Angel with a Shotgun {Part 2 of 2} {2P!America x Reader}

"I don't care if Heaven won't take me back. Not without you."

Warning: Not recommended if you're highly religious. Below has mentions of anti-God, devils, purgatory, demons/angels, Heaven/Hell, and death. Also contains blood, horror, violence, and very dark themes. Not to mention Zao's opium addiction, Francois's bad smoking habit, and Allen's mouth.

Hey, you wanted the 2P's; you got the 2P's.

Alfred…

The name had such a warm, comforting ring to it. But, to your horror, you realized you still didn't know exactly who this Alfred was. You knew he was the person who Allen reminded you of, but that was about it.

You got an image of him, a name, and a personality. But no memory of your relationship with him. You understood you must have known him from your previous life, but you didn't know how you knew him. Was he a friend? Acquaintance? Family member?

You had never been more puzzled. And after that piece of memory returned, you somehow felt even more drawn to Allen than usual. You didn't say it, but you could tell he acted like he already knew you from a different life. But there was no way he'd tell you—that you knew for sure. He was devious, secretive, and mysterious. There were a lot of things he still hadn't told you.

Some ideas came from the fact that he was often hard on everyone but you. The way he scolded others for their improper aim, but offered to help you when you were having trouble. How he usually came to your rescue whenever one of the Battlefront members was either getting too touchy or teasing you too much. All of these actions made you believe he had to have some kind of connection to you—either in another life or… you didn't want to think about the other idea.

Maybe he was nicer to you than the rest of the Battlefront simply because you were a girl…? Or was it really that you'd known him back when you both were alive?

No; you saw who he looked like. That was who you knew before you died. Not Allen.

But, deep down, you wished it had been Allen who you'd met before your death. Whoever this 'hero' Alfred was—he couldn't compare to your villain.

-D-A-T-I-N-G-T-H-E-W-O-R-L-D-

It was a couple of weeks after your trip into the city. Or at least you guessed it was weeks; since there was no way to tell the time in purgatory. The Battlefront had already gone back to retrieve the supplies they'd failed to obtain when you went. The few trips they made without you had been their most successful yet—they'd brought back more weapons, ammunition, food, water, medicine, and other supplies than ever before. You wanted to crawl under a rock just to drown in your shame.

Of course, Allen had told you to stay each time. He said you weren't ready yet. But he hadn't seemed angry, just concerned.

"Don't worry about those monsters," Luciano had told you; who'd also been instructed by Allen to stay and help keep you and the base safe. "They're monsters, I'll repeat. They can kill anything. Just because you can't doesn't mean you're weak." You knew he was implying the rest of the Battlefront. And, he was right. They could slay anything that got in their way.

But still, you wished you could help more. Fighting wasn't really your forte. So instead, you assisted Oliver in the kitchen, helped Luciano sharpen his nearly countless throwing knives, learned how to repair guns with Ion, and made the base a more comfortable place to live. You once asked Allen to bring back some new light bulbs from the city, and he did. You soon fixed the dim, flickering lighting, and cleaned up the rest of the base. Before you came, not even prim, organized little Oliver cleaned the place. You made it much more comfortable after a while.

You continued training with Allen, Kuro, and Luciano. You came to be almost half as amazing as the rest of the Battlefront when it came to shooting, sword fighting, and knife throwing. But still, you weren't sure if you could manage out in the darkness all alone. You were able to defend yourself much better than most girls, but you were still frightened of red-eyed demons who wanted to consume your damn soul.

After a while, even Francois and Ion praised your skills and helpfulness. They no longer saw you as the weak, useless little girl from before. You had practiced sword fighting with them, since Kuro and Zao were much too difficult opponents.

You had actually managed to knock both Ion's and Francois's swords from their hands. Your training with Kuro was a success. You were officially more skilled than Ion and Francois when it came to sword fighting. As for gun shooting, you weren't even close. And when it came to knife throwing, no one was better than you and Luciano.

Surprisingly, Oliver was the best when it came to ax-wielding. Put anything large, heavy, and sharp in his hands, and he could go on a bloody rampage before anyone could scream murder. But strangely, he preferred fighting with kitchen knives. Especially machetes.

Allen and Lutz were tied for best gun shooter. But Allen was extremely talented in all other fighting categories as well—swordsmanship, ax-wielding, and even swinging around a bloodied, iron nail-covered baseball bat. He could defend himself the best out of everyone while using any kind of weapon, even throwing knives if a last resort. He was the Battlefront leader—so naturally he was the best fighter.

You and the rest of the group were currently waiting for him in the conference room. He had scheduled a meeting to discuss the schedules for everyone's night-watch duties. Ever since your trip into the city, more demons had been appearing near the base—when before, almost none came nearby. Luckily, the iron barbed wire fences kept them off the property; but Allen wouldn't be taking any chances. So he decided for the members to individually start taking night-watches.

Of course, by having 'night-watches', you all knew he meant someone who watched over the base while everyone was sleeping. Since it was technically always dark here in purgatory.

"Let me down, Oliver." You whined. While you guys had been waiting for Allen to show up, Oliver had pulled you to sit in his lap.

"I don't think so, my dearest~. Besides, aren't you comfy?" He affectionately wrapped his arms around your waist and snuggled his face into the crook of your neck.

"Not really…" Oliver had always been a cuddler. You didn't know why, but lately you had almost replaced Allen and Francois as his favorite object of affection.

He gently grabbed a strand of your hair and moved it behind your ear. He hummed a disturbingly innocent nursery song into your ear as he held you to his body.

"You guys look really weird like that." Zao commented, who was sitting on a chair near you two. Oliver was sitting on the table, his feet propped against a chair, while he kept you in his lap.

"We're in love~" He cooed, to which you rolled your eyes.

"…Whatever," Zao took another drag from what appeared to be a pipe of lit opium. "So, my little raven, wanna hit?" He held up the drug suggestively.

You scoffed, "How many times do I have to tell you no?"

Across the table, Lutz piped up, "I'll try it!"

Luciano facepalmed, "Don't, Lutz."

Kuro leaned back in his chair, "I've tried better stuff. You should try drugs that are actually worth your time, Zao."

In response, Zao scowled at him. "Shut up. At least I don't take steroids to boost my swordsmanship."

Angered, Kuro instantly stood up and prepared to lunge at Zao—but a stoic voice interrupted him. "Don't be an idiot, Kuro. You know what Allen will do if he comes in here to see us fighting." Ion said; his long gray jacket and black scarf nearly blending him into the shadows.

Across the room, Francois sighed. Voice emotionless, he added, "I'd rather not die again, thank you very much."

As Oliver was distracted, you slid off his lap. "Where is Allen, anyways?" You wondered aloud.

Lutz smirked, "Why? You miss your boyfriend already?"

Your face instantly blushed. "W-What? No! I-I mean, he's not my boyfriend!"

Luciano giggled, "I think our leader has a thing for Miss _~"

Your cheeks and ears burned. But the teasing didn't stop just yet.

"He would make an ideal partner for you, _. He's quite strong and protective—truly honorable." Kuro added in.

Zao scoffed, "Oh please. This little raven is mine." He thumb-pointed to you as he slouched in his chair and smirked at Kuro, Luciano, and Lutz.

"When is that? After you try to drug her?" Lutz teased.

"You just can't admit that _ and Allen are an item." Kuro waved it off.

"That's so cute—we've never had girl problems before." Luciano sniggered.

Suddenly, a skin-crawling, disturbing giggle was heard from the center of the room. Everyone cautiously craned their heads to where the frightening sound came from.

Oliver was giving off a dark, yandere aura as he licked fresh blood off one of his kitchen knives, "My dearest _ with Allen or Zao? Not if I can help it, teehee~"

Right at that moment, the door opened. Allen walked inside, right hand holding his baseball bat over his shoulder and left in his jean pocket. "Alright everyone, what'd I miss?"

You tossed him a weird look, "We've been waiting for you."

He chuckled, "Oh, that's right."

Lutz didn't waste any time. "Hey boss, do you like _?" He smirked at Zao as he waited for the answer.

Allen blinked in slight confusion, "Yeah?"

Your face reddened even more. But you knew he'd misinterpreted the question, and that was fine with you.

"No, he means as in like-like!" Luciano added, for the moment ignoring the deadly look Oliver was sending him.

Allen blinked again. "Yeah…?"

You facepalmed. Either he was really oblivious or really blunt. Though you secretly hoped it was the latter. "Heh heh… you're just kidding, aren't you Allen?" You asked weakly.

But Lutz and Luciano were already celebrating. "Haha! Bet's over—we won! Now pay up, both of you!" They said to Ion and Francois, excitedly stretching their palms out and wriggling their fingers.

They seriously made a bet with them?!... you realized with shock and pure embarrassment. "No, you guys are just being stupid! Allen doesn't like me that way—right?" You said as you slowly turned to the leader; avoiding Zao who was practically on fire with silent fury and Oliver who was sharpening his kitchen knives at blinding speed.

But Allen's attention was clearly somewhere else. He was staring out the window, parted lips in a scowl, his eyebrows scrunched up with concern.

You glanced over to where he was looking, but not before Ion and Francois caught your eye. Francois was handing Lutz a few packs of cigarettes and Ion was reluctantly giving Luciano his only box of custom-made throwing knives. "I HATE YOU GUYS!" You shouted in humiliation, just as Luciano giggled and Lutz smirked.

"Um… Allen?"

You turned to where the sudden, audibly worried voice came from. The tone was not usually one you heard within the Battlefront, especially from someone who wasn't you. Suddenly alert, you asked in a more serious voice, "What's wrong, Zao?" You had never seen him look so concerned.

He was next to Allen now, both of them staring out the window. As the rest of the group noticed this, all became quiet. Slowly, everyone turned their bodies to glance outside.

You immediately felt your legs go weak with fear. Your heart almost stopped beating as you saw what they saw. No… We were trying to prevent this from happening!... you panicked.

Outside, the base was getting overrun by demons. There were thousands of them, nearly countless glowing red eyes visible beyond the weakening barbed wire fence. They were stretching their bony arms through all the gaps in the fence, baring their sharp fangs as they screeched, howled, and hissed for entrance. The flickering blue glow of the lighthouses rotated in their usual pattern, and just as one hit directly beyond the fence, you saw there were still more coming from beyond.

Never had the Battlefront seen more demons at once. The amount surrounding the base was nearly the percentage of demons they'd killed here in purgatory overall.

…God must have really been pissed at you guys today.

The ancient barbed wire fence was beginning to loosen. Near the front of the base, about a hundred feet beyond the front door, the fence was slowly starting to tip over as more demons forced their weight and claws against it.

Petrified, you shakily asked, "W-What do we do?" You knew for a fact that the Battlefront had never faced this type of problem before. Immediately, everyone turned back to face Allen.

He was already cocking his gun. As the -chk chk- clicking sound was heard, he glanced back up at the group. "What do you think? We fight them."

All was silent for a moment. You prayed the Battlefront could hold their own against the massive horde of demons—but not before you realized praying wouldn't do a thing. It was God who sent them, after all.

"We have more weapons and ammunition than ever, don't we? So all of you quit being a bunch of pussys." He crossed his arms and scowled, clearly disappointed with his battlefront.

After another few seconds, a cheerful voice piped up. "YAY~! Now I can go let out my anger and destroy enemies limb from limb!" Oliver chimed, holding up his favorite ax.

Zao laughed maniacally. "Hey raven, is it okay if I imagine the demons as you when I slice off their heads?" He unsheathed his sword, "Seems only fair, since you chose Allen over me~"

Luciano hopped up and down, "Time to try these babies out!" He cheered, holding up over his head the box of throwing knives he won off Ion.

"Oh, this'll definitely be fun." Lutz smirked, punching his fist into his open left palm.

"Last man standing will be crowned most honorable." Kuro suggested as he positioned his katana.

"Ah hell, I didn't feel like doing anything today," Francois yawned, "But fine, I guess it can't be helped." His monotone voice made you wonder how he could always stay so emotionless no matter the circumstances.

Ion sighed. "This will definitely turn into a war. Our base will become a bloody battlefield. It's already a fact that we'll lose some of our members out there—if not all. Is everyone prepared to lose?"

Allen growled, "Hey Ion, don't talk like that! You were the one who said we'd be able to take on anything with all our new weapons and ammo."

He fixed his dark scarf, "Indeed. We'll see about that."

Allen shrugged him off for the moment. "Okay. Judging by that fence, we have about twenty to thirty minutes before it collapses. When that happens, the war is on. We need to come up with a game plan before we head out. Now, everyone has to cooperate, you hear?"

The members nodded. It wasn't very often that the entire Battlefront worked together—they often split up into groups or worked alone. You could understand why; the members couldn't all be in one room without starting a fight. But this was a dire situation that risked the entire Battlefront's safety—even the people that hated each other would willingly work together.

Allen subconsciously started pacing, holding onto his baseball bat so tightly that his knuckles nearly turned white. Within his pocket, he kept a firm grasp on the handgun. He didn't know why, but being close to weapons always comforted him. But right now, even holding onto two of them at once didn't help much. "Oliver, I'm going to need you in the air. Ion, while he pilots, you'll be in the helicopter shooting any and every demon you possibly can. Keep one of the crates of guns with you." He stopped pacing and looked at the two unlikely teammates. Even you had never seen Oliver and Ion interact. But as soon as Allen glanced towards them, they nodded.

"Francois, Lutz?"

Lutz saluted, "Yeah boss?"

"You two will run the tanks. Overflowing Pride and Dark Destroyer. They're the strongest." He then turned to Zao and Kuro. "I know you guys are best when it comes to getting through the crowds; so you both will go in and try to rid them from the insides out."

Both of the swordsmen agreed. "Fine with us."

"And Luciano. You'll be in one of the watch towers, keeping a close eye on them both. If a demon comes dangerously close to either, lodge a knife into their skull. Keep all of your throwing knives with you, got it?"

"Yes sir~"

"No one in the beginning will be on the ground except for Kuro and Zao. There'll be timed switches—every hour. Second ground shift will be Oliver and Lutz, third Francois and Ion, and fourth, me and Luciano."

You cringed when you realized Allen hadn't yet given you something to do. He still didn't think you were weak, did he…? "Um, Allen, what should I do?" You asked, feeling slightly nervous.

He looked down at you, and smiled just the tiniest bit. "You'll be operating the cannons with me."

Oliver stomped his foot, "Awwh! I wanted to be the first to use the new cannons!" He whined childishly.

"Me too. Completely unfair." Zao crossed his arms and pouted.

Before the Battlefront could start arguing over who got to play with the new cannons they'd recently brought from the city, Allen shushed the group. "Everyone. Shut up. This'll probably be the most dangerous job. I need to do it—and dollface, just stick with me." He playfully tossed an arm across your shoulders.

Oliver raised his hand slightly, "Er, Allen-darling, how will cannon duty be the most dangerous?" He tilted his head cutely.

Allen looked him in the eye, "Don't you remember where they are?"

That instantly answered his question.

Before you could ask where they were, Allen glanced out the window once more and groaned. "We don't have much time left. The fence is weakening at a more rapid pace," He faced the group again, "Let's head downstairs. Prepare your weapons and we'll meet by the front door in ten minutes."

You loaded as many guns with bullets as you could while the rest of the Battlefront prepared the helicopter, tanks, and cannon supplies. I wonder what'll become of the Battlefront?... you thought in the back of your mind. I can't imagine this place missing a single member. I really hope no one loses out there.

You were so worried for the rest of the group's safety that you forget to think about yourself. You could barely manage to head out into the city—you had no idea what would happen if you tried to fight in a war.

After you'd filled nearly an entire crate full of loaded guns, you rolled it over to Ion and Oliver—who were about done with the helicopter. "I've finished loading the guns. Are you guys ready?"

They nodded. "Let's go to the front room and meet up with everyone else."

As you approached the front door and joined the rest of the Battlefront, you could already hear the demons screeching and hissing as they continued to break down the fence.

"Everyone's here now?" Allen had his back resting against the entryway. Behind the door, a hundred feet away, the demons were breaking the last few bolts holding the gate up.

The eight other fallen angels in front of him nodded. "All here."

He smirked, "Ready for this?"

A few nodded, some others stayed silent.

He chuckled. "How weak. What are we, saints or sinners?"

"…Saints." A few spoke.

Allen scoffed. Voice loud and demanding, he asked, "Are we saints or sinners?!"

"…WE'RE SAINTS!" The group shouted, both Luciano and Oliver jumping up gleefully and the others throwing their fists into the air.

"We'll win this war!" Lutz yelled out confidently.

"Not even God can fuck with the Battlefront!" Zao shouted.

Soon, you found yourself cheering with the rest of the group. You'd previously been silent, but their energy and determination was starting to get to you too.

As Allen started giving last-second advice and instructions, you felt two hands on your shoulders. Before you could think, you were dragged away from the rest of the group.

"Hey, what are you guys doing? We're supposed to be listening to Allen!" You whisper-yelled to Oliver and Zao.

They both chuckled darkly; their faces half-submerged in shadows. You shivered as you remembered just how dangerous it was to be alone with these two.

"Just in case we lose…" Zao began suggestively, his crimson red eyes half-shadowed by the brim of his black military cap. He had one arm resting on your left shoulder, while Oliver had one on your right.

"Take these~" Oliver's face nearly stretched into a Cheshire-cat grin as both he and Zao simultaneously leaned in and gave you a kiss on each of your cheeks; Zao on your left and Oliver on your right.

Your face burned even brighter than purgatory's nonexistent sun as Allen turned to see the action, "Quit playing around, you two. We're about to go into war." He deadpanned.

Oliver giggled cheerfully as he skipped away and Zao playfully smacked your backside into the group. "Alright, now that we're all gathered again," Allen glared at Zao and Oliver, "Don't think about how you might get your soul eaten out there. Because, if any of you die-" He roamed his serious red eyes over the group, "-I'll kill you."

And with that, he smirked and kicked the door open.

-D-A-T-I-N-G-T-H-E-W-O-R-L-D-

Swarms of black and red were all you saw.

What barely kept you alert and sane were the whipping noises of the helicopter above, heavy rolling of war tanks against asphalt, and the audible swifts of air followed by splattering of black blood.

You preferred to listen, rather than look. If you glanced up, then the horrors of the creatures would be right in front of you. But if you kept your eyes squeezed tight and simply listened, you could know what it was truly like to fight in a war of angels versus demons. The problem was—you weren't sure if you were ready for it yourself. Yet, that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was that you had to whether you felt prepared or not.

Your whole body was shaking. You didn't dare open your eyes. You were glad that you were momentarily safe. You knew it wouldn't last for long.

Just as the fear was starting to overwhelm your entire being—you felt the touch of soft skin against your palm.

Currently, you were hiding behind a small shed that was behind the base. Your back against the wall, you'd been waiting for Allen's signal. But you hadn't yet heard his words.

Instead, you felt his warm lips gently press against your left ear. His dark auburn bangs brushed against your cheek, and his hot breath tickled your earlobe. Your eyes still closed, your breath hitched as you felt his hand slide over yours.

"A-Allen…?" You whimpered.

You felt him smile against the side of your face. "The one and only. Are you ready, dollface?"

I will never be… you thought in the back of your mind. He continued to hold your hand; interlocking his fingers with yours. "I guess." You slowly opened your eyes. No demons had come through here yet—they were still coming in through the entry near the front where the gate had broken down.

He squeezed your hand, and continued to watch you closely. You kept your face looking forward, while he leaned in and brushed his lips against your temple.

You felt your heart throb. "W-We should get going."

He pulled away slightly, and nodded. "I just thought you seemed a little frightened."

Of course, he was right. You were a mess. It was no surprise that he could see it. Lowering your head, you spoke just above a whisper, "…I am."

You expected him to sigh, give you a lecture on bravery, demand that you man up, and force you to run ten laps but—of course, you weren't the rest of the Battlefront. You were _, the one member who Allen seemed to have a soft spot for. Instead of yelling at you like he would have for anyone else in the Battlefront, he responded in a more comforting voice, "Don't be. We're fighting for a second chance to live. Always remember that."

You started to pull yourself together. How you performed out there affected not only you, but Allen as well. Even without him saying it, you knew he'd risk himself to save you if the time came. "…Right. Of course." Your body wasn't trembling anymore, and you stood up a little straighter. You removed your back from the wall and faced him.

He smirked. "That's my girl." You felt him let go of your hand. Heart pounding, you tried not to think about his rather… 'friendly' affection from earlier.

He held up his nail-covered baseball bat and pointed over beyond the fence. Demons were still pressing into the barbed wire, but not as much. Most were piling in from the single broken entryway—but the rest of the Battlefront was doing a good job of keeping most from entering too far into the base's large property.

You glanced over to where he was pointing. A lighthouse rotated in the area, and you saw it was another shed-like structure. "The cannons are in there. But, that's the direction where most of the demons are coming from. We'll have to get through them all."

You shifted around on your feet. "Okay."

He looked towards you again. "Now… ready to go in?"

You nodded rapidly, reaching over your shoulder to grab the slung-over shotgun. "I'm ready."

He grinned, "Then let's go."

As you both started running over to the fence, you felt a pang of fear strike into your heart. You were about to willingly jump over a fence into a demon-infested darkness.

But I'm with Allen—and he'll win this for us. You thought as you made it to the top of the fence. The demons down below were already screeching and reaching up for you and Allen, their long claws only about four feet beneath your leg.

Allen noticed you pause, and he momentarily delayed jumping down as well. Glancing over to you as he sat atop the fence, he said, "Hey dollface, look at me?"

Trying to hide your fear, you looked directly at him.

"Right now, we're angels-" His crimson eyes glinted mischievously as he smirked, "-But, we're going to continue on hiding our wings tonight." And with that, he jumped down.

-D-A-T-I-N-G-T-H-E-W-O-R-L-D-

For the most part, Allen had cleared a path for you all the way down to the shed. Sure you managed to get a few headshots, but Allen was on a whole level above demons when it came to the monster-scale.

You both were about halfway there when you noticed you were getting low on ammunition. The extra packs were in your duffel, but you didn't think you had neither the time nor patience to reload. You looked up, and saw Allen was still bashing skulls with his baseball bat. The crowds had long started to thin so, surprisingly—getting all the way to the shed wasn't as difficult as you thought it would be. But, that still didn't mean it was easy.

You stayed close behind Allen. Though not too close—you didn't want to accidentally get hit by his swinging bat.

I can't believe this is really happening, you thought as more demons appeared to your left and right. You quickly turned to shoot at the left one, since it was the closest. But you only had a few seconds to turn again, aim, and shoot the other. It hissed and raised its claws, nearly striking your face as the bullet shot into its brain at the last possible second.

As the second one fell to the ground with the first, you realized you'd used your last remaining bullets. I should hurry and reload before more demons appear, you thought quickly.

You slowed your running, and tried not to lose sight of Allen. With fumbling fingers, you reached into your duffel to grab another box of ammunition. Where the hell are they?! you thought with frustration as you dug furiously through the bag. I thought they were right here- you didn't notice you'd completely stopped running by now and were standing still.

A sudden hiss from behind you immediately caught your attention. You inhaled sharply and whipped around, only to see a group of four to five demons advancing towards you; their snake-like tongues rolling over their bared crooked teeth.

They stretched their charred black-skin-and-bone arms towards you as they screeched loudly and began limping faster to you. "SHIT!" You outwardly cursed as you turned and began running.

But the path wasn't clear anymore. Allen was more ahead, and the other demons had noticed you and began advancing as well.

You felt a wave of terror wash over your entire body. You were trapped. Just like the incident in the city—only now you didn't even have a safe minute to reload your shotgun.

"TAKE THAT, FUCKER!" Allen laughed maniacally as he smashed a demon's head into nothing but ripped-apart skin and gushes of black blood. "Haha! Didya see that, dollface?!" He grinned cockily as he turned to look behind him.

But you weren't there.

His body instantly went into panic mode. Where the hell did she go?! he frantically began looking all around him, but it was difficult to see with only the nearby shed's porch light.

Shitshitshit, he cursed as he began running, "_! Where'd you go?!"

He noticed there were few demons around his area. Wherever you were, that had to be where all the demons had gone. Allen tried not to think about what might happen before he got there. "_! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"

At first, his ears only picked up on very faint hissing. As the hissing got louder, he instantly began to follow the deadly sounds. Just as he was about to call your name again, he heard in a voice barely audible, "I'm over here, Allen-"

"-I'M COMING!" He shouted as he made his way through the darkness. Only faint light from the base gave him enough to see.

Luckily, a lighthouse rotated in his direction, giving him just the light he needed to see a horde of demons surrounding a small area. "_!" He shouted in shock as he ran into the horde and began fighting his way through. "_, are you okay? Answer me!" The demons tried to stab their claws or teeth into his heart, but they were no match for him. He fought his way through to the center of the horde, just as his eyes landed on a bloodied body. No, she can't be-! he found himself thinking as he killed off the closest demons. He noticed two of them had crimson blood splattered across their claws and teeth as they too fell to the ground, dying from the force of his bat. They better not have taken her already.

"_! Can you move? Are you alright?" He kneeled over your body, but you were unresponsive.

No, no, no… he thought repeatedly as he picked you up as gently and swiftly as he could and bolted for the shed.

…Please be alright.

I need you.

I refuse to keep going without you.

He shakily unlatched the shed's door and ran inside just as about eight demons pounded their bodies and claws against the now-shut door.

He carefully laid you down, and looked you over. "Dollface…" Your face, perfect as a doll's in his mind, was currently splattered with your own blood. He couldn't stand to see it. But he had to make sure you were okay.

He quickly moved to feel your pulse. Holding his breath, he cautiously touched his two fingers to your wrist.

He let out the breath of air in a huge sigh of relief when he felt a faint, but still pulsating heartbeat. "Keep fighting, dollface…" He gently spoke to your limp form. You had to live; there was no way he'd let you go.

He started checking over your body for the serious wounds. There were countless scratches from many different demons, several long gashes down your arms and sides, and two particular stabs that he was worried about. Looks like they missed her heart right here… he thought with slight concern as he dabbed his shirt on a deep cut directly above your heart.

The other stab wound was on your back, and he pulled off his bomber jacket to place beneath you. Hopefully the blood would stop with the pressure and thickness. "Come on, dollface…" He gently grabbed your head and moved it side to side. "Come on… wake up." He was getting desperate by now.

He was unaware of it at the moment, but you could actually hear and feel everything he was doing. It wasn't till a few minutes later that you gathered enough energy to move a muscle. "A-Allen…" You managed to whimper out, the throbbing pain intensifying as you quietly spoke.

His red eyes instantly widened, "_...?" He moved closer to you, "Are you alright? Stay with me, don't close your eyes again-" His voice was shaky and panicked, something you'd never heard from him. Your eyelids felt heavy as you forced them open and Allen immediately grabbed ahold of your face. "Look at me. Please. Don't close your eyes again, do you hear me?" Your vision was blurred, and his voice was echoing in an uneven tone. You tried to watch him hover over you, but it was difficult to stay conscious.

"_, please!" He shouted, to which you nearly gasped.

He felt a small hint of hope. That was the kind of reaction he was aiming for. "Can you hear me?"

Using up most of your strength, you nodded. The nearly unbearable pain in your chest was starting to make you wish you were truly dead.

"Listen—there's something I have to tell you…" He squeezed your face in hands even tighter, trying to hold back his own tears. "Don't die on me, okay? There's something you have to know." His voice nearly cracked.

You tried to block out the extreme physical suffering in your body. Weakly, you managed to nod again as you looked up at his worried face.

Clenching his teeth, he said, "I can't leave without you."

That wasn't what you wanted to hear. Definitely. Not. "No…" You said, almost choking on your own blood, "Protect… the Battlefront. Don't give up… just for me-" A fit of coughing broke out as you finished the sentence, which harshly burned your lungs and throat.

If you died, there was no way you'd let Allen give up. He said it himself—he was fighting for a second chance to live. Even if you went straight to Hell after this second death, you'd use your last few words to tell him to keep fighting.

He shook his head in frustration, "No." His hands tightened around your face even more. "I mean, without you, neither you nor I will ever get to live again."

If you weren't slowly bleeding to death, you probably would've gasped sharply and nearly fallen over in shock. You could barely believe it. This whole time, your idea was right—there was something connecting you and Allen. What it was, you had no idea yet. "You or… me…?" You sputtered.

He nodded, "You're probably wondering how you're needed to giving me a second chance, aren't you?" He watched you closely; making sure you wouldn't slip into unconsciousness again. By the looks of it, you shouldn't even be conscious right now.

You nodded. How were you so vital to his second chance? You still didn't even know if you'd met him before purgatory.

His red eyes hardened and his jaw clenched, "Just try to remember!" He shouted, grabbing your shoulders and giving them a harsh squeeze, "I know you can do it! Just try!"

As he furiously continued to shake your shoulders, you felt the agony in your chest rise even higher. But the pain began to melt away as your eyes slowly closed.

And that's when it happened.

All of your memories suddenly came flooding back to you.

(First name Last name), a young New Yorker and proud American.

You lived in a beautiful New York City apartment, which overlooked the most gorgeous and friendly street in the state. "I love this place," You would always find yourself saying out loud.

But you didn't love New York more than you loved him.

Alfred, your sweet Alfred. Your best friend, your hero, your lover.

He was the most wonderful man you could ask for. He did everything to keep you happy, protected you from anything, gave you all you could ask for, and loved you with all of his heart.

You were engaged and living together in the fancy New York City apartment, soon to be married. But, though you were his life, he also gave half of his heart to something else. Something that he loved only second to you.

It was his country, America.

He was a proud solider and skilled gunman. Before meeting you, he had just come home from war. "Three years," he told you, and 'three years' you scoffed. "I just met this guy; does he really think we'll stay together for over three years?"

But that was within the month you met him. Never did you believe that three years later, you would be engaged to him and already planning your wedding.

"I'll be home for our wedding, babe." He had cheerfully told you before leaving again for war. "I'll be back before you know it."

But he never did come back.

He died fighting for his country, leading the soldiers into war.

And you. The day you died, it was the third anniversary of his death. You were on your way to the cemetery, red-white-and-blue flowers in your arms and an American flag wrapped around your shoulders.

You were crossing the street to his gravestone, memories of him making you cry. You hadn't felt this depressed since the day he left you.

While you were walking across the street, you got ran over by a drunken truck driver.

You suddenly bolted up, pure adrenaline momentarily blocking out your agony. You looked up at Allen and stared hard at his unique features.

"Alfred…" This was him. This was the Alfred you knew and loved. All this time, it was him…-

"-Part of my soul. It's with you." He mumbled as he returned the stare. His features were stoic yet concerned with a mix of worry, "That's why I'm so different from before. I only carry half of my soul. I'm only… one half of Alfred." He looked down in—dare you think—visible shame.

"You're…" You could barely sputter out a sentence. You had so many questions that you had no idea where to begin. "…What happened to you?" You settled on.

He sighed, and hugged his knees to his chest. As he rested his chin on his arms, he avoided eye contact and murmured, "I got kicked out of Heaven because I wouldn't allow myself to be happy without you. So I continued on with bad behavior and eventually got sent here for punishment." As he explained his circumstances, he couldn't bring himself to look at you. His own fiancée, his previously soon-to-be wife.

You looked up at him, tears beginning to form in the corners of your eyes. "Alle-… Alfred…" You had to stop yourself from calling him 'Allen'.

As soon as his real name left your lips, he snapped his crimson eyes to you. With a slight territorial growl, he crawled over you, "I don't care if Heaven won't take me back. Not without you. I'd…" His voice cracked, and he looked down, "-I'd much rather stay here in this purgatorial world with you forever."

You blushed at his close proximity, but pushed aside the feelings for now. He was your fiancé; he had the right to get that close. "B-But, how am I the key to getting us both out of here? What do I need to do…?" You allowed him to pull you into his lap.

As he sat you comfortably over his lap, he wrapped his arms around your waist and smirked. Looking up into your doll-like eyes, he spoke gently, "All I have to do is make you love me again. Even with such an opposite personality. You have to…" His voice trailed off, and he looked away again. You could've sworn you saw a tint of pink on his cheeks. "You have to say you love me and truly mean it." He admitted shyly, his voice just above a whisper.

So that's why he never told me about his past… you immediately thought to yourself. He couldn't let me know until my memories finally came back.

You started to recall more into your past with him in the Battlefront. Ever since you met him, you felt completely drawn to him. When he first saved you while out in the city, you realized you had feelings for him. And now that you knew he was Alfred, you knew you loved him. Both sides of him.

"Alfred…" You breathed out, heart racing. Looking into his once-blue eyes, you smiled. "I love you."

He smirked, just as you noticed a small golden speck of light near his face. Curious, you eyed it closely. It was strange. The lighting within this shed was dim, and had neither the surface nor power to bounce off light.

"What's-" You began, just as you noticed even more specks of bright golden light. They were starting to surround both you and Alfred. "M-My legs-" You looked down to your legs, which were starting to glow and slowly disintegrate. Just as you noticed Alfred giving off a similar light, you finally realized it. "…W-What about the others?" You questioned, audible concern in your voice.

Grinning cockily, he responded, "Oh, them? Don't worry. They're waiting for their own people to come—just like we did."

As both of your bodies slowly began to disappear from the world of purgatory, you couldn't help but ask another question regarding your comrades. "…Will they be okay without their leader?"

He nodded. "They're strong enough to take care of themselves."

Your bodies magically began to rise. The bright golden light intensified, spreading outwards in a wave of powerful beam-like illumination. The golden wave of light flew forward in all directions, breaking down the shed walls and eliminating each and every demon in its path. With each passing second, it covered more ground till it eventually wiped off every demon within the property of the Battlefront.

About a hundred feet away, Zao grimaced. "What the hell…?" He wondered aloud as a strange wave of light killed off each of his demonic opponents.

"It's time…" Oliver sighed as he looked down to the bright wave. "I'll miss you guys~" He giggled as he lowered the helicopter to the ground.

"They're leaving us already?" Ion managed a chuckle as he set down his gun and went to sit in the pilot seat next to Oliver. "It was quite fun while it lasted."

Back down on the ground, Francois and Lutz stopped maneuvering their war tanks. Popping their heads out from the rims at the top, they looked at each other and both grinned—even emotionless Francois. "We have them to thank." He spoke.

Lutz laughed cheerfully, "Like hell we do!"

To the eastern side of the base, Kuro smiled. "I knew you'd get her to remember, Alfred." He said aloud as he dropped his bloodied samurai sword.

Up in the watch tower, Luciano giggled excitedly. "Two gone, seven to go~"

As a bright light appeared in the dark skies of purgatory, all seven remaining Battlefront members looked up. Some waved goodbye, some smiled, and some nodded in approval. Though their actions were different, they were all thinking the same thing— Goodbye Allen, _. We'll miss you. See you back on Earth, maybe someday.

"S-So, what's gonna happen to us now?" You asked as you finished waving goodbye to the Battlefront. Both you and Alfred were slowly getting lifted to the light.

He chuckled, "Isn't it obvious? God is finally giving us a second chance." He hugged you closer to his body and grinned.

There were about a million things you wanted to say in that moment, but the silence spoke the loudest for the time being. You were finally going back to Earth!

His voice broke into your thoughts, "But there's one other thing I need to tell you."

Looking up at him, you asked, "What is it?"

He sighed, worry clear in his features. "…When we go back to Earth, we'll be separated from each other. I'll have lost my memories the same way you did..." He paused, but you didn't need him to continue. You immediately understood.

You'll have to search the world over for him—and get him to remember you the same way he did for you. Tears appearing near the sides of your eyes again, you hugged him tighter, "I promise to find you."

-D-A-T-I-N-G-T-H-E-W-O-R-L-D-

Everything… is bright…

The phrase came into your mind as you lulled your head to the sides. A slightly moist, spiky feeling tickled your cheeks as you slowly arose from the comfort of sleep.

Your mind was still groggy. You felt like you had been asleep for a hundred years.

As the golden sun kissed your eyelids once more, you finally realized why everything felt so bright. Fluttering your eyelids open, a scene of countless trees, lush grass, and golden light filled your vision.

Immediately you bolted straight up. Heart racing, you realized you were in a beautiful, quiet meadow. "I'm…"

Once again, you had no idea where in the world you were. But at least you knew you were on planet Earth.

You stood up, brushing yourself off. When you were done, you placed your hands on your hips and glanced around. "Well, I'm losing daylight. I better go find Alfred again."

A.N.: Fight for what you believe in.

That was technically the main theme for this story, but I had a lot of different inspirations for this. For example, the lovely song, 'Angel with a Shotgun' by The Cab. OMG. You absolutely have to listen to it. Right now. Go. Open a new tab and type it into YouTube. HURRY.

The lyrics strongly relate to this story. In fact, just the lyrics tell half of this story! Well maybe. Allen's quote "I don't care if Heaven won't take me back" can even be heard in the song :D And if you look it up, that automatically makes you awesomer than the awesome Prussia. And we'll be friends. BEST FRIENDS. Remember to review to tell me what you thought of this story and/or the song, kay? ;)

Anyways…

See you in Wonderland, my lovely Alices~!

-Usa chan (:

Next time: 2P!England— "World of Wonderland"