Again I woke.

It was better than being hungover. I breathed, I waited, and I closed my eyes. And I came back to Hell.

I had to find Blake. We hadn't bonded, we weren't friends, but I had the suspicion that he was good, and I needed to find him to be certain. I took the elevator down from where I had woken after my death- where I always woke when I died. I arrived in Pride, at the bright blue hall where security had caught us, and found it desolate. I went into an empty conference room, and dialed up Kell.

It made sense, that he might know where Blake was. Either that or I was lying to myself, just desiring to hear his lovely voice. My mind was always a bit wonky post-mortem.

"Hey," I said meekly, when he answered his phone.

"Hi honey," Kell said. He sounded distant and distracted, and he only got to using pet names when he was upset about something. "I must admit I'm a little bit spooked to be getting this call from the afterlife. Please explain why the fuck I just had to ID your bloody corpse a few hours ago."

"I'm immortal," I said weakly.

"Ah. Right. Mannie, babe, I really hate that I have no other option than to believe you on that. Just nod and accept that Mannie, good ol' grumpy Mannie, is actually a fucking elder god."

"Universal constant," I said.

"Right."

"I can't age."

"Okay." Kell sounded utterly worn out. "Any other revelations you care to bestow upon me?"

"I'm looking for Blake."

"Who?"

"The human I took- I guess you never met him. Um. Have you seen Sydney?" At least she knew what Blake looked like.

"She's in Wrath doing another secret meeting with the rest of Phillip's crew." Kell took a loud sip of his drink.

"Weren't they planning on killing you or something?"

"I guess I'll find out."

"Alright. Bye."

"Mannie- before you hang up, just please come and see me as soon as possible. I'm in the office now, but I'll be having a meeting in Gluttony an hour from now. I would like to clear up whatever... whatever the fuck happened to you. You're immortal."

"I'm immortal."

"Goodbye."

I was immortal, and had been for years, as that tended to go. It was a major inconvenience in my life, to be honest, but it'd been a part of it for so long that most of the surprises involved no longer mattered to me.

Death still tended to throw me off. Usually, once I died, I had to get the hell out of wherever my corpse was being buried. Hopefully Kell hadn't told too many other people about my miraculous ability. And with any luck, that bastard in the dark room- that motherfucker, Alexander Scott- wouldn't send another hound after me.

I took the second elevator line straight to Wrath, arriving in the bay where all the main elevators were. From there I walked a determined pace towards Phillip's office, not at all confident, but at least with a goal.

I arrived at the end of the hall. I slowly opened the huge doors with great curiosity and ducked my head back outside immediately. Sydney was in there alright, as well as a few others I hadn't taken enough time to recognize.

"Mannie, kiddo, was that you?" I heard Sydney say with her usual cackle. It sounded a bit forced though. Like it was a relief for her to laugh.

She opened the other door and pulled me inside.

Three people sat at a table in the center of the room. I realized they were all executives, but I hadn't properly met any of them besides Sydney. Sometimes I forgot how many people twelve really is.

I knew all their names from my years of following Hell's politics, and my many hours of reading the gossip columns.

There was the cancer, Stacy Baruth, a barely breathing stereotype of a fatcat businessman, complete with an unlit cigar.

Next to him was the ever unfashionable taurus, Leigh Benning, who had chosen to wear a proper blazer with khaki cargo shorts and a logo t-shirt.

I suppose I did know the scorpio. I rarely bothered to learn the military branches' names, as they came and went so frequently. She was dressed more formally now, but I still could see her colorful array of tattoos creeping past her sleeves and neckline. She narrowed her pure black eyes as Sydney guided me to the head of the table.

There was someone else in the room, I realized. A young man was tied to a chair a distance off, his face marred with odd, square scares, like he had been partially skinned alive.

"This is Mannie," said Sydney. She was trying to be energetic, but her efforts fell flat against the unimpressed panel that sat at the table.

"Is Mannie the key to you coming up with an actual idea?" Said Stacy. He coughed.

"Well-" Sydney started.

"I don't want to hear it Sydney. You should have come prepared to this. You knew what we were expecting."

"I don't see why we need to change anything up at all!" Sydney said sharply. "Everything's been absolutely fine- all thanks to me- and there's no need to change it."

"You know exactly why we need this-" Leigh glared at me impatiently. "You do realize we can't talk about these things in mixed company, right?"

I was all too glad to get going, and I began to step away but Sydney grabbed my shoulder painfully and held me in place.

"Look Syd, I really think you're smart, really going places and all that, but I'm with everyone else," the scorpio said, "you're immature, and besides the swords- which I love, believe me- you haven't done much to prove yourself worthy of this position."

"Your past record is spotty as well." Stacy added. "Does the public really want a criminal serving as our Aries? Well. They don't know or care, but I do."

"I-" Sydney looked ready to crumble. It was an emotion I had never expected to see her have. I saw her blink a few times, lift her head up to the ceiling and force a smile.

"You live," said Cancer, blowing a cloud of smoke in our direction, "Like you're trying to make a statement."

She closed her eyes tightly, like she was expecting a punch. Then she began to tremble, shaking her head slightly. "I have nothing to prove!" She shouted. As if her volume surprised her, her shoulders tensed.

"You really do," said Taurus, "We'll have to formalize it with the rest, but I highly doubt they'll object. Nice meeting, everyone else." Taurus shuffled his papers together and packed up.

In a short time, I was alone with Sydney. And that bound man. She picked up her bag glumly.

"Sorry about that." She had tears in her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for Blake," I said flatly.

"He's missing? That's a bit unfortunate. He was always quite polite." Sydney was releasing the bound man's restraints as she talked. "...I can't believe they're going to kick me out."

"You've only had this job for a few months anyway. What's your killcount?"

"I wasn't in the military."

"That's the problem then- a distinct lack of job experience."

"Do you honestly think you're funny?" Her voice flared up. Then she calmed down, though she was applying a little more force than she needed to as she untied and adjusted the bound man's restraints. "Sorry. I think I came off a little too strong for you. I'm not as obnoxious as... I am."

"What's that group you were meeting with planning?"

Sydney groaned. "You know that angel-fucker, Christina?"

"That connotation did not occur to me, but yes, you saw me with her a few days ago."

"She's trying to end the war. Kell's on her side- maybe they're sleeping together too? And a couple of Kell's friends side with him too. They've been organizing a peace talk with one of the angels in secret for a while. My pals don't want that, yeah?"

I didn't really want that either. Angels were- well, I don't know. I didn't like them alive, that was certain. "You guys have a lot of meetings for what seems to be a straight forward plan."

"It's the culture. We're just so accustomed to... anyway, Alexander's on our side, so he's sure to veto it this afternoon," Sydney said, "Though it doesn't help that Phillip just fucking died on us yesterday."

"Where do you think a kid like Blake would have gone on his own?"

"You're really interested in what I have to say, aren't you? I don't have a clue where your human went." Sydney finished her endless adjustments of the bound man's restraints. "Here. I want you to take this one with you to Earth. It's my fault he's had to suffer like this, and if I'm getting kicked out of The Few... it won't be long before I'm in the military for real. And then, god knows, dead."

"Why do you want me to take him?" I assessed the scarred man again. He stood up, and the coils and ropes that had been holding him fell to the floor. He was Korean, with particular sharp eyes, and every inch of his skin was marked by short, red cuts. His left eye had a thin, long scar underneath, and he seemed unable to fully open it.

His hair stuck up wildly, weirdly oily, and there was this very uneasy feeling to his presence. I didn't get the impression he was watching me, or paying attention to me, just that- he was aware.

"He's an angel. His name is Rhamiel."

"Absolutely not."

"I'm not going to force you, but please." She left in silence, her face fallen and remorseful.

Rhamiel looked at me devoid of emotion. He didn't move his face at all, and just barely tilted his head.

I really, really didn't need this. I didn't care about angels and what happened to them. And I certainly didn't want to be hunted down and killed again because I was carting around some top-secret captive angel.

Hell never had never kept any angels that I knew of- it was too dangerous. They'd always find a way to weapon, and even if they could be taken down with brute force, the cost was always too high. Not to mention demons were superstitious about them- only seeing them through the eyes of combat had had that effect.

I sighed, but I had to do it. I had to take this damn angel with me. Blake would've wanted me to, and I knew that, and I knew he'd be ecstatic when I learned what I was doing. So now it was not a choice but an obligation on my part. I had to do it.

"So. Rhamiel, huh?" I said.

He didn't answer, only narrowing his eyes and watching.

Rhamiel moved at a slow and silent march behind me. I had to check every few seconds that he was even still there.

"Here's the ground rules," I said, "You have to stay near me at all times, and and talk to no one. Always do what I say." I waited, maybe hopelessly expecting a response from Rhamiel, but he was as quiet as ever. "Oh shit, you're not like mute or something, are you?"

He didn't acknowledge me at all.

"Deaf? Are you like deaf and mute or something? Oh god I don't know any sign language."

"I am neither, I am whole," Rhamiel said at last. He had as quiet of a voice as I would've expected, and he spoke in a proud and haughty tone.

On the way out of Wrath, Rhamiel paused and looked intensely at the hall to the pit where the hellhound guard usually sat.

"They were holding you down there, right?" I tried asking, and as if he had forgotten I was there he suddenly stepped back and began to walk again. "You're hopeless, aren't you?" I said.

At the elevators bay, he seemed mildly surprised by what he saw, and I figured he had never been exposed to an elevator before. Angels lived on the present Earth, without an easy link to the inhabited Earth- and even then, their lifestyle would've rejected technology in the same way they rejected sexuality and women.

He was tilting his head again, curiously examining every little thing I did.

"There's no quick way to get around Hell," I warned, "so I hope you like elevators and walking."

He briefly bit his lower lip, but that might not have been a conscious action, just me searching for something understandable about how he acted.

I was used to solitude, but something about being with a silent companion was worse than having none. I kept wanting forget about him and monologue out my stray thoughts, but the hair on my neck keep standing up like this was a horror movie, and this scarred angel was an actual threat.

I needed to keep myself in check; Rhamiel was harmless and under my control. He didn't even know what an elevator was, for fuck's sake.

We went to Greed, and I cautiously led him to my office, only to find Kell wasn't there. Time to backtrack to Gluttony and interrupt his meeting there. If Rhamiel was upset about this action, he continued to make no comment.

At least he wasn't of risk to stand out- surely Kell and the others would recognize him, but otherwise scars were common among soldiers. Even if his were a little strange, pink and shallow marks that seemed to have no intention of serious harm behind them.

Before entering Gluttony, I tried to assess what needed to be done about Rhamiel. Would he stay here if I asked him to? It was my only strategy, but I wasn't liking the odds that my quiet burden was providing. If I could count on an angel for anything, it was the desire to kill, and the need to find any way possible back to Heaven.

I brought Rhamiel in with me, finally, after deciding I could perhaps placate him with food. The executives weren't likely to be on the lookout for him, after all.

Gluttony was an expansive food court area, orange and bright, with a cavernous ceiling and stiff plastic tables. Though there were plenty of places to eat in Pride, this was where you would always have an assured ration of food, and there were special elevators from each floor to here.

I scanned the room for Kell and spotted him in the far left corner of the room. I spun to face Rhamiel, "Would you like something to-" I started to ask, and then noticed he had sat down in at an empty table near the door. "Don't go anywhere."

He seemed to nod in response. I hurried towards Kell's table, just in case. It might have been law that the paparazzi wasn't allowed to eavesdrop on them when they were eating together like this- either that or they were just too boring of a bunch to tap into every single day. Though the surrounding tables kept shooting the lot of them glances, they looked like any other suited ensemble of adults eating at a too-low table that'd fit in more in a high school cafeteria.

"Mannie," Kell said the moment he locked eyes with me.

"Oh yes," I said, though it felt like a dumb thing to say the moment it was out of my mouth.

"Hello, Kell's employee. Why are you here?" The leo asked. She was potentially the politest person I knew, though I had never formally met her. Since she was old and surely near death, the tabloids hadn't bothered with her in a long time.

"Let's speak in private," Kell said, standing up, "Sorry, I didn't mean for you to come here while this meeting was going on- but it's for the best, before you disappear again." His emphasis on 'disappear' implied to me that he might have finally checked my file.

"No." I waved my hands. "I mean, I'll talk to you later, okay? See you again. I'm just here to..." What the hell was I saying? I'd watched Kell eat with his friends so many times before- though god, that sounded so creepy, I was so creepy- but actually talking in front of them was terrifying. I kept my eyes on Kelsey, Kell's semi-boyfriend, especially.

He was so judgmental, and so put together, and some how messing up in front of him seemed a lot worse than doing so in front of Kell.

"I-I have something important to tell you," I said, fairly quiet as to not arouse too much suspicion from the neighboring table. While Kell kept a good, neutral expression, everyone else- the leo, pisces, capricorn, and the virgo Kelsey- did not look pleased.

"Well?" I took too long to get on with it, and now the fabulously pink pisces Glenn Illuzi seemed to have had enough of me.

"Um, well." I glanced back at Rhamiel. Was I honestly about to admit I had him with me? It's not like it would be a huge betrayal to give the sucker up to the authorities, even if it did mean the rest of his ageless life would be spent in a tiny room with a number of knives. But he was an angel, so it'd be okay, and I wan't really sure how comfortable I was taking him with me anyway-

"I have with me an... Well, I stole- more like received as an unwilling gift I suppose-" I dropped my voice down as low as I could. "An angel! This guy, Rha-"

Before I could finish my sentence, Kell groaned, "Mannie, no."

There had been a collective cringe at the table the moment I started the first syllable of 'angel'. Mixes of fear, disgust, and unease were carried by everyone.

"What? How did you get him?" Said Capricorn with great worry.

"I don't think it matters how, what matters is getting him back," said Leo.

"Holy shit though how long before someone notices? Is he nearby? Do you have him restrained?" Glenn asked.

"Everyone, guys, come on," said Kell repeatedly, trying to keep everyone quiet and sensible. They were all speaking at once, though consciously ducking their volume any time they had to say the word 'angel '. "Mannie, I don't know what you're doing with him, but you need to put him back. He's a threat."

"Maybe he isn't," I said, "I mean, I'm just going to free him from whatever you were doing. It's only ethical."

"We need him," the leo said.

"Mannie, don't treat this like a game. Someone will get hurt. Where is he?"

"You don't know that. Maybe he's thankful to be set free."

Kell was just shaking his head, and I felt even more like an idiot. I didn't want to take this guy- Blake never had to know I even had the option to. But here I was, driven forward as always by my need to argue. Taking someone who was absolutely dangerous with me.

The people around us had taken notice that something was up, but with any luck none of them had heard what. Hoping no one would follow, I quickly turned around and navigated my way back to the exit. As I passed the table where Rhamiel was sitting, he stood up and followed me, head down.

"Bad idea on my part." I told him once we were clear of the doors. I watched him tentatively. "Why were they so pissed about you anyway? I'd have thought people looking to make peace with the angels would be a little more tolerant of one."

"I can tell you," Rhamiel said.

"Oh?" I said, but I didn't mean to say it. I was just surprised to hear him speak.

"Arm me."

"What?"

"Arm me. With a blade."

"And where am I supposed to get one of those?"

Like he couldn't believe what I was saying, he closed his eyes and re-opened them slowly. "On one of them. They carry them around. As rings." The more he spoke, the more I could clearly identify his angelic accent.

"No one is going to just give me their angelsword, and I'm not going to steal one either. And no offense, but do you honestly think we're at a level of trust warranting me to hand you a deadly weapon?"

But Rhamiel was back to his silence.