Is All Really Fair In Love And War

Chapter 9

For that week, the experiments were more hellish and more frequent. But, on what was to be the last day of Raziel's life, he was given a break, so he spent the time lying on the cold floor of his cell, the small space he got instead of his room after the sentencing. Of course, he didn't have anything better to do because he couldn't move his body due to the drugs. It was on that day that Zaphikel walked past the boy's cell and noticed his strangely familiar aura.

Realizing that he was in the death row section of the laboratory prison, Zaphikel locked on to the aura of the torn up body through the bars. He felt a strange connection with the boy, and he knew he could use an assistant back at his home. So he walked to the front desk and explained that the boy looked as though he had had too many experiments performed on him. He demanded that the boy be taken out of the prison and given over to the Great One of Thrones for immediate medical attention.

After signing a few papers, including the one that would exempt Raziel from his death sentence, he followed two of the scientists back to Raziel's cell. This time, the child was propped up and sitting on a chair. Slowly, Zaphikel approached the boy and explained that he couldn't help him unless he wanted him to. He told the sickly boy that, regardless of his answer, he had still been taken out of death row as a simple favor. Then, he asked the question.

"Do you wish to live?"

Raziel wanted to live. He really did. But, he couldn't move. He couldn't answer the question that would take him out of this hell. For ten minutes, he tried, but nothing happened. However, just as Zaphikel turned to leave, the boy managed to get one word out.

"Yes."

That did it. Raziel would now be staying with Zaphikel. He had a strange feeling that he'd known the dark-haired man all of his life even though he'd just met him, but he dismissed it as an impossibility.

The scientists offered to put Raziel in a wheelchair for transportation to Zaphikel's home, but the man declined the offer with a simple statement.

"You will not touch another hair on this child's head."

While receiving cold stares from the scientists, Zaphikel picked Raziel up in his arms and let the boy rest his head on his savior's shoulder. Then, he walked out of the laboratory, still holding the now unconscious angel close to him as he was driven by a servant back to his mansion. He couldn't figure out why he cared so much for this boy, but somehow, he never wanted to let go of him.

The rest of the day took a lot of energy out of Zaphikel. As carefully as possible, he undressed Raziel and cleaned his wounds as best as a blind man could. There were so many of them that Zaphikel lost count as he bandaged and washed out one after another. He could feel so much of Raziel's blood on his fingers that it was amazing that the child had any left in him. He felt cold in the man's arms, and he barely weighed more than an infant.

Once Zaphikel had taken care of the child's injuries, he was about the get him some clean clothes when he felt some swollen areas between Raziel's legs. After examining the spot with his hand and feeling dried blood, he realized that the boy in his arms had had something far more horrifying than experimentation happen to him. Deciding not to tell Raziel that he knew about the raping, he dressed the smaller angel and set him on the bed in his room. Zaphikel wanted to keep him as comfortable as possible because there was still a chance that he might not make it through the night. So, Zaphikel gave him the best bedroom in the house–that of the Great One of the Thrones, himself.

Soon after tucking Raziel into bed, the older angel realized that the sleeping child before him wouldn't be able to keep any food down, so he thought for a moment as to what to do. There was a doctor in his secret rebel group, the Anima Mundi, so he could call her. He would have to because he didn't know how to put in an IV, and this was the only way to give Raziel the nutrients he needed. The doctor didn't live too far from Zaphikel's estate, and it wasn't that late at night, so he gave her a call. She arrived at the mansion a few minutes later. Remembering the scars on Raziel's arms from all the needles and feeling horrible that the boy would have to be jabbed again, Zaphikel waited outside the room while the doctor inserted the IV.

The doctor left at about ten o'clock, and Zaphikel re-entered the room and sat down on the wooden chair beside the bed. And there he slept next to Raziel.

Wow. Second update this week. Anyway, I dedicate this chapter to Shiro Ryuu for her awesome fanfic that she wrote for me. Thanks, man. I hope you like this chapter.

-black-ocean