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Waking the Fallen	By : Need2ScreamNow Category: Singers/Bands/Musicians > Avenged Sevenfold Views: 1369 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't know the guys in A7x, I'm not making any money whatsoever and this is all Fiction. It never happened and it never will.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Shadows’ POV
He watched Brian sleep for a little while, the subtle nuances of his face telling him about the different dreamscapes he was in. For the most part they were pleasant but every now and then one would make his brow furrow uncomfortably.

“Shadows?” Jimmy’s voice was slurred a little with sleep and probably the drugging effects of their healing.

“What is it Jimmy?” he murmured. He relaxed when he heard the angel’s voice and snuggled a little deeper under the covers, “Jus’ makin’ sure.” He whispered. Shadows lightly ran his hand through his hair and he sank quickly into a deep sleep.

“See, that’s sweet.” Brian murmured. Shadows scowled at him and dropped his hand. Brian smirked and sat up running his own fingers down Jimmy’s arm, “I wish I knew why they want him.” He whispered becoming serious. Shadows sat at the end of the bed again and looked up into the darkness where Christ and Vengeance were sleeping contently. “I don’t know.” He admitted.

“Why did that other angel attack him?” he asked after a moment. Shadows scowled again, “It’s a long story. Hopefully one that will be ending soon.” He said darkly. Brian didn’t comment and instead changed the subject, “How long do you think you can keep him here before his mother notices his absence?”

“Indefinitely. His mother is dead.” Shadows said glancing at Jimmy’s peaceful face. Brian went rigid, “What?” he hissed. Shadows looked back at him a little surprised by the mood changed, “She’s dead. That’s why Jimmy is here and not at the apartment baiting you.” He said with a shrug. Brian didn’t look appeased, “We were ordered not to touch his family. He is the only target, collateral damage is unacceptable.” He growled.

“Someone missed the memo then, probably Abel. That bastard gets off on that shit.” Shadows muttered looking down at the sleeping human again. His messy black hair lay like feathers on his cheek and forehead, full lips slightly open and damp as he breathed. The scene took on an almost surreal feeling. He had done this before. He had watched him sleep like this before. He shook his head but the familiar feeling lingered.

“What’s wrong?” Brian asked scooting up next to him, his wing tucked easily under Shadows’ larger one. Shadows debated telling him but decided the angel couldn’t really tell anyone since they would kill him on sight, “This feels familiar.” He said gesturing toward Jimmy, “Watching him sleep, it’s like I’ve done it before.”

Brian looked at him for a moment and shrugged, “He was injured when you found him. Maybe that’s it.” He said logically. Shadows shook his head and looked at the human again, “No…” he whispered, the scene blurred with memory, “No it wasn’t him, it wasn’t Jimmy. Older. The man is older, he has brown hair streaked with gray.” He shook his head again dislodging the memory. Brian was staring at him quizzically, “I don’t think I understand.” He said. Shadows sighed, “I don’t think I do either.” Though he had a nagging feeling he did.

Jimmy woke up later in the day. He rubbed his eyes and sat up, his mussed hair sticking up all over the place. Shadows snorted and Brian immediately went over and checked him over, “He’s healed.” He said after a moment. Shadows nodded in understanding and decided not to drag his feet.

“Jimmy,” he asked quietly. The human looked at him with sleep still clinging to him, “What’s up?” he yawned. “Do you know anything about your father?”

Jimmy blinked in confusion, “Yeah, he split when I was six.” He said hesitantly. Brian gave him a questioning look but he ignored it and focused on his own questions, “What did he look like?”

Jimmy shrugged, “Tall I guess, well he seemed tall, brown hair, brown eyes. Nothing too spectacular. Why?” he lay down again and pulled the covers up to his chin like he was going to settle in for another long nap. Shadows nodded a little distractedly trying to draw up a picture of what Jimmy described, “What was his name?” he asked quietly.

“Adam.” He said sleepily. Shadows closed his eyes and saw the man Jimmy described clearly. He was tall, not as tall as Jimmy but close, with a lean muscular build, chestnut brown hair just starting to gray at the temples, and honey brown eyes. He decided to ask once more question though he knew the answer already, “Jimmy what was your mother’s name?”

“Evelyn, everyone called her Eve though. Why are you asking me about my parents?” Jimmy mumbled.

“Did your mother give birth to you?”

“Yeah, she threatened to show me the video when I didn’t behave.” He said scrunching his face.

“False grace.” Shadows whispered. He finally opened his eyes and found Brian staring at him intently and Jimmy looking only a little interested.

“What?” Jimmy murmured. Brian shook his head, “Impossible, they are infertile.” He said resolutely. Shadows nodded, “I know, that’s why Jimmy looks nothing like them.”

Jimmy sat up again, “What are you two talking about?” he demanded. Brian answered him, “Shadows thinks your mother and father were Adam and Eve.”

“Well no shit I just told him that.” He said rolling his eyes.

“No Jimmy. Adam and Eve. Mother and father of the human race.” Brian said softly. Jimmy stared at him and then slowly looked at Shadows and shook his head, “Then you’re both crazy,” He said lying down again, “they both became mortal after they left Eden. They died.”

“Well at least you paid some attention in Sunday School.” Shadows said rolling his own eyes. Jimmy made a noncommittal sound and pulled the covers up again.

“Brian?” Shadows invited him to give the real story behind Adam and Eve since he could barely remember the order of creation.

“Adam and Eve were not truly human when they were created because anything God creates is divine. When they were forced from Eden they retained that divinity because God could not take that from them without destroying them. As they procreated as mortals the divinity became less and less until humans became as they are now. When they finally died God made them wholly divine and they are the closest angels to Him now. They are seated next to Jesus, which is why Lucifer left heaven, he didn’t think Adam and Eve were worthy of that much honor.” He shot a look over to Shadows to confirm that detail and the angel nodded slightly, Lucifer could be quite jealous.

“A price for becoming such divine beings was that they were made infertile, because only God can bestow divinity on anything. If Eve were ever to give birth again the child would be as divine as she; a false grace.” He looked at Shadows again, “Which is why it’s ridiculous to even think Adam and Eve are your parents; they can’t have children.”

“I agree.” Shadows said, “But that was thousands of years ago. Eve gave birth to humanity, her entire mortal life she spent caring for children. You think she gave that up easily? Being infertile a hundred years ago was the end of any hope for children for a woman unless they adopted but now, there’s artificial insemination.” He said slowly. Brian’s face clouded for a moment in thought and then his eyes widened and looked again at Jimmy, “Then—”

“Yes.” Shadows nodded, “Jimmy is not made up of their DNA, but Eve still birthed him, he is still divine.”

Brian’s mouth dropped open as he processed everything, “How did you know?” he whispered. Shadows shrugged, “I was assigned to watch over Adam when they were cast out. Seeing Jimmy sleeping reminded me of him. Since no one here has even heard of Jimmy before it seemed unlikely that he was consorting with any of the Fallen or demons. They found a way around God’s law.”

“False Grace.” Brian said awed, “Unbelievable.”

“What the hell are you two talking about?” Jimmy’s voice was a little shrill. And Shadows went over to the bed and sat next to him wrapping a wing around his shoulders comfortingly, “There are ten commandments for humans,” he began, Jimmy nodded slowly moving a little closer to him, “For angels there are actually fifteen.”

Brian sat on his other side and gently took his hand, “The thirteenth commandment is about False Grace. Like I said in the story, only God can give something divinity. If an angel were to try and make something divine by their own will it is considered a sin and rebellion against God and they would be cast out.”

“Since Eve is divine, anything from her womb would be divine as well.” Shadows picked up, “Like the Virgin Mary and Jesus. God granted Mary divinity so that his son could be born.”

Jimmy shook a little and squeezed Brian’s hand, “You think my parents are Adam and Eve.” He muttered, then shook his head violently, “There was nothing divine about my mother or my low life dad.” He said venomously. Shadows wrapped an arm around his middle and pulled him closer, “Angels, demons too, bond differently than humans.” He said soothingly, “You’ve seen how antsy Vengeance can get when he and Christ are separated. Adam probably left to take attention away from you and Eve. Being separated for years can and will drive us a little mad.” His heart clinched a little when he thought of Andreos, he had certainly gone more than ‘a little mad’ when Abel had cut him down. He’d gone fucking nuts for a couple decades.

“So…what? He left and she went crazy and that’s her excuse for beating the crap out of me for eleven years? Bullshit.” He snapped. Shadows sighed, he had no answer for the angry young man.

“Maybe…” Brian started staring into space, “maybe she wanted you to hate her.” He said quietly. Shadows and Jimmy both looked at him inviting him to continue, he blushed a little, “She had to have known someone would find out about you. If she had been a sweet and loving mother would you have been so eager to get away from her? Even if she told you what was happening it would be too much of a temptation to contact her or Adam. Maybe she wanted you to hate her so she could keep you safe.” He finished softly. Jimmy was rigid beneath his wing then abruptly his body slackened, “Maybe.” He whispered.

“What are we going to do now? We know why the Avengers are after him but how do we keep them away from him?” Brian asked after a moment. Shadows sighed, “I don’t really know.”

“Can I just hide here until they give up?” Jimmy asked quietly. Brian let out a harsh laugh devoid of any humor, “Avengers don’t give up Jimmy; they will more than likely try to storm Dimmur to find you and me.”

“They’ll start open war again for him and you?” Shadows asked disbelieving. Brian lifted and dropped his wings, “Avengers never fail. I’ve put a black mark on their record and angered Abel. He will do all he can to get my wings bound.” He muttered darkly. “And Jimmy is…well his very existence is…” he trailed off but Shadows knew where the thought was going. Jimmy was an abomination, something that never should have existed. Shadows lifted his lip in a snarl, “Then maybe we should show them that their honor will cost them dearly; especially Abel.” His voice dropped to a low growl.

“What do you mean ‘get your wings bound’? I thought they did to birds when they were hurt.” Jimmy quipped suddenly almost as if he was looking for a distraction from his thoughts. Brian smiled sadly, “No. When an angel has their wings bound they’re broken in a very slow and torturous way and then bound tightly so they don’t heal properly. The rest of their existence will be in constant agony and they will never fly again.”

Jimmy shivered, “That’s pretty messed up.” He said shakily. Shadows snorted, “As far as punishments go it’s fairly mild.”

Brian shivered this time, “Don’t remind me. I’ll be lucky if they bind my wings.” He folded the snow white feathers around his shoulders comfortingly. He changed the subject again quickly, “You want to launch an attack against Eldur?” he asked looking at Shadows. The dark angel shook his head, “No, not Eldur, Avengers. If enough of the older angels are eliminated it will be a centennial before they reorganize and have the man power to go after anything but the most grievous offense.”

“False Grace is a pretty grievous offense.” Brian said sarcastically. Shadows’ eyes flashed in the low light, “Not grievous enough to tangle with me.” He said lowly. Jimmy snuggled closer to his side and sighed.

Despite all his bravado he really had no idea what to do. Open war was not an option, the Avengers outnumbered the Fallen and the casualties from their last open confrontation were still being mourned. He absently stroked Jimmy’s cheek. Why was he trying to protect this little human? A million of the vermin died every day, what made him so different. He’s the son of Adam and Eve, quite possibly the greatest sin against God. His mind retorted sarcastically. But it was more than that; he liked Jimmy. The kid had been through hell and still he showed compassion and love unhesitatingly.

“How are we going to do this?” Brian whispered dragging him from his thoughts. He realized he was still stroking Jimmy’s cheek and thought about stopping but decided he didn’t care what the angel thought of him.

“How many elder Avengers are there?” Shadows asked. Brian sighed and looked at the darkness above them while he thought. “Twenty-four.” He said after a moment. Shadows hid a wince, he was hoping for a nice little number. He, Brian, and the demons taking out twenty-four of highly trained and seasoned warriors was ludicrous. He muttered a curse and mulled over the number and their options for a moment.

“Do you think,” Brian said slowly, “Satan would lend his forces to Jimmy’s protection if he knew what he was?”

Shadows rolled his neck and looked down at the human, it was probably their best bet, “I’ll ask.” And then he went to find his master.

“You want me to protect your human?” Satan raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Shadows’ mouth quirked into a humorless smile, “Not just any human; the son of Adam and Eve.” He tried to keep his raging emotions under wraps; if Satan declined the request they really didn’t have any more options.

“Adam and Eve?” he hissed. Or he might want to kill Jimmy himself. Shadows fought the urge to smack himself; Lucifer had left heaven because of those two, why would he want to protect their son? He scrambled to sway his master back to a more gracious mood, “Yes their son—”

“Adam and Eve are infertile, you know that Shadows, now what game are you playing?” his mood was back to neutral territory again. Shadows didn’t relax. “No game Master. Eve was artificially inseminated with the fertile egg of another woman. James is not of her blood but he was still born from her womb.” He was back on edge again. Both of Satan’s eyebrows shot up but he didn’t say anything. Shadows could see him processing the information. Then he shook his head, “All right, I’ll accept that, but why would I want to protect their son?” he asked after a moment. Shadows grinned wickedly, “False Grace.” He waited patiently for the elder angel to sort the words. When he did he laughed out loud and slapped his thigh, “Genius! That’s why the Avengers are so bent on getting him. Those two mangy humans have practically spit in God’s eye!” he rubbed his hands together while he thought his ruby eyes flashing evilly, “What do you have in mind Shadows?”

He returned to his room feeling completely drained yet smugly confident. Brian and Jimmy were up talking, from the sound of it Brian was telling the human about Eldur. Neither noticed him come in until he was practically at the bed. Jimmy jumped a little and then looked up at him, his gemstone eyes flashing hopefully but he didn’t ask anything. Shadows bent forward and pressed a tender kiss to his forehead, “You’ll be safe.” He whispered. The tension eased out of Jimmy’s body and he hugged the larger man tightly.

“What will he do?” Brian asked quietly. Shadows sat down and draped a wing over the human’s shoulders, “We’re going to need bait.” He said simply.

Brian’s POV
He did not enjoy being bait. He was a hunter, not the prey. Still, he would never have forgiven himself if he had hidden in the shadows and left Jimmy alone in the open. Said human was pressed close to him watching their surroundings fearfully. They, well not they exactly, the Dimmur forces had decided the easiest way to ambush a horde of Avengers was to dangle a carrot in front of their noses and lead them into a trap. Jimmy and Brian were obviously the carrot as they meandered aimlessly down a dried up riverbed.

He didn’t want to get too far from where the ambush was because he didn’t know what Jimmy’s endurance was like and, despite his wings, he couldn’t really fly, he could only glide for short distances. He could use the transportation technique but away from Eldur it drained him and he would need to be at the top of his game if he was going to battle seasoned Avengers.

“When will they get here?” Jimmy whispered nervously. Brian wrapped a wing around him to comfort him as much as he could, “I don’t know. They’ve got to know we’re here.” He answered quietly. Jimmy nodded and stared at the ground as they walked. They walked in silence a little longer, nothing awkward, Jimmy was lost in his thoughts and Brian was on a hair trigger waiting for something to happen.

“Did…did you really mean what you said back in Dimmur or were you just trying to make me feel better?” Jimmy asked hesitantly. Brian didn’t look at him as he continued to scan the area, “I always mean what I say, I have to.” He said simply. Well not so much anymore. His mind amended. He wouldn’t be punished for lying anymore.

“I mean I guess in a twisted way it makes sense.” Jimmy said quietly, “She was great until my dad left then she really did go kind of crazy. If she knew Avengers would be coming after me she would want me gone, right?” he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself more than actually talking to Brian. The angel wrapped a wing around his shoulders and an arm around his waist holding him close.

“She could’a told me what was going on. That would’ve been better than thinking she hated me.” Then he shook his head and untangled himself from Brian’s embrace, “Fuck that, I’m just trying to make myself feel better. She hated me, probably called you guys to come get me.” He snarled, kicking a rock. Brian sighed and thought of his mother’s gentle caress; could a mother hate her child? Especially if she had to be artificially inseminated, that was a lot of trouble to go through just to hate the child.

Brian jerked himself from his thoughts when he caught movement in his peripherals, “Jimmy run!” he snapped. The human yelped and dodged to the side when a sword boomeranged through the riverbed. He took off at a dead sprint toward the Dimmur forces. Brian drew his own sword and dropped into a battle crouch. He felt nothing toward the approaching Avengers, he had never really gotten along with his peers. His bleeding heart made him a source for constant ridicule.

“Not only do you fail to eliminate the target you’ve befriended it?” Luke snarled, he was a big angel, at least two inches taller than Brian and loaded with as much muscle as Avengers got. To his left was Serenity a fierce female who wholly believed in a No Mercy policy. Samson was on his right trying to circle behind him, he was shrewd and tactical. If anyone was going to figure out there was a trap it would be him. Falling back on his training he drew a throwing knife and launched it at the sandy haired angel. Samson easily sidestepped the blade. Sheathing his sword he jumped and flared his wings wishing for Shadows’ more powerful set and glided toward the three quickly.

He slammed into Samson, taking him down and rolling across the sharp rocks hoping he wouldn’t get a knife between the ribs. Samson screamed when he hit the ground, one wing bending at an unnatural angle. Brian pulled another knife out and slit his throat. Then scrambled to his feet and unsheathed his sword again just in time to block a swing from the powerful Luke. Brian found himself on the ground again as the stronger angel forced him down and tried to push him on his back. Brian allowed himself to be pushed back and kicked the larger angel between the legs. Luke let out a strangled gasp and backed off the attack. He got back to his feet and took off helter skelter toward the trap hoping the Dimmur forces knew him and wouldn’t try to kill him.

Serenity dropped down in front of him snarling and slashed at his midsection with her gleaming blade. Gracefully he twirled around the blade and jabbed at her knee. She leaped up and aimed a kick for his face, ducking under her he grabbed a wing and twisted; it was a dirty trick he knew none of the elder Avengers used but one he had found quite helpful when fighting demons and the Fallen. She screeched and dropped to the ground thrashing wildly to free her wing. Her sword flashed out heading for his ankles, he dropped her wing and again took off running. Luke was getting up and he would not survive a fight with the two of them.

Jimmy’s POV
His tongue and throat felt like they were lined with sandpaper, his side was cramping pretty badly, and his legs felt like they were on fire. Still he tried to push himself faster because, quite literally, God only knew how fast those damn angels could run and he did not feel like becoming a pincushion or a shish kabob. He was starting to worry about Brian though, the angel was supposed to be right behind him but all he could hear was his ragged breathing and the clatter of loose rocks as he ran for his life.

A shadow glided over him and he jumped to the side hoping to any deity that would listen they weren’t going to fly after him.

“Relax Jimmy.” Vengeance snickered. He was so relieved to hear the little demons voice he almost lost his footing, “Where…Brian?” he panted. and how much farther? It didn’t feel like they had wandered so far from the Dimmur forces but he felt like he had run two miles already.

“Christ is pacing him, more angels are on the way.” The demon chuckled again, “He’s made them quite angry, like poking at a beehive with a stick.”

“How…much…farther?” he rasped. When he hit a flattish stretch of ground he looked up to see where exactly the demon was; he didn’t see him anywhere. He looked down again, the shadow was still there, so where was he?

“One hundred yards, then take a hard left. Phury will be there, he’s a large angel but he’s more interested in pounding Avengers than you so just slip past him. There’s a small cave to hide in.”

Jimmy saw an opening and darted into it. There was a wall of muscle and wings in front of him. He squeaked in fright and dodged around him, mostly so the angel wouldn’t step on him. The man was built like a tank, at least four inches taller than him and more muscled than Shadows.

“Christ that’s a big angel.” He panted once he slipped inside the narrow opening.

“I’m not Christ.” The darkness said indignantly. Jimmy jumped a little and then relaxed, “I know you’re not Christ, I meant, Jesus Christ that’s a big angel.” Jimmy puffed. Bright emerald eyes materialized in the darkness, “Stay here.” Vengeance said softly, “The Avengers have left no one at home and if they find you this will all be for nothing.”

Jimmy nodded and the gemstones disappeared again and he was alone in the darkness. He closed his eyes for a moment still trying to catch his breath and massaging his thighs and calves. His eyes snapped open when he heard a loud roar come from outside of his small haven. He scrambled as far back into the darkness and stared fearfully into the bright sunlight outside. The Dimmur forces were on the attack, the roar was coming from Phury. He launched himself into the center of the lakebed and plucked an Avenger out of the air like a child catching a butterfly and beat the holy hell out of the poor thing. Jimmy hid his head terrified.

The sounds of battle grew louder and louder until Jimmy was certain it was shaking the walls of the small cave. He was afraid to make any sound despite the noise outside because that’s where he wanted to keep it, outside.

Something dropped down in front of the entrance and he clapped a hand over his mouth to keep from screaming, whatever it was it wasn’t moving. His hand tightened on his mouth when he realized it was an Avenger that looked like it had literally been torn apart. His stomach rolled and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead he had a feeling he was going to pass out soon. He reached up and gripped his cross until he thought his fingers were bleeding, drawing his knees to his chest he closed his eyes and tried to think of all the different places he would rather be.

Shadows’ POV
He watched Jimmy dart in to the cave and relaxed a little, but he couldn’t see Brian. Why do you care? His mind demanded. He shook his head not willing to answer the question and instead asked Christ how close the Avengers were.

There are four behind us and many, many more pacing through the trees. We’ll hit the first line in about thirty seconds. the little demon reported. Shadows grinned wickedly, there was really nothing like a good fight to get his blood up. Brian shot around the slight bend and hot on his heels were the four Avengers. Once he hit the wider area of the river it seemed like every Avenger in Eldur popped in for a visit. He heard Brian curse and, if he were not about to jump into battle, he would’ve laughed.

He swooped down silently over the forces, Brian caught his eye and the angel whipped around drawing his sword and caught the first Avenger, a new recruit by the looks of him, in the stomach with the blade and dropped him. Shadows went into a nose dive and around him saw the black forms of the other Fallen rising and doing the same. Phury, never one for the silent attack, roared and snatched an Avenger out of the air. With that the lower demons were unleashed on the mass of white below him, Vengeance and Christ raised the middle demons and soon the entire riverbed was pocketed with firefights and small shadows flickering in and out of the mass.

Shadows drew his sword and flared his wings and decapitated three Avengers before his feet hit the ground. It was absolute chaos in the riverbed, the Avengers had been taken completely off guard by the force of the attack. Some of the newer angels were backing out the way they had come fearfully holding their swords in front of them. A cackle he knew all too well echoed around him and the angels dropped to the ground screaming as Vengeance unleashed his power on them.

A fireball whizzed past his head and blasted an Avenger in the side of the face, the angel stumbled back with a scream and the lesser demon he had been trying to slice up snapped his neck back. Christ fluttered up next to him with a delighted smile on his face, “I forgot how much fun this is.” He said conversationally. Shadows laughed and easily cut down a charging angel, “Find Abel love.” He murmured. Christ bared his teeth in a resemblance of a smile and took to the air again.

He caught an Avenger coming up beside him and started to raise his sword but the wind brought him Brian’s scent and he relaxed again. The angel had probably had better days but he wasn’t complaining, his face was blood streaked and grim, one wing looked like it had taken a nasty strike from a blade and he was limping a little, “We have to finish this quickly.” He panted. He raised his sword and spun around to attack the angel coming up behind them, Shadows flicked his wrist and the angel erupted into a ball of flames. Brian dropped his sword tiredly, “This isn’t all of them, if they bring in the new recruits they can overwhelm us with sheer numbers.” He leaned against Shadows and he had a sinking feeling that the angel was more wounded than he was letting on.

“Are the elder angels here?” he asked pushing the thought aside. Brian nodded, “Unless they’re unconscious at the healers they will be here.” His weight shifted and more of it was suddenly on Shadows, his breathing was still heavy and he was holding his sword like it weighed more than him, “How badly are you hurt angel?” he murmured, he did a quick scan of the area around them and sent up a wall of flames incinerating the circle of lesser demons and Avengers surrounding them. Brian looked up at him and shook his head, “I’ll be fine.” He pushed himself away from Shadows and slid back into the fighting.

If anything happens to him I’ll die. He froze at that thought, he didn’t even know this Avenger, why would he die? Andreos had been his love, always would be his love. Thinking of Andreos didn’t hurt as much as it used to, the stinging pain associated with his name and face no longer stabbed at him. Maybe it was time to move on, he’d been so young when he met Andreos. He shook his head and angrily grabbed an angel by the throat squeezing until her windpipe cracked and tossed the body away from him. He lost himself in the chaos of battle trying to rip at his tangled emotions the way he tore at the bodies in front of him.

Jimmy’s POV
He was pretty sure he was going crazy. The terror was slowly driving him mad, he could swear he heard his grandmother’s voice telling him to be strong. He held his knees and the cross tighter and tried to school his breathing to something manageable.

A shadow fell across the entrance of the cave and he put his hand over his mouth again just in case another Avenger dropped from the sky. Instead of dropping lifelessly a familiar steel gray haired man peered in to the darkness. His blood ran cold and he held completely still, a mouse caught in the open with a hawk circling. The angel blinked and then shouted at someone over his shoulder and two other angels appeared.

“James Owen Sullivan.” He said. Jimmy was hit with the worst feeling of déjà vu and trembled. He drew his sword, Jimmy tried to back up further but it was a shallow cave and he was already as far back as he could get. His hand fell away from his mouth and he screamed. The sound echoed around the small space and the angels winced, though with the roar of the battle it was hard to believe they could hear him. A growl came from next to him and then he was blinded by light when a fireball lit up the darkness and shot straight for gray haired man’s face. He hissed and dove to the side and the dead Avenger behind him lit up like a torch. Christ grabbed his hand and the now familiar prickly feeling crawled over his skin and he was outside of the cave on the bank of the riverbed. The little demon kept a firm hold on him and tugged him down, Jimmy collapsed next to him shaking, the demon made a crooning sound and ran his fingers through his hair. Jimmy rested his head against his thigh, he wasn’t dead, but he had to keep his shit together if he wanted to stay that way.

A shadow loomed over him and his head shot up in terror but it was Shadows talking heatedly with Jimmy in a guttural language. The angel’s voice softened and then he crouched down in front of Jimmy, “Take this,” he handed him a short bladed sword, “and keep your head down. If any Avengers find you aim for the knees, once they’re on the ground you’ve got to kill them or they’ll let everyone out there know exactly where you are. Once they’re dead find a new spot to hide.” He kissed his forehead again and then he and Christ disappeared. Jimmy stared at the spot where he had been and then backed up against the thick trunk of a dead tree and held the sword tightly in both hands.

He was on the verge of a full blown panic attack, there were at least a hundred people in that riverbed that wanted him dead and here he was out in the open waiting for someone to stumble upon him so he could kill them and then run through the woods like some kind of ninja and find someplace else to hide. He wasn’t fucking Rambo! He started to close his eyes to calm himself but snapped them open again, someone could walk right up to him and he wouldn’t be able to hear it, he had to keep his eyes open. He gripped the handle tighter and tried to calm down, he wasn’t going to function if he was freaking out.

A flash of white ghosted through the underbrush. He froze again and tried to find where it went, there was another flash to his left. Oddly he thought of hunting lionesses, they surrounded their prey and then one drove the antelope or zebra to the waiting pride where they took it down together. He scrambled to his feet and took off at a dead run in no particular direction. How the hell did they keep finding him?

He ran until the sound of the battle faded and the only thing he could hear was his ragged breathing. He came to a stumbling halt when he reached a riverbed that actually had water in it. A sheer limestone cliff was to his left, to the right was deep mud and lush swamp grasses that he would easily leave footprints in. Glancing down at the sword he jogged over to the cliff and tried to push the blade in to the stone. No luck, all he did was mark up the rock and probably dull the blade. He eyed the river and the bank on the other side, a twig snapped behind him. He whipped around ready for battle; the space was empty. It was probably a natural sound in the woods but he was on the verge of hysteria and he jumped in to the cold water.

He scrambled up the opposite bank and forced his tired body to start running again. He wasn’t sure how much farther he ran but he knew he was hopelessly lost, the sun was setting, he was getting cold and was already exhausted, he was hungry, and he was certain there was still someone behind him. But that could have been his insanity. He was positive he was crazy now. He was hearing his grandmother’s voice and on occasion saw her as he ran. He stumbled to a stop and dropped to the ground panting and holding his cramping side. God, he’d forgotten what the gnawing hole of hunger felt like, being with Shadows for the past week had been heaven for him; warm bed, plenty of hot delicious food, and any drink he asked for.

His body finally gave out and he hit the ground face first still panting heavily. He lay there until night finally fell and the quiet sounds of the forest started again and then he tried to raise his head. He let it drop again, he was so hungry. He curled in to a cold, hungry, sore, and thirsty ball still gripping the sword tightly and hoped Vengeance or Christ or, even better, Shadows would find him soon.

Shadows’ POV
He had seen a lot of gruesome things in his years but seeing Brian try to hold his torso together was definitely going in the top five. The angel was lying in a spreading pool of blood gasping in pain. The slash was neat, almost surgical. It started on his right side and stopped at his spinal cord, it must have severed some of it though because his legs lay uselessly on the ground. With his heart twisting in his chest he knelt next to the dying angel and lifted his head so he could breathe easier. Brian’s eyes focused up at him for a second and then glazed again with pain. His lips and chin were stained with ruby colored blood and his once immaculate sash was shredded. There was a hole in his chest and his shallow breaths gurgled in his throat.

“Help…” the soft gasp was more air than sound. He wasn’t going to last much longer, blood was pouring out of him; it was amazing he was still alive.

“You don’t want my kind of help angel.” Shadows said softly stroking his forehead. He gagged and a fine mist of blood sprayed his face, his breath stuttered and his hand clamped down harder, uselessly, on the cut through his middle, “Help.” His eyes rolled back and then forward again and his breathing was weaker. Shadows kissed his forehead, “I’ll stay with you.” He murmured. Brian’s eyes rolled up to his again, desperate, “Help…ple…please.” Air left him and it took him a moment to draw another pained breath. Shadows closed his eyes and kissed him again, “If only because I’m selfish.” He kissed his bloodied lips and felt darkness well up inside him and pour into the angel.

Brian spasmed once and choked and tried to breathe, fear washed through him, maybe he was too close to death to save. His breathing started again ragged but growing stronger; his pristine wings began to darken, blackness spilling over them like wet ink stretching and strengthening them. The bloody gash began to slowly knit itself back together his organs returning to their correct places and healing. Under his fingers he could feel muscle building in his shoulders to support his larger wings and the new ability to fly. Chocolate brown eyes darkened to walnut and his incisors grew and sharpened and then retracted again to their natural length. The transition wasn’t quite complete but done enough for Brian to pass out in his arms. His skin, already the color of ivory, paled to alabaster contrasting with his black hair and wings in a way that made Shadows’ blood heat.

“Shadows no one can find Jimmy.” Vengeance said tightly appearing next to him. He glanced and Brian and blinked in surprise, “Did you do that?” he asked curiously. Shadows rolled his neck and nodded, “You and Christ watch him. Has Abel been found?” he asked tiredly. He was really looking forward to a nice shower when he got back to Dimmur, he could feel his and Avenger blood caking to almost every inch of his skin. Vengeance shook his head, “Either he ran home with his tail between his legs or he’s out there looking for Jimmy too.”

Shadows growled, “Watch him.” And then went to find his human and Abel.

Jimmy’s POV
He didn’t know he’d fallen asleep until a loud sound near his head had him on his feet tightly holding the sword in front of him. He was surprised at how well he could see, he wouldn’t be running anywhere but he could make out shapes in the dark that were roots and rocks and trunks of trees. He could also see the glowing white feathers of an Avenger standing in front of him. His knees went weak and he tried to suck in a breath and found his lungs were full of cotton.

“This is the last we’ll meet human.” He recognized the steel haired man’s voice and his legs turned to jelly. He swallowed loudly and backed up into a tree still holding the sword in front of him. Go for the knees then kill him and run like a little girl. His mind coached. He felt like he was going to throw up. The angel drew his sword, the menacing hiss silencing the other benign sounds of the forest, Jimmy’s brain shorted out. He stood frozen as the man stalked closer, he wanted to move, dodge to the side and take off into the darkness but he figured he wouldn’t get far before he slammed into a tree. So he did the one thing he knew he was capable of; he screamed.

The sword arced toward him, a purple rainbow in the darkness, and finally his body unlocked itself and he dropped to the ground and rolled away. Agony erupted in his thigh as he tried to stand, he shrieked and fell. Dimly in the moonlight he saw a steel blade embedded deep in the muscle. His vision spun and he started to feel woozy, tremors racked his body.

A deep growl echoed through the trees and there was a loud clang as steel met steel, then Shadows’ wonderfully vicious voice reached his ears, “You die here Abel.”

A shadow loomed in front of him and his panic came back until he saw Brian’s face in the moonlight, there was something different about him though. He would figure it out later, he threw himself into the angel’s arms and shook.

“Hush Jimmy, c’mon little one let’s get you back.” His soft voice crooned in his ear. Jimmy didn’t really care where he went so long as he was with him. His skin tingled and they were suddenly back in Dimmur, familiar stone walls rose around him and he finally passed out.

A/N: Yay! One chapter left, thanks for reading and reviewing =D
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Waking the Fallen