The Three Dark Angels

To say that dinner was a quiet and tense affair would be a very, very gross understatement. During the entire time, Aegis had been forced to watch the strong and hateful glares Azreal and Angelus were giving both himself and each other. Aegis felt like he was in a world leader conference and war was just around the corner.

"May I start first?" Aegis said once he finished his sandwich, and the two glares shifted to him, but no objections were made.

"I would like to begin by saying that, yes, a good portion of what might be going is my fault. I, the supposedly 'responsible one' of our lives, has been neglecting his home and friends for what is yes, a ridiculous escapade, but one I cannot end."

"Dude, seriously, what the fuck is going on?" Angelus pressed, but Aegis raised a hand.

"I can't tell you about this yet for two reasons. One, what I'm involved with is potentially very dangerous, life threatening even-"

"But-"

"All the more reason why I can't risk the two of you. There is no sense in you paying for what would ultimately be my mistake. Please try to understand. The second reason why I can't tell you is because I'm ashamed of what's going on, and I don't know how to tell either of you." And how could he? How could he tell them that he has been stalking a number of people, all in search of a single girl who he had seen once? How could he tell them that his opponents in this case were Outlanders?

Both Angelus and Azreal were now staring at Aegis as though seeing him for the first time in their lives. "Seriously, who are you, and where the fuck is Aegis?" Azreal asked.

Aegis cracked a smile. "To be honest, I've been wondering that myself."

"One question." Azreal followed with, now serious. Aegis slowly nodded.

"Is a girl involved?" Azreal asked.

"Oh for fuck's sakes-"

"Yes." Aegis answered loud and clear, able to admit that much, which stopped Angelus in his tracks.

"I thought so."

"Seriously!? That's what it's about!? A fucking girl!?" Angelus threw his hands up in the air in frustration.

Azreal's head snapped to Angelus. "You and your fu-"

"Easy Azreal. As a matter of fact, he has every right to say that and express it in such a manner."

Even Angelus blinked several times at this as Aegis pressed on. "I'm the one who took the time to learn all about this subject. How it can affect us, our train of thoughts, even dictate our lives. I've studied this aspect of myself over and over, and even tried to teach you two all that I knew for our sakes. But, in the end, even I was far from ready for the powers of attraction and...love, I suppose. All of my efforts of preparation were in vain, and I am falling victim to my own emotions which I cannot seem to control."

"Uh-Aegis? If you are Aegis I mean, uh, you been doing any serious drugs or crashed your head into a mountain or something?" Azreal asked, in a mostly unknown ironic twist. It was he, after all, who was the current drug addict.

"No. But, perhaps it appears that I am not sane. At least, not as sane as I had thought myself to be."

"Dude, seriously, who is sane between the three of us? All three of us are all fucked up in one way or another." Angelus commented, with both Azreal and Aegis giving him a strange look before they both smiled.

"Angelus made a smart comment. Now the end of the world is assured." Aegis answered.

"I don't like this alter reality I'm in at all. Someone take me back home, quick." Azreal followed.

Aegis actually found himself glad that they were making light of this situation, which meant that all wasn't lost. At least, not yet anyways. It can if allowed.

"Amusing as it may be, it is also the truth. I'm sorry, but it must be this way for now, for all of our sakes. Can you at least accept this?" Aegis asked of Angelus and Azreal, who went silent for a few moments.

"Sure-" Angelus finally broke the silence, with a strange tone in his voice that both Aegis and Azreal weren't expecting at all. A tone of defeat. "-apparently, you're just going to do what you want anyway, so whatever."

"Don't be such a-"

"Easy Azreal." Aegis repeated, who had studied Angelus' reaction very carefully as pieces came together in his mind. Perhaps Angelus didn't have any problems of his own. Perhaps his problem in what's been going on is with both himself and Azreal, and Angelus' overall lack of involvement in them.

But now isn't the time to try and bring that up.

"Aegis, seriously, he's such an ignorant asshole-"

"Fuck you Azreal! Say what you want, but stop treating me like some retarded little kid! In case you haven't noticed, I'm fucking nineteen too motherfucker!!" Angelus exploded, standing as he did so.

In a flash, Aegis was standing on the table before it could escalate. "That's enough Azreal, and you too Angelus. Sit down, both of you."

"Why the fuck am I getting yelled at!? He's the one with an asshole for a mouth!"

"Fuck you Azreal!"

"And you, Azreal, keep antagonizing that mouth by not being able to control your own."

"Someone has to tell him what a fucking little shit he is!"

"Let's go back outside, right now! Fuck Aegis, just you and me, I'll enjoy smashing your head into the road."

"No Angelus! You will sit." Aegis said sternly to Angelus, who huffed loudly, but sat back down.

"Oh no, Angelus is pouting, we'd better-"

"Enough Azreal!" Aegis turned to Azreal next.

"This is fucking stupid-"

"What's your problem Azreal? Seriously, what fucking bug-"

"Let me deal with this Angelus."

"Oh yeah, sure, let the one who sneaks out at night handle everything! I'm good now, I'll sleep so much better tonight." Azreal mocked.

"Azreal-"

"It's like Angelus said, the one smart thing he's ever said, and that is that we've all got our own shit to deal with. Well, you guys do anyway, so let me know when you get your shit together and maybe then we can sit down and talk." Azreal said as he walked away, disappearing into his bedroom and leaving both Aegis and Angelus wordless.

"Seriously, what the fuck is with him!?" Angelus spat with venom.

"This is much worse than I had anticipated. Think of this before you make your judgments on Azreal, when is the last time you have ever seen Azreal so...angry and provocative?"

"What the fuck to 'provocative' mean?"

"It means that he's playing the aggressor and is starting fights at random. And currently, he's doing it more than you. Don't you find that very strange and outside Azreal's character?"

Angelus amazingly went silent as Aegis' eyes turned to Angelus. The silence dragged on with Aegis waiting patiently until Angelus finally spoke. "I guess...yeah. It's fucking weird. He's normally always stopping fights, not trying to start them. That is weird."

Aegis sighed a heavy sigh. Now he had a very difficult choice before him. He could either go out and find who Devon is meeting with tonight and perhaps find the girl. Or, he could stay behind and try to approach Azreal, and attempt to mend the household before it completely fell apart.

Forcing a snap decision, Aegis told himself that even if he stayed to try to help Azreal, Azreal won't be so willing to accept it, ultimately choosing to follow the girl.

"Try to be careful around Azreal. I know I'm asking a lot out of you by asking this, but try not to rise to Azreal's words. You need to try and keep him calm if you can. And if you can't, just let Azreal rampage with his words in peace. If Azreal goes hostile, however, bring him down if he becomes a threat to the house, yourself, or anyone else. Understand?"

"And what about you?"

"As I said, I cannot abandon my mission. And tonight is an important night in that particular quest, so I need to head out...now actually." Aegis said as he looked at the time, which was now around seven thirty.

"Alright, catch you later." Angelus said with a distant wave as he headed to his own bedroom, with Aegis catching that strong sense of bitterness again.

Aegis closed his eyes and turned away from Angelus in shame. His wasteful mission is destroying this household. And for what purpose? To help a girl whose name he did not know? There were probably thousands, tens of thousands, or perhaps even more that were suffering like the girl was. Does that mean he should try and save them all? No, that was just simply impossible and unrealistic. And yet, he couldn't defeat his one single obsession over one single girl.

Aegis approached the door, ready to step into the night, carrying both his shame and his sorrow as he did so, coming to another conclusion that determined that perhaps emotion/love is the most powerful, destructive, and addicting drug of all. Even more so than what Aegis believes that Azreal might be getting involved with.



'Fuck you too, Aegis.' Angelus thought to himself. Sure, Aegis just had that sit down with both himself and Azreal just moments ago, yet there he goes, taking off on the same stupidity that he's been doing. Except now, apparently, a girl is involved, and that element irked Angelus more than anything else.

Rather than try to help Azreal at all, who, as Aegis had pointed out, seemed to be having his own set of troubles. Nor did Aegis seem to care what Angelus thought. Then again, Azreal didn't seem to care much for what Angelus had to say either. Their 'women' seemed to be more important than the friendship they had once shared. Nowadays, both of them seemed more interested in getting their dicks wet then care about any sort of kinship or their 'brothers'.

Fuck them both.



At least there was one convenience Aegis had as he continued to spy on the Outlanders in town, and that was that they were very overconfident. At least, while in normal Magi lands. In a way, they had to be. Aegis understood that a good portion of their income and business comes from dealing with non-Outlanders, and the pressure caused by political strife would upset the current balance in place, and therefore, most of the more unpleasant business is settled outside of Magi jurisdiction.

In short, the behavior and show of force by the Outlanders while in Magi territory is little more than a show of force, though Aegis imagined that the Outlanders would at least have two or more elite bodyguards in case of emergencies. Luckily, that didn't seem to be the case with the ones that Aegis had been following, though Aegis was not sure what to make of that yet.

However, there was one important element that could ruin this entire night. Time.

Although Aegis did not say so out loud, the truth was that he was going to be late, for the gathering should have already begun by now, and Aegis did not know how long it was going to be.

Aegis stepped out into the night, finding more dismay in the fact that it had begun to rain during the time that they had gone back inside and ate together. It was also fitting, in a sense. Aegis deserved to suffer in the rain for abandoning his friends in favor of a girl he did not know.

Regardless, it did not stop him as he ventured out into the rain, allowing it to plummet him as he deserved as he set out for his mission, forcibly putting his concerns over Angelus and Azreal aside as he did so. Tonight, after all, might be one of his best, and possibly last chance to try and quietly follow trails. If not, it was going to be time for Aegis to begin forcibly interrogating his targets.

A few days ago, Devon had met with one of the men who had been there with the girl the last time Aegis had seen her, the one who moved to Sabrina's side during the night, but not the one who had sat next to her. Aegis learned from their conversation that they were having another 'casual' and quiet get together, but was unable to hear more since the talk between the two had been relatively short.

Aegis had followed the other individual home, and ironically, found that this man had a wife and two daughters.

To think that such an individual possessed a normal family, and a wife he was supposed to be faithful to. Aegis amusingly wondered just how in the dark both the wife and daughters were.

However, it also meant that any important information would not be kept here, and Aegis would only try to come here as a last resort, keeping the location the back of his mind by stopping by there when he had the time to do so over the past few days, only as a passerby and not an observer.

Even if he did not see the girl tonight, if the third individual was a part of this gathering, it meant that all three trails were now open to Aegis, and at least one of these three could reveal to Aegis where the girl had gone.

If not, then Aegis would simply have to resort to force, measures that Aegis had already taken the time to prepare himself for, though a strong part of him felt that as with this situation as a whole, none of the 'preparations' he had made for himself would compare with the real situation, if things get that far.

One step at a time. After all, this was all based on the assumptions of events that had not happened yet. First, Aegis had to actually reach his destination in time before the gathering dispersed.

By the time Aegis arrived at his destination, a small time restaurant named 'Corneo's' in the middle of almost an entire street of restaurants and bars deep in the heart of Templar, Aegis' forehead was breaking with a line of sweat and he himself was breathing a little heavy, having rushed here as quickly as he could without drawing attention, which had required almost as much effort as it would running here at full speed.

Not even taking the time to observe the candle lighted street, nor the groups of individuals who had clearly begun the night partying, nor the buildings packed together up and down the street, nor the rain which continued to pummel him. Instead, Aegis kept his eyes and mind focused on Corneo's as he stepped inside, only to find that nearly everything could have been ruined if not for Aegis' quick reactions.

All three of them, including the girl, had just stood at the table they had been sitting at, in a booth at the end of the small restaurant, and Aegis shut the door before they even had a chance to turn towards the exit and possibly get a look at his face. Aegis backed a few steps away from the door and reached into his pocket, only to find that because of what had happened at the house, Aegis had left in a hurry and forgot his bands to tie and disguise his hair, and in an overall sense, himself.

Although annoyed at the setback, it was a minor one, for there was another way Aegis could disguise himself.

Those who were poor in the Magi world, beggars and such, they weren't exactly stupid, and had already begun flooding this street which was flooding with both bars and restaurants, places where people typically got drunk, and therefore, were somewhat more free in where they spend (or in this case, simply give) their money away. And of course, there were the sleepers to rob blind.

Aegis himself moved a block away, still keeping the entrance of Corneo's in sight while sitting himself down nearby an older beggar with a very thin hair line on the top of his head and a full white beard which was a mess, and was jiggling bells in his right hand with an upside down hat in front of him.

"Hey son, do you by chance have any money to spare for a poor old man?" He asked over the rain, forcing Aegis to turn and acknowledge the man speaking to him.

"I'm afraid not. My budget is quite tight." Aegis answered as he returned his eyes to the entrance.

"Aww, but you have such a nice looking outfit, and your hair is magnificent. Such a well groomed and respectful man such as yourself could surely spare some pocket change? I'll do anything you're willing to ask me for. I'm sure that there's something I can do for you. I'll clean your house, I'll work on your yard..."

Aegis tuned the old man out of his head as he gave a sideways glance to Corneo's, careful not to try and expose too much of his face, where his glance remained, even as the old beggar continued to try and get his attention, along with the rain which continued to drench him.

Aegis watched patiently as two separate couples walk inside before the doors opened from the inside and, as Aegis had thought, it was those he was looking for, and most of all, the girl.

As much as he tried to control his increasingly beating heart, he could not do so, fir the triumph of finally seeing her again after all of his long nights of spying, which has been going on for perhaps over a month now, and perhaps the most important of all, at the cost of Angelus and Azreal's emotional health. All of that was now paying off.

Just like before, she was wearing a face of death, one that was trying to escape the world as much as she could. The one that Aegis could see was full of pain and sorrow.

Aegis felt himself wanting to turn right now, reveal himself, take out the three men, grab the girl and run. But, that was impossible. How would the girl react? What was her circumstances. He didn't even know her name. Jumping in like that could cause even bigger problems, ones that Aegis would be unable to reverse, and would most likely force him to leave Angelus and Azreal, which is something that he cannot afford at this critical and tense time between all three of them.

Instead, he watched two of them leave, and to Aegis' surprise and in a stroke of good luck, the girl was now with Devon, the one Aegis knew most about. They were walking along in Aegis' direction across the street, and Aegis carefully turned his head as he watched both Devon and the girl walk past him on the other side of the street. This also had the unfortunate effect of revealing the old man into the corner of his eyes, who was still trying to get his attention.

Aegis thought of his current location, and where it was in relative to places that Devon visited as Aegis watched, in another stroke of good luck, stopped and turned into a small bar, which Aegis felt was inappropriately named as 'Osirus' Pub'. To think that such an influential individual of history would be reduced to being named after a small time bar in the middle of Templar.

But, that's just the way it is.

More importantly, time was now on Aegis' side, and he realized he had a very rare opportunity to get close to the girl, one that he could not pass up. However, the overall situation would be odd, and potentially very dangerous for multiple reasons.

Aegis formulated a plan, and finally turned to the old man.

"I have an offer for you. It will require a bit of your time, and will be somewhat hazardous to downright dangerous. You will also be required to drink a lot of alcohol quickly, because I need you to be drunk for my task. Let's see." Aegis said as he reached into his pocket for his wallet, the old man now dead silent as Aegis pulled out his wallet and checked it's content, causing the old man to gasp loudly.

Aegis had a tendency to carry quiet a bit of money in his pocket at all times, since it did not burn a hole in his pocket like most in the world, and only kept it for random emergencies. Such as this very moment, since nothing could have foreseen this turn of events.

"A hundred money, nothing more. I'll only tell you what you need to do after you agree, and you will only get the money at time which I will tell you. One last thing, what's going on here is none of your business. You don't get to ask questions. One hundred money and a free bottle of liquor, take it or leave it."

Aegis' words had the proper effect, and the old man nodded without hesitation.

"Let's get up and start getting ready. We have a long walk ahead and we need a bit of preparation. I'll explain as we walk."