Improper Guardian

Chapter Three

By: Brenli

Michael's blue-green eyes went wide for a fraction of a second. "What the fuck, Cheriour?" The redheaded Archangel shoved him aside and slammed his weight into the mass of Angels, working his way into the mass and finding Nema using all her limbs in attempts to ward the Angels off. Already, several were suffering from broken noses, but one of the amazing qualities of being an Angel is the ability to endure insane amounts of pain. Try as she might, she was out of luck, until Michael reached her. Nema blinked up at him with wide red eyes, her school uniform torn up. "… Ah, for crying out loud, you're all fucking perverts!" Michael hissed and heaved Nema to her feet.

"There's always that chance, Michael-sama. Let us take care of the girl." Cheriour said as he calmly approached.

"She's not yours to fucking take care of! Why don't you fucking LEAVE and take care of the OTHER ones, or something?"

"We can't do that."

"WHY THE FUCK NOT?"

"We've already started. What's the point in leaving it unfinished?" Cheriour put away his short sword in favor of his second, longer one. "Whose side are you on? This Rabbit's, or ours?"

"I'm on my OWN damn side!" Michael snarled. "… Don't make me do anything. She doesn't know who I really am."

"Well then she can learn tonight, can't she?" Cheriour raised his sword and charged. "FIGHT ME!"

Michael wanted to fight. It was never in his nature to turn down an offer to fight. And yet the parting words of Raphael decided to pick at him. 'Remember that God has demanded that she can't know you're protecting her. So no displays of your power. Not even your sword. Not even your wings.' "… DAMMIT, GOD! WHY DO YOU HAVE TO COMPLICATE EVERYTHING?" Michael snatched Nema's hand and did the last thing he really wanted to do. He ran.

"MICHAEL, WHAT IS GOING ON?" Nema screamed as an Angel managed to rip off one of her shoes.

"I'm taking you home! And you're gonna STAY there, you got that? If I find out you've left home the second I put you there, I WILL KILL YOU!"

Nema had gotten used to this threat by now, and thought nothing of it. She had every intention of sneaking out once he left her there.

Her house was just one block away from them, now. Then just two steps. Then they were in her yard, and, for reasons unexplained, Michael decided to shove her in through her bedroom window, which she'd left open. "HEY! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?"

"What's it look like?" Michael retorted, roughly kicking her rear and sending her body flying into the room. "Now STAY!"

"My other shoe fell off!"

"Oh for – HERE!" Michael picked it up and chucked it into her room, hitting Nema on the forehead. Without another word, Michael left, and when he was sure Nema wouldn't see, he brought out his snowy white wings and opted for flying.

He remained completely oblivious to the fact that Nema threw on another pair of shoes and was climbing back out of the window.

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"Raphael!"

"Why, it's Mika-chan!"

"DON'T FUCKING CALL ME THAT!" Michael snarled at his friend. "I'm just here to get my sword!"

"Your sword? What's up?" Raphael asked with an arched, golden brow.

"That prick Cheriour is pickin' a fight. I'm going to end it!"

"Oh, right, with his whole Rabbit Hunting thing."

"Yeah, yeah, I know about that shit." Michael dismissed Raphael with a wave of his hand. "Ah! THERE it is!" He said with a devilish grin, hefting up his large, broad Fire Sword and strapping it to his back.

"Would you like backup?"

"No. I've got a lot of pent-up anger to take out on them."

"Right then. Don't need to tell you to have fun."

Michael's grin widened as he left.

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"Where did he go, boss?"

Cheriour had perched himself on the roof of Nema's school. "Probably went to get his sword. He'll be back soon."

"HE'S HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Cheriour almost didn't turn in time to block what would have been a devastating blow to the head. "MICHAEL-SAMA! NEVER ONE FOR CHIVALRY, WERE YOU?"

Michael seemed to float above him, his white wings spread. "It's all nonsense. You wanna kill something, you KILL it!" Michael rushed at Cheriour, making quick slashes with his large, heavy-looking sword. In spite of its weight, Michael wielded the weapon as though it were as light as air.

"Don't you think this is a bit unfair, my simple sword against one as powerful as yours?" Cheriour commented as he parried each angry shot.

"Not my fucking concern, is it?" Michael grinned, feeling the adrenaline run through his body. This was what he was made for, and the only time he felt complete. When he was about to spill blood. As the heavy, dark blade of his sword met Cheriour's, he heard the cracking of metal, and suddenly Cheriour's sword had been shattered. "… NOW it's my concern. That was TOO easy! If you had more talent, you could've lasted at least a LITTLE longer! But oh well." Michael's grin remained as he lifted the blade of his beloved sword up high. "Say goodnight, Cheriour."

"… MICHAEL?"

It was the biggest mistake Nema had ever done; calling out to him like that. It was enough to make Michael lose his concentration and enough to make Cheriour trip him. The Fire Sword was no longer in its master's hand. "GOD DAMMIT, NEMAELLE! I WILL KILL YOU!" Michael screamed as he grappled with Cheriour.

Nema wasn't sure what to do. She was beginning to wish that she'd obeyed Michael, now. She thought about the weird cloaked men, and Michael's wings, and then was unable to think of anything else.

Raphael had come up behind her and knocked her out cold. Catching her in his arms, he offered a quick nod to the other men. "Hi. I think your boss needs a little help."

It finally registered that their master was having difficulty, even with the obvious advantage of having a short sword on him. Even with it brandished, Cheriour couldn't seem to get at Michael. He managed a few shallow cuts, but nothing more. The other cloaked men, along with a flood of others that left from all sorts of hiding places, rushed up along the building, into the building, and on top.

They had no idea how foolish they were.

Michael's frustration had turned into a deep loathing, and that was all he needed to set himself on fire. He literally exploded in flame, and the whole building caught on fire, filled with Cherior's henchmen. Cheriour, too, was set aflame, and he shot up into the sky, where he disappeared with what other Angels could manage to escape.

After a short while, Michael's laughter could be heard from the roof of Nema's school. It started as a snicker and progressed into maniacal laughter. "OH, YOU FUCKING WEAKLINGS! I'M STILL HERE! FIGHT ME!"

"Mika-chan!" Raphael called up to him. "You have other things to attend to!"

Through the giant house of fire Raphael could make out a particular flame coming up to a stand, picking up the Fire Sword. Michael, still set on fire, flew down to them, where Raphael made a gesture with his hand and sent a gust of wind to make the flames die down. "… That fucking bitch, she saw me!"

"You're lucky, though. I knocked her out. So all we need to do is take her home, get her all dressed for bed, tuck her in, all that goodness. When tomorrow rolls around, play dumb. Tell her that perhaps she had a dream."

Michael blinked.

"… Also, I see you've learned to do that without giving yourself any burns. A lock of hair's still smoldering, though." He licked his fingers and pinched out the glowing ends of hair. "You'll have to trim that lock down a bit…"

Michael wasn't listening to him. "I'm… not… dressing… her."

"But if she wakes up in a torn uniform, don't you think that ruins the plan?"

"YOU can fucking do it, you pervert! I'm not touching that disgusting body!"

"Oh, I've touched more disgusting bodies." Raphael rolled his eyes. "She is very fit-looking. She must be an agile girl. Good for fighting."

"Feh! … I guess for a human she delivers a good kick, but that's all she is. A fucking human." Michael leaned on his sword. "So… should we get going?"

As if on cue, the roof of Nema's school… or former school… collapsed. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

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"Quick news flash! Shibuya Senior High School has been burnt down! A few students, several teachers, and many unidentified bodies have been found, along with what appears to be the bones belonging to some kind of animal! Scientists are confirming that they belong to a large number of giant birds; however, only the wing bones can be found! We go now to a witness who says that he saw several balls of fire rush up into the sky…"

"SETSUNA! That's Nema-chan's school!" Sara cried. "She couldn't be… could she?"

The doorbell rang, and Setsuna went to answer it, though he was making the trip slow. Setsuna heard voices from outside the door.

"Will you hold her now?"

"NO!"

"Why not? You're her Guardian Angel! Not me!"

"SO? I'll guard her while you hold her!"

Setsuna threw open the door the moment he heard the word, 'angel.' Raphael and Michael stood at the doorstep, Nema lying in Raphael's arms, though the Wind Angel was holding her out to Michael. Setsuna had to blink rapidly in order to make sense of what he saw.

Raphael gave Setsuna a polite nod of his head. "Hello, there. Long time, no see…! May we come in?"

"Y… yes! Come in, come in!" Setsuna made way for them. "SARA! Nema's home… with company!"

Michael marched in first, with Raphael right behind him, still speaking. "We apologize about her condition, but with plenty of rest and a fresh change of clothes, she should be just fine."

Sara held a hand over her mouth. "Raphael…! Michael…!"

"There'll be time for chitchat later, tend to your kid!" Michael snapped.

Sara was already helping Nema up to her room as she slowly regained consciousness.

"Maaaaaamaaaaaaaaa… I saw that jerrrrk… he had a biiiig sworrrrrd…"

"That's nice, honey. Let's get you changed into your pajamas."

"But I don't wannaaaaaa take a naaaaap…"

Sara quickly ushered the delusional Nema away, while Setsuna shut the door and began to speak. "Was it M-"

"Yep." Michael said shortly.

"Wh-"

"I did it to save your kid." Michael said this shortly, as well.

"… Than-"

"Welcome."

Setsuna stared at the two Archangels for a while. "… Tea?"

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"So we've got a lot of explaining to do. If Michael wouldn't mind taking the floor right now…?"

"I mind. I mind a lot." Michael took a quick sip of tea, giving Raphael an annoyed look.

"Well it's just that I don't know where to start…"

"AND YOU THINK I DO?"

"Shh, Mika-chan, Nemaelle is sleeping."

Michael grumbled.

"Maybe it'll help if Sara and I ask questions." Setsuna said. "What are you two doing down here?"

"Well, I merely came down here to help Michael out. You see, Michael was assigned to be Nemaelle's Guardian Angel."

Setsuna could not help but let out a short laugh.

"What's so funny about it?" Michael asked darkly.

"Nothing… but you don't seem to be the right type for the job." Setsuna poured him more tea.

"Oh, he's not," Raphael said, "But he is nonetheless Nemaelle's – You call her Nema for short, right? – Guardian Angel. Recent events have caused him to come down here and keep closer watch over Nema."

"… What events?" Sara asked cautiously.

"Actually, God just told him to get his ass down here and never gave a specific reason. But I have my ideas about it." Raphael stared down into his teacup. "… Setsuna, is your daughter an I-Child?"

"No." He replied.

"Feh! I could'a told you that!" Michael spat.

"… We doubt it, anyway. She looks like one, but she has no wings and powers, so we assume it's all coincidental…" Sara told them.

"… Michael and I hope you're right." Raphael felt the need to include Michael's name, even if Michael couldn't care less. "Heaven's been rallying to get rid of the I-Children. It's my belief that Michael's been sent down here to make sure nothing happens to Nema because of it."

"… And you couldn't tell me this BEFORE I left?" Michael asked angrily.

"You know, if you put two and two together, I kind of did." Raphael gave Michael that bored stare he liked to give out. "I told you about Heaven's rallying AND I told you that you were going to be sent down to Assiah. Nema IS albino. It should've clicked. … Or did you even pay any attention to Nema's appearance until now?"

Michael came to a stand and growled at him.

"Sit down. You're not picking a fight with me while you're in here." Raphael said calmly. "… Anyway… There are groups of Angels in Assiah, trying to pick out any I-Children here. Your daughter is highly suspected. But rest assured, I-Child or not, Michael will be here to protect her from any harm. … He might damage other things in the process, but Nema should be safe. That's the important part."

Michael saw Sara looking up at him with the utmost gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you for guarding her, Michael-sama."

"… Yeah, don't thank me. I demand stuff of you."

"Such as?"

"Living here. I need somewhere to stay. If I just sit on your roof all the time, it's not gonna work to well."

Nema's parents grew silent.

"… What?"

"It's nothing…" Setsuna said, "Only that Nema… doesn't seem to appreciate your… personality very much."

"Yeah, well the feeling's mutual, so whatever." Michael mumbled darkly.

Sara smiled. "I think that you are both too easily angry. Setsuna and I noticed that the moment she was born. She can be so fiery! I guess we should've known that you were watching over her, Michael-sama. She acts a bit like you!"

Michael offered a short, "Hmph!" and turned his eyes to the window, and Raphael knew Michael didn't want to fess up to the fact that he rarely performed his duties as a Guardian Angel. He loathed the idea and often pretended that there was no one to look after. Sometimes, when he was bored, he decided to go along with it, but he soon tired of it and did something else. He'd been a Guardian Angel for sixteen years but had only truly acted even slightly like one for a grand total of one day.

Raphael saw Sara smiling at what she considered typical Michael behavior, though she only saw the surface of it. He didn't have the heart to break Michael's cover, so he didn't, but he couldn't help but wonder what the lack of protection had left Nema to deal with. She was abnormal to see, but what's more, the daughter of incest. What kind of childhood would that be like?

"… Who are you…?"

Raphael turned to see that Nema, bleary-eyed, had wandered in the room they were at. "I'm a friend of Michael's."

"… Are you a jerk like him?"

Raphael snickered as Michael grit his teeth. "No."

"… Okay, cool then." Nema turned to Sara. "Mom… where am I going to go to school, now?"

"School is the least of our worries…! You're swaying, go back to bed." Sara said in that gentle, yet demanding motherly tone.

"… Why are you here, Michael-samaaaaaaa?" Nema asked with a cruel, though weak, smile on her face.

"'Cause I CAN be." Michael snapped. "I'm living with you for a while, you hear? So DEAL with it."

Nema stared at him sleepily, and then turned away. "I'm gonna go hang myself now…"