Aiden

by Mythyra Mystic

A slightly altered take on the movie. Finished for now, might add a bit more every now and then. Contains slash and explicit sex scene.

The ominous black smoke pouring in through the cracks in the wood made everyone nervous. It had to be something angel related but, with a glance towards Michael they found that he too was confused by the latest turn of events. There didn't appear to be anything harmful about it but what did humans know. It was the apocalypse, at this point anything could happen.

Michael reached out, trailing the smoke through his fingers as he stared at it. There was something eerily familiar about it; an energy that clung to the gas now turning and twisting as it sunk through the cracks and poured to the floor. Where it touched his skin he felt it as a smooth, warm liquid, flowing around his fingers and palm before continuing on its way to the ground. The electric feeling didn't separate as it would normally; he was unable to draw in the energy out of the smoke. With a start, he realized that the power wasn't imbedded into the smoke but it was the smoke.

His breath caught and he pulled his hand back, knowing what was on the other side of the boards and how it was going to make an entrance did nothing to settle the sudden fluttering that climbed the walls of his stomach.

"Take cover!" He shouted. Whirling around he grabbed hold of Charlie and launched them both to safety behind a turned over table. Using his own body as a shield he protected the human and her unborn child from what was to come. He could only hope that it had a better grasp on its powers than before.

The explosion was startling at best and painful at worst. A soul-sucking portal of black light stood behind the door, though no one could see it from where they were hiding. The trails of smoke straightened, reaching up as tendrils and ripping away the barrier that blockaded the entrance. The force at which they ripped off the panel of wood created a vacuum and the sudden expansion of the power that had been pressing up against the door together created the explosion, shaking the windows and the people inside the diner.

When no shards of wood and black glass came flying over their heads as potentially life-ending projectiles, Michael chanced peeking up over the table edge. The wooden panel floated just before the doorway, held up by the tendrils of black smoke. Beyond that a dark light emanated from the doorway, pulsing like a panicked heartbeat before them.

Someone ducked inside the opening, passing through the black light as they did so. It gathered on them, clinging like a blanket and covering them from head to toe, fading inside the character's skin. As they found the safety inside the diner the tendrils came back to life. Using a hand on the panel to guide it back to place and the being slammed it back up against the doorway. The black light appeared again, this time coating the edges of the barrier and glowing softly, melding wood into the wall behind it for extra protection.

"Fucking angels," The newcomer snapped, panting as he leaned his forehead against the cold wood.

Bob stood up from behind the counter, wielding his gun like an angry terrier. Cocking the gun, the brunette growled. "You!"

The young man spun around on his heels, dropping to a protective crouch as he glared at the human behind the silver counter. The two men stared at each other for a moment, varying degrees of wariness and distrust on their faces.

Michael stared at the man from where he was still covering Charlie. The hair was longer and blacker than he remembered it being and he was definitely skinner than before. The long, spider-like limbs were nothing new even though they looked malnourished and the gaunt face and sharp features were still delicate, maybe a little roughened and wind-chapped but nothing too bad. The skin was still pale and there were still scars running along the wrists and up to the elbows but that wasn't what really bothered the fallen angel. The black aura of energy was much, much stronger than five years ago. Where it had been a small bundle of untapped, unknown energy settled in a young boy's heart it now encompassed his entire being; gently twirling and twisting as he moved about, occasionally peeling off to twirl away as excess energy. The strength of the power had bled into his eyes, turning them from a soft grey that Michael had grown accustomed to into a dark, near-black color that was colder than obsidian and more calculating than seemed natural.

"Teeth! Show us your teeth." Bob commanded, drawing Michael's attention back to the present.

"What exactly you looking for?" The young man asked. He was still crouched on the floor, waiting for the moment when he'd either have to duck and roll or leap and fight. The near-black iris's watched the owner of the diner unblinkingly, taking in the man's twitching jaw and stressed appearance.

"Sharp teeth," Jeep supplied helpfully, poking his head over the top of the counter next to his father's hip. He caught sight of the black eyes and his breath caught in his throat. How many times had he dreamed about those orbs, staring back at him with a haunted, hooded expression? How many times had he seen the pale flesh ripped and tattered, stained red and- sometimes- black, the chains embedded into skin and screams echoing off cavernous, burning walls? He blinked and gulped.

The black eyes took in Jeep's stunned expression and they blinked. A frown creased over the young man's smooth face and he gave the other male an unhappy look of wariness. "Then I suggest you don't look here." He said, each word carefully pronounced so that no teeth showed.

"Then get shot." Bob countered, cocking the safety off his shotgun with malicious intent.

"No," Michael stood; finally feeling the way Charlie had been shoving at him, trying to get the larger man off her. He stepped out from around the table, blue eyes stuck on the newcomer like magnets. "No, he's fine." The blonde held out a hand, motioning for the older looking brunette human to lay down his weapon. "He's fine." The angel insisted.

Reluctantly, Bob lowered his weapon, returning to just glaring at the newcomer.

Michael stared at the Antichrist, awe in his gaze as the man stood up.

"Thanks," Aiden said, watching the other man curiously. He brushed off his hands on the dark, skin-tight jeans he wore and jerked his head back towards the paneled door. "Shit storm out there isn't it." He commented, trying to make conversation with the male that kept staring at him. It was making him nervous, being watched like he was God-sent or something, and bad things tended to happen when he got nervous. "I'm Aiden, you?"

The frown that crossed the other man's face wasn't expected and it unsettled him even more.

Michael didn't understand, surely Aiden recognized him. Granted, he no longer had his wings or his halo and collar but... but surely Aiden would recognize the angel that had pulled him from Hell? He gave the younger man a frown. He was Michael, the archangel of love and mercy, he was very recognizable- even in this frail form!

"And you are?" The young man prompted, raising his eyebrows expectantly.

"Bob," Bob said from behind the fallen angel. "This is my son, Jeep." Aiden, spared one more glance at the blonde man before looking past to the two males. "That's Percy," The brunette called Bob pointed down to the end of the counter where a man with one hand and one... spatula? The man with the... spatula for a hand poked his head up, heavy set and dark-skinned Aiden raised an eyebrow at him. Well, he actually raised an eyebrow at his... hand but the effect was the same. "That's Audrey and Kyle." A young black man stood up from behind another overturned table in the far corner of the building, beside him a teenaged brunette with a low cut shirt and even shorter skirt stood up as well. Aiden blinked at her but showed no other signs. "That's Sandra," A tall woman with the same bone structure and brown hair as the girl stood up behind the two. If he had to guess, Aiden would have said she was the girl's mother. "That's Charlie."

This time, a woman stood up from behind the tall, blonde man. She had long, golden curls that framed her face, a light tan, and a cute pout. She was also about six months pregnant and it was her unborn child that drew Aiden.

Due to his... unnatural bloodline, he could see that the unborn child was male and very much ready to be born. A few more hours and he was certain it would come forth. But it wasn't the fact that she was ready to give birth any moment now or the fact that he knew what sex the child was simply by looking at its mother that startled him. It was the fact that there was a soft white light emanating from around Charlie's womb. It didn't engulf the mother completely so he knew it wasn't her that was holy beyond belief; instead it pulsed just around the child. Aiden groaned mentally, of course, he knew there was a reason he wanted to be in this building and here it was.

"And this is-" Bob began.

"Michael," The man with the closely cropped blonde hair said, taking a step forward, voice as smooth as silk. Even though he blocked Aiden's view of the mother-to-be, the young man didn't mind so much. The man was tall enough that he landed squarely in Aiden's preferences. He was blonde which was always a plus. He was good-looking, in a rugged, haggard sort of way that did things the black-haired man's stomach that were nice and uncomfortable. And, he carried a gun. There aren't a whole lot of things Aiden likes more than men with guns... Well, maybe cake... But, then again, cake didn't give him sex so maybe men with guns still ranked higher.

"Michael," Aiden tried out the name, rolling it around in his mouth before deciding it did indeed fit the man before him. "Nice, it's a pleasure to meet you Michael. I'm Aiden." He blushed, darkly, realizing he'd introduced himself twice. The feeling of familiarity coming off the man was throwing him off- under normal circumstances he would have never made such an idiot out of himself. However, with the angels outside trying to slaughter him with a vengeance he'd only seen in Hell Hounds before and now the three startling clean souls in this building- the baby, the younger brunette man behind the counter, and now this guy too- plus, to top it all off, he was running high on angel energy from the two or three bites he'd snatched while trying to get in here. It didn't make for the smoothest combination. He smiled nervously and held out his hand.

There was an internal war happening inside the fallen angel. On the one hand, this was good, Aiden didn't remember him- the man had no idea he was the angel who'd pulled him from Hell and returned him to Earth, he had no idea Michael was the 'enemy' as it were. On the other hand, Aiden didn't remember him, which was more annoying and hurtful than it should have been- he'd left his damned mark on the man's soul for Father's sake! You'd think someone who could sense souls the way Aiden could, could also sense when they were in the presence of their savior. Either side had a different angle on whether or not he should take the man's hand. The side that thought it good said he should try and make sure Aiden didn't recognize him; he didn't know what the man was capable of anymore, it had been too long since he'd last watched over him and it was clear Aiden had grown more than he'd thought the young man would, without a little more knowledge on the man it could be dangerous to reveal himself just yet. The other side- the one that was hurt- wanted nothing more than to wrap the man up as tight as he could and whisper all the little things he knew about Aiden until the shorter male recognized him.

That side won out. He took Aiden's hand.

An electrical spark jolted between them and Aiden pulled back, pressing up against the panel he'd come through in an attempt to put as much distance between him and the creature he now recognized as an angel. In his fear-addled state his power lashed out on instinct, pushing Michael back so that he tripped over the table and then pulling him up to throw him against the stove on the other side of the counter. As the tendrils of his magic pulled back, ready to lash out again if necessary, he felt his wings flare out a warning, expanding up behind him to make the angel think twice about attacking him.

Michael felt so proud as he pulled himself up off the diner's floor. Five years ago, Aiden hadn't even been able to fight against Michael as he'd pulled him from Hell and now... this. The Antichrist was even attempting to threaten him; baring his sharp canines and other teeth in a feral snarl and expanding his wings up above his head like a blackbird on strike. The fallen angel stared up at the man's wings; black and leathery though they were he felt they were perhaps the most beautiful he'd seen yet. Even in all of Heaven you could only find solid colored wings, of course angels could have blue or red or purple wings but they were solidly colored, not like Aiden's; his wings were gradient and streaked with blue, spotted with small dots of silver and looked very much like the night sky just outside the diner- the darkness blooming above the fading sun. Michael was awed.

"What the Hell are you?" Bob demanded, raising his own gun as six more joined in. Each member of the diner save for the angel on the floor and Jeep pointed a gun of some kind at the monstrosity lurking in their midst.

After he'd taken Michael's hand the kid had freaked out. The entirety of his eyes flicked black and those strange tendrils of black smoke had thrown the fallen angel back. Pressing himself up against the wall, the portal of black light returned, standing before him in a semi-transparent pulsating barricade of dark energy. Even as the blonde had pulled himself up, Aiden had bared his teeth- revealing two pairs of vampire-sharp teeth; one set on bottom and another above those, and had raised a set of blue and black bat wings, stretching them out so that they framed his upper torso and head in an act of intimidation. It worked against the humans; they were intimidated.

"He's the Antichrist." Michael answered for him. Even though he received such a hateful, disgusted stare, he couldn't help it; that intense butterfly feeling was back again and he wanted to share it with the humans. "He's come to protect the Messiah."

No one moved.

Aiden looked at Jeep, scrutinizing the brunette with careful consideration.

"What?" Charlie asked, hand falling to lay flat on her swollen stomach.

"The Messiah," Michael coughed, standing up straight. He winced as the bruising set in along his side. "The child you carry."

Aiden quickly looked over to the pregnant woman, scrutinizing the child inside of her with careful consideration.

"What?"

"Messiah-reincarnate?" Aiden asked the wings on his back dropping a bit as he stared at the womb. A scowl crossed over his face and he cursed. "Of course you are." He said to the child. To Charlie, he then directed his attention. "What a dumb place to have a baby!" The Antichrist remarked. Charlie bristled and gave him a soul-eating glare of death. After giving back an equally frightening half-snarl, he turned his attention to the most dangerous being in the room. "Then what the Hell are you doing here angel?" There was no sweetness in that title, only a burning anger that made everyone flinch.

"I am here to protect it as well." Michael said simply, jumping back over the counter.

"An angel protecting humanity?" Aidan asked, incredulous in his question. "Oh sure and I'm the patron saint Joan of Arc."

A flash of anger went through the fallen angel, made all the more acute by the fact that Aiden's powers still curled around the room, sensitizing everything. "No, you're just the son of loveless whore and a monster." Michael snapped. "Yet, here you stand too, ready to fight for this child's life."

"Watch your mouth," Aidan snarled, wings flaring a bit. It confused the Antichrist when Michael's own wings did not snap out in retaliation. Every angel, no matter how low of status, refused to be intimidated by a half-breed; they had naturally spread their own wings out to try and out-class him with their own size and coloring. Yet, Michael didn't even bother... Something was wrong here, very wrong. "Where are your wings?"

"Gone," Michael replied slowly, shoulders tensing in memory of their removal.

"Taken gone or..." Aiden trailed off, trying to tamp down on the growing horror he could feel in the pit of his stomach. It was simply unthinkable for someone to cut their own wings off; both in Hell and- from what he knew of the other place- Heaven.

"I cut them off." The angel replied, unable to meet the other man's gaze.

It startled the humans when Aiden's wings snapped shut, pulling in tightly to hide from Michael. "Oh," The Antichrist said, blinking in surprise and understanding. "I'm sorry that was-" He fell quiet. It was rude to be flashing around his own wings when someone was missing theirs- even if that someone was an angel.

"It's fine," The fallen angel shrugged, making sure he didn't wince when his stitches pulled against the fabric of his shirt.

"How long ago?" The Antichrist questioned, tipping his head off to the side and scrutinizing the fallen angel from underneath the thick, long black lashes.

Michael fell quite, shifting his stance nervously. "A day ago, maybe less." Aiden winced, his wings pulling tighter against his back.

"Oh, sorry," They fell quite again.

Around them, the humans felt lost.

"So what's your story then?" Bob asked, not noticing the way Jeep winced.

The black eyes cut sharp and glared at the nosy human. "That's none-"

"He was dragged to Hell." Michael replied.

"Fuck, just tell the whole world why don't you?" Aiden snapped, redirecting his glare to cover the fallen angel. Michael smiled at him, one of the first smiles Charlie had seen on him since the angel had arrived. Aiden huffed in annoyance.

It was common knowledge- to him at least- that the angels had kept track of anyone of his 'descent' and, as a result, he wasn't the least bit surprised that this angel- archangel, Aiden corrected himself- had known about his history. After all, when the Messiah was born unto the world the angels had gathered close and watched, why wouldn't the same be said about the Antichrist?

"He's a demon?!" Percy gasped, quickly crossing himself.

"NO!" The two supernatural beings snapped quickly, Michael in a tone of horror and Aiden in one of insult.

"His mother was a human-"

"A whore, remember? Loveless and all that?" Aiden said sweetly, sarcasm dripping over his words as the man reminded Michael of his previous statement.

"My apologies," The angle murmured sheepishly.

"Whatever." Aiden pushed himself away from the door and sauntered around the windows, checking to make sure they were tight and frowning whenever he found the lingering touch of Michael's fading Grace on them; a little bit of angel power to make them just a bit stronger against the super humans outside. The humans followed his movements carefully.

Having been disregarded entirely by the Antichrist Michael frowned. With a sigh, he continued his tale. "Alcoholic, gambler-"

"Addict, slut," Aiden added. Grimacing, the angel nodded.

"She was an ill woman." The blonde ignored Aiden's snort. "And she was dying."

"And she made a deal." The hybrid added, glancing at them all from the corner of his eye.

"And she made a deal." Michael agreed, nodding again. He boosted himself up in order to sit on the countertop, one eye on Aiden at all times while he told the story." A demon came to her while she lay and he offered a trade; 'one soul in exchange for fifty mores years of life'.

"Rather than trade her own soul though, she traded her firstborn son's instead."

"Bitch," Bob muttered. Though the brunette didn't catch it, he earned an approving smile from Aiden.

"Ah, um, yes," Michael stumbled caught off guard by the man's coarse language. That was still something he was getting used to, in Heaven angel's never cursed but down here humans seemed to enjoy it with a ridiculous amount of pleasure. "Some would say that I suppose." Though he understands Bob's disgust, he has no ill feelings towards Aiden's mother; after all she did give birth to the stunning creature before him today. Shaking off his surprise, he continues. "She thought she could trick her way out of the deal though. She thought she could simply live her life and never have to complete the trade."

"Did it work?" Audrey asked, having settled in beside Kyle to listen. It was impressive, listening to the fallen angel tell a story. Unlike others, Michael had an almost magical way with words, his tone and expression drew you in, making you see the events he was unfolding for you rather than simply hearing about it.

"No," The blue-eyed angel shook his head. "Three years after the deal had been made, the demon returned and- upon seeing she had no child to offer him- he took it upon himself to make one. You could say he had everything figured out from the beginning."

Charlie sighed, at least the father of her child hadn't done that to her. With a glance towards the winged man, she felt a stab of pity for him.

"He raped her and returned to Hell to wait." Michael swallowed hard, just barely stopping himself from shuddering. He remembered those events very clearly, it was the first time he'd seen such horror... Though it hadn't been the last.

"To wait for what?" Percy asked.

"For the boy to reach eighteen." Aiden answered, cutting into the story with a grim expression.

The fallen angel nodded. "Yes, the demon had a plan. With the mother, the child was undoubtedly going to suffer, everyone knew it." He'd known it, he'd watched it; completely unable to assist the young boy without rebelling. It had been hard to watch Aiden be born into the hands of such a loveless leech. She fed off any joy the young hybrid experienced and had treated him like a servant- less than that even. Michael hadn't felt any love for her.

Her son, on the other hand, was a completely different story.

"He grew up, suffered greatly, and eventually came into his own." With this, Michael looked up at the young man, watching as he stiffened just slightly. "He discovered he had powers and-"

"And then dear old dad came and got me. Right Blondie?" Aiden laughed darkly, the rage on his face enough to quell any comments.

Michael fidgeted for a moment, knowing that the other man had noticed his silence and was now scrutinizing him careful. "Yes and... no." Aiden growled. "There was a mix-up," The archangel explained. "There were several souls to be collected that day, amongst them were two boys; Aiden," He nodded towards the black-haired male. "And another.

"When demons were sent out to get the two, orders got mixed up. It was thought that the second boy, the firstborn son of a wealthy business man, was the demon's son and that Aiden was... just another deal." That was the part that had always angered Michael, anyone with eyes could see Aiden was more than what he appeared to be, even when his powers had been underdeveloped and untapped. How could it be that no one had seen that mix up? Even Aiden's father hadn't noticed- still hadn't as far as Michael knew. "The boy was taken to the sire demon and..."

"I was dragged to Hell." Aiden said quietly. He was stunned. It had always been assumed that he was just being trained; tortured into becoming a super powerful demon. Certainly most of the lesser demons had known he was the son of the Master, they had lorded it over his head whilst torturing him for what had felt like years. Now, it was turning out that someone had gotten things a bit confused?

"Nobody noticed?" Jeep asked. The story was becoming familiar; the images in his head being put to words and making it real finally. The screams for help, begging and pleading, promising to be good, then followed by a righteous fury unlike any other. A brilliant white light and the beat of heavy wings; a double-edged sword and iron shattering underneath, skin glowing white-hot and burning underneath a purity that was unquestionable- and then the screaming and black eyes on blue, always followed by earth and concrete shattering and-

"The demons didn't." Michael said, then he stopped and clarified. "Demons don't ask questions, they just follow orders... A lot like angels actually." It was a joke but no one laughed, understandable considering.

"No one noticed." Audrey murmured, mostly to herself than anyone else. She clutched Kyle's arm tighter and buried her face in his shoulder.

"We noticed." Michael said, recalling the cry of excitement that ran through Heaven's corridors.

The humans around looked up at him but Michael only saw one set of eyes and they were black. "We noticed." He breathed, trying to press the truth of it into Adrian's mind. "The call went out for your removal; we all knew having the Antichrist on our side was an asset worth more than ten thousand angels. But... some of us had more personal reasons to raise you." The blue eyes burned into Aiden's mind, soft and almost... loving. Not that Aiden knew much about that emotion. The Antichrist looked away.

"I'd watched you for more than your entire life." Michael said, voice as smooth as velvet coaxing the Antichrist to look at him. "I've seen your birth and your suffering. I've seen you struggle and fight- go down hard and climb to your feet again. I've seen your first crush and your first broken heart." Aiden blinked, jawing tightening with embarrassment. "I've seen your first tooth and your first black eye." The fallen angel smiled. "I watched you when you were born and never looked away." Michael told him, admiring the way the crossbreed struggled to take the statement in and never once cracking his outer facade of calm. "I was told I wasn't allowed to intervene when the demons came to drag you to Hell." Michael sighed, angry at himself for not disobeying then, it would have saved Aiden so many years of pain.

Jeep saw that; fields of white and endless skies and a long man with immense black wings standing amongst it all, casting his gaze to earth. Though he looked battle-hard and deadly, his face was soft and kindly; a loving smile painted across his strong face. And below, looking up to the rain and the stars was a child with hair so dark that the night was jealous and eyes the color of a San Francisco fog in spring. The cry of anguish and distraught as screams echoed across the plain; blue eyes watched with frozen horror as the boy- older this time- was gripped by clawed hands and teeth and dragged, kicking and screaming, into the crack of Hell. Arguing, anger, fierce protectiveness surfacing to build frustration and anguish, until the inability to even raise a finger crushes him and sends him spiraling into despair.

Aiden, on the other hand, was in a mix of awed and suspicious; if what Michael was saying was true then... Then the angel had at least tried to go after him, which was more than his mother had ever done. Even now he could see Laura standing in the kitchen ignoring his pleas for her to stop this, for her to do something to save him; she turned away and shrugged only wincing when he began screaming for help as the Hell Hounds sunk its teeth in his shoulder. She hadn't cared. No ever had. So why then would this angel care? He'd met a few angels after he'd been dragged back to Earth; none of them had been very nice nor caring. Why then was this one different? Why did Michael care when no one had before? The dark-eyed man wasn't sure if it was a trick or not.

"When they called for an angel to raise you, I volunteered." Actually, he'd knocked out the front teeth of the angel who'd cried out first. No one had questioned him after the healers had been forced to carry the wounded angel away on a gurney. They simply stepped aside, made sure not to his meet his gaze, and pointedly kept their hands down. Only Gabriel had looked at him and it had been nothing more than an amused, half-smile that let the older archangel know his taller brother knew why he was volunteering. It had made Michael embarrassed and giddy at the same time. "I gripped you tight and raised you from Hell." And he'd been so surprised when he'd looked down at the being in his arms and had seen a pair of completely jet black eyes looking back at him. After almost forty Hell years of being tortured Aiden had been demon enough to startle- and perhaps frighten- the archangel but it had been his soul that had taken Michael's breath away. Even with wings as dark as the night, the blue of his soul had matched the gradient coloring of his streaked wings; a gentle blue.

Jeep blinked and: The scene shifted and one man amongst thousands- one angel amongst so many Jeep now recognized- a defiant, determined gaze and the echoes of screaming still burning within his mind. The man; breaking past a furion* of demons and gripping a scorched, blackened soul in his hand. Warm, sun kissed skin protectively clutching at pale, tattered flesh. The beat of immense wings and the crack of earth shattering, then-

"I rebuilt your body and healed your soul, by dawn the next morning you were back on Earth." He watched Aiden stop and frown, wrinkles creasing the delicate brow and making Michael want to kiss them away. The angel had wanted to do that a lot since he fell; follow the urges that seemed to require all mental capacity in a way that angels never felt.

There were hands running over pale, naked skin; gentle and honest, worshipping every inch of the flesh they touched and more to follow. Pictured was the curve of a smile, soft and warm, but the hesitation of honesty and purity followed by the surrender and sin. A mouth following along scars and blessing each molecule of being, a silent pray of thanks and a gust of breath, short and choppy. Fingers combing through ebony hair and across a canvas of black and azure, recalling each individual fleck of silver and each powerful strand of muscle. The blue orbs were grazing over everything and pride and possession warred with each other, creating a sting. Possession won and-

"You... raised me?" Aiden asked, the tone of one wanting to understand evident in his voice.

"I did." The blonde nodded, fixing his blue eyes once more to black.

The dark brows creased again and a look of anger crossed the Antichrist's face. "Are you responsible for that feather imbedded in my skin?" He demanded.

Careful hand combed through long, sharp, metallic-like feathers until one was plucked from the massive wing. It was smoothed across the pale skin and pressed inward. Demonic presence burned from the touch of purity and pulled away from it; skin separated in an attempted to flee and the feather sunk in, partly smoldering itself. Fingers pressed it deeper, smoothing out the curling fibers and imbedding it against bone. As the hands retreated skin came together again over the feather; a dark stain of black flowing vertically along the spin. A mark of ownership, a claim, a-

Michael flushed red. He'd forgotten about that. Unfortunately, the fallen archangel had always had a nasty habit of signing his work and Aiden's body was something he'd been rather proud of. He'd rebuilt each atom of the Antichrist; gently remaking him from a mind that had memorized each scar and freckle. When he had finished, Michael had fallen in love all over again, knowing Aiden's body more intimately than any other ever could. Rather than leaving the usual Angelic Script initial 'M' carved into a bone though, he'd put something far more valuable inside Aiden, somewhere everyone could see it and know that the boy was under Michael's protection. Plucking a single black secondary from his wing he'd inlaid it into the flesh so that it ran, quill to tip, down along Aiden's spine; just like it would in his own wing. It had felt like he'd been giving a piece of himself to the human but, now that he thought about it, Aiden probably saw as a sign of ownership.

Michael flinched. "Ah, um, yes." The angry look got angrier and Aiden took several threatening steps towards the angel, stopped only by Charlie's soft hand on his chest, gently pushing him backwards. Even as Aiden glanced down at the woman, gaze softening to a slow broil, Michael tensed. No doubt, had he still had his wings they would have bristled territorially.

As the crossbreed settled down, calmed by Charlie's gentle round face and womanly charms, Michael growled low; deeply unsettled by the way the blonde human handled the Antichrist. He didn't raise the damned man just so he could stolen away by a doe-eyed human with no sense of preservation or control. If this were Heaven he would have simply challenged her to a match, proving his worth to Aiden over a battle. This wasn't Heaven however; instead he would have to recall a thousand years of watching mating rituals in order to compete properly. It was a good thing he had a very good memory.

As blue eyes narrowed at the two, Jeep watched Michael rolled his shoulders, looking like a predator about to strike, and he chewed his bottom lip, wondering about the motives of the fallen angel and if they would still apply to Charlie's safety after this. It was clear that the busty blonde woman found Aiden attractive; in a way Jeep kind of understood it, the guy had the whole bad-boy angle going for him, but there was also something... truly dangerous about him that made up for the skinniness and sharp features. However, by the Michael was looking at him as well, Jeep figured his visions of two wings entangling weren't so far off. The angel definitely liked the raven-haired man.

Dark eyes flickered back up to the fallen angel, anger still making them gleam but nowhere near as wickedly as before. "So," The crossbreed drawled, playing it off as merely curious when, in fact, he was furious. "The feather?"

"It's a signature." Michael admitted. He watched the other male closely, noticing that the eyes widened minutely and surprise was added to the anger. "A seal of protection stating that you are under my watch and mine alone." He sighed. "I would have explained this all to you the day I brought you back."

"Then why didn't you?" Aiden started. He wanted to demand why it had taken five years for him to meet the angel that had 'saved' him, why such protection hadn't been offered when he'd needed it most- like these last couple of hours for example- and why now was Michael showing interest in him?

"God lost faith." The humans already knew about this but it appeared to be news to Aiden. "He commanded that humans be exterminated so He could start again. Suddenly, we weren't preparing to fight demons anymore; we were preparing to fight the humans.

"You weren't needed." Michael explained. "Against demons you would have been invaluable but the others thought you might be too connected with humans; that rather than assisting you would sabotage. I was forced to return to Heaven to help prepare. And..." The fallen angel frowns. "I was unable to even watch you; things were rather hectic there. In truth, I didn't even know where you were or... or if you were still alive until today." He looks away in shame.

Aiden isn't sure what to believe. The pale man has been tricked enough times to know that Michael could just be suckering him but... he's not sure what the end game could be. The angel knows he's not going to trust him; everyone seems to know that demons don't trust easily. He clearly knows enough about Aiden to know that the shorter man isn't easily impressed by the angel's supposed role in his rising...

At the same time though, the feather in his back is burning pleasantly and he's getting feelings of longing and familiarity from it where it usually produces uncertainty and, more recently, sadness and distrust. Every angel he'd met up until now had made that part of him- and no matter where that feather came from he does consider it a part of him- nervous and sad, occasionally tingling with disgust and suspicion. Whatever had happened in Heaven, whatever reason Michael had for cutting off his own wings had left a lasting impression that was still drifting along familiar body parts- and Aiden shudders when he thinks about how Michael has left a body part inside him, it sounds so wrong and weird. It's still sending out ghost feelings that Aiden's picking up on- whether Michael knows about that or not. And right now it's telling him Michael is truthful and familiar and he belongs with him; that last part he knows is the feather talking so he won't even acknowledge that particular feeling.

He steps by Charlie, making sure his moves are carefully measured so that the humans know he means no ill-intent against their fallen savior. Cautiously, he reaches out, clasping the archangel on the shoulder and drawing the blue gaze up to his eyes. Michael searches his dark orbs for something Aiden's not sure he'll find but he tries to muster sincerity up for the guy anyways.

"Thank you," The crossbreed murmurs softly. "For pulling me out of Hell and... for whatever else you've done for me." It's not the greatest 'thank you' in the world nor is it the most ideal but Michael takes it anyways because it comes from the depths of Aiden's heart- however black and corrupted it may or may not be. And when he smiles at the fallen angel Michael swears he can see God behind it it's so beautiful.

The fallen angel smiles, broadly and happily and in a way that no one but Gabriel has ever seen him do. He knows it looks ridiculous on him but he can't help but grin; the butterflies are back in full force and the dark energy surrounding Aiden is curling towards him, gently running over what's left of his own Grace in a friendly intent- he doesn't think the Antichrist even realizes he's doing it it's so gentle.

Jeep blushes and ducks his head; trying to bury the romantic side in him that wanted to giggle like a maniac. Michael is in love, it's all written across the archangel's face as he stares love struck at the crossbreed. As Aiden drops his hand and shies away from the angel, Jeep can tell the crossbreed is feeling something... similar- it might be lust at this point but, by the way the dark eyes dart anywhere but towards Michael and the way a light tint takes over the man's face, he suspects it's something a little deeper. Unfortunately, he doesn't think the dark-haired man even knows what he's feeling, let alone how he's going to have to deal with it. And despite the predicament they're all in Jeep can't help but find the silver lining at last; now he can work on his matchmaking skills. He didn't have the chance to pair up Audrey and Kyle as they'd already seemed to gravitate towards each other but now at least he has someone else to focus on. With a small, sly grin he starts plotting because this, this is something he is good at.

"So, what's your favorite part about being human?" Aiden asks, settling in next Michael, on the blonde man's right. The angel smiles, enjoying the chainsaw-type subtly the fellow supernatural being expressed. At least the question was easy.

"Freedom," He answered smoothly. "In Heaven, we are expected to follow the Father's plan without doubt or hesitation. Humans do not; they may live their life the way they see fit- they don't even have to believe in Him!" Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Aiden's smile.

"And your least favorite part?" The winged man asked.

Michael had to think about it before he answered. While there were a few things he disliked about being human- namely the loss of his wings- there was only one in particular that really got under his skin, making him itch in a way he wasn't sure how to satisfy. "... The urges." He says quietly.

Aiden tips his head at the angel, giving him a sidelong look of confusion. With a sigh, the blonde elaborates. "The... more basic instincts." He says mysteriously, looking away from the crossbreed when he feels a flush start spreading across his cheeks. "The emotions that wring you into wanting to do things you have no idea how to do."

Dark eyes widen minutely and he feels the crossbreed shift away from him. Mentally cursing himself, he feels his blush darken considerably and is sure the other man has caught on. "Oh?" Aiden asks. There's a lilt in his voice that Michael's never heard before, it sounds like a cross between amusement and hoarseness but he's not sure. "What are your symptoms exactly? Perhaps I can help."

He's never thought of that before now but it would make sense. Surely the cause of the symptoms would be able to cure them. The angel perks up a bit. "Anger and it's usually followed by this intense urge to punch something... sometimes someone." He states, amusing the black haired man with the exactness of his statement; as if he had spent some time trying to understand it.

"Punch 'em." Aiden shrugs. "Or take a deep breath and walk away, or take a deep breath, walk away, and find someone you can really talk to about the problem. I usually punch them though, talking about it is a load of bull."

Michael nods. He'll probably follow the second or third choice because it's often with Aiden that he feels that kind of anger- though Charlie follows close second because of her irritating behavior towards the crossbreed- and he feels it would send the wrong sort of message to the other man if he did punch him. They move on. "I suppose one could be described as desperation but sometimes I feel that it's all too much; that it would be better to just surrender rather than fight- that maybe Father was right after all and I'm just being a fool."

Aiden sobers quickly, understanding very well that feeling from experience. "Yeah, I'd go with option three if that's the case. Sometimes you just need someone to cheer you up when you're down- or get you drunk, either one kind of works." Michael nods in understanding, content with the answer. "Any others?"

"Sometimes there are hot flashes, occasionally followed by the feeling of intense longing and desire." Michael described. "The sensation that my skin is tightening and that my whole body is becoming too sensitive." He felt Aiden straighten next to him, shifting nervously as he continued. "Need for contact coming close to overruling embarrassment." The angel shook his head in exasperation.

"That's-" The pale man swallowed hard. "That's a pretty good description of that one actually. Good job." Michael smiled at the younger. "Um, heh," Aiden rubbed the back of his neck, trying to form a response while the blonde waited patiently. "I would- just, just go with your gut on that one. Next time it happens just... roll with it I suppose."

The shorter man excused himself, leaving the angel alone to consider his reply.

After Michael threw Aiden the window of the diner, Bob had taken over the job of patching up the crossbreed. In his defense, the angel had been trying to save him from one of the angel-possessed humans they were killing. Aiden had run out of bullets and was slicing out the throat of one possessed man when another had charged him from his left side. Michael had reached out, grabbed the shorter man's collar and pulled him back out of harm's way. Unfortunately, even without his wings, Michael maintained the strength of an archangel and his 'little' tug had sent Aiden flying back through the glass window and wooden panel behind him.

The humans had been extremely grateful for Aiden's powers as Michael was next to useless for anything that required magic- actually, to be completely honest, he was completely useless. The hybrid had managed to repair the wooden panel and fix it back over the open window but he'd required first aid for the several shards of glass sticking from his back. Since Bob was essentially the closest they could get to a nurse, he'd elected to help the man out and they'd retreated to the bathroom, Aiden muttering under his breath the entire way.

Not more than three minutes later Bob had come out grumpy and irritated beyond belief. The gruff brunette had shoved the first aid kit into Michael's hands and pointed to the bathroom door.

"You help him!" The older man snapped angrily, huffing out a breath and running a hand through his hair. "He complains more than Charlie does!" The man exclaimed. The woman in question gave him a nasty glare.

Michael went.

Now, Michael paid close attention to his gut as he felt the symptoms of lust building up yet again. Even though Aiden was bitching at him about the shards of glass sticking out of his back and the stitches he was going to need when they'd managed to pull them all out Michael was severely distracted from it. It was hard to concentrate when he had Aiden sprawled against the bathroom sink, legs spread apart wider than they needed to be- not that Michael was complaining of course- and a mile of shirtless skin to explore. Granted, the shards of glass and wide open wounds were unsightly, but he found his libido could ignore most of that.

At the moment, his gut wasn't saying much, unless the fluttering in it was supposed to mean something, so Michael decided it must have been an expression. Aiden must have meant the other part of his anatomy that was currently talking- that part was telling him to finish stripping the crossbreed naked and bury himself in that sweet ass.

He yanked out another piece of glass, carelessly tossing it in the vague direction of the garbage can while dazedly watching the way Aiden yelped, arching up and gripping the edge of the sink in a white-knuckled hold. Under the blue gaze the crossbreed settled again, going back to whining even as he gulped in another breath, trying to calm down while waiting for Michael to rip out another piece of the accursed glass.

Another three pieces and the angel isn't sure if he was going to make it through the treatment. Every time Aiden arched up, his wings would stretch out and his ass would rise, almost brushing against the bulge in the angel's jeans. It wouldn't take much effort to lean forward, press himself up against the black-haired man and nip at the base of those beautiful wings. Not much effort at all. And he hadn't even made it to the part where he would have to actually sew the wounds closed; that would require touching the younger man and, at this rate, Michael wouldn't even get as far as the first set of stitches.

"Fuck!" Aiden cursed, arching again as Michael pulled out the last of the noticeable shards. By now, the whole plane of visible skin was trembling and the man seemed paler than usual- something the angel wanted to correct so badly by decorating his skin with the flush of exertion and bite marks.

Michael took a deep breath, counting to ten before opening his eyes again and refocusing on the task. A sudden realization made the calm fly from his grasp again.

In order to check for any smaller, less noticeable shards he was going to have to run his hands along the other man's body. Michael bit down on the whimper that wanted to escape, clenching his teeth tightly.

He could do this, he was Aiden's friend and, as such, it would be disrespectful for him to take advantage of the smaller man in his dazed, pained state. He would help his friend out and then leave as fast as he could- possibly at a run- so he could hide out on the roof until it passed. As an angel, he had curbed such feelings before; surely he could curb them now even though he was a man.

Straightening his shoulders, Michael's face took on the look of a man going to war. He settled into the fact that he was going to have to do this and that he could do this without ravaging Aiden even a little bit. He was an angel, he could control his urges. He could do this.

Closing his eyes, Michael settled his hands at the base of the crossbreed's hips, tamping down the immediate thought to pull Aiden back against him or rock forward into the other man. He was an angel, he could do this. He ran his hands upwards slowly.

"Fuck!" Aiden whimpered, trembling underneath Michael's hands when the other man's fingers ran across one of the wounds. "Be careful you fucking ass!" The Antichrist bitched. "I can't believe you tossed me through a fucking-"

Nope. He couldn't do it. He wasn't an angel, he was a man. He had urges.

Michael's eyes snapped open as he spun the crossbreed around, looping his arms around the startled man's waist and pulling him close. He kissed him hard, lifting a hand to thread it through the shoulder-length black hair so Aiden couldn't possibly escape. His fingers ran through the strands, tangling in them and pulling gently.

Aiden went rigid in his arms and the air crackled violently as his energy went haywire, the mirror behind him shattering violently and sending its shards sparking into the walls on either side of them. Michael tilted his head, yanking sharply on some of the hair to make the paler man gasp. When he did the angel slipped his tongue inside, exploring the wet heat with a vigor he'd never felt before.

Whether it was old angelic dominance rearing up inside him or a new humanistic urge flooding up Michael decided that after all the firsts he'd seen Aiden go through he was going to do his damndest to make sure he was the Antichrist's 'first'. He yanked the younger man to the side; spinning them both around until he could pin him to the wall next to the sink, barely missing the several reflective shards of glass that protruded from the wall.

When his wings hit the cold tile and flushed out, brushing away the shards and pressing painfully against the stained white porcelain, Aiden stirred. Then he came alive.

His arms threaded around Michael's neck, one hand coming up to draw the angel's head closer and the other gripping a hold of the dark grey t-shirt, holding the larger man there while he sucked on his tongue. The moan he produced was the most beautiful noise the blonde had ever heard and it went straight down his body, making him shudder appreciatively. Nails dug half-moon shapes into his shoulder and neck but the angel couldn't find it in himself to care, not when Aiden was arching up into him like a desperate man. The roll of pleasure coursed through him and Michael embraced it wholeheartedly. As such, the burn of oxygen-deprivation made him snarl in anger; as an angel he would have never had to pull back for a breath and now, as a man, it proved to be a damnable weakness.

Pulling back he sucked in a breath and opened his eyes. Aiden's lips were bruised and swollen from the ferocity of the kiss and his hair looked ten shades of disheveled. The dark, near-black eyes were glazed and unfocused but they kept intently locked onto the angel's own, drawing the other man in. The delicious sexed look the younger man exuded was only made that much sweeter by the sight of his wings splayed out behind him, fully extended and flattened with acquiescent intent. As far as wings went it was a sign that Aiden was essentially ready to submit entirely to the older man.

Michael didn't ask for further permission. He pushed in again, lifting up the smaller man until he felt those long legs wrap around his waist, locking behind his back with the heels digging into his spine. The blonde kissed him again, finding that Aiden opened his mouth automatically, tongue snaking out to find Michael's and tangling with it excitedly. The new position pressed them closer together, the pressure creating a burn against Michael's member that was both pleasurable and painful. Every moan and whimper was swallowed as Michael pressed closer, rocking against the other man in an attempt to relieve the pressure behind his zipper but it only made it worse. His hands dropped to the hybrid's waist, fingers digging hard enough to leave bruises along the pale flesh.

The tight jeans stopped his fingers from going further and Michael growled in frustration. Without waiting for Aiden to catch up to his own line of thinking he pulled back, ripping at the buckle and zipper unsteadily. With a shaky laugh, Aiden reached down to help him.

The pounding on the door made them both freeze. Michael blinked, coming back to the reality that they were in the bathroom of a diner during the end of the world with a few scraggly survivors waiting just outside that embarrassingly thin door, one of which was pregnant with humanities last hope.

"You guys almost done?" Audrey called through the door. Even though her voice showed no sign that the young teenage girl knew what they were doing both men's eyes widened. "Is he stitched up yet?" She asked when no one replied to the first question.

Michael cursed softly, making Aiden quirk his lips in an amused smirk. "Almost," He called back, hoping his voice didn't sound as shaky and hoarse as he thought it did. Dropping his forehead down onto the crossbreed's shoulder, the angel groaned softly.

They heard her heels click away and Michael groaned again. Softly, Aiden's fingers carded through the short hair, the dark-eyed man leaning up to nip at the angel's ear. "If you hurry up we can be done in ten minutes."

He had half a mind to agree. "Your injuries-"

"Fuck them," Aiden murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of Michael's mouth. His hands found their way under the blonde's grey shirt and they yanked it up. "I've been through worse, I'll live." His hips shifted upward and the angel's erection kicked back to life against the firmness pressing against it. "Now come on!" The long-fingered hands yanked up on the angel's t-shirt again, this time pulling it from his body with little to no resignation from the participating party. He dropped the offending item and let it join his own black one on the floor beside them.

Michael complied, reaching down to finish unzipping the skin tight jeans. Helpfully, Aiden slipped his hands further down, undoing the angel's own jeans with somewhat shaky hands. Reaching inside the long fingers ghosted against his erection and all air left the blonde's lungs. He caught hold of Aiden's lips again and pressed himself against the hands as the fingers pressed downwards, stroking along his shaft as far as they could. He bit down on the hybrid's bottom lip before he could curse again.

When he was able to conduct a semi-connected thought, Michael pulled back once more and went back to work on the infernal jeans that separated him from Aiden. With a snarl of triumph he finally popped loose the top button and yanked down the zipper. He didn't bother dipping his fingers inside and instead slipped the pants down past Aiden's hips until the Antichrist was free of them. Aiden blushed a scarlet color as his cock sprung free of the material. Like the man himself it was long and thinner than Michael's, rigid and flushed a red to match the color staining the pale man's cheeks it was swollen at the tip and already leaked precum. Michael grinned triumphantly, rather pleased by the result of his efforts.

In retaliation for his sudden nudity, Aiden pushed down on Michael's own jeans, sending them and the angel's boxer down to bottom of his hips and finally pulling the cock free from its confines. Larger and longer than his own, it matched Michael's darker skin and filled the whole of Aiden's hand until only his middle finger and thumb were touching- and even then he had to squeeze just slightly to make them meet.

There was little else Aiden had felt so sure about in his entire life but, at that moment, with his hand wrapped around the middle of Michael's cock he felt one hundred percent certain of one thing. He wanted the angel inside of him and he wanted it now. He felt his wings shudder and come forward, curling ahead to where- had he still been an angel- Michael's own would have met them.

Despite the sting of missing his own wings, Michael watched the gorgeous leather wings curl towards him, coaxing him in a show of want and need. Had either of them been an angel it would have been a sign of partnership, curling down to touch the sensitive wings of another angel. Despite the distinct species difference, he didn't doubt for a moment that the movement of Aiden's wings meant the same thing.

With a wicked grin, he pressed the hybrid back into the wall, trapping him tightly between the cold surface and the hard lines of Michael's body. Capturing the other's swollen lips again Michael trailed a loose fist up the man's member, enjoying the stuttered moan coming from underneath his mouth and the shudder that raced up Aiden's body. In return, he felt the crossbreed squeeze his own member, tugging on it gently to lead the angel closer to where Aiden really wanted it buried.

He lifted a hand, pressing down on the handle of the soap dispenser that stood on the wall just above the sink, next to the mirror. The substance coated his fingers, spreading out in a cold gel across most of his hand. Michael moved to press a finger at Aiden's entrance, feeling the younger man pull back and suck in a breath. He pressed the digit inside, leaning against the pale forehead.

"Two," Aiden demanded, eyes closing as he worked hard not to tense underneath Michael's hands. The angel complied, slipping another digit inside the willing man's body. He worked to scissor open his partner, stretching and curling his fingers against Aiden's walls. He pressed down in one spot and felt the hybrid tremble violently, the younger man moaning a little more loudly than he was supposed to if they didn't want to be caught. It made the angel grin and press a chaste kiss to the side of the black-haired male's mouth.

Aiden himself was having trouble imagining how it was going to feel when Michael actually slipped inside him. Well, to be honest he was having trouble imagining how the next three seconds were going to go with those fingers curling and twisting inside him. Sure, it was painful but Aiden had never really been bothered by pain, a few months in Hell could do that to anyone. Rather than focus on that alone though, the paler man focused on the way both pain and pleasure mixed together inside of him, making him moan. Michael found that spot inside of him again, curling his fingers into and making Aiden arch beneath him. The black-haired man tipped his head back, panting heavily as he shuddered in the angel's arms.

"Fuck!" The tips of Aiden's wings brushed over Michael's shoulders, making the blonde look up at them. The fallen angel grinned at the sight of the blue and black wings shivering with pleasure and arching up to meet Michael's body as much as they could. The way the tips twitched, crooking ever so slightly in time with Michael's fingers made the blood rush from his head. There wasn't anything like another's wings that got angels hot and bothered as much.

Pulling his fingers from the crossbreed he dispensed more hand soap, lubricating his cock liberally before he pulled Aiden close again, lining up his erection with the man's entrance.

"Breath," He murmured, voice hoarse from panting and laced with an edge of lust that wouldn't escape. Aiden obeyed, immediately taking in a large gulp of air just as Michael pushed upwards. He's still not sure who shuddered more just then; himself as he was finally entering that almost painfully tight heat, Aiden who was only stopped from crying out because Michael kissed him again, or Aiden's wings as they flared back to fold flush against the wall again.

It was a bit awkward, having sex in the bathroom of a diner at the end of the world with your pants essentially 'round your ankles. It certainly wasn't what Michael had in mind when he'd concocted scenarios of ravaging the younger male. For the moment however Michael didn't really care where he got to fuck the hybrid's brains out just as long as he got to do it. Besides, the effect was the same either way; Aiden struggling to keep up with Michael's faster paced thrusting and having an even harder time keeping quiet. With the way things were heading the whole diner- and maybe the surrounding area- would know what they were doing soon enough. Michael silenced him again with a kiss, slipping his tongue inside the younger man's open mouth. Even as he did so, he reached around behind the moaning man and gave him another reason to scream.

He gripped the base of Aiden's right wing, squeezing and massaging the sensitive appendage as he used his other hand to keep them both upright. With all the twisting his counterpart was doing it was a miracle they were still upright at all. As proof of the matter the head of Michael's cock pressed up against the other's sweet spot violently. Not only did Aiden nearly shriek in pleasure but he arched away from the wall, hands scrabbling to grip tightly at the angel's shoulders, wings twitching spastically from the onslaught of pleasure coursing through the paler man.

The electrifying sense settled over Michael as he thrust up into the short male, his orgasm building like a wave. Though Aiden beat him to it by a few seconds, the smaller man's cum spurting out over Michael's chest in thick streams of white, the sensation of his orgasm forcing him to clamp tightly around the angel's member made the older one finally come. Even as Aiden shuddered, whimpering as Michael used his over-sensitized body for release, the fallen angel pulled out almost to the tip, groaning as he painted the dark-eyed male's insides with his own cum before snapping his hips forward and pressing back in one last time. The sensation made his winged counterpart moan happily, wings stretching out once more as they reached for Michael's own.

Panting, the blonde angel slipped free, pressing soft, satisfied kisses to the side of Aiden's face and mouth he slowly lowered the other man to the ground. The crossbreed looked up at him, a lazy, slow grin painting his face as he gulped in breaths. It made Michael smile.

Someone banged on the door again. "Come on! I have to pee!" Audrey called, irritation lacing her voice like cyanide. With a roll of his eyes Aiden reached for the paper towels, pulling out several and using them to wipe away the mess covering the angel's stomach.

They tucked themselves in and retrieved their shirts, pulling them over their heads just as Audrey pounded on the door again. A quick glance towards the crossbreed and Michael packed away all the first aid kit's unused supplies. Hopefully, no one would notice that they hadn't exactly completed the job yet.

As Aiden slipped out past the brunette girl, Michael caught the wide, satisfied grin the hybrid wore and decided to Hell with it, he could care less about what the humans thought about them. The only he really cared about was Charlie and it wasn't her opinion he was worried about.

Still, the sharp, smiling look Jeep sent him made him flush to the roots of his hair. It was clear the youngest Hanson knew exactly what they'd been up to in the bathroom and, most remarkably, seemed to gleefully approve the latest romantic addition to their little apocalyptic troupe.

"Go," Michael commanded, his voice leaving no room for disagreement.

There were two parts to Aiden just then. One of which wanted to stay and argue against the fallen angel's plan; to make up some excuse to stay and fight alongside the blonde. And the other that understood it because that's what Aiden would have done. If he'd been the most powerful being in the room then he certainly would have sent the others away, got them to leave so he could delay- and possibly stop- Gabriel. The problem now was, even though he was powerful in his own right, he'd never trained in battle the way Michael had. What he knew was what had been self-learned over the last couple of days.

And both he and Michael knew that Gabriel wasn't the only angel who would jump at the chance to obey God. They both knew there were more angels waiting in Heaven- not as powerful as Gabriel of course, but just as deadly. While Jeep could possibly fight them off, it would only be a matter of time before the human slipped and something fatal happened. With that in mind, the Antichrist nodded. If push came to shove, it would be better for everyone if Aiden stayed with the baby, protecting it with his own life if necessary.

"You will come find us when it's over." The Antichrist demanded, not leaving the other supernatural creature with any other option.

Michael gave him a sad smile but nodded anyways. It was the first time an angel had lied.

Swallowing hard, Aiden turned, grabbing Jeep by the back of the brunette's shirt and shoving him mindlessly towards the side door. "Go," He commanded quietly, forcing himself to focus on the task at hand.

The fallen angel turned back to his brother, watching as the winged archangel finally extracted himself from the wall and turned to him. The disgusted look Gabriel gave him put his teeth on edge.

"You bred with the Halfling?" The black-haired angel asked, disgust lacing his voice. "And here I thought you couldn't fall any further Michael." Gabriel shook his head, raising his mace.

Blue eyes narrowed, anger flashing dangerously through them as Michael raised the gun. "His name is Aiden."

"Of course it is." Gabriel agreed, shaking his head. "He's the Antichrist isn't he?" The winged man swung, narrowly missing his fallen brother.

Michael dropped and rolled to one side, bringing his gun up to fire at the brown-eyed angel. Gabriel's wings came up to protect him from the bullets, the metallic nature of his feathers making them ricochet off. "He is," The blonde said, nodding.

"Well," The taller angel swung his mace again, glaring just slightly as the older angel leaped back to avoid his weapon. Taking the opportunity to attack, he rushed forward and caught his brother across the face with a backhanded fist. "What is he doing protecting the Messiah?" The angel asked, confusion lacing his voice even as Michael retaliated and punched back, following the hit with a sharp kick to Gabriel's gut that forced him back a few steps.

"He-" The blonde ducks again, darting to the side to escape that truly awful mace the black-haired man wielded. "He has a fondness for humanity." Michael finished, pulling the trigger on his rifle and firing back at the other angel.

Gabriel stooped, folding his wings before him to block out the spray of bullets Michael directed at him. "Just like you no doubt." The angel spat viciously, rearing up in anger when the ominous click of the trigger signaled its emptiness.

Michael glared at him. "My love for humanity doesn't make me wrong Gabriel." He said in a steely tone. "Father has no right to wipe them out like this."

"He has still ordered it, Michael." The other angel sighed, shaking his head at the argument they've had a thousand times. "We are born to do as He says."

"It's not the only way though," The fallen angel replied, his voice and gaze softening. Gabriel sighed; he'd hoped to wring some kind of sense into his brother's head before it was too late for their Father's forgiveness. Unfortunately, it seemed as though Michael was dead set on his false mission to save humanity.

With a heavy heart, Gabriel gripped his mace tighter. "This is the only way." He tried not to look at the pained expression his fallen brother gave him.

They moved forward into battle.

"You wanted to live like one of them." Gabriel said, watching the light fade from Michael's blue eyes. "Now you will die like one of them." A tear trailed down his cheek as Michael breathed out one last time. Dissipating into pale blue sparks of Grace, the older angel's body vanished. Alone, Gabriel stood as the only angel in the diner, heart aching with loss and sadness.

Out across the desert expanse, in a stolen police cruiser someone screams.

Jeep nearly jerks the car off the road when Aiden screams. Glancing up at the rear view mirror, he sees that large sparks of blue are pulling out of the Antichrist's back.

Aiden screams, arching away from the pain and agony that's ripping along his spine. It feels as though something has exploded underneath his skin and is now trying to force its way out. Beside him, Audrey gapes in horror, pulling away as the crossbreed's wings thrash violently, nearly cutting her face. Up front, Charlie clutches her son tighter, brown eyes wide as she watches Aiden thrash and scream, fear lances through her cutting her breath short and making her heart rush as she tries to make sense of this sudden behavior.

"What? What's wrong?" Jeep yells. He knows they have a chance of losing Michael, he's not sure if Charlie and the baby will make it if they lose Aiden too. "What's-"

The blue sparks drift away from Aiden, dissipating in the air even as they watch. Gasping heavily, Aiden tries to hold himself upright.

The sudden, painful loss has him knowing exactly what's wrong and what's happened. The noise from the car and its occupants is dulling now, becoming a faint buzz as his blood rushes through his ears until all he can hear is the pounding from his heart. There's an ache that has nothing to do with the pain that lanced through his spine before, this one is more personal, more... painful.

"Aiden! Aiden?" Jeep's voice comes drifting through to him, sounding more like the man's three thousand miles away talking at him through a radio instead of just in front of him. The Antichrist looks up, not knowing when he dropped his head but meeting the soft, caring brown eyes. "Hey, what's wrong? What happened?" The young man asks, voice shaking from the effort not to sound panicked and afraid. He's making a show of being calm and centered and Aiden appreciates it. He appreciates the caring tone even more though.

"It's Michael," The dark-eyed man chokes out, closing his eyes and using a tendril of energy to feel. The sinking horror is confirmed and he nearly screams all over again. "He's dead."

The silence in the car is deafening but no one quite manages to notice. They're all lost in their own thoughts, sharing in the same sense of loss and fear. For Audrey, she's so unsure about the future, not even certain if they're going to survive until the morning. In front of her, Charlie clutches her son tighter, aching with the loss of everyone- Percy, Bob, even Howard and Saundra, and now Michael- they've lost so many, she fears they're going to lose even more before the night is out. As for Jeep, he's afraid for everyone- for Audrey because she's still so young, she needs to survive this just because of that, for Charlie because what's going to happen to her son if she dies, for the baby because what kind of world is it going to grow up in if they even make it out of this, for Aiden... He glances back at the hybrid, and then just as quickly faces forward again. This entire time the winged man has been nothing but strong and capable; Jeep doesn't want that image of him ruined. Selfishly, he'll pretend he doesn't see the man cry, though he understands the need to.

Aiden trembles, his power sparking out violently, as one strand of it runs over where Michael's feather sat. The ache and the loss are still very much present but now they've been overwhelmed by anger. The angels have always accused him of being passionate; being too hot-headed and prone to violent outbursts for their liking. Fine, he'll be what they've always wanted this time 'round; he'll be that unstoppable force of Hellish intent and Heavenly direction.

He has a direction; Gabriel, and he has intent; to kill.

With a growl unlike any a natural creature would make, Aiden pulls his wings in, sensing the archangel's approach. It was time Heaven learned that he was not to be messed with.

Gabriel spotted the police cruiser about a mile ahead. Frowning, he shook the remaining soot off himself and pressed his wings down hard. He'd had just about enough of humans thanks to that annoying old man who'd blown up the diner and the faster he took care of the child, the faster he could get back to Heaven. Granted no surprises caught up to him, he should be home in time to greet the fifth fleet of angels leaving for Earth.

The sudden eruption of the police cruiser roof as he reached down to take hold of it was definitely a surprise. One that knocks him back and forces him to try and recalculate his landing; he's never been good at recalculating. As such, he knocks his head against the trunk of the police cruiser before his wings catch him again and bring him back up to a good height again. Once he'd leveled out, he looked up to face the cause of his stumble.

Gabriel had seen the Antichrist before. When rumors of his coming had been heard whispering through Heaven, he and Michael had investigated. When the boy was born, Gabriel had watched as a passion unlike any before had overtaken his older brother. Michael had become devoted to the child, much to Gabriel's confusion. Whenever something happened to the boy, Michael would search his black-haired brother out and tell him about it. Without wanting to, Gabriel had kept tabs on the child just so he didn't have to listen to the other archangel go on and on about him.

When the call went out for his raising, it hardly surprised Gabriel that Michael had been one of the first. Nor had it surprised him when Michael fought for the right to raise the Antichrist by punching one of the lower angels' front teeth out. He had given his older brother a knowing smile as Michael had come forth to claim the right from the Scribe. He'd watched on when Michael had fought his way through Hell, gripped the young man tight, and raise him back to Earth. He'd watched on while Michael had rebuilt the man's body, healed new and old wounds, and placed a claiming mark on him. Confused though he'd been, he'd watched on as Michael had tried to fight against the orders that he return to Heaven and abandon the Antichrist to fate. If he had to name a moment when Michael began to rebel it would be then.

So yes, he knew the Antichrist.

He had just never seen him like this before.

When the archangel faced him, he found a monster worthy of being Heaven's nightmares. Black eyes blazed with even blacker fire, the smoke curling from the corners of the man's eyes and drifting out into air. His shoulder-length hair floated in the air, the strands crackling with strange blue-black lightning. Above his head and framing his upper half, his wings held him aloft; the appendages stretching out like webbed hands clawing at the night sky, ripping the stars from the blanket of night above. It seemed as though the sky approved of his attack though and had stained the wings with its dark blue color, smoothing out like the night before the dawn in a lighter blue and speckled with flecks of silver from the star light. Under the light from the moon the pale skin glowed unnaturally, black veins lancing through it like a beautiful sickness spreading underneath the man's flesh.

Most horrifying was the way his power stretched out. Standing behind him was a wall of prickling, swirling portal of energy that spawned a thousand crackling arms of black smoke. These swarmed out behind the Antichrist, burning the air around them as they jittered in agitation.

Quite possibly, this was the first time Gabriel had felt true fear.

Aiden opened his mouth and revealed a large, long set of canines that made the archangel shudder. It also made him shudder when the Antichrist snarled.

To be more exact, it was less of a snarl and more of a guttural howl that had no place on Earth.

The two fighting beings slammed into the back of the cruiser, sending it spinning off course until it flipped in the air and began to roll. Everyone inside began screaming.

Audrey was killed on impact, neck snapped as her head connected with the back of Charlie's seat.

As Jeep helped the blonde and her child out and towards the mountain ridge ahead of them he glanced back. Gabriel's wings glinted in the moonlight as he sprung away from an enraged Aiden, trying to get some distance between them so he could use his mace. On the other side of the battle, the Antichrist followed after the archangel, dark wings hard to make out against the lifting darkness and nails ripping along the other man's face. At this point, the dark-eyed man was literally Hell reincarnate, Gabriel's blood decorating his face, arms, and chest, eyes glinting with the distinct look of bloodlust and rage, and teeth glittery with saliva and more blood as the man snarled. Jeep had never felt more like cheering than when the Antichrist clipped the angel's wings, sending a rift of black feathers into the air. Despite their metallic state in the diner, in flight they appeared to have the consistency of normal feathers.

Jeep grinned maliciously, hoping Gabriel would fall under Aiden's onslaught.

There was a reason people said Hell assaulted Heaven. It was because there was no other word that came to mind when the creatures of Hell went to battle. Assault was a harsh word, cruel and violent in its own way and, at the moment, Aiden embodied it with every atom.

With every attack the Antichrist drove home the great struggle between Heaven and Hell. With every strike he brought to mind each loss the home of angel's had encountered at the hands of its nemesis. With every blow he drove the success of Hell over Heaven that much closer.

"Heaven would have benefitted from your alliance greatly." Gabriel said, gasping in a breath as Aiden stumbled back up to his feet. The archangel spat out blood, wiping his mouth and watching the Antichrist carefully.

"Heaven can go fuck itself." Aiden replied, his wings flapping to shake off the dust that had collected on their leather skins when Gabriel had slammed them to the Earth. Against the rising sun, Gabriel could finally understand Michael's infatuation with the creature. Such a sharp contrast with the life of Earth and the light of Heaven, Aiden was the singular dark streak that drove all other thoughts from his mind. It had been awhile since he'd last thought of killing the human child and completing his mission, now he was solely centered on beating this infernal crossbreed of two disgusting races. "And you can die."

They threw themselves back into battle.

Gabriel raised his mace, looking down at the snarling crossbreed he had never felt less worthy to deliver a killing blow.

A sharp lancing pain went across his lower back and Gabriel gasped in pain. Half turning, he saw something that completely stopped him.

Michael stood at the edge of the mountain shelf surrounded by the light from Heaven and, most remarkably, the dark, solid black of his wings.

Two people gasped in grateful shock and Michael smiled. The looks of Gabriel's and Aiden's faces were identical; surprise, gratefulness, and raw pain. It was the look of someone who'd thought they'd lost everything, finding out they were getting it back. It amused him greatly that it would be shared by the brother who'd killed him and his lover.

"What- how- why?" Gabriel stuttered. Aiden just kept looking at him, mouth hanging open and tears in his dark eyes.

"You gave Him what He wanted." Michael said simply. "I gave Him what He needed."

Gabriel's shoulders and wings dropped in defeat. Slowly, he lifted himself off the Antichrist and trudged towards the other angel, a disheartened look on his face. Michael patted him on the shoulder as he passed, giving the archangel a half-smile. With a heavy sigh, Gabriel spread his wings and pushed off; heading towards the white light of Heaven and to the talk Father would surely want to have with him.

Meanwhile, Michael looked back to Aiden who was climbing to his feet, dusting himself off. Though his face was the epitome of reserved, the blonde noticed the way the dark-eyed man's wings were clamped tightly shut. Even without asking, Michael knew the other man was hurt.

"Aiden-" He began.

"Are you staying?" The half-breed asked, tilting his head and watching the archangel from the corner of his eye.

Michael's blue eyes dropped to look at the ground. "No-"

"Of course not." The Antichrist sneered, shoulders tensing in anger. "You're going to go back home then? Pretend nothing ever happened like you angels are wont to do?"

The angel in question raised an eyebrow at the man's offended behavior, a wry smile crossing his lips. "Actually," He said, cutting the black-haired man off before he got into too much of a rant. "We're going to follow the child, most likely accompanying Jeep and Charlie until it is old enough to fight by itself." He was pleased to note that it shut Aiden up; the younger man staring up at him with wide eyes, mouth hanging open in surprise.

"'We're'- we're going?"

"Yes," Michael crossed the small cliff and stepped up to the shorter creature his wings finally reaching up to ghost across Aiden's own tips. "We're going." He murmured.