The Three Dark Angels

Aegis led the way into the double door entrance of Panthers. But Azreal, Azreal was suddenly afraid of what lay behind these doors, as though it were another reality and there was no going back once he stepped through. He felt like he knew what he was going to see, but a part of him didn't want to. A part of him wanted to pretend otherwise, to live the dream where everything was fine, that everything was going to work out, and he wouldn't have to see what was behind the doors.

It was Angelus' words, of all people, which jumped to Azreal's mind and convinced him to step through and see what awaited.

'What has she done?'

If she was here alone or with friends, it would mean that she had only lied, and that was something that could be fixed. But, Azreal had a feeling that what he was about to see was much worse.

Azreal stepped in behind Aegis, his eyes scanning, knowing now for sure what he would see.

"The table to the left, against the wall and near the bar. And...I'm sorry." Aegis apologized as Azreal's eyes followed Aegis' direction, who was also staring at that spot.

Azreal didn't know why, but for some reason, it felt like there should be a sea of people which was parted, allowing Azreal full view of one of the worst things he had ever seen in his life, and perhaps, the one that struck him the hardest.

Azreal didn't know who the other individual was, but he could easily recognize Danica from this distance. After all, he had taken the time to memorize everything about her. Her shape, figure, hair, gestures, everything. He had trained himself to know and understand her completely.

Yet, he had no idea at all on who she really was.

She wasn't just kissing the unknown individual. No, it was a full out session that Danica and Azreal usually have when they get frisky. Hands were everywhere, their lips were locked tight, and they were dry humping each other in reckless abandon, several empty glasses standing next to them on the table they were sitting at.

Azreal felt as though his life were a picture for one moment, which shattered into pieces like a broken window. In some odd way, Azreal heard the shatter as his life broke into pieces.

Emotions, thoughts, and feelings of all different kinds thundered through Azreal as he watched Danica and whoever it was, unable to tear his eyes away from such a horrific image.

Danica and the other man finally broke apart, and Azreal's eyes widened as he recognized who the other man was.

Cameron, one of the cooks at the restaurant.

That was the trigger for Azreal. All other emotions shrunk as anger and rage easily took over, building like an erupting volcano.

Anger at Danica for her betrayal. Just how long has this been going on? How long has Aegis followed them and how many nights had he seen them like this, while Azreal himself was laying in bed at home or whatnot, convinced that everything was fine?

Why did she do this? What made her forget of their love, or did it even exist in the first place?

Cameron, he knew that Azreal and Danica were together. He had seen them together, acknowledged the relationship. Yet here he was, stepping all over it in the same way Danica was. Azreal and Cameron had almost never crossed paths, yet here the son of a bitch was fucking around with another's girl.

Azreal clenched his teeth tightly, and both of his fists curled. Look at them, enjoying themselves so thoroughly, completely disregarding Azreal's existence, and what any of this might mean to him. Fuck them both!

Azreal hadn't realized that his world was changing, and slowly altering due to his anger and pain which increased and spread through him like a disease with every heartbeat.

Azreal was completely blind to the fact that his world had gone blood red, all other colors fading as he glared at Danica and Cameron.

She has betrayed him, both of them have betrayed him. His heart raced even faster as all of his muscles tightened.

They...they...without any regards to anyone, without any respect to anything, here they were having the time of their lives without a care in the world.

(kill)

People like that, they, they needed to be punished. And since Azreal was the victim of their crime, it was only just that he be the

(kill)

executioner.

Aegis sensed it almost as soon as it began. The sudden mood swing from sorrow to anger was the first clue, but even without that, Aegis would have felt this. And for some reason, he knew exactly what it was, for it spoke to him as well.

Bloodlust. Azreal's bloodlust.

Aegis turned and gripped both of Azreal's shoulders tightly, and pulled him so they were face to face. As Aegis had expected, the whites in Azreal's eyes were now gone, replaced with a deep blood red.

"Control yourself Azreal!" Aegis said firmly, preparing himself should he be forced to restrain Azreal by force. Azreal had not yet been tainted, somehow avoiding it that night, and Aegis was not about to allow him to taint himself now, not over this.

Azreal blinked in surprise several times as the red in his eyes receded. The haze lifted and he shook his head, and recalling everything.

Azreal looked to Aegis. "My eyes?"

"Back to normal."

Azreal breathed a sigh of relief. "What is it Aegis? Just what the fuck is this?" Azreal said in a tired voice as shame swept over him, feeling utterly crushed in every way possible.

"I don't know." Aegis said, a hint of sadness in his voice. The only scenario that came close to matching any fact was the legend. The Black Angels were said to have blood red eyes like what happens to them. But that's it. The pupils are different, and the Black Angelus have black wings.

That was the only clue Aegis had discovered after years of searching for answers.

Azreal turned toward the exit, not even bothering to take another look at Danica and Cameron. His defeat was complete.

Aegis followed him outside, and Aegis saw that he was fighting tears, and hard.

"Let's just go home Azreal."

"No...I'm not going home." Azreal replied in a hurt voice.

Aegis remained silent for a few seconds. "Shall I escort you then?"

"No. I just-I just want to be alone for a while."

Aegis knew that there was nothing he could really do. If he tried to force anything, Azreal might fight back, which would prove to be extremely dangerous. On top of that, Aegis, having not gone through this kind of scenario himself, knew that there was a limit as to how much he could help and understand.

"Try not to stay out too late. I would prefer if I didn't have to go looking for you tomorrow." That was all Aegis could do. He had to put his faith in Azreal, and that Azreal could take care of himself despite the turmoil he was currently facing.

"And...I'm sorry, Azreal." Aegis finished, turned, and began walking home.

Azreal didn't really pay attention to the world as he walked, dragging his feet as he did so. It was a long walk full of memories, memories that once brought happiness to Azreal now bringing nothing but pain. To him, it had almost gotten to the point where he barely remembered times without her, and now was suddenly being forced to live without her once more.

No, not completely. The pain and scars from this would never fade. So much of his recently life had revolved around her, and that had come crashing down all at once. All of that time, all of that energy, and all of it a wasted effort.

Azreal finally stopped walking, arriving at the place he both was, and wasn't aiming to come to. Goliath's Drinks. Azreal hoped Henry wasn't here, because he knew that Henry would not want to be around him right now, considering his mood.

When Azreal walked in, he saw that Henry wasn't in, and that meant that Azreal could hang his head and sit at the bar in peace, which he did

Bill recognized the mood, the old man who was bartending when Azreal first came to Goliath's. Since then, Azreal's been a regular. One that, interestingly enough, everyone got along with. He was just so...friendly, in his way.

But not right now. Definitely not right now. Not with that face, the way he hung or his head, or the way he dragged his feet as he approached the bar. Bill's silent guess was that something had happened with Danica.

"Heaven's Rain?" Bill asked Azreal, who silently nodded.

He filled a shot glass, and handed it to Azreal. "Chaser?"

"...a Morgana."

Bill sighed inwardly. Poor bastard.

"This first round only is on the house on one condition. When I say you're done, you're done, alright?"

"Yeah..." Azreal distantly replied.

"I'm serious Azreal, you're a good kid, and I won't let you drink yourself to death."

"I'll be alright."

Bill sighed inwardly again as he made the Morg, and handed it to Azreal. Azreal downed the Heaven's rain with a strong and single shake, which was followed by several sips of the Morg, all without a word.

Inwardly, to Bill's relief, Azreal seemed to spend more time staring at his glass rather than drink from it. At the same time though, it was depressing to watch. He had never seen Azreal so crushed before, who was normally an upbeat and sociable kid.

And so it went. No one could bring themselves to try to talk to Azreal, who clearly did not want to speak to anyone, and Azreal simply gazed hazily into his glass, lost, and occasionally sipping from it for what appeared to be an eternity.

Azreal heard the door open, though it to him it was far away, in another world. However, his world was invaded when a figure sat next to him. Azreal momentarily turned toward the figure, then immediately turned away, not wanting to deal with this particular individual at all, and especially not right now.

Angelus sensed it when he saw Azreal turn away from him. As promised, Aegis told him what happened, and Angelus, unable to sit still, went out to see Azreal himself. Angelus had stopped by Goliath's a couple of times, though he did not have the same affection for this place as Azreal did, and he had a feeling that Azreal might be here. A feeling thankfully that turned out to be true.

"Want some company?" Angelus asked.

"No."

Silence. "I know we haven't been getting along lately and...well whatever. But, you've had my back many times, so I'm not about to walk out on you, especially since...well, whatever. Look, the point is, you need me for something, you just ask. If you want, I'll go out for you, roll some heads and spend some time in Confinement. It wouldn't be the first."

Azreal shook his head, and astonishingly, he smiled. "No, that's alright. I'll, I'll be alright. If you don't mind though, I would like to be alone."

"You sure? You'll be able to get back home tonight? I'll stay and wait for you if you want, and you can get as drunk as you want and I'll carry you back or something."

"I'm sure. And...thanks Angelus."

If there was one thing about Angelus that Azreal couldn't deny, it was that Angelus was somehow always there when it counted. Ninety nine percent of the time, Angelus was a complete jackass through and through. But, every now and again, Angelus would have honest moments like these, showing that he genuinely cared, regardless of whether or not Angelus himself agreed with that.

"Alright, later." Angelus said as he stood and walked away, leaving Azreal in a slightly better mood than he was just moments ago. It was good to know Angelus was still on his side.

Aegis and Angelus. He would be dead without those two.

His mood remained a little lifted as he drank, feeling both the alcohol and a little more life in him though the overcast still hung over him like an iron blanket that could not be lifted.

The familiar haze began to settle when the next person walk in.

From the way he was hanging his head and staring at his glass, Henry guessed that something bad happened to Azreal.

"Hey Azreal, bad day?" Henry asked as he made his way to the bar. Normally, he didn't like dealing with other people's drama. But Azreal was a kid he liked, and such a good kid shouldn't look so downcast.

"Yeah..." Azreal replied distantly as Henry sat next to him.

"You don't have to tell me about it, just tell me what you've drank so far."

"Shot of Heaven's Rain, and this is my chaser, a Morg."

Damn...that's really bad, Henry thought to himself. That is pretty much a knockout combination. Whatever happened must have been really bad. Henry also had a feeling that it had something to do with Danica.

'Bitch probably crushed his heart.' Henry thought to himself.

"Hey Bill, let me get a shot of Heaven's Rain and a Morg. I gotta catch up."

Bill turned, mildly surprised that Henry would drink with someone who was in such a depressed mood. But, Azreal did need company, whether he wanted it or not.

"You don't have to do that Henry, don't let me spoil your night." Azreal said.

"I don't think so. Heaven's Rain and a Morg? You drinking like it's the end of the world."

"...too late for that. My world ended already." Azreal replied as he drank from his Morg as Henry got his shot, which he immediately took.

"Don't go sayin that shit." Henry said after a shake from the Heaven's Rain. "If anything, your world is just beginning. It will only be the end if you allow it."

Azreal remained silent.

"I'm guessing she's gone now, right?" Henry asked, at last needing a real confirmation on what happened.

Azreal continued to remain silent, giving Henry his answer.

"Don't let her destroy you, whatever it is that she did. Instead, learn from it. Women, they're nice to have fun with, but in the end, you really can't trust them. And you shouldn't, use them in the same way that they use men like you, and be rid of them once you've had your fun. An eye for an eye, that's the way to go."

'An eye for an eye?' Azreal thought to himself.

"But, enough about all of that. Listen, I'm gonna help you tonight, I'll get you so drunk that you won't feel anything at all once we finish our Morgs."

Azreal raised an eyebrow at that, and turned to Henry.

"I'll show you some of my mixes, and you'll have the time of your life." Henry said, and drank half of his Morgana.

"What mixes?" Azreal asked, curious.

"A few I've come up with over the years. I keep various bottles at my place for emergencies, and you're in the middle of one right now. So, hurry up with that, and we can get going." Henry pointed at Azreal's glass.

Azreal, now officially interested in Henry's offered, drank his Morgana as fast as he could, finishing shortly after Henry had finished his own. Neither spoke as they paid and walked outside, and it wasn't until Henry led the way a half a block before he spoke.

"Got something I gotta make sure before we get started tonight. My mixes, they are mine. I'm only showing them to you because I like you, and they'll help you should you need them. They are not for the rest of the world."

"Umm...okay..."

"What I'm saying is, is that you gotta promise not to show off these mixes to everyone. The last thing I need is another backstabber. I've already had one of those strike me before. So, if I show you the mixes, you aren't going to tell anyone, right? Not even your two friends?"

"Yeah...sure..."

Henry's eyes narrowed. "I'll say it again after you taste some of my mixes, you'll be singing a different tune by then." He said as he turned and resumed leading the way back to his home.

Like virtually everyone else Azreal knew, Henry lived in an apartment complex, one near identical to every other apartment complex out there. Thankfully, there were no flights of stairs, for Henry lived on the first floor.

"Sweet, you live on ground level? We live on the third floor."

"Yeah, I got lucky on that one. I was coming in right as a small family was leaving. I was in the day after they left." He said as he opened his door.

Azreal walked in and saw...a mess. A real mess, and Azreal blinked at it several times.

Since most apartment rooms were identical, the room layouts were the same. A small kitchen/dining area, a small living room, a bathroom, and two bedrooms. In Henry's case though, there was virtually nothing except a couch, a table, and scattered dishes with food that Azreal had no idea how old they are. There was also a distinct odor in the air, but after living in and out of Confinement for a couple of years, everything else seemed meek compared to that.

"Yeah, I've been meaning to clean around here, just haven't gotten to it yet. That's not important, what is important is in here." Henry said as he reached up for the cabinets in his kitchen and opened them.

Azreal felt like he was staring behind a bar with the number of bottles that were revealed by the cabinet doors. Interestingly enough too, they were very neatly lined and arranged. Henry began grabbing random bottles of kinds that Azreal did not recognize, and moved in for a closer look.

Next, Henry went for the storage container, pulling out a few more bottles, as well as various juices such as apple, grape, and cranberry.

"My private stock. I collect bottles when I can, and always make sure my stash is well taken care of. That way, should my life go to complete shit someday, I can easily drink myself to death. It took me years to get this to where it is, and I must say, I'm quite proud of my work here."

Azreal stared at the display and bottles, then looked around the rest of the mess that was Henry's apartment. It wasn't just dishes that were scattered. Clothes were scattered around as well. An old sock with a hole in it, a pair of cheap shorts, a white shirt which had two holes in it, and others just randomly scattered about. Yet the bottles and the cabinet, they were perfectly and neatly arranged. Even the bottles were clean, dust free, unlike the rest of the place.

"Uh, Henry? Why is it that your stash looks all nice and clean, and the rest of your house...well..."

"Looks like shit?" Henry finished for Azreal as he began arranging the bottles into groups.

"Well, it's because these bottles are the only real possessions I care about. The apartment is a dump, the fact that I'm living out my days here at my age means that I've pretty much failed in life, which you know about. This place to me isn't even worth bothering with, but my bottles, I've been collecting them for a few decades, and are the only things I have left that have any kind of value to me." Henry explained as he reached into the cabinet for salt, sugar, and some glasses. Now satisfied, Henry stared at the groups of bottles, deciding what to start with until a light bulb clicked in Henry's head.

Henry grinned. "I'm going to give you a Knockout to start with."

Azreal blinked. "A...Knockout?"

"Yep." Henry said as he took one of the glasses and put it in front of one of the group of bottles. "That's what I call it, and I gave it that name because it is the strongest mix I have ever come up with. It's really powerful, but in exchange, it does not go down easy. But, in this case, it's appropriate. We're not here for taste, we're here to get drunk." Henry declared as he put the finished mixes before Azreal, who stared at it with suspicion.

"Like I said, if you're looking for taste, tough luck. The only thing you can do is brace yourself." Henry said as he began making a second Knockout.

Azreal shrugged his shoulders, and took a big sip...and found out why Henry called it Knockout. Azreal blinked and jerked at the taste and power.

"Woa, what the fuck is this!? Azreal said as he speedily put the glass back down and withdrew his hand from it as though it could bite him.

Henry was laughing. "Heaven's Rain don't have shit on a good Knockout. That glass there is going to be your shot glass for the rest of the night, and I will have my own as well."