Category: Darksiders I & II
Rating: M
Couples: Azrael/Abaddon
Warnings: AU, Disturbing Imagery
Chapter: 11
Copyright: Characters & places © By Appropriate Copyright-holder, Plot & OC´s © by me
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Azrael looked out of the window down onto the small courtyard his house had. The little Nephilim he had taken in was playing there, climbing all over one of the golden trees that were planted there. The young female he had assigned to watch over the boy when he himself could not was watching with an indulgent smile. She was probably relieved that the boy was still calmer than most other children his age. Azrael meanwhile was worried...
In the beginning, the boy had been shy and withdrawn. No matter how long he had to keep himself entertained, he still found things to do. And no matter where he was, he didn't stray far from his caretaker. At first, the scholar assumed it was the trauma of what happened, but then he realized it was simply the nature of Nephilim children. A nature this Nephilim was in the progress of losing... Heaven help him, just a few days ago the boy had climbed a massive Construct when Azrael and Abaddon had travelled to the Makers for business! The mystic still shuddered a bit at the memory of seeing the little boy nearly at the top of the stone construct.
The angel turned away from the window, sighing as he sat down on the chair behind his desk. To make matters worse, the Nephilim were still nowhere to be found. Sighing again, he got up again. No use in delaying the inevitable...
"Zeruch?" The Archangel called out when entering his courtyard. "Can I speak to you for a moment?" He couldn't prevent a small smirk when seeing the little boy peek out from the golden leaves of the tree.
"Wassit?" Zeruch clambered down to the ground, bouncing over to the elder male.
"In private." Resting his hand on the boy's shoulder, Azrael guided him back to the office. "How do you like it here?" He asked as they sat down on a low couch in there.
"Is nice." The child beamed, basking in the attention and food he received. "Why?"
"I have some bad news." The angel flinched when seeing the Nephilim's face fall in. "I think you won't be going back to your siblings for... a very long time."
"Wha...!? Why!?" He thanked the Creator that the child was still rather quiet, otherwise half the block would have heard him.
"A variety of reasons." The scholar still had to pull his ward back down onto the couch. "Most importantly, the fact that we are just not finding them..." He felt the small arm shiver in his hand. "Secondly... tell me, do you still act like a Nephilim child would?"
Zeruch opened his mouth, only to close it. "They'd hates me? Cause I acts different now?"
"Not your siblings." Azrael assured him, caressing his arm comfortingly. "But the others would..."
"But... but... I wants my siblings!" Zeruch whimpered, wide blue eyes looking at the angel. "I wants to go home!"
"I know." The scholar murmured, not letting go of the arm. "But you can't anymore."
Zeruch's lower lip started wibbling and his eyes filled with tears. Within moments, the little boy was bawling.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Death was frustrated. He had left the camp – despite Abaddon's threats – and been visiting various merchants to see if he could track down his youngest brother... No luck.
"Will you please stop risking our lives?" Fury demanded when he returned from his twelfth sojourn. "Absalom will notice sooner or later, you are his second-in-command!"
"I am not going to sit back while demons do Creator-knows-what to the child." The Firstborn snarled back at her. "He looks like a bloody angel, you just know what they do to one that is extra-resilient."
"I don't want to know." The pale-skinned female countered sharply. "What I do want to know is when you will stop risking everything for him! What use is finding him going to be when we are dead!?"
"Then help me look, so we can find him before Absalom finds out." Death countered coldly.
"And who looks after Strife!?" His sister barely remembered to keep her voice down as she gestured to the half-dead warrior to the side.
"He's dead anyway." Orange eyes narrowed. "He got run through with a demonic sword. Quite frankly, I am surprised he made it this long."
She blinked once, twice... and punched her elder. "Are you insane!? I am just as upset about the child as you are, but Strife is your first-raised! You can damn well care about him still too! No matter how annoying he got... or how close he is to kicking it..." She added in a slight whimper.
In front of her, Death was staring ahead into space. "I... I didn't mean..." He looked at the nearly dead male to his side. "He... The child..."