Chapter 6: Restless Night

Night had fallen, and the wind had died down somewhat. Yet the hallways and cavernous rooms still held a chill from the frigid air outside. There was no way to truly know the time in the windowless room that Noma was staying in. Neither windows nor clocks decorated the small space that was carved out of rock inside Gabriel's aerie.

On a queen-sized bed shoved up against the cavern wall, Noma lay huddled under a few blankets, shivering slightly. Her back faced the entrance to her room, as she no longer cared if someone were to creep up on her and kill her in her sleep. She was exhausted and numb after many weeks of being stuck inside. And she wondered what the point was really. She hadn't always been a fighter, a skill more born out of necessity than any desire to do so; being taunted and threatened constantly was taking its toll on her.

Lying there with her eyes closed, Noma tried to picture herself flying again, among the clouds and in the fresh air. A spark of frustration shot through her and she turned onto her back to stare up at the ceiling. The rock's jagged edges had most likely been smoothed and worn down by water and time. She liked to trace the fissures in the rock with her eyes as she counted them. It was oddly relaxing and kept her mind from straying to memories. Memories that only led to more thinking. Thinking about Michael. Thinking about Alex.

One such memory seemed to keep resurfacing lately. Probably because of all of Alex's questions, she thought, once again turning to the wall and squeezing her eyes shut.

After Gabriel started slaughtering humans and the war against them began, Noma had decided to stay neutral and stayed away from the onslaught. She had no quarrel with His creatures and would rather have peace and harmony if possible. It wasn't surprising to her that the lower angels went to the World to take human form; they had held a grudge against the humans as well as the higher angels for a long time. It was their chance to finally do as they pleased, without Father scolding them by sending Michael or Azrael or even the Powers to quell them, without any retribution for their behavior. They took everything to an extreme, as they were wont to do. Gabriel encouraged it and they willingly followed his lead.

So Noma stayed away, despite Michael asking her to help him. He understood her decision and didn't force her to descend with him. She had always had a soft spot for Michael and he seemed to have one for her as well. He had been a friend to her for many years, but never in a romantic way, more so as an older brother's love for his younger sibling. She had been a good soldier for him in the past, doing as he asked, but this time, she had made it clear she would not descend to the World to take on Gabriel's rage. As usual, Michael had Azrael as his partner in these matters, even if Azrael was only going begrudgingly, probably more out of loyalty to him than any other reason. Azrael didn't share Michael's love for the humans. Noma wasn't really sure what Azrael cared about, if anything at all.

Gabriel's change in demeanor wasn't exactly a surprise to most of the higher angels. He had been grumbling and listening to Lucifer long before the fallen angel had left Home. But for Gabriel to take such brutal actions as soon as Father disappeared, it seemed almost calculated. Gabriel's actions were traumatizing to most of the angels, especially with the aftermath of Him disappearing. So many felt lost and didn't want to get involved, but the threat of their Home slowly decaying and ceasing to exist made for a compelling argument; eventually all of them would have to descend down to the World in order to survive, so why not cleanse it of the creatures who were destroying it? If He didn't return soon, all of them would eventually have to join the humans in the World. For better or worse.

Noma wrapped her arm around her torso and burrowed further under the blanket. She missed Home. It was beautiful and filled with light and warmth. And the feeling of the other angels, always knowing who was who, all connected…it was an indescribable feeling and she missed it so.

And then the light had started to fade. And Noma had watched as Michael fought the lower angels as well as the humans who didn't trust him at first. He had been searching for someone or something as he tried to defend as many of the humans as he could. Azrael was then on a warpath, destroying any 8-balls on sight. She too searched for something and Noma didn't know what or who; she wasn't privy to the information as she stayed in their Home, waiting and hoping that all of them would come to their senses. That He would return.

But then the war had really gotten out of hand and she missed the angels who had left Home. She missed Michael. He was her family, despite how his real siblings had treated her. Uriel and Gabriel were not fond of Noma for some reason. So Noma decided then that perhaps it was time to assist, to be by his side.

One afternoon, Noma had descended onto the World, finding Michael and Azrael in the middle of nowhere, standing outside of an old house. They were having a heated argument and it was the first time that Noma had ever seen Michael raise his voice to Azrael. The two of them were very close and often the other angels wondered if they were more than just mere comrades.

Michael's voice echoed in Noma's memory. "I have to do this, Azrael! This is for all of us!" His angry pained expression was clear at the time as he faced the formidable archangel. Azrael was wielding her infamous short swords and staring at him coldly. The look of shock at his outburst had long since fallen off of her face and disappeared behind her stoic mask.

Noma shuddered thinking about Azrael and her cold detached demeanor. She was one of the higher angels that Noma usually avoided. It was better to avoid Azrael altogether if possible. As most angels would avoid her, Michael was really Azrael's only true companion.

The two had stood there in a locked glare for a moment before Noma made her presence known. Michael turned to Noma with the same angry expression on his face, and it gave Noma pause.

Her wings were out and ruffled in the breeze that passed by them. She never liked putting them away while at Home, but down on the World they seemed to shift and move a little differently. It was easier to deal with her surroundings when they were tucked inside, so a moment later they were collapsed and gone. Noma remembered looking at the two archangels and noticing how different they looked in their modern human garb. They no longer wore armor as the archangels usually did, or even what Noma was wearing at the time, which was something that would surely make her stand out among the humans. She had worn a tunic and an odd type of pleated skirt, and a small sword hung at her waist.

Michael had shifted and then stood a little taller as his hands grazed the hilts of his swords. He had not pulled them out against Azrael, despite his anger, but Noma's presence seemed to have reminded him of where he was. His expression softened in that moment. "Noma," he paused. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to aid you, Michael," she had said, hesitantly, and then glanced at Azrael, who stayed frozen in place and still focused on Michael. "It looks like you might need it, that is."

Michael shifted his jacket a little, glancing at Azrael who still hadn't put her swords away. "We were only having a…discussion."

"We have no use for you here, Noma." Azrael had said, coldly, without looking at her as she shifted back a few more steps and slowly put her blades away. "It's clear that Michael will do as he pleases. Despite reason."

Noma remembered how Michael gave Azrael an exasperated look. "You know that he is the key to all of this, Azrael."

"I don't know anything. And neither do you." Azrael glared at him.

Something crashed inside the house behind them and a stream of curses could then be heard through the door. A moment later, a baby begun crying loudly.

Michael immediately ran to the house at that time and without hesitation slammed open the door, disappearing inside.

Azrael sighed and then followed with Noma not far behind.

The image of a man slowly standing up in the middle of a debris-strewn living room was still clear to Noma. He was rubbing his knee as Azrael picked up a nearby overturned chair and set it next to him. The man sat down carefully, looking disheveled as Michael walked into the room, carrying a small baby in his arm. The child had stopped crying and was staring up at the angel.

"Are you all right, Jeep?" Michael inquired of the man.

"I'm fine. I just tripped over this…mess," Jeep responded, still rubbing his arm. The man looked like he hadn't slept in days. Absently rubbing his arm, Jeep pulled up his sleeve. Noma noticed then the scrawling tattoos decorating his arm. Something about them seemed oddly familiar to her at the time and then it had dawned on her that they looked like the ones that Michael had on his body before he left Home.

She recalled watching as Michael smiled contently down at the baby. It was a genuinely warm smile and not something that Noma had seen in a long time. What was so unique about this child? she had thought. Jeep then stood up and reached for the baby and Noma could see Michael hesitate for a moment before handing him over.

Jeep cooed down at the baby with the beaming love of a father. Noma could tell it had affected Michael as he watched the pair. Meanwhile, Azrael had remained standing further away, clearly contemplating the scene.

"You can't come running every time something breaks, Michael," Jeep said, quietly to the angel. He hadn't seemed hesitant to tell the angel what he thought.

"As I've told you before, I will not leave you unprotected." Michael stood still, having clasped his hands behind his back in that soldier stance that he often adopted.

"You can't always protect us." Jeep responded, fierily.

"No, he can't." Azrael chimed in from across the room.

Michael stayed still, unblinking.

"Are you sure, Michael? That he is…that these are…" Jeep looked at his exposed arm. "That these are from…Him? What if my boy isn't who you think he is?"

Michael nodded with confidence. "He had the Radiance when I found him in her arms."

Jeep cringed visibly at the mention of the child's dead mother who had tried to protect the boy.

Surprised by the exchange, Noma spoke up, "The Chosen One?"

They turned to look at her, as if suddenly remembering that she was there. Azrael shifted to her right, as if she had heard a noise suddenly.

"We are not alone." Azrael had pulled her two swords out immediately and Michael did the same.

"Noma, protect them," Michael commanded and then immediately hurried after Azrael who had went for the door, leaving Noma to stand between whatever foe was outside and the shaking man holding his child.

Recalling such moments, Noma shifted in her bed once more, shivering again, only now not from the cold, but from the images of her past. She recalled a frightened Jeep who held the crying Chosen One in his tattooed arms. The clear image of them was still engrained in her mind. That expression of pure fear on Jeep's face and the sound of the baby as he started to cry once again.

It was the first time she had ever laid eyes on Alex Lannon.

And it was the first of many times that she decided to protect him. Protect him from the 8-balls, from the world, from himself…

…from the angry higher angels.