Angel Plumes

Chapter 3: Frankenstein

The walls were white and sterile, but the air was heavy with death. Angel could smell it. All of it. Somehow hospitals felt so much worse than the battlefield. People came to hospitals because they wanted to live. Those who were killed on the field couldn't even blink twice before they died.

Ahead of him was a large, locked door. Two guards stood on either side, studying the devil coming towards them. They raise their guns, but a dismissive glance from Kishibe returns them to their resting state.

The interior of the room was more daunting than the outside. It could hardly be considered a hospital. In the center of the room were a mixture of hunters and what appeared to be doctors, all surrounding an autopsy table.

The devil's eyes lock on to the body, every part of him calculating what was before him. Timidly, he looks to Kishibe for permission. He needed to see the body, but he'd also seen what happened to insubordinate devils.

Kishibe sighs, offering a small nod towards the table.

"Thank you, sir..." Angel swallows. His steps were cautious at first, worried that any moment Kishibe may go back on his word.

The staff part as Angel comes to the table. They must have been important if they were aware of his ability.

There it was.

The body.

The once mangled mass was reassembled, the gun devil's presence since leaving Aki. When the gun disappeared from his left side, his arm was restored, similarly to Angel with Makima. The arm didn't look quite right, though. The skin along it was discolored, ridged, and thin. At least it had been an organic regeneration. If Angel could appreciate Makima for anything, it would be this.

By contrast, the rest of the body was a mess of sutures and deep scars. It was hard to look at the postmortem assembly. Even with Public Safety's access to Japan's best doctors the body looked horrific. The way Aki was pieced together was a desecration if nothing else. Despite it all, what was hardest to witness was the face.

Aki's hair was caked with half dried blood, only areas the staff had handled frequently had any form of cleanliness. His eyes were closed, his jaw slack. At least in death he looked peaceful.

Angel leans his face over the corpse, his own hair delicately brushing against Aki's face. He reaches down and a few of the staff place their hands on their holsters. The devil hesitates, looking towards the staff until Kishibe comes and stands behind him.

He second guesses himself now that Kishibe studied his every move. Angel pulls his hand back. This felt impossible. Swallowing, he gathers his nerves, finally resting his palm over Aki's face. He'd never wanted to touch him. At least not like this. Even as the body lay there cold beneath his fingers, he somehow feared he could make this worse.

Finally, he rests his hand over Aki's eyes. Applying the gentlest pressure he could, he drags his eyelids upward. Staring into his emptiness, each of Angel's hairs and feathers stand on end. It looked like his deep blue eyes had frosted over.

For a while he stood in silence, waiting for a sign, but none came.

He feels his face run hot, the back of his eyes burning with foreign emotion. His failure was here to be witnessed by a room full of strangers. He wasn't even sure what he expected to happen, or how to achieve his goal. This idea had been his, yes, but he'd never explored his own powers like this.

Angel holds his breath in a cheap attempt to compose himself. He didn't even need to look to know Kishibe was staring at him. He didn't know if it was better or worse he couldn't tell what he was thinking.

Kishibe takes a step towards him, resting his hand on Angel's shoulder.

"No. I'm not done yet..." the devil pleads. "I just need a little more time..."

The grip on his shoulder tightens briefly, then pats him. "Give it your best shot, then." Kishibe speaks.

Angel's fingers reach for Aki, one hand resting on his chest and the other on his forehead. Leaning over his face, his hair concealed them from the rest of the room. In this moment, the staff didn't matter. They couldn't matter. He had to think of something- Anything. It felt wrong to touch him, wrong to see him this close. Angel breathes in, leaning down til their faces almost touched. "I'm sorry... This is all I can think of-" he speaks to the body. No. To Aki. In his last moment of confidence, he pinches Aki's nose and clasps his mouth to his. He was cold against his lips, the smell of dried blood lingering with what little remained of Aki's original scent. Angel breathes his strongest breath into his lungs, feeling the body's chest rise beneath his hand.

A wave of warmth runs from the devil to Aki. Angel could have sworn he'd felt him twitch, but it was so faint he couldn't be sure if it wasn't just grief playing tricks on his mind. The slow beat of a heart almost burns his fingers where they rested, making him recoil.

The sound of coughs and unsteady breath bring the attention of the doctors. Chatter immediately filled the room.

Angel stares at the body, shaking to witness the impossible. "Is this real?" he glances over his shoulder at Kishibe.

Kishibe was just as stunned as he was, albeit quietly. "Well I'll be."

"Move!" one of the head doctors commands. "He's unstable!"

Suddenly the air was filled with jargon, planning, and a split second team formation.

Angel steps away immediately, but his eyes won't leave the body. He sways his balance, attempting to look between the activity, but he wasn't tall enough to keep sight of Aki.

"What did you do?" Kishibe questions.

"I dunno- I- I've never made a contract like this before!" Angel explains. He studies his hands, then what little he could see of Aki.

"We have to ask you to leave." One of the staff looks at both of them. "If we're going to have any shot at this, we can't have a devil in here while we work."

Before Angel could even process the words, he was being dragged out by Kishibe. In a lapse of better judgment, he resists, pulling against his grip to get one last look. "Aki!" he calls out. "Aki!" his voice raises.

He barely managed to break away but the moment abruptly ends. Strong hands dig into his arm and swing him out of the door. The devil falls just outside of the room. On his hands and knees, he watches as Kishibe pulls the doorway closed. Just like that, the sound of the interior disappeared with the sound of the latch.

Kishibe watches the devil where he kneeled, taking in the sight of his grief as he struck the floor in frustration. His skin against the linoleum made a dull thump.

"C'mon, kid." Kishibe coaches, holding his hand out to him. "Get up."

Angel's shoulders shook as he reached for Kishibe's hand. Even in his anger he knew better than to ignore him."Let's get you something to drink." he sighs.