Not a Star in Heaven

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Date: June 1st, near sunset
Location: In the woods, behind the Manor
Status: Public -COMPLETE
Summary: Raphael fights a Hellbeast and wins. Part of the Riddle Plot

For some reason, I keep thinking of High School Musical’s, Breaking Free as I wrote this. Despite the violent nature of this post, it kinda fits.


Not a Star in Heaven…

“Now, Pudge, that was uncalled for…”

Despite the animal throwing acorns at him, Raphael chuckled and shook his head. “Hurry up and catch a mouse, okay?” He shot another look to the horizon, at the dark clouds quickly covering the night sky like a particularily ominous blanket.

Pudge soared down to his shoulder and ruffled his feathers indignantly. Raphael was about to gladly oblige his feathered friend into going back inside when he saw a dark shape disappear into the twisted shadows of the woods.

Ice slid into his stomach. Rose liked to go into the woods by herself and he knew others sometimes did too. That… thing could hurt one of his family!

Swallowing the knot in his stomach he let Pudge return on his own and forced himself to step into the gnarled shadows that seemed to be grabbing at him, as if they had solidified into claws to pull him into the twisted darkness. Above him, thunder rumbled.

There is blood… so much blood…

A young girl is injured, claws are tearing into his soft flesh…

“You are the Healer of God!”

“RAAAWRR!”

Raphael leaped around and quickly dodged out of the way of the shrieking animal. His sword and belt materialized and he grasped its hilt, staring down the creature that could tear him into shreds.

Was it just him, or were those teeth longer than what was normal for a Hellbeast?

…One of the Seven that Stand Before the Throne!”

He whirled around, the creature catching his shoulder but thankfully only managing to pull a few tufts of fuzz from his tiny wing. Another howl ripped through the air and Raphael realized with a clear horror that the Hellbeast was searching for someone. And it wasn’t him, not like the last one had been.

Heart thumping in his chest he leaped after the creature, gripping at the scruff of its neck. The animal snarled and rolled over, crushing the angel beneath its heavy weight.

Raphael bit back a cry of pain but he pulled an arm free, the other with the sword still crushed, using it to grip the animal’s snout. If it would just rain, maybe he could…

Lightning flashed, flickering through the dark silhouettes. Melting it wouldn’t be a good idea. Not while crunched on top of him like this. He remembered the burns from where the first creature had dissintegrated on him, but at least that had melted away from him. This was determined to crush him.

He brought an arm up, concentrating, ignoring the snarl as the animal’s teeth sank into his shoulder again. In a moment of time that could have easily been missed by a human watching, a particularily sharp branch fell from one of the trees and, right as the beast realized it and twisted off, the pointed end sunk deep into its neck, skewering it to the ground.

Then it started raining.

For a moment, Raphael let the water wash over him as he lay there, staring up at the canopy above as his injuries slowly healed. He watched the flecks of lightning dance across the sky, his unnecessary breath slowly becoming more even and steady.

That creature was after somebody.

Wait.

That thing… was searching for somebody.

He forced himself to his feet, stumbling a few times onto his knees before regaining balance and racing into the Manor.


((*))

Comments

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

Jarod had been talking to the lady at the reception desk in the lobby when the storm broke. He ambled over to a window to watch the play of lighting against the sky. Kept underground by the centre for so long, with no window to look out, he still enjoyed watching weather paint its pretty patterns into the sky.

As the door burst open, he whirled.

[angelofawesome.livejournal.com]

Michael had been in the rec room, lifting weights, when the little nagging feeling at the back of his mind sensed demon and he jerked up, nearly dropping the weights onto his chest.

There was a hellbeast on the property. Oh, like that was going to stand! He'd accepted he couldn't just go around smacking demons in the Manor, but no one said anything about ----

And just like that, the sense was gone again. Confused now, he left the room and headed toward the lobby, making it just to the top of the stairs as Raphael burst in the front door.

"Aw c'mon, not again," he muttered, having seen a bloodied Raphael too much lately for his own good. He shook his head and ran down the stairs to his little brother, only vaguely registering Failchrist nearby.

"Did you run into the hellbeast? Is it still out there? Are you okay? Let me see," he said soothingly, looking over his frazzled sibling.

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

Jarod looked from one to the other. "A hellbeast?" he asked. "Like the one you told me about? Is it still there?"

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

"No... It's... It's dead..." He shakily raked his hand through his wet clumps of hair, grimacing slightly at the realization of how he must appear. At least this time it was only his clothes that were a mess. And well, a small bald patch on his wing.

"It... It was searching for someone," Raphael finally managed to say, lightning cracking as if in response to his words.

[angelofawesome.livejournal.com]

Michael hummed, looking him over. "All right. Let's get you to Gabriel to get you patched up, and I'll go hunting, okay? No one's going to get hurt."

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

"Searching for someone?" Jarod stelled closer. "For you?"

He quickly looked Raphael over. "I don't think there's much patching to be done," he finally declared. "Maybe it'd be better to just throw these" - he gestured at Raphael's clothes - "away and get new ones."

He reached out to put a reassuring hand on the red-haired man's shoulder, overriding the blonde guy's suggestion of getting him elsewhere. Policework had taught him some things were bet gotten out of a witness fresh.

He made his voice as unthreatening, interested and soothing as he could at the same time. "Can you tell me exactly what happened?"

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

"No, not me. Not... not this time." He bit his lip, looking over at his brother. But at the same time the Son had asked a question.

Inhaling slowly again he closed his eyes. "I was outside, waiting for Pudge to catch his mouse. The weather was looking bad so we were going to go back inside when I saw that... that creature. I fought it and..." Oh! "The body is still there," he realized. "I uh... I skewered it. But its storming pretty bad out ans I dont know if... Well..."

Raphael closed his eyes again, shaking his head. "It wasnt after me, but it was definately searching for someone."

Which meant someone, someone in the Manor, one of his family, was in danger.

[angelofawesome.livejournal.com]

Michael nodded, looking at Failchrist. "Can you take care of him? I'll go see what's going on outside."

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

Jarod looked from one to the other.

"Let's have a look at things together," he suggested, motioning towards the door. What the red-haired angel needed was probably action, not sitting or standing around letting the fright and danger sink in.

He reached onto his back and drew a small but highly efficient pistol from his belt.

"Three'll stand a better chance than one if there are more. And Raphael can show us the precise spot."

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Raphael nodded. That would be a good idea, especially if there were more of them. And anyway, surely two Archangels could protect the Son if anything went wrong?

He opend the door and waved a hand to keep the rain from falling around them, almost creating a dome of protection. "I'll show you," he said, allowing his sword and belt to materialize again.

[angelofawesome.livejournal.com]

Michael covered Raphael's ears, looking at Failchrist. "This here was Raph's second time being mauled by hellbeasts and umpteenth time being covered in his own blood. Judging from his track record if he walks outside he's going to get gored AGAIN, and we don't want that, so PLEASE take him somewhere else?"

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

"Michael!" Raphael pulled away, feeling slightly hurt that his big brother didnt seem to believe he really was better. "Don't you think its best to go together? What if there are more of them? That thing was after somebody! Aren't we supposed to protect our..." Our family?

He let out a sigh, realizing he wasnt going to win this one. "Near the pathway, you can't miss it," he muttered, waving a hand in the general direction.

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

Jarod gave Michael a piercing look that came with more than a hint of the person he had been when he had posed as a hired assassin.

"You're not going out there on your own," he declared. "And he obviously held his own well against the thing before he came in."

Plus, the blonde man was showing somewhat too much bravado for his taste. Raphael also had a 'track record' of coming out of fights with hellbeasts alive, so he had to be doing something right.

Jarod held the door open and motioned to Rapahel. "Come on. Together we can take them, even if there are more."

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Raphael looked over at his big brother with pleading eyes.

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

"Come on!" Jarod repeated, motioning towards the door with a jerk of his head. "Let's go."

Things would have been different if Raphael had been reluctant to come along to begin with. But he had seemed almost eager to come and even conjured a sword-belt from somewhere the moment he had suggested it.

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Raphael lead his brother and the Son to the edge of the forest. He moved to grip his sword, just in case there were more of them and pressed on, ignoring the pounding in his chest and the What are you doing there could be more of them what if they kill you what if you arent careful enough...

He grimaced slightly at the dead creature lying limp, dark blood now crusted around the sharp branch and around the beast. Its sharp teeth were still visible.

Definately longer than the last one.

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

Jarod kept a good grip on his gun, ready to point and shoot at need, as he went down on one knee besides the animal.

It looked like nothing he had ever seen before. For a moment, he very nearly wished that the manor was a place where experiments were conducted on people. Then they were sure to have a lab somewhere. A morgue would do as well. Then he could have a closer look at this creature.

He pictured himself arriving at the Lower Tadfield morgue, if THEY had any, with the beast.

'Excuse me, I found this Hellbeast dead in front of my hotel, do you think I might borrow a freezer and some equipent to look at it from the inside?'

Nope, not a good idea. One thing was certain though: It was well and truly dead.

[angelofawesome.livejournal.com]

Caving to Big Angel Eyes of Woe, Michael went with Raphael and Failchrist out to see the damage.

He gave a whistle of appreciation as he looked it over. As Heaven's resident Demon Slayer, this was his area of expertise.* "That's a tough sucker, higher-level. Way to go Raph!" He walked closer and poked it with his toe. "But luckily, judging from its size and relative power, it wouldn't have been part of a pack."


* Certain people would say he had no other, but that would just be really mean, Gabriel.

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Raphael beamed (literally) at his big brother's praise. He knelt beside the creature as well but didn't touch it. "It has armor over its skin, except its neck and stomach, look." He pointed to the tough scaley pattern in the skin, finger hovering just inches from it. He made a face at the red fuzzies caught in its lip but decided not to point it out.

Those teeth though... They resembled pirana teeth. The thing was built to destroy alright, but clearly to be agile and flexible as well. "Should I bless the rain and let it dissolve?" he asked.

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

"No!" Jarod said, surprised by the offer and speaking more sharply than he had intended. "No," he repeated in a calmer tone. "I want to examine it. I ... I'd like to dissect it, to be honest, but I don't know where I'd get a lab or morgue from. The cook will hardly want it in his freezer."

[angelofawesome.livejournal.com]

Michael blinked in shock at Failchrist. "Um... do I want to know what you're hoping to find in the body of a dead hellbeast? Because it's just gonna be more dead hellbeast."

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Raphael was about to go into a spurt of Lord forgive mes and probably some Hail Marys at the initial reaction but then remembered the Son was merciful even to a silly angel such as he. Even if the Son didnt know He was the Son.

"Do we have ice cubes?" he asked. "We could fill up a bathtub?"

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

Jarod looked up at Michael. "It's called science," he said patiently. "You dissect something, you draw charts and stuff, and detailed drawings of what it looks like inside, and you write down all the sizes and where what is and so on. Maybe we'll even be the first people in the world to study this kind of animal!"

He nearly added "too bad it's dead", but caught himself just in time.

To Raphael he said: "I've tried ice cubes before. They work for a time, but they still melt and the bodies still stink. I couldn't shower in my hotel room for a week because of the guy in my bathroom."

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Raphael tried not to stare, nearly forgetting to keep the dome around them up. "When... was that?" He tried to sound non-chalant.

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

"A few years ago," Jarod said. "He was an assassin, and someone else had killed him in his hotel room, so I stored him in the bathroom and took his place. I couldn't have done that if his body had turned up somewhere after all!"

He made a face at the memory and decided to relief the 'angel'. Oh, all of them seemed so concerned to hear someone had done anything that smelled of a crime.

"I brought his next two victims to safety - a husband and wife just recently split up - , helped them make up and then tied up his clients for the police."

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Raphael slowly nodded. "I've gone undercover to help people," he said. Not as an assassin, but the point still stands. He forced his confused mind back on the situation at hand. "So ice cubes would be a no then," he said, trying not to make a face.

[angelofawesome.livejournal.com]

Michael sighed. "So weird," he mourned.

The last one was a lot better.

"Listen, I've been covered in the entrails of these things plenty of times. It's nothing too exciting. It kinda burns, and really smells. Point is, if you really want, I can try catching you a live one sometime, but can we just get rid of this one?"

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

"You'd do that?" Jarod beamed at Michael. "That's cool. Really, that'd be great! Where do you think we could keep it? What do they eat by the way? We can't very well feed it people."

He glanced down at the dead one. "And let's not waste this one. Maybe we can just put it where no animals will get to it while I talk to the perosn who owns this place about setting up a lab, maybe, and bringing in stuff? It'd be a shame if it was eaten before we can have a proper look."

[angelofawesome.livejournal.com]

"They only eat humans if they have to. They prefer angels." He shrugged. "But I haven't done a lot of exploring so I couldn't tell you where we should keep it..."

Michael relooked at the beast corpse. "I hope nothing eats it. Doesn't strike me as edible. Not that I've ever tried."

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

Jarod looked slightly concerned as he bent to start dragging the cadaver out of the open and towards a sheltered place along the building.

"Do you think something might be ... I don't know, demonically changed if it ate that?"

Concern mingled with curiosity in his voice, though.

[angelofawesome.livejournal.com]

Michael shrugged. "Only one way to find out!" He drew his sword and cut off a piece of its hide. He picked it up, sniffed. "Smells like lame." He nibbled. "Tastes like bad."

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

"Hey!" Jarod protested. "You can't eat my sample! A.) It might be toxic, B.) It might make you sich and C.) It's not scientific!"

[angelofawesome.livejournal.com]

Michael spat it out. "Wha'evah," he said, "Thienth ith thtupid, becauth y' need t' be han's-on in life. Mah tong ith nom now, bah nah you know tha ea'in' i's a ba' idea."*

He regarded the dead beast thoughtfully. "I' coul' a' leatht ha' tha dethenthy t' tathte goo', tho' Ah wondah wha' would happ'n if a worthe anthel ate it."**




* "Whatever. Science is stupid, because you need to be hands-on in life. My tongue is numb, but now now you know that eating it is a bad idea."

** "It could at least have had the decency to taste good, although I wonder what would happen if a worse angel ate it."

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Raphael sucked in a sharp breath, blinking in shock at what his big brother had done. He reached over with his fingers, still slightly smudged with blood, and touched Michael's cheek with it, willing healing into him. "Be more sensible, Michael," he said with a fond smile. And to be honest, he rather liked that he had acted within his purpose. Healing...

"I think we should keep it!" he continued, shooting gleaming excited eyes at the Warrior. "Wouldn't it be fun to see what these things are really made of?" The Patron Angel of Science grinned at Jarod, already imagining what lay beyond the beast's tough exterior.

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

"Is he going to be okay=" Jarod asked Raphael with a somewhat worried glance at Michael.

To the blonde angel he added: "You don't go around eating people's samples, as I said! I'll want a tissue sample of you to learn more about the reaction. And of you," he said, again, to Raphael.

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

"You... You want a what?" He sure hoped he hadnt made the idea of cutting into a Hellbeast sound so fun he wanted to dissect everything...

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

"Just a few drops of blood and a few cells I can use for studies.. Like form a swab. Stuff like that. Won't hurt a bit, I promise!"

The reaction did bring him back to his original impression of experiments, though. He just wished those so-called angels were a bit more forthcoming and a bit less reverential.

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Well, if the Son wanted it... He was still visibly cringing. Way to go, Raphael. You've turned the Son of your Creator into a mad scientist.

[angelofawesome.livejournal.com]

"Still, you sound less like a concerned scientist and more like a dude who just wants to collect samples of people, like a crazy serial killer," Michael pointed out.

Had this been anyone else, he would have eaten some more of the hellbeast just out of spite. But this wasn't anyone else, this was Failchrist, and, well, better to be safe than sorry.

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

"Crazy serial killers," Jarod pointed out, "don't collect samples. They collect souvenirs. Kind of like keepsakes, you know."

He considered the cadaver. "Let's see if we can find something to cover this with."

[angelofawesome.livejournal.com]

"That was sort of my point," Michael muttered, "You know, pieces of flesh are your souveniers." He looked at the dead creature. "I guess we can just get a blanket from back inside? There's a lot of leaves around but they're pretty light. And now I wanna go look for more hellbeasts."

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

"Here." He shrugged off the outer robe and dropped it over the animal. It was torn and bloody anyway. He tried not to make a face at the idea of the Son cutting him open or pinning his wings. Jarod was too sensible for that, right?

[angelofawesome.livejournal.com]

Michael put his own coat over his younger brother's shoulders reflexively. "So are we done here?"

[jarodrussel.livejournal.com]

"For the moment," Jarod said. "I'll try and find the guy who owns this place, talk to him about the lab. Keep me appraised if you find any more of those?"

[angelofawesome.livejournal.com]

Michael gave him a thumbs-up. "Aye aye, cap'n."

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Raphael smiled up at his big brother gratefully, snugging into the fabric and enjoying the Warrior's lingering presence. He almost purred, before realizing he forgot about the shields protecting them from the rain and thus, the windows of Heaven opened and fell in complete fury as the storm continued.

Raphael waved his hand again to bring the shields back up, cheeks burning, though it mattered little now. "Sorry..."