To love a death Angel (closed)

[Asa]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/NightPoet/DangerousDreamsCLubSL/DyingWastheeasypart.jpg

She had been a runaway... A stray... A mongrel in a city of on purebreds. Not someone anyone would miss. Maybe the old cop that whispered in her ear as he died by her.

She had made her way through the droves of people dragging themselves deep into hell. Finally it was her turn to stand before the tribunal of hell?

Hades... Anubis... The Christian Satan... And a few others scattered around. She smirked as they all rattled off her dark life and family history not that she cared about a word of it. Her soul did not crumble nor cower before them instead it seemed to mock their attempt to scare her. "Days" of torture from each of them only seemed to harden her soul even more till everything she touched froze even in the fires of hell.

Finally standing before all of them again Hades the only one willing to be face to face with her she snapped grabbing him by the throat her eyes burning with fire as sharp white and cold as the ice that threatened to consume him she finally spoke.

Is that all you pathetic pompous "Gods" got?

She woke up in the morgue with a pair if knives bound in blood red gold sheaths and a mark over her chest like a strange tat of a full moon cradled in a crescent moon. Luckily the body bag was open some so she could get out of it. Gaining her balance she heard a male voice yell...

Holy Shit what the hell..

She looked over seeing a cop standing by the body of the old cop she had tried to protect. She watched him step towards her then darkness... She woke again unsure where she was as she looked around.

 

[dale124]

Jason looked down with sorrow at Harry Murphy, lying there in the morgue. If not for Harry, he would be wearing prison stripes today instead of a cop's uniform. The old man always seemed to show up just as Jason was about to take a wrong turn. And while other cops would have just arrested him on the spot, Harry would just nudge him in the right direction.

Everyone on his beat loved Sgt. Harry Murphy. He was as much about helping the community as he was about enforcing the law. Even the local criminals respected him. So who the fuck would want to kill him?

Jason glanced over at the girl. He'd been at the scene of the crime. All evidence seemed to point to her throwing her body on top of Harry's to shield him from a hail of bullets. But why? The old man was beloved enough that a local might have done that. But she wasn't a local. No one in the neighborhood knew who she was. She was lovely, but with a weary look that made it hard to guess at her age. He called her "the girl" simply because he didn't know how old she was. Who was she to Harry? And why did she sacrifice herself in that way? And more importantly, who was the intended target? Harry or the girl?

"Oh, Harry! What did you get yourself into?" Jason murmured as he turned to look at the old cop once more. Then a slight movement behind him caught his attention. He turned in time to see a corpse arising from the dead.

"Holy Shit what the hell.." He rushed towards the girl just in time to catch her as she crumpled towards the floor. Easing her down, he checked her vitals. She had a pulse. It was thready, but it was there. How was this possible? She had been pronounced dead at the scene by the EMT. Then confirmed as dead by the doctor in the ER. And finally by the coroner in this morgue. How could so many people get it so wrong. And where had that tattoo on her chest come from? She didn't have it at the scene of the crime.

Jason's first instinct was to call for an ambulance to take her to the hospital. But then, he hesitated. Someone wanted either her or Harry dead. If she was their intended target, they had shown no qualms about killing a cop to get to her. If she made it to the hospital, the word would be out that she was still alive. Would Harry's killers have the balls to kill her in a hospital? Probably. Her best bet for survival was to stay dead. And his best chance of learning the truth about what happened the other night was to keep her alive.

Jason checked the girl's pulse once more. It was stronger. If it had gotten weaker, he would have had no choice but to call for the ambulance. The good news was that the cameras were out in the morgue. But there were the cameras in the hallway. He proceeded down the hallway to disable them. Including the one on the loading dock. Rushing back to the morgue, he grabbed the coroner's report and scribbled something indecipherable in the box that listed disposal of remains. Doctors were notorious for their handwriting. So everyone would be trying to figure out which funeral home or mortuary had picked up the body based on his unreadable scribble. That's assuming anyone decided to follow up on an unidentified dead girl, while everyone else was searching for a cop-killer.

Lifting the girl up off the floor, Jason took her back to the body bag. Placing her in it, it was then he noticed two finely crafted daggers in red and gold sheaths laying in the body bag. Those weren't at the scene of the crime either. But he didn't have time to mull over it. If the cameras in the hallway were down for too long, someone would come to investigate. He zipped the bag up, but left her face exposed so she could breathe. Then he wheeled the gurney out of the morgue, down the hallway, and to the loading ramp.

His patrol car was next to the loading ramp for the hearses. Lifting the body bag off the gurney, he carefully placed it in the back seat. Closing the door, he ran the gurney back to the morgue and proceeded to reconnect the cameras on his way back to his car, making sure never to be in front of a camera.

Jumping behind the wheel, Jason turned to look at the girl. "Harry would scold me for breaking so many rules tonight. I hope you're worth it."

Jason lived in a second-floor apartment in the old neighborhood. He had to carry the girl up the back fire escape in order to escape notice by the neighbors. Laying her in his bed, he went next door to see if old Doc Marten was in. Doc was retired, but always willing to help those in poor health. Jason needed to find out if he had made the right choice by bringing the girl to his apartment rather than taking her to the hospital.

 

[Asa]

The doctor checked her out and then rechecked. Something had him a little shocked like he knew her.

Where did you find her? Boy where did you find Harry's street rat friend Taja?

He moved and brushed something under her nose and she stirred groggily. As she opened her eyes the once grey steel color of her eyes was now a deep crimson and for a moment her body was not as the tires of hell but icy.

 

[dale124]

"Over on Hades Street and Hemlock," Jason murmured softly. He felt a little uneasy being in the room while Doc checked her out. It felt like an invasion of her privacy. But he told himself he needed to be present in case she revealed something about herself relevant to Harry's murder. Though gazing on her beauty, perhaps that was just an excuse to see more of her than he should have.

"Harry would mention Taja every once in awhile. But I always thought she was some figment of his imagination. He only talked about her when a little drunk. What do you make of that tattoo on her chest?"

Then she opened her eyes and he let out a gasp. His mother would have referred to them as the eyes of hell. He'd seen red eyes before, but nothing that vibrant. And then she gave him and Doc a smile positively creepy for someone who had just come back from the dead. The smile caused him to back up a step.

"H.h.hello," he stuttered. "Welcome back from the dead. Do you know who you are?" Doc gave him an irritated look, as if it had already been established who she was. But Jason needed to hear it from her. There was an odd chill in the room, so he reached for a blanket to put over her shoulders.

 

[Asa]

I... Am Taja... Where is Harry?

She tried to get up and the Doc seemed happy she distracted them from him having to answer about the tattoo. He knew what it meant he just had a hard time believing Harry that such a young woman was so filled with cold hate to survive hell much less kill one of the ancient pantheon of hell Gods and Goddesses to get sent back as their assassin.... But... Here she was the mark... The daggers... The daggers... Only one other soul had ever wielded daggers in the time immortal that hell kept spitting out a single killer.

Taja Harry is dead... I'm Doc and the kid here is Jason. He is your guardian now. Even though Harry never really got to train him.

 

[dale124]

Guardian? What was Doc talking about? Clearly there was more going on here than Harry had ever warned him about. He cautiously stepped forward to place the blanket over her body. He could feel the cold emanating off of her and see her breath as she spoke. Did he play along with the Doc and announce himself as her guardian? But no, he decided to play the cop instead.

"Who killed Harry? Was he their target or were they trying to kill you? And why did they kill him?"

"Trying" seemed like an odd word, since he really wasn't sure she was alive. He'd never believed in the mumbo-jumbo his mother did. But the way Harry had spoken about Taja, it was as if she was a tale from long ago. This woman looked too young to fit the story.

 

[Asa]

Some street punks trying to attack me. Harry... He always seemed to just know when to show up. They... They killed both us only... Apparently I scared the shit out of hell and it's rulers. So... Here I am like some weird comic book creator's twisted sense of humor.

She shook her head.

She shrugged looking to the doctor.

Well guess he and I both get to learn as we go.

After a while the red faded some and her eyes were almost black as she calmed ba k into being alive or some semblance of it. Her body temperature returned to a close to normal hest if not a little higher..

 

[dale124]

What Taja said made no sense to Jason. The cop in him wanted to grill her for more details. But she looked like she'd been through hell. Though he doubted she'd actually been to hell. That is, until her eyes changed color. Red eyes were freaky enough, but could be explained away. But changing eye colors, that was REALLY freaky. Changing her body temperature as quickly as she did was also hard to explain.

Taja's clothes were covered in blood. How much of it was hers and how much was Harry's, Jason couldn't say. But he would need to find something else for her to wear. And she would need to get cleaned up, as he could even see speckles of blood in her hair. And he would need to get more answers out of her. The cop in him wanted answers. But the human in him said "Tomorrow".

"We'll talk more tomorrow, Taja. For now, try and get some sleep."

Grabbing Doc Marten's arm a little harder than he should have, he dragged the old man out of the room a little more roughly than he should have. Turning off the light and closing the door, he turned and growled, "OK, Doc! What the fuck is going on here. What have you and Harry been keeping from me all these years?"

 

[Asa]

There is a legend somewhat lost to time but no less real. A soul that is so cold so hardened that even hell itself can't break it. The soul withstands weeks of torture. It holds no fear of living or dying Gods or demons nothing. One such soul legend has it killed the Archangel Michael himself other souls have left their mark on a member of the rulers of hell or their generals. Harry said she would be the next one but I didn't believe him. It has always been a man and they have always always been a killer in life. He told me be had picked his successor in fact be was supposed to start training you and introduce you to her this weekend. I am solely the healer. I can heal her if her wounds are beyond her ability to heal. You... You watch over her. Her predecessor died 80 years ago apparently not even a healer trained in healing their kind can heal ground zero nuclear damage.

If you have doubts about a suspect she will be able to tell you if they are innocent. If they aren't good luck getting her away from them before they are a dust.

 

[dale124]

Jason plopped down on the couch and eyed the old man. He was trying to decide if he was pulling his leg. But Doc Marten was not known for his sense of humor. Harry was known to tell a yarn or two. And this was a whopper of a tale. But Doc was not the kind of man to tell tall tales. He'd always been serious and straight with Jason. Except, of course, for this tiny little secret he and Harry had been keeping all these years.

"Assuming I believe you Doc..............and that's a really big assumption, which is she? Angel or demon? And how did Harry know who she was? And why did no one in the neighborhood recognize her? And why me? I always assumed Harry was watching out for me purely out of the goodness of his heart. Now you're telling me I was chosen for this purpose?"

Jason had loved Harry like a father. But at that moment he was furious with him. He didn't feel chosen. He felt manipulated.

 

[Asa]

She is neither... Then again she is also neither dead nor alive... As her predecessor once put it... They are complicated. Harry always meant to train you Jason a d that was his job to do.

He laughed a little.

You really expect anyone in that neighborhood to willing tell a cop anything? It took Harry 10years.

Look I can dig around and see if there was a back up in place if you were not alive to do so. Harry didn't trust just anyone kid... I honestly think the three of us were all he had in the true trust department. Look I need to go and for now just watch over her and for the next couple of days make sure she has plenty to drink... It's still the transition for the soul from hell back home so... You know where to find me.

 

[dale124]

Jason nodded in response, his anger beginning to subside. It was after midnight, so he too needed to get some sleep.

"I have the next week to sort this out. The chief knew how much Harry meant to me. So he gave me the week off to grieve and get Harry's affairs in order. I suppose we were the closest thing to a family for him."

Jason let the doctor out the door and peaked into the bedroom to check that Taja was resting comfortably. Whether angel, demon or other, she was beautiful. Somehow, it didn't seem right putting her to bed with Harry's blood still on her. But it also didn't seem right to prolong her incredibly long ordeal with a shower. Wrong or right, he'd probably have to apologize in the morning for his decision.

Making up the couch in preparation for sleep, Jason went over what needed to be done in the morning. He'd had a couple of short relationships. And each girl had left clothing behind. Perhaps there was something that would fit Taja. As for the dress she was wearing, it was evidence in a crime investigation. So as soon as he could get her out of it, he would bag it and see if he could slip it in with the rest of the evidence in forensics. If done without anyone's notice, they would assume the coroner was the one that had bagged it and sent it to forensics. And since he wasn't anticipating having company, he went to the kitchen to see if he had enough food on hand.

Laying down on the couch, he wondered if she knew where the bathroom was. But his was a small apartment. Surely she would find it without too much trouble. Sleep was elusive that night. Jason's mind just couldn't seem to shut down. The cop in him kept going over the crime scene and wondering how Taja fit into it. The man in him started wondering if she had the same wants and needs as a normal woman. And how much was required of a guardian?

 

[Asa]

Her sleep was deep but troubled as she tossed and turned till morning. Finally she was fully awake and sitting up looking. She remembered some of what bad happened since the mouths.

Slowly she moved to look out of the room and slowly made her way out and saw him.

He... Hello

 

[dale124]

Jason hadn't gotten much sleep either. So he rose early, started the coffee brewing, and took a quick shower. The problem was, Taja was in the bedroom. And he didn't want to wake her in order to get a change of clothes. He considered wrapping a towel around his waist, like he usually did on his off days. But he decided to go commando and put on his uniform slacks for modesty's sake. He'd change into something else once she was awake and out of the bedroom.

While making some waffles to have with eggs and bacon, he thought about Taja. He'd had women in his bedroom before. But usually for sex and a casual relationship. An angel of death was a different matter. Maybe that was a cruel way to describe her, but what else was he to view her as? That seemed like an apt description, based on what Doc Marten had told him last night.

He paused for a moment, wondering why he'd called her an angel of death and not a demon of death. Her status as angel or demon was yet to be decided. Perhaps her beauty was coloring his view of her. She was beautiful, so he wanted to believe she was good.

"He... Hello"

So deep in thought was he that he nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of her voice.

"Hi. I'm making breakfast. You might want to go take a shower first, while I go and try to dig up a change of clothes for you. The bathroom's across the hall from the bedroom."

Jason gazed into her eyes while speaking, trying to gauge whether she remembered where she was and who he was. No longer red, they were now grey. And somewhat intense to look into.

 

[Asa]

You... You're Harry's friend... Where is...

She fell silent remembering and just nodded about the shower and turned to go take a shower.

Th... Thanks.

 

[dale124]

Jason let out a sigh. This wasn't going to be easy. Was guardian going to be a full time job? Though he couldn't ask for a more attractive "ward" to watch over, he thought with a smirk.

"There's a clean washcloth, hand-towel, and bath-towel hanging on the bar on the outside of the shower door" he called out, as he went into his bedroom. Grabbing jeans and a sweatshirt, he dressed quickly. Then he started searching for clothes left by Sarah and Jane, two girls he'd had short relationships with. Girls who were turned on by the uniform, until they realized the dangers of his job and the odd hours he kept. He found more outfits than he realized they'd left behind. So he laid everything he found on the bed. Taja might fit into Jane's jeans and tank tops or into Sarah's dresses. If nothing fit, he had a clean pair of sweats that might stretch enough to fit her curves.

Returning to the kitchen, Jason poured himself some coffee. There was no reason to start scrambling the eggs until she was ready to eat. Then again, maybe she would prefer cereal to waffles, eggs and bacon. So he pulled out some cereal, milk and bowls, just in case. And then he was reminded of Doc Marten's words in response to whether Taja was an angel or a demon.

"She is neither... Then again she is also neither dead nor alive."

Would that mean that food was irrelevant to her?

 

[Asa]

She grabbed a shower only to stand there drinking what had to be a gallon of water before drying off and walking out wrapped in the towel. She looked to all the food be was cooking or had set out and the fact that to her it had in a strange way been weeks since she had eat her hunger almost got the better of her.

 

[dale124]

Well, there was always a towel as an alternative for clothing, Jason thought to himself, admiring the view as Taja came out to the kitchen.

"Good morning", he said with a smile, pulling out a chair for her at the table. "I hope you slept well. And I hope you're hungry."

The cop in him still wanted answers about last night. But he had resolved to keep the conversation light at the breakfast table. Getting too serious would probably throw off her digestion. And his as well.

Throwing a towel over his arm like a waiter, he asked her, "So what is your pleasure, Taja? We have eggs, bacon, waffles or cereal. And of course coffee and juice." Now was the time to find out what a death angel has for breakfast.

 

[Asa]

All of it... It... It feels like I haven't eat in weeks... Anubis said time was different there.

She sniffed smelling the food aromas heavy in the air. At least to her they were.

I... Just need to eat.

 

[dale124]

Jason began scrambling up some eggs and frying some bacon. The waffles were already ready, so he put a plate of them next to her, along with some butter and syrup.

"Anubis? That's the Egyptian god of the dead? The one with the head of a jackal?" He wanted to laugh, but the seriousness in her voice required that he be serious as well. "Tell me Taja, do you know what year it is?"

It seemed like an odd question, but it would give him some frame of reference as to how far from reality she was.

 

[Asa]

2017... Harry sent me to that all night diner for a decent meal on new year's Eve. The day however. Not so sure about since I was dead and all.

She shrugged and quickly ate the waffles.

Why?

 

[dale124]

"Well, you said Anubis told you time was different where you were. I assumed that meant time slowed down or speeded up compared to here. But obviously not that much if you disappeared on New Year's eve or day. That's not much of a time displacement." Jason was trying to make it sound like he knew what he was talking about. But trips to hell were out of his area of experience. Though sometimes he felt like the city was hell on earth.

Since she'd wolfed down the waffles, Jason put a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of her and made another plate for himself. Clearly she ate like a human, but with an appetite more like a man's than a woman's. Remembering Doc's admonition to give her plenty of liquids, he poured her a tall glass of orange juice. Sitting down to eat, he watched her intently, looking for signs she was different than other women. Aside from the change of eye color and temperature the other night, she looked normal. A gorgeous normal, but normal nonetheless. And certainly didn't look like an angel of death.

At some point, they would have to address the living arrangements. And of course, the sleeping arrangements. The couch was not the most comfortable place for him to sleep.

"Where were you staying prior to Harry's.............death?"

He wanted to keep the conversation light at the breakfast table, but he couldn't help wondering where she had been all this time. Harry had mentioned her name, but he had never seen her in Harry's presence. So where was she all this time?

 

[Asa]

She looked up and bit her lip clearly not liking the thought about Harry being dead.

The abandoned old mill off Hemlock and Grant.

She looked to him for a long moment. Harry said you were a good person who be trusted to help me when... The time came. He really liked you.

 

[dale124]

"Harry was like a father to me. He kept me out of trouble. And Helen, his late wife, was like a second mother. More of a mother than my real mother was, though I don't blame my mother. She did her best. She just wasn't all there."

"I think we can do better than that old abandoned mill. If you don't mind sharing the bed, you can stay here. And I've laid out some women's clothes on the bed that might fit you."

That "sharing the bed" sounded so much better in his head. But it was a big bed, with room enough for two. And he needed a better place to sleep than the couch.

 

[Asa]

I can try the clothes I guess.

She shrugged as she ate a little slower now as she calmed her appetite a little.