1 October 2008

Unbeknownst to Mycroft, supernatural activity was increasing worldwide. The breaking of the 66 seals would release Lucifer from the cage in Hell, and bring about the Apocalypse. Demonic activity would increase, angels would make themselves known on earth (or more than they had been). The world was going to end if Lucifer escaped and fought Michael in an epic battle that pitted brother against brother.

Or at least that's what Mycroft would learn later. For the moment, he was in his office in central London. He was working. It was just another day, another month, another year, in the life of Mycroft Holmes.

He heard a knock on the door and offered a 'come in', even as he was still focused on the bit of information he was analyzing and typing out. He glanced up at the guest, making the first initial deductions and then smiling in a way that would be viewed as polite.

It was Daniel Simmons, a relatively young politician who made an appearance every once and a while to ask stupid questions. But at least he was generally polite. Mycroft sniffed once and straightened in his chair. "Mr. Simmons, can I help you?"

Simmons closed the door, earning another aloof sniff from Mycroft, and came to a stop in front of the desk. "Hello sir, I might enquire if I can have a moment of your time."

Mycroft shifted in his chair again. Something was off, but he couldn't quite pin it down. "You're already taking a moment of my time, please hurry up."

Simmons smiled, something a bit more dangerous than he usually did, and took a step aside as if to walk around the desk. Which is what he'd end up doing. "See," he said, "I have a partner. And he needs you specifically."

"And what does-" Mycroft didn't get the chance to finish before Simmons moved supernaturally fast to his chair. A strong hand clamped on his neck, squeezing enough to be painful but not enough to cut off his air. Mycroft gasped slightly, wide eyes meeting the young man's with momentary confusion.

Simmons leaned in with a sneer, eyes flitting completely black in a way that was certainly not normal. "Don't worry, just stay right there, I'll bring him in."

"You…unhand me…" Mycroft struggled, however the training he'd received seemed useless against the much stronger individual. He grappled for his phone, only to have it grabbed out of his hand and thrown across the room. A swirling cloud of black smoke entered the room through a vent, and he struggled to comprehend it all in the face of what he was experiencing.

The smoke did one twist in the air and then dove for him. However, at the last second it veered off and went back to the corner with a barely audible shriek. Simmons' black eyes turned between the two of them. "Protected?!" He snarled, gripping Mycroft's throat a little tighter. "What…"

Mycroft's suspicions were confirmed, and he did something he'd been hesitating to do, but which now felt extremely necessary. He gasped out the name as he prayed. "Na-omi."

The urgency must have been noted, because not a second later Naomi landed in the room. Expression furious and angel blade out, she was a sight to behold as the sky darkened out the window. The demon let go of Mycroft immediately, every visible sign pointing to his fear of the angel. The smoke, which could only be another demon without a host, tried to escape. But Naomi put a hand out to stop it. A squeeze, and the smoke swirled down and through the floor to destination unknown.

Simmons, or more accurately the demon inside the young man, stammered a series of uncertainties as he backed himself up in a literal corner. "You're….no…what did…you can't be.…"

"Just stop, filth." Naomi interrupted him with a condescending look. She disappeared and reappeared behind him, stabbing the blade through the demon's back. Simmons stiffened and gasped, as people usually did when they were stabbed. But the unnatural glow that flashed a few times as the demon died wasn't. Mycroft noted it with all the other occurrences that happened during his time with Naomi.

By the time Naomi had killed the demon, and sent the other one away, Mycroft had recovered. He hadn't moved from his chair, in order to stay out of harm's way. A series of adjustments on his suit, a quick rub of his neck, a clearing of his throat, and a steepling of his hands left him sitting very quietly by the time all was said and done. He spoke first, even as the body dropped. "Thank you."

Naomi's eyes met his and she nodded once. "You're welcome."

"Any reason that just happened?" He asked. He could deduce, but he usually preferred to hear it from her, as his experience in this 'supernatural' world was limited.

"I'd wager they were attempting to establish a demon high in your government. You're obviously the most strategic choice." Naomi answered, putting her bloodied silver blade away to where it stayed.

"Which is why you've protected me from being possessed." Mycroft concluded, leaning forward and putting his elbows on his desk. "You hadn't told me you did that."

"Precautionary measures only, based on the sheer amount of information you have, it would be….illogical to leave you susceptible to possession." Naomi said, settling herself in one of the chairs across his desk. All trace of the terrifying ferocity gone from her face.

"How?" Mycroft asked.

"Etchings on your rib cage, a couple years ago now." She answered.

He nodded. "Good to know."

Naomi watched him a moment in the usual unreadable intensity, before speaking again. "Perhaps I should have told you. Next time I act on something similar, I will."

"I understand the need to keep information safe, but I'd appreciate full disclosure next time." Mycroft said, with a bit of caution. The angel just had killed one of the many underlings that ran around the building. Not that he didn't trust her to not kill him, he just preferred less collateral damage.

"Noted." She replied impassively.

"What of….Mr Simmons?" He asked, with a quick nod towards the body. "He can't be left here. Despite my position, I'd rather not be suspect in a murder, or even considered as one."

"I'll deposit him elsewhere." Naomi said, her tone suggesting she had little care for the human casualty. "There was nothing I could do for him."

"Right." He said, leaning back in his seat again. "Thank you, again. You responded quickly, I hate to think of what would have happened otherwise."

"You're welcome." Naomi said again, changing the subject slightly. "I can't stay much longer, but I'll be around next week as usual."

"I look forward to it." Mycroft said, offering her an amiable smile.

Naomi met his smile with one of her own, and then vanished with the dead body in a flutter of feathers.