Elfen High 2: Gotterdammerung

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Raphael nodded. Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, he was glad Daniel spoke up. Why, it had felt like they'd been sitting there for twenty whole days...Raphael gave Daniel a firm nod. "Absolutely. And I will get you that information as soon as I possibly can. I have some spies left in Heaven whom I can still contact, though it would put them at risk. I'll have to be extremely careful about how I go about my business, of course. I have to see what traps Uriel may have laid out, what guards surround that library, what is left in it. I am beginning to use email and text messaging and I am encouraging my angels to use it as well. I will message you, Crowley and 'Zoryana' " - again with the verbal quotation marks. There was an art to this - "about all the information I receive when I receive it."

"But I can tell you about the inside of Heaven. It's a very urban city, a city where the sun always shines, there are many green plants and the air is so sweet it tastes like wine. There are churches everywhere. It's quiet, peaceful. And all a lie. The sun shines a deadly light that will scorch the skin off any non-angel that isn't given a special protection spell. The plants can release poisonous spores on demand. The air can become toxic to non-angels if breathed in too long. The churches are all built as tough fortresses. We are a race of warriors, Mr. Andreas. Our home is not a paradise - it merely has the illusion of one. There are soldiers everywhere - I have not been there in some time. I am concerned and unsure of what my brother may have created now. Before, we had angel soldiers, highly trained, wandering the streets and protecting or oppressing all. But time has passed..." muttered a worried Raphael.

There was a pause as Raphael looked at him expectantly. "Do you have any more questions, Mr. Andreas? I am genuinely interested in answering them if you do - better preparation will help us all."

Daniel bowed his head and smiled bitterly at Raphael’s description of Heaven. Somehow, that seems perfectly appropriate. A radioactive sun, beautiful plants that kill, air so sweet that it tastes like wine and burns the lungs. The perfect trap – you realize that you’ve been caught only when it’s already too late. Death walks with a smile so beautiful that you kiss him without a moment’s hesitation. Daniel grunted softly as a thought occurred to him. And maybe it helps salve Uriel’s conscience, or whatever is left of it. If we mortals can’t survive his paradise, then what possible good could we be? If beauty is deadly to us, then we must be ugliness incarnate. Again, the priest thought of de Sade. A man with no moral compass can see beauty even in the absence of compassion, and can so easily substitute aesthetic for ethic.

When Raphael finished speaking, Daniel slowly shook his head. "No," he said, "no, I think that I've heard all that I need to. Let me know when your agents have an insertion point for us, and any information about the library's defenses or contents. And if you have any advice about how to kill angels quickly and quietly, then send that along too." The priest smiled wryly. "Though I can certainly understand if you have qualms about bandying about that kind of information, all things considered.”

Daniel thought a moment longer. “You seem remarkably calm about this plan,” the priest observed finally. His blue eyes rested on Raphael’s face, crystalline and measuring. “Zoryana thought it was suicide. I’m inclined to agree, though I don’t see much of any other option – circumstances being what they are. And your agents will be exposed whether we succeed or fail – it will be obvious that we had inside help from the start.” Daniel shrugged. “Yet there you sit, cool as a – what is the word? A castravete – a cucumber.” The ghost of a smile flickered across the priest’s face. “Tell me, Raphael: do you really think that we have a chance at succeeding?” Daniel waved a hand. “Not that it matters – we have to try regardless, given that this is our only chance. But I’d like to know your opinion.”

Raphael seemed almost surprised. "Do we have a chance, Mr. Andreas? Well..." Raphael gave a very human shrug - it would be evident this was not a natural gesture for him, but one he was imitating for the comfort of Daniel and Zoryana. "I am unsure. A suicide mission? Certainly so, by any conventional measure. But my brother - not Michael nor Uriel, but Lucifer - believed firmly that humans could do the impossible. So I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. And frankly, we have no choice. We may all suffer terrible consequences as a result of this, but that seems to be minor compared to what will occur if we do not do this. And while I would not like to have my angels here fight their brothers and sisters in Heaven, and I certainly do not want to fight my own brother, it has to be done. C'est la vie." he gave a shrug.

"As for how to kill us? Very strong bullets are useful. Bombs. Tanks. Nuclear missiles. Decapitation. But I'd appreciate it if you applied those traits on my brother rather than myself." he gave a thin smile. "Would you like to return to Minsk or Elfen High? Or would you rather stay and walk around Heavensgate? You've never particularly explored here, though this is your second visit."

[Norvenia]

Raphael seemed almost surprised. "Do we have a chance, Mr. Andreas? Well..." Raphael gave a very human shrug - it would be evident this was not a natural gesture for him, but one he was imitating for the comfort of Daniel and Zoryana. "I am unsure. A suicide mission? Certainly so, by any conventional measure. But my brother - not Michael nor Uriel, but Lucifer - believed firmly that humans could do the impossible. So I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. And frankly, we have no choice. We may all suffer terrible consequences as a result of this, but that seems to be minor compared to what will occur if we do not do this. And while I would not like to have my angels here fight their brothers and sisters in Heaven, and I certainly do not want to fight my own brother, it has to be done. C'est la vie." he gave a shrug.

"As for how to kill us? Very strong bullets are useful. Bombs. Tanks. Nuclear missiles. Decapitation. But I'd appreciate it if you applied those traits on my brother rather than myself." he gave a thin smile. "Would you like to return to Minsk or Elfen High? Or would you rather stay and walk around Heavensgate? You've never particularly explored here, though this is your second visit."

Daniel nodded. "Aye, I assumed as much," he said wearily. "The question of whether or not we have a chance is scarcely even relevant, in the final analysis. We do this because it's the only thing to be done, that's all." The priest took a deep breath. I am ready to die, he thought. I have been for a long time. I'm not eager for it, but it holds no terror. I have lived long and suffered much, and received more grace and more redemption than ever I had the right to expect. If it is time, then it is time. But Daniel's mind was anything but easy. I am ready to die. But I am not ready to fail, not in this, not with the stakes so high. The priest shook his head. I know that I ought to trust in You, Lord - to know that I need only do my part, and leave ultimate outcomes in Your hands. But ah, Christ, the risks! Everyone I know, everyone I love - the world with all its beauty - how could I die knowing that I had failed them all?

Enough. Daniel shook his head sharply, and looked back at Raphael. "I'll take a look around," he replied. "Getting used to being off my planet is probably good preparation for what is to come." Daniel turned to the door, and then glanced over his shoulder, looking anew at the archangel. "Very strong bullets," eh? I'll check in with some of my old suppliers. Roger in Perth used to have some great depleted-uranium-tipped caseless 6.3-mil. The priest shrugged, feeling the strength in his shoulders, rolling like liquid fire down his arms, and he felt his battered confidence raise its head again. There are no guarantees. But even in this milieu, I am nothing to be trifled with.

"Well," Daniel concluded, "I will be seeing you around, I'm sure." The priest paused, and then smiled softly, ironically, with some weary knowledge and acceptance. He raised one hand in farewell. "God bless," Daniel said, and left.

[Esternial]

"It won't, but try not to drop it" Emi replied with a soft smile, a little taken aback by Fen's sudden gesture. An odd character. Emi had no idea what made Fen like this, and she wasn't really keen on finding out.

And suddenly, Emi's heart grew ten times bigger, figuratively. In her eyes, Fen now became a protégé. It would become her goal to gradually expose her to everything life has to offer. Social interaction, making friends, getting wasted and having epic orgies. Perhaps she'd leave out the last two from the curriculum.

Perhaps.

Then she awoke from her trance and shook her head. "Umm...we should catch up with the others"

“Oh, right!” Fen gently slipped the rose into her pocket and returned Emi's smile. Although it wasn’t exactly eye contact, her glance seemed to focus a bit closer to Emi’s chin rather than beyond her shoulder. She fell in step beside her and scanned the area for the others.

“I can make clumsy things with ice but nothing as intricate as that." Brown hands fanned out the damp hair on her shoulders to allow it to dry. Her head tilted inquisitively. "How’d you do it, if it’s not rude to ask?”

"It takes practise, though my ability relies on the profound connection with one's own blood. I'm not sure if it's possible to manipulate ice to that extent, but with enough training you might." Emi explained, trying to put the art - as her teachers often called it - of Sakti Pata into layman term.

"Through Sakti Pata, one's own blood becomes like an extension of oneself. Once blood is drawn, it...I'm not sure how to explain this...I guess you could say it's just like how you move your arm with your mind. It's similar, though something like that does require some more focus that moving your limbs."

It was difficult to explain. Never had anyone shown interest in the exact workings behind her abilities, so naturally she didn't come prepared with a clear answer.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Henry glanced at his phone, having recieved another text from Aleister Crowley. "Ah, very well." the demon muttered. He turned to Divia. "Well, I suppose you may keep our conversation in mind as we go somewhere you'll remember. Though perhaps not the areas you've been to..."

He walked out of the ice cream shop, went into the clothing store next door and pulled Hilde and her bitch (because let's be honest here) out of the establishment. In Yazi (the demon tribe Henry came from) culture, this was an acceptable way of bringing someone from place to place. For humans, especially xenophobic ones, it might be more frightening to watch a two metre tall yellow scaled monster grab you and drag you off.

He brought them to Emi and Fen, who hadn't been too far from either of these places. Addressing Fen, Henry spoke. "You wanted to explore Hell? Well, we'll be doing that soon. First we're going to Heavensgate."

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Richard slammed into said walls. "God help me." he muttered. "OK." he took a breath. "OK. Oh God. Oh God. I'm back to Elfen High, aren't I? Oh Lord, help..." he muttered silently. "So why do you need me?"

Jade laughed quietly, and shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not sure; I'm just the messenger. Courier. Retriever?" She frowned, and nodded out towards the car, lowering one of the walls slowly. "But yes. Basically, Crowley wants you - for some reason, he didn't tell me."

"Merde." Richard muttered again. "Alright then. I don't have too much of a choice. I assume we'll be going to wherever Crowley is by way of teleporter?" he sighed. "My name is Richard Michaelson, by the way. Son of Ivy Green and Calliel Michaelson. A human-angel hybrid, first in...a long time. Nobody really told me the specifics." he admitted. "Who would you be?"

Jade might remember Ivy Green as one of the students who had been killed when demons invaded Elfen High all the way back in 2018, when she had been a mere student. Ivy had also had a small crush on John Calhoun back then, when he was less of a dickhead.

[Swith Witherward]

"It takes practise, though my ability relies on the profound connection with one's own blood. I'm not sure if it's possible to manipulate ice to that extent, but with enough training you might." Emi explained, trying to put the art - as her teachers often called it - of Sakti Pata into layman term.

"Through Sakti Pata, one's own blood becomes like an extension of oneself. Once blood is drawn, it...I'm not sure how to explain this...I guess you could say it's just like how you move your arm with your mind. It's similar, though something like that does require some more focus that moving your limbs."

It was difficult to explain. Never had anyone shown interest in the exact workings behind her abilities, so naturally she didn't come prepared with a clear answer.

"It sort of sounds like I do with moisture, but only with the stuff outside of my skin. It's not a part of me, though. I only feel affinity with it. I've never tried to influence the te-ohia-hemorere, because I was afraid I'd stop that flow and kill myself or someone else."

Fen reflected upon the flower in her pocket. The precision in the craftsmanship, and Emi's ability to control her abilities, impressed her. "Emi, would you teach me about Sakti Pata? Maybe in understanding it I might find ways to apply the knowledge to myself? Maybe if I found a way to control myself better, I could -?"

She trailed off. Could what? She wanted to be useful. She wanted to be left alone by people who refused to accept her. She wanted to be self-confident enough to properly channel her urges and strange ability.

"- maybe I could find peace."

[Individuality-ness]

Henry glanced at his phone, having recieved another text from Aleister Crowley. "Ah, very well." the demon muttered. He turned to Divia. "Well, I suppose you may keep our conversation in mind as we go somewhere you'll remember. Though perhaps not the areas you've been to..."

He walked out of the ice cream shop, went into the clothing store next door and pulled Hilde and her bitch (because let's be honest here) out of the establishment. In Yazi (the demon tribe Henry came from) culture, this was an acceptable way of bringing someone from place to place. For humans, especially xenophobic ones, it might be more frightening to watch a two metre tall yellow scaled monster grab you and drag you off.

He brought them to Emi and Fen, who hadn't been too far from either of these places. Addressing Fen, Henry spoke. "You wanted to explore Hell? Well, we'll be doing that soon. First we're going to Heavensgate."

Back... to Heavensgate?

Divia blanched. No. No no no no no no no. Not when she's with a demon and a vampire and some other random people. What if her angel peers saw them walking around Heavensgate? Or, even worse, what if her parents saw her in Heavensgate?

[Esternial]

"It takes practise, though my ability relies on the profound connection with one's own blood. I'm not sure if it's possible to manipulate ice to that extent, but with enough training you might." Emi explained, trying to put the art - as her teachers often called it - of Sakti Pata into layman term.

"Through Sakti Pata, one's own blood becomes like an extension of oneself. Once blood is drawn, it...I'm not sure how to explain this...I guess you could say it's just like how you move your arm with your mind. It's similar, though something like that does require some more focus that moving your limbs."

It was difficult to explain. Never had anyone shown interest in the exact workings behind her abilities, so naturally she didn't come prepared with a clear answer.

"It sort of sounds like I do with moisture, but only with the stuff outside of my skin. It's not a part of me, though. I only feel affinity with it. I've never tried to influence the te-ohia-hemorere, because I was afraid I'd stop that flow and kill myself or someone else."

Fen reflected upon the flower in her pocket. The precision in the craftsmanship, and Emi's ability to control her abilities, impressed her. "Emi, would you teach me about Sakti Pata? Maybe in understanding it I might find ways to apply the knowledge to myself? Maybe if I found a way to control myself better, I could -?"

She trailed off. Could what? She wanted to be useful. She wanted to be left alone by people who refused to accept her. She wanted to be self-confident enough to properly channel her urges and strange ability.

"- maybe I could find peace."

There was a brief moment of silence, a period of indecisiveness that seemed to last forever, as if time itself had dilated and ignored all conventional laws of physics. Teaching an outsider about Sakti Pata was unheard of. It was so inconceivable that it hadn't even been mentioned during training, as many of her kin assumed there was no point in training someone about this ability that didn't have an innate connection with their own life's essence. Emi considered initiating her, but she feared - no, she knew - it would rob Fen of her innocence and make her life only that much harder.

"I'll try." Trying was all Emi could do. She wasn't a scholar, so her knowledge of Sakti Pata mainly focused on practical applications.

[Agritum]

Henry glanced at his phone, having recieved another text from Aleister Crowley. "Ah, very well." the demon muttered. He turned to Divia. "Well, I suppose you may keep our conversation in mind as we go somewhere you'll remember. Though perhaps not the areas you've been to..."

He walked out of the ice cream shop, went into the clothing store next door and pulled Hilde and her bitch (because let's be honest here) out of the establishment. In Yazi (the demon tribe Henry came from) culture, this was an acceptable way of bringing someone from place to place. For humans, especially xenophobic ones, it might be more frightening to watch a two metre tall yellow scaled monster grab you and drag you off.

He brought them to Emi and Fen, who hadn't been too far from either of these places. Addressing Fen, Henry spoke. "You wanted to explore Hell? Well, we'll be doing that soon. First we're going to Heavensgate."

"Get your filthy, scaly hands off me, schweinhund! Who the hell authorized you to do so? Mein Gott mitt Himmel!" Hilde began to scream, before launching a long and colourful series of German insults, all of them directed towards Henry. "I don't want to go and see how shitty Hell is!"

[Swith Witherward]

Henry glanced at his phone, having recieved another text from Aleister Crowley. "Ah, very well." the demon muttered. He turned to Divia. "Well, I suppose you may keep our conversation in mind as we go somewhere you'll remember. Though perhaps not the areas you've been to..."

He walked out of the ice cream shop, went into the clothing store next door and pulled Hilde and her bitch (because let's be honest here) out of the establishment. In Yazi (the demon tribe Henry came from) culture, this was an acceptable way of bringing someone from place to place. For humans, especially xenophobic ones, it might be more frightening to watch a two metre tall yellow scaled monster grab you and drag you off.

He brought them to Emi and Fen, who hadn't been too far from either of these places. Addressing Fen, Henry spoke. "You wanted to explore Hell? Well, we'll be doing that soon. First we're going to Heavensgate."

There was a brief moment of silence, a period of indecisiveness that seemed to last forever, as if time itself had dilated and ignored all conventional laws of physics. Teaching an outsider about Sakti Pata was unheard of. It was so inconceivable that it hadn't even been mentioned during training, as many of her kin assumed there was no point in training someone about this ability that didn't have an innate connection with their own life's essence. Emi considered initiating her, but she feared - no, she knew - it would rob Fen of her innocence and make her life only that much harder.

"I'll try." Trying was all Emi could do. She wasn't a scholar, so her knowledge of Sakti Pata mainly focused on practical applications.

Fen was unaware of the magnitude of her request. She was a small field mouse asking a majestic hawk to teach the mysteries of flight to her, and it hadn't even occurred to her that she lacked feathers and wings. She felt as if Christmas had come early, however. A chance to find a way to master her ability and being told she could go to Hell, all on the same day? Could life get any better?

"Thanks, Emi." She flashed one of her happiest smiles to her, brilliant white teeth offset by her dark skin and merry eyes.

She turned to Harry and nodded. "I'd love to explore it. I don't mind stopping at Heavensgate. Does this mean you found Crowley?"

Hilde's rant threw her off a bit, but she supposed that not everyone would be as delighted to go as she was.

[Constaniana]

Henry glanced at his phone, having recieved another text from Aleister Crowley. "Ah, very well." the demon muttered. He turned to Divia. "Well, I suppose you may keep our conversation in mind as we go somewhere you'll remember. Though perhaps not the areas you've been to..."

He walked out of the ice cream shop, went into the clothing store next door and pulled Hilde and her bitch (because let's be honest here) out of the establishment. In Yazi (the demon tribe Henry came from) culture, this was an acceptable way of bringing someone from place to place. For humans, especially xenophobic ones, it might be more frightening to watch a two metre tall yellow scaled monster grab you and drag you off.

He brought them to Emi and Fen, who hadn't been too far from either of these places. Addressing Fen, Henry spoke. "You wanted to explore Hell? Well, we'll be doing that soon. First we're going to Heavensgate."

"Get your filthy, scaly hands off me, schweinhund! Who the hell authorized you to do so? Mein Gott mitt Himmel!" Hilde began to scream, before launching a long and colourful series of German insults, all of them directed towards Henry. "I don't want to go and see how shitty Hell is!"

"Calm down, woman. Hell isn't that bad. As long as you stay away from the spaceships there. They're rather perverted," William commented, seeming rather calm about the demon dragging him around. Being around Dunefiend for so long, he had developed one of the most powerful resistances to bizarre things in the history of the Omniverse.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Henry shook his head toward Fen. "I'm afraid Mr. Crowley is currently busy." he apologised. "He's performing surgery, it appears, finally putting that medical degree to use. Though I always figured it was fraudulent..." Henry shrugged. "And he earned it in the 1800s, so who knows what kind of surgery he's doing?"

---

Crowley did not wash his hands.

---

Henry nodded to them. "We'll be taking a train soon down to Heavensgate. It'll be a bit rough-" Henry suddenly grabbed them all in a giant hug with one massive arm, and used the other one to reach into empty space. Then, very suddenly, they felt themselves all being dragged rapidly across the ground- and then ending up in a pure white space of nothingness.

Henry used his head to knock on an invisible wall. Right next to them, another door opened up, revealing a brightly lit train car. He threw them all inside and then jumped in himself.

The train car was quite lavish and extravagant, with humans and non-humans alike enjoying the food and such over a table. It looked like a five star restuarant, really. One that happened to be abroad a magical invisible train. It wasn't invisible now though - they could see everything quite well from the inside.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Raphael seemed almost surprised. "Do we have a chance, Mr. Andreas? Well..." Raphael gave a very human shrug - it would be evident this was not a natural gesture for him, but one he was imitating for the comfort of Daniel and Zoryana. "I am unsure. A suicide mission? Certainly so, by any conventional measure. But my brother - not Michael nor Uriel, but Lucifer - believed firmly that humans could do the impossible. So I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. And frankly, we have no choice. We may all suffer terrible consequences as a result of this, but that seems to be minor compared to what will occur if we do not do this. And while I would not like to have my angels here fight their brothers and sisters in Heaven, and I certainly do not want to fight my own brother, it has to be done. C'est la vie." he gave a shrug.

"As for how to kill us? Very strong bullets are useful. Bombs. Tanks. Nuclear missiles. Decapitation. But I'd appreciate it if you applied those traits on my brother rather than myself." he gave a thin smile. "Would you like to return to Minsk or Elfen High? Or would you rather stay and walk around Heavensgate? You've never particularly explored here, though this is your second visit."

Daniel nodded. "Aye, I assumed as much," he said wearily. "The question of whether or not we have a chance is scarcely even relevant, in the final analysis. We do this because it's the only thing to be done, that's all." The priest took a deep breath. I am ready to die, he thought. I have been for a long time. I'm not eager for it, but it holds no terror. I have lived long and suffered much, and received more grace and more redemption than ever I had the right to expect. If it is time, then it is time. But Daniel's mind was anything but easy. I am ready to die. But I am not ready to fail, not in this, not with the stakes so high. The priest shook his head. I know that I ought to trust in You, Lord - to know that I need only do my part, and leave ultimate outcomes in Your hands. But ah, Christ, the risks! Everyone I know, everyone I love - the world with all its beauty - how could I die knowing that I had failed them all?

Enough. Daniel shook his head sharply, and looked back at Raphael. "I'll take a look around," he replied. "Getting used to being off my planet is probably good preparation for what is to come." Daniel turned to the door, and then glanced over his shoulder, looking anew at the archangel. "Very strong bullets," eh? I'll check in with some of my old suppliers. Roger in Perth used to have some great depleted-uranium-tipped caseless 6.3-mil. The priest shrugged, feeling the strength in his shoulders, rolling like liquid fire down his arms, and he felt his battered confidence raise its head again. There are no guarantees. But even in this milieu, I am nothing to be trifled with.

"Well," Daniel concluded, "I will be seeing you around, I'm sure." The priest paused, and then smiled softly, ironically, with some weary knowledge and acceptance. He raised one hand in farewell. "God bless," Daniel said, and left.

Zoryana and Daniel left Raphael's office in silence and in a bit of a rush - but they did notice the archangel discreetly pulling out a bottle of imported Earth beer from underneath his rich dark brown wood desk. German beer, however.

"At least he has good taste." Zoryana observed when they were outside the office, but didn't add more to that. The unspoken words were "He isn't too holy after all," which was also an obvious fact for those who spent time with Raphael. The archangel did not seem to adhere very strictly to the common stereotypes of an angel - rather than being a devout and pure harp player on a cloud, Raphael was quite obviously a tired, jaded and cynical soldier. Something that Zoryana easily related to.

"I speak decent enough Latin and fair Hebrew, so I can get by in this city." Zoryana explained when they left Raphael's building. The church-like structure looked more sinister after having spoken to the archangel - it looked just as much like a fortress as a church. With the multitude of chest-high walls around it, this church would be easy to defend and much harder to invade. On the top, around four angels could be seen patrolling the roof, with more walking quite nonchalantly on the ground. Zoryana approved - it was paranoia, and paranoia was something that generally kept one alive.

Unfortunately for them, Uriel was likely to be just as paranoid, if not more. Zoryana turned to Daniel. "We'll talk more later about the invasion-" when we're not within earshot of Raphael or his friends was the unspoken words again, "But what do you think? About Heavensgate, I mean. There's bound to be a pub here. Not in the angel areas, but in the lower class human and demon areas. I recall some here then. It'd likely be a good place to visit right now, after the last few hours of extreme seriousness."

[Individuality-ness]

Henry shook his head toward Fen. "I'm afraid Mr. Crowley is currently busy." he apologised. "He's performing surgery, it appears, finally putting that medical degree to use. Though I always figured it was fraudulent..." Henry shrugged. "And he earned it in the 1800s, so who knows what kind of surgery he's doing?"

---

Crowley did not wash his hands.

---

Henry nodded to them. "We'll be taking a train soon down to Heavensgate. It'll be a bit rough-" Henry suddenly grabbed them all in a giant hug with one massive arm, and used the other one to reach into empty space. Then, very suddenly, they felt themselves all being dragged rapidly across the ground- and then ending up in a pure white space of nothingness.

Henry used his head to knock on an invisible wall. Right next to them, another door opened up, revealing a brightly lit train car. He threw them all inside and then jumped in himself.

The train car was quite lavish and extravagant, with humans and non-humans alike enjoying the food and such over a table. It looked like a five star restuarant, really. One that happened to be abroad a magical invisible train. It wasn't invisible now though - they could see everything quite well from the inside.

So basically the train's invisible to everyone except us special people? Isn't that like cloaking?

"This train is a prime example of extravagance and pride," Divia commented as soon as she was pulled into the rather lavish train. Then she remembered that only the Lord is allowed to give judgment.

Oh—

Divia quickly said a silent prayer for God to forgive her for this mishap. She didn't mean to.

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Henry shook his head toward Fen. "I'm afraid Mr. Crowley is currently busy." he apologised. "He's performing surgery, it appears, finally putting that medical degree to use. Though I always figured it was fraudulent..." Henry shrugged. "And he earned it in the 1800s, so who knows what kind of surgery he's doing?"

---

Crowley did not wash his hands.

---

Henry nodded to them. "We'll be taking a train soon down to Heavensgate. It'll be a bit rough-" Henry suddenly grabbed them all in a giant hug with one massive arm, and used the other one to reach into empty space. Then, very suddenly, they felt themselves all being dragged rapidly across the ground- and then ending up in a pure white space of nothingness.

Henry used his head to knock on an invisible wall. Right next to them, another door opened up, revealing a brightly lit train car. He threw them all inside and then jumped in himself.

The train car was quite lavish and extravagant, with humans and non-humans alike enjoying the food and such over a table. It looked like a five star restuarant, really. One that happened to be abroad a magical invisible train. It wasn't invisible now though - they could see everything quite well from the inside.

So basically the train's invisible to everyone except us special people? Isn't that like cloaking?

"This train is a prime example of extravagance and pride," Divia commented as soon as she was pulled into the rather lavish train. Then she remembered that only the Lord is allowed to give judgment.

Oh—

Divia quickly said a silent prayer for God to forgive her for this mishap. She didn't mean to.

Henry shrugged. "Might be true. Also quite comfortable. Have a seat. You don't drink any alcohol, which is a pity in itself. But all of you, choose from the menu, whatever you like. I'm putting it all on Loki's tab."

---

Loki had no fucking idea why his food bills were so fucking high.

---

When they would look at the menu, all the items would be arranged of their most favourite foods, and would look different from person to person, adapting to their personalities.

[Individuality-ness]

So basically the train's invisible to everyone except us special people? Isn't that like cloaking?

"This train is a prime example of extravagance and pride," Divia commented as soon as she was pulled into the rather lavish train. Then she remembered that only the Lord is allowed to give judgment.

Oh—

Divia quickly said a silent prayer for God to forgive her for this mishap. She didn't mean to.

Henry shrugged. "Might be true. Also quite comfortable. Have a seat. You don't drink any alcohol, which is a pity in itself. But all of you, choose from the menu, whatever you like. I'm putting it all on Loki's tab."

---

Loki had no fucking idea why his food bills were so fucking high.

---

When they would look at the menu, all the items would be arranged of their most favourite foods, and would look different from person to person, adapting to their personalities.

"All on Loki's tab? Does he know about this?" This sounded deceptive.

Divia took a look at the menu that was personalized for her (although she didn't know this). Vanilla ice cream, bland seaweed salad, ceviche minus all of the spices, rice cakes, plain white rice, unflavored tofu, saag paneer...

"May I have saag paneer with white rice?" she asked Henry, looking at him. Lord, please give me permission to eat saag paneer for once.

[Agritum]

Henry shook his head toward Fen. "I'm afraid Mr. Crowley is currently busy." he apologised. "He's performing surgery, it appears, finally putting that medical degree to use. Though I always figured it was fraudulent..." Henry shrugged. "And he earned it in the 1800s, so who knows what kind of surgery he's doing?"

---

Crowley did not wash his hands.

---

Henry nodded to them. "We'll be taking a train soon down to Heavensgate. It'll be a bit rough-" Henry suddenly grabbed them all in a giant hug with one massive arm, and used the other one to reach into empty space. Then, very suddenly, they felt themselves all being dragged rapidly across the ground- and then ending up in a pure white space of nothingness.

Henry used his head to knock on an invisible wall. Right next to them, another door opened up, revealing a brightly lit train car. He threw them all inside and then jumped in himself.

The train car was quite lavish and extravagant, with humans and non-humans alike enjoying the food and such over a table. It looked like a five star restuarant, really. One that happened to be abroad a magical invisible train. It wasn't invisible now though - they could see everything quite well from the inside.

Even if it became apparent to her that the voyage to Hell was much more comfortable and lavish than expected, Hilde defiantly crossed her arms, pouting at Henry, Divia, and pretty much anyone else in the wagon except for William.

"I refuse to eat up until you explain why you kidnapped me and my assistant to bring me to yqour demon infested hell-hole of a planet!" Hilde demanded, angrily banging her first against the table. "And I am not going to eat up until you do what I asked!"

[Esternial]

Henry shook his head toward Fen. "I'm afraid Mr. Crowley is currently busy." he apologised. "He's performing surgery, it appears, finally putting that medical degree to use. Though I always figured it was fraudulent..." Henry shrugged. "And he earned it in the 1800s, so who knows what kind of surgery he's doing?"

---

Crowley did not wash his hands.

---

Henry nodded to them. "We'll be taking a train soon down to Heavensgate. It'll be a bit rough-" Henry suddenly grabbed them all in a giant hug with one massive arm, and used the other one to reach into empty space. Then, very suddenly, they felt themselves all being dragged rapidly across the ground- and then ending up in a pure white space of nothingness.

Henry used his head to knock on an invisible wall. Right next to them, another door opened up, revealing a brightly lit train car. He threw them all inside and then jumped in himself.

The train car was quite lavish and extravagant, with humans and non-humans alike enjoying the food and such over a table. It looked like a five star restuarant, really. One that happened to be abroad a magical invisible train. It wasn't invisible now though - they could see everything quite well from the inside.

At that moment, Emi had an ominous feeling. She had been on a train before, with Crowley, and it didn't end too well for her. Cautiously she clung to the group, a sudden change from her usual character. While she usually threw caution to the wind and grabbed the unknown by the horns at any chance she got, the vampire now weighed her options carefully and gingerly navigated the train car.

[Individuality-ness]

Henry shook his head toward Fen. "I'm afraid Mr. Crowley is currently busy." he apologised. "He's performing surgery, it appears, finally putting that medical degree to use. Though I always figured it was fraudulent..." Henry shrugged. "And he earned it in the 1800s, so who knows what kind of surgery he's doing?"

---

Crowley did not wash his hands.

---

Henry nodded to them. "We'll be taking a train soon down to Heavensgate. It'll be a bit rough-" Henry suddenly grabbed them all in a giant hug with one massive arm, and used the other one to reach into empty space. Then, very suddenly, they felt themselves all being dragged rapidly across the ground- and then ending up in a pure white space of nothingness.

Henry used his head to knock on an invisible wall. Right next to them, another door opened up, revealing a brightly lit train car. He threw them all inside and then jumped in himself.

The train car was quite lavish and extravagant, with humans and non-humans alike enjoying the food and such over a table. It looked like a five star restuarant, really. One that happened to be abroad a magical invisible train. It wasn't invisible now though - they could see everything quite well from the inside.

Even if it became apparent to her that the voyage to Hell was much more comfortable and lavish than expected, Hilde defiantly crossed her arms, pouting at Henry, Divia, and pretty much anyone else in the wagon except for William.

"I refuse to eat up until you explain why you kidnapped me and my assistant to bring me to yqour demon infested hell-hole of a planet!" Hilde demanded, angrily banging her first against the table. "And I am not going to eat up until you do what I asked!"

Divia blinked. "Stop acting like an irritated child. It is unbecoming to the Lord."

[Constaniana]

Even if it became apparent to her that the voyage to Hell was much more comfortable and lavish than expected, Hilde defiantly crossed her arms, pouting at Henry, Divia, and pretty much anyone else in the wagon except for William.

"I refuse to eat up until you explain why you kidnapped me and my assistant to bring me to your demon infested hell-hole of a planet!" Hilde demanded, angrily banging her first against the table. "And I am not going to eat up until you do what I asked!"

While William's romantic interest may have been outraged about this turn of events, it was certainly proving to be more enjoyable already than his last trip to Hell. For starters, there were infinitely less band kids. And he was a bit of a railway enthusiast, having fond memories of visiting the National Railway Museum in York as a boy.

"I'd like the Yorkshire pudding to start off with, along with the roast beef, and some Irn-Bru to drink," said the knight.

[Swith Witherward]

Henry shook his head toward Fen. "I'm afraid Mr. Crowley is currently busy." he apologised. "He's performing surgery, it appears, finally putting that medical degree to use. Though I always figured it was fraudulent..." Henry shrugged. "And he earned it in the 1800s, so who knows what kind of surgery he's doing?"

---

Crowley did not wash his hands.

---

Henry nodded to them. "We'll be taking a train soon down to Heavensgate. It'll be a bit rough-" Henry suddenly grabbed them all in a giant hug with one massive arm, and used the other one to reach into empty space. Then, very suddenly, they felt themselves all being dragged rapidly across the ground- and then ending up in a pure white space of nothingness.

Henry used his head to knock on an invisible wall. Right next to them, another door opened up, revealing a brightly lit train car. He threw them all inside and then jumped in himself.

The train car was quite lavish and extravagant, with humans and non-humans alike enjoying the food and such over a table. It looked like a five star restuarant, really. One that happened to be abroad a magical invisible train. It wasn't invisible now though - they could see everything quite well from the inside.

"Mr. Crowley is a medical doct-aaaaah!"

Fen was once again tossed into a new environment. It was becoming habitual. Perhaps it was how everyone got around at Elfen High? Bathroom? No problem... and you find yourself being tossed into a stall. Hungry? Let me throw you into a banquet. She didn't mind. It was better than long car rides, not that she'd ever had one. It was the getting adjusted to a new setting that left her feeling a bit queasy.
-
Oh, wait. That was her inner ear. The fancy restaurant was moving. She tucked her hair behind her ears and felt she was poorly under-dressed. No one seemed to mind. Actually, given the weird variety of people in the restaurant car, she doubted she was even noticeable. New place, new place, new place, she felt the stress rising and turned to Emi for comfort.

Emi's odd behavior caused Fen to raise an eyebrow. The Polynesian felt oddly protective of the person who'd promised to help her, and having a purpose dispelled some of her own self-doubts and fears. "Don't worry, Emi," she whispered to her. "How bad can it be?"

Fen stole a menu from the table and groaned. Poi. Why is there always poi? Her mouth watered at the thought of eating Shellfish Kedgeree, but why on earth would they have that here? She ordered both and settled back to watch the tantrum/spat between the odd German woman and Divia.

[Norvenia]

Zoryana and Daniel left Raphael's office in silence and in a bit of a rush - but they did notice the archangel discreetly pulling out a bottle of imported Earth beer from underneath his rich dark brown wood desk. German beer, however.

"At least he has good taste." Zoryana observed when they were outside the office, but didn't add more to that. The unspoken words were "He isn't too holy after all," which was also an obvious fact for those who spent time with Raphael. The archangel did not seem to adhere very strictly to the common stereotypes of an angel - rather than being a devout and pure harp player on a cloud, Raphael was quite obviously a tired, jaded and cynical soldier. Something that Zoryana easily related to.

"I speak decent enough Latin and fair Hebrew, so I can get by in this city." Zoryana explained when they left Raphael's building. The church-like structure looked more sinister after having spoken to the archangel - it looked just as much like a fortress as a church. With the multitude of chest-high walls around it, this church would be easy to defend and much harder to invade. On the top, around four angels could be seen patrolling the roof, with more walking quite nonchalantly on the ground. Zoryana approved - it was paranoia, and paranoia was something that generally kept one alive.

Unfortunately for them, Uriel was likely to be just as paranoid, if not more. Zoryana turned to Daniel. "We'll talk more later about the invasion-" when we're not within earshot of Raphael or his friends was the unspoken words again, "But what do you think? About Heavensgate, I mean. There's bound to be a pub here. Not in the angel areas, but in the lower class human and demon areas. I recall some here then. It'd likely be a good place to visit right now, after the last few hours of extreme seriousness."

For a moment, Daniel hesitated. There was a time when I would have refused out of hand to go within a hundred yards of a bar, he remembered. I was a warrior of God, then, called to higher things. The priest shrugged. Now I'm just another of God's children: a shepherd without a flock. Daniel turned suddenly, his pale blue eyes studying Zoryana: her translucently pale skin, her long blonde hair. Or perhaps not quite.

The moment passed. Daniel let out a deep breath and nodded. "Aye," he agreed wearily. "I could do with a pint or two." Even as he spoke, the Sabbatanos' gaze flickered over the surrounding area, noting the angels on patrol, the pedestrians, the vehicles; resting for a moment on windows and alleys and doorways. A new place. Daniel was acutely aware of how dangerous the unfamiliar could be: one never knew from whence to expect attack. And so the priest was alert, focused, on guard - his hands hung loosely at his sides, ready to race for the handguns beneath his coat.

But he could also really use a drink.

With a wry grin, Daniel waved a hand. "You're the one with friends in low places," he remarked with a gently teasing glint in his eye. "Lead on." As they began to thread their way through the streets, Daniel shrugged. "As for what I think of Heavensgate? Well - it's imperfect, like every other place. Divided. But it seems to be trying to do its best to create a place where all sorts of people can live with a bare minimum of decency - and that's really all that any city or nation can do." The priest shrugged a second time. "Not the most ringing endorsement, I know - but the world being what it is, I couldn't really ask for more."

[The Inritus Extraho]

Jade laughed quietly, and shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not sure; I'm just the messenger. Courier. Retriever?" She frowned, and nodded out towards the car, lowering one of the walls slowly. "But yes. Basically, Crowley wants you - for some reason, he didn't tell me."

"Merde." Richard muttered again. "Alright then. I don't have too much of a choice. I assume we'll be going to wherever Crowley is by way of teleporter?" he sighed. "My name is Richard Michaelson, by the way. Son of Ivy Green and Calliel Michaelson. A human-angel hybrid, first in...a long time. Nobody really told me the specifics." he admitted. "Who would you be?"

Jade might remember Ivy Green as one of the students who had been killed when demons invaded Elfen High all the way back in 2018, when she had been a mere student. Ivy had also had a small crush on John Calhoun back then, when he was less of a dickhead.

Jade shook her head. "Unless he pulls us out of the blue, no. We've just got a really fast car." She frowned. "Ivy... I remember her, she was... well, at least nice to me, though we didn't talk much. And... wait, how are you a human-angel hybrid? I wouldn't have thought that that could happen, at least from-" she cut herself off, before saying 'genetics'. Or 'science'. "Er. Nevermind. I... can't really say anything about science, back from the dead now as I am."

[Vesperis]

"Merde." Richard muttered again. "Alright then. I don't have too much of a choice. I assume we'll be going to wherever Crowley is by way of teleporter?" he sighed. "My name is Richard Michaelson, by the way. Son of Ivy Green and Calliel Michaelson. A human-angel hybrid, first in...a long time. Nobody really told me the specifics." he admitted. "Who would you be?"

Jade might remember Ivy Green as one of the students who had been killed when demons invaded Elfen High all the way back in 2018, when she had been a mere student. Ivy had also had a small crush on John Calhoun back then, when he was less of a dickhead.

Jade shook her head. "Unless he pulls us out of the blue, no. We've just got a really fast car." She frowned. "Ivy... I remember her, she was... well, at least nice to me, though we didn't talk much. And... wait, how are you a human-angel hybrid? I wouldn't have thought that that could happen, at least from-" she cut herself off, before saying 'genetics'. Or 'science'. "Er. Nevermind. I... can't really say anything about science, back from the dead now as I am."

Lana stepped in, bored to death with trying to stay quiet. If she was going to be dragged along its this, she would at least make some sense of it. She stood next to Jade and crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, first of all, human-angel? Come on, you've got to be kidding me." She paused for a second, thinking over the name again. "Michaelson..." She added before anyone could intrude. "I've heard that before."

[Nightkill the Emperor]

Crowley sighed. "I need you for that, as a matter of fact." he explained. "Human blood, D. Fresh human blood. I need that stuff. But it needs to be very carefully mixed with that of angel blood. Now, I could find and use Richard, but Calliel has strictly told me he wants his son out of trouble and pain. But...there's your sister. She has Lilith inside her." Now Crowley's voice was a whisper. "Your mother is outside, the door is sealed. But one of the few ways I can save these kids is if I can get someone who has that sort of angel-human mix. Rosalind is one. Richard is another. And I would wish there was a third, but there unfortunately isn't. There will be some consequences though. The angel side of the donater's persona would grow stronger...but the android bugs would grow much weaker."

There was a long pause.

"Aleister," D said, "you will not touch my sister. Do you understand me? Because you may be a god amongst men, but you know better than any other that no god is immortal."

D licked his lips. There were four solutions to this; Rosalind could not be risked, and even if she could, D had no idea where she was. The angel could be left to die, but Crowley would never allow that - the stubborn ass had long since taken a liking to the angel, and would never let it die. Even if he did, what that could do to Crowley made D shutter. The third solution was unthinkable, far too risky to even contemplate.

That only left one.

"You have to use Richard," D resolved, "Even if I wanted to risk Rosalind, I can't find her and you know she can't be found when she doesn't want to be. Not by any but you, and you can't leave right now. I'm sorry, but Richard is the only way."

"I've sent a message to Jade Gates then." Crowley said promptly. "They're looking for Richard and should be here with them soon enough." he said, with a glance at D and Aziraphale. "So, I assume this happened on the moon." he muttered. "And nobody mentioned that to me, how nice. Anything else I should be aware of, D?" he asked the other boy sardonically. "Anything else I should really quite know about?" he shook his head and pulled out another syringe, cleaning it in preparation for Richard.