Disclaimer: RWBY and all religions not owned by me. A bit more of Weiss' Opinions because Hell Hath No Filter.

They sat on the edge of the warehouse's roof, set somewhere in one of the major cities along the East coast. Blake was too tired to remember the name, having slain more Demons the night before than she imagined could exist in the mortal plane at once without the Highest Angel sending half of Heaven down to banish them. Their battle had ranged all over the block of abandoned buildings around them, culminating in the building they now rested atop, and how they hadn't brought any of the structures down remained a mystery. All different sorts of lesser Demons that earned no formal name and a few ones from the higher echelons- Envy, Lust, Greed, Gluttony- had tried their hardest to bring the two down and ultimately failed. On the one hand, four months from her deadline, she'd banished thirty eight Demons, leaving only twelve left before she'd earned her way back into Heaven. Given the onslaught they'd fought against the night before, Hell had yet to relent in pursuing Weiss, expending more and more minions to bring their wayward sister back home. On the other… they were exhausted.

Said Demon currently sat beside her, leaning her head on Blake's shoulder as they watched the sunrise, her tail curled around them both almost protectively. Her cracked horn had broken more, nearly down to a nub now, though the gash over her eye had closed long ago. The chain had lost a few more links as well, something she noted with subdued joy once they'd trudged out into the weak light of the pre-dawn, tired from their long battle. Dimly, the Angel recalled Weiss mentioning that the chain represented her ability to be returned to Hell, with each link falling away weakening the bond between her and the den of all evil. At least ten links remained, though, and Hell's attempts to reclaim her had only increased in recent weeks.

The passing months had brought more than just lost chain links and banished Demons, though. She'd learned more about the Demons of Hell from one who'd walked among the sulfur and brimstone herself, amazed at all that remained hidden from those in Heaven- once she started listening, of course. But it went further than that; Weiss, as a creature, seemed riddled with conflicting ideals. She didn't see her kin as inherently evil, despite drawing power from the sins of mortals, and she refused to acknowledge pride as being one of the biggest flaws a person could possess. Yet… she didn't seem outright malicious. When given the opportunity, she didn't try to tempt any of the mortals they'd crossed during their travels. Sure, she might alter their senses, but usually as just a temporary distraction. She insisted on leading the Demons chasing her to remote locations so Blake could ambush them properly rather than feed on the panic a more public battle would produce. She didn't seem to draw any energy at all, relying simply on a stubborn force of will to increase her power. In fact, it seemed a lot like Faith, the same sort that gave Angels their powers, but could that be possible?

Beyond that, Weiss could be snarky. She'd grown rather fond of the mortal creation called 'coffee' and refused to be even partly social without getting at least a cup every morning. She liked to wear earrings and heels, she enjoyed cooler weather, she put hot sauce on everything edible, and she dreaded large bodies of water for some reason. She wanted to see the wonders of the mortal world but she hated flying in the mortals' 'airplanes'. They'd both spent enough time among the mortals to begin mimicking their emotions, too- the ones that didn't exist in Heaven or Hell. Toxic ones, like doubt and fear, and positive ones, too… like love.

Not the kind that elevated one thing or activity above others. Blake found that she loved hot tea on a cold night and a good book. Weiss loved running in the morning air. They were aware of their preferences for these things before, yes, but recently, the Fallen Angel started to think… perhaps she felt love in a sense that would be entirely alien to her kin in Heaven. Angels, by default, loved all the creations of the world… but it wasn't the sort of love that mortals had for one another. It was unconditional- and Blake had become a bit skeptical of that after having spent so much time among the mortals, because there were plenty of things she didn't like, now that she had to confront them the same way a mortal did- but it wasn't romantic. It wasn't the sort of love that spurred one to great deeds. Yet, she found herself thinking, that she could be capable of that sort of love… in regards to… well.

She wasn't sure if Weiss felt the same way. She'd embraced the mortals' world with open arms, turned aside or towards things depending on her interests, but she'd never indicated one way or another about such mortal emotions. Besides that, aside from idle curiosities, there seemed to be no set plan. Blake at least had a goal: return to Heaven, reclaim her place among the other Angels, and return to her duties. Her companion, on the other hand…

"What will you do when you're free?" She turned her head, looking down at the exhausted Demon beside her. "Will you try to ascend to Heaven?"

Weiss puffed out a bitter laugh. "Hardly." She sat up fully, tilting her head to the side to crack her neck. "Demons don't have a choice, you know. What we are, what we do… it's dictated from the moment we begin existing until some priest or Angel banishes us for good, scattering our essence among the lowest pits of Hell. Only mortals- Humans, these creatures that have been given everything and squander it still, they possess the only thing I want. Free will. The ability to do as they please."

"They'll be judged for it, eventually," Blake said, though her reply lacked conviction. She'd seen with her own eyes what happened to a mortal's soul once they passed, how it was weighed. How all but those of exceptional virtue or sin would be sent back to be born again, until enough could be gathered from the combined lives to allow entry above or below.

"Ah, and that's where the beauty lies." Weiss turned to look at her, a small smile on her lips. "Even if I am truly free of Hell's grasp, I'll never be mortal. I can watch empires rise and fall, go wherever I want." Her tail curled closer to the Fallen Angel's thigh, the rising sun's strengthening rays falling across her face and illuminating the hope shining in blue eyes. "I'll be free, truly free."

It surprised her, sometimes, how beautiful the Demon could be. Perhaps not in the sense her fellow Angels would understand but… there was beauty in her defiance, in her strong will, in her convictions. In the way she faced down her kin and enjoyed the mortals' world unashamedly.

"You could be free in Heaven." She pointed out, softly.

"It's not the same." Weiss shook her head. "I'd be trading my collar for a halo, and both serve the same purpose. Don't you remember, that's how you got here; by breaking the rules others set. Stepping out of line when others wished you to be still- our rules may be different and the punishments too, but the functions are always the same." She crossed her arms over her chest, pulling her tail back and curling it around her waist. "I've lived under the rules of others for centuries, with no concern for my own thoughts regarding them, no choice in how I went about following them. Just this constant pressure to be something I never wanted to be. Now, I live by my rules only."

Blake watched as her companion got to her feet, turning towards the fire escape.

For as long as she'd worn her halo, she'd never considered it as a chain of any sort. But if it wasn't a chain, how had she managed to break it? By wanting something different? Something more?

Perhaps the Demon had a point.

She heard the metallic clanking of Weiss descending the fire escape but remained in her spot, watching the sun rise. They would both require a significant amount of sleep- time to recover energy from the latent sin and virtue of the mortals around them, a need they balanced as best they could given their enemies- but she could take a few more moments to quietly contemplate the world before her, the world above and the one below, how they all came together.

The longer she traveled with Weiss, the more Demons she crossed, and the more aware she became of how starkly different they were when compared against each other, and then moreso when she took her companion into consideration. The Pride Demon stood out among her own kind, a warmth deep in her eyes that didn't burn like the gazes of others and or remind her of brimstone. No, it always felt more like an open flame despite the cool color, blue fire meant to warm and protect rather than lead astray. Despite her weakness to the powers of Demons- without her full wings, she was only slightly better than a holy mortal, it seemed- she couldn't imagine any point during their acquaintanceship where Weiss might've used her powers on the Fallen Angel.

Using her powers to protect the Fallen Angel, on the other hand, was a different story. More than once, against threats both mundane and other worldly, Weiss had rushed in to help her, nevermind that their deal never specified actually, physically providing assistance. The Demon acted as bait and Blake staked whoever came after her- that should've been it. But, no. Every time a Demon appeared to try and take Weiss back to Hell, the Pride Demon would help her banish the creature. Last night, there was a moment- a single, perfect moment- when they stood, back-to-back, completely in sync as they defended from the other Demons' assault. It felt exactly how the Archangels described their battles, completely confident in their companions' abilities and empowered by that Faith. Fighting alongside Weiss, just traveling with her- it made Blake stronger, somehow.

But the moment she returned to those pearly gates… that would never happen again.

"Here."

She blinked, startled out of her trance staring out over the city by a thin, circular can held out in front of her. "Tuna?"

"I made sure to save some from our last food run." There was a hint of teasing to her voice, a lilt at the end that concealed a 'so you wouldn't eat them all at once' she didn't say. "We've certainly earned a treat, yes?"

"What about you?" Blake took the can into her hand, waiting until the Demon had reclaimed her former spot before holding it out to be opened with a flash of claws, pulling a spoon from the pack Weiss had dropped behind them. She must've been nearly asleep where she sat to have missed to sound of her companion's return.

For a moment, the Demon paused with a thoughtful hum, before unscrewing the cap to a thermos and pouring the pure black liquid into the lid. "I have my treat."

The Fallen Angel turned her attention to the opened can of tuna, about ready to begin savoring the taste she'd grown to favor when she noticed Weiss' tail holding out another thermos. This one, she found, was filled with hot green tea to chase away the chill in the morning air, and the two took a moment to enjoy the city below them awakening while sharing their triumphant meal.

Author's Note: At least they're being considerate with their battles between Heaven and Hell. Can you imagine getting stuck in traffic because some Demon tried starting shit with Weiss downtown or by the interstate or something? Rude.