「 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐬 」

𝑿𝑽. ☁️

Xavier stirred from unconscious and found himself in a dimly lit room, filled with lewd decorations of all kind.

"where am I?"

there was no one in the room to answer that for him.  however, there was someone soon.  it was Lykos, who bent down to the angel that sat on the floor.

"you?" asked Xavier, shocked.

"that's right, sweetie.  you really are the cutest little thing…"  Lykos licked his lips and swiped at Xavier with his hand.  it was too fast for Xavier to see until he'd felt his toga falling off of him in pieces.  he tried his hardest to cover himself up in a hurry.

Lykos laughed mischievously.  "now, sit there and look pretty for our next guest~!"

Xavier hoped he wasn't being sold to anyone as merchandise.  the way Lykos talked, he could swear he was being trafficked.  but, as it turns out, not exactly.  Xavier's heart still dropped when he saw who walked into the room after Lykos—

"Latis…?"

"indeed.  are you happy to see me, little angel?  it's been a while."

"yes, I am; please, get me out of this…!"

"no, no, I'm afraid I can't do that."

"… but why?"  Xavier fully felt like he was going to let the tears fall at any moment.

"because then the magistrate and that wife of his will have gotten you back.  and then they'd win.  and I don't like when I'm not winning."

Latissimus was a completely different person than Xavier once knew, and he was beginning to see that now.  or... had Latissimus always been this way?  he wanted to perish the thought, but he knew that that was probably the stone cold and painful truth.  as Latissimus leaned in closer and stretched his hand towards Xavier to do Yggdra knows what, the angel kicked with all his might into Latissimus's stomach.  he recoiled and grunted at the impact, but then he smiled.  it was the same smile that Xavier saw outside the courtroom that day, the unsettling one that didn't reach his eyes.

unfortunately, the kick had only served to make Xavier's situation worse, as Latissimus struck Xavier back on the jaw, much harder than Xavier kicked him.  Xavier fell over on the floor, seeing stars.  Latissimus grabbed a fistful of blonde curls, lifting Xavier's head painfully. 

"fisticuffs isn't something you want to play with me, Xavier."  his emotionless tone sent unpleasant shivers down Xavier's spine.

"and… if I do?" Xavier struggled to say.

Latissimus simply laughed and let go of Xavier.  he turned his back as he worked on something at a small table in the room.  Xavier climbed up onto the bed in the room and sat, looking for exits and trying to make an escape plan.  he was drawing blanks, though.  it was a lot harder to come up with kick ass escape plans than the movies made it seem.  then, he decided to just engage Latissimus in conversation, attempting to lower his guard.

" L-Latis… I've noticed something.  how come you're doing… this… and your wings remained pure white?  I've… engaged in vices, and mine are becoming grayer by the day.  eventually, they'll be completely black."

"truthfully, I don't know.  but, it does make it useful whenever I go back to heaven to tend to my duties.  not one white feather out of place.  Yggdra is clueless."

Xavier narrowed his eyes at Latissimus.  what an evil bastard, he thought.  Xavier wasn't programmed to think like that about anyone.  no angel is programmed to think like that about anyone.  Godbrand was rubbing off on him.

"you're acting like this simply because you can?  and not get caught?"

Latissimus neither confirmed nor denied this statement from Xavier, but Xavier felt that this was the sole reason behind everything.  when somebody disregards the well-being of others this much, even the demons he employed to do his dirty work like Evis and Lykos, it was the clear mark of a true sociopath.  Xavier thought about something and he came to a conclusion he never thought he would - Yggdra messed up.  it was so shocking because this deity was supposed to be infallible; he never made mistakes.  at least, not up until the point of all this happening… all this that had made Xavier an outcast in heaven, all this that had put him in this compromising situation.  a slip-up in the creation of angels had happened somewhere, and Latissimus was the result of it.

Xavier wrapped his arms around himself as he lay on the bed of this strange place. he wasn't expecting to reflect on his reality this much; it was almost overwhelming.  he just hoped that Sir and Mistress could find him soon.