Fallen Angels: Ch. 1

Criss ran through the desert, the harsh Nevada sun beating down on his naked shoulders. His scalp itched where sweat had gathered under his hat and his back tickled as a bead of moisture rolled down the spinal crevice. Thunder rolled over the desert, drowning out the sound of his music coming out of his headphones and he stopped, watching as it roiled over the barren land. Rain was rare in Nevada, the storms staying in the mountains. A noise similar to an explosion echoed across the land and made his ears ring. He cleared his ears as pressure built and that's when he saw the bright shape moving through the dark clouds. It didn't look like lightening though; it was almost spherical in shape. It left the clouds and the ground shook, as it impacted not far from him. The sound of it landing shook him to the core and fear and dread filled him. He broke into a run towards it, hearing the truck for A&E roar across the terrain for him.

When he reached it, he reeled away in horror. The deep skid was almost a mile long and sticking out from under the dirt and stone he could see a pale, delicate human hand. He inched closer and the smell of sulfur filled his nose, making him gag. The hand twitched and he jumped back, freezing, not believing that anyone or anything could have survived. The van stopped and he heard the doors slide open. The hand twitched again, the rubble shifting and he exploded into action, running over and starting to fling away rocks and dig through dirt. He uncovered a wealth of dirty black hair and he moved faster, uncovering a young woman and pulling her out gently. He cradled her in his arms and her eyes snapped open. Pain and shock filled black eyes fixed on him and she started to cry. Criss sat down on the ground and held her in his lap, holding her head to his chest and stroking her hair. He looked up and at the camera guys, their gear trained on him.

"Call 911." He said.

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Criss, Costa, and JD were sitting in the hospital waiting room, waiting to hear from a doctor. Criss had pulled on a shirt and had called his brothers while he was en route to the hospital behind the ambulance. He had told them what had happened and they arrived at the hospital shortly after he did. He got the evidence of his digging (scrapes on his fingers and hands) taken care of and sat with his brothers in the waiting room. He wasn't able to fill out forms for the woman because he didn't know who she was and the paramedics that had first arrived at the scene had found no ID on her. The image of her eyes flashed before his and he put his head in his hands. Costa tapped his shoulder and he looked up as a doctor approached them. They stood and the man stopped in from of them.

"Mr. Angel?" the doctor asked.

"That's me." Criss said, stepping forward. "How is she?"

"Perfectly fine with the exception of minor cuts and scrapes. I saw the tapes of the incident, footage taken by your camera crew. I saw the state she was found in and the skid and was astonished that she's even alive. People who fall out of airplanes, or have faulty parachutes usually die on impact but she doesn't even have a broken bone. Its simply amazing." He said, his eyes dancing with excitement.

"Is she awake?" Criss asked but the doctor shook his head.

"She lost consciousness en route." He said and a shrill scream rent the air. "That's coming from her room!" he turned and ran, Criss, Costa and JD following.

Elidra (Elle-ee-druh) woke as the doctor was leaving and sat up, her eyes scanning the machines. The inside of her elbow itched and she looked down seeing the IV. A wave of heat washed over her and she looked over, her eyes going wide as she saw the impeccably dressed man with long blonde hair standing next to the bed, his clear blue eyes sparkling at her dangerously.

"Get thee behind me Satan." She said and he snorted rudely.

"Please Elidra," he said in a bored tone. "Must you use that demeaning name?"

"What do you want Lucifer?" she asked.

"That's better. How's dad?"

"Same as always, loving, forgiving, caring." She said and he snorted again.

"I always like Him better when He smote people. And anyways, He's not so forgiving if you're here on the mortal plane."

"I screwed up and got punished."

"Just like me." He said but she shook her head.

"No. No one dares make that mistake again." She said and he gave out a short laugh.

"Good. I set an example then. How's Michael?"

"Fine, still angry with you."

"You'd think after 5000 years he might cool down a little. I forgave him for not backing me; he should do the same and forgive me. What about Gabriel?"

"He's fine, forgave you a long time ago."

"Azrael?"

"Indifferent, as always." Elidra said and he snorted softly, a small smile coming to his lush lips, he was always the most beautiful of all the angels.

"Nothing could phase him. I always like that about him."

"Come back Lucifer. We all miss you. Even Him, He won't admit it, but He does. You were always his favorite."

"Not until He apologizes, and you and I both know that's never going to happen. The whole 'God is infallible' and all that." He said and sighed. "I'm not here to catch up."

"Didn't think you were."

"You know the deal Elly. Every Fallen goes to me."

"Yes, but they have to go willingly."

"Very true. So come with me Elly, it's not as bad as people make it out to be. No eternal torment, pools of lava and the screams of millions of condemned souls. There aren't 10 levels, just one and its kind of boring. There's no greater Hell than being bored out of your mind for all of eternity, trust me, I know." Lucifer said, smiling and winking at her and she gave out a soft laugh.

"I can't Lucifer. I know about the one year clause."

"Hmm, He's usually not that forthcoming with the loopholes."

"Michael told me as I was on my out."

"Good old reliable Michael. I could take you by force you know."

"I know. But then I'd be half in half out."

"Half is better than nothing." He said and reached for her.

"Don't do it Lucifer."

"You can't stop me, He took away all your weapons." He said.

"True, but I do have something left." She said and he stopped.

"What?" he asked and she opened her mouth, giving out a loud scream. "Touché." He said approvingly and vanished in a flash of fire. A doctor followed by a man she recognized, two she didn't, and security guards. She stopped screaming and gave them a look of fear. "When I woke up there was a man standing over me. He didn't look like a hospital employee so I screamed."

"Where did he go?" a security guard asked and the doctor went over to her and started taking her vitals. "He ran when I screamed, I don't know where."

"What did he look like?"

"Tall, dark hair, green eyes, that's all I saw." She said and he removed the comm from his belt, holding it to his mouth and sending the vague description to the other security guards around the building.

"Miss," the doctor said and she looked at him. "What do you remember of the accident?"

"I remember falling and then I remember seeing him." she said, looking at the man she recognized.

"Nothing else?" the doctor asked and she looked back at him, shaking her head.

"No, nothing."

"Do you remember your name?"

"Elidra." She said.

"Last name?"

"Nope, sorry."

"It's alright, its just shock, it'll start coming back to you. Do you remember any family?"

"No."

"Anyone we can contact?" he asked

"No, as far as I know I don't have anyone."

"What about a birthday?" he asked but she shook her head. "Hometown?" another shake. "Maybe a school that you went to?" she shook her head. "What can you remember?"

"Someone angry, he was yelling and I was pleading with him, at least, I think it was a man. Then I was falling. Then nothing."

"Nothing before that?"

"Nothing."

"What was he yelling about?"

"I can't remember." She said and looked down at her lap, looking at the red scrapes along her arms that seemed to glow an angry bright red against her milk-white skin. "I'm sorry."

"Its okay sweetheart." He said. She looked up and at the man she recognized.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Criss." He said and she smiled a radiant smile. Soothing warmth spread from his core and throughout his body.

"Thank you for helping me Criss." She said and he nodded, slightly confused at what he was feeling. "I wonder where I'm going to go." She said, mainly to herself.

"You can come with us." Criss said impulsively and they all looked at him in surprise.

"Criss, can we talk to you for a moment outside?" Costa asked.

"Now." JD added and they went outside the hospital room. "Where did that come from?"

"I don't know." Criss said truthfully. "I just…I just feel protective of her I guess. I found her, I held her, I feel like I should take care of her."

"She's very attractive." Costa said with narrowed eyes and Criss glared at him, perking an eyebrow.

"I honestly didn't notice. And besides, even if I did, it wouldn't be about that."'

"Then why take her in?"

"She's got no one guys, she's got nothing, she's vulnerable. God knows what she could become if she was left on her own." Criss said and JD sighed.

"Joanne isn't going to like it. She's not going to like it at all." he said and Criss was the one who sighed this time.

"I know, Dear Lord do I know." He said.

"It's settled then." Costa said. "She comes with us."

"Lets get back in there." he said and they went back in the room. "You're going to come with us." He said to her and she smiled again, producing the same warmth inside of him. A sideways look at his brothers told him that they felt it too based on their expressions. "Do you have any talents that you know of?"

"I think so." She said, her brow furrowed.

"Well, what?" he asked.

"Do any of you have a small object?" she asked and JD produced a small stress ball from his pocket.

"Is this good?" he asked and she nodded.

"Perfect. Can I see it please?" she asked, holding out her hand and he placed it in her palm. The doctor stepped back to stand with them and they watched as she held the ball in her palm in front of her face, her eyes fixed on the sphere. It started to shake and they watched as it raised off her palm to hover in the air in front of her. A furrow developed between her brows again and deepened the longer the ball hovered. She pressed her hand to her head and ball dropped onto the bed as her concentration broke.

"Well," Criss said, more than a little bit shocked. "Welcome to the team."