Nora squinted her eyes to try and adjust to the darkness of the tunnel before a light above them flickered to life. It was dim but just bright enough to illuminate their way forward. The tunnel was narrow, only allowing two people to walk side by side at a time so it wasn't hard to see why it was rarely used. The crude digging marks and pieced together electric wiring showed it wasn't something that had been planned. No one must've known about it besides Adam and his army. The high ranking Angels wouldn't use something like this, something so dirty and dusty.
Lute coughed into her arm causing the spear to dig a bit into Nora's back before giving her a growl. She had at least one broken rib from that cheap shot earlier but it was slowly healing. Nora still had no idea how Angels healed so fast but maybe she was lucky that they did. If Lute ended up somehow dying from her injuries she'd be in much deeper trouble than she already was. Then she remembered Adam's cracked mask and groaned, this wasn't going to be a light punishment.
With Vaggie still in the lead clad in the exorcist armor and mask, her all white wings tucked at her back, she glanced back every now and again to check on Nora. While Nora couldn't see her expression clearly she could tell from how rigid she was that she was worried. In a sense it made her feel better. Maybe she'd finally gained her trust after all of this, showing she wasn't just thinking of herself but of the whole Hotel. Not that it would matter anymore, she was sure she'd never see her way out of this.
Lute looked between the two of them, hate burning in her eyes. "You must be one of the newer recruits. Don't feel bad for this demon, if she wasn't chained up like this she'd have tried killing both of us. Just look what she did to Adam and I." She used the tip of the spear into Nora's skin who let out a hiss as the Angelic steel burned into her flesh. Vaggie looked between the two before quickly looking away, not wanting to show Lute anymore emotion.
As they walked Lute moved her head in closer to Nora, pulling slightly on the chain to bring her head back. "Your lucky Adam wants to keep you for extermination day. If I had any say in it I'd let the girls use you as target practice, patch you up and let it happen again. Until you're begging for it to end. You should've stayed in your disgusting hole you call home." She sneered before giving slack on the chain again.
Nora let out a slow breath to keep herself calm after feeling the anger practically boiling inside of her. If this was how she threatened her then what did they actually do to the others they brought back here? When she looked ahead she saw Vaggie holding her spear tightly, almost bending it as she held down her rage own rage. She couldn't imagine being back to the place that betrayed her so soon after the last let down. Now it was just more dangerous.
After passing a number of doors Lute stopped at one in particular, light shining in through the crack at the bottom. "This is the one, directly into the barracks." She motioned for Vaggie to open it. Vaggie stepped forward and tried the handle but the door would budge. She put some push into it but still it wouldn't open for her. Lute rolled her eyes and thrust the chain into Vaggies hands before stepping in front of the door to work at getting it open. "Damn thing hasn't been used in years, I told Adam to keep it open." She muttered something about him having allergies and didn't want the dust to bother him.
Once there was a chance for the two to talk, Nora leaned in to Vaggie. "When we get in here, leave the barracks for a bit. I'll be fine for awhile." Vaggie looked at her, confused, "Nora, what if something happens.." Nora shook her head. "Even if something happens you can't help me, they'll kill you. What would Charlie do without you? Just, go check on her and come back in a few days, I'll be fine. It'll take more than a few Angels to put me down." She gave her a lopsided grin that held no certainty behind it.
The door finally pushed open with a shuffling noise as it pushed boxes and other things out of the way that had been stacked against it. Lute cursed as she managed to push it all the way open, a few boxes falling into their path which she just kicked out of the way. "Come on." She growled for Vaggie and Nora, who stepped inside of the well lit room.
Inside the room were a few stacked beds where some of the exorcists slept when they had their training weeks, and sense the extermination was so close it was being used. The other hint at that was the fact they had about a dozen exorcists staring at them in confusion as to why they were using the tunnel. A few pulled their spears closer, ready for the word to attack Nora if needed but it never came. "She's not for you." Lute rolled her eyes, "Half of them are no better than cannibals." She grumbled while putting a hand to her broken rib that was still healing.
Lute cleared her throat and looked around the room. "Adam wants her alive for the extermination but she must be watched. Sera will have our heads on stakes if she finds out she's here, so she can't escape. Other than that.. Have fun." She said as she took the chain from Vaggies hand and stared at Nora for a moment. "No trying to escape again or you might accidentally die here." Her eyes narrowed as she spoke. Nora nodded her head quickly, knowing just how thin of ice she was on. If she wanted another chance to get out, she'd have to wait until Lute left.
After the stare off Lute simply dropped the chain to the ground, Vaggie having just closed the tunnel door to make it seem like she actually belonged with them. "Remember, she stays alive." Lute repeated as she headed for the door out of the barracks room, "I need a fucking drink." She grumbled, the anger still obvious in her voice.
The exorcists started to move closer to Nora, just inspecting her like a pack of skittish dogs. When Nora glanced back, Vaggie was gone. Good, she'd taken her advise. Maybe she'd have more of a chance if she left and planned something. Now she had to worry about the problem ahead of her, the women who wanted her either dead or mutilated; or both.
"What are we supposed to do with her?" One of the women asked but Nora couldn't tell who it came from as they all wore the masks. "Lute said Adam wanted her alive, but that's it." One closer to her said. "If she tries to escape we can always break one of her legs." Another chimed in. These Angels seemed more sadistic than what she thought. Wasn't Heaven supposed to be rainbows and sunshine? This just seemed like a brighter version of Hell.
It didn't take long for them to finally leave her alone after questioning and threatening her. One even tended to the few small stabs in her back caused by Lute's spear. She wasn't exactly sure how common infection was in Heaven but wasn't trying to find out. Another brought her a new shirt and pants before directing her to one of the showers. It was just a small space but held soap, shampoo and conditioner. The exorcist who guided her undid her shackles but left the chain around her neck just to give them the upper hand in case she tried to run for it.
Nora walked into the small space that held the shower and stood at the drain on the floor before looking back. The one who was helping her out just stared at her behind that mask. "Do I.. get privacy?" She asked and the exorcist just frowned. There was only one way out of the room and she was blocking it. After a moment of contemplating the Angel turned so her back was to her but still stood fully in the doorway. Nora took that as her sign of privacy and started to undress tossing her dirty, mostly black and red clothes just behind the woman, beside where her clean clothes sat.
She turned the water on and gasped at first, the first of the cold water hitting her before it finally warmed up. A sigh of relief hit her at the warmth as she let the water wash over her for a long moment, enjoying every bit of it. She moved to start washing her hair, opening the shampoo and smelling it. It smelled.. great. A mix of flowery scents and something else angelic that she couldn't quite make out. Nothing from Hell even compared to it. The conditioner smelled and same and as she washed it out it left that sweet flower smell behind in her white hair. It'd never felt softer before in her life even as it was still wet. She moved to the soap to start scrubbing herself down with a washcloth, this time it added a hint of what she could only imagine lavender smelled like. She made sure to lather herself up, looking over the marks the chains had left on her wrists and ankles. They were almost causing burns from the Angelic steel constantly biting at her flesh.
Her hand with the cloth moved up to her neck to wash under the chain, the part dangling down leaving a cold mark on her chest and stomach. Even thought she knew she was clean she still felt dirty with the cold steel still touching her. That relief soon turned back into that shallow feeling in her gut. It was a happy moment getting a shower like this but when she stepped back out she was in a world of unknown again.
She tried to shake the thoughts from her head and enjoy this little moment. Maybe they'd be kinder to her here, less like Lute. Her train of thought was cut as she heard the exorcist at in the doorway. "Hurry up in there." She was starting to get impatient. Nora groaned in protest but realized she'd just been standing there under the warm water for longer than expected. She turned the water off and reached for the towel that was laid out for her and started to dry off.
When dry enough she reached for her new clothes, which were a white button up shirt and a soft pink pair of pants. She looked down at them and rubbed the cloth between her fingers; they were softer than she imagined. Nora slipped into the clothes, buttoning up the shirt last before taking a hair ribbon that was left for her to tie her hair up in a high bun, just to keep it out of the way. The exorcist watched her during the last part just to make sure she wasn't hiding weapons or readying herself to escape. Once she was pleased that it was safe she stepped out of the doorway to let her out.
Nora stepped out of the shower room and back into the barracks where more exorcists were coming in. Their training for the day had just ended and they were ready for their own showers and time to rest. Most were already told about their new visitor. What she hadn't expected was most of them had their masks off. She got to see their faces, the colors of their eyes and their expressions. Most seemed happy, laughing with one another, some stared at her with distaste and turned to say something to the ones near them.
Their hair was mostly like Lutes, cut short to the shoulder her put in braids wrapped along their heads so they stayed in the helmets. While the large barrack room held many double beds she noticed there were doors between each row of beds that held a private bedroom, likely for the ones who were there the longest, or higher ranked.
One of the exorcists walked from a shower room in a grayish outfit which looked to be pajama's, matching what their army attire looked like but less frightening. The colors weren't as dark and it looked much softer and more.. relaxed. The woman beside her whistled. "Ash, you get to be on watch duty tonight." The youngish looking woman looked over to them and gave a frown but it didn't seem out of spite, mostly it was her not wanting the task. She finally walked over to the two of them. Up close Nora saw that her eyes were a soft lavender color, her white hair braided against her head so it would easily fit in her helmet when needed.
"She's yours for the night, don't let her out of your sight. Got it?" The still masked exorcist asked. Ash nodded her head and gave Nora a grin that about lit up her soul. There was no malice behind it or hatred, but more so curiosity and kindness. "I'm Ash." She reached out a delicately manicured hand and Nora raised her own, hesitantly. "I'm Nora." Ash reached forward to shake it with enthusiasm. "I guess you're stuck with me tonight." She winked with that same grin. The woman beside her made a Tsk sound before lifting the loose bit of Nora's chain and handing it over to Ash, "Her shackles are already at your bunk if they're needed. You're allowed to use force but Adam wants her alive." She said while Ash nodded, "Yes, ma'am." They both watched as the women walked off.
Ash chuckled slightly once she was out of earshot. "She's honestly not that scary, especially when she takes the mask off. She's got a baby face." A light giggle left her. Nora blinked a few times to clear her head. Why was this one being so nice to her? Weren't they supposed to be mortal enemies? She was an exorcist just like the rest of them, albeit she seemed newer than the others. Ash dropped the chain down and motioned for Nora to follow her over to her set of bunks. Her's were off in the corner away from the others who mostly stayed in groups as they sat and chatted. Ash's bunk and the one just above it had belongings on it, but the bunks beside them were empty. Maybe she was an outcast of the group. It almost felt like this place had the same sort of rankings that Hell did.
Once over to the bunks Ash sat on her bottom bunk and motioned to the one across from her, "You can have that one for the night, it's more comfortable than it looks." She said while Nora followed her over and sat on the one opposite of her. To her surprise it was pretty comfortable, just soft enough to make her want to go to sleep.. if she wasn't in her current situation.
The two of them sat in silence for a few achingly long minutes before Ash spoke up again, "So, Nora, why are you even in Heaven? I didn't think Sinners could come up here." She questioned. "I'm not a Sinners, I'm Hell born. I'm technically a Morningstar." Ash had just brought her bottle of water to her lips and paused as she spoke. "Like, Lucifer Morningstar, that Morningstar?" Her eyes went wide with surprise once Nora nodded. "So that makes you.." "Charlies sister" She interrupted before she finished her sentence.
Ash was even more confused now, "She was just here last week for a meeting though? How are you in here like this?" None of it was making sense to her. Nora let out a sigh, "They were arguing the extermination and made no headway, I tried to come up and speak with Adam about it. Then this happened. I wanted to find a way to stop the extermination at any cost, try to work something out." Her voice sounded more defeated the more she spoke. "But you're not a Sinner, so you're safe from the extermination, right?" Ash questioned.
"Well, yeah, but that doesn't save the Sinners around us. Charlie has put years into the idea of her hotel, trying to get Sinners redeemed to stop the pointless deaths. Now that she advocated for it the Hotel is on Adam's hit list. Any Sinner close to being redeemed is a target." Her hands closed into fists. "I have to stop it from happening, for Charlie." Ash looked at her with more sympathy than she could handle before she had to look away.
"Why are you one of them?" Nora finally asked her when she looked at her again, "You seem nice enough, why are you an exorcist?" She found her eyes narrowing as she asked, all the hatred she had for the Angels who committed the extermination boiling up. Ash scooted back in her bed slightly as Nora continued. "We aren't any different than you, whether your died and came here or were born here. Why do we have to suffer more? I was born there and have to suffer, I didn't get to choose where to go." Her eyes were starting to change color as the anger continued to rise.
Ash seemed startled at first but eventually leaned forward and took hold of Nora's hands, running her thumbs along the outside of her fingers. "I'm sorry, Nora." She said quietly and that snapped Nora right out of it. There was no trying to deny the severity or what was happening, no trying to reason with it, just a simple sorry she never expected. "I joined Adam's team because I was asked too. I've never been to Hell before, so this would be my first time. I'm more so working on the outside with the techy parts of it, like fixing masks if they get broken or helping with weapons and locations. I'm best at making perimeters and making sure no one gets passed them. I worked from up here on a few other ones but was asked to join this time." While her role in it didn't make things any better if made Nora look at her a bit differently than the others. She figured they were all cold blooded murderers.
"My mask works a lot different than the others. It shows me the layers of an area we're in. For example, when I put it on I can see the layout of the building we're in, each room and how many people are in it. I can see into the tunnel and further out until it has trouble computing, but I'm working on the programming for that. It's a lot better than what we were working with before." She explained. "You sound like you'd work for VoxTech, but would make actual useful items. It sounds incredible, and confusing." Nora said, finally taking hold of Ash's hands to keep herself grounded in the moment, away from the prying eyes around them.
"Imagine what you could do to help the Sinners and the Hotel, the people worth trying to redeem." Her eyes flashed with a bit of light again. Ash gave her a sympathetic smile, "I wish I could Nora, but that would take so much and there's not even a week left until, ya know, things go down." She said before finally letting her hands go. "But, I will help you while you're here. As long as you listen to the others and don't run, I can keep you safe." She offered and Nora just nodded her head slightly. It wasn't close to what she needed right now but it was the best she was gonna get.
By this time the other exorcists were either going to their private rooms or climbing into their bunks to go to sleep. Ash's bunkmate was nowhere to be found yet but she didn't seem worried about it so it must've been normal. Ash motioned to the pillows. "You can get some sleep, I'll be awake for the rest of the night." She pulled a small book light out from under her bunk that sat amongst a heap of other things. Nora looked around to see the others weren't paying her much attention anymore, while a few would look her way they mostly went back to their normal routines.
As Nora started to relax she felt how tired she actually was. With only the chain around her neck she was able to get some of her energy back but it was all but gone from the events of the day. Sleep sounded like the better option here. There was no way she'd be able to escape with this many Angels around her, and maybe Ash really could keep her safe here for awhile while she figured out what to do. She leaned back onto the pillows, staring up at the bottom of the bunk that was above her as every inch of the soft mattress seemed to soak into her achy body.
"I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I'll try to help you through it." Ash reassured her as she saw the worry on her sleepy face. Nora turned her head to look at her, eyes already half closed and nodded her head. "Thanks." She said quietly, the lights in the room turning off so the only light was Ash's small book light. It almost reminded her of the darkness that enveloped every corner of Hell, and somehow that managed to lull her to sleep.
(Here is chapter 3! Took a bit longer to get it put up but thank you for the patience and thank you to everyone that is following me and this little story! If you have any questions or want to see more, let me know! I thrive on feedback. :) Thanks again and I'll see you in the next one.)