Once I was a respected member of the Magdalene Order's Militia. Once I was an angel under God's command. Once I was a good friend to the Killer of a Hundred Million Demons and Mary Magdalene.

All that was a long time ago now.

Now I live in the back alleys of Rome, trying to watch for a devil that I thought long dead, and make certain that the new pope does not fall victim to any of his schemes.

I only do this because I want to though. I no longer listen to God.

I haven't listened to Him since he took away the lives of my two friends, and left the brother of Mary without his mind or his sister.

So here I am, waiting for something that I don't know will happen, while I wait for atonement.

It's a warm day in the city when I open my eyes to see a pair of stark white boots standing before me. At first I think nothing of it, after all, sometimes people stop and gawk at me, but this time, the feet do not leave my vision. Instead, I hear the voice of a man that is always in control of every situation, and he knows it.

"Pathetic. I would have thought that you would have gotten up and done something with your life after we met twenty-five years ago. I guess I was expecting too much of the broken angel though."

I look up, and there before me is the one man that I hate with all of my being.

"Aion."

He gives his customary smirk and pushes his glasses up with his left hand. He's the same as when I last saw him, and it makes me sick.

"Yes, Aion. Get up, Remington. I want to have a chat with you."

"Why would I want to do that?" I grunt as I look away from his piercing violet eyes.

"Because we're the only two that are alive now, and I think that the hornless devil and the wingless angel might have something in common. Besides," he says as he turns on his heel, "what's the harm in having some coffee?"

There is some truth in his words, and it's because of this truth that I find myself getting up and following him towards the unknown.

If there's one thing I can say about Aion, he is rather honest. He takes me to a very nice café, and he orders us some of the most expensive things off of the menu. I figure that he's only doing this to assure me that he has no ill intentions, but even so, I find it difficult to fully appreciate the gesture. After all, he did destroy my life and the lives of those that I cared about.

"Oh, cheer up, Remington. The past is the past, and now all we have is the future to look forward too," he says before he sips at his drink and crosses his legs.

"Maybe you'll forgive me, but I find it difficult to forget the past when you ruined it for all those involved. Besides, because of you, I had to come here and fight in the most God forsaken war ever."

"Was that me so much as the people being religious zealots?" he asks, and I don't have an answer. In a way, what he did was only to unite people. It was their own fault that they went fanatical over Mary Magdalene's sudden reappearance.

"Do you plan on drinking that, or am I just going to have to watch my euros disappear because you didn't want to drink one of the best cups of cappuccino ever?"

I give Aion a glare and sip at the hot liquid. Admittedly, it is splendid, but I'm not about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

"Why are you back?" I finally ask after several moments of silence have passed.

"Why? Because I wanted to come back, and I get what I want."

"That's not an answer, Aion."

"It isn't? Well, in that case, I came back because as long as humans hate and fear and kill, I will live. As long as there is a God that sends His angels down to protect these insignificant mortals, I will be here. That is why I am back."

"How did you come back then?"

He shrugs and takes another sip. "Not even I know that. One moment there was nothing, and the next, I was back. I'm not about to question something that was to my benefit."

"That doesn't seem like you."

Another shrug. "What is like me though?"

There's a long silence as our food is brought out and I begin to tear into it. It's been a long time since I've had good food, and even though I don't have to eat, it's a good feeling to have a full stomach.

"Why me?" I finally ask after I've finally eaten the last of my meal.

"Didn't I already tell you? You and I are the last ones alive as far as I can tell."

"There are plenty of other angels out there for you to play your little games with. Why me?" I inquire as I finish off the cappuccino.

"You interest me, and you and I have a history together."

"Why the hell would I interest you?" I growl as I watch the devil carefully.

"An angel that turns his back on God? Come now, Remington. How could that not interest me?"

He's smirking again, and I close my eyes, trying to shut out the image.

"Damn it, Remington, I thought that you would be slightly more entertaining."

"I'm sorry that I disappoint you so."

I hear him stand up and there's a thump on the table. Opening my eyes, I see a stack of euros there before me. I glance at Aion, only to find that his smirk is gone, replaced by a look of boredom.

"Clean yourself up, Ewan. If I am to have you even as an acquaintance, I at least want you to be presentable."

"I never asked for this relationship," I call to him as he starts to walk away.

I don't have the drive to demand that he never use my first name again.

"Tell, me," he calls over his shoulder. I look at him, and wait for him to continue. "What happened to Rosette and Chrono?"

"They're together as they should be. Not even you will get to them now."

He doesn't respond to my last comment, and here I am, at an expensive café in Rome with probably what amounts to several thousand euros before me. I didn't ask for this money. Quite frankly, I don't want it, but now that I've been given an opportunity to get out of this hell-hole of a life that I've created for myself, I'm almost tempted to take it.

Almost.

I don't though. Instead, I take the money, and begin the long walk towards the Vatican so I can instead give it to someone else.

I still have to atone for my sins. Only then will I allow myself to return to a somewhat normal life. I don't know how long it will take, and I don't care either. All I know is that I haven't earned the right to take any offers of charity.

I return to the back streets once I've put the money in the hands of a destitute woman and her child.

Once I was a respected member of the Magdalene Order's Militia. Once I was an angel under God's command. Once I was a good friend to the Killer of a Hundred Million Demons and Mary Magdalene.

All that was a long time ago.