Chapter 3

Charlie released Nifty and rose to her feet, her eyes widening as she stared at the broken window high on the courtyard wall where Adam had flown through. The image of Adam, with horns, clawed hands, and grey wings, clung to her like a bloodstain on a whiteboard.

Questions raced through her mind.

How was Adam alive?

Did he die and resurrect? If so, how did he come back to life?

Why did he look like a demon?

An answer, one that made her feel sick to even think about, crawled into her thoughts.

No… it couldn't be…

Had Adam fallen…?

"Is it just me, or did he have horns sticking out of his head?" Charlie heard Angel ask everyone in the room.

"That's not the only thing that was different about him," Husk remarked calmly, sending a wave of nausea through Charlie.

Their words confirmed that her mind was not playing tricks on her. That what she saw was real.

"So, you girls want to tell us how that asshole is still alive?" Husk inquired.

"I… honestly have no idea," Charlie managed to say, her throat feeling dry as she finally turned around to face the group with a lost expression. "I was here putting some flowers for him, and then suddenly his hand just shot out from the ground." She placed a hand on her chest, taking a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

"Don't worry, Charlie," Vaggie reassured her. She went over and placed a comforting hand on her arm. "We'll make sure he stays dead this time around."

Charlie slowly processed her girlfriend's words, and they only deepened her distress.

"No, we can't kill him," Charlie clasped Vaggie's hand tightly. "We need to go after him and bring him back before something terrible happens to him."

"Say what now?" Angel blinked in confusion.

"We're not killing him."

"And why the hell not?" Angel asked in shock while everyone also stared at Charlie like she had grown a second head.

"Because…" Charlie tried to explain to them her reasons, but she had a hard time putting them into words at this moment. "Because we can't."

"The shithead literally tried killing us a week ago..."

"He probably just flew back to Heaven," Husk commented in his gruff tone. "I mean, it would be the smart thing for him to do at this moment."

"Not without his halo, he's not," Vaggie interjected. "Lute took it, and without it, he can't contact Heaven."

"So… he's stuck in Hell?" Angel raised an eyebrow with an amused smile.

"Pretty much. Which… is actually ironic, to say the least."

"Guys, for reals," Charlie pulled away from Vaggie and hurried to the door, pausing by the doorway. "We need to split up. I don't think he could have gotten that far."

"You can't be serious about this," Angel groaned.

"Charlie, we should call your dad," Vaggie suggested to Charlie, who began to shake her head frantically.

"No, no, we're not calling my dad," Charlie rejected the idea outright. "He'll end up beating the shit out of him."

"Which is the most reasonable reaction to have…" Angel grumbled.

"Guys, please, we can't let Adam get hurt or worse," Charlie pleaded. "You saw him. He's terrified and fucked up. And if Heaven finds out he was alive after the battle and then we let him get killed, well, I don't know how they'll react, but it won't be good."

"Charlie, look, I know what you're trying to do and that's why I love you, but trust me, Adam is not like everyone else and we should definitely call your dad to handle this," Vaggie tried to persuade her. "And I don't think we should be so worried about him getting hurt. We should be more concerned about who he might hurt instead. He's extremely unpredictable and dangerous, even if he's injured."

"And looking for him is going to be a pain in the ass," Angel whined. "He could be anywhere, for Christ's sake." He threw his arms up from agitation.

"Actually, he may head to the Heaven Embassy if he knows where it is," Husk pointed out.

"Yeah, but there's a chance he won't be there," Charlie said. "So, we have no choice but to go look for him. So, Angel, Husk, and Vaggie, please search the nearby sector. Like I said, I don't think he could have gotten that far. I'll head over to the Heaven Embassy in case he's there. If any you guys find him, please text the rest of us right away."

"What about me?" Nifty asked eagerly, raising her hand.

"Nifty, you stay here. And if Adam returns, please don't hurt him. Alright?"

"Except if he tries anything," Angel interjected.

"Only if it's in self-defense, but no matter what, please, do not kill him."

Mostly everyone in the courtyard wore frowns, and Charlie sensed their reluctance.

"Guys, please, we have to do this. It's important," Charlie urged. "I promise we'll talk about it later," she said, before dashing out.

"Charlie, wait!" Vaggie called out, with a hand extended before she groaned and threw her hand on her forehead. "Damn it, Charlie… I'm sorry, but this is for everyone's own good," she sighed, pulling out her phone. She hesitated, then made the hard decision to call Charlie's dad. But as she was scrolling through her contacts, an alert popped up on her phone. Thinking it might be Adam already causing havoc and everyone around the area getting warned to avoid him, she opened the notification before her eyes widened.

He sat beside a dumpster, cradling his left arm against his chest, his wings hanging limply and bleeding, the shards of glass that were embedded in them now on the floor after he had taken them out.

He had fled the hotel in a panic, flying as far as he could until his wings gave out and he crashed onto the street hard. Landing on his left arm, he broke a bone or two. When he managed to stand, the sight before him made him sick. Demons hung lifelessly from light poles; their necks bound with rope. Across the street, bodies lay decaying, ignored by the passing demons. Suspicious glances from shadowy figures drove him into the nearest alley, where he tried to calm himself down.

But, of course, things were easier said than done. His breathing came in rapid, shaky gasps, his lungs burning. He pulled his legs close, resting his forehead on his knees.

"Stop…being…such a coward… you pathetic…loser," he berated himself between breaths, fighting back tears. Real men don't cry, he reminded himself, especially the first man ever.

He gradually slowed his breathing, though his heart still raced, as he tried to piece together what he could recall before waking up buried alive. He remembered fighting Lucifer and his damn brat, then the excruciating pain as a dagger struck him from behind, again and again after he dropped to the ground. The memory of the way the darkness had almost taken him forever threatened to plunge him back into panic, but he clenched his eyes shut, digging his claws into his broken arm so he could focus on the pain.

"Fucking shit, this really fucking hurts," he grumbled, clearly not having a good time at this moment.

He had never experienced a broken bone before in his entire existence, and truthfully, it was terrible. He wanted to burn all of hell for it. Yet, he admitted it served as a great distraction for now, he supposed.

Then, Lute's tear-stricken face flashed in his mind.

Oh, Lute…

The memory of her in tears twisted something within him. Lute was strong, mighty, and loyal… The idea that anyone drove his first lieutenant to cry enraged him.

"Hey bitch, guess who's still alive?" he muttered with a weak chuckle, attempting to send a telepathic message through his halo. But something felt off. Opening his eyes in confusion, he tried again, and again. He didn't feel any energy emanating from the ring.

Actually… he didn't feel it at all.

Reaching out with his uninjured arm, he bumped into something on his head. Slowly, his fingers traced something hard and pointed. His eyes widened as he felt another one on his head.

No… no, no, no… This couldn't be happening.

There was no way he had horns.

True, he wore horns embedded in his mask to strike fear in Hell when he was killing its residents, and it kind of looked cool to look scary in Heaven, it made him stand out, but only demons had actual horns.

Reaching further above his head, he felt nothing but air.

"My halo," he stuttered, his eyes wide. "Where the fuck is my halo?!" his breathing quickened as his clawed hand continued to swipe at the air above him, as if hoping his halo would magically reappear.

Angels were gifted halos upon arrival in Heaven, and they became a part of them. The only reason they would disconnect from its owner was if the angel died - an event he found out from how that one exterminator died at the hands of a demon - or if an angel fell, like Lucifer.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he tried to reason through the situation he was in.

He couldn't have fallen. He was Adam, the first man to enter Heaven, the cream of the crop. The great example everyone should follow.

So, had he died…?

Well, someone stabbed him multiple times in his back, but... he was clearly there, breathing, alive.

So, what the fuck was going on?

He fought to push aside the thoughts about how disgusting his wings and hands now appeared, the fact he had two horns protruding from his head, and the red blood oozing from his wings - only earthlings and demons bled red. Or maybe, Lucifer's hell spawn had probably done something to his head, or better yet, Lucifer probably placed him under some curse.

He clenched his teeth in a rage at the thought of Lucifer torturing him by messing with his appearance. He longed to return to the hotel and unleash his fury on Lucifer's brat before seeking Lucifer himself.

But first, he needed to tend to his wounds. And the only way to do that was to return to heaven.

See, he wasn't stupid… He wasn't going to blindly rush into battle when his body was extremely injured.

Then the Heaven Embassy came to mind, as it would be the only way for him to contact heaven. However, he didn't really know where it was located. Lute was the one tasked with memorizing their hunting grounds.

No matter. He would just fly as high as possible and spot the building from above. He at least seen it before and had an idea where it could be.

Slowly rising to his feet, he winced in agony as the adrenaline was wearing off, allowing the pain from his arm and wings to intensify as he moved. Also, the entire of his midsection was aching badly now too, where he had been stabbed before.

His wings twitched as he tried to extend them to fly, but sharp pains shot through them, forcing him to draw them closer and grunt - not whimper, but grunt - in agony.

"Whoa, she wasn't kidding. He's got wings. Now you don't see that every day," a dark voice remarked with amusement, causing Adam to turn sharply, glaring daggers at three looming figures entering the alleyway. "And he's very tall too. The boss is going to love this one."

Muscular and shark-like in appearance, the trio advanced steadily, the lead demon sporting absurd sunglasses that Adam found ridiculous since Hell had no sun.

"He looks familiar," one demon muttered, with a scar on his left eye, eyeing him with suspicion as he pulled out a heavy chain. The third one did the same as the metal links hit the ground with a thud.

The one in sunglasses drew a gun, and with a malicious grin, fired without hesitation. Adam leaped to the side next to the dumpster, narrowly evading the gunfire aimed at his legs. With his uninjured arm, the sharp claws dug into the metal surface of the dumpster before he hurled it at his assailants with inhumane force. The massive metal container crashed down on one demon as the other two jumped to the left to avoid getting crushed.

"Shit!" the one in sunglasses let out with shock at the sight of blood slowly pooled beneath the broken body of one of his partners. He stumbled back to his feet and directed his weapon at Adam.

Adam lunged forward, knocking the gun from the demon's grasp, sending it clattering to the ground. His right wing struck the second attacker's arm - the one with a scar - with a bone-crushing force. With a sickening crack, the demon hit the ground on his side in agony. The demon held his shoulder in pain from most likely a dislocated shoulder. Adam then whirled around and struck the lead demon with his left wing, sending the demon hurtling backwards, crashing deep into the alleyway.

"How fucking dare you," Adam hissed as he advanced at the fallen demon whose sunglasses had shattered. The demon slowly tried to back away as Adam moved his way towards him as adrenaline once again was surging through his very being. "Do you have any idea who the fuck I am?" Adam snarled before delivering a kick to the demon's face. "I'm fucking Adam, you fucking piece of shit!" Another kick followed, this time destroying the demon's nose. "The fucking Adam!" He delivered more brutal kicks and after a while he stopped. He stood there, panting, with lingering rage while the demon lay motionless.

He then turned his attention to the remaining demon who had run off without his knowledge.

"Fucking coward," Adam grunted out with annoyance before cradling his left arm against his chest, getting sick of hurting. Though, he was glad he had learned to endure some pain years ago…

"Fighting sucks," Adam groaned as he struggled to get back on his feet, an arm holding his abdomen area; he had failed to block a kick from Lute who stood before him, watching him carefully.

They stood in some sort of white room with Lilith standing by the side.

"I think we should take a break, Sir," the smaller angel said.

"I think you should continue," Lilith spoke up rather calmly. Lute glanced at her with narrowed eyes while Adam frowned.

"But, we've been at this for a fucking hour now, and I can't even block any of her fucking attacks," Adam muttered. "Maybe we should go back to just light sparring. At least I'm not going to be left with fucking bruises which I'm fucking getting tired of having, by the way."

"Language, Adam," Lilith lectured which made Adam's face scrunched up with annoyance.

"Fuck you…"

"If you can't take a hit, how do you expect to defend yourself properly if you find yourself injured?"

"Oh please, I will just incinerate anyone if they even dare to fucking touch me."

"You can never be too careful… And if you want to lead this army, you're going to have to be better."

Adam shook his head to snap out of his memory, but grudgingly thanked Lilith for pushing him to get tougher to the point he became the strongest among the Exorcists.

"Alright, let's fucking do this," he said through clenched teeth, and despite the searing pain shooting through his wings, Adam flew up to the sky as high as he could, while holding his broken arm against his chest. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he fought against the excruciating agony.

He panted through gritted teeth; his wings screaming for him to stop torturing them, especially as he did his best to hover over the city as he quickly scanned it. He desperately searched for the familiar gleam of the golden tower. But as he looked for it, a frown creased his brow. The building was nowhere to be seen.

"Come on… where the hell are you…" Adam pushed himself to fly across the city. He allowed himself to be guided by instinct, as he swore, he recognized some of the landscape during the hunts he had led. But as he moved over buildings, dread gnawed at him.

Suddenly, his eyes widened, a buzzing noise filled his ears. It started softly at first, but it quickly grew louder and more insistent as he descended towards where the Embassy should have been. Instead of the golden building with a tower sticking up, there was only a gaping void of dirt.

His legs shook beneath his weight when he landed. He felt rather faint, but he forced himself to move. Everything else around him - buildings and the many people gathered around - were nothing but smudges in the background. In a desperate attempt to touch something solid, he staggered forward, with his right hand reaching out. He hoped that the building was still there, that it was all just a trick of the mind, some spell to make the Embassy appear invincible. But his hand met nothing but empty air. He stumbled onward, his heart pounding in his chest till he stood in the middle of the vacant space, leaving him feeling nothing but emptiness.

Author's After Note

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