(Part 21)

"Bye Karuna!" I yelled, waving enthusiastically as the whole crowd of them began flying back up to our home. Of the entire 'army' of Warriors that I was supposed to be a part of, I learnt that Karuna was the friendliest of them all, and that most of the guys there were the strong silent type. Only Julius and Nathaniel seemed different, but Julius was mostly caught up with exchanging sweet gazes with Jayne. There didn't seem much need for announcement that Julius and Jayne were 'hard-core lovers', and I hadn't want to ask Nathaniel what he meant by that phrase.

Still, my newest angel friends left with friendly waves and disappeared into the sky, leaving me once more with my pathetic, irritating and annoying companion Azazel. I had wanted to leave Hell with my new friends and leave Azazel gladly behind, but he had told them that my first mission wasn't yet over. Somehow, he seemed to know everything about my mission.

"So? What are we still doing here in this hellhole?" I spun around to ask, ignoring the obvious bright patch of red at the hem of my white robe. Apparently, after dying and being made as angel also gave me a wardrobe change of the angel's white robes. And, after Azazel helpfully cut my palm open, I had absently smudged my blood over the white robe, which made me look like I had been seriously injured.

"Like I said, there is still someone to meet."

"Who? Your mother?" I asked, a little sadistically satisfied when an annoyed glint flashed past his eyes. It was good to know that he was getting as annoyed around me as I was around him.

"He is coming to us soon; there is little need to worry." He answered in his usual cryptic way and I raised a brow in suspicion. I had seen pretty much anything that could surprise me –becoming angel, meeting the Demon King, negotiating (by threats of force) with the Demon King, making a deal with the Demon King, and making friends with an angel army. What more could be packed in my fun-filled itinerary for the rest of the day?

"Before he arrives, however, there is one thing that I am asked of our master to convey to you." Azazel's voice was once again back to his authoritative, 'I-am-mightier-than-you' tone.

"Don't tell me it's another mission? Don't angels get a break?" I groaned in dread, but Azazel obviously ignored my whine.

"You probably have already come to realize that you are a different type of angel. Unique, even."

"Not really. I haven't really met lots of other angels, but I got the sense that I was like them." I answered honestly. I was supposed to be special even amongst the angels? I didn't really feel that way.

Once more, Azazel ignored my comment, continuing as if I hadn't spoken. Was it a habit of his, or was it just me?

"You are the first ever angel to be Made while retaining all of your characteristics –the good, and even the bad. In a sense, you are the most humane angel Heaven has seen. But this makes you different, and different is something that can change the way our other angels work."

"So you're saying I'm a bad influence?" My new angel-brain was fast enough to catch his drift. "That's not fair."

"Not a bad influence. Just humane." Azazel corrected, as if it was going to make a difference. "Heaven is not ready for humane angels like you just yet."

"So am I pure or not? I can't seem to decide whether you are pulling my leg, or just being an asshole, Azazel."

"There. That is simple evidence. There has been no angel who has been able to be so vulgar. They do not have the ability to, because they cannot develop malevolent thoughts –at least not towards their brethren. Still, you have been insulting me like you usually would as a human."

I crossed my arms. "That is not very convincing. I could just censor myself a little more when I'm around you. It isn't that hard."

It was a lie -I guess I kind of reinforced the idea of impurity here.

"It isn't only just that. You are humane, Max. It is not a bad thing; really. In fact, it makes you closer to the humans. It makes you almost perfect as a guardian."

"Except that the person I'm guarding isn't going to be human at all." I interrupted with a grouchy mumble. I still hadn't decided if guarding Sparda was good news or not. Good news was that I could still be in constant contact with Dante with the excuse of guardian Sparda. Bad news would probably be that I needed to help Sparda fend off demons after his family and stuff.

"That humanity that we didn't erase inside of you... It makes you different from the other angels. Yes, you are still pure, and still deemed worthy as an angel. But you are a different type of angel."

Azazel was now sounding like an insurance agent, trying to sugar-coat everything.

"Just tell me what you want me to do, Azazel. Being a 'different type of angel' isn't going to change the mission our master has planned out for me, right?" I sighed, scowling at him. If I was different in the ability of insulting him, then I might as well take advantage of that.

"You can't stay in Heaven with us."

There was a single moment of silence that my new angel-brain processed the words.

"What?"

"You can't stay as an angel. But you are still allowed to visit, still allowed to train with the Warriors like the rest of us. You only cannot claim your own piece of Heaven as your own."

"Because I'm different? Then where am I going to rest? Do angels even rest?!?"

"Yes, they do. But because you have more humanity, you can't stay in Heaven. You will feel the pull of humane feelings. You will crave companion, crave basic human connection with others. The angels cannot give you that."

"Then what the hell am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to stay then?"

"It will all work out fine for you, Max." Azazel assured, even though he wasn't even the best guy for the job. How can he say that it was going to work out fine, and assume that I was just going to take his words for it? I wasn't an idiot, god-damn it.

"Then tell me how it's going to work out."

"It simply will. For now, I have to leave. I will visit you when I-"

"Oh hell no, you don't!" I grabbed at him when I saw his wings unfurl, ready to take off and leave me alone. I knew it. He was going to abandon me after my usefulness ran out. This was so Classic Azazel.

"Get off, Max. Don't hold me back." Azazel tried pushing me away, but I'd luckily grabbed hold around his waist, and was now hugging him tight like a teddy bear. He tried taking off while shaking me away, but I guess that an angel was strongest when she was first made, because he couldn't win my determination to keep him trapped.

"Not until you tell me everything." I threatened, pulling him and anchoring to the surface. He thought he could just zoom and fly away like that? Fat chance.

"I can't. I've been ordered not to."

"Liar."

"Angels can't lie. Get off me."

"Make me."

"Don't do this, Max. He's coming, and I shouldn't be staying around."

"Who's coming?"

"Him."

"Who? 'Him' has a name, right?" I demanded, not sure if I was hearing things. There seemed to be footsteps in the distance, making steadily towards us while we were here struggling against each other.

Azazel suddenly gave up struggling with a sigh. "You are going to be the death of me."

"As if you can die like –OHMYGOD, WHATTHEHELL!"

Someone crashed into us with the force of a freight train, and Azazel and I were pummelled flying a short distance before we made for the ground like a trajectory. What surprised me was a new warmth that grabbed my arms and pulled me away from my angel companion, then hugged me and protected me while we made contact with the floor.

There was a little bit of bouncing and sliding along the rough floor of Hell, but we came to a stop shortly after.

"What the hell, man!" I cursed first as shock wore off. Without thinking, I shook away the arms circling around me, jumping to my feet.

"I told you." Azazel had already found his feet, his wings free and unfurled. "He was coming."

Then zoom. The rocket that was supposed to be Azazel disappeared vertically upwards.

I stood there, mouth half-open in a curse that couldn't even make it out.

And the new comer knocked me down on the ground once more.

I summoned my badass angel guns to protect myself, ready to pull the trigger when the barrel came into contact with flesh. Yet, at the last minute, I saw a pair of beautiful blue-green orbs, and hesitated as we fell.

My back wasn't the only that landed when we touched the floor.

His lips landed on mine, and it did its work almost immediately. Just as my mind reeled with what kissing fiend I had the misfortune to meet with, my fingers suddenly lost the strength to hold on to my guns involuntarily. They dropped with a noisy clatter beside us, but it seemed as if the sound went unnoticed when I felt something fleshy prodding me towards my abdomen.

I blinked, a little too shocked for a proper reaction.

And then realized who it was that had the ability to crash into two angels fighting with the speed of a shot rifle bullet.

"Dante!" I pushed him off, not particularly interested in kissing now that I'd seen him. "How is your mother?"

He was obviously stunned for a moment, as if he couldn't imagine a woman who would resist his advances –particularly such an aggressive one. He blinked blankly for a moment, processing my questions as he stared at me.

"How are you?" He threw back the question quickly.

I guess honesty was the best way to go.

"I'm dead, Dante. Azazel killed me."

"I knew it! That fucking coward left the moment he saw me coming!" Dante declared, punching his fist into the ground beside us as if it could make a difference.

"Aren't you going to ask me how I'm talking to you when I'm a dead woman?" I pointed out blandly.

"I swear I'll remember to order your headstone, Justine. But you haven't told me where your parents' grave are. Where do I bury you?"

"Dante, aren't you going to ask how you managed to kiss a dead woman?"

"Wait, I haven't asked you: do you prefer a burial or cremation? If you like, I can scatter your ashes into the sea." Dante continued asking as if I hadn't spoken at all.

"Are you even considering how you're sitting on a warm body?"

"Do you like your coffin lined with cushion? I heard it was a trend to make the body comfortable or something."

"Are you even listening to me?" I yelled, annoyed at how he was making my post-mortem plans while sitting in front of me. Correction: sitting on me.

Dante blinked at my raised voice, then a sly grin crossed his face. "Do you think it will be considered necrophilia if I have sex with you now?"

I groaned.