HOME | DD

Description
8/28/11

Andria was her name, and she was a full bred angel. One would think that when someone mentioned an angel, it would be a good thing…however, where she lived being labeled an angel was a sentence to death. On this new Earth, angels were gifts to those looking for easy money. It became such a problem that families were placed on reservations years ago. She was one of those angels. However, the angels on this planet weren't those of legends. They did not possess the ability to fly or sprout wings from their backs. They were not worshiped as beautiful creatures, untouched by evil. The creatures called angels were experiments. All of them striped of their humanity and practically left to die by others hands.

Angels nowadays were the ones that had ancestors that had been experimented on when it first started to go out of control, an interesting game as the 'geniuses' put it. It was not like fairytales with happy endings for those with bad fortune, this was not something that could be worked around. Thanks to the experiments that got free from those people's clutches and started to try to live a normal life, they had children with dark tattoo-like wings on their backs. They were branded despite the fact they tried to live a normal life again. That's when the chaos all started and these humans were suddenly treated differently.

People with marks on their backs in the shape of angel wings were moved to reservations, all tested to make sure that they were 'true' angels before they were trapped. Tall walls and the only way out was the aircraft that flew to their death. There was no escape and the needs of these people were barely carried out. Food was bland and mostly stale, water was whatever they could find to keep their angels alive, and shelter was a one-story 'house' that was put together with stray pieces of wood.

So, here she was, in one of those very reservations, with her parents gone and most of the town clearing out from 'deaths.' Her eyes traveled across the small one-story buildings to the huge wall that surrounded the town from her window. Angels were Earth's offering…no one really knew what happened after the wings completely developed on their backs, no one had made it back to tell the rest of them. All she knew is they boarded an aircraft and disappeared…that's what happened to her parents, and soon it would happen to her as well.

Regular humans on Earth barely knew about the segregation going on only miles from their towns, leaving angels to disappear without being missed. Angels were treated as a gift and a curse at the same time, if one was found in town, they would be turned in for the reward or shunned from society. But if they knew the demons were coming, the angel's partner, many wouldn't even know of such things. All they were told is that angels were to be treated like criminals if out of reservation walls.

A person couldn't even count down the days until they would leave their small families or friends. The 'adulthood' of an angel is different for everyone, she remembered a 10-year-old in the reservation bare those horrid black inked wings across her back. It was like a tattoo that no makeup, no earth, no clothes could contain. The parents tried to hide their daughter's wings, however it was too late, someone other than the family had seen it and turned them in. Not all angels here were kind, if they got a reward for turning in their neighbors, it was worth it for them. For example, if the angels had family members that were born fully human, the money would be given to them. It would cause them to be shunned, but the reward was hefty.

It was rare in itself to have an angelic child, there was a small percent that made it past birth, so the reward was quite high. However, the money went to the non-angelic part of their families. She wasn't sure how the government did it, but they have kept angels and non-angels so separated those that may be uncles or aunts wouldn't even remember their nephews or nieces. This huge sum that was given to the non-angelic part of the family wouldn't even know that this money was from discovering an angel, it would be covered up with 'winning the lottery' or 'you are the 1000st customer.' As expected in the end, the guards came to take the child and left with her, probably to the airship even at such a young age.

The death of each angel was mourned, for as soon as they left the reservation, that meant that their life as it was would be gone. No one spoke of what the 'death' exactly was like, again no one made it back, however through their years they found out where they were headed on that aircraft. You see, the offerings must go somewhere, and it turns out that these offerings were taken to their counterparts. Their demons. Each angel that is born has a partner that is a demon. She heard rumors of what the demons looked like, but one rumor that everyone could agree on was that the demonic black inked wings on their backs were etched on their shoulder blades as well.

Andria could never understand why each angel needed a demon and vice versa, but her mother used to tell her it was fate and there was no way around it. She told her each night to only pray the demon she would be paired with was a kind one. Each person in the reservation wore a uniform each day, one that revealed the back so much it was impossible to hide their wings. She pulled the horrid shirt over her head, long sleeve for the winter, yet from the collar under her hair she could feel it slouch to the small of her back to reveal her darkening angel wings across her shoulder blades. Her mother used to tell her to have faith in these wings, telling her that if she followed the rules, she too would have a kind demon to go with her kind soul.

She found she couldn't, after standing at that horrid window that was in view of the aircraft watching all her friends disappear on it along with her parents…she started to curse demons. She could not love them like her mother had, she did not want to accept the fact she would be paired with some 'demon.' She wasn't even sure what the 'demons' were, only that they were from someplace other than Earth. She imagined actual demons, real ones with horns and curled tails with pointy teeth. She was sure that's where she was headed, to a creature that could cut her with claws. For years Andria let her mind run wild with ideas, but no one could help her agree on a match. Her people tried not to talk about their fates, purposely being oblivious to their fate and trying to live their lives to the fullest here even if it might end tomorrow. Her father, unlike her mother, didn't say much about his 'fate,' he only focused on raising her and she felt he would do this also. She knew those two loved each other, but whenever the subject came up, the two were as different as light and dark.

But she was always different then those that looked forward to their fate. She wanted to fight it, she refused to accept such a disgusting end. She trained herself, taking walks as soon as she knew most of the guards were on breaks, push-ups, lifting weights she made from rocks that hung from both sides of a thick pole, anything that would strengthen her body. She also secretly took weapons to stash under her mattress to prepare herself, so when the time came she would take her demon out. She had picked wood from her walls for years, carving them into handles before taking scrap metal that she had formed into that of a knife. She knew today was the day that the guards would see her fully formed wings before she entered school, and she would be prepared to meet her demon.

She pulled on her black cargo pants and boots, packing what little she had in her backpack before taking one look around her house. It was empty, the kitchen was unused, and the master bedroom was untouched since her parents left. Soon another family would fill in her steps and she only wished she could break this chain of doom before the next child was given as an offering. The offerings were to protect the Earth, but the demons couldn't hold that much power to do anything to it, she was sure of it.

Andria walked to the bathroom, looking at herself in the mirror while dragging her backpack behind her. She had her mother thin figure, but her father's hair and eyes. Her dark blue eyes and dark blonde hair was the only image she could cling to that let her remember her father after all these years. She hoped he was safe with her mother. She brushed away escaping tears on her pale face and quickly through the backpack over her shoulders. "Please listen to my wish oh Creator…let my demon be defenseless." She whispered before she walked out of the house, her short shoulder-length hair whipping in the cool wind as her house's door closed behind her.

As expected, many students lined up in front of this building they called a school. Andria knew what a school was like before this reservation from her parents, this was not a school. They decided to brainwash those that were never out of the reservation to thinking this demon-angel relationship was normal. They told you how to act when meeting their demon, how to address them, how to think. Most of the teenagers around her were already gone, they followed protocol like they weren't normal children, like they were robotic instead that didn't have a will to fight back.

She bit her bottom lip to keep her mouth closed, the cool metal against her hips giving her hope she could save these people around her. Killing a demon should be easy, what they told her proved that fact. She yelped as a guard grabbed her shoulder when she didn't respond to him, lost in her thoughts as usual, and yanked her backpack off her shoulders to look at her back. He paused for a moment before pushing her away from the building to another awaiting guard.

"Another one." He said simply before throwing her backpack back to her. She was barely able to catch it in time before the contents spilled out. She glared at the man, but he was already busy with the next 'student' in line. The guard behind her was more gentle, but he took her forearm and dragged her after him. Each day there was a scheduled 'flight,' one in the morning and one at night. She could feel her insides balling up already although she did have the weapons hidden under her belt.

But why was this guard so different? Why had they not checked yet? Why didn't they realize that what she had hidden in her clothes could kill another person? Would someone else have gone after one of the guards already? She bit her lip again, a sign of nervousness from this girl, as she was pulled along. This man was large, she only measured up to mid-chest, and his green uniform made him look like one of the bad guys. Although, as she watched his face she could feel the emotions leaking from him already, which was not something she saw from any of the guards. They all acted like angels were scum. Was he new? Even if he wasn't she felt he was the most human of them here.

He slowed when he finally rounded a corner, loosening his hold and looking back to her. "How old are you?" He asked softly as he walked toward the large dirt path that led to the aircraft. Andria raised her eyebrows in surprise when he suddenly wished to know. The attitude of most guards were to address the angels as they were numbered in that current line, names only existed in the household of angels.

She raised her head slightly, her eyebrows lifting for a moment before pulling together as she dropped her gaze. "You don't want to know how old I am." She answered, letting out a little yelp as the man in front of her stopped. If it wasn't for his hold on her arm she would have fallen. She quickly looked up to meet his eyes to find worry creasing his face. It had been so long since she lost her parents that it almost hurt to look at such a kind expression. She was used to shunning the guards, despising them, but this guard was acting different. How dare he! How dare he act as if what he was doing was suddenly a horrible thing, why had he come then with her? They had been doing these offerings for years, how dare he act like this was just now an awful thing! They had taken younger than her, smaller than her, entire families with them! He didn't deserve to give her pity after she saw most of her friends disappear off that giant airplane.

He looked like it pained him looking at her, but he carefully leaned down to see her in the eye. "Where you're going is where my daughter went." He said almost as if it was a secret, but to her it made her heart stop for a moment at the news. No guard here seemed to have any connection with angels, but this one proved himself different. Better yet he remembered his family, he had to be non-angelic to be a guard, but he remembered her. "I will lose my son as well, he is growing those same wings that are on your back." He explained as he stood back up, his face shadowing over from his hat. "And I want you to know that what you have hiding under your belt will not help." He took a deep breath before gingerly pulling her along. "I have no way to get you out of here, and I apologize for this, but if you want to win against your demon, you must simply go with him." He explained.

She couldn't believe it, she almost stumbled over her feet as her mouth blew out smoke from the cold air. "W-What are you talking about?!" She yelled, managing to pull her arm back enough to stop the man before they reached the openness of the dirt road. "You don't act anything like the rest of them! What are you doing here? Why are you telling me this?" She scolded, wanting to pull her arm back and bolt, but his grip was much tighter now.

"They will kill my family, leaving only me if I disobey what they desire." He paused for a moment, shaking his head at her. "I'm sorry, I wanted to warn you to what you must go to." He sighed after whispering the tiny apology before she felt herself being thrown over his shoulder. She screamed, a common thing in this reservation, as he carried her, her legs kicking and her arms flailing. His arm around her waist left her until to get one of her weapons, but as they traveled down that dreaded road, she saw many more coming to join them in that airplane.

The airship was just as she remembered when she watched her parents and friends fly off. Windowless besides the cockpit, but as white as the clouds. Two outlined angel wings were on each side of the giant airplane, a line of victims waiting to board with a guard standing near each. She had already been placed inside, her guard leaving with only a few more words to her. She was the first to arrive here, no doubt thanks to her guard's long legs.

It had been a nightmare boarding. They had taken her bag, throwing it aside and checked her wings thoroughly before ordering her inside. Her guard had followed her inside to only show her the numbered seat she was to sit in and then she had to wait for the plane to fill up. Those that were less compliant were kept outside until the end, where they were carried (most thrashing) inside to be buckled up in the front that had many straps to keep them from hurting themselves or others. The angels around her were mostly staring at the ground, their eyes blank, but the rest looked on at the panicking people with pity.

Andria felt the panic inside too, but to be so scared that they would need to be carried in made her feel terrible. They had to know something that she and the others didn't. She only closed her eyes as the doors closed, few guards sitting in the six front seats to keep the peace, only the roar of the engines was able to keep the screams of others out of her head. Two other people sat next to her, one an older man, and the other a younger girl that looked maybe 13.

She frowned and tried to think of something to say, but her throat closed as soon as she tried to speak. She sighed, lifting a hand to place over the two weapons that she felt pricking her skin in the cold. Angels weren't able to have anything besides their 'uniforms,' coats would cover their wings and so would sweaters. Long hair wasn't even allowed, it was shoulder length or shorter. She closed her eyes tighter as she felt another loud scream from a woman. It made an image of a guard coming into the classroom, going up to a student to take her by the hair. Andria always found her beautiful, her hair was the most beautiful because of its length. A long braid, but always pulled over her shoulder so they could see her wings. Apparently the guards had finally decided to have a little fun, he dragged her out of the classroom, everyone forced to hear her screams when they kicked her. When she came back in she was barely able to stand, and her hair looked like it had been chopped up with a knife as she came to sit back down.

She tried desperately to push those memories out of her head, pushing away tears with the back of her hand. The entire ride was a nightmare before the plane landed, and the screams seeming even louder now that the engines were cut made the nightmare worse. The guards stood and escorted a row of six out of the plane. However, as they left she saw each guard take an angel, tying something around their eyes before that door sealed. When that door closed again as they exited, the pilot and his co-pilot watched the sitting angels with close eyes, almost as if they would crowd the only exit. She could hear muffled noises, but she guessed this plane was built so it could hide what was going on outside.

After a few moments the guards returned, taking three of the 'fighters' out next. Time stretched on so long she could feel her heart speed up every time that door opened. Sometimes the guards would come take three, sometimes the entire row. In threes and sixes the angels disappeared from the plane. Her group was the last, and she could see the older man already sweating beside her.

As they had done throughout the entire plane, they escorted the three out. The three of six guards stood to the side, looking white in the face and tired. She couldn't help the look of confusion crossing her face when they looked away from the door as it opened. What did they see that she couldn't? Before she could even catch a glimpse of what laid outside the door her guard grabbed her forearm, tying what seemed to be a blindfold around her eyes and leading her down the stairs.

Andria had to admit if it weren't for the guard that was holding her so tightly around the arm she would have fallen down the stairs. She heard a large shuffle and the crunching of gravel under her boots. She thought that the guard would take the blindfold off, and she was tempted to take it off herself, but as soon as she lifted a hand the guard gave her arm a painful squeeze. She flinched, but did as he 'instructed' and stood there with her head high. She wondered what the blindfold was for, and suddenly wondered if they were lining the angels up out here to get rid of them like pests. Tears came to her eyes, but she refused to believe that the guards were that cruel. Or perhaps it was her own hopes keeping her from believing that was the end, that the demons were a false thing they made up just to keep them alive until now. To think her mother, father, and friends died here made her want to jerk that blindfold off more.

Everything was deadly silent for a moment before she heard a shrill scream. Her head jerked up instantly, and this time when she tried to yank the cloth off she felt the cool metal of a pistol pressed against her back. She froze, swallowing tightly as she heard the struggling begin. She bit her lip, closing her eyes against the darkness as she heard a large amount of shuffling and a series of rumbles go off. She could imagine her demon look awful, how he would grab her and leave without a word. She tried to listen for the young girl to hear any clue, but she would only scream for help until it muffled out and disappeared with the thumping. She swallowed again, trying to make the lump in her throat disappear with the quivering in her stomach. She turned her head slightly to where she last heard the girl. What happened to her?

Before she could even get a grip on her fluttering heart she felt a large amount of air whoosh close by. There was a brief amount of swearing from a male voice and a yell before that too disappeared, leaving that same series of shakes through the ground. What was making such a noise? Did the demons have something to scare the angels off? She shook her head to herself, refusing to believe that the shakes were from the demons themselves. The fear bubbling inside of her only increased when she felt the guard disappear from her side and the squeak of the shutting panel on the plane meant she must be ready to encounter her demon.

Andria stood there for a moment, listening for anything that gave her a clue the guard was gone. His heavy breathing was gone, along with the cool metal of the pistol on her back and the hard grip on her arm. After she was sure she didn't hear them she slowly lifted her hands and took off her blindfold. As soon as she opened her blue eyes she felt her heart drop.

Where she stood was a road that looked like it had been almost completely crushed to a point it resembled rubble and there were only a few places where the road had managed to stay in one piece. On each side of her were buildings that were beginning to tumble from lack of care and little weeds were growing in the sidewalks, but the destroyed town had none of her attention. It was the group on the other side of the road.

Huge people that had to be topping at least at 90 feet were standing and sitting on the other side of the dead-end road, looking as if they were blocking the freedom she knew was behind them, the edge of this town. Three men, and two women were her walls, leaving her to only stare. She tried to swallow her fear, close her eyes and count to three before opening them, but none of them disappeared when she opened them again. Andria found each one of their eyes, wondering if they would disappear as soon as she looked through the illusions. Only one returned her look of surprise back at her, but none disappeared. He was one of the giants' sitting, using a tumbled building if that wasn't enough, and as soon as she met his eyes he slowly rose.

She backed up a step instantly, but she was only faintly aware that the giant plane was still behind her. The giant stood out from the others not only because of his curious expression, but his clothing. The others seemed to be wearing anything they found in their closets, but this one man wore what looked like formal-wear. He was beautiful, his long mid-back black hair was loose and the bangs hung over his forehead made him all the more interesting. Two marks were on each of his cheeks, looking as if the tops of two arrows pointed to his ears that hid under his hair, the black color standing out against his pale skin. He wore a puffy white long-sleeved shirt, only the shoulders showing their shape. A black vest covered over the shirt with two brown straps of leather wrapping around his biceps, a gold buckle connecting them. The darker black pants wouldn't have stood out if it weren't for the two suspenders that hung around mid-thigh, unused yet it still looked like he was dressed for an important event.

As he stood he pulled the gloves that had been sticking out of his pockets. They were fingerless brown leather gloves that fit over his hands perfectly, but for some reason it didn't lessen the appearance…it only made him look all the more dashing. She bit her lip instantly, glancing around to find all the guards must have retreated back into the plane…cowards.

"It looks like they have saved the best for last." Even at such a distance she heard the giant's voice clearly. As soon as she swerved her eyes back to him she found her face losing all color. He brushed some hair out of his face as he took a few thundering steps toward her, looking not all too surprised to see her tense up. "Now, now, I waited all this time for you, the least you could do is welcome me properly, little angel." His voice was like silk, and she was ashamed that she labeled him as attractive even with that taunting smirk spreading over his lips.

"You know I was starting to think that I wouldn't meet my little angel today." He said, ignoring the giants that rose with mutters of frustration, off to the side where she could barely see a large ship that looked faintly like a rocket. She could recognize it instantly from the book she managed to steal from school once. She bit her lip a little harder as her eyes went back to the giant; he was standing in the middle of the road, slightly slouched as if he was caring for some small rodent that would be scared off otherwise. As soon as he saw her eyes on him again he grinned wider and carefully lowered himself to the ground, one of his knees planting in the ground before lowering a hand.

She stared at him a second, wondering what feeling should be going through her head right now. She could feel the obvious, the panic, but there was confusion, anger, and sadness raging inside of her too. She crossed her arms, determined to look at least a bit stronger in the face of danger, and frowned at the giant. His smile faltered for a second before he chuckled, waving a hand toward himself. "You have to come over here, darling. If you don't, I'll be forced to come get you. Now we don't want to be playing with that plane now do we?" He straightened his back, lying his offered hand on his thigh when Andria didn't move.

He sighed and his smile changed to a simple one, a kind one she hadn't seen in this giant yet. She wondered if how many he could make before he scooted forward a bit, stretching out his hand, no doubt 20 feet away from her. "The others simply grabbed their angels and left, I think this is a better approach, is it not?" He asked, tilting his head and causing some of his hair to fall into his eyes. She felt her stomach clench and even though it was cold outside, she was sure that her face was getting hotter. Was it from embarrassment? Anger? Fear? She bit her lip and quickly looked away from the giant when he pushed those huge eyebrows together in concern. She couldn't look at him, if she took in his features she was sure she'd remember him just like she did the guards, and she did not want to be attached to this monster in any way. Her plan was getting away, not staying with him. "My name is Vince. May I have yours?" He said after a silent second. He seemed to deflate a bit when Andria stayed glued near the plane, which she had hoped would be her way to quickly sneak past him.

He rolled his eyes, leaning back instead of folding himself in half, no doubt that hurt his back. "Guess names are too much to ask for, huh?" He paused, almost expecting to hear a response from the small girl, but she only glared at him. He pursed his lips slightly and looked between her to the plane behind her. "Do you need proof that I am your match?" He murmured. She instantly felt blush tinting her cheeks when he went for the buttons on his vest, her jerk forward and her raised hands were enough to get that sly smile back on his face. "I see…well, it's cold, why not come with me and we can warm up together? It's nice back in the--!"

Andria didn't wait for him to finish, as soon as he took a look over his shoulder toward the huge ship, she was running. Her stiff legs finally moved and when they did she lifted her shirt to quickly take the two knifes out of her belt so they wouldn't cut her while running. Just as she jumped the sidewalk she heard the giant stop his one-sided conversation, a rumble going off as the giant probably shuffling to his feet. "W-Wait a minute! This is NOT how this is supposed to work!" He yelled after her.

She didn't bother looking back as she ducked under a crumbling building, one that had crashed into its neighbor. She heard the giant moving, but she knew looking back would be a bad idea. If the anxiety got her limbs freezing up she was doomed. It was already cold enough to make her limbs refuse to work right; she could see plenty of her breath as she panted to prove that. She froze at the end of the alleyway, listening for a set of giant feet before they too froze.

"Er…this probably isn't a the best time to add that I'm not going to hurt you…as your match I'm planning on taking care of you, not hurting you." The giant scoffed and she managed to swallow a yelp when she felt a particularly close thump of a boot go off. "I guess I should have said that first…" He added. She carefully peeked around the building, the giant looking around the street with that worried face of his.

She closed her eyes, pressing her back painfully against the withered old building. The rough rock and the cold that stabbed into her bare back made her almost want to twitch away. Why did she expect her luck to work for once? This was awful, simply awful. To think the one demon that wouldn't grab her as soon as she was presented to him would only use half of her luck. Andria took another careful look to see the giant lowering himself down to the ground, his mouth pulled down in a frown as he picked through a nearby pile of rubble. "Um…come now, little angel. I know it's a little imitating to so quickly be near a demon, my father's angel is the same way, but you really don't need to be afraid." He said in that silky voice of his. She closed her eyes tightly when she felt herself melt at the sound of it. "It's only natural to be scared…but er…you'll catch a cold at this rate along with me." He chuckled, a deep sound that made her think of thunder. "Being sick together won't be very fun right?"

She groaned quietly, looking around the alleyway as she retraced her steps. Could she work her way through a building instead of stand here until she was found? Get a little distance from him? She rubbed her biceps, trying to gather warmth when the huge gap in the back of her shirt let all of her heat out. She only used one arm, carefully tracing a hand over the building for a loose brick or hole. Her heart leap in joy to spot a hole at the bottom of the bricks, one she could easily crawl through. She swallowed, a bit uneasy to go crawling into a building that was falling apart, but she figured that she was dead anyway with the giant.

Vince flinched as he stood up, a creek of metal going off as soon as he moved his feet into an old car. Everything around him made him nervous, things seemed too small and he was ashamed to have himself lose his angel as soon as he met her. He thought this would turn out better than having the poor girl screaming her head off. Sure he wasn't the most friendly looking, that's why he dressed up in all of this! He groaned, rubbing his arms as he glanced down to the buildings. Should he go out looking for her? What else could he say to prove to her he wouldn't treat her like the other angels that got snatched up? He wanted to be angry, and he half was when she didn't accept him right away, but he had to remind himself that if he were that size he would no doubt feel the same way.

He nudged some rubble with the toe of his boot, feeling the chill of the wind already cutting through the thin shirt. At this point he couldn't even think about what the poor little girl was going through, she had to be freezing out here. He saw what she was wearing, and it certainly wasn't winter worthy. He glanced around the buildings with his dark, almost gray, eyes with a tired look. He had been up early this morning, sure to make himself look presentable enough to prove himself, he was given the impression that angels were jumpy little things that screamed as soon as a demon, even theirs, was in sight so of course he wanted something that was a little better than a t-shirt and jeans.

It didn't help that he needed to be out here practically when the sun was coming up to be ready for the plane to get here. He had been listening to the procedure for half of his life. Fly out here, prepare one's self to meet their angel, wait just outside the city for the plane, and wait until a spark appears between the two. Now that he felt it, it was like the basking in the sun, a warm feeling that just sent such a happy shivers throughout one's body. He wasn't sure how the small girl had felt, but when he had finally experienced the feeling it in itself had made him unable to stop the happiness bubbling up from within him. He was told that humans that did not bare these inked marks on their back would not be able to understand Dilerian. When his angel first didn't respond to him he had almost thought that damned plane full of morons had played a trick on him. He remembered a normal human being offered before, and the Dilerian that had connected with her when he saw her was tricked. Sometimes half-angels are able to do that, but he was almost glad that they were not accepted. After watching angel by angel scream their lungs out he could barely take another one. Perhaps someday this ritual wouldn't be needed for a demon and the angels could return to their planet. He enjoyed the company, he was sure he would, but be raised as such he couldn't help but want his angel. If someday that would break from his culture he would not mind, that meant the little ones could live on a planet meant for them.

He finally stood up, releasing his helpless look for a more determined one. He would not let the small angel get the better of him. He knew that after some bonding angels and demons naturally became used to each other, it was just how things turned out. When these wings bore themselves on his back he had made a promise that he'd protect the small girl he knew he'd get years later and now was the time. He would not stand around like a blubbering idiot feeling bad for himself. He could see that the small girl had a broken soul, but he would be the one to fix that. He wanted more than anything to be there for her and he had to show that to her now. He took a deep breath before releasing it into a puff of smoke.

"I'm afraid I'll have to come looking for you, little angel." He called, carefully removing his gloves and setting them down on top of the road. He unbuckled the straps of leather on his arms next and set them on the ground with his gloves. He needed to prove himself, he was sure that's why she was bolting off to the first hiding place she could find. He also needed to measure how she felt in such weather, if she spent too much time out in this cold air then she could be in trouble. Vince wasn't sure how much of this cold weather humans could take, he heard that they vulnerable to the cold, they were very alike their counterparts in this way.

So without a second thought, he took his vest off, dropping it on top of his gloves along with his white shirt. He clearly had an advantage; he obviously would be a bit warmer than her even though he sat out in the cold all morning. If he started to shake with the cold he would need to find his angel immediately, it would mean she was in danger. He was told often that he made stupid decisions, but even if he got sick, he would be fine knowing his angel was with him at least.

He could already feel goose bumps settle over his skin as he quickly moved, carefully listening for any sort of shift in the buildings around him. He was at a bit of a disadvantage here, although his people had slightly better senses then humans, he was not in his home turf. For all he knew he could be smelling a scent of an animal, he wasn't quite sure what a human smelled or sounded like. Where they quick and silent? Slow and careful?

Vince shook his head, relating her to an animal made his stomach twist in knots. He slowly lowered himself to glance in a large building, frowning when he didn't catch sight of his pale little girl. He honestly could not understand why she was running around like this, his father told him that his angel came to him like his own child. What had his father done that he did not? Did he move too fast and scare her off? Just thinking about what his mistakes were and how long this was taking was making him irritable. He was about to drop to his knees to get lower when he noticed a flash of tan at the edge of his eyes.

His head jerked around, watching a little figure disappear into another crevice between two buildings. His heart leapt instantly, and he never imagined himself getting up so fast to quickly follow the angel. He reminded himself to slow down slightly, running after her was useless and would no doubt scare her off even more. "Little one! I am tiring of this! Playing at a time like this is not a good plan. Didn't you hear me earlier?" He bit his lip instantly when he caught himself raising his voice at her. He sighed, taking a deep breath as he quickly stepped over another fallen building.

"I-I apologize…" He said swiftly when she saw the woman freeze in the middle of the road. He took a fast look to the next row of buildings to see they were beyond repair, all of them practically fallen. That meant that she either had to retrace her steps or come toward him. She backed up as far as she could get at the end of the street and he could feel his heart squeeze when those terrified eyes found his. He took a few steps forward, but the hurt that wedged itself in his chest made it feel heavy. He thankfully managed to push it aside enough to give her a little smile as he lowered himself slowly to his knees. "I should have not raised my voice…" He murmured, finding his head dropping in shame to have cornered her. How could he lose himself so easily and do this to her? It was almost like he had a daughter that ran into a crowd at the mall and he was scolding her…he pulled his smile back on, offering a palm to the young girl as if she would give him a handshake.

"Forgiven I hope?" He asked as he scooted his hand a little closer to her. However, before he could catch onto her plan he felt something jab right into his vulnerable palm. For a second he thought he had only dreamed it before the sharp pain went through his hand. He hissed and instantly drew his hand back to inspect, but the fast movement near one of his knees was enough to ignore the small amount of pain. He quickly pinched the bottom of her shirt, dragging her right back to him even though he instantly felt bad about her scream. "I'm sorry, this isn't very--!" Before he could even finish another jab of pain punched its way through his skin. He managed to quickly let the little girl off in his lap, shaking his injured index finger this time.

"What is your problem?!" He hissed through tight teeth, narrowing his eyes at the girl lying over his thigh like she was frozen. For a second he thought he had hurt her until he noticed her eyes roll back and her head fall. His jaw dropped and suddenly his hurt hand wasn't a problem. He avoided whatever the girl had punched through his flesh and scooped her up in his joined palms, lifting her to his face instantly with eyes full of worry. He leaned down, holding his ear just above her for a moment before he caught her slow breath.

Almost instantly his shoulders dropped and he let out a sigh of relief as he lowered his hands to about chest level. He gazed at her with a guilt filled expression, looking over her short dark blonde hair fan out over his fingers. She was so small and…she was his angel. He closed his eyes and raised her to his cheek with a small smile. After all this time he had his angel in his hands, and the warm feeling in his chest was proof she was the perfect one for him.

Vince slowly rose, looking down to his hand where he could spot two small daggers sticking out of his finger and palm with a little frown. Where had she gotten such things? He growled, using his teeth to dig them out and spit them aside. She had no need for such things with him around. He quickly gathered his things and headed toward his ship that he shared with one other man, though he knew it wouldn't matter. He had already gotten his angel and soon he'd be getting the ship to take off and Vince couldn't stay out here with his angel forever.

He took one more look around the city before he looked back down to his angel with a fond look. She would be in a much better place with him. With that thought in mind he turned on his heels, eager to get inside the warm ship and head home as soon as possible. He missed his family, and above all he wanted to make sure this little one would be safe at home before his mind could rest its worry.