No Angel, No Devil

Book One

I know always that I am an outsider; a stranger in this century and among those who are still me.

- HP Lovecraft

Prologue: Throes of Rebellion

It is a very mixed blessing to be brought back from the dead.

- Kurt Vonnegut

REI

My feet pounded along the rooftop, somewhere in the darkness in front of me I could sense my quarry. I quickened my pace doing my best to recover lost ground after slipping slightly on the wet surface.

Blood pounded in my ears almost blocking out the sound of rain falling all around me. I leaped across one of the skylights, my feet splashing through a puddle on the other side. I skidded to a stop at the edge of the building. I looked down past the fire escape that ran up the side of the building, there was no sign of movement down there. My gaze was drawn out across the gap between the two structures. I gritted my teeth. There was only one place the shadow could have gone from here...

I truly hated this part of the chase. I gauged the distance... it was a hell of a jump. I took a few steps away from the edge to get a running start, then launched myself across the gap towards the shorter building.

I nearly made it. However that wasn't quite enough.

My body thudded into the side of the other building as I latched my arm around the parapet. I cursed under my breath softly, climbing over the edge of the building as quietly as I could. I dropped into a ready position as I paused again, brushing back my wet hair. I listened for the sound of movement.

When I didn't hear anything I reached out with my senses, waiting until I felt the darkness tugging at my heart. I allowed myself to be drawn towards that darkness, following the sensation across the rooftop to a maintenance door that hung on it's hinges. I approached warily, looking into the blackness within.

A set of stairs descended into the darkness, the end to them was lost in the murky black. I sighed, I had no choice but to use my power to dispel the darkness. It felt like I was walking into a trap, the fire I was summoning would function as a homing beacon for the creature I was after. Luckily there was only one of them and I'd receive warning about the appearance of any others.

I slowly descended into the warehouse, keeping a flame burning in my palm. The light from the fire illuminated the building's interior in an eerie way.

As I reached the warehouse floor I felt, rather than saw, a flicker of movement but any sign of the creature was swallowed up in the shadow of the storage area. I couldn't see anything in the gloom, at least not past the small ring of light the flame gave off. I advanced slowly, waiting for more movement.

I hated it when these things went indoors. I preferred staying outside... it was easier to fight out there. My skills tended to set off fire alarms which completely ruined any chance I had for staying under the radar and out of the papers.

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes and attempting to sense the creature again. I allowed myself to relax, letting my other senses take over. My heart beat calmed slightly, the blood was no longer pounding in my ears. There was a sharp tug at my heart as I felt the creature begin its attack. I reacted instinctively as I opened my eyes.

I caused the flame in my hand to flare up, arching towards my other hand. I caught the creature's flailing limbs as it materialized before me. My hands were encased in fire as I sent the flame racing along its arms towards its centre. The flames spread quickly, burning the creature down to ash. I let out a long sigh, allowing myself a small smile.

I pulled out my phone, checking the time and making sure I hadn't missed anything important. It was was nearing three in the morning, this little excursion had taken considerably longer than I had expected. The creatures were getting more cunning and now had less trouble adapting to the new environment they found themselves in. This one had managed to elude me for much longer than normal. I kept my phone in hand as I looked around the warehouse.

Thank god that was finally over. I was satisfied with the results of tonight's hunt but that didn't change the fact I was exhausted. Maybe now I could go home and get some sleep. Any sane person would be in bed at this hour, not chasing shadows through the rain. I guess that just went to show I wasn't exactly what one would call normal. At least not in this day and age. I shook my head as I scattered the ash around with my shoe. I didn't want to leave any evidence behind.

That being said, for a moment I still considered leaving the building through one of the ground level exits. But from experience I knew people tended to lock those doors at night... and opening them set off alarms. So instead of taking the easy way out, I walked back up the stairs to the roof and stepped back out into the stormy night.

I glanced up at the sky for a minute, the nights were slowly getting colder. In fact, I was surprised that it wasn't snowing yet. I carefully patrolled the rooftop, scanning for enemies of a different sort. Security guards around the warehouses could be a real pain in the ass. They weren't something I felt like dealing with tonight but somehow civilians had an annoying habit of popping up when you least expected it.

Once I was certain there was no one around I made my way back to my point of entry... though I was debating about finding another way down. I wasn't particularly thrilled with the thought of jumping between buildings again. I was bruised enough from my first attempt.

I approached the edge, looking across to the fire escape of the other building. Maybe there was an easier way across. I rested a hand against the parapet as I looked down at the chasm between the buildings. I flipped my phone around in my hand, fiddling with it idly... a nervous habit. Leaping between buildings was far easier when you were caught up in the thrill of the chase. I gritted my teeth... and then paused.

I looked over my shoulder as I heard movement behind me. Another shadow was phasing into our world.

My eyes narrowed, why hadn't I been warned of this incursion? I glanced down slightly, looking at the phone in my hand. Still no warning even though the shadow was almost completely in our world. I pocketed the phone swiftly as I turned towards the new threat. I didn't want to lose my means of communication, that would be... unfortunate.

This new incursion was worrying, I had not received warning... which meant that either our warning system was flawed or that the shadows were now able to conceal themselves from detection.

I put as much distance between the shadow and I as possible, doing my best to calm myself enough to draw on my power. But before I was entirely prepared, the shadow attacked. I dodged its' clawed hand, ducking under its arm. I raised my hands into a fighting position. I hated fighting these things unarmed but it wasn't like I could just carry a sword around. And guns with my particular power set were... unwieldy.

The shadow shifted as it recovered its position. A tendril of darkness wrapped itself around my arm, tightening its grip. I winced as I anticipated the searing pain I had experienced in the previous life but it never came. Instead there was a dull ache in its place, followed by a numbing sensation. My eyes narrowed in confusion.

I was pulled off balance, realizing too late that I had dropped my guard in my surprise. The creature hurled me over the edge towards the building I had leaped from earlier. I slammed into the wall awkwardly, dropping down onto the grating of the fire escape. I groaned, feeling the rusted metal bite into the palms of my hands. I shook myself slightly, trying to clear my head. I ignored the ringing in my ears and got to my feet cautiously.

I watched as the shadow made the leap between buildings with ease before it approached the edge with a hungry look in its gaze. I swung myself over the railing, dropping to the ground below. I rolled as I landed, getting to my feet as fast as possible.

I gritted my teeth, refusing to acknowledge my aching body. I was doing my best to concentrate solely on the shadow. Somehow I had made the transition from predator to prey. This apparition had caught me off guard and that had never happened before.

As the shadow climbed down the side of the building towards me, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I let out a hissing breath, that warning was a little bit on the late side. I was going to have a very serious talk with someone about that...

At the sound of my phone, the shadow's attention focused on me sharply. It was like a switch had been flipped between hunt and kill. A harsh cry reverberated through the night as the creature sprang at me.

I growled in annoyance as I summoned the fire, focusing on that place within my mind and soul. The others had it so much easier, Ami could draw water from the surrounding atmosphere or city infrastructure, Makoto could channel static electricity or steal it from power lines, and Minako could manipulate any metal in her surroundings. I was the only one that had to call forth my power out of nothing but my own soul. The others could do it if they had to... but they had other easier ways of accessing their power. However there were certain trade offs, power drawn directly from the soul was more potent even if it was harder to access and control.

I focused on the shadow, waiting for the opportune moment. I released the energy a split second before impact, incinerating the creature without ever having to land a blow. There was a howl of agony as it disappeared.

I frowned, wincing as I tried to move my arm and hand. The numbness had faded slightly and was replaced with an aching cold. I began to take off my jacket, wanting to get a better look at the injury. Usually the affected areas were a bloody mess of ragged wounds, cauterized flesh, and heavy bruising. I cursed myself for even allowing this to happen, Ami would kill me if she found out. I let my jacket fall to the ground, intent on the injury rather than the state of my clothes.

However, now that I actually saw my arm, there were none of the wounds I had expected. In their place, a lone coil of darkness still writhed around my arm, sucking the light from my surroundings. I raised my arm closer to my face, trying to get a better look. This was...odd to say the least. I watched as it faded away, leaving nothing but a blackened bruise in its wake.

I flexed my hand again, wincing slightly at the sensation that spread through my arm. I shook my head. What the hell was going on here? It was like the world was conspiring against me. Things had gone from bad to worse all night long.. The issue with my phone was just the last straw. I didn't want to deal with this shit anymore. But I knew that my phone was my one piece of vital equipment in the business of saving, or at least preserving, lives.

Guess I needed some tech support and there was only one person I could count on to get that done. I grabbed my leather jacket and pulled it back on, ignoring the faint pain that spread through my arm.

I set off into the rain, making my way back to my vehicle. Sometime later, after a drive through the city, I knocked on the door to Luna's apartment and from somewhere inside I heard a faint movement. Eventually a bleary eyed Artemis opened the door.

"Rei." He greeted tiredly. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"It's about half past four." I replied tersely, tossing him my phone. The infernal device could have gotten me killed tonight. Whatever had malfunctioned needed to be repaired before I went out again... and I needed that done as soon as possible.

"It's broken – fix it." I told him as he caught it. I turned to go but Artemis grabbed my arm.

"Wait, you were out hunting? In this weather?" He asked, seeming more awake now. I shrugged.

"Someone had to do it." I replied.

"So what's the problem?" Artemis asked as he studied the phone closely.

"Nothing much.. except for the fact that your program alerted me of the shadow's presence after it had arrived." I replied. "And that kind of defeats the purpose of an early warning system if you ask me."

"I thought we'd worked out all the kinks." He muttered, looking thoughtful as he scrolled through my phone.

"Apparently not." I replied testily. He gestured for me to come into the apartment. I followed him inside, putting my hands in my pockets.

"How've you been?" He asked me, distractedly as he began working. I glared at him.

"I've been chasing a shadow through the night in the middle of a storm for the past two hours. How do you think I've been?" I asked him. He looked up at me, appearing bewildered and slightly apologetic. I shook my head, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "I've been fine."

"Rei..." He murmured as he set down the phone. I shook my head again not wanting to hear him apologize. If he apologized I'd start doubting myself again. I'd start doubting them again.

"Don't Artemis. We both know it's something that needed to be done." I replied. He frowned.

"Luna and I have been talking..." He stated, obviously trying to shift the conversation to a more sensitive area gently.

"As opposed to your usual form of communication?" I remarked, with a slight glance in his direction. He sent me a look of annoyance as he rolled his eyes.

"Why do you all find it so funny that Luna and I are together?" He asked me. I smirked slightly, shaking my head.

"I don't find it funny. I'm just saying body language is much more common than words between the two of you." I remarked. Artemis rolled his eyes then he spoke again.

"And I know what you're doing, by the way." He told me, giving me a stern look..

"What am I doing?" I asked with mild interest.

"You're trying to distract me from what I wanted to talk about." He replied, sighing as he continued. "Rei, we're worried about you. You've..."

His voice trailed off. I glared at him.

"I've what, Artemis?" I asked sharply.

"You've been acting different." He told me calmly, apparently not taking my tone to heart. "It's like you've been distracted..."

I could hear the worry in his tone. I looked away, listening to him get to his feet and approach me. He didn't reach out to make contact though.

"Sit down Rei." He said softly, the worry still tinging his tone. "I'm going to make us some tea... then I'd like to talk with you for a bit."

"Artemis, I'm fine despite what you may think." I told him sternly, hoping to steer him away from this conversation.

"Fine." Artemis replied, glancing at me as he put rummaged through the cupboards. "But I'm still making you a cup of tea. I'd offer to make you some coffee but I imagine you'd still like to try and get a bit of sleep tonight."

"Very well." I agreed as I sat down at the table, watching as he filled the kettle with water. I leaned back in my seat, looking around the kitchen. I found myself glancing at the slowly accumulating evidence their shared lives.

This relationship between them was relatively new, though the attraction between them wasn't. They had skirted around the issue for the majority of the time I'd known them. They had always said that their job had to take precedence. But when things with the shadows fell into a holding pattern it seemed that Luna and Artemis' patience had run out and they had given in to their desires.

"So are you two officially moved in together or what?" I asked as Artemis came back to the table with two large mugs of tea. He set one before me "I mean, you're here more often than not... so really it would be about damn time."

"We just finished moving everything over here a couple weeks ago." He said with a grin as he hooked up my cellphone to his laptop. "So yeah, I guess it's official now. I mean she hasn't killed me yet so..."

"Ah, then it must be true love..." I remarked, taking a sip of tea. He gave me a mock glare before returning to his work. We sat in a content silence as he continued trying to fix my phone. I felt myself beginning to study my surroundings again. Luna, and Artemis by default, had somehow managed to make this one of the most welcoming places I'd ever been... Even despite the fact I'd never felt truly comfortable with them.

There was too much history between us for me to be completely at ease around them. On some level I think they knew that but we never really talked about it.

I found myself glancing towards one of the pictures on their refrigerator, it was what had truly tipped me off to the fact that they were finally living together. The picture had always been on the fridge at Artemis' apartment, never once had it been moved in all the years I'd known him.

I looked back and found Artemis watching me carefully just as I realized that I'd been fiddling with my pack of cigarettes. My hands always seemed to find their way to the pack when I started thinking about her.

"How's she doing?" I asked finally. His eyes flicked towards the picture, a slight frown crossing his face. He reached down into one of the kitchen drawers and tossed me a lighter.

"You two still aren't talking?" He replied. I gave him a dark look as I lit up. He nodded, seeming to catch my drift. I wanted him to answer my questions, then I'd see about answering his. "The touring, movie premiers, and talk shows have her busy but she's doing well. She really enjoys it."

I nodded, taking another sip of tea as I tried my best not to let ash fall on to their table.

"That's good." I muttered. There was silence between us for a few minutes as Artemis thought over my words. Eventually he set the phone aside and met my eyes, casually sliding over a small makeshift ash tray.

"Rei, I know you've let go of a lot of things to help Luna and I, but..."

"Artemis, I'm doing what needs to be done. Nothing more than that. So just drop it." I told him, brushing my thumb gently against the filter of my cigarette causing ash to fall on to the tray. He ignored me and continued to speak.

"I just don't see why you let Minako go as well. You two... weren't in the most conventional relationship, but I could see she made you happy. Well, at least when she wasn't driving you completely insane." Artemis commented with a slight upward quirk of his lips, his expression turned more serious and the look of concern deepened. I took my time smoking, pretending not to listen. "Rei, from what she told me, you were the one to break it off. I... I just want to know why."

I exhaled, making sure to direct my smoke away from his face. Perhaps it was time I let him in on some of my thoughts.

"Artemis, you and I both know I'm only doing this so the others have a chance to be happy before that darkness comes again. And Minako... We both know that she needed to follow her dreams to be happy and her dreams weren't here. She needed to go chase her dreams, they all needed to live their lives and experience live their dreams before they have to fight...or make the decisions they were never supposed to."

"It was wrong of Luna and I to ask you to do this. It should have been a burden shared by all of you... like it was before; when you were younger you all fought together. It was wrong of us to ask you to take it on by yourself."

"It was the logical thing to do Artemis. The shadow incursions weren't happening often enough to truly be a threat, there was no reason for them to throw away their futures." I told him as I put out what remained of my smoke before the ember reached my finger tips.

"And what about your future?" Artemis asked. I looked at him, thinking long and hard about my answer. My situation wasn't the easiest to explain. I had responsibilities and privileges in this time that the others didn't and... I had to honour that.

"My future cannot be abandoned so easily. It's in my blood Artemis, whether I want it or not. I didn't really have a dream to chase... so it's logical for me to be the one to take control of the situation." I told him, allowing myself to lie the tiniest bit about my dreams. I had dreams, just none that I felt able to pursue.

"But..."

"Artemis. Drop it." I told him sharply. He looked away. I softened my tone. "What's done is done, leave it at that."

Silence fell between us again. Artemis slid my phone across the table.

"Well, I've fixed the problem with the phone. There was an issue with how it was communicating the sensors I installed around the city..."

I nodded as I slipped the phone back into my pocket. I got to my feet.

"What happened out there tonight?" Artemis asked. "You don't normally drop by like this... even if there is a problem with your equipment."

"There were two of them out there tonight. I thought I should warn you that... the time is drawing near." I replied with a sigh. "The invasions are becoming more and more frequent... and that can only mean one thing. She is taking control. That coupled with the issue with my phone, I thought it was in our best interests if I came and spoke to you."

Artemis' eyes narrowed, he looked deeply troubled by what I had said but he didn't question my interpretation of the facts. This was what we'd been waiting for... it shouldn't have surprised us that it was finally here. But somehow, it still did.

"I'll talk to Luna." He said softly. "We'll get things in motion. We'll be ready when she makes her move."

I nodded, turning and leaving the warmth of their apartment. In a few short seconds I was back out in the cold, I pulled my keys out of my pocket and swiftly unlocked my car.

As I pulled out on to the road and began my drive home I realized it still surprised me that there were still others out and about... that or they just got up extremely early. Either way, I wasn't exactly the only car on the road. There city was still awake and alive with movement. I guess that was the appeal of living in the city, you were never really alone. Even if you felt like it sometimes.

I made my way through the downtown core, glancing up at the sky. Just visible through the clouds was the soft glow of the moon. I did my best not to scowl at the place where we had died all those years ago. It was the meeting place of gods and men and somehow in the thick of it all we had ended up on the wrong side of history. Not that everyone remembered this, they were under the impression we had fought for what was good and true... They were left with a lie and no real memories of our former lives.

For some reason I had a perfect recollection of our history and it haunted me. These memories were the reason for being so distrustful of Artemis and Luna. I didn't know where they stood or what they truly remembered and there was no way to safely approach the topic without showing my hand. And since Queen Serenity wasn't around to get answers from... I was left on my own.

I was the only one burdened with knowledge of the delusion that they suffered from. Or maybe it was a mercy that they didn't remember. I knew that I didn't enjoy the knowledge that I had failed so completely. Perhaps that was why I remembered. Maybe it was punishment for that failure.

I shook my head as I turned into an underground parking garage. I got out of my car and slammed the door before proceeding to the elevator. As the doors slid shut, I pushed the button for the penthouse suite. I leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes as I thought.

I still couldn't get over the Queen's betrayal. At the time I had downplayed my reaction to it because I had a responsibility to the others. But now that I was truly faced with everything she had taken from us... I was appalled. She had stolen that which was most precious to me after we had trusted her to safeguard our worlds. She had stolen from the others... but what they couldn't remember didn't bother them. A deep resentment was building within me and these feelings of hate and disdain were making me question my fundamental nature.

The elevator slowed as it approached the top floor, I opened my eyes as the doors slid open. I stepped out of the elevator, fumbling in my pocket for my keys. I unlocked the door and entered my apartment. As always, silence greeted me as I tossed my keys in the dish by the door and slid off my jacket.

I let the jacket fall to the ground, kicking off my shoes. Usually I was much more organized, but tonight I just didn't care. As I passed through the living room I picked up a remote, turning on the music system, letting that noise fill the house instead of the stifling silence.

Normally the quiet didn't bother me but it seemed to grab my attention more often of late. I was used to the quiet, growing up the way I did. Some even said I thrived on it but I just couldn't stand it right now. I think it was because I knew I shouldn't be alone. Someone was supposed to be here with me. And I missed having that presence around. That presence was everything.

I gritted my teeth as I tossed the remote on to the couch and headed for the washroom. I turned on the water, letting it run hot before stripping down and stepping into the shower. I winced slightly as the water hit the marks on my arm and body. I knew I would be sore tomorrow and even though we healed faster than the average human these bruises wouldn't be so quick to fade. I could feel a dull ache settling in over my body, I was just beginning to feel the full effects of the battle. Tomorrow morning would be rough.

As I stepped out of the shower, I caught sight of myself in the mirror. Some days seeing myself was incredibly offputting, I was in a body that wasn't my own. Scars and old injuries I knew I had received in the past simply didn't exist any more. I shook that thought from my head, no need to dwell on that again. I focused instead on the huge bruises that laced their way across my ribs and judging by the way I ached, my back wasn't much better. I sighed, pulling a towel off the rack. This was why I hated roof top chases. I was always a mess after them.

Though this hadn't exactly been a typical roof top chase. Normally I wasn't thrown into buildings. Across the span of two life times... that was a new one.

I dried myself off as I walked through the other door into the master bedroom. I opened one set of drawers, taking out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. I pulled on the clothes before walking back to the living room.

As I picked up the remote from the couch I glanced at the coffee table... a pile of paperwork was spread across it. I frowned, remembering the work I'd been doing before I'd gotten warning of the shadow's appearance. I put the remote back down and took a seat on the couch, pulling the paperwork in front of me.

I sighed as I went back to looking over the forms I needed to fill out for the contractors. I ran a hand through my hair, swinging my legs up onto the couch and getting comfortable. Gods, I should have just given these to someone else to do before I left work...

I sifted through the paperwork, rubbing at my eyes.

I was exhausted, it seemed like my life was trailing into a meaningless haze. There was nothing for me here. Not really. Day to day life was troublesome at best and there was always an undercurrent of urgency and loss. I was missing something I could never really claim as my own. She was out of my reach.

The despair that had settled in over my heart had clouded over the darkness that was waiting on the other side. I had but to open the door... and be consumed.

Not knowing what else to do I crossed over. Just out of sight I could feel something lurking... waiting. Shifting shadows barely discernible from the darkness around them.

The world erupted into chaos. I froze, unable to think of what to do. Things passed in a blur and the next thing I knew I was being tossed through a window. And with that... I fell towards the ground. Just as I made it to my knees a shadow appeared before me. I was aware of nothing but pain. My arm, my ribs, my head, all seared in agony and protest as I did my best to fight back.

But it was too late. The shadow's claw pierced my heart, phasing through my body as if it were nothing... as if I were nothing.

AN: Just as in GotM I'll incorporate other POVs. This is just to kick off the story. Got bored wanting to post this so hopefully you read the description and didn't read this if you didn't want spoilers.