Earth

"So you showed up," called a man's voice from the darkness. "Honestly, I thought you would run and never look back. It certainly would have been the intelligent thing to do."

"Now you're gonna insult my intelligence?" The young man with purple hair, dressed in black, stood on the top of the building. He turned halfway to his opponent, displaying a big smirk on his face. "I'm not afraid of you. I'm more powerful than you are."

"Ha! More powerful than me? You're not even half my age. I can tear you apart with little effort."

"You're right. I am younger than you. But you see, that's to my advantage. I'm at my prime, and you're growing weak from battle. You may have been stronger than me a few hundred years ago, but face it. You're getting old."

The rage building up in the other man was intense. A bright white glow covered him, and white wings appeared on his back. He was dressed in a white robe and carried a heavy axe on his back. His wings carried him a few feet into the air. "Arrogant little punk! I'll show you just how weak I really am, Rotem!"

Then Rotem's appearance changed as well. Black wings appeared on his back, his fingers become long and beast-like, and his teeth were sharp as knives. He rose to meet his challenger in the air. The two spirits clashed with incredible force. The angel swung his axe at Rotem, but the swift demon evaded and sent a punch rocketing to his opponent's face, which was then blocked and countered. They both seemed evenly matched, but Rotem's smile showed his confidence.

"Wipe that stupid grin off your face!" said the angel.

"Is that sweat I see on your forehead?" Rotem was pleased to see the angel rapidly wipe his forehead. "Need a break, Old Man? We can take five if you want."

Angrily, the angel tossed his axe like a boomerang, and when he missed he charged and grabbed Rotem by the shoulders. The two struggled, falling and phasing through the top of the building and into the small convenience store inside. The angel sent a powerful punch into the demon's face, and for the first time, Rotem looked concerned.

"Oh... No you didn't."

Rotem pointed his right middle and index fingers at the angel. "No one touches my pretty face."

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A red-headed man dressed in business attire walked into the room of the ruined convenience store. Shelves were pushed over, crevasses made on the floor, and a burn mark on the wall, framing the shape of a man. The chief policeman greeted him.

"Wow. Somebody sure made a mess of this place."

"This is a weird one, Stocker. This woman here reports witnessing a murder. She says she saw the man stabbed near that burn mark over there. She ran to call the police, but when she returned shortly before we arrived, the body was gone. No blood, no finger prints, we don't even have a clue who died here."

"And what's with the burn mark?"

"That's another thing. The witness claims to have seen the killer release lightning from his fingertips and into the victim. Can you believe that?"

Gary Stocker looked at the witness, who met his gaze. Then he turned back to the chief. "I believe her."

"But how can someone cast lightning from their fingers? That's impossible!"

"Impossible or not, she believes it. And there is, indeed, a burn mark on the wall. This certainly is very strange."

"There's another thing, detective..."

"Oh, joy." Gary said sarcastically. "What else do I need to know?"

"The witnesses described the victim and the murderer for us. She claimed that the two had wings, like angels."

Gary turned and left the scene, and the chief called after him. "Where are you going?"

To this, Gary replied, "No body, no murder."

Heaven:

Alan didn't even blink as a man who was looking old turned up in front of him, He just appeared out of thin air, The man had wings although they looked fragile and weak just like the rest of him. The man looked up at Alan a questioning look on his face.

Alan bent down and helped the man up, When the man was up he let out a sigh "I have a message for you".

The man looked up at him a look of confusion on his face "Who from?" he asked. To this Alan made the cross on his chest. "Ahh" the man breathed a worried look on his face, After slightly composing himself again he looked back up at Alan "Well, What is the message?".

Alan sighed again "He warns you that you have hardly got another injury in you let alone a death" he said simply. The man sighed and shook his head. Alan continued "He also um... Asks you to stay here for at least another two lifetimes".

The man sighed "Yess melord".
Alan laughed "I not ya lord, He is" He said while once again making the cross on his chest. With that Alan disappeared.


Earth:

Alan stepped out of an alleyway and into the street, He was in his human form and was not liking it. He walked over to a house near were he had appeared, The house hardly looked lived in but still half cared for. That and the dark feeling he got from the house told him all he needed to know, He knocked on the door and then stood to the side "Rotem!".

The scent of freshly turned over soil intermingled with the sound of the hoe being thrust into it. The man or so he seemed was planting tender young plants that would grow to feed the people of the village.This village despite the modern way of life maintained an idyllic and timeless way of doing such a simple act as planting this year's crops of vegetables. Sure people had cellphones, laptops, and satellite t.v but the timeless act of growing food was done in the same fashion as their forefathers had done it. The only concessions to the soulless modern society way of doing things was chemical fertilizer as the tourists from the various cities complained of the smell of manure. And while the mayor publicly laughed at the delicate noses of city folk the word went about quietly. With the mayor's office subsidizing the cost of chemical fertilizer it was not really a big deal for the farmers. And furthermore the money the delicate and useless city folk brought with them meant a lot for the local economy and so it was with little hesitation the farmers made the switch.

But for this man who seemingly was human it didn't matter. All he cared about was the simple yet pleasurable life this timeless village lived with. And so he went on planting as the sun rose higher in the azure sky beating down a gentle warmth on this village and the farms that surrounded it. Sweat pooling on his back the man discarded the blue t-shirt he wore and let the sun bask his bare upper body.

" Hey mister, I got your lunch." A young girl's voice rang over the freshly worked fields causing the man to look up from the beans he was planting. Running across the field being careful to keep her steps light so as not to disturb the soil overmuch was the source of the voice. A lightly freckled face hidden underneath a large sun hat while a light red dress covered her body. She was the 6 year old daughter of the farmer the man with the hoe worked for. Slung on her arm was a small basket no doubt containing this lunch she spoke of.

Coming to stop beside the man she beamed up at him with a smile that could have lit the darkest room.

" Thanks Debra, I was kinda getting hungry." The man spoke laying down his hoe and beginning to walk to the nearby edge of the field. He like the girl kept his steps light as possible. His voice held a beautiful and calm tone, as if he spoke with the voice of an angel. So charming where it's tones the local priest had roped the man into singing in the choir where he showed some discomfort in being the center of attention.

" That's what Ma thought Steve. She said a man who works as hard as you do must be hungry by now." Her voice too held a beautiful and calm tone with none of the cynicism of an adult. As they walked together to the edge of the field she looked up at the man now known as Steve. What she saw would have disturbed most knowing adults. Where the world saw a six foot tall light tanned man wearing jeans and work boots she saw a seven foot tall angel with six wings covered in the shadows his fall had wrought upon him. But so young was she that Debra took it for granted that 'Steve' was just another of the five workers her father had hired.

However the name Steve was a lie created by the fallen angel so that he might live in peace amongst the humans he had refused to bow to when commanded to by his God. Although the endless centuries he had lived amongst humanity had shown him why God had considered Adam and his legacy greater then the angels he had created. They where prefect in every way, their faith truer then any angels for it was wrought out of free will and not instilled into their very soul. And that free will was hard for most Angels, even this fallen one had to struggle to rebel against the command to bow so hard it was like fighting his very core.

His name was Aeneas Lumen and all who knew that name would laugh with irony at the sight of his black wings although white feathers intermingled with the black ones might make them pause. But none of that mattered to him. He was a fallen angel who refused to become the demon his brethren had. And so he dwelt in the land of Adam's legacy as a Guardian of the Sons and daughters of that legacy. He defended humanity's interest in the war of Angels and Demons for he felt such a race as humanity was above Lucifer and Jehovah. For a man's fate was up to that man to determine and control and no one else. if he should so choose the philosophies of Lucifer or Jehovah so be it but faith and destiny must be chosen out of their own free will.

And thus he lived amongst humanity in secret for the black feathers of his six wings terrified most people. With the rare exception of Debra who could see past the image he crafted to hide his true form. But she was unknowing of what those black feathers meant, perhaps in a few years time Aeneas would have to leave this idyllic and timeless village for he did not want Debra to ever come to fear him.

Even as they walked the fallen angel thought of leaving. For it would be best perhaps to leave when Debra was still young and thus when she grew older could be convinced the image of Steve she saw was nothing but a childhood fantasy.

When Rotem had finished with the angel in the convenience store, he immediately moved on to claim his prize. She was a eighteen-year-old girl Rotem found in a local church. After the demon started making his moves on her, the girl's guardian angel grew alarmed and warned Rotem to stay away from her. Despite this, Rotem continued to see her, quickly, but smoothly, working his plans on her. Finally, the angel decided to challenge the young demon to a duel.

Now with no one in his way, Rotem invited her over to his house for dinner. Here he planned to make his attempt at crushing the little faith this girl had. He knew he had to finish his work on her quickly, or else he'd be swarmed by angels looking for revenge. She only went to church because of her parents, so he figured it wouldn't take much. After all, she was blind enough to be dating a demon.

Rotem ran his hands through her hair, said all the right things, and pretended to believe that he loved her, but for some reason she didn't respond to any of this. Maybe a part of her knew what this demon called "Roger" was really up to, because everything he did caused her to become more distant and cautious. Eventually, having enough, she got up to leave. Rotem grabbed her by the arm, his hands burning into her skin.

"Roger," she whined, "you're hurting me."

That was when a knocked came on the door. Rotem pushed the girl on his bed.

"Stay," he told her.

Slowly, Rotem turned the doorknob, hoping his fears of an angelic ambush not to come true.

Rotem was a bit confused when this man walked in uninvited and sat on his chair. Something didn't seem right. He was expecting some retribution for the sin he had committed, and he still was expecting it. By now he was about ready to surrender his cause and try something else. He stepped outside for a moment, considering whether to run or not.

But then he realized something. Someone was watching him. Someone with dark intent. A demon perhaps? Or maybe an angry angel. Whatever the case, he wasn't alone.

He walked back inside. Assuming his mysterious observer and his uninvited guests were on the same side, he figured these two were looking to scratch him out.

He whispered in Alan's ear, "I know why you're here. Meet me outside, where the human won't see. Let's take this to the skies."

The demon walked out the door and waited for the angel to follow, his fists burning with blue fire.

" Hey Steve guess what I did today at school." Debra spoke with the enthusiasm only the very young were capable of. That smile as bright as ever as the Fallen Angel went through the motions of eating the food prepared from him by the girl's mother.Although it was well made and any normal human would have found it a meal to rival all meals the one time caretaker of God's throne was wishing he didn't have to eat it. As a being of divine creation Aeneas required nothing of actual substance. That is to say any food he ate was merely a show to help him blend in with the humans he had come to cherish.

" What." Aeneas or rather Steve as the girl knew him asked with the patience imbued into him by the countless centuries since his creation in the timeless paradise of heaven. He took another bite of the lunch packed into the small basket, the wind began to blow at first a gentle breeze that was at first welcome for the workers in the fields of this idyllic and timeless village.

" This." She said after a moment of searching her person then holding up a paper crane crafted of red paper, something of a cross between rice paper and wold pulp paper. it was masterfully made given it's creator was a six year old girl. After letting him stare at it for a few seconds the girl tossed the paper crane into the air were the gentle breeze bore it aloft and out of sight.

" Wonderfully made Debra, I bet the teacher was impressed." Aeneas spoke getting up from where they sat at the edge of the field brushing the loose dust off the jeans he wore. That being done he began to pack up the remnants of the lunch beng careful not to sweep dust or dirt into the basket. The breeze began to blow harder almost as if a storm was on it's way, which was odd given the sky was still azure with not a cloud in sight. And soon dust began to kick up. Every second the wind blew harsher and harsher, the dust clouds thickening to the point were humans had no hope of getting enough breath to fill their lungs.

" Debra run." Aeneas ordered the coughing six year old as the implications of what that wind meant. Not here, not here. Was all he thought as he discarded the false image of Steve and stood forth as Aeneas fallen angel. The girl for her part tried to run but the air simply was too choked with dust for her lungs to get the much needed extra air running demanded. Realizing this the fallen angel scooped her up in his arms and flew straight up using the powerful lift six wings beating at once gave him to outrun the killer dust cloud.

" Debra are you alright." He asked concerned as her breathing seemed to become shallow and rapid, the breathing of one not getting enough air.

" Make it stop Steve." She finallly spoke her voice filled with the terror only a child was capable of. Her arm was pointing downwards and so the fallen angel looked down....and saw a sight that filled him with rage. Scores of lesser demons, those twisted creations born of the darkness his fallen brethren embraced were wrecking havoc and bloodshed upon this once idyllic and timeless turning it into a one sided battleground. The people tired to run but were only cut down as they ran. The priest was the only one that stood his ground, on the steps of his church he seemed to be speaking some sort of prayer a silver cross before him. But even faith is a poor shield against a demonic blade and so the priest met his end still clutching his silver cross.

And here he was truly torn, he could slaughter these lesser demons like wheat before the harvester's scythe but doing so would leave Debra defenseless for he could not fight and protect her at the same time. For a battle against so many would require his full attention. Trembling with rage he clutched the shaking Debra tighter to his chest and turned his back on the village. Feeling as if a part of him was dying he raced through the skies faster then the a Jet going mach six using two of his wings to shield the girl he held from the wind that cut like a honed blade.


After what seemed hours he alighted atop a skyscraper, for the city was resonating with the aura of so many Demons and Angels, Aeneas was forced to take stock of it. Perhaps here he could find a safe place for this city was both the lion's den and a safe haven. While not concerned for himself the fallen angel knew Debra needed a safe place. For the village of her childhood was now a blood soaked nightmare were no doubt the unburied bodies of the dead were being used in all manner of ways, the twisted nature of the lesser demons surpassed even the lofty bar his fallen brethren had set. They may be fallen angels but they were angels still, were as their creations were born of pure darkness.

" Where are we." Debra asked somewhat groggily, no doubt the shock of what had just happened was becoming too much for her to handle.

" In a city, I don't know which one but we are safe for now." Aeneas replied, no doubt any human observer would find the scene odd. A six year girl atop a skyscraper taking to the thin air. For Aeneas had yet to assume his human form and as a Fallen angel he was invisible to normal humans.


" Alright." Was all she said in response.

Aeneas looked at her with equal parts sorrow and anger in her heart. In such a short period of time the girl went from a bright light to a snuffed out candle. Aeneas wanted nothing more then to kill every single demon he could get his hands on. But such things were for a later time. First came Debra and finding her a safe place. And as much as he hated the notion Aeneas knew he would have to find an Angel, a true Angel. For it would take the power of God to keep the child safe. And Aeneas knew as long as she remained conntected to him his fallen brethren and their twisted creations would hunt the girl.