a table when he was shoot at, waving the shortsword around madly until he regained his balance. The ringing shot added to the tension in the tavern, especially after half of the people inside disappeared. The demon righted himself, then glanced wildly back at the woman, trying to explain desperately, "I cannot! Tha winged man is here for me. I have to run, but there's no place for runnin'!"
Duugre squinted a little when Fey illuminated the tavern by her own means, while Lindraeus, as nonchalantly as he could, turned away so as to keep his face concealed. Just in case, he didn't want to be found out for who he was in the midst of whatever was happening.
"Keep tha light on!" Duugre practically begged Fey, as he glanced all around the tavern for more possible threats. "Keep tha light on!"
After one moment of relative silence, one patron stood up and announced, "Well I'm not staying around here." The bold patron briskly abandoned his comrades at his table, and made his way to the supply door that had Duugre sought earlier. He opened it up-
And was instantly pulled into the supply room by what looked like, in the flash it had appeared, a writhing appendage of flesh. The door slammed shut behind him, the sound of metal and wood crashing to the floor rang out, and the man's half-second yelp was squelched.
The man's four friends all stumbled back, knocking over their chairs and their table in their scramble to distance themselves from the door. Duugre gasped at what had transpired, and Lindraeus, despite himself, turned around to see what had happened, though he missed it by several seconds.
"Thorson?" one of the man's three friends called out. The other man, who had fallen into the shadow inevitably made by the overturned table, was silently missing.
"He's bringin' his madness," said Duugre, his eyes still glued to the supply door. "It wasn't lies or bluffs. It was tha truth."
Two more men, who had in their drunken stupor wandered off into a thick shadow away from Fey's light, disappeared silently and almost unnoticably.
"He hasn't come to kill me..." Duugre spoke again, slowly walking so that he was bathed in Fey's light and far away from any rogue shadows created by tables or pillars or anything. "Somethin' else..."
"What the hell is goin' on here!?" demanded the tipsy wife of one of the patrons-
Just before the writhing appendage burst through the window she was standing close to and yanked her out in a heartbeat. The outside rain was a little more audible now, and a slight breeze occasionally began to make its way into the tavern.
The handful of people left quickly gathered toward the center of the tavern, keeping their wide eyes peeled open. Even Lindraeus did so, as it would best suit him to blend in with the small group of people still left in the bar. Lindraeus' mind was racing with possiblities, and he tried as best he could to clear his mind and make sense of the situation. He didn't know for sure, but it seemed to him that the people inside of the tavern were being... filtered out somehow, most likely in relation to the dark woman or the bolsterous man in some way.
Duugre turned his gaze back to Fey and asked, "Who are you?"

[Anonymous]

People continued to disappear, even with the added light Fey was holding out. The remaining souls gathered into one large mass in the center of the room. An idea that was not a bad one, but at the same time, left one big target. This gave the dark woman one area to focus on. With that in mind, she smiled. She removed her sunglasses as the loud one approached her. Her eyes were not normal. They were a swirl of black and teal. No visible pupils, just the swirled colors.
"Who I am is of no concern to you. You should be more concerned about your own well being." Fey replied to the demon man as her light faded until it was completely dark again.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Shots were fired at any bit of shadow that moved around the group. Not like any of the patrons are able to see the shadows moving in the dark.

[Anonymous]

"It is if you serve him," said Duugre apprehensively.
Lindraeus caught a glimpse of Fey's strange eyes-
Just before everything went dark again, as Fey's own light was extinguished willfully. And as darkness devoured the tavern, Duugre assumed the worst: That she was working with Mikael, and that this was it.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
The shots rang out, and the flashes lit up the tavern three separate times. Lindraeus, to his horror, saw hands taking hold of the patron in front of him during the first flash. During the second, he felt like something was creeping up on him as well and instinctively ducked down. Immediately after the last flash, there was a grunt and a spark, and something warm and wet dripped onto Lindraeus' cloak.
Silence filled in the blanks for a moment, then the candles reignited themselves, just before Lindraeus could manually light one. Only three people were left now: Duugre, Fey, and himself.
"This'll have to do, I suppose," said Mikael. The Angel stepped out from around a pillar, but there was something weird about the way he looked.
"It's you. Mikael," replied Duugre, taking a step back.
Lindraeus also backed away, but further than the demon. This was bad. Very bad. He personally knew Mikael from the Province Chapter of the Will of Divinity. He tried to stay the furtherest away, keeping Duugre and Fey in front of him and thus the center of attention.
"In a way," conceded the Angel. "As the past has shown, it is necessary to take precautions during these stages. Know that this is dangerous for both you and me, so the feeling must be mutual."
Mikael flickered. This wasn't the Angel in the flesh, but rather an image of him, projected from a small device nestled against the pillar he stepped out from earlier.
He smiled when he turned his holographic gaze onto Fey. "And what luck, hmm? To find two of you in the exact same spot."
Duugre took an apprehensive look at Fey, while Lindraeus' jaw dropped; the rogue Angel was surprised he never saw it at first, but now he knew exactly what Mikael was talking about. All of a sudden, everything made sense to him.
"What are you goin' on about?" growled Duugre. Then, in a much louder voice, demanded of him, "What do you want with me??"
Mikael snickered in an amused fashion, then answered, "It's not what I want of you; it's what you've been waiting for all of your life."
"Make some sense!" Duugre insisted.
"Very eager, I see. That's a good sign of progress and potential." Mikael then looked to Fey and asked, "And you? Are you eager to know? You know what I'm talking about, but you just can't put it into words, can you?"
Duugre once again took a look at Fey, wondering how she would answer. Mikael believed them to be related in some way, and Duugre knew of the ghost question he was asked Fey, for he felt it too; that nigh-indescribable, inescapable feeling of being an incomplete puzzle.
"Don't worry," continued Mikael. "This night will change both of your lives forever. I think you are ready. But first, for my protection..." Then, the image ordered aloud, "Come in!"
The previously locked front doors opened, and in came Tangent. The Outcast's face looked torn and distraught, very likely forced against his will to do as he was bidden.
But the door was kept open, and another Outcast Angel entered the tavern. She also wore a brown overcoat, her flesh was pale and scarred, and her eyes were a bright yellow just like Tangent. However, she had four long tentacles growing out of her back and only one severely mangled, molted, and shrunken wing hanging onto her form. Her right arm was not a tentacle as Tangent's was, but ended in a mouth that was the palm of her right hand, her ends of her fingers being fangs rather than fingernails. Her left arm was normal, but the back of her hand was heavily engraved with overlapping scars. Her wild hair was a greasy black and was a long as Tangent's own, down to the shoulderblades.
Both Tangent and the female Outcast stood side-by-side, their faces graven with uneasiness. They made no movements toward any of three, but stood their ground like a living wall.

[Anonymous]

Fey was disappointed at the fact there were no corpses left from her landed hits. There was still blood left on the ground. She suddenly took a defensive stance when this 'Mikael' stepped around the pillar. She remained calm and quiet the whole time the angel and the demon spoke. A glare was casted towards Mikael when he looked at Fey and referred to her.
The glare was lifted by a surprised facade on the woman as she looked down at the ground before her in much thought. Before she could lose herself any further, that dark woman lifted her head and returned another glare.
"What are you getting at?" Fey asked just before the Outcast angels made themselves known. Since they stopped and didn't make any sudden movements, she paid them no heed. There were questions to be answered and some of which were not her own, but still intrigued her.

[Anonymous]

The image of Mikael faded away, and now the the Angel's voice came from Mikael himself, who strode in behind the two Outcasts. "Duugre... do you remember Chalice?"
Duugre's eyes shot open widely, and he asked, nearly breathless, "How do you know?"
Mostly ignoring the question, Mikael continued from behind his human shield, "Yes, you do. That little incident has stuck with you, imbedded itself into your mind, has it not?
"You loved her. She was quite possibly the only thing you could afford to love. It was simple lust at first, but after a while, it became something more. You did what you could to keep Chalice secret, and for the most part, you succeeded. You even bore the punishments of your dereliction of sworn duties a few times because of your affair.
"But then, something happened. You found out that Chalice wasn't who she said she was -- that she was an Angel. I found it interesting how your entire perception of her changed in that very moment. She did not herself change in any way -- she was still the exact same person you loved before -- only then had a simple truth been revealed. Was it really so much of a difference, Duugre?"
The demon said nothing. His lips were pursed tightly, and he was no longer looking directly at Mikael. The things the Angel said had created a swirling storm of thought and remembrance in his mind.
"I mention this to you because Chalice's story is a lot like your own," said Mikael, smirking slightly. "It's all about truth, Duugre. What you make of it is your own personal decision, but the truth will remain unchanged for all time. There is nothing you can do to change this, but only adapt to the realization. Duugre, it is time for you to see the truth."
Tangent and the female Outcast each took a step forward, giving Mikael a little bit of space. The Angel's hands began to glow-
Duugre doubled over, then fell down to his knees, screaming in agony. A sharp pain shot throughout his entire back and his skin felt like it was going to break. He felt weighted suddenly, then could feel something moving under the skin of his back as it bulged outward. Lindraeus watched the spectacle with a slight horror, knowing exactly what was happening but never having seen it with his own eyes.
With a final yell, two large, white wings burst out from the back of the 'demon', splattering a small amount of blood around the tavern. Panting and eyes wide, Duugre simply stared down at the ground before him, absolutely incredulous.
Mikael turned his gaze to Fey then, asking, "Are you beginning to see what is happening here? Does this affect you in any way? Do you feel, deep down inside, a shared understanding with Duugre? Do you feel that your time has drawn near as well?"

[Anonymous]

Fey, for once, raised her weapon when Mikael himself entered the room. She never turned her attention away from the angel as he continued with Duugre. Even when Duugre's true self was revealed, the barrel of her gun remained fixated on Mikael the whole time. Her trigger finger squeezed slightly when she was addressed by the angel.
"This is bullshit!" Fey yelled out as she drew her second Desert Eagle and aimed it at Mikael as well.
"Regardless of what I may be, it doesn't change who I am. Although, if I put a bullet in you, it may change who you are." She added, squeezing both triggers a little tighter.

[Anonymous]

Tangent and the female Outcast obediently put themselves inbetween Fey's guns and Mikael, their own heads in the way of either of her pistols.
From behind his shield of scarred flesh, Mikael said of Fey, "Well, you certainly seem to be handling this slightly better than the others. No less aggressive, however, but that is to be expected. Hence, the precautions," he gave Tangent a thump on the back.
"You must know by now," Mikael continued. "Your fate, your destiny, are very close in tune with Duugre's own. And not just the two of you, but the other survivors of the original one-hundred and eighty-six. All of you have a higher calling, above the petty squabbles and senseless violence that plagues Hell and Earth. All of you... are Angels."
Duugre's arms caved in, and the newly realized Angel collapsed fully onto the floor. He began to weep fiercely as the visions of Chalice once again started to flood into his mind, but this time devastating him instead of thrilling him. He remembered very clearly his hands, wrapped around her neck; he could even remember the soft feel of her neck's flesh in his palms. He recalled her terrified face as he choked her, slowly wringing the life from her with his bare hands. And finally, remembered her last few seconds of life, as her eyes glazed over and she whispered something to him that he could not hear.
To Duugre, he had been overtly trained and guided to violence and descration, especially toward those of good intent --  the Angels. He cared not about the terrible acts he committed in Hell and Paladros' name, because that was who he was. He was a demon, simply being a demon, and he loved it. Even when it came to Chalice, though he had felt betrayed at first it quickly subsided as the lust for revenge was soon fulfilled.
To Duugre, now knowing that he was an Angel made all the difference.
"I killed her..." Duugre spoke, nearly incoherent among his sorrow. "I killed her..."
Mikael simply regarded the weeping Angel indifferently; the emotional setbacks were the biggest obstacles in this Project, but the newest conditioning program for the Neseraphs was specifically designed with that in mind. Lindraeus, on the other hand, felt a portion of Duugre's pain as if it were his own -- for he knew that he had a large part in these events coming to pass.
"Feyda," Mikael spoke her name knowingly. "Now it is your time to rise up. Under our guidance, you, as well as Duugre, will become something better than a mere and something more than just an Angel. A grand destiny awaits you, not with you as a demon... but as a Neseraph! This is your true self, what you were meant to be!"
Mikael's hands once again began to glow with a blueish-white aura-
A very clear and distinct click sounded in Fey's mind, and a cold shock could be felt running down from the back of her head to the top of her spinal cord. Following that, a near excruciating pain would be felt in her back, as if two living things were trapped under a net of her flesh and were viciously clawing their way out.

[Anonymous]

Not only did Feyda keep her eyes on Mikael the whole time, but she also kept the barrels of her guns on him. The dark woman had entirely put Duugre's presence out of her mind. She was focused on her current target. She didn't even flinch when he spoke her full name. Although, after the click and cold shock, the pain suddenly kicked in. This forced the pressure she had on triggers on her guns to tighten, ejecting a round from each Desert Eagle.
Feyda nearly threw her weapons to the sides of herself and dropped to her hands and knees. No matter how tough she was, she still couldn't stifle the agonizing scream in pain as the wings forced themselves out of her back. Although, her wings were not white like any normal angel. They were dark blue, much like her hair. After the pain subsided, Feyda forced enough will power into her body to stand up.
She glared at Mikael with her two toned spiral eyes. It would be surprising to just about anyone to see the spiral eyes she had begin to spin. She suddenly threw her arm out to the side and a brilliant light beam whipped out from her palm. The whip of light quickly lashed out at a floored Desert Eagle and almost instantly pulled it back to her hand.
"Keep my Goddamn name out of your fucking mouth!!" Feyda yelled out as she forced herself through the tingling sensation towards Mikael, squeezing off a few rounds.

[Anonymous]

The first two bullets flew through the air, each one impacting into the faces of Tangent and the female Outcast. The two abominations held their ground, their heads recoiling from the blast and bleeding heavily for a moment before beginning to reform.
Mikael watched from over the shoulders of his two Outcast that made up his living wall, very pleased with the sight he was beholding. Just as he was with Duugre, he was equally satisfied with Fey -- until he noticed something peculiar. If only most of the records weren't destroyed along with the rest of Province... he didn't recall any blue-winged Angels in the experiment. Neseraph 001 he knew of, only because of the large commotion about his High Seraphim background, but not this.
Both Mikael and Lindraeus were equally bewildered when Fey got back up to her feet, for it was then that they could see the spectacle that were her eyes. Mikael, though, didnt have long to stare and ponder. He wasted no time in ducked back behind Tangent when the next volley of rounds came his way. The salvo punctured several holes in the Outcast's torso, the brutal impacts causing him to stagger back a step. But, like his previous wound, it only took a few moments for the newest injuries to start reforming and recovering.
"I told you that this phase was potentially dangerous," called out Mikael. "But no matter. Now, you are simply an unfinished painting, and we will make you into a masterpiece. Through our conditioning, you, Duugre, and all the others will fulfill your maximum potential as Neseraphs, and then you will realize your true destiny." Then, he ordered sharply, "Tangent, Series, restrain her, then take Duugre as well."
The two Outcasts hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly started to close on Feyda. Tangent, however, looked her right in the eyes and mouthed something to her:
Run. Now. I cannot stop.
It wasn't a threat, judging from his facial expressions, but looked to be said more out of concern.
Series, the female Outcast, slowly started to stretch two of her tentacles out toward Fey, intent on wrapping them around Fey's wrists. Tangent, in tandem, stretched out his tentacle arm in an attempt to wrap it around her legs and bind her. Both actions were performed with zero motivation from the Outcasts.
"Faster!!" Mikael commanded, becoming very irritated with the insubordination. He would have to increase the dosage of the 'controlling' drugs when they returned to Heaven.
Meanwhile, Lindraeus saw what could be an opportunity, but a risky one; Mikael's attention was solely on Feyda, leaving his back to Lindraeus. He might have to act... if there were any best time to make his presence known, this was it.

[Anonymous]

It wasn't long before Feyda realized the two deformed angels were immortal. That just called for another course of action. Before the tentacles could reach the dark angelic woman, she quickly leaped into the air with an assisted flap of the wings. She managed to maneuver herself into a flip. While she flipped over Tangent and Series, she quickly withdrew a Micro-Uzi from her longcoat.
Feyda took aim at Mikael from above and unloaded all she had during her graceful flip. Not caring about whether or not she got the damned angel, the dark angel sped towards the entrance of the tavern. As she rounded the corner to the very wet environment, she dropped a grenade in case of pursuers.
Not wasting anymore time, she used her new found wings to take to the sky. The image of Tangent's words being mouthed to her plagued her mind as she flew away from the scene. Knowing that Mikael would go as far as using someone against their will only added to her rage.

[Anonymous]

"Stop her!" yelled Mikael frustratedly as Fey started her getaway-
But he had worse things to worry about soon enough. Attempting to do two things at once in a panic, Mikael jumped to his left and enacted a Miraculous shield at nearly the same time. His combined effort wasn't enough to escape unscathed, however, as a bullet slammed into his right foot, causing him to yelp in pain when he hit the floor.
In the chaos, Lindraeus quickly ran for the supply room door, making himself out to be just a scared commoner. Hopefully, he'd be able to catch up with Feyda, but he knew that trying to run out the front door as well wouldn't be good with Mikael so close to it.
"Get her! GET HER!!" Mikael growled at his subserviant Outcasts, and they grudgingly obliged.
Series was the first out the door, and got a good look at-
BOOM!!![/b]
The grenade exploded, rocking the building as well as blowing Series' left leg off. The female Outcast grunted and toppled forward, actually smiling as she was pleased to be temporarily disabled until her leg reformed.
Tangent came out after the explosion, and watched as Fey made her aerial getaway. It was good, for now at least, but he knew that Mikael was unlike anyone under the direct command of General Benal or the old Section 12. He was devoted and dedicated, perhaps to the point of madness. He would continue to search for her until he was ordered to stop, and Tangent knew that he and his Outcasts would be Mikael's weapon of choice.
He sighed, and merely continued to watch the blue-winged angel flee the scene.

Lindraeus burst out of the tavern's backdoor, then ran to the edge of the building to peer around the corner toward the direction of the front door-
BOOM!!!
The explosion surprised Lindraeus to an extreme degree, but he caught a glimpse of Feyda flying away before he ducked back around the corner.
He needed to catch up with her. He could always contact the Vindicator at a later date, but here was another person in a position similar to his own against the Will. He needed to follow her, but not enough to make her suspect that she was being chased by a henchman of Mikael's.
He threw off his cloak and sprouted his own wings, keeping an eye on Feyda to see approximately where she was headed before taking off.

[Anonymous]

Feyda turned her head to look back at the tavern after the explosion. Seeing the Outcast angel and him not pursuing her brought a bit of a relief to her. There was really no point in wasting anymore ammo in something that just won't die. She continued in her flight path until she was a good mile or two away from the village. Now thinking that it may be safe, she dropped down into the forest and continued on foot. The tree cover may make it easier for her to take cover during her time of escape. The wings, being very new to her, remained out as she had no idea how to put them away.

[Anonymous]

The outlying forest provided a moment's peace from the night's tumultuous events, despite the steady rain. The occasional heavy raindrop, rolling off of the leaves of the trees above, pelted the forest floor and made themselves a general annoyance to anything seeking shelter from the rain.
A branch cracked from somewhere behind Fey.
Then another.
After a brief moment of silence, save for the rain, a white-haired man emerged from behind a nearby tree. His hands were clearly in the air, and he made no sudden movements toward Fey.
"I mean you no harm!" He was quick to say. "Fey, was it? My name is Lindraeus. I saw everything that happened back in the tavern, and I know what you're going through. I can help you."
Lindraeus kept his hands in the air, awaiting her answer. He could only hope that she was not driven mad by her ordeal or in an overly aggressive state of mind.

[Anonymous]

Feyda paid little heed to the crack of a branch somewhere behind her, but the second crack caused her to look behind herself slightly. Something wasn't right.
When Lindraeus stepped out from behind a tree in a submissive position to address Feyda, nothing was there. The barrel of a pump action tactical shotgun suddenly pressed up against the back of the man's head.
"I don't need any help. I got as far as I have on my own." The dark angel noted coldly as she walked around to the front of the man, shotgun still in his face.
"You should know better than to follow an armed lady. Especially one that can be more pissed off than ever. How do I know your not working for them?" She added and she quickly pumped a round into the barrel, keeping it aimed at Lindraeus' face.

[Anonymous]

Well, Lindraeus thought that he saw Feyda.
Then, he felt the cold, wet steel against the back of his head. Lindraeus froze -- definitely in an aggressive state, but understandably so. And he, like Mikael, wasn't used to field work, but did his best to keep his cool. This was a tricky situation: To either gain her trust or at least get away with his life. He resolved that his best course of action was the truth.
He swallowed out of nervousness, then said, "In truth, I do work for them. Though, I no longer support their ideals and seek to help undo the Will. My reason for being at the tavern was that I was waiting to meet with a Vindicator, our internal police, to tell them all I know. But when Mikael came, that changed when he did what he did."
Lindraeus cleared his throat, keeping his eyes off of the barrel of the shotgun. "If you do not believe me, I only ask that you let me leave with my life, and you will never see me again. But know that Mikael will keep after you until he finally has you in his grasp."


"Miserable! Miserable failures!" Mikael lamented back in the now abandoned tavern, in regards to his two Outcast servants.
The enraged scientist managed to stand back up on his one good foot when the two Outcasts came regrettably back into the bar. "More drugs! I'm going to double your dosage when we get back! This is a miserable failure! Easily averted if only both you listened to me! Worthless, worthless, worthless!"
Tangent and Series merely stared back him, incapable under the influence of his special narcotics to overtly act against him. They could only both return stony gazes back at him.
Mikael pointed to Duugre's form, unconscious now on the ground from the extreme emotional shock, and ordered angrily, "Pick him up, and make some use out of yourselves!"
As the two Outcast's silently did as they were bidden, Mikael couldn't help but to furiously think to himself how much he wished that Eve was still alive. The selfish bitch kept the secrets of the Neseraph Project's subjects' "safety switch" to herself, and took it to her grave. It made awakening and capturing the Neseraphs that much harder, at least until he could get them into the conditioning phase and install a new safety switch in their brains. This was the second incident of a Neseraph escaping after being awakened, but at least this time it wasn't a total loss.
"Hurry up!" Mikael shouted at the Outcasts, who finally hoisted up the unconscious Neseraph.

[Anonymous]

"Is that it?" Feyda questioned after hearing Lindraeus out.
"Conveniently waiting at the same place where my life was changed. I thought you'd have something better to say." She continued, keeping the shotgun in the man's face. She then squeezed the trigger and all that could be heard was a very audible-
Click!
After putting her lethal weapon away, the dark angel smiled.
"I didn't bother loading it because I didn't feel like wasting anymore ammo than I already have. Grenades don't come cheap either. But this doesn't mean you are completely off the hook. My draw is much quicker than your typical angelic speed." She explained as she walked on by Lindraeus. She stopped about a good ten feet behind him and turned her head back to address him one last time,
"What am I?"