Mad World

After months with no sign, no prayer... not a single lead... the curse had finally been lifted, making it possible for him to trace his son’s whereabouts. Michael had commanded two angels to seek out a house that they believed he’d been inside. They watched the house all day in invisibility, but when Zachary was nowhere to be found, they decided to move forward with plan B. Waiting for one of the residents to stray far enough away from the house so there wouldn’t be any witnesses of their capture. And as opportunity arose, they shot one of the demons with a sleep dart, making it easy for them to transport her to another location.

Whenever she’d wake up. She’d found herself in an abandoned, dilapidated chapel. The stonewalls had deep cracks and the once painted windows were either faded or broken. The only source of light came from the moonlight outside those windows. There were only a few of the original wooden benches left, most of them turned over or moved away from their original position. She was sitting in a wooden chair with her wrists chained to the armrests, located in the middle of a devil’s trap and right in front of the altar. Her abilities were rendered useless until someone broke the trap and surrounded by a holy space like this. He figured she’d answer his questions in no time. An angel was sitting on one of the wooden benches by the wall, waiting patiently for her to wake up. And once she did, he got up from his seat to exit the chapel. Standing guard outside of the door instead. Michael teleported to the chapel moments later, adjusting the cuff of his sleeve as his gaze fell to the demon. “Hello Leta,” he said, hoping that the angels had done right by picking her. The daughter of whoever led their demon business. He hadn’t heard much about her or her family for that matter. But his angels had told him what they’d observed and eavesdropped earlier that day. Michael knew what her big question would be. Why was she here? So he decided to answer that before she got the chance to ask. “I’ve brought you here to ask a few questions,” he said as he walked towards her, stopping at the outline of the trap. He didn’t plan on taking much of her time if she cooperated, although if she stayed quiet, he had no problem keeping her here. “Do you know an angel by the name of Zachary?” he asked, watching her expression through the dim lighting for a sign of recognition.

There it was. Recognition and… something else. He hadn’t foreseen that. But it was hard to tell what it was. “Hmm,” he said, wondering if Zachary had told her anything about him, but either way, it was the obvious guess. He looked up from her to the wall as she replied to his question. “How disappointing,” he said, taking a moment to weigh his options. She revealed that he had been there but now wasn’t. So, the question was whether they were behind his abduction in the first place. However, if she was telling the truth and Zachary had left them without an explanation, that meant they’d given him shelter. It sounded completely absurd. If he was truly free, then why hadn’t he contacted his family and why in the world would he have stayed at a house with demons? If his son had ever listened to a word he’d said, he knew that they weren't to be trusted. It was clear to tell the conflict in his eyes as he processed all of this. He returned his eyes to her as she asked him a question, making him smirk. But for all he knew, she could have tortured Zachary. She could have driven him insane, manipulated his mind, or even killed him. “Right,” he said, his tone darker and deeper as he looked into her eyes. He'd have no problem taking that route. But for now, he wanted to give her a chance to answer his questions truthfully. “I want to believe you… I really do… but you have to give me something better than that,” he said, walking halfway around the circle. “Why was he at your house?” he asked. After all, it didn’t make much sense for an angel to be at a house with demons and freely walk away. Unless. “He has fallen, hasn’t he?” he asked with dread in his voice. He’d either fallen or been manipulated so far out of his mind by her and her family for not having sought out any angels. It was the only sane explanation. And now, according to her, Zachary was nowhere near that house. He clenched his jaw as he felt incredibly impatient with his mission of finding the missing angels. Always being so close, only to realize something awful had already happened or that they weren’t at said location that the tracking spell had led him to. But he had Leta. And right now, she was the closest lead in his search for him.

He hadn’t expected her to be able to share her memories, but it was clear to tell that he was pleased to hear this. “Will you look at that,” he said. Admittingly, it would be much easier than a dragged out interrogation where he'd suspect her of lying. And telling him the truth about this only granted her the best outcome. He didn't exactly trust her, however. He couldn't. And yet there was something about her that made him believe that he could. It was strange. “You make a compelling case,” he said, finishing his walk around the trap as he contemplated whether her abilities were about something else entirely. It was hard to succeed with mind control on him, but it wasn’t impossible, and it would certainly give her time to make him break the trap for her. He then turned to face her as she encouraged him once more, making him smile briefly. She knew something. And the possibility of seeing Zachary for himself was intriguing. It was a secure way of knowing the whole truth. “Alright,” he said, taking out a blade with holy symbols etched into it. He then stepped inside of the trap to get closer to her. “But if you try to do anything stupid… I’ll not only kill you but everyone else in that house,” he warned her before he slowly sliced the rope around her left wrist, freeing her left arm. “Go ahead,” he permitted, looking at her face as he kneeled beside her, waiting for her to share this all-explaining memory with him.

The memories were quite the revelation. Seeing the fallen angel in the woods, going with a demon who had the goodness in her heart to help him. Or so it seemed. Zachary had been desperate and foolishly naive. But he’d lie if he said it didn’t trouble him that he’d do such a thing. Choosing them over his own family. Moreover, he hadn’t expected the feelings that she so clearly harbored for him. Now, that was a plot twist. He stood up when the last memory turned dark, looking down at her as she admitted to letting him see more than she wanted him to. He saw the sincerity in those words. Even if he wouldn’t have believed her under different circumstances. She then proceeded to admit that she cared about him and was worried about his sudden disappearance. That he’d left a note. Michael raised his brow as she pulled it out from her jeans, reaching his hand down to grab the piece of paper before he looked at it. He recognized his son’s handwriting, saying how grateful he was for everything she’d done for him, but that he didn’t want to be a burden to them anymore. He wanted her to let him go. Furthermore, he said something about going to a place where there’d be more people like him. Michael glanced up from the paper as he realized what that meant. A place for fallen angels. For the lost, sad, sorry things that had been banished to Earth. And he could only imagine who'd told him of such a place to begin with. He crushed the note in his fist, burning it with electricity and letting the grey ash fall to the floor. “It’s touching, really… How you saw – God knows what – in my son... took him in, fed him, trained him, cared for him…” he said as he walked away from her. Michael knew better than to believe her generosity came without an ulterior motive. Zachary was powerful and he’d surely prove himself useful for her family. Her getting feelings for him didn’t change that initial motive. He flipped the blade carelessly in his hand before he turned around to face her again. Love was a powerful thing. He’d be foolish for not taking advantage of it. “Now… you have every reason to be worried, I know I am… you see, he sure as Hell didn’t go somewhere safe,” he said, sounding convinced of this. “Perhaps if you hadn’t been so angry about the note, you’d realize that someone put those thoughts into his mind… I will admit, he’s very gullible. It’s a flaw that many angels have… but if anything, that means he needs people like you and me in his life. People who truly care for his safety and happiness,” he said, hoping that she still cared enough for Zachary to realize this. “So, what do you say? Want to help me find him?” he asked. After all, there had obviously been a reason for him not to seek out his family. For him to decide to live with her instead. So if anyone, she could be the key to convincing him to leave.

He understood what she was saying, but it didn’t seem like his son to just vanish and leave nothing but a note behind. Then again, it didn't look like Zachary to avoid his family either. He seemed lost more than anything. And that was why he needed to find him. Before he'd be led astray by the malevolent beings of this world.
She didn’t have to convince him of leaving, and in the unlikely scenario of him defying his will. He would have no problem forcing him away. However, he only deemed that necessary if he was in a bad place. He tilted his head as she named her second term, wondering why she demanded this. Demons and angels didn’t view each other as equals. It was just the way things were. But if that was her only demand then he would try his best to grant it. All that mattered to him at the moment was finding Zachary. And he did see something different in her. Something that sincerely wanted what was best for his son. It was the whole reason he'd thought she wanted to aid him to begin with. “I’ll agree to your terms as long as you’ll do what I say,” he said, letting her know that he'd be in charge, regardless of her wish of him to treat her better or whatever. “So, this is how it’s going to be,” he said, gesturing with the hand that he held the blade in. “I'll figure out a way to localize him, and when I do, you'll spy out the place and report back to me,” he started. It would give them an idea of the location, its purpose, and the number of guards. She could probably use her telepathic skills to get additional information as well. “If he’s with Maelle and her fallen angels, it will be too dangerous for me to burst inside… for that reason, I need you to lure him out… do you think you can do that?” he asked, thinking that it should be fairly easy for her. Demons were known for deceiving people, after all. “And if he isn't with them, well then you'd be free to go back to your family, rest assured that Zachary is in good hands,” he said.

He was pleased to know that she’d go along with it, and admittingly, her suggestion was more favorable than him putting angels at risk. Besides, working with someone she trusted would ensure that the job got done successfully. “Yes,” he replied, granting her permission to ask whoever, although there weren't many demons who’d willingly help Michael, so perhaps that detail was better left unsaid. He moved his gaze down to her tied hand when she mentioned that he wasn’t going to keep her hostage, smiling briefly as she worded her threat. “Oh, please,” he said, not thinking she stood a chance against him. But he couldn't blame her for thinking that he was the bad guy in this, considering where she was. “Why in Heaven’s name would I do all of this just to hurt him?” he asked, moving his gaze around the old chapel, to the cross still hanging on the wall above the altar. All he wanted was to keep him safe and guide him back to God. If he didn’t care. If he abandoned his own son because of the fallibility in him, it would make him a hypocrite. His father was the only infallible entity, and although angels were the closest beings to God, they were still able to sin. He returned his eyes to Leta. “However… I might need that mentality to deal with the people who have hurt him… now, I'm curious to hear your perspective, so tell me... what would you do if it was up to you? To those demons who tortured him for months?” he asked, interested to know what she deemed to be a fair treatment of them. At least, this was assuming her threat wasn’t only aimed at him.
Then there was the hostage situation. If he let her go, he’d lose his only leverage. But if he didn’t, she wouldn’t willingly help. He inhaled deeply, thinking of what he would do if she opposed him or broke their deal. He then entered the trap and sliced the ropes around her wrist to free her second hand. “But just so you know, we’re in the middle of nowhere England, so unless you're planning on traveling home at night... you might as well stay until we locate him,” he said before he stepped away from her to stand by the edge of the trap. He wasn’t going to keep her there against her will, so if she wanted to travel back, she was more than welcome to. He then made a swift cut with his blade on the floor, breaking the symbol of the trap. He exhaled before he looked at her again, anticipating her reply. Zachary could be anywhere for all they knew, so if she wanted to hear the news first and get to him in time, it’d be easiest if she stayed nearby.

He understood that she couldn’t trust him, and he didn’t care if she believed that he wouldn’t hurt him. The only thing that mattered was finding Zachary, and he’d do whatever it took to get there. He looked at her with a thoughtful gaze as she replied to his question. He’d expected a different reply. After all, she’d just threatened to deal with him if he hurt Zachary, but at the same time, she wanted to do nothing against those who had tortured him. Either way, it was probably a good thing that she had that point of view. Generally, people shouldn’t judge one another. But from his perspective, it was everyone’s right to judge behaviors and philosophies, truth from error and right from wrong according to the morals that God had created. He believed it wasn't anything but good to help those of immoral behavior to make better decisions for themselves and others in the future.

He looked into her eyes as she thanked him, grateful for her honesty and willingness to help. He had gotten a hacker to search through her phone earlier that day in hopes of finding messages to Zachary. If they had, their search would've come to an end rather quickly and he wouldn't have needed to interrogate Leta. “Of course,” he said, reaching his hand inside his suit jacket to take out her phone before he handed it to her. He didn't exactly trust what she'd tell her father, but he hoped to avoid a hoard of people coming after him. He then walked towards the wooden doors at the end of the chapel. Outside, he turned to one of the angels standing guard. “We’re done here. Tell Obi that Zachary is amongst fallen angels and that he needs to research any groups of that sort in Gaia and Moonlight Falls,” he ordered. The angel gave him an understanding nod before he took a curious glance at Leta. It wasn’t often that he let his hostages leave freely, let alone this quickly. He then looked to the other angel before they both descended into the sky. Besides an old graveyard, the chapel was surrounded by farmland, and there were only a few houses either by the main road or in between the many fields. The nearest town was a couple of kilometers away. “You want a lift into town?” he asked as he turned around on the gravel to face her, reaching his hand out for hers to take, indicating that he'd teleport them there. Michael had stayed at the local inn since he'd arrived, but the town had a small train station as well. If she denied his offer, she was on her own for all he cared, and he’d only contact her if he needed her help regarding Zachary.