[imanasset]

Heaven
"He can manipulate what we see and hear. It's a pretty impressive ability to wield...you have a very sharp mind, Luka." Avani offered a fond smile towards the new angel. Luka turned a stark red as Sage's hands rested on his shoulders.

I--uh, thank you. I can't believe I just did that. Luka looked back into Sage's eyes excitedly. He had caught a slight glimpse of what he was doing, but it was amazing from what he could tell. Perhaps, once he knew how to control it, he would be able to use it with his eyes open.

"Deal." Avani smirked and lifted her hand up to reveal a small flame dancing around on her skin. It circled around her fingers and she watched its movements as she began to speak. "Alright, boys. Watch and learn."

[sylvanSpider]

Hell

On Earth, Axle had few tattoos. Those that he had were visible, of course, as were the piercings. Ink dotting his appendages, anyone who looked at him would have known that he belonged to a rather... alternative crowd, a product of the Satanic Panic with a pension to veer towards punk and metal. His blonde haired and blue-eyed Nordic face ensured that he had a place among the white middle or upper class; his tattoos ensured a distinct lack of employability and parental disappointment - but, that was then, when there was hope. He was a troubled youth who could yet be saved, brought in under the wings of the church, under the wings of rehab, under...something. That hope would forever remain unrealized as the drugs took over his life, more and more. The highs eventually plateaued, that sweet spot remaining unreached. He took more and more, eventually overdosing and taking the life of another who shared a similar story. His death and subsequent sacrifice lead him to yearn for more, always searching for that high that could never belong to him again.

But he didn't stop looking.

Adrenaline became the closet thing to a drug he could muster; and his first few months in Hell were characterized by the need for thrills. Roller coasters. Sex. Hardcore Heavy Metal. Axle wanted in on it all, relishing and savoring the evanescent feeling of elation gone too soon and in too small of an amount. Small thrills did nothing. They could never amount to that unreachable high he'd once achieved in life. So, he evolved.

He began with himself. Razor blades began to be added to his collection, though they never spilled angelic blood. Stitches became his one go-to, cutting himself open only to sew himself shut and reopen himself again. Recognizing the lack of results, he began to get tattoos, his canvas beginning to get filled until no patch of skin remained uninked. Piercings followed suit, and after that the scleras got filled in despite warnings from his guy. The process repeated itself until finally he'd had enough and he found himself standing on top of the living complex for the newly dead, doing a terrible job at convincing himself not to jump. He can still remember seeing the stars, how they were muted by the lights of the ironically named city of Purgatorio, how they seemed to wink at him when the voices told him to go for it. How the wind tussled his hair in sweet caresses beckoning him to his demise. His freedom from this self-made Hell. Another chance, another chance at another high is what he'd get when his soul was recycled.

But once dead, the dead cannot claim their life for their own – it must be taken by another.

This, of course, went above his head as images of his corpse and a new life filled his mind. That is, until a hand brushed his shoulder. You're an idiot. You know that right? A feminine voice. Low and rich, like molasses over corn bread. You can't kill yourself here. Axle rolled his blackened eyes, turning to look back over the city.

Then push me, he'd snapped.

Can't. The voice that now had a face answered, equally as terse.

Yeah? And why not? No one would know you did it.

The woman was silent for a moment until she finally said, I haven't decided if I like you yet. I can't kill anyone I like. Idiot.
->->
Axle laughed, drumming his fingers against the bar, “To look like this, you not only have to deal with pain. You have to enjoy it. Do you think that's something you could do?” The look on his face fell nothing short of a dare, complete with an eyebrow waggle to confirm. If Axle was a well-fed cat, Nancy was the mouse he liked to play with but was too fat to eat.

That's...amazing... Olivia answered, her face incredulous with the discovery of her own ability. At least, it looked amazing when signed. In practice, Olivia knew that she would be far behind and that the learning process would be slow and grueling. I hope to once I practice. How do you even go about practicing anyway? Her eyes followed his hands as they swept up the black-eyed man's phone, putting in first his number and then...hers? She blinked and looked up at him, her face once again incredulous, that feeling not going away when he told her she'd have her own hover bike. She'd never heard of one, let alone seen one, but it was pretty easy to figure out exactly what he was talking about. “Hover bike” was pretty self-explanatory.

“Wait,” Axle said, casting a glance to Olivia, “If we're gonna be a fuckin' team, we've gotta be able to fuckin' talk to each other, right?” Olivia, reading his lips, blushed and looked down. Axle maintained eye contact with Red, “Teach us to sign. None of us should be mute to any of us. If we can see her, I want to be able to understand her. You speak her language. I'll pay you to teach it to us,” he said, pointing between Nancy and himself.”[/b]

[imanasset]

Hello ladies, gentleman, and lovely nonbinary folk! Get ready for the greatest comeback you've ever witnessed in ur fuckin' life. We gon' do it, aye, Sis?
Hell
Nancy shrugged, considering the challenge. She chewed on her bottom lip and let her eyes wander over to something in the distance. "I've done it once, I figure I could do it more." She glanced back at the tatted demon, her smile growing ever wider.

She didn't quite know what it was that made Axle so captivating to her. Perhaps, he was always something that she needed to have; a friend, a guardian, a mentor. Or maybe he was just crazy enough to make her feel completely sain.

"Ah, yes...communication." Xander rested a finger gently on his chin, lips pursed in deep thought. He mumbled nonsense into the thick fog of cigarette smoke that lay permanently around their heads. "Oh, yes! That'll work just fine. However, it will take a little time; no more time than it would take to learn the whole language. Give me a week tops. Or even, if we are lucky, a couple of days." He spoke excitedly, signing just as sporadic as the thoughts spilling out of his mouth. "But...first, we need to visit the training facilities; tap into your powers. We will need for you two to gain an understanding of how your body works now and how to use it to your advantage."

Xander was already getting out of his seat, pulling keys out of his pocket. "Axle, do you have a way to bring Nancy to the training center or shall I call one of my chauffeurs to pick you up?" He asked. He did not intend for it to sound as though he was mocking Axle's financial situation. However, he realized shortly after he spoke that that was precisely what he had done.

[sylvanSpider]

Hell

Axle smirked, satisfied with Nancy's answer to some degree and he nodded, “Then we'll have to take you in. And I know the best, so you'll know you're in very capable hands.” He stepped from behind the bar, seeing the next bartender coming in late (as usual) and huffing, out of breath (again, as per usual). Despite his being fifteen minutes late, Axle betrayed no look of irritation or anger – he simply walked walked to the doorway, stuck his card in the slot until he heard the audible click of the time stamp hitting paper and rejoined his new hunting group, now free from his shackles of wage slavery. The other bartender, a freckled brunette with a button nose, broad shoulders, and round belly gulped and tossed his head toward Axle:

“Y'ain't mad?”

“Christopher. You're late every time. Am I ever angry?” Axle returned coolly, turning slightly to face his coworker.

“Well, I just figure, ya otta be, right? I mean, your sidework es always done perfectly, ya always show up on time and and and --”

Axle put up one finger and shook his head, “It's fine. If I wanted that problem taken care of, I'd see to it; I assure you.”

The aforenamed Christopher gulped once more, catching the implication. Axle could and would kill him if he wanted to. “However,” Axle said chuckling, “No more than as late as you've been being. I do like to have some time to dedicate to my other occupation.”

Christopher nodded quickly, muttering something about stocking in the back before he ducked to the back of the house.

Olivia caught maybe half of the conversation, only partially able to see Axle's lips, and she looked back to Xander who continued with the communication conversation. You have a way for me to be understood by everyone?

“A week?” Axle asked, cocking an eyebrow, “A week for what? For the first lesson or for all us to know how to sign?”

The conversation was now fast enough that Olivia could only keep up with Xander's less subtle signing and took the moment incomprehension to look at the other member of the party, the girl at the bar. It was true that the tattooed one immediately grabbed her attention (but then whose attention wouldn't be snatched by someone like him?), but the woman seemed to be as new to the game as she was. Must have died recently, just like herself. The Asiatic woman was beautiful and she found herself wondering how she died.

She didn't look like a demon.

Heaven

Sage was quick to agree, swallowing the spit that had gathered at the back of his throat, staring at Luka wide-eyed. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to beat Luka if that was his ability. If he could get into his mind from anywhere on the battlefield, super speed and sharp teeth weren't likely to help him much – especially if he was frozen in place with the same potency he was just moments before. He didn't get much time to dwell on it before Avani's voice cut through his thoughts. The shitshow was about to begin.

Katarina stepped back, watching to see if her opponent would make the first move. There was no need to assign when to go, and both women knew it. The moment Avani's fists were aflame, she knew the fight had begun, “Ah, deine Fähigkeit ist Feuer, oder? Ich werde dich entsprechend behandeln.“ With that, five icicles appeared in one hand and she threw each in rapid succession toward Avani's face.

[[Avani, however, was no novice. With heat enough to melt icicles, she blasted them, evaporating them before they had a chance to even come close. But ice meant water, a potential sister-ability possessed by the former German, and therefore a potential problem Avani would have to deal with. Avani was now on the offensive, trying to break Katarina before she had a chance to come to grips with the glaring weakness.

The pyromancer was fast, and Katarina was on the defensive, building walls of ice only to have them melted, patches of skin becoming charred, ends of her golden hair singed. Katarina changed the game, sending ice to wrap around Avani – most being taken in by hypothermia coupled with an inability to move – but Avani's ability ensured she would not stay encapsuled long, her iced shelling melting into a puddle at her feet.

Katarina's plan was working. Their immediate surroundings, their side of the arena, was now getting wet.]]

[[Hey lovely! Okay, so I started the battle sequence, meaning I had to god mod your character a bit. If you don't like the stuff in brackets feel free to tell me no and I'll happily edit it. Most of the time, I try to do battle sequences in chat so that we can do a back to back to back type action sequence type...fuckin' thing. Shit, words are hard. Anyway, if you don't like it, I'll change it, but I left the rest of the battle up to you! ^^]]

[imanasset]

*heyyyyy bb just assume that whenever Xander talks to the demons he is also signing*
Hell
Xander realized now that no one had understood what he was thinking, which was fair, but it was annoying. He sighed heavily before turning around to face the three other demons. "Yes, perhaps I was getting ahead of myself," Xander chuckled and looked at the floor,"I think I have an idea that will allow you to understand the language and sign without having to put any time and effort into it." Xander approached the demons once again, putting his keys back into his pocket.

"I have the ability to mimic any power that my target possesses. Unfortunately, I do not know many that would be willing to let me mimic their powers; for it is a painful process." Xander's eyebrows furrowed together as he elaborated. "So, that's why it may take a little bit, I'll have to find an angel with telepathic abilities. Which means, that we need to train as quickly as we can."

Nancy looked at the red-haired demon. He looked fucking crazy. Though, she figured that she would eventually be in his place, that is, if she survived that long. "So, if I understand you correctly, we need to kidnap an angel that has telepathy?" Xander translated her question before coughing into his hand.

"Yes, but I'm experienced in this!" Why did he say that? Way to impress a pretty girl. "What I mean is...this isn't my first time around the block. However, it will be for the both of you ladies." He spun to Axle. "Shall we go to the training arena?"

Heaven
Avani felt the coolness leaving goosebumps on her skin as the ice melted into puddles around her feet. If Katarina could manipulate ice, could she also manipulate water? This could be detrimental to the battle. Her flames could easily be put out by the amount of water surrounding her.

Avani popped her neck before her complexion started to wilt away, revealing charred and burning coals. She was glowing a hot red as the water that she stood in started to boil. A sickening hiss sounded as the bubbling liquid filled the air as hot moisture. Avani's eyes were devoid of anything but burning flame, a smirk riddling her features. "إذن ، ماذا سيكون؟"

[sylvanSpider]

**You got it bb**

Hell

Olivia watched Xander's hands flying wildly as he explained to the others what was going on in his mind. She sat forward in her seat, ready to be able to communicate with everyone else. Clasping her hands in her lap, her right leg began to twitch slightly with anticipation.

Axle gave a low whistle, cocking an eyebrow at Xander, “That's a pretty fuckin' tight ability there, mate. So you're saying you can transfer your knowledge of signing to us through an angelic medium? Because that sounds a lot more efficient than you teaching us to sign. No offense, but you don't look like the teacherly type. Also, are we allowed to kill said angel when we are finished with them?”

Olivia followed Xander's signs right to Axle's lips and stared incredulously. She thought her ability was cool, but it had nothing on Xander's. She was glad he was on her side. The thought made her wonder what that tattooed one's abilities consisted of, and she decided then that she didn't want to know. It was her turn to look at Xander with a somewhat worried expression and she signed, You have experience in kidnapping? I figured murder, but kidnapping too?

Axle had no idea what Olivia was signing so he decided to force Xander into two conversations at once, “Yes, we should. And to answer your earlier question, I do have transport – nothing as fancy as a chauffeur, mind you, but I think Nancy will find my mode of transportation more interesting anyway.” With that, he turned to Nancy and winked, letting her wonder what exactly the wink was supposed to mean. “Meet you fuckers there.”

Heaven

Katarina gulped realizing that her opponent was following her train of thought and she put her hands out, freezing the water where it stopped in place. From the outside, it looked as though Avani was trapped in a sheet of ice, though Katarina knew better than to believe that she'd stay stuck for long. Her outstretched fingers clenched and the ice collapsed on itself – with the fellow angel caught inside – praying that that would do the job and crush her where she stood.

[imanasset]

*Xander is translating and signing whenever he speaks
Hell
Xander chuckled. "No offense taken. I understand that I am not the most knowledgeable in these matters. And yes, that is precisely what my intent was. It would make all of our lives easier." He ran a hand through his unruly locks after he had finished signing. "I don't mind if we kill the angel. After all, that is our purpose. Though, they might be able to help us. He shrugged before catching a glimpse at Olivia's unnerved features.

He cleared his throat before stepping over to Olivia. "I know that it sounds inhumane and immoral, but I had to do these things in order to ensure my own survival. It's hard to come to terms with, yes, but this place knows how to corrupt." Xander sighed heavily and looked down at his hands. "I gave up my memories. I have no recollection of how I got here or who I used to be. I was the blankest of slates...but even I had to succumb to the wickedness of Hell." He looked back into her frosted eyes; he was evil, absolute chaos, but around her, he wanted nothing but to be pure.

"I know it's hard, but please, we have to do this." He rested a hand on her shoulder. "What do you say, shall we train?"

Nancy furrowed her brows but maintained a smirk. What was his wink all about? He's probably just trying to be friendly, though, was Axle really all that friendly? Maybe he just wants to get into her pants. Nonetheless, she followed the tattooed demon out of the bar and into the coolness of night. "So, what does this place look like exactly? Is it like a football field?"

Heaven
Luka's eyes were wide in shock as he watched the events unfold before him. If he was frightened at just the thought of training, how would he ever handle deadly confrontations at the border? He could only hope that instinct would kick in.

Avani's skin sizzled and went out within the ice. She winced as the cold enveloped her. No, it's not over.. She thought to herself before focusing in on the faint spark running dancing on her tongue. And with a piercing scream, an explosion slipped from her charred lips, shattering the ice. It piled around her feet in large chunks. Full flames licked aggressively over her coaled skin and she retrieved a dagger that sat happily at her waist. Its original metallic silver was lost in a glowing, hot red that sputtered threatening sparks on the ground. "Did you think you were winning?" Avani ran forcefully ahead, dagger brought up above her head in hopes that she could get a good stab in.

[sylvanSpider]

Hell

Axle's attention turned to the small blonde, watching her eyes dart from demon to demon. She was terrified. He could almost taste it. While fear was generally something he relished, it was something that would need to be trained out of her. Fear, he knew, was how demons died too soon on the battlefield. She sat there, hands clasped, leg twitching, pretty eyes waiting to see the next spectacular thing Hell had to offer. Axle guessed the next spectacular thing would be murders that didn't count in the arena, shortly thereafter being parts of the redhead he himself wouldn't care to see if his life depended on it. “I suppose that is true. But mercy isn't exactly my uh...my forte, so to speak,” he mused. He noted Olivia's facial expression and laughed, “Hey at least he's versed in kidnapping. I'm only versed in murder.”

Olivia's eyes widened and she looked to Xander, strangely enough, for comfort. Never once did she imagine herself ending up in Hell; yet, she was here and she was undoubtedly surrounded by people that deserved to be here. Xander possessed no memories of his former life, so he didn't even know what he did – but she was sure Axle and Nancy knew exactly the chain of events that lead them there. She nodded weakly, wondering if she could actually carry through with killing another human – angel, whatever – if she'd be able to sleep at night through that.

Axle produced something flat from his pocket that had some weight to it, tossed it in the air and caught it, “More like a shitty arena. Think of the shit you'd see in Greece or Rome or whatthefuckever and make it a thousand times less cared for and a bit more bloody. Now c'mon. Can't extend the board out here.” With that, Axle lead the way out of the bar, opening the door and giving a mock bow to the others as they left.

Heaven

Sage watched the two veteran angels fighting like a clash of the titans. Goddesses of fire and ice at war for nothing more than the hell of it. Their movements were fluid, graceful a fatal dance of sweat and adrenaline.

The ice compacted crashing together before combining to be one cohesive unit. Steam sizzled from somewhere in the middle, and as the steam stopped, Katarina, for a moment, believed she won. She stood there, panting, waiting for the ice to drop revealing a recovering Avani. Instead, the ice shattered and Katarina's breath was taken away by a dagger to the heart. She collapsed.

[imanasset]

Hell
Xander sighed. "Please, trust me. I know that we've only just met, but you have to know that I am doing all of this in your best interest." He hated to see her so terrified of this place, of the others, of him...he wanted Olivia to be able to see beyond the iniquities. "I will never make you kill out of maliciousness, but I need to you to be able to kill when you are in danger. We can't risk losing such potential." He offered an outstretched hand to the frighted demon, her eyes holding a purity unknown to Xander. "Can you do that for me?"

"So, where is this fancy ride of yours anyway?" Nancy laughed, covering her mouth a bit.

Heaven
Luka's mouth fell agape as he stared incredulously at the collapsed angel. Oh, my god. Oh, no. He scrambled over to her, but Avani, still cooling down from the battle, held an arm out to stop Luka.

"Wait." She said sternly. She walked over to Katarina's side and knelt down beside her. Katarina, you're one hell of an opponent." She whispered gently, resting a hand on the girl's arm.

Avani's skin started to build back up like a spider building its web. Red and sticky strings laced themselves together before they were painted with a lovely caramel coating. Her eyes returned to their original light brown but her lips remained pursed in a tight line. "It's still very hard for me to cause this much harm to someone, but it must be done. For there is no other way to uncover your full potential. When you fight here, you must know that these small battles should be taken seriously. The border does not show mercy. That is why, even when I felt that I couldn't, I had to defeat my opponent."

[sylvanSpider]

Hell

Olivia pressed her lips tightly together, nodding. She wasn't exactly the bastion of innocence with the amount of payback she'd dealt – but they deserved it. If they were killing angels, they were killing decent people, right? Decent people that go to the Border to kill other people... she reminded herself. I will fight...and I will kill, she signed carefully, looking Xander in the eyes attempting comfort, It will be hard at first, but I believe I can.

Axle waggled his eyebrows, a grin appearing on his face, “You saw it a moment ago, didn't you? Or...wait...do the living not have those yet? I guess living in a place where technomancers exist have its perks.” Again, he tossed the flat square up from his pocket, but this time it expanded – unfolding to expose a flat levitating board, lighting up red at the bottom, more red lights interspersing in various patterns on the top surface. He nodded toward Xander and snorted, “Hope Olivia doesn't die of fucking boredom from your chauffeur before you even make it to the training ground.” He laughed, hopping on, the board only slightly dipping under his weight. When he was situated, he held out his hand to guide Nancy to stand in front of him.

“Okay. I'm not trying to come on to you, okay?” Axle said, ideally shutting down any doubts Nancy might have about the situation, “But I'm gonna need to grab your waist to shift weight where it needs to go. I used to ride with Kady all the time, so it's perfectly safe. Watch. We'll get through our first training session before Xander even has his fancy pants driver slave called.”

Heaven

Sage stood, still enamored from the fight though it was now over. He'd already died on the battlefield a couple of times now, at the hands of the angel who now lay face down, gorgeous blonde locks now soaked in her own blood. He knew she would get back up, and yet, and yet, someone so strong was brought down so low right before his eyes.

Katarina lifted an arm, placing her palm in the puddle of blood that sprung from her chest and used it to prop herself up, “As are you. I will be sure to not underestimate you next time.” As she spoke, she sat up, slowly getting to her feet. She was pale, her body rushing to replace all the blood she'd lost, “Avani is right. When you have the opportunity to kill, take advantage. Do not think twice and do not consider mercy. They are demons. Remember that. Give them a chance at a better life and let them return to the mortal world. Now, it is your turn.”

Sage blinked, gulping, and looking over to Luka. “Wait, wait, wait. You want me to kill him?” he said, pointing at Luka, “You saw what he can do, right? You all saw that? How can I ever hope to compete with that?!”

“By eating him,” Katarina said simply.

[imanasset]

Hell
Xander grinned and rested a hand on her shoulder. He had hope in her. "C'mon, let's go train." He signed before grabbing her hand and leading her out of the bar.

The night air was crisp and cool against their skin. The sky was clouded over as Xander pulled Olivia in a nearby alley, the dim street lights barely illuminating the dark brick buildings. "I'm glad Axle decided to take Nancy. I won't have to call my chauffeur. Instead, we can take my bike." Now, this was quite strange, seeing as there was no sign of a bike anywhere, not even a regular bicycle. However, when Xander dug around in his pocket and presented a set of keys he pressed a few buttons and soon a sleek, expensive vehicle unveiled itself. "It's camouflaged. Haha, kind of like Nancy, huh?"

Xander walked over to the glowing vehicle. It hovered above the ground dipping only slightly as he got on. He motioned for Olivia to get on. She walked over hesitantly and sat on the back of the seat. Xander chuckled before he grabbed her hands and wrapped them around his waist.
The bike rumbled to life and Xander picked his feet up before speeding off out of the alley in the direction of the arena.


Nancy was in shock at how such a small device could morph into a completely new machine. Her mouth fell agape before she looked back to Axle. She lifted her foot up and quickly stepped on, holding her breath. Her face flushed a deep red. Why was she so terrified of this thing?

Heaven
Luka's eyes widened as he looked back to Sage, completely horrified. His stomach twisted and churned inside of him and his chest felt as though it was being squeezed tightly. "I don't want to do this. I really don't."

"Luka, you have to do this. You have to do it in order to survive." Avani said, glancing back to Katarina. "Remember, you aren't killing him. This is the arena, it's physically impossible."

Luka swallowed the lump in his throat and turned to Sage. His mind was going a million miles and his palms turned an icy cool. He just wanted to be engulfed by a thick, dense cloud. He didn't want to see or be seen, but soon he shook his head and began to think of something. He focused all of his energy on the thought of a room; concrete walls swallowing Sage up.

[sylvanSpider]

Hell

The hand on Olivia's shoulder was a comfort, it was an anchor in her new silent world. Her former life was once defined by the sounds around her: music, overheard conversations of passersby, the tone in a voice, the steady sound of her feet beneath her. All of that was gone now, all she had were the remaining four senses, and where she once hated being touched, Xander's provided relief. The tension in her shoulders eased and when his hand found hers, she followed without a second thought. Bike? she signed back when both hands were free, It seats two?

Axle laughed at the apparent shock on his new hunting companion's face, “Yeah, I've got one of the newer versions. A nerdy science nerd friend of mine made it for me. Not for free, because the friend is also an asshole prick, but he did customize it for my purposes.” Once Nancy was situated in front of him he placed his hands around her waist, “Comfortable? Okay, good. So, I'm going to guide you with my hands – if you feel my right hand applying more pressure, lean to the right, do the opposite for the left. When we go up, lean forward, down lean back. Don't worry about falling. Even if it was possible, I wouldn't let you get hurt. I have my methods. And with that, awaaa~aaay we go!”

The pair took off flying at amazing speeds, Axle now wishing he'd asked Nancy to pull her hair up. She proved to be exceptionally good at following directions, and balance seemed to come naturally to the girl. He'd have to ask Simon for another one. The gods knew he could afford it. When she seemed to begin to understand how the board worked, he began to show off, leading them through dips and twists, showing her everything the board could do.

Soon after, Axle slowed the board down and they landed in front of a dilapidated building – a gladiatorial arena's ruins at first glance – sandwiched between what appeared to be old apartment complexes. Both pairs of feet safely on firm ground Axle looked up at the faded sign gesturing grandly, “This is where you'll learn the art of murder~! Of course, learning the techniques is only a part of it. If you're gonna hunt with me, you're gonna have to get on a steady workout regime. You spawn at pique physical condition, but it's gotta be maintained, you see? Border hunters stay in that condition. Civilian jobbers can lose it by leading a fucking boring - sedentary – lifestyle. Sooo, you'll learn what a gym looks like if you don't already know, and you'll learn to appreciate it. Your powers increase when your body's happy. You'll find that out.”

Heaven

“No, no, no. I can't. I don't even know how to use my powers yet, much less how to use them against anyone. I can't do this, Kat, I just can't,” Sage said, casting doubtful glances to Luka. Luka had his back. The thought of biting him like he would a big, juicy steak made him sick to his stomach. On Earth, in the mortal realm, he'd become accustomed to his brother's cooking; rich spices, tender pasta, the sweetest sweets were familiar to tongue. But flesh – raw flesh – ripped right off the bone of a human looking creature complete with likely screams of pain to make it so much worse.

Katarina squeezed the bridge of her nose, leaving two bloody fingerprints on either side when she brought her hand away, “Well, Avani and I can find new hunting mates. There are restaurants looking for busboys just about everywhere. You can live like you did as a mortal if you choose. Rent doesn't start for noobies until after the first year. You can theoretically save up living in your first complex until you might be able to maybe afford the next step up. If you had experience as a business person, you might be able to work your way up a little faster, but you'd have to prove your experience.” The blonde angel said, matter-of-factly. The sad part? She wasn't lying. Life was easy for the hunters, even if the angels that chose a more civilize lifestyle looked down on them. There was something different about the angels that had seen battle, something different in their eyes. There was more wisdom...more sadness. They knew what it was to take a life, but maybe they also knew what it was to save a life. To release someone from the eternal night they belonged to.

Sage was silent for a moment, his head bowed, his face pale, eyes wide with the thousand yard stare of one who was just exposed to a painful truth. When he looked up, the faces of Avani and Katarina disappeared. He took an unwilling step back, walls coming in close from either side of him, a fog just opposite. Luka's face disappeared in the mist and a genuine fear gripped his chest. Fear and...and...hunger.

Sage was really, really hungry.

Then he remembered Luka's power. He was being manipulated. For an intents and purposes, he was blind and he'd need to rely on his other senses. With an inhuman cry, he charged at superhuman speeds into the fog, coming into contact with a body.

[imanasset]

Hell

Xander nodded, a small, reassuring smile playing upon his lips. "It's safe, I promise. I won't put you in harm's way when we are off the battlefield." He signed before patting the leather seat behind him.

Despite his overwhelming confidence, he was still an anxiety-ridden little boy in the presence of this girl. He had never witnessed such beauty in the depths of this tragic and evil world. If that wasn't enough to overwhelm the foolish child that still resided within him, then he didn't know what would. Though, it was still quite exciting...to feel something other than resentment.

Olivia bit her lip in consideration. She was definitely not used to vehicles without...well, without wheels. The whole ordeal seemed sketchy, but the look on Xander's face was sincere. The girl gave a curt nod before hopping onto the back of the hoverbike. Her hands circled tightly around the other demon's waist, gripping the thick fabric of his coat.

Xander grinned before kicking his feet up and peeling out of the alleyway. The familiar, hellish air grazed past their faces, biting the skin with a chill. Devoid of any lunar radiance, the two buzzed under only the faint light of the stars and the glow of orange streetlamps. Pebbles rumbled their way into places between cobbled stone as they passed by. The streets were unusually vacant and silent. Xander's hair floated ungracefully around his face, blocking his vision, but not enough to cause any damage.

At the speeds in which they progressed, it was no surprise that their destination already lay before them. He pulled into another alley across from the arena. He turned the bike off and slid off, holding his hand out for Olivia to take. "We're here."

--

As Axle and Nancy rode through the air, she couldn't help but feel completely liberating. A life imprisoned could small things like going out for a walk seem like a million dollars, but this feeling was not derived from the absence of freedom. No, this came from something else. This was something completely new, but somehow familiar.

They maneuvered through the decrepit buildings, weaving creative webs on the air. Goosebumps arose on top of her pale skin. She shivered in delight as the sounds of the city sunk behind her. Sure, she was in Hell, but this felt better than anything she had ever experienced before.

Nancy felt different. Not only was she letting a man stand less than one foot away from her, but he had his arms around her waist. On a normal day, even a platonic gesture like this would send her off, but this seemed okay. She felt no threat. Maybe it was his charm or perhaps they had a mutual, unspoken disregard for the other. It didn't matter. Though, it was an interesting observation.

Upon landing, Nancy leaned forward a bit, trying to maintain her balance before hopping off. Her eyes traced the building in front of them. It looked horrible, but she still found herself beaming at the sight of it. "This...this is amazing." She turned around in disbelief,"[I]That[I] was amazing!" She gestured to the board before she giggled to herself. "Oh, and trust me, I know the art of murder. Perhaps, not when supernatural powers are involved, but I don't hesitate." She turned back around to the arena, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Heaven

Avani looked to Katarina. She sure knew how to manipulate. Her speech, albeit completely true, was a clever scheme to knock the boys out of their daydreams. They had to realize that this was real, that this is what they had to do. Kat knew exactly how to convince them. She smiled to herself as the two angels begrudgingly began their battle.

Luka's illusions only seemed to work briefly before Sage ran forward and tackled him down. Luckily, the other boy hadn't quite pinned him down. Luka scrambled to his feet and ran away from Sage. How could he trick him? How else could he use his powers to his advantage?

Thick fog still surrounded the two, offering Luka a chance to gather his wits. Think. Think. There had to be a way that he could distract him enough to gain the upper hand. Well, he already slightly had the upper hand, but Sage had the willpower. The way he had come after Luka was enough to send shivers across his body. He was hungry and in some circumstances, hunger won.

But, what if his prey became more difficult to pinpoint? The angel smiled devilishly to himself as he began to speak telepathically. "Sage, where am I?" It echoed around the other boy, like screams in an echo chamber. The fog became ever so thick as Luka seemingly traveled through it. Appearing before Sage before vanishing into the soft clouds again. "Can you find me?" He spoke from behind him.

[sylvanSpider]

Hell

Olivia didn't need her hearing to experience the sensory sensations that were overtaking her on the bike. She held onto Xander tight, tight enough that she almost worried she'd be a distraction. The wind whipped through her hair, rushed by her face, stole the breath from her lungs. But, it was okay. Everything was okay because here, in this moment, she felt more alive than she ever did when she was alive. No amount of drugs gave her a sensation quite like this. The closest she'd come was riding on a motorcycle, but then she could feel the contact of the wheels to the ground. This was something else; the ride was smooth and bumpless, completely free of the ground below.

The building the pair now stood in front of was less than impressive. There seemed to be no lights that belonged to the building outright, at least outside the thing, and their destination was shrouded in the shadow of night. One could make out the words emblazoned on the top if they squinted though, and could also read Latin. Olivia was squinting adjusting to the, now steady, darkness of a literal everlasting night. She lacked the second requirement though, knowing nothing of Latin, so she had to trust Xander when he told her that they had arrived.

So this was the place she was to learn how to kill. But why was she learning to kill, again? For the same reason she'd given up her music, apparently. The same reason she'd keep her youth until something claimed her. The system was flawed inherently, but who was Olivia to argue with all-powerful beings? She wasn't a particularly strong demon, yet she could feel Xander's powers oozing off him like a separate entity unable to be contained. Perhaps she should listen to him.

Or perhaps she could convince him of a separate path.

For the time being, however, Olivia decided to play their games, I'll learn how fight here? she signed, letting her eyes take in the monstrosity before her. She guessed Axle and Nancy were already in as they'd left first and started faster than even she and Xander had.

><><><><><

The trip was nothing new to Axle and even the flourishes thrown on for added entertainment's value were done with an air of nonchalance and a straight face. They landed and Axle let go of Nancy, nodding to the words, shadowed over by the night. “It used to light up,” Axle said, shoving his hands in his pockets and tossing back a lock of his hair, “There for a few years, anyway. When it stopped working, it was just never fixed, just like fucking everything around here,” he said, cracking his knuckles. He looked up to see Nancy unsteadily stepping off and he held his hand out for her to take.

“Fortunately,” Axle said, shoving the hand that had previously helped Nancy back into his pocket, “Our bodies don't crack as easily, should we take fuckin' care of them. Now. This is our chance to show you that your sacrifices weren't for nothing and that you can live a decent life without whatever it is that you sacrificed.” He started walking up the cracked steps and opened the door for her to pass through, closing it after himself.

“Unfortunately,” he said leading the way through the double doors and into an actually lit gym-like area, “Some sacrifices are too great. I still regret mine, and mine was supposed to be a good thing to give up. Just means I'm that much tougher on the field. You'll see the same, likely.”

Heaven

Katarina's eyes were cold, assessing. Her words nothing more than the cold, hard truth. It felt doubly true for Sage who knew the only place he could potentially taste anything ever again – there on the battlefield. She knew this. Sage wasn't the first to give up taste that she'd seen, and likely, he wouldn't be the last. Now, she needed to coerce the boy to the fight.

Sage missed his first charge. The fog had proven to serve its purpose and he could see nothing. He could only hear the voices surrounding him: Sage, where am I? Can you find me? Sage stood still, initially turning to each voice's direction, but there was one sense that he wondered if Luka would be able throw off – his sense of smell. Sage stopped moving, letting the fog waft about him, no longer concerned of whether he could see or not. Now he was focused on one thing.

His drink at the bar earlier, the one where he'd been given a blood containing demon's blood, was the best he'd ever had and the smell resonated with him and would until the end of his days. It would forever be what he chased, his own dragon. That same smell greeted him here, in the arena. Whatever it was that enabled angels to get back from the dead seemed to have the same effect on him, giving angels tasty flesh, tasty blood – flesh and blood that now filled his nostrils.

Finally, he spun around and opened his eyes, “Hello, Luka.”

[imanasset]

Hell

Xander gestured to the building. Don't let its appearance startle you. It's actually quite comfortable inside. He smirked. He shoved the key deep into his coat pockets and proceeded towards the weathered structure. It was not comfortable in the slightest like Xander had previously stated. Actually, it was the mere opposite. The arena, as he had theorized, had never been in peak condition.

He spun around to face Olivia, walking backward and up the stairs. Of course, it may not seem comfortable to you. But, soon you'll become accustomed to its atmosphere and it with yours. From this day forward, unless you back down, will learn to become great friends with this building here. They made it to the front entrance. Xander kicked open the door before turning around to hold it open for Olivia.

It's not too late to turn back. He looked deeply into her eyes. Testing her.

====

Nancy stepped further into the arena. She felt a bit intimidated by the possibilities, but she was willing to grow stronger. Of course, that's what she was always striving to be back on Earth. She wanted to save others and conquer. Here, she could actually do it. Nancy was no longer a slave to the system. She would be independent once more.

She spun around once she was inside and looked to Axle. "I may be a newbie, but once I figure out my shit, I know I'll be able to do this." Her jaw clenched in determination. "I need to do this."

Nancy's gaze traveled beyond Axle's features before spotting a wall across from them adorned with a multitude of various weapons. Her feet started to carry her over to the wall, her eyes entranced on a couple of picks. Their metal shone like dazzling jewels under the fluorescent lights. "Are-are these for practicing with?" She asked Axle, gazed still fixed on the weapons.

Heaven

From her observation, Avani was impressed by the show they both had been putting on. Luka's powers proved to be beneficial but only seemed to give him the upper hand for a limited amount of time. Sage's abilities were powerful as well. Through whatever hallucinations Luka had given him, he was still able to find the other boy. His hunger seemed to overpower his lack of vision and hearing.

Luka's heart skipped a bit as Sage's hot breath hit his skin. Goosebumps formed as he attempted to hide in plain sight. Though, to no avail. He had been caught and he had no idea what to do now. His mind thought it best to run, but he didn't think he would be fast enough. This was his last chance to win the fight, but he had little hope that his plan would actually work.

[sylvanSpider]

Hell

Olivia couldn't believe him. There was something to his face that said “I'm being sarcastic” even as she knew he'd never actually lie to her. She'd look up to see what the building looked like, but the dark of night prevented her from even making the gesture, and thinking about it a little longer helped her realize that she'd never get the chance to see it during the day. Death was a strange thing.

All her life she'd been told about gleaming streets of gold and a big bearded man who judged whether you went to Heaven or Hell and she thought that she just might be in purgatory. No such luck she found herself in the place very explicitly named Hell – but there was no fire or lake of fire or anything. Instead, she had this: a worn down arena smashed between two apartment buildings in the dead of forever night in a forever dark and forever freezing town or city or whatever the fuck this urban area was because who are we kidding Olivia was just a baby demon who had no idea where she was what she was doing or what the fuck she was getting herself in to. So, she listened to his promises of acclimation, of mutual respect for a dilapidated building that only said that she was a demon.

Xander's gaze was intense, boring into Olivia's soul rendering her useless of most thoughts. She stood there, wide-eyed and blinking at Xander for a long while before raising her hands to sign to him, Is there ever a time it will be? Or am I giving everything by entering this building?

><><><><><><

Axle drew the eyes of the other demons in the arena, that much was certain. Some even stopped mid-battle to note his presence. He was a regular there and always provided a show. Sure, he looked normal enough now (as normal as a black eyed punk rocker could look) with a face of stoicism and apathy, but those who stopped knew him as one who changed to a completely different person when fighting. He seemed to give up his humanity losing all sanity, like he was high.

[b] “Yes, I know. I was a noobie once too. I learned. So too, shall you,” he said, watching her brow furrow and her fists clench. She really was determined. She would make an excellent hunting partner.

He didn't blink as she made her way to the wall of weapons, turning his body to face her as she moved, “If you need them, yes. You will need them, won't you? You don't know yet what any of the rest of us can do...” Axle teleported so his mouth was next to her ear and whispered, “I know I don't need them...

Heaven

Sage inhaled deeply through his nose, taking in the scent of Sage's neck flesh, “You tried to fool me, and you came close. But you...you smell so...so sososo good.” Even as he spoke, he could see multiple Lukas, all facing him, and all looking at him with a face begging him to stay confused. They all spoke to him, but only one gave off that delicious smell.

“You smell better than the wine,” he murmured, debating taking out his knives. There were no icicles in his head this time. No, instead he found himself with his own little rabbit trapped within his own jowls. Knives would only make the meat tense up and he wanted it so bad, he wanted to taste it just one more time. One more time.

He bit Luka's neck and tore.