Heaven, Hell, and Earth

Chapter 43

When back up arrived, they brought first aid, extra weapons, and a change of clothes. One half of the supplies was lured down into the pit by a rope to where Charlie and Alastor were. They weren't injured and there was no danger down there, but they definitely needed the new clothes. So did Vaggie and Angel, their clothes weren't burned away but they were covered in sticking webbing and slippery conditioner. Alastor and Charlie changed in the darkness of the pit while Millie fixed up a curtain for Angel and Vaggie to take turns changing behind. Later they used that same rope to pull Alastor and Charlie out of the hole where they all received a very nasty but well-deserved scolding from Blitzo.

"What the actual F*k! Were you all thinking?! Solomon told you all specifically to stay out of the lower regions and you just went right on down there!" Blitzo was raving. "Have you all lost your damn minds?! You could have been killed!"

"Nobody in the safer parts knew anything." Angel said. "If we wanted information we had to go lower."

"Oh that's great! Yeah, awesome excuse! I'm sure that would be just the thing to tell Solomon if we had to inform him that we found you all dead!" He said sarcastically.

"Look don't yell at them, it was all my idea." Alastor said. "It's my fault!"

"Oh believe me! I know you were the mastermind behind it all! But that doesn't excuse the fact that they all willingly went along with it! And now look what's happened!" He pointed to the enormous charred area. "We should all be counting our blessings that this didn't spread any further! If it did half the city would be taken out and those who survived would know our secret and you all would be taken away!"

"We're..." Charlie started out meekly. "We're sorry...We just...We thought we could handle it and...I...I didn't mean to lose control again."

Moxxie then pulled out his laptop.

"Vaggie, Angel, come with us for a check up. You're probably fine but better safe than sorry. Charlie and Alastor, turn on the laptop, Solomon wants to talk to both of you now."

Alastor and Charlie looked at each other nervously and then took the laptop from Moxxie. As soon as Angel, Vaggie, and the agents were gone, the two opened up the computer and there was Solomon on the screen, sitting at his desk, his face dark and his fingers drumming impatiently on the wood.

"Well..." He spoke after five minutes of silence. "What do you two have to say for yourselves?"

"Um...Sorry?" Alastor replied, unable to find anything else to say.

Solomon sighed and for a moment, he slowly shook his head in frustration.

"This is getting ridiculous. Twenty-five years, and you still act like irresponsible and impulsive children."

"Solomon I'm very sorry." Charlie said. "I tried to stop the fire, I tried as hard as I could but I just...I just can't."

"And do you know why that is? Because you refuse to finish your training. Time after time, I have warned you of the dangers of having such great power and not learning how to control it. But you never listen. You still believe that if you just ignore it, it'll just go away. When are you going to accept that it never works that way? And you young man, I've just about lost my patience with you. Everyday I tell myself and everyone that someday you're going to straighten up and finally listen and think. But you don't, you just keep doing whatever you please, regardless of the consequences and you ignore me."

"I don't ignore you." Alastor said.

"Well it seems like you did today, and what's worse you pulled the others into your bad choice as well! This behavior can't go on! You're both too old, I raised you both to know better, and truthfully...It's scaring me now."