章節 2: Chapter 2: An Angel, a Raccoon and a Lancaster walk into a bar...
The air felt dead, the sticky smell of blood filled the small space around them as Jophiel stared Nathan down with angry, yet tired eyes. As if he had seen this happen one too many times already.
"Do you want to back out now, Nate?" Jophiel asked coldly, Abel and Cham both followed the angel's gaze to the puzzled expression that covered Nat's features like a blanket. The man opened his mouth as if to speak but seemed to think otherwise before closing it, causing the tension to spark in the air like lightning in a storm.
"Look," Abel barked, "I don't know what the hell is happening, but if these things are going after raccoons I can't imagine what they'd do to people,"
Cham swallowed, glancing back at Abel with exhaustion in his voice, "So, what do we do?" He asked. Though he knew the answer, he felt the desire to hear the other man say it. As if to confirm their new friendship.
"We go into town and start beating these sons of bitches," he retorted, knocking the head of his baseball bat on the bloodied ground below causing a loud "ping" to sound out around them.
"It's not that easy," Nathan replied, "You can't just go into town and start killing these things. We need a plan, you need —" he sighed, rolling his eyes before running fingers through his long hair, "You need someone with experience." The words came out through gritted teeth as he spoke. Nathan knew that he was trapped in this, just as he always has been.
"Great!" Jophiel chimed, laughing. His laughter sent a shiver down Abel's spin, as if his blood was made of ice.
"Nate, I will leave these two in your very capable hands," he laughed, putting a bloodied hand on his friend's shoulder. Abel opened his mouth to speak but with a snap of Jophiel's fingers and the sound of wings flapping, Jophiel was gone. The only part of him that remained were a few bloody footprints and a small white feather that landed in a little pool of black, bloody, sludge. Nathan let out another sigh before turning on his heels.
"You better come to my place then," making towards the door, he spoke as if he was already on his last nerve, pulling the Corvette keys from his pocket. Abel and Chamuel shared a quick look before Abel pelted after the Slayer, Cham glanced back at the Carnage one last time. Eyes spotting the small white feather, feeling a sickness inside him grow as he turned and followed the others into the garage.
The sludge popped around the feather, dissolving it as it seemed to spring to life before melting into the concrete below, leaving no trace to be found. Slowly the rest of the sludge seemed to follow suit leaving only the bloodless bodies of the raccoons.
***
Abel stared blankly out the side of the Corvette, only a few hours ago he found himself absolutely freaking out over the beauty of the car. Something he'd never done before but this car just clicked with him, he couldn't express why but he loved it. In awe from the space in the back that had been made to sit three people.
"And when you're tired, you can sleep on it!" Nathan replied with a grin before showing the man to the back, the trunk was small but the bottom popped open to show an assortment of weapons, first aid kits and cans of food.
"It's ready for anything!" Nathan said with a prideful glint in his gaze, "I had it all modified to fit the Slayers lifestyle,"
"Is that what you call yourselves?" Abel had asked, grinning.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Nathan snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.
Abel and Chamuel shared a look with one another, "What?!"
"Just makes us sound like crappy eights movie protagonists" Abel chuckled,
"Or just crappy protagonists," Chamuel scoffed but the laughter in his voice was apparent.
"Don't push it," Nathan said.
The car felt almost familiar as if he'd been waiting for it his entire life, he even dared say it felt like home! Glancing up at Nathan he expected him to feel like home too but he didn't. Instead he found his eyes moving to the mirror.
In the back seat Chamuel was hastily typing on his phone, a small smile on his lips as he did so. That felt more normal to him, something about Chamuel brought a calming presence to him. Though he liked Nathan, the man felt cold. But that wasn't something he wasn't used to. Abel seemed to feel that about people often, as if him just being alive annoyed most of humanity. But with Cham, he had helped Abel, he didn't run when the going got tough. He stood his ground, and silently, Abel couldn't believe how cool this math teacher looking mother fucker was.
"My brother," Nate started, bringing Abel's attention back to him, "he loved this car, ya'know? He-- we crashed it often, and he fixed it."
Abel could sense Nathan had more to say but was holding back, eyes staring directly at the road as he spoke. "And if you're going to be-- killing whatever this sludge is, you might want to learn more about this car,"
Nate hesitated, unsure if he should even mention possibly giving the car to the other. After all, it was his car, right? Though if Gil was alive he knew that his brother wouldn't have given it a second thought. That is, when Abel was old enough.
"Though maybe don't learn too fast," Nate added.
Abel listened to Nathan speak. He didn't know a thing about Gilbert. He was told the basics, but nothing outside of 'he saved the world with his angel partner' This Gilbert seemed almost like a movie character opposed to a real person, let alone his own father. The desire to talk to Nate, to understand more seemed to fill a hole he couldn't quite explain. He wanted to know more about Gil, more about Nate, but as he moved his attention from Nathan to the waking world outside, Abel couldn't help but feel as if his entire life, something was missing and that caused him to remain silent. Lost in his own thoughts.
Nathan seemed to follow in the silence as Abel quietly wondered how coming out here was going to help them, his town was overrun with living car oil sure but they could stop it, right? After all, Cham had that weird glowing hands thing and he had his baseball bat. That's all they needed, at least, he assumed. Abels thoughts faded back to reality as Nathan spoke up, "Alright, we're here."
Chamuel glanced up, confused. The sun touched the top of the trees, shining a brilliant gold light over the men as Nathan pulled into an old parking lot. A beaten up home with a junk yard in the back sat before them with a large sign that read "Lancaster's Auto" the rest of the letters were nearly impossible to read below it.
"I don't know, man, I'd have assumed you to have a nicer place," Abel remarked, glancing at Nathan with a grin.
"Oh, this isn't my place, but it's closer to where we need to go. Plus, it has a lot of stuff we can use,"
Nathan parked the car, threw on the parking brake before climbing out. Abel blinked as the morning sun turned his green gaze to a vibrant gold as he stepped from the safety of the Corvette and into the waking world. Chamuel followed, squinting his eyes against the sun as it cast mighty shadows behind them. Chamuel followed Nate towards the old home, leaving Abel to stare after.
Abel watched the two for a few short seconds before his eyes moved down to their long shadows. His heart stopped, he felt a rush of anxiety explode through him. He could feel the sweat from his panic run down his forehead. Chamuels shadow, for only a few quick seconds, had what seemed to be large, soft wings that stretched out so far they were almost the length of the car. The entire ride over he'd been fighting with himself on how real it all seemed, and though the shadow had returned to normal how could he continue to question it? Maybe a trick of the light? Maybe a lack of sleep?
"You coming?"
Abel glanced up at Nate, who looked at him with a puzzled expression. Blinking away the panic in his mind,
"Yeah, of course I'm comin'." He called back, giving the others a lopsided grin as he strolled up to them. A prickle of anxiety bit at his stomach, but he blamed it on the lack of sleep. His mind clouded with thoughts as he watched Nate fiddle with a few keys.
Angels and demons, he never believed in them. As a child his foster mother used to tell him angels watched over him, but after he had been sent to a new house the comfort of angels seemed like a fairy tale told to orphans. Now, he wasn't just with his apparent uncle, but with an entire Angel. If this was all real, did that really mean he meant anything to this war? Jophiel told him that he was meant to save them, but how? He could hardly save himself. He could feel the anxiety and fear building, Nathan was speaking to them but Abel didn't pay attention.
A panic attack settled into his gut. Was he going to die? What could he possibly do? His mind reeled, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Blinking in surprise he looked up, seeing Chamuel giving him a small smile. Suddenly the pain, anxiety, fear, it all melted. It felt as though it was being forcefully sucked out and replaced with a warm calm that brought him down from his highest panic.
"It's alright," Chamuel whispered, at first Abel stared blankly at the other before pushing the hand away.
"I'm fine, man, just a bit of anxiety!" He whispered back, glancing down at Nathan.
"Come on, Nate! My grandmother's faster than this," Abel jokes, nudging Nathan lightly,
"There!" Nate said, with triumph in his voice, turning an old key in the lock with a loud and satisfying click! Nathan glanced towards Abel with a triumphant nod.
"And your grandmother wasn't a lady to mess with!"
Pushing the door inward with a loud creaking, the watery light of the sun filled the musty room, chasing the shadows away with its warmth. The inside was old, yet homey. With books piled around them in a cluttered fashion, the strong smell of dust greeted the three as they stepped into the darkness of the home.
Abel walked past Nate, glancing around him in awe. The inside looked as if no one had cleaned in years, with ancient beer cans tossed around his feet, the wood creaked with every step he took.
"Whose house is this?" Abel asked, turning attention to Nathan who was making his way towards the kitchen.
Abel glanced over at Chamuel, he could see a flash of anxiety on his face, hesitating as he whispered "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just hate old houses,"
"Are you worried it's haunted?"
"Yeah, don't wanna see anyone I know,"
Abel smirked and followed Nathan into the kitchen.
"This is Peter's house," Nathan called back, opening the fridge, pulling out a beer. The can let out a hiss, pop!
"He uh, well, it's kind of my house too? Peter was my grandfather," Nathan seemed to be picking his words carefully as he closed the door to the fridge, motioning for the pair to follow him into the kitchen. Leaning against the table as he took a swig, "He use to pretty much help us with everything,"
"When you say 'us' do you mean…?"
"Yeah, me and my brother erm, I guess your dad," Nathan rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
"He was-- basically our other father," Nate sighed, "I've tried to keep up with cleaning it and making it look-- presentable, but I can only do so much," kicking an empty beer can lightly with his foot.
Abel jumped up onto the counter to sit, legs dangling off while Chamuel pulled a chair out from the table, settling in the seat. The two watch Nathan, causing the Slayer to feel a prickle of embarrassment flash over his skin. Taking another nervous drink as he continues with his rambling.
"Ya, know, I keep the utilities on, clean out the weeds sometimes, try to keep the junkyard-- kind of clean," He chuckled,
"So I was thinking the two of you can squat down here, I can teach you some basic things today...have either of you fired a gun…?"
Nathan pointed between the two as he spoke with a touch of curiosity in his voice.
"Nate, did you just ask an Angel and a stoner if they've ever fired a gun?" Abel asked, an eyebrow raised. Chamuel blinked a few times at Abel,
"Do you know anything about angels? We're not all dresses and halos," Chamuel pointed out.
"I read somewhere that you have at least seven eyes, that's pretty cool, like a spider,"
"Oh my god," Nate groaned,
"I…" Cham shook his head, "I guess like a spider makes...weird sense?"
"Wait, so If you are an Angel...why can I see you? Shouldn't my eyes burn out?"
"That's only the hot ones," Cham joked, tone filled with good humor.
"This isn't helping," Nathan placed his drink on the table with force, "This isn't a game! You can, and will, get hurt! You could die!"
Silence followed this for a few quiet seconds, Abel stepped off the counter and made towards the fridge. Pulling the door open to the small fridge, helping himself to a can of beer, popping the top and taking a small swig.
"Do you think we can't do it?" Abel asked, though there was a hint of a challenge in his voice the question seemed to be genuine.
"I could hardly do it!" Nathan replied with a bit more strain in his voice than he meant there to be.
"Well no offense, Buffy, but it didn't sound like you were the one to save the world." Abel recalled the story Jophiel had told them, causing Nathan's face to flush red lightly, anger flared in the Slayer's features.
"Stop it," Cham chimed in, standing up quickly causing the air around the men to kick up lightly. The soft whooshing sounds of wings filled the small kitchen. Abel looked at Cham with slight shock at the sudden movement but Nathan's expression didn't waver as if the man had dealt with it plenty of times before.
"No, we've never fired a gun," Chamuel said, crisp blue eyes moving from Nathan to Abel.
"Will you teach us?"
"I can just watch youtube videos, I don't need his help," Abel retorted, waving a hand in the air in a dismissive manner.
"Abel, if it means anything to you, I was ordered to protect you and keep you from dying, So maybe instead of accidentally shooting yourself in the face you get help from a professional," Chamuel gestured to Nathan with a challenging tone in his voice.
Abel put his hands up in a mocking fashion as if Cham had pulled a gun on him.
"Fine, fine." Abel said, taking a sip of the cold beer, "Teach us, Mr. Miyagi!" Abel said, giving the man a lopsided grin.
Nathan glared at Abel for a few heartbeats, but his gaze turned soft. The others personality nearly mirrored his brothers; it nearly caused the Slayer to do a double take.
"Look, we're going to play to your strengths," Nathan replied, standing up full now with a little more animation in his step. Tossing the empty beer can into the trash as he walked past. Abel took another sip of the beer, before handing it to Chamuel and following after Nathan. Cham blinked down at the half full can then followed after the two, still holding the can.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not going to teach you just shooting, I'll...I don't know, show you a few things," Nathan replied, making towards a closet, he swung open the door, parting the coats aside so he could get a better view of the back of the small room. Nathan moved aside a few balls, and a handful of tennis rackets before finding the treasure he had been seeking, a maple colored wooden baseball bat. Nathan turned back to the two men, holding it out towards Abel with a curt smile on his lips. Abel slowly reached for it, taking it in his hands. The bat was a little heavy with high quality wood, it reminded him of playing baseball in High School. For a few short breaths he could almost smell the grass below his feet, hear the cheering of the crowd, if only he could go back. A rush of sadness flooded his mind but he shook his head as if to dismiss the memories.
"Are you listening?" Nathan asked, cutting Abels thought process in half.
"What?"
Nate shook his head, "I said, you used to play baseball professionally, right?"
"I mean, I wouldn't say I was a professional," he joked,
"I just had a full scholarship, my man!" Abel replied proudly, "For an all girls baseball team! Unfortunately they didn't want someone with a beard joining them,"
"Our great aunt had a beard," Nate replied with a chuckle.
"Yeah but she shaves hers more than I do,"
Nathan laughed. For the first time, Abel saw Nate smile and it made him feel more at ease,
"Yeah I played!" Abel laughed, getting into a stance as if he was about to swing.
"I was the star hitter," He swung into the empty air with a loud swish!
"Well, we're going to make this bat more...useful for fighting, Follow me!"
Nathan took them through the home, explaining to them what each room meant. From a panic room, to the car lot. The older Slayer found himself going into stories, details, things that weren't important. Getting lost once or twice in his own memories.
From there he introduced them to the weapons, letting the pair hold the gun, explaining how they work, how to shoot and where to reload. Nathan also went through the handling of a shotgun,
"Shotgun shells, salt!" Nate said, showing them the large buck shots, Abel reached forward with a tentative hand, rolling it between his palms. It was hard, cold, he'd never held a bullet before. Let alone one for a gun as strong as a shotgun.
"These things will blast through ghosts easy,"
"Shooting ghosts huh? I'm starting to think this is a shitty horror movie," Abel chuckled nervously, handing the shell to Chamuel who held it to the light as if he expected to see through it. Nate ignored Abels comment as he took the shell from the angel.
"What if I don't have a gun? Do I just run in swingin? I trust you, man, but a single baseball bat and a gun might not be the only thing I need,"
"Oh don't worry, I'm getting to that!"
Nate finished explaining the guns to the pair, making sure to insist the two use them. He knew with experience they'd understand but at the moment all the two could think about was how violent the gun seemed. He almost laughed at this, "Wait till you see what the demons will do," he replied smoothly, causing the other two to look on in shock.
The group hustled towards the junk yard with a few guns for shooting practice. Nate set up a couple targets for the pair to use, explaining how to use each gun again before taking the baseball bat in hand.
"Chamuel, make sure Abel doesn't shoot himself, I'll be right back,"
"Hey!" Abel called after, glaring at Nate's back but the older Slayer didn't turn around or acknowledge the shout.
***
Abel was set up to shoot down the targets, holding the gun up, as he was taught, squeezing the trigger, a loud bang rang through the air; The small kick caught him off guard but he was able to recover within a few heart beats, silently thankful for the ear plugs.
"See!"
"You missed,"
"Yeah but I shot closer than last time,"
"Haven't you heard the phrase 'close but no cigar?'."
"I heard the song Weird Al made about it" Abel replied with a smile, turning his attention to the target once more. Abel took in a breath, letting it go he shot. Miss! Shot again. Miss!
He grumbled to himself as he reloaded, glancing over at Chamuel who was sitting on the hood of a car. His eyes scanning the screen on his phone, a troubled look on his face.
"Hey Cham-a-lam," He called towards the other,
Cham glanced up with eyebrows furrowed together, "Uh..yeah?"
"Do you have, like, superpowers or somethin, man?"
"W-What do you mean?" Chamuel asked with a small voice.
"I don't know, you're an archangel, aint'cha? You gotta have some kind of crazy power."
"Did you just call me Cham-a-lam?"
"Answer the question, I know you got that glowing hand thing,"
Cham chuckled, "It's-- well it's more like an extreme exorcism..."
"So besides that, what else do you do?"
Chamuel raced his fingers through his blonde locks, "Shouldn't you be practicing?"
Abel raised an eyebrow at the Angel but decided against pushing it. Turning back towards the target he readied himself, sucking in a breath before letting it out. He shot, for a few seconds he stared at the target before it registered in his brain. He hit it! Abel gasped in excitement and turned towards Chamuel. Slapping his phone away playfully, dragging the other up and pointing.
"Yes! Fuck you!" Abel shouted, cheering.
Chamuel laughed at the sudden outburst, shaking his head, not interrupting the prideful strut Abel had put on with the fact the bullet only hit the bottom of the paper.
***
As the day progressed and the sun died out behind the junkyard Abel and Chamuel started to grow restless. The two took turns shooting at the targets given to them for a few hours, only to realize Nathan hadn't returned. The pair found their way back to the house, looking high and low for their mentor before giving up and settling down in the kitchen. Abel takes his time fiddling with bread, jam and peanut butter.
"I wonder where he is," Chamuel said, his phone set on the table. A checker board was laid out on the table in front of him. Chamuel moved a few red checkers, switching one or two of the black ones while Abel's back was turned. Snickering to himself as he did so,
"Guy probably decided to bounce." Abel replied, turning towards his friend with a plate. Placing it in front of the other who looked at it surprised.
"You made me something?"
"Yeah! PB and jam, stable to my diet," he laughed, sitting down across from the other with his own food. Taking a swig of beer he looked over the checked board,
"You didn't move my pieces did you?" Abel asked,
Chamuel picked up the sandwich, taking a bite with a smile on his face,
"You can't prove that,"
"That's what a guilty person says!"
"Hey hey, this is America, I have a right to a trial of my peers,"
"I'm your only friend, and I say you're guilty,"
Cham laughed, his voice warm, "Did you just say you're my friend?"
Abel felt his face turn red, taking a bite of his food and jumping a few of Chamuel's red checkers,
"Shut up, Chams, your move!"
Chamuel laughed, leaning forward to make a move only for the sound of a door opening caught his attention.
"Well it's good to see you're making yourself at home," Nate's voice came from the door that connected to the kitchen. As he stepped in, both men leaped to demand an explanation, only for the once clean, beautiful baseball bat to be held out to them, to Abel.
"Ever seen The Walking Dead?" He asked with a bright grin.
The once light brown wood had been dyed a deep brownish red, barbed wire had been wrapped around the head, a few random symbols carved deep into the wood. Taking it in his hand it felt heavier than what he was using too but with time it'd be easier to use! Chamuel eyed the bat, poking his finger at a few of the symbols.
"Protection Sigils?" Chamuel whispered to Nathan, The man nodded at him.
"Good eye, I figured since you're all about baseball, I'd use that to your advantage."
Nathan nodded proudly at the bat, "Oh and the barbed wire is made of pure silver! Stuff will cut right through the paranormal,"
"Wow this is awesome!" his face sparked with excitement, then fear. He knew that he'd be using this as a weapon, yet it felt right. As if a weapon in his hand felt more comfortable than a normal bat.
"Great! Don't ask where I got the wire from," Nathan walked past them and into another room, "I got to show you one more thing"
Chamuel raced a hand over the bat with curiosity in her gaze.
"This is real," Abel whispered, glancing up at Chamuel with disbelief in his voice
Cham nodded slowly. "This is real," he replied with a nervous note to his voice, it was all starting to sink in now,
"Well, real or not, I've always wanted to go ghost hunting! Or is it ghost Slaying?" Abel said, stepping away from Chamuel. He hoisted the bat up easily, so the middle of the bat rested on his shoulder before turning on his heels and following after Nate. Chamuel hesitated, glancing back to the checkers that sat on the table. The angel picked up one of his red chips, jumping the rest of Abels with a sly grin.
"Cham! Come on!" Abel shouted from another room,
"Coming," Cham called back, grabbing the other half of his sandwich and following the sound of his friend's voice.
***
"You'll need to read these... And these," Nate said as he piled books on top of each other in front of Abel, who sat with his legs crossed in front of him on an old beaten up couch. He arched an eyebrow as the older man continued to stack. Some of the books in the library were real books, printed, published and available to buy in your local store. From what Abel could see, those books were tamed versions of the second pile of books. All of which looked as though they were either printed and shoved together in a binder, written in pencil in an old notebook, or handfuls of sticky notes lining into the heart of other books.
"Any handmade ones," Nate said, pointing to the pile of messy, dirty and coffee stained notebooks, binders and folders, "Are made by other Slayers, they're going to help you the most!" Chamuel, who had settled beside Abel, leaned forward, plucking the top book before flipping it opened. 'Campbells monster guide' was written in sharpie over the front, A few torn papers fell to the floor causing the man's soft complexion to turn bright red.
"Sorry," Chamuel chuckled,
"What about the other books?" Abel asked as he helped Chamuel pick up the papers that had fallen.
"Those," Nate started, patting the top of them, "Are just basic information on a lot of the monsters you're probably going to see, some religion and even a little bit of general surviving tips."
Abel stopped, "How many monsters?"
"Hundreds,"
"Damn," Abel whistled, running his fingers through his hair, smoothing it back.
"Look, I have to leave for the night,"
"What? Where are you going?" Abel asked with a tilt of his head,
"I have a life outside of all this, yaknow, Besides, Peter's house is fortified and should have everything you need." Nathan clapped his hands together, scattering dust into the air.
"By 'life outside' do you mean sitting in your room trying not to wrinkle,"
"I'm not that old!"
Cham waved his hand in the air, coughing lightly from the dust, "Get some sleep, I'll be back in the afternoon," Nate called to them as he made towards the front door, pulling his phone from his pocket as he made his exit. The cool air flooded the warm home for a few rapid heart beats as the door was pulled open and shut behind the Slayer.
Abel stared at the door for a few minutes before turning his attention back to the books, it suddenly hit him, he was exhausted! He hadn't slept since the other night but he felt an itch, a restlessness that caused him to think that sleep might not be so easy. At least, not sober.
"Well," standing up, Abel moved towards Chamuel whose eyes scanned the words on the paper before him. A look of concentration covered his face as he read the confusing literature. Abel watched him for a few heartbeats before placing a hand on the book, shutting it closed.
"Hey, I was reading that!"
"Correction, you were reading it," He grinned, "Now!" Abel pulled a set of keys out of his jacket pocket, dangling them lightly in the air, "We're going to a bar."
Chamuel blinked in surprise at the other,
"A-A bar? Shouldn't we be studying?" Anxiety flashed on the angels face as he spoke,
"Yeah, ya'know, chicks, drinks! Maybe we can find you a nice lady, huh? Chicks dig math teacher types."
"I'm not a math teacher, and shouldn't you be sleeping?"
"Come on, Cham, I'll be your wingman! Just a few beers, little flirting and we'll come right back. I swear!"
Cham glanced at him, then back to his book. "What if Nathan comes back?"
Abel shook his head, "He can text me, come on Cham! I can't go alone or Josie might have a fit,"
"Josie's a pussy cat,"
"Whatever Cham, come on!" He smiled at the other, a playful tone in his voice. "An hour! That's all I'm askin,"
Cham shook his head, pulling out his cell phone. "I guess it's not too late."
"We'll be there and back so quick your halo will spin."
Chamuel swallowed, standing up with a sigh, he rubbed the back of his head in a nervous manner.
"Fine, I guess it won't kill us?"
"That's what I'm talkin' about, man!" Abel punched Chamuel's arm lightly, causing the Angel to scoff. Abel knew if he didn't invite Chamuel the angel would probably just follow him anyways so why not be inviting?
***
Abel had found the keys on a coffee table just by the library. He wasn't sure what car they were for but even if they didn't find it he could afford an uber to take them to the closest bar. From what he saw on the app on his phone the closest was a small ten minute drive away. He and Chamuel had taken to the junkyard, pressing the alarm button on the keyring causing an alarm to blare only a few car lengths away from the two. Abel punched the air in a form of triumph as the pair weaved their way around the junked automobiles.
They stumbled upon an old truck, it was covered in a light layer of rust around the front but from what the two could see it wasn't too beaten down.
"Probably just sat in the rain too long," Abel mused as he ran a hand over the front, letting his fingers trace the sharp edges where the rust had started to eat away at the metal. Chamuel pulled open the passenger door hesitantly, it let out a loud creek as it swung open violently causing the blonde to stumble back in light surprise.
"Yeah, only the rain," He muttered, pulling himself up into the seat. Glancing down at the stereo, brushing dust away from the dials.
Abel swung the door open to the driver's end, climbing up into it with a laugh. Excitement had rested in the man's green gaze, the idea of doing something semi normal was exciting to him. He knew well that an hour wasn't going to cut it but figured that'd be a road he'll cross when it comes down to it, besides, Cham didn't seem as if he had a lot of fight in him. A few back and forths and Abel would probably come out on top! The brunette pushed the key into the slot, gripping onto the thin leather wheel as he turned the key. The truck let out a growl before falling quiet again,
"Oh well! Guess we'll have to go back inside," Cham laughed,
Abel shook his head at the other, turning the key another time. Once more the car roared before falling into the silence of the night. Abel scoffed, pulling the key out and back in as if that would somehow make the car turn itself on.
Chamuel watched Abel knowing damn well the human would, probably, just call a taxi or a lyft. Maybe even make them walk!
"Maybe--" Chamuels words died in his throat as the engine roared to life, letting out an angry puttering that filled once peaceful night air with harsh smoke. Chamuel leaned into the old leather seat, he wasn't going to go home in an hour. He silently knew that was a lie but if he let Abel go places by himself Jophiel would have his head. Abel wasn't a child, if anything, he'd fare better against some of these creatures than Chamuel was. Though his angelic grace was strong he couldn't imagine it being useful in the long run.
The car jumped to life as the peddle was pressed down, the kick made Chamuel's stomach turn lightly with the sudden movement.
"I can't believe we're doing this," Cham groaned.
The car ride was short, thanks to Abel's navigation app on his phone the two were able to weave through the roads with ease. Chamuel mostly looked out at the night sky until he heard a soft noise next to his head. A noise that he could hear over the loud music that blasted from the speakers and Abel's singing. Cham shook his head, maybe the Slayer ran over a pinecone, or a pothole? But he hadn't felt any bumps.
There it was again, it was close. Chamuel glanced around the two person front seat before turning his head to look out the small window that led to the truck bed. The bed of the truck had a sheet held over the top, one of the corners of the sheet was flapping in the wind but the rest looked pretty tied down. Chamuel watched the tarp for a few more minutes before feeling the car make a sharp turn into a parking lot.
The lot had a handful of cars scattered about it, people hung out around the outside laughing loudly into the night air. A large neon sign buzzed, flashing the name of the bar for the world to see, illuminating the night with it's fake warmth. Abel leapt from the car with ease, adjusting his army green jacket and shoving his keys into the pocket. Though the night wasn't too cold, fall was around the corner. Chamuel followed after, climbing out of the car with little enthusiasm, eyes still trained onto the back of the car. Narrowing them, he thought he saw movement under the tarp but Abel's voice cut into his subconscious,
"Hey come on, Chammy!" he hollered.
Chamuel glanced back towards his friend, racing his fingers through his hair and letting it rest on the back of his neck in a nervous fashion.
"Yeah, coming," His throat felt dry as he followed his friend to the front doors of the shabby and broken down looking bar.
The inside smelled like a mix of smoke and body odor, the air was thick with the breaths of handfuls of people packed close together. The inside of the bar was small, with a long table that was attached to a backroom. The bartenders were going in and out of the double doors to get more alcohol, cups and napkins. A few people littered the stools that were pushed against the table, drinks in hand, smiles on their lips as they chatted with one another. In the middle of the room was a large open space with a few scattered tables, a band played on a stage that was set against the wall. The beat from their drum could be felt in the ground below his feet.
It was loud, he could hardly hear anything anyone was saying as he followed close behind Abel, who moved through the bar as if he'd been here hundreds of times before. The Slayer squeezed his way past a few people who had taken to dancing and chatting beside the bartop. He took a seat in a cherry red stool, placing a hand on the sticky wood with a small smile. He waved over to one of the few bartenders who were scurrying about. A chipper man bound up to him, a smile on his face,
"Hello sir, what can I get you?"
Chamuel took a seat beside Abel, giving a nervous smile to a few girls who were sitting only a few inches from them on their own stools. They giggled, looking away from the two.
"Hey man! What'cha got on tap?"
The bartender went into a list of the beers they had, mentioning how he enjoyed one over the other. Chamuel couldn't pay attention, his mind continued to move back to the truck and whatever the noise was. It was a familiar noise, but he just couldn't put a finger on it.
"Here ya go!" Abel said, placing a large cup of beer in front of the man who looked at it with a confused expression, "Thanks, I uh, don't really have any money right now," Chamuel confessed, feeling his face heat up with embarrassment.
"Don't worry about it, Chams. I gotcha!" He chuckled, taking a long sip of the cold beer.
Chamuel blinked at the other for a few seconds, though he was a therapist he hadn't had a client for a few years now and his money situation was severely lacking. He wasn't sure where Abel had gotten his money from but Chamuel decided not to question the generosity of the other, after all, he'd never had anyone buy him a drink before.
The two drank their beers, chatting about nothing as they did so,
"So why is an angel a therapist?" Abel asked as he ordered them another round.
"Well -- God sent me down here to understand humans and well, I guess I figured the best way was to be a therapist."
"Did you go to school for it?"
"I mean-- yeah, I've been down here for almost ten years,"
"You can be down here a hundred years and still not do anything," Abel pointed out, drinking down the next beer that was placed in front of him,
"Jesus christ, Abel!" Chamuel laughed as he watched his friend down nearly the entire beer.
"I'm a professional," He joked, nudging Cham and nodding his head to a table a few arm's lengths away from them. A few women were settled down on the table, they waved to both Chamuel and Abel who grinned back,
"Come on, we gotta go talk to them," He said, turning towards the blonde.
Chamuel looked to Abel and then the girls, he felt his face burn as he scratched the back of his neck.
"Why do you want to talk to them? Can't we just...learn about each other?"
Abel shook his head, giving the other a look, "About each other? There are a handful of beautiful women who are looking at us and you want to stare into my eyes and tell me more about your life as a therapist."
Abel didn't give the other a chance to reply as he stood up from his spot, making his way towards the group who giggled as he came over. Chamuel cursed Abel under his breath before grabbing both his and Abels drinks, following close behind.
Chamuel felt a chill run down his spine as he took a seat at the table, Abel started to introduce them, lightly nudging Cham as he did so with a closed fist but the Angel wasn't paying attention. Something didn't feel right, his mind continued to move back towards the back of the car.
"I love your shirt,"
The voice pulled him from his thought process, blinking down at the hand that was playing lightly with his shirt. It belonged to a woman sitting beside him, she glowed in the lights above and batted her eyelashes at him.
"Er uh, thanks," he chuckled, "I got it from Kohls, I think,"
Abel shot Cham an irritated look, "I was just tellin' these beautiful girls that you're a therapist,"
The woman that had been touching his shirt moved a little closer to him, he gave her a small smile. "Yeah, well, I mean I was for a while. Then I encountered someone that really shook me, so I ended up taking a break."
"And now he's here, wanting to start up another practice, right? Chamuel?"
It was almost weird to hear Abel say his full name at this point, looking at the man in light confusion.
"Yeah, but even that wouldn't be enough to cure you," Chamuel said with a grin flashing over his lips. Abel looked at the other in shock for a heartbeat before his smile grew.
"Wouldn't have to cure me if you did a good job the first time," Abel said back, leaning towards his friend with a laugh in his voice.
"At this point I don't know if I'm qualified enough," The angel chuckled, feeling a rush of euphoria.
"Qualified? In what? Being a terrible therapist?" Abel asked, his voice filled with laughter that made Chamuel have a hard time finding proper wording. Feeling a warmth trickle into his face at the others grin.
The woman beside him glanced between the two with a smirk,
"You sure you two aren't gay?" She asked with a laugh.
Chamuel opened his mouth to continue talking when a scream erupted from the front of the bar. It was so loud the band fell silent, the air suddenly felt cold but this only lasted a few ticks of the clock as the front door seemed to explode inwards as a large raccoon tore into the room.
"It's rabid!" Someone shouted, a few collective gasps and screams as the patrons in the bar quickly moved out of the animal's way, all looking at the creature with fear pulsating in the air. Chamuel slowly stood up from his seat,
"Abel," he whispered,
Black sludge dripped from the raccoon's maw as it moved it's head around in a wild fashion. Everyone stood frozen as they watched the raccoon vomit up the black vile and collapsed to the floor.
"Is it...dead?" someone asked. Murmurs rose around the bar.
"We need to get these guys outta here," Abel's voice surprised Chamuel as he felt a hand on his shoulder, before either of the two could make a move the Raccoon let out a hiss, a sickening pop filled the air as the creatures skin seemed to almost boil. The black sludge started to move slowly from the floor, shaking as it just about floated in the air. The crowd around the pair shifted as if they were all getting ready for something to happen.
The black sludge rose higher and higher into the air, it visibly shook as it stopped about Abel's eye level. In a single breath the sludge exploded, the black sludge flew in every direction causing everyone to start screaming as the mucus seeped into the skin of its victims. Abel blinked in surprise, Chamuel had stood in front of the Slayer. His face now covered in the sludge. Chaos exploded around the two now as everyone tried to run out at once, Abel felt himself being pushed forward only to be caught by his friend.
"You okay?" Chamuel asked, rubbing the sludge off his face with the back of his sleeve.
The air tasted like iron as Abel stared at the black sludge on the other's face. It sizzled off slowly, falling to the ground below.
"The sludge," Abel whispered,
A Scream caught their attention, the two whipped around to see the raccoon was standing straight up. It's jaw hanging off its mouth in an unnatural fashion, it's skin seemed to almost crawl with the black blood that ran through its veins like a sickness. The body contorted, the sickening snap of bones filled the air, popping like fireworks as its body started to grow in size, the skin hardly being held together by the sticky black goo. Almost like a glue that kept the monstrosity from falling apart. It towered over Chamuel and Abel, gagging, spitting as it did so. It's eyes are tiny compared to the now large, bulging head. The black sludge formed around the racoon, giving it a monstrous appearance.
Each breath it took sounded like agony as it bore down on the two, Abel and Chamuel watched it with terror on their features.
"That's a big raccoon," Abel whispered, taking a few steps back he felt his body connecting to the table he had just been sitting at.
The raccoon creature took a step towards them, leaving a large bloodied footprint behind. Chamuel took in a breath, clenching his fists. The familiar glow started around the angel's hands, and though he felt fear and uncertainty flash through him he spotted the determined look in his friend's face, sending a wave of adrenaline pump into his veins. Abel took a step forward and away from the table. He balled up his fists, unsure of what to do as he watched Chamuel.
Chamuel opened his hand, holding it out at the monster. The creature glowed a soft pink only for the light to die down in a few seconds. Confusion flashed over the blonde's features, he took a step back towards Abel. Blinking away the fear, Cham tried again. He felt his energy being sucked into the light of his hands, he glanced at Abel again only for a sudden burst of power to rush into his finger. He never felt such power before becoming an archangel and he wasn't sure what it meant, causing him to stop paying attention for a single heartbeat.
"Cham!"
Pain flashed through his body as the Raccoon used its massive paw to smack the angel away from him, screaming as its paw touched the other. Chamuel's body seemed to almost burn the monster, Abel mused. His features flooded with confusion as Cham collided with the wall, falling onto the ground in a huff. The Raccoon growled, making its way towards where the blonde had fallen.
The idea that flashed into his head wasn't something he was expecting but his instinct had kicked in, not only did he feel a fiery rage at watching that creature harm the people around them but also attack his friend. Abel took off past the raccoon, causing the monster to snap it's attention over to him. The monster roared, trampling over towards the Slayer.
Abel leapt over a fallen table, silently thanking his previous baseball coach for making him do hurdles whenever he mouthed off, and that was often! The creature bore down on Abel, the man leapt onto the counter of the bartop and rolled to the floor. The monster made contact with the multiple bottles of alcohol on the wall as it ran straight into it. Abel covered his neck and head as he was soaked with the strong smelling liquid, he could feel the glass from the bottles cutting into his back through the jacket but it didn't bother him. The monster stumbled back, screeching in agony as it clawed at the glass on its face.
"Not that smart, are ya?" Abel whispered, he turned his head to start exploring the stuff that was hidden behind the counter. He grinned as his hands found the margarita salt,
"Nathan you better be right about this salt bullshit," He whispered to himself.
"Abel!" Cham hollered
Abel scrambled up, his wet hair plastered to his forehead, "I'm alive!" Abel shouted, with a quick movement of his arm he showered the creature in the salt. It screamed in agony, stumbling away from Abel with a roar. It's blood showered the floor below,
"Do it again, Cham! Kill it!"
Cham was watching Abel for a few rapid heartbeats before jumping into action the second Abel called for him.
"Right!" He shouted, taking in a breath his hands started to glow. Feeling his power rise, it flowed through his veins as if his blood was made of pure fire. Abel watched in awe, the angel was now floating in mid air. Large soft pink wings exploded from the man's back, ripping open the back of the angel's shirt. Feathers danced to the ground, showering the floor below him. Chamuel's eyes snapped open, they were bright as the sun; glowing like headlights in the darkest of nights.
He continued to slowly float towards the ceiling, the air in the bar whipped and roared as if it was ready to go to war.
"Whoa…" Abel breathed, his heart pounded in his chest as he held the box of salt in one hand and a broken bottle in another. The creature didn't seem to care for the fancy show as it hacked a few times, racing claws over its now dark red eyes. It snarled, opening its jaw wide. A roar ripping from the depths of its throat as it leapt to attack the Angel,
"Be...Gone!" Chamuel shouted, his voice filled the room, it was as though God had come down and spoken for him. The once calm, warm voice sounded strong and ferocious.
Chamuel held his open hand towards the beast, the monster's jaw only seconds from latching onto Chamuel's hand only for it to scream in agony. A brilliant pink light illuminated the entire bar, a strong white beam of energy flickered from the angels open palm. Abel hid his face from the blast, ducking back behind the bartop. Shutting his eyes tight, the creature screamed in unholy agony before the screams suddenly stopped, followed by the rotted smell of burnt flesh. The light slowly died away, causing Abel to uncover his face, peeking out from where he hid to look around. The light was gone, so was the monster. In its place was a large burn mark in the wooden floor, the tables had been knocked back against the bartop, blood and raccoon parts showered the room around the burned wood.
Laying on the floor next to the burn mark was Chamuel, his shirts completely torn apart but his wings had vanished. Feathers surrounded the angel as he laid still on the hard floor below.
"Cham!" Abel shouted, leaping to the otherside of the bar top, racing to his friend. Slipping in the muck and falling beside the man with a grunt, he scrambled back to his feet. His clothes were soaked in blood and alcohol,
"Cham, man! Can you hear me?" Abel asked, leaning down and shaking the Angel lightly. Chamuel groaned painfully, blinking up at Abel.
"Abel? What...happened?" Cham asked, he was visibly shaken, a large welt on his head was forming.
"Can you move?"
"Yeah, I think so?"
Abel helped Chamuel to his feet, glancing at the front door. Standing there were a few patrons from earlier, holding their phones up with jaws on the floor.
"Shit," Abel whispered, making his way to the other people, Chamuel staggered only to grab onto a nearby table for support. Abel stopped, turning towards his friend.
"Come on man, get it together," he whispered, concern clear in his features as he pushed himself up against the Angel, letting the man wrap an arm around his shoulders.
The two hobbled towards the front door, Abel shoved past the few people who continued to watch them without saying a word. Outside the parking lot was mostly empty aside from a few cars and a motorcycle. He could hear loud sirens in the distance now as the cold air of the outside touched his face he realized how much pain he was in. His back felt as if it was on fire, his hands were bleeding but he didn't stop as they quickly made for the truck. Abel scrambled to get the keys out, he helped Chamuel into the passenger seat before hopping in the front seat. Putting the car into drive Abel turned onto the road back to Peter's, he could see the lights of the police in the rearview mirror but he didn't stop his driving. Knowing they probably didn't see him drive away, regardless, he made a mental note not to take this car out again.
"Cham," Abel whispered,
The angel glanced up at his friend, his head throbbed painfully as he forced himself to stay awake. His body burned with exhaustion, he never felt this tired before in his life. As an angel he had a small advantage when it came to sleeping and eating but right now he felt more human than he ever had in his life.
"Yeah…?" Chamuel asked, fearful what the other could possibly say. The entire incident was a blur in the blonde's mind as he looked over at the bruised and beaten up Slayer. He had glass in his shaggy hair, cuts on his hands and face, yet a smile was settled on his lips.
"That was badass!" Abel laughed, Chamuel blinked at him. Him? Badass? Chamuel laughed too, even though it hurt. He laughed.
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