"And that servant who knew his master's will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating." -Luke 12:47

The toasted sky stretched over his head, his eyes glazed as he stared up into the scorching clouds and the smoke billowing from aimless directions up from the broken ground to meet them. Kyle let out a soft noise of discontent as a clawed hand remained firmly wrapped in his hair, Damien dragging his limp form along the ash and stone with an air of nonchalance that made Kyle's insides boil. He couldn't seem to find his bearings, fading in and out with blood loss in a way he hadn't experienced for so goddamn long. He forgot how dizzied, how helpless one felt in this situation, where every ounce of life was trying to seep out of you, but you weren't permitted to go.

He looked down at his leaded legs, focusing wearily on them as they numbly scraped over the jagged terrain. This was terrifying, far more terrifying than he was prepared for. He was exhausted, he'd no doubt lost over a pint of blood by now. He was immobile, Damien had him in his hands, and he could do nothing about it. Kyle hissed softly at claws scraping against his scalp, bleary eyes closing and lip trembling. Kenny would figure something out. There were ten bodies up there that were going to look at every angle, find some way to get Kat out of harm's way. From there it was just a matter of taking Damien down, that was the easy part.

But here… here Kyle knew his only job: Keeping Damien happy enough to keep Kat out of his sight.

He shuddered, unwilling to think about just what it was he was going to be used for. Damien mentioned something about plans for him. Last time he said that, Kyle ended up becoming infected, his humanity torn asunder and sending him down a self-degrading path for half a decade at this point. 'God, how much more of my life can he ruin?' he thought before gulping. A lot. Damien could ruin a lot more. Even taking Kat and Kenny out of the equation, Damien held far too much over him to ignore.

He knew how to cut without a blade, could twist Kyle's mentality with a devastating phrase in a way he couldn't avoid. Kyle was disadvantaged, despite his victory over the antichrist, despite pushing down the control he had over him. Damien knew he was still lingering within, hiding within the quiet shadows of Kyle's day-to-day life. Kyle had learned enough about him in his stint as a hostage to know that had he shed Damien completely, had he fully accepted and embraced what he had become, the demon wouldn't have been so eager to get him back. He wanted to unearth what Kyle had spent so long throwing loose dirt on top of, wanted to bring those fears, that subconscious self-hatred up to its fullest potential.

"You're awfully quiet, mouse," Damien purred, sneaking a glance back at his boneless prize.

"Fuck you," Kyle muttered, eyes scrunching at a rough pull against his curls.

A forked tongue tutted, "Now, now. I expect you to be polite to your betters."

Kyle rolled his eyes, "Figure you'd get bored of me were I meek and polite," he mocked.

Damien smirked. He wasn't wrong. He certainly hadn't infected him in the first place because he was cowering in the corner. The exhilaration of their past chase was lit anew, feeling both his own and Kyle's fires raging within the paralyzed mixed breed. Kenny's own contribution onto his soul could easily simmer the spiteful bite of Kyle's humanity, convince his mortal soul to blossom into goodness as was expected of similar beings. Damien's own ingredient to the mix, however, would forever rage all the same. An angel cannot tame a demon; they can merely tolerate them. They can spout their gospels and their psalms in the vague hope of preventing a conflict, but it always ended the same: One of them was going to destroy the other. And Kyle's original soul was trapped in the middle of the two domineering forces, cursed with the geniality of an angel and the brash violence of the demonic counterpart. He'd made a dire mistake bonding himself with Kenny's power: He hadn't anticipated Damien would be coming back for him, his sights now set on destroying that celestial portion of his creation.

Kenny had no doubt influenced Kyle's soul, but Damien had been the first to stake his claim over it. It was the undeclared land that he had shaped to his own ideals, and he wasn't about to let any angelic presence think that they had that over him. They had already won enough; he was taking back the one thing that rightfully belonged under his thumb.

"Just remember:" Damien chuckled, "Manners matter this time around. You have much more at stake than just you."

"You said that last time, too," he reminded him in a grumble. "All you fucking talked about was Kenny and the fucking world."

Damien grinned, coming to a stop and looking down as Kyle glanced towards him with that hatred seated deep in a green stare. He ripped him upwards with a cut cry and twisted him around, bending and bringing his shoulder to Kyle's stomach, bashing back against him before straightening back up. Kyle groaned as he was lifted, bound hands dangling down lifelessly towards Damien's hips, his ribs aching from the bony prominence prodding against them. Damien's arm swung up to keep him steady, Kyle gritting his teeth and growling as a hand deliberately trailed down his back, settling itself on his ass. He couldn't feel it, but knew well enough by the cocky smirk prominent on Damien's face.

"You're right," Damien finally replied, continuing walking onwards towards their destination. "But you were willing to die for the world and leave McCormick alone. I doubt you feel the same about potentially leaving your child."

Kyle coughed a bit, shaking as another round of dripping blood pulsed out of him, "If I die for good, you have no reason to keep her."

"Oh, but I do. Because McCormick will try avenging you if I let you take the easy way out. Have to make sure we don't risk that. So little Katlyn would be raised by me. Wouldn't like that very much, would you, little one?"

Kyle growled again. He wasn't letting that happen. No way would that be the course that this disaster took. A strong blend of scents caught his weary attention, looking over to see a plethora of demons lingering in the distance, staring at them as they moved onwards. Kyle's stomach twisted, seeing the infuriation raging in their darkened eyes. They remembered him it seemed, remembered him all too well. Damien looked towards them as well with a curt laugh. "You have an audience," he purred. "Best stick with me, or they'll rip you apart."

"I can take all of them on," he hissed, wincing as he was shifted on Damien's broad shoulder.

"Not with those chains," he reminded him. "And you're not getting out of them very often, so I'd suggest you lose your little confidence before it ends up destroying you."

He rolled his eyes, "Hi, Pot, meet fuckin' Kettle."

Damien hummed, an amused noise as he dug his fingers down slightly into the fleshed globe beneath his claws. He smiled, tracing a claw up towards the unnumbed portion of his back and smoothly scraping a light line into the skin. Kyle went rigid, feeling the promise hidden in so subtle a touch. That fear was still so palpable, and Kyle couldn't hide it for anything. He could push down a lot of other terrors that simmered within him, but that was one that he could never escape.

He brought him up to an isolated cave, a simple thick door plastered along the outside. A warning glance was shot towards the observing demons, the lot of them recoiling at his glare and quickly getting the message. They all turned and began moving away at once as Damien lightly kicked open the barrier, Kyle's face contorting at the appearance of a dimly lit room with little but a bed and trunk off in the corner. He glanced towards the other side of the area, a bookshelf with musty tomes haphazardly stacked alongside each other. He coughed again as Damien stepped inside and kicked the door closed behind him.

Damien could feel the trepidation beginning to rapidly swell within his captive as his eyes landed on the bed again, the monster's face curling into a sadistic grin. "Something wrong, my mouse?" he cooed.

"Why are we here?" Kyle asked, voice barely able to breech above a whisper. He wanted use of his legs. He wanted to kick and scream and run to grab Kat and somehow get them out.

"I'm just giving you the tour," he shrugged innocently, gesturing with his free arm. "This is my room. Or, I guess now, our room," he smirked.

Kyle's chest clenched, head shaking and trying to wriggle out of his tight grip, feeling the arm around him tighten, his throat trying to close. "No. Not happening!" he snapped, a tiny whine escaping him as he was walked towards the padded surface. He continued trying to pull himself out of his grip, growing dizzy with his struggles but refusing to just let this happen without a fight. He yelped as Damien rolled him off his shoulder down onto the mattress, Kyle going to move as soon as his back hit the solidarity, trying to roll off before being grabbed and planted down into place. His eyes widened, jaw trembling as Damien leaned over him, recognizing that predatory gaze right off and shaking, trying to shove him off before his bound wrists were grabbed, forced back against his chest. "NO!" he spat, wriggling about and Damien watching in amusement.

He hummed, free hand brushing back sweated bangs and letting Kyle feel the slow, purposeful bite of his claws dragging up his forehead. "Little mouse, little mouse," he crooned, gripping his chin and shaking him, forcing his eyes back open. Kyle's heart was pounding, entire body alit with a painful terror as years-old phantom aches settled back down into his nerves. "You have a very important question you need to ask yourself." He leaned down closer, Kyle sinking as far as he could into the plushness beneath him, a pure contrast to the hardened, malicious hunger ringing through ruby-encrusted eyes. "Which means more to you? Your body? Or your daughter's life?" he grinned.

Kyle blinked, lashes batting anxiously and torso practically vibrating beneath Damien's lingering, staining touch. The answer was more than obvious, but he couldn't fucking say it, couldn't give him that power. "What…" he stopped and gulped, face twitching at a casual thumb dragging along his cheek. "What would this even accomplish?" he whispered. Last time had a goal, had the intention of bringing out his demonic presence into full-swing, forcing Kyle to accept it through his loss. Here, however… Kyle's organs twisted at a wider smile breaking over Damien's face.

"Why must there be a goal?" he drawled, tapping his nose. "I already told you: I'm done trying to raise you up. I'm bringing you down," he hissed, a hand clasping down around Kyle's throat. Kyle arched and choked, shoulders jerking in a futile escape attempt. He whimpered brokenly at buttons of his shirt popping out of place, his hands going back up with Damien's distraction to try to shove him off. The demon remained unfazed, staring at that familiar collarbone and neck flooding his vision, entire palate moistening over at the sight. He turned Kyle's head, forcing his cheek against the mattress and leaning closer, Kyle breathing in rapid gasps as he felt hot air washing over his exposed skin.

'Kenny… Kenny figure something out now,' he prayed. His eyes slammed shut, teeth clattering at a pleased hum from Damien. His mouth fell open in a pained groan as a familiar, razor-sharp sensation dug straight into the crook of his neck. Tears dripped through auburn lashes, trying to fight his way out as he sunk deeper into his skin. Kyle gasped in agony as Damien's jaw clenched, the tips of his fangs delving into his scapula to graze the marrow.

Damien was beside himself, hand moving from Kyle's throat to the back of his head, ripping through his hair and yanking him to the side for clearer access. It was delectable, tasting every missed year, every lost opportunity to take back what was his. Kyle's blood still tasted of him, his curse forever flowing through his veins. "STOP!" Kyle shouted through gritted teeth, flinching and twitching, whining as his fangs tore through more skin before finally sliding out. He coughed once more, unable to stop his shaking and the double vision ravaging his eyesight as his fresh wound joined the draining party.

Damien watched with a glimmer to his eye, staring at his mark and laughing to himself with pride as dark blood trailed down his neck and clavicle, smothering the purple hickeys Kenny had left him with that morning. He tongued over his fangs, tasting the bitter, reassuring staunchness of his life force and grinning. "Here's the deal," he started, turning his head back upright, waiting until those teary eyes met his and relishing in the repulsion. "You have a very very important choice to make. Either you continue with your agreement for compliance," he reminded him, squeezing his cheeks, "and your daughter and those idiots you have with her are kept fed and protected. Or… you keep on fighting. You keep fighting and run the risk that I lose my patience with you and decide that punishment is in order. Are we clear?"

Kyle stared at him, gulping and snarling. "You can't do this to me. You fucking know what's going to happen to you if you fucking try to pull this shit!"

He smirked, "Oh? And what's that?"

Kyle's brow furrowed, labored breath seeping through his teeth as fury and panic duked it out, his eyes flashing with color like strobe lights. "I have fucking eight archangels ready to tear you apart," he hissed. "The second your guard is down, you're fucking dead."

Damien snorted, once more brushing back his bangs. "Mhm, I'm sure they'd send the armada for a little demon's rescue," he poked his forehead. "Just like they did last time."

He narrowed his eyes, "Last time, there were no fucking options. And you seem to forget, I belong to Heaven," he smirked, confidence brimming with the reminder. "Which means, if you turn your back on me, I can kill you myself."

Damien grinned deviously, cupping his chin and clicking his tongue. "I know," he purred. "Such a strong little mouse with God's light, aren't you?" He chuckled at the dark glare flashing over his profile, squeezing his face. "That's why we're gonna fix that little snag."

"What… what do you mean?" he demanded, freezing as a hand worked its way under his back to his puncture wound. He gritted his teeth, arching as claws dug back in and feeling the telltale warming numbness of his healing power. The deadness in his disabled legs turned into fire, spastic sensations making them jerk with pain as they tried to regain some hint of normalcy. A soft whimper escaped him as the claws withdrew, his body sinking back onto the bed and his jaw shaking at the stabbing awakening coursing through him. His eyes widened, backing up again as Damien leaned over him, practically bumping noses and forcing him to take in nothing but red irises and a famished appetite. A horrified chill ran down his reinvigorating spine, reading with ease that he was what Damien had been waiting for to sate a ruthless hunger. And he didn't know how to stop him.

A forked tongue clicked, a stray hand gripping Kyle's hip and his thumb riding the ridge of his pelvis, the touch fleeting, but recognizable to Kyle's stirring nerves. "You weren't supposed to get out," he said, voice dropping dangerously. "Win or lose, you weren't supposed to go anywhere but right back here."

Kyle scowled, "You really think if Kenny won, you would've been able to fucking keep me? Took you five fucking years to get back up, you don't think he would've come to finish you off and save me?"

"He isn't the deciding factor. I am," he emphasized, putting enough pressure on his hip that Kyle wondered if the bone would snap right under his palm. "You're not getting out this time."

He could hear the severity in his tone, the promise of his personal destruction dancing on his tongue. "You fucking sick, obsessed piece of shit!" he snapped, groaning as the hand around his bone tightened. "I have all of Heaven on my fucking side," he hissed. "They'll get my daughter and then you're fucked."

"No, no matter what happens, you're fucked," he corrected, grabbing his arms and shoving them back against his chest. "You belong to Heaven for now, little one, but we're going to fix that. You're going to fix it." He snarled, finally standing and ripping Kyle up onto his feet. Kyle cried out, his legs trying to buckle with the immense pressure suddenly bearing down on them yet again, unable to collect himself before Damien snagged his hair and began leading him forward, forcing him to move quicker than his nerves could seem to handle. He bristled as Damien yanked the door open and led him through, leaning down and breathing hotly against his neck. "You seem to forget who made you what you are, little mouse," he hissed, Kyle shaking and braving a glance backwards, stomach dropping at the malicious grin plastered over the antichrist's face. "I think it's time to finally come back to where you belong."