What the Halo? I ONC2020 I

Chapter 10: Cain

"Get out of here now!" Shouts rained over us as we neared the platform. Commands from mortal police officers meant nothing to me and I thought about all the ways I could silence them, but alas... rules.

"Shut them up." I barked over my shoulder. It seemed the only thing Michaela was good for was distracting the humans. She'd mitigated their presence as we navigated through the subway station, and though I didn't want to admit it to myself, her ability to do so was quite helpful.

The officers who had been positioned on their bellies with guns drawn and clamped between trembling hands suddenly rose and holstered their weapons, retreating gingerly in the direction we'd come from, dream-like smiles splitting their faces. I wondered what kind of wretched thought of kittens or cotton candy Michaela had shoved into their brains.

I pulled the hood from my head and arched a judgemental eyebrow at Grigori who grunted his distaste at our interference. Realizing there was a woman clawing at his back he let out an exasperated sigh and reached behind, grabbing a fistful of her hair and yanking the woman over his shoulder. Dangling her before him, he assessed her as if she were merely a tick he'd removed from his skin. Michaela jumped forward, her hands outstretched as if she expected to catch the woman. I slid my hand around her waist and hoisted her backward. "No." I hissed in her ear. "You can tend to the injured later."

I ignored Michaela's resentful look as Grigori tossed the woman onto the platform and her skull bounced off the concrete. Violence was inevitable, but at this point, I wasn't sure if I'd have to defend myself from Grigori or Michaela. 

I stepped forward, my arms outstretched and palms upturned. "Brothers, is all of this really necessary?"

Four pairs of red eyes glared at me, each filled with more hatred than the last. Grigori jerked his head in my direction and a demon I knew as Fabian pounced. A snarl ripping through the air as he aimed straight for Michaela, but I was faster. I took his impact full-on, blocking his path to her, blue flame encircling his neck as I gripped him, nails digging deep into his flesh drawing rivers of blood down his front. With an easy flick of my wrist, his neck snapped and he collapsed—not dead—but out of the way.

"Why all the hostility?" I smirked, "I come in peace."

The cries of children and injured commuters carried to my ears, I couldn't see their faces in the overturned train, but I could feel their fear. As a demon, fear from the innocent was like a drug, it heightened my senses and sent a euphoric surge through my blood, but I could also sense Michaela's distress and it gnawed at me, deflating the exhilaration.

Grigori pulled himself up from the tracks and stepped over the unconscious woman, crimson flames flicking in his irises as he spoke. "I will kill you, Cain."

"Will you?" I asked knowing there was no lie on his tongue. He could and he would, but I'd put up one hell of a fight. "What for, old man? I've done nothing but come to your defense."

Grigori turned his cheek so that I could see the scorch marks I'd left on his face, "You call this defense? Seems you have more angel in you than I thought or..." he cocked his head, an insidious look of interest washing over Michaela, "Perhaps she's got a little demon in her... about three inches?" he chuckled.

I denied him a reaction, my face revealing nothing but amusement at his attempt to draw my ire. "It's best you all leave before Lucifer learns of the catastrophe you've created, he isn't kind to those who disobey him."

"Well now, Luci isn't here, is he?" Grigori winced, his eyes narrowing as he shook his head, "What the hell?"

The thoughts were meant for him but I could feel them brush past me as if they were tangible... cotton candy, carousels... Cain. I faltered, did she think thoughts of me would calm an elder demon or was she just trying to piss him off?

Grigori snorted. "That don't work on me, angel, but how cute," his hand reached around me to grab her but I caught it, sending blue flames up the length of his arm. His two cronies descended, leaping from the train and abandoning their search.

"Find the child." I spat through clenched teeth as I blocked Grigori's fist. Michaela shot out from behind me, her feet carrying her over the unconscious woman, but then she hesitated, her eyes searching the woman for signs of life and then flickering to me. I glared, "Do what you're told for Christ's sake!" My words had the effect I wanted, her eyes pulsed with revulsion and she turned and climbed into the train.

My attention turned back to the three demons. The smaller two would be easy enough to deal with. I jumped back, my fist joining to my palm, a forceful pulse drove out from my hands, knocking them to the ground while Grigori rounded. His knuckles kissed my lips, splitting them against my teeth, blood blossomed in my mouth, the taste sweet. I touched it with a smile.
"That all?" He swung again, his fist lit with flame, I blew hard extinguishing it with a laugh. His other fist drove into my stomach and I lurched forward, his knee finding the side of my head. Lost in the pain, I missed when the two lesser demons regained their footing and raced to my sides. They pinned my arms as Grigori rose above me.

"After I kill you, the things I'm gonna do to that angel would make even Lucifer blush."

My blood ran cold, as I struggled against the demons restraining me. Grigori slid his thumb across his tongue, painting the tip in the deep blood red of his saliva and then he pressed it to my forehead. In two quick movements, he drew an upside-down cross across my brow. The mark of the damned, cursed and forgotten. "You're a pathetic excuse for a demon, it's going to be a pleasure to watch you die." Satisfaction blazed on his face.

I'd always known my life would be cut short by a brother, I just hadn't expected it to be on earth, in a New York City subway station. I raised my head and clenched my jaw, I wouldn't grant Grigori the joy of seeing me beg.

"Wait!" Michaela emerged from the train, standing atop the overturned car—she was a pale flame tipped in blood red curls—If death was near, at least the last thing my eyes would see would be something beautiful.

A shot rang out and Grigori stumbled backward, blood blooming on his chest. The two demons pinning my arms loosened their grip and leaped forward to protect Grigori. I twisted around to find an officer clad in swat gear, his assault rifle aimed at Grigori's head. "I won't say it again! Down on the ground!" he shouted.

"I'm not done with you," Grigori spat, and just as soon as the words left his mouth he and his henchmen were gone, black smoke swallowing them.

Michaela drove forward, her hands on my shoulders, steadying me. "It's not here, the child, it's not here."

"Get rid of the cops." I groaned, rubbing at the pain in my arms, and then flinching at the ache of her irritation. "Please? If you don't we're going to have to explain things they aren't prepared to understand."

"Fine." She nodded, her face lifting stoically to the team of swat officers behind us, and just as quickly as she'd laid her eyes on them, they laid their guns down. "Save the children," she whispered, her voice a begging plea. My hand dropped from my injured arm and found her face. As much as I wanted to hate her, she'd not only cleared the way to the train, she'd also saved me, I didn't know how just yet, but I knew she'd saved me from death. Perhaps she wasn't such a terrible angel after all.