Flight of the Archangel

Disclaimer: "I never joke about my work, 007." – Desmond Llellewyn as Q, James Bond

Chapter 11: Jay Gets A Job

A rooftop in New York City

Jay Guthrie, the Archangel, flew towards the rooftop of the Voodoo Lounge.

"One man. You intimidated one man." Dracor frowned. "That's all."

"I didn't feel up to intimidating anyone else tonight." Jay grunted as he landed.

"You don't have the stomach." Dracor grumbled. "I thought you wanted revenge on your sister."

"I do!" Jay snapped angrily at the demon, eyes glowing red. "Don't you ever question that, demon!"

"Then you have to keep up your end of the bargain!" Dracor snapped back. "Selene does not do favors!"

"I want to keep up my end of the bargain." Jay sighed. "I want the Wand, but…" The mystically-reborn mutant sighed and sat down. "Do I have to do it this way? By acting like a heartless bully?" Dracor blinked.

"Huh. Sounds like you still have a little bit of the old Icarus in you." Dracor noted. Jay growled angrily, the mention of his old mutant nickname filling him with rage as he jumped back to his feet.

"Don't you EVER call me Icarus!" Jay snapped, throwing a metal feather, which Dracor barely dodged in time.

"Watch it!" He yelped. Jay sighed and sat down.

"Sorry." He apologized sincerely.

"Now you listen to me, kid." Dracor reassured in a calming voice. "Resurrection changes a person, no matter who it is. If not physically, then mentally, usually both. Your return has changed you greatly. As Archangel, you're stronger, faster, and more powerful than you ever were as Icarus."

"…That's true." Jay admitted. "As Icarus…I never had wings that could deflect chain blows. I never had a voice that could destroy eardrums."

"Think about it, my boy. These changes…" Dracor smirked. "You did more than get resurrected. You got reborn. You became a whole new person. This is a wonderful opportunity for you. This is a chance for you to literally remake yourself. Create a new identity from scratch. Become the person you always wanted. Icarus didn't die that night. He just changed. He created the Archangel." Jay frowned.

"But…I liked who I was." Jay sighed. "How am I supposed to remake myself if I liked who I was?" Dracor shook his head.

"That's up to you to figure out, I'm afraid." Dracor admitted. He then heard a groan and grunted. "I have to go. You know what you have to do."

"Yeah, yeah." Jay grumbled. "Leave me alone." Dracor vanished. Topaz walked up on the roof, shaking her head.

"Oh, now of all nights. Tonight, of all nights…" Topaz moaned. Jay sheathed his wings, his red hair and eyes darkening to jet black and blue, respectively.

"Is something wrong, Topaz?" Jay wondered. Topaz noticed the mystically-resurrected mutant.

"Oh, hi Jay." Topaz greeted. "I'm so glad I could find somebody."

"Why?" Jay blinked.

"Well, my bar is going to be very busy tonight. It always is on Saturdays." Topaz sighed.

"…And?" Jay blinked.

"Well, normally, I'm able to get some help running the bar from my friends Jenny and Satana." Topaz started to explain.

"…Satana?" Jay raised an eyebrow.

"Long story, Jay. Very long story." Topaz continued. "Anyway, neither of them can make it tonight. And I can't run the bar myself on a Saturday night. I'm not quick enough."

"…What does that have to do with me?" Jay blinked.

"Well…" Topaz scratched the back of her head nervously. "…I know you may not have any experience tending a bar…"

"Oh, no." Jay shook his head quickly. "No. No no no no no no no no no no. No way. I am not a bartender. No way, now how, nuh-uh. Nope. Not at all. Nyet to that!"

"Jay, I wouldn't even be looking in your direction if I wasn't desperate." Topaz admitted. "But I am. I'd ask Frankenstein's Monster to help, but it was a disaster last time! He drank half my stock!" Topaz sighed. "Boy, did I have fun explaining to my suppliers."

"Topaz, I have no clue how to run a bar." Jay sighed. "I've been in bars, but never behind the counter…"

"Don't worry, I'll give you some on-the-job training." Topaz promised.

"Topaz, I…"

"Please, Jay?" Topaz pleaded. "I know that you're having it rough right now, but I really-!"

"Okay, okay!" Jay groaned. "Fine! Just stop with the begging!"

"Thanks, Jay!" Topaz grinned. She then grabbed Jay's arm and started to drag him inside. "You are not going to regret it!"

"…Hey, wait. Frankenstein's Monster?" Jay asked as he was dragged inside.

The Voodoo Lounge, later that night

"Bartender!" A burly-looking man demanded, pounding his empty beer mug on the counter. "Gimme another beer!"

"Pal, I think you had enough." Jay sighed, cleaning a glass. His black hair did a good job of hiding his face, but just to make sure, Topaz had him put on a card dealer's visor and a par of red-tinted sunglasses. He also discovered another handy talent: Jay could transform his Archangel costume into regular civilian clothing, which could look any way he imagined.

Heh.. The resurrected mutant snickered mentally. I gotta hand it to old Selene. The woman thinks of everything.

"Look here, pally boy." The burly man slurred, pointing at the dark-haired mutant. "I'll tell you when I've had enough! And buddy, I am just getting started!"

"If you say so, sir. I ain't your momma." Jay shrugged.

"Jay, you really should be a little less brusque with the customers." Topaz chuckled as she handed a drink to another customer.

"Topaz, I'm dealing with a guy who wants to drown his troubles in alcohol." Jay reminded the Indian empathic magician.

"Jay, huh?" The bar guy looked up. "That's a funny name. It short for something?"

"Yeah." Jay frowned. "It's short for-!"

"Jason!" Topaz piped up. "His name is Jason."

"Jason?" Jay hissed in a whisper. "Topaz, my full name is Joshua!"

"Why would a guy named Joshua want to be called Jay for short?" Topaz whispered.

"I thought Josh was childish." Jay explained. "Why did you say my name was Jason?"

"Because Jay is often a shortened form of Jason." Topaz explained.

"My name is-" Jay started to counter.

"Jay, everyone thinks you're dead, remember?" The Indian empath reminded. "You can't go around telling everyone your real name. They'll think you're crazy. Besides, Jason is a nice name. It's not like you can't still be called Jay." The metallic-winged mutant sighed.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Jay sighed. Topaz grinned.

"Nope." She grinned. "I was able to keep my last boyfriend in line that way."

"Really?" Jay crossed his arms.

"Yeah, and you're not as much of a problem as he was...that is, unless you turn into a wolf every month." Topaz shrugged.

"No, but my brother does." Jay sighed. "His wife was the object of a werewolf's affections, and he tried to kill my brother just so he could have her."

"Oh, he survived." Topaz explained.

"Not exactly." Jay admitted. "He discovered he was one of those External things. You know, immortal and all that crap." Topaz's eyes widened.

"Your brother is an External." Topaz's jaw dropped.

"Yeah. He hates it." Jay shrugged. "He also hates being a werewolf."

"Understandable." Topaz admitted. "He should meet my ex. They'd get along famously."

"Ex?" Jay blinked.

"His name's Jack." Topaz shrugged. "Jack Russell. We dated briefly." The young Indian woman then heard a scuffle. "Oh, no..."

"I got it..." Jay sighed. He leapt over the bar, and he went over to the source of the noise: Two bikers duking it out.

"Ginger!" One biker snapped, shoving a second biker.

"Mary-Ann!" The second biker snapped back, shoving Biker #1.

"Ginger!"

"Mary-Ann!"

"Ginger!"

"Mary-Ann!" The two of them got in each other's faces.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Jay snapped, pushing the two bikers apart. "What's going on here?"

"I tell you, Ginger is the girl to have! She's a fiery redhead!" Biker #1 snapped. He then tapped Jay's shoulder. "Ain't that right?"

"Oh, come on!" Biker #2 groaned. "Ginger's just a cheap Hollywood tramp! Now Mary Ann is a woman! She's a regular person!" He then tapped Jay's chest himself. "Ain't that right, buddy?"

"Oh, don't drag me into this." Jay groaned.

"Please!" Biker #1 scoffed. "There are a million Mary Anns! A Ginger is special!"

"Yeah, special alright. D'uhhhh!" Biker #2 mocked.

"Alright, guys. Let's just sit down..." Jay sighed, trying to calm the two bikers down. "Let's just sit down...preferably at different tables..."

"Why you-!" Biker #1 grabbed his beer mug and bashed Biker #2 upside the head with it.

"Hey! Come on! You're paying for that!" Topaz snapped.

"Alright, that's it! You two are outta here!" Jay snapped, shoving the two bikers.

"C'mere!" Biker #2 punched out Biker #1. For some reason, a patron leapt into the brawl, joined by another, and then another. Soon, the chain reaction caused the entire bar to break out into a massive fight. During the fracas, a screaming Jay was sent flying back over the bar, hitting the wall and sliding down to the ground.

"Jay! Are you alright?" Topaz ran over to him and helped the mystical mutant up.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Jay groaned, holding his head. "Does this happen all the time?"

"No, just on Saturdays." Topaz sighed.

"...Remind me to never help you out again." The ebon-haired hero groaned.

Next: The Quest Continues Jay's search finally gets him a lead.