The Darker Temptation

Liz scream reached Jake's ears and he felt cold almost as he stared after Cresent, not even budging at the sword hurdling at him. The mysterious person who defelcted it seemed like he was far away in his mind. It was the Fallen surpressing his emotions, keeping him from following Cresent into his own death. Seconds later a small flicker of recognition came over him and he began to speak but it was careful and strained. "Thank you." He said bowing his head slightly but smething made the Fallen stir. "It's been centuries and yet you expected more from them?" He said as Jake recieved memories of people he somehow knew to be the Order and their danger. "Who are you?" Jake asked, backing up closer to Aria. He just wanted something, someone firmiliar, to keep him level headed at the moment.
~~
Paige held her hand against the light as she looked over the city, bwing careful to keep half of her hidden from veiw of anyone passing by. She found the Fallen, found she wasn't needed in that fight and left when she knew it was getting bad. To be honest she prefered to take care of them on her own time, when they were least expecting it. But with th order pressing for they're heads as soon as possible, waiting might not be the best form of action.

"Finally..." said Yoi turning towards the two emissaries... 'after all the years of fighting... I am finally able to find purpose... and protect these young innocents from the Order... but... once again, I am powerless to stop them from harming others...' his thoughts wandered thinking of the young girl who was taken by Crescent...

"I am a guardian of sorts... and I will fufill my purpose here... by protecting you two vessels from the Order that hunts you, and from the demons that would overtake you..." he said falling to his knees... "but perhaps explainations can wait... the Order may return... and we have not the strength to repel them..."

"Speak for yourself Knight." The Falled snarled, Jake's anger getting the better of him but his sense pleaded with him to calm himself. The Fallen really didn't like this guy and not to mention Jake felt put off himself by his suddenly shwing up right after a battle with a man who took his little sister. "Look, this Order, they have my sister. I can't let them get away with that and hide like a coward." He said, his voice softer and more calm than he felt. "And to be honest, I don't understand anything that's going on. How am I supposed to trust you?"
'Protection? The Knight lies.'
'Shut up!' He paused looking at Aria. "Aria?" He was trying to read her eyes and understand if she felt the same way about this guy as him. "What do you think?"

Yoi watched Jake carefully as he talked... 'he has lost too much control already... if I were even to try ripping the Fallen from him, it might push him over the edge and it could end fatally... or worse... I wonder if the girl is in the same state...' he pondered looking between them both now... 'either way... it would probably be best to go along with whatever they want... aslong as I keep them under control of their powers, then perhaps I can find a way to free them... but there is no way of knowing for sure...'

The church was the same as usual. It was already evening, so the children is already inside.

Cresent landed gracefully. The moment his feet touched the ground, his wink shrunk until there's nothing left on his back and his hair turned into the opposite color.

Moving his arm slightly he wlked toward the door. "You've been rather quiet, princess. Upset that your prince chose his kin over you?" he asked with a different tone when he was before. Almost human like, and sincere.

The panic of the situation was still fresh in Liz's mind, every memory making her throat soar and her eyes sting. Jake throwing fire, Aria fighting to kill someone, an now she was kidnapped by some person with wings. And who had come to her rescue? She remembered the cold look in Jake's eyes as she called for help and instantly, a shiver rolled down her spine. She broke away from her scrambled thoughts and looked up at Cresent with a glare that held about as much malice as a door-mouse. "No, I'm just not used to people flying." she said, her voice small as she squirmed out of Cresent's grip. She caught her balance but knew even if she ran he could catch her. She was truly terrified of him, even though, with his wings, he resembled the angels that were shown in the stain-glass windows of this church. "A church?" She blinked at his choice of place and frowned in confusion.

Cresent raised an eyebrow when Liz jump out from his arms, but he decided to do nothing.

"You can call this my home when I'm here." he said when Liz show her confusion and walked in front of her. Before he's able to open the door, a kid come running from the side of the church and, almost literally, jump to him.

"Father Weisz! You're back!" he screamed with a wide grin on his face. "I thought you will be gone longer than this!"

Cresent just smiled and kneeled down to meet the boy's eyes. "I haven't finished my job, Billy. But I need to find a safe place for this lady to stay."

Billy peered through Cresent's arm and shyly taking a glance at Liz. "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't see you there! It must have been terrifying being chased down by the bad guy huh?" he said with a proud tone. "But don't worry, Father Weisz is a really stong man, he will protect you!"

Cresent lift Billy to sit on his shoulder, "Now, now Billy. The lady is already tired. We need to let her rest."

Billy nod obediently. "But what is her name, Father?"

"Well, she is..." Cresent looked at her and waited for her response.

Jake felt the Fallen growing smug as Aria spoke and he looked back at Yoi. "I don't know you... And I don't trust you." He said but his eyes had a small remorse. He knew something about some demon within them. He called him a vessel, and Jake called him a Knight. He wanted to understand what was going on. "Can...can you atleast tell me though. Why does this guy want to kill us?" He asked looking more like a lost kid than some sort of evil presense. "why would someone take my sister to get to me?"
~~~
Liz looked from Cresent to Billy her eyes widdening slightly. He called him Father...This guy was apart of the church? She looked at the person she now knew as Weisz and with a small frown said, "It's Elzabeth. But my brother calls me Liz." She said, pushing a blonde strand of hair out of her eyes and met Billy with a less cold look. "You seem pretty confident in him." She said and glanced around fro any sign of anyone else. Maybe if she culd just find a phone, anyone other than some brain washed kid to help her-but what could she really do? If he could fool this kid into thinking he was some hero, he probably could work his way out of a bad situation. "I'll try to have to same confidence in the person I care about." She finally said smiling softly.

"And I really hope that this 'person' deserve that trust." he said with a smile. The sincere one but also the one that can make you shiver. "After all that's why I even bother to bring you here."

Cresent move slightly to open the door. He bring Billy down from his shoulder and pat his head. "Can you show 'Liz' here to a room, Billy? I still have an.... unfinished business."

Billy look a little bit disappointed, but nod with a cheerful smile. "Of course, Father! You can depend on me to take care of her too!" he said while taking Liz's hand.

Cresent only nod approvingly and stand up. He walked towards Liz and grab her shoulder and whispered, "You wouldn't be able to escape from here. Just don't try it, it would only get you hurt." Letting out a small snicker he continue, "And I really hate to have a princess hurt... And even when I didn't even lift a hand..."

Not even stopped to see her reaction, Cresent walked quickly until no one could see him anymore and transform himself. He thought it would be harder to found her, but it's actually pretty easy.

Landing softly behind her he said with a smirk, "Losing track of your prey, Paige?"

Yoi frowned slightly and looked directly into Jake's eyes... "that member of the Order, and every other in the world, has been sent from the many reaches of the earth with the sole purpose of destroying you both... I walked in on scenes of utter destruction in the past... with not only a potential awakened Fallen who perished, but everyone they cared about along with them..."

he thought back at what he had seen... "you have no idea what they are truly cabable of... this is not some small group of weak and tired angels that you would have seen in the gospels... this is the elite, the omnipotent warriors who were to guide earth and it's inhabitants through pure and utter power, and they are out there right now... scheming to find a way to take you down... and unfortunately... your little sister is now a casualty of this struggle..."

he turned away from Jake and looked out towards the town...
"you may not entirely trust me... neither of you or the Fallen within you may think that I would be of use... but what you must understand is that these Angels have killed off your kind for centuries... using every and any possible way to take you out, ridding the world of your inner demon forever... not a single one of us alone would last even a moment against the onslaught of the Order hierarchy... so perhaps with my help, you two may find a safe way to prevent further attacks like this one... and then you can return to your lives as they were..."

he then jumped down onto the street...
"I was able to pinpoint were your sister is being held... though I would normally prefer to avoid it, if you wish to find her, I may be the only way of locating where she is..."

Jake's whole being seemed shaken by the information. Either he was insane or now everyone was! 'Angels are after me because I'm-'
'Because they hate me. You're so slow kid.' Jake shook his head and frowned in confusion. 'Me? You are me, you're just some figment of my screwed up head. Why would they hate me? Why?' The Fallen laughed and Jake could almost see the demon inside of him smiling.
'DId you hear what he called me Jake. F-A-L-L-E-N as in forever thrown from the path of light as you're society describes us.' An image of fire and distruction raced through his mind as he saw two groups of Angels on either side of one another, obviously different in every possible way except for the dangerous air about them. When the image came to an end Jake's eyes were wide and unconsiously took Aria's hand. 'That's right. I'm no imaginary friend. I'm the real thing and there is nothing you can do to keep me from taking over you.' Jake's eyes darted to Aria to Yoi as the dark began to seep in.
"Wait," He shouted forcing the Fallen back a few paces as he ran to the railing and looked down at him, "You-you really know where she is?" He asked and then looked back at Aria, remembering he had to stay focused. "And you know alot more than I do about any of this. If we honestly have no chance and you believe you can help...I can find someway to trust."
~~~
Paige frowned and let out a small sigh. "Just admiring your wonderful handle on that situation." She said with a bite to her words. She faced Cresent and gave him a small sneer. "What were you thinking? What if they would have been more advanced than headquarters believes? You could have just ruined everything we worked for when this all could have been quick and easy." Her eyes narrowed but she let out a breathless laugh. "You just never seem to change do you, Cresent?" She half sighed and turned back to the city veiw. "The hostage was a new one though. I kind of expected it." She smiled slightly. "But what I didn't expect was you showing up here."

Liz's whole body went rigid and her gaze seemed far off. 'Confidence, Elizabeth.' She could almost hear Jake say and it calmed her a little. She couldn't however loosen the overly tight grip she had on Billy's hand. "Sorry I'm just a little worried." She forced herself to loosen it as she followed him, "It's hard to rely on someone you just met."

"Quick and easy?" Cresent sneered at Paige's word. "Quite an easy thing to say when you haven't actually do anything, hm?"

Shooking his head and letting out a sigh he continued, "But, I'm not here to debate about our way of handling things. A knight has seemed to join in the show."

Cresent took a few step away from the female angel. "I really hate dealing with those ruffians and they preaching on how we deal with the Fallen." Smiling, looking more like a smirk, he turn himself to face the other angel, "I've come with this preposition, while working together with you have never been well on the past, that we settled this matter in a more cooperative way."

With a touch of sarcasm he went on, "After all, the heroes who keep the world in peace need to work together, aren't they?"

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"No, it's okay." Billy said with an understanding tone, and almost too mature for his age." I do too when I first come here. We all do."

Guiding Elizabeth inside the church, he stopped at a room with a cross hanging on the door. "This is Father Weisz room, he always sleep with us when he first brought us here." he said with a wide smile. "So I don't think he would mind if you stay here for the night, the vacant room hadn't been cleaned for years..."

Opening the door slowly, Billy entered the room first. The inside was very simple with a bed, only big enough for one person, a working table, and a bookshelf.

'Hard to preform any tasks when you're causing them to grow closer t their power.' She wanted to say but his words stopped her short. Paige's smile faltered and she stared at Cresent with a calculating look before her eyes narrowed. "Why not, it seems to be the Order's intent." She took in the idea of the Knight and shrugged. "But, our agents within their compound never mentioned anything about movement on their part...this has to be a loner, maybe a reject acting on its own. Shouldn't be much of a problem." A car alarm going off caught her attention but she let it slide when she felt no harmful energy in response. "Well, what have you learned so far about them?"


Liz's eyes scanned the room and her nails dug into her palms to keep her from saying something she might regret. 'Oh you have got to be kidding me.' She thought as she took a step in the room. She already shivered from the thought of being alone with that horrible man. "Um Billy, I don't think this is such a good idea." She said running a finger along the spines of the books. "I mean I hardly know him and-" She paused. "Wait did you say us?"
'Oh great, first he's apart of the church and now he's "rescueing" kids?' She thought and frowned slightly. "Billy, how exactly do you know him so well?" She asked then decided she should rephrase that. "Maybe that might help me to worry a little less...."

With a dramatic bow, Cresent smiled, "Glad to have your cooperation, my Lady."

He walked towards Paige and passed her while talking, "The man, which I believed called Jake, could control fire. He's able to suppress his Fallen when needed too, thus the hostage." Looking like he was thinking, he stopped for a moment, and then continued, "The girl, Aria, could appear from out of nowhere, so the probability of her power is Telekinetic."

Smirking, he moved closer to Paige, "I know where the male house is, he has a loving family, so taking more hostage if needed would be quite and easy task." He stopped until his face is merely inches apart from the female angel, "And what you might have found out about them?"

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"No, no! If you want to be alone, Father would surely let you have his room." Billy said with a confident smile.

Billy, how exactly do you know him so well?

Billy didn't answer the question directly, pondering if it's alright to tell her. "Well, Father had told me not to mention this to anyone.... But if he has brought you here then it must be okay." Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, he continued, "I think it almost 2 year ago... A stranger broke in to my house. It was in the middle of the night so I was asleep, but then I heard a scream."

Holding back his tears, his voice became a little bit weaker, "Then when I came down, I saw mom and dad lying in the floor... Covered in blood. Then there was this strange man standing in front of them, smiling." Shivering on the thought of the man, he stopped for a while, then continue nonetheless, "I was very scared. Before I could do anything there was a sharp pain on my stomach and there was blood..." Lifting his shirt, he pointed to the scar, "Then I passed out. When I come around, I was already on this church, on Father Weisz's arm. He told me what happened and that he already took care of the bad guy."

Smiling widely now, Billy continue with a proud tone, "This is between you and me... But I think I was conscious for a moment when Father Weisz was fighting the bad guy, he looked a litlle bit different then but I'm sure that's him." Moving closer to Liz he whispered, "I think I saw wings from the Father's back. Wings like an angel."

'Be patient with him, it will all work to your advantage sooner or later.' Paige reminded herself before she knocked him off the side of the building. "I've learned a bit more on the personal bio's. The girl Aria's on her own here, there also seems to be connections to past disappearances of a girl that looks similar to her across the globe. Problems seem to just magicaly turn up around her. telekenisis sounds probable." She said and took her own evansive step back. "That family of the the second Fallen has connections around here. The law firm I've been working under signed the adoption papers years back. I didn't think twice about him. Anyways the kids both have weaknesses, you found the boys and the girls is still pending." She was a little taken a back by how little she felt she'd accomplished but, she would never admit defeat to Cresent. "So your planning to bait them with the kid or try another direct approach?"

Liz paused and remembered her own experience with the wings. It was far different from the act of a hero like in Billy's case. "Really?" she tried to sound as surprised as she could but her thoughts were busy turning and trying to solve the mystery of this Angel. "It seems firmiliar. I think I may have seen something like that too at one point." she said to help her not zone out on him. "Look, Billy I didn't mean to bring that up...I'm happy thought that you have Weiz." She felt a searing guilt bothering her but quickly hid it with a small sigh. "I just hope my brother will come soon."

Yoi smiled at Jake's response... "well... I can feel her presence... she's across town... when we get close I'll let you know... but be ready for anything... he's trying to lure us into a trap..." Yoi said jumping up onto a nearby building... "let's keep to the rooftops..." he said starting to jump from one to another...

Jake's expression fell but he quickly regained himself and looked back at Aria with what he hped was something semi-comforting. "I honestly don't know." He had to save Liz and he had to get rid of this Cresent before he ended up killing them. 'You'd follow some stranger to your death.' The Fallen snarled, it sounding more like a fact than a question. "Traps, I can handle those. What I can't handle is putting anyone in a life or death position. Not again." Being careless he'd placed Liz in that position, being stupid could put Aria, the only person he knew that was like him, in the same. When he looked back at her the Fallen had taken over once more and was frowning in irritation. "Looks like he's making me go. So pathetic." He muttered darkly then offered a hand to Aria. "He's wanting you to know he wants you to be safe. I have to know Aria, is this something you're willing to fight for?"

Yoi yelled from where he was to get them motivated... "every second you waste is another chance for something to happen to your sister... I would recomend not wasting anymore..." he said impatiently... 'they are slowly losing control again... perhaps the Fallen are influenced by each other... I've never heard of something like that before... perhaps... I might have to seperate them in order to have the vessels regain control... but it can wait till another time I suppose...' he thought...

Jake looked at Aria and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Well then, may the best one finish this." He lept with an inhuman speed to the railing across from them, using it to puch off onto the roof and then went after Yoi. 'If you'd just give up already child I could have my power back. I could have my wings for christs sake instead of travelling at such a slow pace.' The Fallen sneered but Jake's will pushed back against the seething and tempting words even though they made him weaken ever so slightly. 'Whoever the hell you are, I'm not going down without a fight.' A chuckle escaped his lips and the Fallen's voice rang clearly through his mind. 'Don't get your hopes up kid. It makes it so much more tempting to crush them.' He landed a roof top ahead of Yoi and gave him a snide smile. "Don't think you can play with his emotions human. His feelings towards that brat are as good as dead to me anyways."

"Don't underestimate humankind demon... I have always believed that there are those who will surprise even you creatures... I won't give up on him..." Yoi said moving forward swiftly... Yoi watched Jake carefully trying to feel the emotions coming from him... and from the Fallen inside... 'it's too dark... like a bottomless pit... hollow, and empty, darkness... even if I ventured into it's thoughts, they would probably consume even me... what must I do then?..'

Jake smiled slightly the Fallen beside himself. 'Try and try you shall little knight but child belongs to me.' He chuckled to himself and continued after the two staying behind slightly to put distance between him and the Knight. He couldn't risk letting Jake have the upper hand not when he needed the power the most. "So where is Cresent?" He murmered but didn't feel any energy coming from the air around him in response. For all he knew he was probably watching right now, laughing at their in ability to control their Emissaries emotions.