Chapter 11
Michelangelo drove as fast as he could back to the lair. He pulled up to the entrance of the lair. They weren't exactly sure where the 'driver' was to pick them up, but they had assumed the driver would be outside the entrance they used to drive their vehicles in and out of the lair. But there wasn't so he continued on into the lair. He had figured that it was possible the driver would be inside the lair somewhere since Katherine did know where they lived. He supposed it was possible as well that the driver was just going to appear, much like thier suits had. One minute regular clothes in their closets, the next, very expensive suit hanging in said closet wrapped in one of those clothes bags.
"Do you think they left?" he asked his brothers as they got out of the truck. It was 7:21pm by the time they had reached the lair.
His brothers shook their heads. "Great, we stood up The Devil." Raphael grumbled as he tried to stomp off, but Donatello stopped him to have a look at his arm. A bullet had grazed Raphael's right forearm.
"This needs stitches Raph." Donatello pronounced. It was then they heard horses and the ground began to shake.
A gate ripped open in front of them as four pitch black horses with fiery eyes and flaming wings, manes, and tails burst through. The horses were pulling a large black coach with lanterns lit on the sides.
The driver pulled the horses to a halt. They stamped and protested, shifting in their traces.
The driver wore a black cloak and hood obscuring his face and body. The cloak looked shiny almost wet. It was then Michelangelo noticed his skeletal hands.
"She sent Death to pick us up?" Raphael asked in shock.
Donatello shook his head. "No scythe, no hour glass. I think it's Charon, the Ferryman who ferry's the dead over the river Styx."
Michelangelo looked at Charon. He didn't speak to them but Michelangelo got the impression that Charon was not pleased. "But we're not dead." Michelangelo said as he swallowed.
"If we keep him waiting any longer, that could change." Raphael grumbled. "And we still need to shower and change." Raphael growled as he took one more look at Charon who remained silently disapproving.
The horses stomped impatiently. Sparks shot out from under their hooves.
They were all ready within 10 minutes.
Raphael had bandaged up his arm and donned his suit like the rest of them. Charon paused outside of the door of the carriage and held out a skeletal hand.
"Donny, what does he want?" Michelangelo asked him in a confused whisper.
Donatello frowned for a moment. "We have to pay the ferryman." He said slowly.
"With what?" Michelangelo asked as he patted his pockets. They had money sometimes, gained usually from Donatello and his web designing skills, but they rarely used it except to buy food or gifts. Michelangelo frowned as he pulled a small black velvet bag from his pocket. He opened the velvet bag that was full of gold coins. Michelangelo closed the bag and gave the entire thing to Charon. Charon hefted the bag in his hand as if to test the weight of it. Michelangelo got the impression that Charon was a little more pleased than he had been a few moments ago.
"I don't think you were supposed to give his the whole bag." Raphael hissed.
Michelangelo shrugged. "We were late."
Charon opened the door of the carriage. The inside was all red plush velvet. The door was closed and the carriage moving before they had even seated themselves. Donatello and Raphael took the forward facing bench which left the backwards facing bench to Leonardo and himself.
There were blinds on the windows and Donatello pulled one up to look out.
"Where do you suppose Nightmare is?" Michelangelo questioned.
"I was pretty sure I said not to keep the driver waiting." Katherine said in an irritated voice.
Michelangelo blinked in shock. Gone was the carriage with the plush red interior. Now he was sitting on a black leather seat. The roof was lower but the space was now larger. He looked at Katherine in shock. She was sitting off to the side at the back of the vehicle. He and his brothers were all seated together on one bench seat facing a wet bar that took up the entirety of the opposite side of the vehicle. Michelangelo was facing the large tinted window. He could see flashing lights as they passed by crowds of people walking down the brightly lit sidewalks.
He looked back at Katherine who was lounging in the seat legs crossed a stack of papers in her hands. She was wearing a dress, but it looked like business attire, or rather, sexy secretary business attire. The dress was tight and mid thigh in length. It gave the impression that it was two pieces but was in fact really just one. There was a white blouse that showed just the right amount of cleavage, not too little, not too much, as well was a black skirt that started at just under her cleavage accented with a thin black belt. Her hair fell around her shoulders in pale white waves, the one streak of blood red wave lay against her left shoulder. Katherine looked human with the exception of the blood red angry eyes and opalescent skin.
They all looked at each other and back to her. She sighed and closed her eyes. "Well I suppose I am already late." She grumbled.
She froze and scented the air. "Someone is bleeding." Her skin began to glow, her blood red eyes turned a brilliant glowing emerald green.
He looked into her eyes and was caught. He tried to turn his head away from her gaze but he was unable to move and he could barely think. All he could do was watch her. Her eyes skimmed past him and focused on Raphael.
Michelangelo felt his will become his own again as Raphael looked at her transfixed. Suddenly she was kneeling in front of Raphael. She was closing her eyes, but she had his suit jacket off and his shirt rolled up his arm and the bandage was gone.
Her skin had stopped glowing. "You realize you are bleeding into a $100,000 suit?" She asked him casually as if whatever had happened hadn't.
Raphael seemed to shake himself out of his transfixion. He glared down at her angrily as she inspected his arm. "You were shot." She said in surprise.
Raphael pulled his arm away angrily. Or he tried to, but he couldn't get his arm out of her vice-like grip. "Are we free to talk?" Raphael growled.
Katherine looked up at him. She tipped her head to the side as she assessed Raphael's anger. She brushed her thumb against a sharp canine . Blood welled up and she brushed it along Raphael's wound. Raphael's wound closed up so completely it didn't even leave a scar.
Raphael looked at his arm and rolled down his slightly bloodied sleeve.
Katherine was back in her seat and looking at them as if she had never moved in the first place."You are free to talk. This vehicle is heavily warded." She said with a wave of her hand. Blue glowing sigils appeared over every surface of the interior of the vehicle.
Raphael was off his seat and angrily pinning Katherine to the back of her seat. Eyes narrowed, teeth clenched, he angrily held her by the shoulders. "So what are we to you Katherine, a bunch of new boy toys?" He asked angrily. "We know Azazel and Gabriel are your consorts, are they more than just your seconds in command?"
Katherine looked at him steadily. "Boy toys, hmmm, yes I suppose Mistresses just doesn't work does it?" She said flippantly.
Bright red lights lit the interior of the vehicle somehow illuminating all of the scars on Katherine's face. Some were small, others were large and all now glowed with a gruesome intensity that made his breath hitch in horror.
Raphael stumbled back as the moment passed. "To answer your question, no. I love both Gabriel and Azazel, but neither of them has shared my bed. I am bound by the restrictions that Goddess was bound to. It has to do with me being bound to the Nightmare godhede and that world. The first man I have sex with will become my Consort, my husband." She said softly as she looked at Raphael who was looking grey.
"How long?" He asked wretchedly.
"How long...?" She questioned.
"How long were you in Hell Katherine?" Donatello asked softly.
"Be more specific." She said to Donatello.
"How long did you run from Lucifer in Hell?" Donatello asked succinctly.
"Ahh. Let me see. Azazel managed to keep Katherine hidden for 23 years, 4 months, and 10 days. Hell time." She said to them.
Michelangelo felt the blood drain from his face. "Twenty three years?" He said in a strangled voice he barely recognized as his own.
Katherine nodded. "Ironic. She actually lived in Hell, a place for the dead, longer than she actually lived on Earth, a place for the living."
Michelangelo looked at his brothers who were all pale and looked miserable and speechless.
"How long did they...were you...?" Leonardo couldn't even ask the question.
"How long did they torture her before they killed her?" Katherine asked Leonardo.
Leonardo was a sick shade of grey green. He nodded once.
Katherine shook her head. "I'm not going to tell you that. Probably ever." Katherine said seriously. "If I say 6 years, it is 6 years too long; If I say five minutes it will still be five minutes too long. There will never be an amount that will make what happened any easier to bear."
"Katherine." Raphael said in anguish.
"No Raphael. That subject will remain closed until I deem it worth knowing." She said to him. "All you need to know is that she never broke, and she loved you until she breathed her final breath. She was stronger than any mortal had the right to be." She said softly. "Some things need to stay buried in the past, in another life." Katherine said seriously.
She crossed her arms over her chest a half smile appeared on her face. "You would have a problem being a kept man Raphael?" She questioned. Raphael looked at her in surprise as if trying to follow her question. "I don't know, sounds like a pretty good gig." She said as she lay down on her back on the seat. She looked over at them and winked. "So let me get this right." She said holding up her hand. "You are late." She ticked off a finger. "You accuse me of not only playing with you, but actually keeping other lovers on the side, and now you have sunk yourselves into a guilt filled gloom." She finished ticking points off with her fingers. "So far, worst date ever." She said turning her head so she looked at them.
Michelangelo found himself standing up and walking over to her. He knelt down and looked at her seriously. He reached out and touched the left side of her face gently.
Suddenly everything made sense. Katherine talked about old Katherine in the third person because it was the only way she could deal with what had happened to her. If she accepted herself as Katherine, she would break because it was too much. She could live with it if it happened to someone else. He felt the stirring of guilt but squashed it down. Guilt was what He felt, not her. If he let himself waste any more time on his guilt, it would then be all about Him, and he couldn't do that to her.
The important thing at the moment was that she was there with them, and he wasn't going to waste the chance she had given them. "So, what is the plan?" He asked casually. "Where are you taking us?" He asked her in a questioning voice.
Katherine smiled mischievously.
She sat up as the car rolled to a stop. "Oh and masks off." Katherine said as Michelangelo reached up and pulled off his mask. He was surprised at the request but obeyed anyway, tucking his mask into his front pocket. His brothers did the same. The door opened and Katherine slid gracefully from the seat, placing her hand in the gloved hand of the driver. They emerged onto a brightly lit overhang of what looked like a hotel. A very posh and expensive hotel. Michelangelo looked back at the driver who was an older man with a white beard. He looked respectable if a little on the thin side. He wore a black suit, white gloves and a chauffer's hat. Michelangelo looked back at the vehicle and his eyes took in the black SUV limo that sat idling.
"Pull around back Charon." Katherine said with a smile as Charon tipped his hat and walked back to the driver's side.
"Welcome to Sin City boys." She said with a smile.
They took a step back in horror as he realized that although their appearance was mostly hidden, the bright lights of The Strip would reveal that they were not exactly human, especially with the brightly lit interior of the hotel.
"Trust me, it's Vegas." She said with a smile. "And since we are late and Raphael needs to eat even though his stomach is still filled with too much guilt at the moment, we will see what we can dig up."
She strode through the double doors which were opened by two doormen. They had no choice but to follow, the two doormen didn't even look their way.
They followed Katherine into the massive lobby of the hotel. She strolled through as if she owned the place. Katherine walked right up to the woman working the front desk. Katherine smiled, but it was the type of smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Michelangelo's eyes took in the richly appointed lobby. Gold velvet chairs and couches were strewn about here and there. The floors were black marble accented with gold star designs. There was a massive fountain in the center of the lobby which seemed to be of a long haired woman carved out of white marble. She was holding a hand of cards behind her back with her right hand and a gold coin between her index and middle fingers in her left hand.
"Is Bastian in?" She asked lightly.
The woman looked at her with a furrowed brow. "He is currently awaiting a very important guest. May I leave a message?" She inquired pleasantly.
"Tell Bastian that I have arrived, but am...touring the facility." She said with a menacing smile. She turned and left the apparently speechless woman who had turned several shades too pale.
"Let's get you four something to eat." She said happily as she made her way through the lobby to what looked like a fine dining restaurant.
They were immediately seated in a quiet corner in a circular booth. They had a good view of the live band which was playing nice, soothing dinner music.
The waitress came up and handed them four menus. Katherine sat back and watched their stunned expressions when the waitress never batted and eye.
"Do you wish to order a drink to start?" She asked them.
"Ice water for me." Katherine said to the waitress.
Leonardo coughed and ordered a green tea, Raphael ordered a beer, Donatello ordered a coffee and he ordered a glass of ice wine, on Katherine's recommendation.
In short order the waitress brought the drinks around and asked if they wanted to order.
Michelangelo had opened the menu, but everything seemed to be written in a different language, and he hoped the numbers on the sides weren't the prices because he had spent less on brand new video games.
"Just order whatever you want." Katherine said to them as they looked at her blankly. Katherine sighed and pointed to Raphael. "He'll have a t-bone steak medium rare, with a baked potato, all the fixings with a side of mixed vegetables." She pointed to Leonardo. "He'll have the sushi combo," she nodded to Donatello. "Grilled chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables and," She finally pointed to him and paused. "Pizza? You can have anything you want and you want pizza?" She asked him. "From the looks of things you guys have been eating nothing but crap, but fine. A Margarita pizza, a real one, and an Greek salad." The girl nodded, collected their menus and left.
They were staring at her with opened mouthed shock. She rolled her eyes. "I wasn't reading your minds. I just picked your favourites and went with it." She said with a smile.
"Aren't you eating?" Michelangelo asked her.
"She doesn't eat food Mikey." Leonardo said softly.
"Very astute Leonardo." She said with a smile. "You are correct I don't eat...human food." She said with a nod.
"You are like Darkness." Leonardo said to her.
"Hmmm, debatable I suppose, but there are parts of me that are like her." She said.
Michelangelo frowned. "I'm confused." He said.
She tipped her head to the side and looked at Leonardo. "My body is vampiric. The only thing it can consume is blood." She said with a shrug. "I suppose that is the one of the few things I have in common with Darkness. I believe I have more in common with Goddess. I read up on both of that world's...counterparts, when I began searching through my godhede's memories." She said carefully.
Michelangelo realized that she was telling them that it was not a safe place to openly talk about who she really was. "My body is mortal, but is comprised of Werefox, Werelynx, Wyvern, dragon and living vampire. That is a lot of Hunger to manage." She said seriously. "If you would like, we will talk more about this later, but right now I believe your food has arrived." She said as they turned and watched as two waiters each carrying two plates. Well technically, three plates and a wooden boat, and placed the plates in front of them.
A man came up after the waiter's had seen to it that they didn't need anything else. He was immaculately dressed in a black tux. He was slightly plump with thinning dark hair. He wore a jovial smile. "How is everything this evening?"
Katherine had her hands cupped around her glass of ice water, which was rapidly beginning to melt and stream. She smiled. Raphael was already wolfing down his steak with gusto, Leonardo was looking over his boat of sushi, Donatello was looking at Katherine, and he was watching everyone else.
"Very good..." Katherine paused as she tipped her head to the side in thought. "Arnold right?"
"Yes...Miss." He said slightly surprised.
"Wonderful job Arnold, I know you have already gotten orders to see to it that we are a priority, but I believe you are doing very well at running this fine dining restaurant."
"Thank you Miss. Gentlemen." He said with a slight bow as he moved off.
It was then that he realized that Katherine still looked only 21 years old. She was lucky she wasn't ID'd at the door. As for them, they were nearly 5 years older than her when they met her, now they were nearly 10 years older. In a few months they were all going to be 31. Which made him feel old. Only, he knew she was so much older than they were, she just looked younger.
He shook his head as he looked at his piece of pizza dubiously. It had tomatoes and some sort of green something, possibly basil and a few other green spices, and no cheese. He picked up a slice and bit into the best piece of pizza he had ever eaten.
"Depending where you go in Italy, each region varies, but, they don't put cheese on their pizzas, and yet very delicious, or so I am told." Katherine said with as shrug and Michelangelo finished his pizza off in a record amount of time. Katherine signalled to the waitress to get him another pizza and he managed to wolf this one down just as fast, attacking his greek salad last.
Raphael's plate was clean, Donatello's looked half eaten and Leonardo looked as if the boat had beaten him and he was too full to eat any more.
Michelangelo was certain that they hadn't talked throughout the entirety of dinner. "You must have been hungry." Katherine observed. Raphael blushed.
"Sorry Kitten." He said softly then his face froze in horror as he looked at her.
"So, tell me how you were shot Raphael, Red Dragons again?" She asked not giving any indication one way or the other how she felt about Raphael's slip.
"Why isn't anyone staring at us?" Leonardo asked suddenly. "It may be dim in here, but people would have to be blind not to notice what we are." Leonardo said as he looked at her.
She tipped her head to the side and assessed him. "Still ever the confrontational one, aren't you Leonardo?" She smiled. "But if you want to know, I suppose I shall show you." She said as she stood. She threw some money down on the table as the waitress bustled over. Michelangelo looked at Katherine's water which was empty, but he was positive she hadn't taken a sip.
"Thank you very much for visiting. Please come again." The waitress said with a wavering smile.
Katherine laughed. "We shall see how things go. Is that our bill?" She asked looking at the discrete black bill holder in her hand.
"No, of course not." She said horrified. "Mr. Bastian has picked up the tab."
Katherine nodded. "Thank you...Sheila." She said after a moment's thought.
None of the staff were wearing name tags. Sheila paused but nodded. Katherine led the way out of the restaurant and into the casino. People were bustling here and there. There were loud ringing noises and shouts. Waitresses with drinks threaded their way through the crowds.
Katherine grabbed a large cup and gave him a quarter. "Would you like to go one on one with Lady Luck?" She questioned pointing to a statue of a woman in a flowing dress holding a Chinese coin and had a four leaf clover in her hair. There was a tortoise at her feet as well as a horseshoe.
Michelangelo looked at the machine. Leonardo took the coin away from him. "No gambling." He growled.
Katherine assessed Leonardo but shrugged as she pointed to a wall of mirrors. Michelangelo looked at the human that stared back at him. He walked up to the mirror.
A man, a handsome, blonde haired, brown eyed man, stood looking back at him. He looked at the images of his brother's. From what he could see of Donatello's hair it was a wavy dark rich brown, that was slightly long. His eyes were a darker brown than his, which he had always known, but the difference was even more dramatic in a human face. Donatello was handsome as well. His eyes moved to Leonardo whose hair was chin length and black with dark blue highlights. His eyes were almost black they were such a dark brown. He was handsome, but looked older than either he or Donatello, as if worry had cut deeper lines into the skin around his eyes.
His eyes finally settled on Raphael whose hair was the longest reaching his shoulders. It was pure white. His honey brown eyes looked out from a handsome face that was still too thin.
"Turn us back." Leonardo growled softy.
"To what?" She questioned. "It is a glamour Leonardo. Although technically, if you ever wanted to know what you would look like as a human. That is it. Well, except Raphael's hair was a reddish brown, but stress and grief have turned it white. And I didn't perform it. The glamour is in the suits. Why do you think they were so expensive?" She asked. "Antonie even gave me a discount." She said with a shake of her head. "Granted the suits alone are beautifully tailored, but it is the magic woven into the fabric that makes it expensive. You are wearing pure fairy silk. Very rare, which is why I get a discount because I supply Antonie with the raw silk which he then gets spun into fabric that mimics the different thickness, texture and look of other fabrics. Take off the suit and people will see what is really there." Katherine tipped her head in thought as her gaze caught something in the mirror. "Oh, but don't touch me because even faerie glamour cannot stand up against my touch. It also allows you to see what is true. Like those two thugs in black heading towards us." In the mirror they looked like non-descript guys in suits who were more muscle than brains. Turning to face them Michelangelo managed to get a glimpse of a black skinned demon before the image of a thug replaced it.
"High class demons. The spell is trying to let you at least glimpse what is beneath the illusion." Katherine said as she pasted a smile on her face. "Down to business I am afraid." She said with a long suffering sigh.
"Mister Bastian extends his most humble wishes for you to join him upstairs." Thug #1 said with a slight bow.
"How gracious of him." Katherine said with a smile. "Lead the way." She motioned.
Thug #1 led the way while Thug #2 brought up the rear. They were escorted through a side door that led down a service hallway that eventually opened up into a sumptuous office lobby. It was done in the same black marble flooring, but the furniture was done in rich reds and golds. They were escorted to an elevator and the top floor was selected with a password and key code access.
They exited the elevator and walked past a buxom blonde secretary who waved them to proceed through the black double doors behind her.
Thug #1 opened the doors and waved them in staying outside and gently closing the doors behind them.
The office was done in ultramodern furniture and furnishings. It was done in monotone blacks and whites with red accents here and there. A computer sat on a glass desk and another group of thugs lounged around on contemporary black and white leather sofas.
Michelangelo counted 10 goons who stood as they entered. The atmosphere was charged with barley restrained violence. His hands automatically went for weapons he did not have. "Hello Baёl." Katherine said cheerfully.
The man behind the desk was looking out the window at the view of the Las Vegas night life. He turned and looked at Katherine. His eyes flicked to the rest of them and then turned his full attention back to her. He was slightly over 6', mid thirties, built, with white blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. His face was handsome, but in a harsh way, being made up of hard planes and angles.
Katherine sat down at the desk opposite of where the man named Baёl stood. He looked down at her, paused, then took a seat opposite her.
"To what do I owe this...honour...Morning Star?" He asked in a deep rumbling voice.
"Oh good you do know who I am." She said with a smile. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to educate you on who I was. After all, I know you have been absent from Hell for the last 50 years, I wasn't sure how out of the loop you would be."
"I make it my business to be regularly apprised of the goings on in Hell." He said softly.
Katherine nodded with a smile. "Well that should make this a lot easier." Michelangelo wasn't sure what it was in her expression that changed from open and friendly to deadly serious, because she was still smiling, but whatever it was, the tension in the room rose drastically. "You see the last time I checked, you worked for me. You manage this and seven other hotel and casino's, while I own them." Katherine's voice took on a dangerous edge.
Michelangelo felt himself thrown against the wall by one of the goons in the room. His brothers were beside him and all had guns trained on them.
"Dimitto!" Baёl said as he held out his hand.
"You cannot exorsize me Baёl." Katherine said as she brought out a sheaf of papers from a briefcase that he was pretty sure hadn't been with her when they had entered the room.
If she was at all concerned about what was happening to them, she didn't show it. "Now, according to my accountants you seem to have been stealing quite a bit of money from me. More specifically Lucifer, but as he is gone and all of his assets belong to me, you have then been stealing from me." She said in a matter o' fact voice.
Baёl stood menacingly. Hands palm down on the desk. "I have built this casino from nothing. I have worked here for fifty years and have never taken what I did not think I was owed." He snarled. "You are nothing but a young upstart god who managed to get lucky and kill Lucifer while he was weak." Baёl growled.
Katherine continued as if he had not spoken. "That said, I have been looking into, and have noticed, that you and your demon's have not had a raise in 50 years." Baёl blinked at her in shock. "With the rate of inflation and the back pay I figure is owed to you, I shall forgive you the funds that have ended up in your own pockets." She handed him a thick wad of papers. "I am giving you and your staff a significant wage increase as well as giving you part ownership of the Maltese."
Baёl slowly sat down as he looked at the thick stack of paper. "All I need is your signature. You may give the documents to my Lawyer when you find the time." She closed the briefcase which was sitting on her lap and it vanished. "Now if you will excuse me. I am enjoying a night out." She said with a smile.
Baёl looked at his goons who all stepped back and put away their guns. "Is there anything else Baёl?" She asked sweetly. Baёl seemed to pale. "Ahh yes, well, since you are partial owner of the casino I believe I will overlook you claiming the entire top floor as your own personal living quarters as well."
Baёl gave a panicked look to his goons. "Don't worry, they are safe and sound and I believe quite eager for your company." Katherine said with a smile. "I do not threaten innocents." She said darkly. "I have no need."
She turned but paused at the door. "But Baёl," She threw over her shoulder. "If you ever steal from me, or threaten me or anyone I am with again, I will kill you, and when you reform in Hell I will rip out your spine, crush your screaming skull beneath my foot like an egg, and eat your soul down like a piece of chocolate." She said happily."Now, I'll show myself out." At this parting shot Katherine walked out of the door. Michelangelo followed her out, his head swimming.
"You're scary as hell Kitten, and yet I'm oddly turned on at the moment." Raphael said.
Katherine chuckled.
Leonardo grabbed Katherine's arm angrily. "We could have been killed." Leonardo hissed.
Katherine pulled out of his grasp. "How?" She questioned.
"They had guns. You might be immortal but we aren't" Leonardo said angrily.
Katherine sighed. "Leonardo, I would not let anything befall you when you are in my presence."
Leonardo looked at her as too many emotions warred for dominance on his face, but he finally nodded.
Katherine looked at them. "The suits you are wearing were made by a dwarf." She said softly.
"Who are renowned for their armour making abilities." Michelangelo said in shock.
Katherine nodded. "Faerie silk and metal woven together and bound. Faeries do not like iron, but the silk they make isn't affected by the metal. "You are essentially wearing a full suit of battle armour that will stand up to bullets and most explosions. That is also why there are protective spells woven into the fabric as well, in case of explosions."
"Now." She said softly as she walked into the elevator. "It is about 7:00 which means that the fight is just about to start."
"Fight?" Raphael asked. Katherine nodded. "Ice Cold has decided to come out of retirement and is facing off against the Freemason in Event room 4. There is a Future Technology exposition in Event room 2, a Phil Hartman, the illustrator of the Golden Sentry comics autograph session in conference room 3, and master sword smith, Junata Yoshi, performing a demonstration on ancient Katana forging techniques."
"You're joking." Raphael said in shock.
"Well, the Maltese is the biggest, most exclusive and expensive hotel and casino in Vegas. We only book the best." She said with a shrug. "Go on." Katherine said with a smile. "I'll catch up in a bit, Raphael and I will watch wrestling for a bit and I will find you. Oh and Michelangelo," Katherine held out a comic for him. "Here." She said as he looked at the first edition Golden Sentry she placed in his hand. It had been lost when they had run from Katherine's house over 4 years ago.
He looked at her in shock as she watched Raphael and her turn and begin walking towards a sign that indicated where all of the events rooms were.
Raphael took Katherine's hand and helped her into the Limo. He looked at the heels she was wearing and still marvelled that she could even stand in them let alone walk in them.
Raphael climbed in after her letting his brothers follow. They all chatted happily on the way home each of them telling the others what it was that they had seen. Katherine had watched part of the match with him, and then told him that she was going to go check on his brothers. He had smiled at her and then she was gone. He hadn't seen her for the rest of the night until the match was over and they met up in the lobby area at the end of the night. Raphael had wanted to continue with the evening, it only being a little past midnight, but he found he was tired.
He let the voices of his excited brothers drift around him. Even Leonardo was smiling. He looked younger when he smiled. Raphael felt his eyes close and they didn't open again until Donatello gently shook him awake."We're home Raph." His brother said to him gently.
He looked around the plush red velvet interior. He could smell sulphur and horse. He was back in the carriage they had started out in. He looked around for Katherine but she wasn't in the carriage.
His eyes widened in shock. "She got off in Hell, or rather she just sort of vanished." Michelangelo said to him.
"So is she coming back or not?" He growled as he exited the carriage. Charon whipped up the horses and tore through a Hellgate which opened and closed behind him.
"I'm not sure Raph, she never said." Leonardo said softly. Raphael studied his elder brother. He was more relaxed and looked more like himself. Leonardo noticed his eyes on him. "She's not the same." He said softly. "But I can see glimpses of Herr."
"Are you still scared of her Leo?" He questioned his brother.
His brother looked at him seriously. "Only a fool wouldn't be." He said as he turned to walk to his room.
"G'night." He said to his brothers as he wearily dragged himself to his room.
He undressed and hung the suit up in his closet. He fell into bed but found that even though he was exhausted he couldn't sleep.
The soft smell of flowers drifted over to him.
"Come to bed Kitten." He said softly.
"I don't sleep." She answered him.
"Try." He said softly as he held the blankets up for her. He could just make out her wings, blackness against the darkness of his room. Raphael remembered the other Raphael's biting remarks to the other Lucifer. 'I see you came dressed as the Devil today'. Katherine could make herself look human if she wanted, but it seemed as if she didn't mind her appearance.
"I don't even know why I'm here." She whispered.
"Because you belong with me." Raphael replied. He decided to talk to her to try to distract her to keep her with him, even if she didn't take his invitation to sleep with him."Is the lair warded?" He asked her.
"Yes, warded and protected from the supernatural and divine."
He nodded. "So why didn't you...I don't know, smite that guy or something?" Raphael asked carefully.
"Just because I can kill someone, does not mean I should." She said simply. "Baёl has lived on Earth for 50 years. He is not possessing someone, he is in his own human body, which...it means he is essentially more human than demon. Even though he knows he is a demon and even though he still has a small amount of powers in his human form, it has been 50 years earth time, which is roughly the equivalent to almost 10,000 years in Hell. Time in Hell is wave-like. It slowly gains momentum and speeds up only to slow down again. I am trying to stabilize it and change time so that it moves within the same time as Earth. But it is taking me time. Anyway, even though it has only been 50 years here, Hell still acts upon him, so it feels like he has literally been here forever. And his wife and two children live in the hotel with him."
She paused and continued. "Baёl is one of the smarter demons. He discovered long ago that a demon running a crime ring was redundant. But there is a lot of money in the criminal underworld, and as long as you have a little class, they are always welcome at the Maltese. Of course this means he has many underworld contacts, but all of my casinos are legit through and through."
He looked at her. He tried not to think about that fact that she was The Devil. She was occupying the position of The worst force of evil out there. And yet...
"He has a wife and kids?" He asked in shock.
"Yes, Samantha and their two children Ryven and Rachel. 1 and 12 respectively. Half demons as Samantha is human. He'll have his hands full with those two. And I suspect I will receive a visit from Baёl soon in order to find a way to stop damning his wife's soul."
"What do you mean?"
"To keep his wife young, he has been using his abilities as a demon to grant her youth and immortality. She should be in her 40's by now, I suspect, but she looks 25. To do this he damns her soul a little more each time he grants her youth and immortality . That will be a sticky mess, but I am sure I will think of something."
He looked at her in shock. "He loves her." He said in shock. "But he's a demon."
"Just because he is a demon now, doesn't mean it was what he once was. Many a god and spirit was relegated to Hell by Christianity. Anyway, it all starts with the top. Azazel learned to love, learned to feel the scope and range of human emotions. And as he was the first ruler of hell, it has begun to trickle down through Hell's demons."
"So you are changing Hell?" He asked.
She paused. "No, not really. Hell still functions as it is supposed to, more...I am changing the residents of Hell." She said softly.
He nodded slowly as another thought struck him.
"Are you hungry?" He whispered.
"I don't need to eat." She said to him.
He nodded but paused. She hadn't answered his question. It seemed as if she had, but she hadn't. He closed his eyes. She couldn't lie, just like Darkness.
"But you're hungry." He said softly.
She sighed. "I Hunger." She said.
The way she said hunger sounded as if it had a Capital 'H'.
"Sleep well Raphael." She said to him closing the subject.
"I will." He said as he closed his eyes and fell into a dreamless, heather scented sleep.
Such a long chapter, but I didn't want to break it up into two parts, so I apologize!
Things are goingto start going in the next few chapters, I hope everyone enjoyed!