An empty warehouse on the WestEnd, about three weeks ago...
It had taken some doing, but Rhys had finally gathered together all the materials he needed to perform the summoning, waiting until David and Riley had left for their honeymoon before putting his plan into motion.
Luke had tried to help as much as possible, but Luke knew nothing about hunting, and secretly Rhys wished Adam was there or even Kellie, though he doubted she had much experience with demons.
He had all the materials gathered, Blue Oyster Cult blaring through the warehouse, his jacket discarded and laying on a rough wooden table, his gun shoved into the back of his jeans. He'd taken all the necessary precautions to keep himself safe from demons, but he had no way of knowing how to protect himself against fallen angels. Rhys could draw the Devil's Trap from memory in his sleep. First came the circle, then the pentagram, creating a pentacle. He moved slowly around, focused on the task at hand, shaking the can of paint every now and then before continuing. Next came each of the symbols that fit between the points of the pentagram. For those he took a fresh can of paint, carefully spraying each one onto the floor.
Humans were interesting to watch at times. Others they were little more than insects, waiting on the boot of a greater being. He watched the man working, waiting for the right time to strike a little fear, and offer a deal. Lilith for the sword, a fair trade he thought. He stepped out of the shadow, borrowed suit of course, as a non threatening, salt and pepper haired homeless guy. "Good evening, Rathanael." His hands were at his sides, and he was trying to show that he was unarmed at the moment. Startled by the voice and the sudden appearance of someone other than Luke in the warehouse, Rhys spun on a heel, dropping the paint can and reaching behind him to tug his handgun from the back of his jeans, pulling it up to level it at the intruder. "Who the hell are you?" The only ones who had called him by that name were those who knew of his supposed angelic side, of which he was still slightly doubtful. "We are old friends, you and I," he smiled and looked uncaring of the firearm pointed his way. "Nice work," noting the traps on the floor. "I assumed your friend would be helping you, but it's nice we have this time alone, Rathanael." He kept the smile in place and put his hands into his coat pockets. Rhys narrowed his eyes, trying to determine just who it was that had intruded on his preparations. There were only a few explanations. Whoever it was wasn't a demon. He'd taken precautions against that until the time was right. There was only one possible answer. The being before him couldn't be a demon, which meant that he was probably an angel. "Rhys," he corrected, holding the handgun steadily in place and pointed at the being's head. He didn't want to shoot him, but he would if he had to. "I assumed with the return of your memories, you'd recall our past meetings." his smile was cocky then. "How many times have you killed my borrowed suits?" He stepped closer. "Rhys" What sort of name is that' Almost as boring as," he pointed to himself, "Fred." Rhys stood his ground, unmoving except for the tensing of his shoulders and the clenching of his jaw, his hand firmly gripping the gun, ready to squeeze the trigger. "Abaddon," he said with sudden realization. He could be no other. "What do you want' I assume you didn't come here to swap insults." The smile bloomed then, "Ah, he remembers!" he clapped his hands then, before a sudden stop. "I want your sword." A small smirk drew Rhys' lips back into what almost amounted to a snarl. "I'm flattered, but you're not my type. You can tell that bitch Naamah she isn't either. I prefer flesh and blood women, not whores from hell." "Comedian now" And you used to be so serious..." he clicked his tongue.
"I'm here all week."
"Your Angel Sword for one Lilith, delivered in gift wrap if you so wish." Cutting straight to business. "I will even tip your wait staff," he smiled again. "Well, that's real friendly of you, but I think you're barking up the wrong tree. I don't have an angel sword. So you're shit out of luck. Sorry. Now piss off. I've got work to do." "But your friend says you will have one when you need it." He always enjoyed sticking his nose in places it didn't belong. "My friend." Rhys paused, brows drawing downward, realizing he must mean Lailah. "What the hell do you know about that" "Come on, Ratha...Rhys, we are not much different, you and I." He stepped forward again, slowly closing the distance. "I know she's talked to you, and what you are up against." Rhys backed up a few paces, the gun remaining leveled between him and the fallen angel. He knew it wouldn't do him much good, but it was all he had at the moment. "What I'm up against?" Rhys laughed dryly. "I'm up against you. You and your cronies. You know why' Because I made some kind of assinine deal to become human. But the joke's on me there, isn't it?" "Honestly, I can help you, you can help me, and we can go our separate ways. You want to be human, spend time with the blonde" I won't interfere." "Help you how" By giving you a sword I don't even have" And in return, you're going to give me Lilith. Big deal. What about Naamah' Think I want that bitch following me around for the rest of my life?" "Lilith is the only one I can assuredly deliver, Rhys. You can even keep your unused, uncared for weapon until you deal with Naamah, then I will return for it." He carefully stepped over the painted circle, as to not get any on the worn out shoes of his meat suit. "The blonde..." Rhys' wheels were turning inside his head and he realized he must be talking about Kellie. "You stay the hell away from her." "Or you will what? Please, follow through with your threats. I really must know what you plan on doing to one of your own kind." "You're not one of my own kind. Not even close. I don't know what you are, but I'm nothing like you." "We fought together, brothers in arms!" He laughed then, "Thwarter of Demons they called you. Every plan they laid, you laid waste to." He looked at the other man, "Don't you remember?" A puzzled look crossed Rhys" face, and he lowered the gun just a fraction of an inch in that moment of confusion and doubt. There was no memory anywhere of his angelic past, name, title, sword, nothing. He might as well be talking about a stranger. "You're lying." "Why would I lie?" His facial expression went serious then. "I think you know I'm not." Was that why he was here" Was that why he'd been chosen for this task" Was there to be any reward at the end or was he just a soldier, with no hope for a future other than that of an endless and fruitless struggle between what was perceived as good and evil" "Why do you want my sword" What happened to yours?" He started pacing lightly. "The battles we fought. Good and Evil, Heaven and Hell. Side by side, covered in the blood of our enemies, and laughing our way through it." He stopped pacing and looked at Rhys again. "They took my sword when I fell." Rhys lowered his gun finally, finding the other no threat at the moment. He only watched him while he paced, trying to harden his heart at the other's story. Whether he felt any sympathy or not, he'd been responsible for his parents' deaths and that he could not forgive. "You killed my mother. You tried to kill me." "Your Mother?" He chuckled at that. "You were created, not born!" Rhys narrowed his eyes again, expression darkening. "She was the only mother I knew." "I needed you, Rathanael. Your sword, your head for tactics against the legions," Abbadon turned and leveled a gaze on Rhys then. "How can you, of all...people, not know this?" It was Rhys' turn to laugh. "I was just a kid. What tactics did you think a nine-year-old would know" You killed my mother. I remember what happened. I saw pictures. You....they....she was ripped open and..." "It is still who you are, and were, even then." Rhys felt a pain in his chest at the memory of all the blood. They'd ripped her open and killed her, along with his unborn sister, just like they'd done to Riley and Patrick. "I feel your pain, and it saddens me, truly."
It had taken some doing, but Rhys had finally gathered together all the materials he needed to perform the summoning, waiting until David and Riley had left for their honeymoon before putting his plan into motion.
Luke had tried to help as much as possible, but Luke knew nothing about hunting, and secretly Rhys wished Adam was there or even Kellie, though he doubted she had much experience with demons.
He had all the materials gathered, Blue Oyster Cult blaring through the warehouse, his jacket discarded and laying on a rough wooden table, his gun shoved into the back of his jeans. He'd taken all the necessary precautions to keep himself safe from demons, but he had no way of knowing how to protect himself against fallen angels. Rhys could draw the Devil's Trap from memory in his sleep. First came the circle, then the pentagram, creating a pentacle. He moved slowly around, focused on the task at hand, shaking the can of paint every now and then before continuing. Next came each of the symbols that fit between the points of the pentagram. For those he took a fresh can of paint, carefully spraying each one onto the floor.
Humans were interesting to watch at times. Others they were little more than insects, waiting on the boot of a greater being. He watched the man working, waiting for the right time to strike a little fear, and offer a deal. Lilith for the sword, a fair trade he thought. He stepped out of the shadow, borrowed suit of course, as a non threatening, salt and pepper haired homeless guy. "Good evening, Rathanael." His hands were at his sides, and he was trying to show that he was unarmed at the moment. Startled by the voice and the sudden appearance of someone other than Luke in the warehouse, Rhys spun on a heel, dropping the paint can and reaching behind him to tug his handgun from the back of his jeans, pulling it up to level it at the intruder. "Who the hell are you?" The only ones who had called him by that name were those who knew of his supposed angelic side, of which he was still slightly doubtful. "We are old friends, you and I," he smiled and looked uncaring of the firearm pointed his way. "Nice work," noting the traps on the floor. "I assumed your friend would be helping you, but it's nice we have this time alone, Rathanael." He kept the smile in place and put his hands into his coat pockets. Rhys narrowed his eyes, trying to determine just who it was that had intruded on his preparations. There were only a few explanations. Whoever it was wasn't a demon. He'd taken precautions against that until the time was right. There was only one possible answer. The being before him couldn't be a demon, which meant that he was probably an angel. "Rhys," he corrected, holding the handgun steadily in place and pointed at the being's head. He didn't want to shoot him, but he would if he had to. "I assumed with the return of your memories, you'd recall our past meetings." his smile was cocky then. "How many times have you killed my borrowed suits?" He stepped closer. "Rhys" What sort of name is that' Almost as boring as," he pointed to himself, "Fred." Rhys stood his ground, unmoving except for the tensing of his shoulders and the clenching of his jaw, his hand firmly gripping the gun, ready to squeeze the trigger. "Abaddon," he said with sudden realization. He could be no other. "What do you want' I assume you didn't come here to swap insults." The smile bloomed then, "Ah, he remembers!" he clapped his hands then, before a sudden stop. "I want your sword." A small smirk drew Rhys' lips back into what almost amounted to a snarl. "I'm flattered, but you're not my type. You can tell that bitch Naamah she isn't either. I prefer flesh and blood women, not whores from hell." "Comedian now" And you used to be so serious..." he clicked his tongue.
"I'm here all week."
"Your Angel Sword for one Lilith, delivered in gift wrap if you so wish." Cutting straight to business. "I will even tip your wait staff," he smiled again. "Well, that's real friendly of you, but I think you're barking up the wrong tree. I don't have an angel sword. So you're shit out of luck. Sorry. Now piss off. I've got work to do." "But your friend says you will have one when you need it." He always enjoyed sticking his nose in places it didn't belong. "My friend." Rhys paused, brows drawing downward, realizing he must mean Lailah. "What the hell do you know about that" "Come on, Ratha...Rhys, we are not much different, you and I." He stepped forward again, slowly closing the distance. "I know she's talked to you, and what you are up against." Rhys backed up a few paces, the gun remaining leveled between him and the fallen angel. He knew it wouldn't do him much good, but it was all he had at the moment. "What I'm up against?" Rhys laughed dryly. "I'm up against you. You and your cronies. You know why' Because I made some kind of assinine deal to become human. But the joke's on me there, isn't it?" "Honestly, I can help you, you can help me, and we can go our separate ways. You want to be human, spend time with the blonde" I won't interfere." "Help you how" By giving you a sword I don't even have" And in return, you're going to give me Lilith. Big deal. What about Naamah' Think I want that bitch following me around for the rest of my life?" "Lilith is the only one I can assuredly deliver, Rhys. You can even keep your unused, uncared for weapon until you deal with Naamah, then I will return for it." He carefully stepped over the painted circle, as to not get any on the worn out shoes of his meat suit. "The blonde..." Rhys' wheels were turning inside his head and he realized he must be talking about Kellie. "You stay the hell away from her." "Or you will what? Please, follow through with your threats. I really must know what you plan on doing to one of your own kind." "You're not one of my own kind. Not even close. I don't know what you are, but I'm nothing like you." "We fought together, brothers in arms!" He laughed then, "Thwarter of Demons they called you. Every plan they laid, you laid waste to." He looked at the other man, "Don't you remember?" A puzzled look crossed Rhys" face, and he lowered the gun just a fraction of an inch in that moment of confusion and doubt. There was no memory anywhere of his angelic past, name, title, sword, nothing. He might as well be talking about a stranger. "You're lying." "Why would I lie?" His facial expression went serious then. "I think you know I'm not." Was that why he was here" Was that why he'd been chosen for this task" Was there to be any reward at the end or was he just a soldier, with no hope for a future other than that of an endless and fruitless struggle between what was perceived as good and evil" "Why do you want my sword" What happened to yours?" He started pacing lightly. "The battles we fought. Good and Evil, Heaven and Hell. Side by side, covered in the blood of our enemies, and laughing our way through it." He stopped pacing and looked at Rhys again. "They took my sword when I fell." Rhys lowered his gun finally, finding the other no threat at the moment. He only watched him while he paced, trying to harden his heart at the other's story. Whether he felt any sympathy or not, he'd been responsible for his parents' deaths and that he could not forgive. "You killed my mother. You tried to kill me." "Your Mother?" He chuckled at that. "You were created, not born!" Rhys narrowed his eyes again, expression darkening. "She was the only mother I knew." "I needed you, Rathanael. Your sword, your head for tactics against the legions," Abbadon turned and leveled a gaze on Rhys then. "How can you, of all...people, not know this?" It was Rhys' turn to laugh. "I was just a kid. What tactics did you think a nine-year-old would know" You killed my mother. I remember what happened. I saw pictures. You....they....she was ripped open and..." "It is still who you are, and were, even then." Rhys felt a pain in his chest at the memory of all the blood. They'd ripped her open and killed her, along with his unborn sister, just like they'd done to Riley and Patrick. "I feel your pain, and it saddens me, truly."