"It's Kristi!" Laila exclaimed with glistening eyes from the door of the kitchen. She was holding a forgotten receipt in her hand, now crumbled, due to the urgency of the situation.

"Kristi?" Natalie questioned as she hurried after Laila. Kristi rarely ever came to the bar, she was not a smoker and didn't partake in alcohol all the much, so it was strange to hear of her then. Natalie could not wrap her head around the fact that Kristi was the cause of the panic, and that she happened to be at the bar on top of it. What kind of situation had she gotten herself into?

They burst out of the hall where the occupants of the room had crowded around the front. Burning hookahs and half empty drinks were left forgotten in everyone's haste to see what was going on. The majority of those blocking Natalie's path were human, she noted, as she pushed her way through them and grunted when someone elbowed her in the stomach by accident. People were muttering grimly while others wore expressions of worry, and even fear. She could practically feel the static of their fright in the air.

"Get out of the way!" Lucifer's voice broke through the crowd. Several people attempted to do was he had ordered but there were so many bodies clustered about that there was nowhere to actually move to. Natalie could just make out the top of his head from over the crowd, and she steered herself in that direction.

"Natalie!" She heard Kristi cry her name and it spurred her to shove her way through the last few standing in her path. She came to a stop, finally having burst through the crowd, and paused to take in the site before her.

Kristi sat sprawled on the ground with a child in her arms. Her face was red and blotchy from crying and the little girl she held was unresponsive. Natalie gasped and dropped to her knees over the child. She was practically grey, such was her coloring, and it did not bode well for her condition what so ever. Natalie had only seen a corpse a handful of times in her life, and the girl wasn't far off.

"What happened?" she asked in a surprisingly calm voice as her maternal instincts kicked in. She held her hands under the child's head and urged Kristi to lower her to the ground as gently as she could. Nothing could be done if the woman refused to so much as let go of her. She held a hand on the ground, protecting the girls head from the cement floor, and glanced up at Kristi urgently.

"I was just picking her up from gymnastics and she just stopped talking, she was completely fine one second and then she was gone the next. I didn't know what to do . . ." Kristi sobbed and crouched over the child as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. Her hands hovered over her, shaking, wanting to do something to fix the problem but not understanding. "She's my little sister and I don't know what to do, I was near by and you were the first person who came to mind. It didn't seem natural." Kristi struggled to explain the events that had led her to the bar through her sobs.

"Can someone please call nine one one," Natalie called in a commanding tone but did not take her eyes off the child as she felt for a pulse at her neck. The little girl looked no older than six. She sat as still as she could, ignoring the commotion around her as Laila did as instructed and made the call, waiting for any sign of life within the small body. Natalie leaned forward slowly and took a breath in when she felt the slightest of pulses. She leaned over to listen at the girl's mouth and allowed herself to relax a little at the sound and feel of a small breath.

"Okay, okay," she mumbled in an effort to calm herself and patted the girls cheek. "Alyssa?" she called quietly. No one commented on the fact that the little girl's name had never been mentioned. There was no movement from her. "Alyssa, honey, can you hear me?" she asked again.

Blue eyes cracked open a fraction but there was no other response, but it was better than nothing.

Kristi sobbed at the slightest of reactions and leaned over closer towards her little sister.

"She's not here," Natalie murmured, dazed.

"What?" Kristi cried. "What do you mean she's not here?"

Natalie did not answer her as she dropped a hand on the girls forehead and then over her stomach. Flashing lights split across the room as an ambulance pulled into the parking lot and Natalie leaned back on her ankles and turned back to meet Lucifer's eyes. He wore a frown but his eyes spoke volumes. He knew what she had meant and it did not bode well for humanity.

The paramedics rushed in through the door, held open by Felix, and took Alyssa away with a sobbing Kristi in tow. All the while Natalie sat there on the floor, staring at her own opens palms, wondering just what was taking the souls of children from the dead and now even the living. Tears fell from her eyes as helplessness overwhelmed her. She didn't understand what was going on and had no idea how to fix it. The very souls she had sent out into the world were being stolen. She would even go so far as to consider it kidnapping. She had healed them, housed them, within her very heart before saying her goodbyes to them so that they could have another shot at life. And someone or something was snatching them away.

It wasn't right.

She was pulled to her feet by a familiar set of hands and lead back to her favorite couch as Laila closed up shop early. Anyone not directly related to Natalie and the End of Days was ushered out the door and it was locked behind them with the promise of reopening tomorrow for their regular hours. Many a customer grumbled that night, but they understood, and would go home to keep their own children close.

"What the hell?" Felix muttered as he walked back to join the others at the couches.

"Everyone, let's take a moment to calm down," Raphael stepped up and ushered Felix to take his vacated seat on the couch. The demon slid into place and watched as Raphael moved over to Natalie and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Natalie . . ." he called quietly.

When she did not respond Lucifer frowned and snapped his fingers in front of her, "Nat," he called.

Natalie let out a heavy sigh, as if she had been holding her breath, and glanced about the gathered group. In order, Laila, Lucifer, Felix, Raphael, Pax, Nathan, Chelle, Max, and a handful of other angels and demons that Natalie wasn't too familiar with were present and staring at her with questioning eyes. Gabriel and Michael were probably still back at the house, she thought vaguely.

"Umm," she mumbled and shook her head to rid herself of the sight of the soulless child before she took a breath and said, "Something is taking the souls of children. Death mentioned it to me about a week ago and said he would look into it. But he hasn't been back since . . ." she trailed off and ran a hand through her hair. Now she even worried for the horsemen. Had she sent Death to his own demise?

"And now it's taking the souls of children still among the living," Raphael finished with a curled finger held to his chin in thought.

Natalie nodded wordlessly.

"I don't know what to do," she admitted in the stunned silence that followed. "But I know it can't keep doing this. The balance we have achieved is still so fragile . . ." She implored them to understand the magnitude of the event, and just how terrifying it was, because she could not handle the emotions she felt on her own.

Lucifer sat with a hand on Natalie's back, but as emotions swirled within the room, his own frustration rose. It was one thing after another. He had selfishly thought, for a moment, that this was another form of punishment. The drama brought on by the missing souls was just another obstacle preventing him from knowing peace. But he quickly derailed the thought and shook it from his mind. This affected Natalie above all else, he could see it in the way she hunched her shoulders and clasped her hands, trying to mask the shivering that wracked her body. And the tears that still bled from her eyes.

Lucifer glanced about the room, taking in the familiar faces of demons and angels, and saw them all then as what they truly were: Brothers and sisters. Born of the same race and separated by choice, but still, they had all been friends at one point. He could not fix the problem on his own, he knew that, otherwise he would have put a stop to it all before Natalie could even shed a tear. He would need help. And with that thought, his mind was made up.

"I think it's time we all sat our asses down and talked," Lucifer stated, cutting through the frantic muttering of the group as easily as a knife through butter. "We'll hold a council and figure out how the hell to deal with this shit before it gets any further out of hand," he continued and pushed himself to his feet, pulling Natalie up along with him. "Festus," he called.

"Yes," Felix stood to attention.

"Take Pax and gather all those you can find. We'll hold a meeting at Natalie's house in two days. I want everyone worthy enough to be under my command there," he ordered. He trusted Felix's judgment in that department above all else, as he was the most loyal of any Fallen, and would forgo anyone that may cause trouble. He wished he had Ipos steadiness in that moment, but he would make do with what he had.

The angels in the room fell silent as Lucifer spoke and shared hesitant glances. They had not known that it would come to this, that Lucifer would assume command over the demons again, and were unsure if it was wise to even act as two separate bodies of government any longer.

"Yes, master," Felix shouted and glanced over at Pax who jumped to his feet with a grin.

"Alright, finally, some action!" Pax crowed as the two disappeared within the shadows to do as ordered.

"Raphael," Lucifer called.

Raphael still stood but he had lifted a hand to rub at the back of his neck. It was frustrating, but Michael was no longer an Arch Angel, he who would lead them was no longer their leader. He leveled a knowing stare at Lucifer and nodded once. He would step up in Michael's place for the time being.

"Now is not the time to bother working out new politics," Lucifer growled at the unrest that grew from the angels. "We follow our old ways until this is settled and we can work something better out later. Raphael is your next best option," he continued.

It was true. While Gabriel had the knowledge to lead he was far too nervous and did not have the fortitude. Uriel was too emotional and unpredictable with his abilities to be counted on to lead the angels as a whole. Raphael was a healer, yes, but he was clam and worked well under pressure. He was also far wiser. The others knew that he would weigh every option fairly and give great thought to each possible outcome before coming to a decision.

It was the best they could do at the moment, though no one wanted to admit, and angel eyes followed Lucifer as he guided Natalie through the back.

Two days later and Natalie's backyard was packed with so many people that she worried someone would call the cops to report a noise complaint. Every angel and demon of sound mind had shown up to discuss the next course of action and how exactly they should proceed from that point on without a Heaven or Hell to guide their actions. The two groups had separated themselves to either side of the yard and the image was memorable. Angels in jeans and robes decorated one side while demons in black and torn clothes, horns on display, speckled the other.

Natalie wrung her hands nervously as she stood on the patio, watching as Max and Felix worked to set up a large canopy tent where her dining room table would be set for representatives of each group to sit down and talk. Her nerves were frayed but she was inexplicably happy to see all the angels and demons coming together for a good cause.

"Back up, Nat," Lucifer called as he pulled one end of her table through the glass door while Michael followed with the other end in hand.

Natalie slid out of the way as they walked the furniture down the steps and positioned it under the tent. It would shield them from the sun while the other angels and demons sat around in the shade of the grand oaks. Laila and Chelle had shown up to offer assistance with tending to the guests, and they walked about handing out lemonade and spiked teas, while bickering and laughter filled the air.

Pax trailed after Lucifer and Michael with an armful of chairs and Gabriel was soon to follow.

Natalie stepped down onto the grass after them and watched as Lucifer took the chairs from Pax and set them about around the table. He gestured for her to take a seat at one end of table and she absently complied. She looked up from under the tent, allowing the warm sunlight and blue sky to ease her mind, before she sighed and set her arms on the table. It was nerve wracking to have asked all willing angels and demons to show up, but then, it was Lucifer who had made the call. And the fact that he had done so was not something Natalie would ever forget. Not too long ago, he had hated humans completely, content to manipulate and bend them to his will, but now he was willing to help her save them.

"Let's get this over with," he grouched loudly to all those present.

A hush fell over the yard as Raphael stood from the group of angels and sat down to Natalie's right. Gabriel claimed the seat next to his brother nervously and gripped a scroll of parchment tightly, on which he had made several notations of discussion topics, before shooting Natalie a smile meant to reassure her. It was obvious he felt awkward; as such a council had never really been organized before, least of all without Michael to lead by Father's word. The angels felt so out of place without their home, father, and leader. Natalie had tried to make sure they felt welcomed in her own home in the meantime, but she understood, it was not at all the same.

Natalie returned the smile with her own.

Lucifer sat down at her left and, to the surprise of everyone present, Michael took the seat next to him. He wore a steely expression that dared anyone to challenge him. Lucifer watched from the corner of his eye with a smirk and crossed arms. The beginnings of a set of horns could be seen, peeking out through his mop of hair, but Lucifer refrained from commenting on it. Instead he leveled a look at Raphael, who wore a grim expression, and rolled his eyes.

There were still five available seats left at the table and it had been decided that Max would sit at the other end to represent humans in the discussion. He looked so out of place, sitting across from Natalie, that she felt for him. The man had been through enough in his life without having to add the council between Angels and Fallen to the list. He sat down with hands clasped on top of the table before him and twiddled his thumbs with a heavy sigh. He didn't know how Natalie did it.

The four remaining were open to the horsemen, but Death was still missing, so as the three took their spots, all eyes turned to the empty chair at one point or another with unease. Death was still missing and no one had received any word on his whereabouts.

The silence was heavy and very much pregnant. There was still so much hatred for the other swirling within the ranks as they stood to attention, but, there was no longer any reason for it. Heaven and Hell were no more. There was no opposing side that needed to be overcome but the animosity still lingered like a glass of orange juice after brushing ones teeth. Natalie could feel it as they all settled in the backyard, waiting for the council to begin, and it rubbed at her flesh like sandpaper. She fought back a spike of irritation.

Once everyone had been seated, an awkward tension settled, and Lucifer dropped his eyes to his left and nudged Natalie's foot with his own. She had been lost in thought, obviously terrified, as she was meant to provide an opening speech so that the council could commence. What he didn't know was that she was equal parts frustrated with the obvious dislike and distrust between the two groups. While her close friends had gotten along, Felix and Uriel, Pax and Raphael, it was clear now that the others did not feel the same.

"Oh!" she started and sat straight in her chair, resting clasped hands on the table, and scanned the surrounding faces with nervous eyes. They were all grim. Some irritated while others were nervous and worried. And fear bubbled in her chest as their attention was set upon her like a pack of ravenous hounds. But then her father smiled at her from the other end of the table and she was reminded of why she was there, to save humanity, before she cleared her throat. "Thank you, everyone, for coming today . . ."

All the angels and demons who had been loitering about had taken it upon themselves to cluster around the tent, some sitting and some standing, to hear her as she spoke. Their bodies held the heat of the day in and the stifling stuffiness pressed in against her and the others at the table.

"As you all know, life has changed drastically for all of us, and we are still struggling to pick ourselves back up," she continued, gaining a bit more confidence with each word. She paused, allowing her eyes to scan the concerned faces around the table and backyard, searchingly. She dropped her eyes to her own hands and tapped a finger on the wood while she worked to steady her nerves. "But this is a new beginning. The beauty of this world is that it is ever changing, and shifting, and working to provide us all with a home that can accommodate our needs. And we need to match its efforts. Heaven is no more," she declared and the angels present dropped their eyes, "And Hell has been eliminated."

Lucifer sat forward, arms crossed and leaning onto the table, feeling the weight of many a demons eye on his back. Hell did not matter to them. They had chosen to follow Lucifer long before it had been sealed within him and would follow him still. As long as his ideals remained the same.

"What you once fought over is now done, whether you want it to be or not, and we are all standing here on the same ground," she continued. She lifted her hands now as she spoke, imploring those around her to understand what it was humanity needed of them. "Today, we are gathered as one united force against something that threatens this very precarious balance we have managed to cultivate in the absence of Heaven or Hell, and we need to put an end to it before it gets out of hand."

She was shaking. She was confident in her words but she could feel the building frustration in the crowd, ready to crash over her, as soon as the wave reached its crest. She did not know what would be the final breaking point but she hoped it would not be during her opening speech, she was never good at debate.

"To the angels, I ask for your assistance on the behalf of all humanity," Natalie began. She knew the angels would help, regardless, as they loved humanity and all that it could be. It was why they had remained angels. They had heard their Father's word and taken it upon themselves to offer protection and guidance to those below while they lived out their lives. They regarded humans tenderly, as a parent would their child, and would do anything to help.

"And to those who have fallen . . ." she paused and licked her lips, feeling Lucifer tense beside her, "I humbly ask that you think on the lives you have lived since you joined us here on Earth, and see it worth saving. If not humanity, then at least the world it has created. And know that no one here, in this backyard or on this planet, is better than the other."

Natalie paused in her speech and licked her lips. She could tell that the demons were not quite satisfied with her statement. There was general unrest but it was not as volatile as it had been at the beginning. Her eyes lifted to Lucifer at her side to find him watching her with an expression of bemusement. His yellow eyes glowed brightly in the shade of the tent and watched her with almost predator like curiosity.

"By whose say?" a voice spoke up from the crowd of demons to their left. Their voice had broken the hush upon the crowd as easily as glass shattering upon the ground and muttering began among all those present. Lucifer dropped his eyes to the table in thought, having known she would get such a response, and was curious to see how she handled it. His eyes lifted to her again, watching as a range of emotions blossomed across it; surprise, annoyance, exasperation, and then sadness, recognition, and resolve.

"By mine," Natalie stated and stood with crossed arms and a straight back. She did not bother to search out the face of the one who spoke. This was a power play, she felt, and stooping to the demons level by searching him out would break whatever image of authority she had mustered with her new status. She could not allow that to happen at this point in time, she needed their help, and they would only help if they respected her.

"And mine," Raphael stood, pushing his chair back, wearing a glower that could rival Satan's. He had grown rather fond of Natalie over the years, he had been impressed with her resolve over and over again, and would not tolerate anyone's disrespect of her in his presence.

"And mine," Lucifer stated darkly as he too stood and met Raphael's eyes steadily. It was Natalie's turn to color him impressed. A smirk grew across his face as he watched her from the corner of his eye. She had learned from him, it would seem, as she handled the situation well.

"And mine," Max said quietly as he stood nervously. He understood that, though he was unfamiliar with the majority of the people in that backyard, he was meant to represent humanity. While his political stance in the situation was important, he also needed to support his daughter. She stood there at the end of table looking like a woman no man would want to mess with, despite her small stature, and would take no lip from anyone. But even with all that, he knew she was nervous beyond all belief and struggling to keep her composure. She just wanted everyone to get along and didn't want to have to fight to make it happen, but Alex knew, she would do whatever it took.

"And ours," the three present horsemen said in unison as they pushed their chairs back. Though they had once followed no one but themselves, they had agreed to show Natalie respect, as she had become mother to all. They would make sure all knew of their support of her then and there.

The crowds fell silent.

Natalie reclaimed her seat, as she had originally stood, ready for a fight. "No one here is above the other, as we all have the same capability for good and evil, and we can all die," she said in a softer tone, "No more fighting among ourselves, let us sit down and discuss how best to proceed from this point on. I open this table for discussion now."

The others sat back down and the crowed muttered while those at the table settled themselves.

Natalie dropped her shaking hands into her lap and let out a relieved sigh, glad that her part was over, and more than ready to head back inside and sit back down on her couch to surf through something to watch on Netlfix. She glanced down at her arms, rubbing at the red tattoos that marked them, and felt the souls within her murmur comfortingly. As if the recent activity reminded them of their new lives they had waiting, a few souls chose to leave her then, and she was mortified as tears slid down her cheeks. She wanted to reach up and wipe them away, but she worried that the movement would cause someone to notice, and so she remained still as Gabriel spoke.

But everyone present, even humans, felt the souls depart. Gabriel paused as tears welled up in his own eyes and glanced at her with a smile.

"Sorry," she mumbled hastily and wiped her eyes anyways, realizing that several people had looked her way despite her efforts, and thought to hell with it.

"Don't apologize, Gingersnap," Michael reassured her with a warm smile and rested his chin on a fist, "It's a beautiful thing."

Raphael refused to look at her as Lucifer reached over to clasp a hand in her lap.

"As I was saying," Gabriel started up again in an effort to save the woman further embarrassment, "if this force continues at the pace it is, collecting the souls of children both living and not, humanities population will begin to drastically fall. This may induce panic, within the next year, and economies around the world will begin to crash."

"War will break out," War spoke up darkly, "Entire countries will panic and turn on each other. Birthrates will plummet without souls to reincarnate."

"Food will be scarce," Famine voiced quietly from where she sat.

"Diseases will spread with fewer doctors and people desperate to repopulate," Pestilence added with raised brows and crossed arms.

Each statement hung heavily in the air above them, painting a dark future for humanity, and causing Natalie herself to wish she could take the souls that had just left back and hold them within her until all was safe. But she had no control over it, though she wished she did, and settled for crossing her arms over her chest and rubbing at her arms to comfort herself.

"We know, it'll be bad," Lucifer cut across them darkly and crossed his arms. "The fact that Death is missing alone is concerning, as now all children's souls are free game. On top of that, you all seem to be missing a very crucial piece of information," he continued grimly.

"What information?" Raphael asked tiredly. Lucifer's temper had always left him feeling rather exasperated.

"It's not just human souls that have been passed through Natalie," Lucifer stated, as if those surrounding them were dumber than dirt, "We could very well be losing souls of our fellow brothers and sisters as we speak."

Silence fell again.

"We have no way of protecting every child and no way to determine where this thing will strike next," Lucifer muttered through the silence and sat back in his chair, knowing his point had been made. Hopefully, it would put to rest and unwillingness from his own followers.

"Schools?" Max stated thoughtfully.

All eyes turned to him and he had to admit, it was intimidating to have angels, demons, and horsemen alike staring him down. He drummed his fingers on the table and squared his shoulders. If Natalie could stand among their company and deliver a moving speech, then he could at least offer up a suggestion.

"Is it possible for us to set up surveillance over as many schools as we can and wait to see if something happens?" he questioned. No one seemed to like the idea but he pushed on, "I understand that waiting around isn't exactly what anyone wants to do in such a situation, but with no leads . . ."

"It is a wise move," Raphael finally spoke up. "We set up teams to watch over schools while another watches over hospitals. Until we know what it is we are dealing with, we have no other action to take, even if we do not like it." Raphael eyed the human with growing respect, he had raised Natalie after all, before their eyes met and he frowned slightly. He was very much damaged and tired, but it seemed that Natalie's presence was beginning to ease the deep cracks within his soul, he would be whole again one day.

"And Death?" Michael asked, turning his eyes onto the three horsemen curiously. While the situation was a serious matter, he still looked rather bored as he sat with his chin propped on a fist, but his shoulders were tense and the fingers of his free hand drummed on the table in an effort to relieve his mounting frustration.

"We will search for him," Pestilence assured them. It was not the first time a horsemen had disappeared, but it was a first for Death, who was constantly working and in multiple places at once. The others were free to come and go of their own will, but not Death, Death always had work. So it was worrisome that he had fallen off the radar after attempting to sort out the issue on his own.

"We can research and see if there is anything in lore," Natalie offered lamely. "If we can narrow it down to a few suspects, I'm sure we can figure something out." The internet was a vast expanse of knowledge of all kinds and she was certain that with the right phrasing, she would be able to find a list of possible suspects.

"There's so much information to go through," Gabriel muttered with a sigh. "And we can't just rule out anything that is biblical related, since many supernatural creatures still roam the Earth."

"What?" Natalie questioned with wide eyes. A menagerie of creatures passed through her mind. She clasped her hands as every horror movie monster and its questionable existence was shown in a new light. She stared at Gabriel, watching as his discomfort grew under her gaze, before she turned her eyes onto the man to her left.

Lucifer rubbed his face with a suffering sigh. He knew Gabriel's slip would lead to hours of questioning of which creatures were real and which were fake. He could already feel Natalie's starry eyed gaze on him even as he determinedly looked away. Suddenly, what Gabriel had to say was far more interesting than it had been before.

"Then we will need to assemble a group to cover the necessary locations while the horsemen search for Death," Gabriel stated as he notated the decision on his piece of parchment.

"Lucifer, why not let us borrow the pups?" Famine asked curiously, brows raised, as the two in question romped about in the distance. They were nearly two acres out but their hulking black forms could not be missed.

"They do have a knack for sniffing out evil," War drawled with a slimy smile. There was no shortage of what he could do with the Hellhounds if they were turned over to him for safekeeping. The hellions had struck fear into the hearts of thousands of men over the millennia.

"No," Lucifer said coldly. "They stay with Natalie from now on."

"Lucifer," Gabriel called imploringly. The hellhounds were an excellent resource for reconnaissance, even Gabriel knew, as Lucifer had truly used them to his advantage back in the day. They had sniffed out any darkness within a human's soul and lured them to the Devil for contracting. Surely they could find something even more evil than a human.

"No, Gabriel," Raphael said quietly, staying his brother with a raised hand. "Lucifer is right. Natalie, above all else, must be protected."

"Of course, I meant no offense," Gabriel assured quietly. He was fond of Natalie himself and would not wish any harm upon her by forcing Lucifer to relinquish his hellhounds for use in the search.

"You're the least offensive person I know, Gabe," Natalie exclaimed. The tension between Raphael, Lucifer, and War was thick enough to trip up even the smoothest of talkers. Expertly, she broke it without directly addressing the issue and rested a hand over Lucifer's fist on the table before she continued, "We may want to consider allowing at least Jasper to assist in the search."

Lucifer scowled and opened his mouth to object, teeth sharp and ready for a battle of wills, but Natalie cocked a brow at him and leveled him with a knowing smirk.

"I have you by my side, Lucifer, and I still want to make sure everyone gets as much help as they can," she pleaded with him to see reason.

Both the fallen and archangel fell silent but nodded once, seeing her reasoning behind it.

"But, I would like to entrust Jasper to Pestilence, not War," she added. "No offense, dude, but I've had dealings with you in the past and I don't trust your judgement."

War scowled but only crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair.

"Are you sure?" Pestilence asked with a quirked brow of her own, a bit surprised the woman would trust her over War, considering she had killed her once.

"You know when to play your cards and when to fold," Natalie answered with a shrug.

"She's got a point," Lucifer muttered and let out a sigh. He shot her an approving look, again impressed with her intelligence, before letting out a sharp whistle.

The two hounds in the distance perked their heads up, pausing in their roughhousing, before trotting over. Jekyll looped around the tent and plopped down on his haunches behind Natalie, dropping his snout to sniff at her neck while she chuckled, while Jasper sat next to Lucifer and bent his own head for instructions.

"Jasper," Lucifer intoned and the hounds ears twitched in response, "Do as Pestilence says for now, we're searching for something evil, your nose is needed."

"Understood," Jasper's soothing voice rolled through their minds. He stood again and moved to sit behind Pestilence with a huff.

The angels were visibly uncomfortable with the hounds presence but made no comment, choosing to continue on with the discussion. Minor details were worked out from that point on; who would guard the schools, who would watch over the hospitals, and who would be focused on research. It was decided that, should anyone on patrol catch sight of the suspect, no action was to be taken, but they were to report to either Raphael or Lucifer their findings. There was to be no fighting until they knew who or what they were dealing with. They couldn't afford to lose anyone.