Authors: Randall Morris
CHAPTER 27
Gangrene pointed his scythe at Jess’s neck as soon as he entered Dagon’s.
“This is unforgivable. You
attacked
me. I’m not just going to let this go.”
Murmur stepped in front of Gangrene.
“You’re mad at the wrong person. Everyone from Vixen’s lineage is insane and you know it.”
“Oh so now you’re insulting my girlfriend too? Did I strike a nerve, Murmur? Are you banging Jess and developing
feelings
for her?”
Murmur huffed and Jess almost thought she saw smoke coming from his nostrils. She pushed him backwards and shoved him towards his chair. Murmur didn’t fall in to it, but kept his eyes on Gangrene. Jess put her scythe on the table.
“I’m sorry, Gangrene. I really am. Let me explain my side of things before you threaten to slice me up. Fair enough?”
Gangrene stomped over to the table and sat down. Jess looked at Murmur.
“You sit, too. It doesn’t help when you’re staring at him menacingly. All of us need to be on the same page.”
Murmur reluctantly sat but he kept his eyes on Gangrene and his hand rested on his scythe without gripping it. Jess sat as well.
“Again… I’m really sorry. Let’s clear up a few things though. First, I didn’t attack you. I restrained you. If Lilith had asked me to attack you, I would have said no.”
“A technicality. One which I really don’t care about right now.”
“Second, you should have known something was coming. Her whole ‘I’m going to knock them out with tea’ plan was fucking ridiculous. I told her as much when she explained it to me.”
“We’re not talking about what Lilith did. That’s an entirely different conversation that I’ll have with
Lilith
the next time I see her. Yes, I’m pissed at her… but I’m pissed at you, too. Why don’t we stay on
that
topic?”
“Fair enough. Then you need to understand where I’m coming from. Lilith lost her army. Lilith lost Leech. Lilith made a deal where she gave up her scythe and her major demon position
after
she helped me get my new mage staff. I tried to bring Leech back and failed. So I still owed her and she pointed it out to me. It’s even a possibility that even
Shadow
doesn’t have enough strength to spare to bring Leech back. So I’m sorry, but I did what needed to be done to keep control of my armies and my scythe. You would have done the same in my position.”
Murmur nodded.
“Not only that, these nephilim problems don’t concern us. You’re one of us, Gangrene. You’re a demon. We need you down here to keep Nightmare and Astaroth…”
“I’m not a fucking chess piece! I won’t be forced to stay down here because it suits
your
plan! I’ve worked with Shadow and Leech. They have my respect. Give me one fucking reason why I should respect
you
!”
Murmur took his hand off his scythe and took a long drink from his mug. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“I don’t have a great answer for you. Right now I’m not asking you to respect me. I just need you to trust me and to help me. Why should you trust and help me? Because Shadow did. Because Leech did. Because I helped both of them enough times and all of us benefited. I have a plan, Gangrene, and you’re an important part of it. If you’re really that worried about Lilith then I understand. Go to Earth. See how she’s doing.”
Murmur had put it all on the table, hoping Gangrene wanted to hear his plan and didn’t just stomp off. He was having a hard time reading Gangrene’s expression.
“Fine. Let’s hear it.”
“We can preemptively attack Nightmare and Astaroth. Even with the four of us, we’ll need the element of surprise. Their armies are huge. Once we kill them, we have the Dragon make the three of you officially major demons when he returns.”
“That puts me as the odd man out again. Jess and Aim worked for you as middle demons for a long time. They’ll do whatever you say. What’s to stop the three of you from turning on me?”
Jess looked confused.
“Why would we? You aren’t the enemy here. Nightmare and Astaroth picked this fight.”
“I know Murmur’s history. Shadow and Leech both told me how he became a major demon. Does a middle demon named Tannin ring any bells?”
“He embarrassed me. What I did to him was retribution. I deserved Leviathan’s spot.”
“So you still think you didn’t do anything wrong. How can I work with you? If I go over to Nightmare and Astaroth, we could crush the three of you for sure. Aim doesn’t even have a scythe yet.”
Murmur put his hand back on his scythe but Jess touched his arm and shook her head.
“You’d be in the exact same position after you won only it would be worse. Nightmare hates Shadow and Leech. They’d kill you the moment you had served your purpose.”
“So what you’re saying is I should take my army to Earth and find Shadow and Lilith. That way you dumbasses can work all this shit out for yourselves and I don’t have to be a part of it.”
“Don’t be like that, Gangrene. We’re friends of Shadow and Lilith. We wouldn’t turn on you.”
“Based on what? I still don’t see why I should trust you. I may have his scythe, but I’m not Leech. I’m not Shadow. I’m stuck in a really shitty situation down here and it’s making me want to go to Earth.”
“What can we do to make you stay? How can we earn your trust?”
Gangrene got up from his seat.
“I’m not sure right now. I’ll get back to you.”
Gangrene walked out and headed towards Lilith’s house. Raven had claimed it as her own until her sister returned.
Aim walked slowly with his arms behind his back as he watched his sniper team train. They were able to hit their targets with a kill shot about half the time. They were getting better. He no longer thought of them as a disaster. He saw his sister approaching and walked in her direction.
“Well? How did it go?”
“Not great. He said he might even go to Earth. You need to be ready to take him out if he attempts to leave.”
“And you’re ok with that?”
“Bare minimum we need his scythe. If he leaves, Nightmare and Astaroth will crush us without it. I’d say shoot to injure but if we can’t take him alive…”
“War is a bitch. I know it sucks but it has to be done. Murmur is right. He needs to help us one way or another.”
Jess hesitated, but then nodded.
“I know. It would be a good idea to watch him 24/7 from now on. We can’t let him sneak up to Earth.”
Aim nodded and called his sniper team over to him.
“Guys, we have a mission. Get the rest of the army and then follow me.”
CHAPTER 28
“I’m not going back!”
Sarah pointed Azazel’s heavenly sword at Gabriel. She liked the feel of it, it was a powerful weapon. Gabriel brushed it aside and looked disappointed.
“You’re being disrespectful. I’ve let you run around down here with Shadow long enough. Raphael nearly killed all three of you.”
“No he didn’t. He never found me when I ran off, Muan never even fought him and I still believe Shadow could have killed him.”
“This is not up for debate, young lady. I have to protect you. You’re coming with me.”
Gabriel tried to grab Sarah’s arm but Shadow got in the way.
“As long as I’m here, this
is
up for debate. All three of us are fine. Sarah only called you down here so I wouldn’t kill an Archangel. I appreciate your help. Wiping his memory was a good idea. I don’t think the alternative would have been so bad though. Raphael is an absolute asshole.”
Shadow almost continued with “reminds me of all the Archangels,” but decided not to say that out loud. Gabriel looked like he was losing his patience.
“I know you’re trying to do a good thing down here, Shadow, but I have to protect my granddaughter. You even know why now. If anyone else finds out she’s a nephilim…”
“I’ll kill them. Problem solved.”
“I’m sorry, but this is still not up for debate.”
Shadow knew he couldn’t convince Gabriel that he would protect her unless he told a lie. Fortunately, he was very good at lying.
“You’re right. It isn’t up for debate because she’s carrying my child. She’s staying with me.”
Muan’s jaw dropped open and stayed there. Sarah’s eyes went wide with shock. Gabriel looked angrier than Shadow had ever seen him.
“I’m going to give you one chance to take that back. Tell me you’re lying.”
Sarah walked up next to Shadow and locked her fingers with his. She put a hand on her stomach.
“I had hoped you would be happy for us, Grandpa. You’ll have another great-grandchild. An extremely powerful one. It kicks up a storm.”
Gabriel drew his sword.
“I am going to kill you. There’s no stopping me this time.”
Shadow didn’t draw Damnation. He held up a hand and stood where he was.
“I understand that you’re angry.”
“You don’t know the half of it, boy.”
“Talk a minute to think about this. She can’t give birth to a
nephilim
in
Heaven
. Then her secret would be out for sure. I imagine our kid is going to look a little more like a demon than its mother. You have a safe way to explain that?”
Gabriel stopped.
“Then what do you propose? I have to get back to Heaven and watch Raphael. On the off chance Bumalin didn’t get everything, I need to be there to stop him from saying anything.”
“Sarah stays with me. Naturally she won’t fight anymore. Muan will be her permanent bodyguard and I will watch them both. I will give my life to stop anything from harming her. You have my word.”
Gabriel thought this over.
“Fine. Just know that I am NOT OK WITH THIS!”
Gabriel’s voice boomed and shook the Earth. Muan fell over backwards.
“Your have my word, Gabriel. She will be safe here with me. Maybe one day I can even call you ‘Grandpa.’”
Sarah squeezed Shadow’s hand tightly.
“Don’t push it. Now’s not the time for jokes.”
Gabriel turned his back on them and ascended back to Heaven without another word.
Muan approached Sarah with his head hanging in shame. He refused to look up.
“I am so sorry I made you take drugs. I was trying to save your life. I had no idea you were pregnant. Please forgive me.”
Muan kneeled at Sarah’s feet. Shadow burst out laughing and Sarah tried to hide the smile that crept across her face but ultimately couldn’t. Muan looked up.
“You guys are taking this way better than I thought you would. So she’s not pregnant, is she?”
“No, Muan, I’m not. Shadow took a gamble and told a lie. It was the only way to get Grandpa to go back to Heaven without me.”
“Fine. I want to be the bodyguard when you guys actually have a kid though. Deal?”
Shadow and Sarah exchanged an uncomfortable look. Muan laughed.
“Alright. Back to business. Muan I actually have a job for you. I’ve been sensing that Lilith is back on Earth. She’s getting further and further away from us. I don’t know where exactly she is but I know it’s somewhere cold. I’m guessing she can’t sense me as strongly. My powers are developing faster. I need you to find her and get her here. I don’t know why she’s back on Earth but I want to make sure she’s safe. She actually has a kid that we need to protect.”
Muan nodded.
“No problem. I’ll find her.”
Before Muan could transform, Sarah put her hand on his shoulder.
“Muan, how do you keep tracking everyone down?”
“I… uh… I’m just a good tracker.”
“I’m sure that’s true, but you’re abnormally fast at finding people. Are you using that potion you showed us that lets you track angels and demons?”
Muan looked back at the ground.
“No…”
“Tell me the truth.”
“Ok fine. It’s been helpful, hasn’t it?”
“I don’t recall giving you anything to use to track me… so how have you been doing it?”
Muan turned into a crow and flew away. Shadow laughed.
“Uh oh. Little thieving Muan has been caught.”
“You’re ok with this?”
“I knew he stole something from me a while back and I knew what he was using for. Made him good at getting stuff back to me. Not a big problem. He probably doesn’t have anything of yours because you’ve been with me for a while now.”
Sarah looked like she wanted to ask something but she was silent.
“You want to talk about something else?”
“Yeah. How did that lie come to your head so quickly?”
“Does it matter? It worked. Gabriel bought it.”
“Do you want kids someday?”
“Fuck no. I’m going to be a target for the rest of my life. It’s bad enough that I have to protect you and a kid…”
“Woah. Hold on there, buddy. You
don’t
need to protect me. The fight with Scapegoat was a fluke. I was winning. I can protect myself.”
“I’m not saying you can’t… it’s just better if I…”
“If you what? I just told you that I don’t need your protection.”
“Did I strike a nerve when I said you were pregnant?”
Sarah didn’t respond. She turned away from Shadow and crossed her arms. Shadow thought for a minute about what he should say because the last few things he had said had not helped the situation.
“Look, I didn’t know you thought about stuff like that…”
“Oh shut up. Don’t flatter yourself. You’re just so
infuriating
sometimes. I want kids someday but I’m not having them with
you
so just forget about it. You’re an ass. Forget we ever had this conversation.”
Shadow knew joking around was probably a bad idea, but he didn’t see how he could make it any worse at this point.
“Changed my mind. I want to knock you up now. I can see it means a whole lot to you and…”
Sarah flipped him off.
“Come on… you know you want to be the mother of Shadow, Jr. It’ll be awesome. He’ll be running around all the time with ice in his hands and teleporting and…”
“Did I strike a nerve when I said I didn’t want to have kids with you?”
Shadow grinned and Sarah fought hard to stay mad at him. She walked away quickly so Shadow wouldn’t see her smile.