Date: Mon, 06 Dec 2004 00:05:27 +0000
From: Jason Parker <archangelmatthew72@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Angel: Chapter 21

Author's Note: Look! See! Not nearly as long as the last one took!
Aren't you proud? =D OK OK, I know what you're all saying. "Shut
up, you kept us waiting two months for the last one. You have a lot
of making up to do." You know what? You're right. I do have a lot of
making up for it to do, and believe me I'm making up. But I need to
take this chance to thank my wonderful editor and friend, Emily.
Now say 'thank you Emily' everyone. So here you go, Chapter 21.

Disclaimer: Look, if you're this far, then you must have realized by
now what this story is about. Honestly, it's not exactly easy to miss
the homosexual undertones and overtones of this story. If you're
not down with that sort of thing, then you have a pretty weird way of
expressing it, considering you've read all previous 20 chapters.
Anyways, I'm legally bound to warn you about the nature of this
story so I've done my job. Now, on to the story itself!

* * *

	Drew woke up grinning like a mad man. Things were going
better than he could have hoped with Scott. Who knows, maybe by
Christmas they'd-- Drew bolted upright in bed. 'Christmas!' his mind
raced. It was tomorrow and he hadn't gotten a present for anyone
here. Sure, he'd got his family presents and slipped them all into
their luggage before they set off on their Christmas holiday in
Colorado. But now he was staying with the Parkers for Christmas,
and he hadn't thought to get them anything. He hoped the mall
would be open today; otherwise he would be royally screwed. As
for Scott... would it seem too forward if he got him a Christmas
present after meeting him only two days ago? Maybe... who said
there was anything wrong with being forward?

	Scott rolled onto the cold side of his bed and focused his
bleary eyes out the window. His pupils dilated and his eyes
widened. Snow! The window was covered in snow! He sat up and
spoke aloud to his room. "Snow means Christmas. Christmas
means presents. Presents mean... I'm fucked!" He leapt out of bed
and began pulling on his clothes, hoping there was somewhere in
this town open where he could find appropriate gifts.

	The waking states of Sara, Jason and Matt in their own
rooms were along much the same lines. Shock followed by worry,
followed by a mad dash to dress and get downstairs. Jason paused
in his dressing to glance at Matt. The angel was standing by the
bed on one foot, a thin cloth draped around his waist. Jason briefly
wondered how it managed to stay on, but the expression on Matt's
face quickly stopped him from asking about it.
	"Something wrong?" he queried.
	Matt hopped onto his other foot. He blushed and cleared his
throat nervously. Jason raised an eyebrow and Matt's blush
deepened. "Um..." he started. "I er... I need to... 'purge'..."
	Jason blinked, and then realization hit him. He burst into
peals of laughter at Matt's predicament.
	"Jason..." Matt growled.
	"Sorry, sorry," Jason apologized, still chuckling as he
grabbed Matt's hand and led him into the en suite. He stood him in
front of the toilet. "OK, just lift the cloth, spread your legs a bit and
aim into the bowl."
	Matt blinked and Jason let out a noise of exasperation. He
reached his hand towards Matt's loincloth but Matt's hand playfully
slapped his away. "I'm perfectly capable of that part." The angel
warned.
	Jason grinned and backed out of the bathroom. "Sorry, I'll
leave you to it then." He closed the door behind him and finished
getting dressed. He was just pulling on his shirt when he heard a
quiet yelp from the bathroom followed by the sound of a stream
hitting water and a deep sigh of relief. Jason grinned. This was
definitely going to be a source of much mockery. Matt stepped out
of the bathroom, looking much relieved. Jason ran in and flushed
the toilet for him, before he ran back and out of his bedroom.

	Each of them ran from their rooms into the hall, colliding and
bumping into each other in their rush to get downstairs, wolf a
breakfast and then start a desperate Christmas shop. Only Matt
moved calmly; his own clothes had flown easily from his wrists
without much thought to them and of course, he didn't need to eat.
They ran through the living room, past Mr. and Mrs. Parker who
were sitting on the sofa, heads pressed together, nursing cups of
coffee. The four dashed into the kitchen and raided the basket of
muffins that was set on the kitchen table. Matt followed more
slowly, waving to the Parkers as he passed and then standing to
the side of the kitchen. He got the unsettling feeling that if had he
been closer, he would have been in danger of bodily harm. 'A pack
of starving dogs seems like an apt analogy,' he chuckled.
	As soon as they had finished, they ran back through the
dining room and again past the Parkers. Jason's mom took the
opportunity to shout out, "Be good! Drive carefully! AND DON'T
SPEND TOO MUCH!"
	Mr. Parker chuckled. "Kids, such amateurs."

	They'd gotten to the door and were about to rush out into the
cold when a thundering voice filled the hall.
	"STOP RIGHT THERE!"
	Jason turned to find Nan emerging from the cloakroom
carrying their coats, scarfs and gloves.
	"You. Wear. Now." She glowered sternly at them.
	The four humans grinned sheepishly and took their individual
items of clothing from her. Jason smiled and kissed his Nan on the
cheek. "What would we do without you?"
	"Freeze to death and then expect me to thaw you out no
doubt," she chuckled and waggled her finger at them. "I'm making
apple crumble tonight, so I expect each and every one of you back
by dinner time." The aging woman looked at Matt and realized she
didn't have a scarf or coat, or in fact anything that belonged to him.
	Matt grinned and reached into his sleeve with one hand,
pulling out a long, elegant white scarf that he wrapped around his
neck.
	She narrowed her eyes and turned on her heel, marching off
to the kitchen muttering. "Bloody magicians. Think they're so
cleaver, stuffing things up their sleeves indeed!"
	Matt looked after her in bemusement and Jason giggled,
grabbing his arm and leading the way out the door. Again, they
piled into the Landrover. The engine purred to life and Sara
maneuvered the vehicle down the snow-covered driveway. Paul
waved them out the gate with a candy cane protruding from the
side of his mouth. He already had a wreath on the door to his
booth, and had a pile of yew branches he was getting ready to
weave into the wrought iron gate.

* * *

	Sara brought the car to a halt outside the entrance to the
Mall to let the others out. "We're meeting just inside the doors no
later than four!" She called out. They nodded and hurried inside as
she went to park the van.

	For Jason and Drew, the Mall was a haven. Somewhere they
could go to escape the world and spend their time shopping, or just
pretending to shop while rifling through things and irritating the
sales assistants.
	To Scott it was a nightmarish place where any money you
had could easily be swallowed up by the beast that was the Mall in
a matter of minutes.
	To Matt, the Mall was... well it simply was. It was just another
new experience. After a moment of staring down each length of the
crossroads they stood at, Scott, Drew and Jason each took off
down a separate one, leaving Matt standing in utter confusion. After
a few seconds, Jason ran back and grabbed his arm, leading him
down their own route.

	Jason moved around the various stores at blinding pace.
Matt had trouble keeping up with him. The other people he
observed seemed to be irritable and tired from shopping, but Jason
was still as chipper as ever. If anything, he was even more
energetic. Shopping, apparently, was ones of Jason's little joys in
life.
	By noon though, Jason was beginning to lag. Matt took half
of Jason's bags from him as they went in search of sustenance. A
nearby Starbucks proved to provide just such a thing. Inside, Jason
ordered a white chocolate mocha and looked to Matt for his order.
The angel shook his head. This morning's episode had made him
want to stay away from liquids and food stuffs for a little while, at
least until he'd had a chance to speak to Tobias about the effects of
such things on him. Jason led him to the back of the coffee shop
where there were several sofas and comfy chairs. Scott and Drew
were there already, occupying a sofa. They joined them and Scott
and Matt exchanged disparaging glances as Jason and Drew
discussed in hushed tones what they had managed to find for
various people. Matt's sensitive ears tuned into the music playing
over the speakers softly, and picked out the subliminal messaging,
encouraging them to "drink more coffee." He also picked out a
familiar voice from the crowd of other shoppers and turned to seek
it out.
	Jason noticed where he was gazing and looked up towards
the front of the store. He waved and called out. "Fiona!" He
beckoned her over to come join them.
	She grabbed her drink off of the counter and came over with
a middle aged woman who bore clear resemblance to Fi.
	"Hello Mrs. Sutherland," Jason greeted her mother. "Last
minute shoppers too?"
	"Tell me about it!" The woman moaned. "We must have
walked every inch of this building twice in the last few hours alone!"
She slumped down into one of the vacant chairs and smiled at the
rest of the gathering.
	Jason took the hint. "Oh sorry! This is Drew, one of my
roommates from college," he indicated Drew.
	Mrs. Sutherland smiled and inclined her head to
acknowledge the boy.
	"This is one of my sisters er... 'colleagues', Scott." Jason
hoped that would pass, he didn't really know what else to call Scott
and couldn't very well say 'he's an agent of a secret organization
that fights angels and demons for the sake of mankind' and expect
to be taken seriously.
	Before Jason could introduce him, Mrs. Sutherland leaned
forwards, looking intently at Matt. "So," she began, "this must be the
boy Fiona has told me so much about." She extended her hand.
"Nice to finally meet you Matt."
	Matt took her hand warmly. She tilted their hands together
and seemed to study them carefully. "Firm, but gentle," she
murmured much to Fiona's embarrassment.
	Matt arched an eyebrow in surprise and Fiona hid her face
behind a hand. Her mother wasn't done yet though. She quickly slid
Matt's sleeve up and inspected his forearm for needle marks.
	"Mom!" Fiona gasped.
	"What? Someone has to make sure he's good enough for
our Jase."
	Jason lowered his head, trying to hide the crimson color Mrs.
Sutherlands words had brought to his face.

	Eventually, Fiona and her mother excused themselves to
return to the "mob mentality that was Christmas shoppers" as Fi put
it. Scott eyed Jason and Drew's shopping bags.
	"You guys got everything then?" he asked.
	Jason and Drew exchanged glances. Then Jason spoke,
"Actually, we each just have one more thing to get." He then looked
pointedly at Scott and Matt. Jason stood and collected his bags,
quickly followed by Drew. They started to move away together and
Matt rose to follow.
	Scott grabbed his arm, having taken the hint from Jason.
"Why don't you and I go wander, eh?"
	Matt looked after Jason. "What if Jason needs help?"
	Scott coughed. "I think that's why they went off together."
	Matt still didn't get it. "But--"
	"Dude, they're getting our presents so they don't want us
there."
	"Oh." Matt frowned suddenly. "Do I have to present others
with purchased gifts as well?"
	Scott's eyes bugged. "You mean you haven't gotten
ANYTHING?!"
	The angel shrugged and spread his hands. "No money."

* * *

	Drew and Jason met Fiona a few minutes early, at the
arranged location. She'd already gone to get the car when Scott
and Matt showed up, looking flushed and cheerful.
	Drew arched an eyebrow at Scott who grinned innocently,
making him look all the more guilty of something.
	Jason's eyes darted back and forth between the two larger
men. "Did you get my boyfriend drunk?!" He asked Scott
incredulously.
	Matt giggled.
	Scott grinned sheepishly. "He said he'd never had vodka
before."
	Matt looked at Jason and waved tipsily. His voice suddenly
transformed into something more appropriate to that of a Russian
mafioso. "I vill take you to Russia!" He giggled and then hiccuped.
	Jason tried to look stern and angry, but frankly the scene
was too comical. Drew wasn't helping much as his sniggers were
clearly audible in the echoing mall.

	By the time the car pulled in through the gates, now
decorated with pine bows and red ribbons, Matt was beginning to
sober up and feel the effects of the strong drink. He held his head
and moaned at the crunch of tires on icy gravel.
	Jason stroked his brow tenderly. "I hope you've learnt a
lesson from all this." He said quietly.
	Matt nodded grimly. "Never again!"
	Jason grinned wryly. "Well, maybe not *never*."

	The rest of the evening passed by quietly and quickly. All five
of them retired to their separate rooms to wrap their purchases.
Matt followed Jason into their room and then quickly threw open the
window. Jason shivered at the cool evening air.
	"I'm going for a walk." Matt informed him before stepping out
on the sill. He pulled the sash closed from the outside and stepped
off the ledge, drifting gently down to land in the snow. Jason
watched him from the window anxiously as Matt staggered a few
times, clearly still intoxicated.
	He stood for a few minutes, his nose pressed against the
cold glass until Matt disappeared into the darkness of the garden.
He sighed and set about the task of wrapping.

	An hour or so later, Jason was just finishing up and
happened to glance out the window. A warm glow lit up the end of
the garden, throwing the trees into stark relief. It faded quickly and
a figure trudged through the snow out of the darkness.
	The light from the house fell on Matt as he approached the
house and slipped through the french doors into the kitchen. Jason
sighed. Matt seemed to be quite solemn of late. He hoped it was
just a phase.

* * *

	Paul stepped out of his booth as the sports car pulled up to
the gate. The tinted window rolled down to reveal a young, dark-
haired man in sunglasses. Odd since it was winter and getting dark
already.
	"Can I help you sir?" He asked politely.
	The driver turned his head to look at Paul through his
sunglasses. "I'm Jeff."
	Paul blinked and waited.
	"I'm one of Jason's room mates from college. He should be
expecting me." He smiled in an effort to look friendly.
	Paul shivered. The effect was far from warm. It was
downright creepy. "All right then, I'll call ahead for you to make sure
there's someone to greet you."
	"That won't be necessary." The man's smile twitched. Before
Scott could say anything else, the window scrolled up, blocking the
guy behind tinted glass. Paul pressed the button to open the gate
and allow him in before slipping into his booth. He picked up the
phone and rang the main house.
	After a few rings, Jason picked up.
	"Hay Jason, it's Paul." he said.
	"Hi Paul, what's up? You going home soon?"
	"Um, I was gonna head off at about six. I was just calling to
let you know to expect one of your friends from college I just
admitted."
	"Oh?" Jason was a bit surprised. Who else could be visiting
him at home over Christmas? Only a select few of his friends knew
where his house was, and most of them were on holiday with their
families.
	"He said his name was Jeff."
	Jason grinned over the phone. "Oh right-o then Paul.
Thanks."
	"No problem." Paul answered before hanging up. He wasn't
sure why, but he had a nagging feeling that something wasn't quite
right. The man hadn't really seemed like the type of guy Jason
normally befriended.

* * *

	Jason set down the receiver in the hall and raced into the
living room to give Drew the good news, slipping in socked feet
across the marble floor of the hall.
	"Drew! Guess what!"
	"What?" Drew asked, poking his head up over the sofa back.
	"Jeff's just about to arrive!" Jason said exuberantly. He
hadn't realized he'd missed the old lummox, but his presence
always seemed to add a relaxing air to their household. Although,
that might have just been the smell of pot he carried around with
him wherever he went, infecting those around him with a partial
high.
	Drew furrowed his brow. "What's he doing here? I thought he
and Cindy were spending Christmas in the Alps with her family's
chalet."
	Jason paused. "Um... yeah, I'd forgotten about that. I wonder
what's happened?"
	Together they went back into the hall to await Jeff's arrival.
After five minutes Jason open the door in puzzlement and looked
out.
	"It doesn't take THAT long to get to your house!" Drew
muttered, poking his head around the door.
	There was no sign of a car, sports or otherwise. An
unsettling thought struck Jason. He closed the door again and
picked up the phone in the hall. He pressed the speed dial button
for the gate and Paul picked up after just one ring.
	"Hello?"
	"Paul, it's Jason. I'm just wondering about my friend..."
	"Oh," Paul interrupted. "Isn't he there yet? That's strange."
	"Paul, can you tell me what he looked like?"
	There was a pause on the other end. "It was you're friend
Jeff, I--"
	"This is really important." Jason cut him off. "I need you to
describe the guy."
	"Well, I couldn't see much of him, he had a pair of
sunglasses on so I couldn't see his eyes. But he did have a pretty
square-ish chin. Oh, and jet-black hair. Like pitch. And there was
something weird about his smile."
	Jason could feel his knees start to tremble. "Weird like he
had too many teeth crammed into it?"
	"Yeah! Just like that." Paul's voice crackled over the receiver.
"Why, is something wrong?"
	Jason wasn't listening anymore. His hand that held the
phone was shaking. "Paul, go home now. Everything's going to be
fine."
	"Um... Well, OK. If you're sure."
	"Yes Paul, I'm very sure. Merry Christmas." Jason hung up
the phone with a clang.
	"MATT!" he shouted.
	Matt came sliding out of the living room where he had been
building up the fire. "What's it?"
	"Damien's here. He passed by Paul pretending he was Jeff."
	Sara and Scott had overheard and came running into the
hall. Sara quickly took command of the situation.
	"All right, everyone make sure the doors and windows are
locked." She ordered. "Grab some mistletoe from the wreath over
the fireplace and hang a sprig over every window. Matt--"
	She stopped.
	Matt was standing very still, eyes closed, hands at his sides.
They could see his eyes moving under his eyelids. He frowned
deeply. "He's blocking me somehow. I can't pin his location."
	Sara cursed. "Everyone stay alert tonight. Matt, you stick
close to Jason."
	"As if he needs telling." Jason joked.
	Sara shot him a look to be quiet. "Scott, you stick with Drew.
I'll stay with mom and dad. No one goes anywhere alone.
Understand?"
	They all nodded and then ran off in different directions to
ensure the house was locked down.

* * *

	The night had passed without disturbance and so they had
all eventually drifted off to bed. Sara went to her parents' room,
under the pretense of discussing something with them. Scott took
Drew along to his own room and slipped inside. He rifled around in
his bag and pulled something out of it before leading Drew on to his
own room. Drew climbed onto the bed, sitting with his knees drawn
up to his chest. Scott took a seat beside him, leaning against the
headboard so he had a clear view of all the windows. Drew noticed
something shiny in his hands.
	"What's that?" He asked, already knowing the answer.
	"Protection." Scott stated as he screwed a silencer on to his
gun.

	In their own room, Jason had crawled onto his bed. Matt took
his place at the window seat, scanning the garden below.
	"Try to get some sleep," the angel said quietly. "I'll watch
over you."
	Jason smiled and reluctantly slipped off his clothes before
getting under the covers. He lay on his side, watching Matt for over
an hour before exhaustion finally took him to the land of nod.
	Barely a minute had passed since Jason's eyes had closed
when a pale, bony hand appeared on the window sill. Matt stood
silently and summoned energy to his hand. If Damien tried to break
in there, he would be in for a nasty surprise. Black hair appeared
over the sill as whoever it was hoisted themselves up the wall. Two
pits for eyes showed themselves. They widened in surprise.
	"Don't shoot, I'm unarmed!" Mephistopheles whispered,
grinning through the glass. He tapped his knuckle softly on the
glass and motioned with the hand that had been supporting him to
open the window. Matt's eyes narrowed. Mephistopheles rose up,
showing his wings were in fact raising him up the wall. He gestured
again and Matt relented, lifting the sash just enough for the fallen
angel to stick his head through.
	"What do you want?" Matt hissed.
	"A good number of things, including a coup in heaven."
Mephistopheles chuckled. "But right now, the same thing you want.
Damien."
	Matt's eyes narrowed to slits. "He works for you, why do you
want to catch him?"
	The fallen angel propped his elbows on the window sill. He
extended his hand and checked his nails. "Actually, Lucifer issued a
decree that Damien is no longer in our service. I've been sent to
ensure he's 'aware' of that." Mephistopheles crossed his arms on
the ledge and laid his head down on them. "So how's your mom?"
	"Fuck you." Matt hissed through clenched teeth.
	The fallen angel grinned. "No thanks. I think your boyfriend
would appreciate it much more than me."
	Matt growled. "Why don't you go find Damien then?"
	Mephistopheles looked at him as if he were stupid. "He isn't
just blocking you Matty. He's blocking everyone. So I'll just wait
where he's most likely to come." He looked up and then glanced
around suddenly. "Oh right, that's here!"
	Matt sat down heavily on the window seat. He moved his
hand to close the sash again, but Mephistopheles put his own hand
up to keep it open.
	"I'd really rather you didn't close it." He said, forcing it open
another foot. "I'd hate to be stuck outside when Damien does turn
up." He looked at Matt. "You look tired. Why don't you get some
rest?" The fallen angel nodded towards Jason's sleeping form.
	"Because you're a fallen angel."
	Mephistopheles gasped and looked hurt. "You know, some
of us are still semi-trustworthy."
	"And are you?"
	"When it suits me."

	An hour passed, before Matt relented and took a seat on the
bed next to Jason. He leant back against the headboard and closed
his eyes as he slipped into the trance-like state of meditation that
sustained him. As if sensing his presence on the bed, Jason rolled
sideways and curled up, snuggling his head into Matt's side.
	"Kodak moment or what?" Mephistopheles intoned from his
place at the window.

* * *

	The letterbox of the front door creaked open. A pair of beady
black eyes peered in through the slot. They flashed red and
scanned the hall for body heat. When they found none, the
blackness welled up and rushed through like a silent river of ink. It
poured out onto the floor and flowed upwards as Damien took form.
He leapt up and gripped the wall, skittering up the wall and along
the vaulted ceiling like some sort of insect. He darted across ceiling
of the hall, skirting the chandelier in the middle. At the top of the
stairs he paused and lowered his head. His eyes flashed red again
as he looked both ways.  He dropped a thin strand of black energy
that slipped around the doorknob and gently turned it. He reached
down and wedged his talon-like nails around the doorframe and
eased it open, careful not let it squeak. Once it was open, he
skittered down, under the door arch and up onto the ceiling on the
other side. He paused and looked down at the sleeping lovers. Oh
how perfect it would be to kill Jason right next to the angel; that way
he'd wake up next to a cold corpse. He positioned himself over the
bed and let go, spinning in the air and readying his claws to dash
Jason to pieces.

	From his perch at the window, Mephistopheles knew it was
now or never. He tucked his wings into his body and launched
himself off the wall with his feet, catapulting himself through the
open window. He crashed into Damien's body a meter above Jason
and locked his arms and legs around the renegade angel.
	"The Master wants a word with you!" He hissed menacingly
into Damien's ear as they careened across the room at an angel
towards the floor. Instead of hitting the wood with a crash, they
slipped through silently as if it wasn't even there, Damien struggling
to break free.

	Matt lurched awake the bed. He sniffed the air and looked to
the open door and window. Easing Jason's head off of his lap, he
rose and silently closed both firmly. "Hm," he murmured. "I guess it
suited him." He turned and gazed at his sleeping love. Assured that
he was now safe, Matt phased out and slipped through the wall into
the hall. He stepped off the landing at the top of the stairs and
drifted slowly to the ground. He had a little over six hours before the
household began to stir. Plenty of time, he was sure.

* * *

	Fire blossomed like a flower from the obsidian floor. The
tongues of flame blazed higher and higher and then suddenly
extinguished themselves. Mephistopheles stepped off the warm
floor, holding Damien by his collar and tossed him across the
throne room, sending him flying nearly a hundred feet. He came to
a jolting halt as his shoulder collided with the foot of the black dais
at the far end.
	Damien raised his head weakly as he heard the brisk clip of
Mephistopheles' footsteps up the hall. He struggled to push himself
up off the floor, but an invisible force was pinning him down. The
darkness behind the throne coalesced and flowed forwards
gracefully, easing into the chair and bringing midnight with it. Two
pinpricks of blazing white formed near the head of the throne and
they glared down and the rebellious angel.
	Damien started to tremble. The aura of fear his master
exuded made him sick to his stomach. "M-m-my l-lord!" Damien
gasped and struggled to reach out a hand.
	Blocks of the floor fell away and jagged chains shot up like
vines, spinning around his wrists and legs, lifting him into the air.
	The white eyes flared with anger and then a voice that
brought icy daggers to even his cold heart echoed throughout the
darkened hall.
	"You have failed us time and time again in your efforts to
bring us the boy."
	There was a deafening pause as the echoes died away
before the voice began again.
	"And recently, we have heard disturbing rumors of your
activities with 'others'." The last word was stressed, almost like a
hiss.
	"Master!" Damien pleaded. "I was wounded! I needed to be
cleansed and I needed more assistance! I--"
	"One cannot cleanse the wounds of failure." The voice
thundered, shaking the walls.
	Mephistopheles raised his eyebrows and glanced about him,
before taking a step away from the column he'd been leaning
against. Black dust sprinkled down from the ceiling in rivulets.
	"Mephistopheles has now gained access to the boy twice
and has at least his partial trust. How can you explain your failure
when he has had such success?"
	Damien looked piteously into the darkness, hoping for
mercy.
	Mephistopheles looked up from cleaning his nails as the
white eyes rounded on him. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Sometime
diplomacy is a stronger power than any amount of force."
	Damien struggled against the chains to lash out at the fallen
angel. "Diplomacy won't kill him!" He spat.
	The chains jerked taught and tightened on his wrists, digging
in and drawing blood. He was whipped around and brought inches
from the flaming eyes. This close, the white light burnt into his face
and blistered his skin.
	"We gave you an order to capture him, not kill him. You
failed." The chains moved backwards, and more of the floor below
Damien dropped away. A rush of hot air came up from below. "All
memory of your existence will be wiped from reality. You will die,
and no one will mourn."
	Damien's eyes widened in horror. His struggled frantically
against his bonds, but to no avail. The chains on his ankles
dissolved into acid that ate away at his skin and left him hanging by
his arms. Then those above him also dissolved, showering his body
with brackish acid.  He screamed as he tumbled downwards
through the hole. Hot air rushed about him, rising from the boiling
magma lake below him. He closed his eyes and prepared himself
for a fast death by burning.
	His eyes shot open again and he looked down at his own
torso in time to see a thick, barbed black chain sprout from his
midriff. It caught him and held him in the air before jerking suddenly
and snapping him back towards one of the walls of the massive
cavern.
	A hideous laugh filled the crater and the lava below seethed.
"You didn't think I'd give you an easy death, now did you?"
	The chain wound Damien's weakening body backwards at
lightning pace into one of the many small dark tunnels built into the
walls. The walls closed in about him, and he reached out with his
hands. He forced the metal claws from his hands and grasped at
the walls. Sparks flew, lighting his surroundings, but the chain
dragged on. One of his nails caught in a seam of the wall and he
howled as it was wrenched from his finger. He dug his claws in
further, struggling for purchase. One by one his talons were ripped
from his fingers, leaving bloody, ragged wounds.

	Up in the hall, Damien's scream echoed up through the hole
before the blocks shifted back into place, once more completing the
floor.
	"The boy will come into his full powers shortly and Heaven
will realize just what he is." The darkness began to flow silently
back from the throne to fill the rear of the room. "Bring him to me
before he does."
	Mephistopheles bowed silently and, keeping low backed
down the gargantuan hall and out the black marble doors.
	Once outside, he did a little hop down a step, and then
skipped down a few more. "Business as usual then." he chuckled. "I
wonder what Matt is getting everyone for Christmas?"

* * *

	Several miles below Mephistopheles, Damien's chain still
dragged him along, occasionally lashing him against the wall and
digging the barbs in deeper. He felt himself rush through a small
doorway and then the hall turned into another cavern or room
perhaps. His broken body smashed against the wall behind him
and the chain ripped out of his stomach cavity. He slid slowly to the
ground, leaving a stain of black ichor on the wall behind him. But he
still wasn't dead.
	Crawling forwards on his hands and knees, he felt the blood
begin to trickle from his mouth. His hand brushed against
something smooth in the darkness. He ran his hand up over it,
feeling the smoothness of whatever it was. His fingers ran over and
clasped into two holes. A skull. Damien raised himself up slowly on,
feeling the bone groan under his weight.
	Something clicked in the darkness, sounding like scaly wings
sliding over a carapace. He jerked his head towards the sound and
tried to focus into the darkness. He'd lost too much of his life giving
blood to even summon a flame to light the room.
	The click of claws on stone came from above him and he
tried to stand and face the sound. There was a crackle and blue
flames dripped down from the wall. They ran in rivulets through
cracks in the ground into small pools around the room. Damien's
eyes widened in surprise at the succubus that was perched on the
wall, defying gravity as if it were nothing. Blue flames continued to
dribble from her mouth until she closed her lips and hissed.
	She crawled like a cat, stalking down the wall and onto the
ground where she stood and shook her wings gently. Her double-
jointed legs carried her steadily towards him, kicking broken bones
out of the way. She stepped forwards into the light, her raven black
hair cascading down her shoulders and over her ample breasts.
	Damien looked up at her face, a good foot above his own
head and chuckled. He was forced to stop by a ragged cough and
put a hand to the bloody wound in his torso.
	"Hello Damien." She hissed, displaying row upon row of
serrated teeth.
	"Hello again Nodiesha."

* * *

	Well well well. Damien has finally been brought into check,
and yet this succubus seems quite friendly with him... I wonder
what shall become of this? And what *is* Matt getting for everyone
this Christmas? Heads up, 'cause the next chapter is Christmas
day! Woot!
	OK, as ever and ever, questions and comments can go to
ArchangelMatthew72@Hotmail.com. Again, thank you Emily! What
would I do without you? (not have enough commas, I think)
Haha! If you hadn't guessed, that little bit in brackets there was in
fact Emily working her magic. Aaahh... I <3 you Emily.