Rebeca Church was not in the best of mood as she, her daughter Rachael, Maisy and Joan walked along the streets of Paris as they searched for their quarry. All were disguised as humans; Rebeca didn’t want to go back to looking like a human; she was still upset over losing her love Astaroth, however she couldn’t be left alone in Joan’s safe house apartment. So she relented as she she stood up and started losing height; shrinking back to her small 5 foot frame when she was human. Rebeca sighs as her prehensile tail retreats into body; setting back to being her coccyx as her red scales shrivel back and her pink human skin shows once again and her wings retreat back into her body. The only part of Rebeaca that doesn’t change is her hair. Having it styled into a pixie cut and died green, she looked rather comical standing in Joan’s living room completely naked. Rebeca begrudgingly accepted of her daughter’s and Joan’s clothes to try on to see what fits on her human frame.
“Careful,” Joan pausing as they reach their destination; standing infront of a sewer grate, Joan looks around quickly before removing the heavy cast iron disc and ushering everyone down. Following behind, Joan quickly places the grate back where in was as she climbs down the ladder to meet the three disguised demons in the tight corridor.
“Where are we,” Maisy speaking first.
“Paris catacombs,” Joan answering; “the city is littered with tunnels and corridors snaking under the city. They have been carved out as a stone quarry during the Roman empire days,” Joan speaking as the trekked down the small tunnel. “Over time they have been expanded on,” Joan pausing as they came to a fork; “this way.” Joan motioning for the three to follow her. “The stone used in making Notre Dame came from these tunnels,” Joan providing an education lesson.
“I don’t understand a single word you are saying,” Rebeca chiming in; still with her mind on the loss of Astaroth, all Rebeca wanted to do was to pick up a sword and run it through Nergal’s heart.
“I apologise,” Joan realizing that not everyone in there group understood French; “it’s not often I get to speak my native tongue outside of family dinners with my husband and children.”
“Maisy, I thought you said all demons could understand all human languages,” Rachael looking at her lover.
“I always thought that since I and Enoch could,” Maisy shrugging her shoulder; “everyone else could.”
“I believe,” Joan speaking in English; “it’s because of the bond you to have, that language skill of yours has rubbed off on to Rachael.” Joan not realizing that Maisy and Enoch were born Polyglots; those who had a knack for linguistics.
“I wonder what Astaroth was skilled at,” Rebeca sighing at thought of her bond with the demon being severed so brutally that she is still feeling the loss.
“Time will tell,” Joan stopping in front of a large steel door; “we are here.”
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Reverend Church looked out of the hotel room he, Mather and Bashir were provided. It was a high class affair that had a doorman and the entire staff spoke French. Thanks to Semyaza before they left for earth to rebuild the Iron Knights, he and his travelling companions were given knowledge in order to speak the language with ease. It was discomforting to have the knowledge forced into their heads with the spell Semyaza cast; but the three angels could not find fault in this. It was a valuable resource to utilize.
So when Church woke up in the morning to sounds of the Paris citizenry going about their day; Church could help but smile. Being warned not to show his angelic form when in the mortal world; Church had to use a natural ability that all angels and demons had when walking about earth. So like Bashir and Mather, he concentrated and felt more then saw his wings retreat back into his body. His hawk like face morphing into that of a man who looks like a twenty year old body builder. His height may have shrunk, but his physique was still impressive; Church grinned as looked at himself in mirror.
‘I look like I did when I first met Rebeca,’ Church smiled as he left the bathroom.
“Were do we begin,” Mather being the first to speak as Church entered the lounge room of their hotel suite. He was busy looking out a window upon the street below, eyeing four women. He could swear he recognized two of them, but couldn’t be certain where.
“First we get the lay of the land,” Church grabbing a fresh apple and biting into it with joy; “then as Semyaza instructed, we start making discrete enquiries into the various church’s and universities in this city to see if there is anyone interested in perform god’s work.”
“God’s work,” Bashir smirking; his human form that of a man of Middle Eastern descent with a neatly trimmed beard and turban befitting his Arab beliefs; he was reading a local newspaper and finding it easy to parse the French syntax. “We may need to be careful, Paris and France specifically is loaded with students who love to protest over the most mundane issues. We need to tread carefully if we are entering a university.”
“Are you done gawking at the people Mather,” Church putting on a neatly tailored coat that compliments his dress shirt and tie; “we need to get going.”
“People,” Mather looking down on the street; seeing a women open up a sewer grate and ushering the other three down; “more like three demons with an angel heading underground. And I think one of them is your whore of a wife Rebeca.”
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It was a grubby looking tavern. One that would fit in the prohibition days of Chicago; yet it looked out of place in Paris. Joan explained that it was once a bunker used by the French Resistance as they fought the Nazis occupying France during the second world war. Afterwards it was used as an illegal distillery and then the speakeasy they see. It was full of people; Rachael could tell, it was as if she could see the aura that denoted who was a mortal and who was a celestial being like her. Like Maisy and Rebeca, she followed Joan as they walked into a back room that led to a corridor; tucked away from those that come down to drink their sorrows away.
“We are not far,” Joan speaking; “but I must warn you, we are entering into a portion of the catacombs that are unstable due to construction above. Try not to touch anything.
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“Are you certain it was my whore of a wife you saw,” Church asking as he stares at the sewer grate.
“Positive,” Mather nodding; “I couldn’t be certain at first; her haircut was some wild neon green monstrosity, but I recognized her face. It was Rebeca.”
“Then we follow,” Church lifting up the cast iron grate with ease.
“And our mission,” Bashir looking around to make sure they were not being watched.
“Can wait a few more hours,” Church looking down the hole; “I can’t pass up a chance to kill my whore of a wife for leaving me to be with a demon slut.”
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“Hello Uncle,” Maisy looking at her uncle Leviathan Morningstar. Like her, he was in a human disguise. Still wearing a pair of black leather pants and boots, he had on a ridiculously puffy white shirt. His Tricorner hat and cutlass were next to him on a small table. “Where is Sekhmet,” Maisy adding.
“Safe,” Leviathan answering as he pours himself a drink; “she is with the children. Away from the violence going on down below. Violence that your sister Lamashtu started,” Leviathan adding; “but why is she here?” Leviathan looking at Joan. “Why is Parthenope with you?”
“She is here because father requested Michael to send down his wife to act as a bodyguard,” Maisy answering; “after the Iron Knights assault nearly killed Rachael, It was a precautionary move in case they tried again.”
“Whatever,” Leviathan waving it off as he downed his drink; “why are you here?”
“To get you to help me stop the civil war going on in hell,” Maisy speaking; “with dad missing I am technically the new devil.”
“In name only,” Leviathan shaking his head; “why should I help?”
Maisy was about to answer when there was a commotion behind them. Bursting through the door they entered was three men each baring swords marking them as inquisitors from heaven.
“Kill the demons,” the leader smiling; “save the angel whore for interrogation.”
“Whore,” Parthenope swearing as she summons her sword; “I’ll show you.”
“Joshua,” Rebeca staring at the young looking man; “you will not be winning this day.”
“I disagree my whore of a wife,” Church licking his lips with glee as he advances upon his soon to be dead wife.
“No,” Rachael not thinking as she casts a portal under the three angels; “you will not lay a hand on us again father!”
“Rachael,” Church looking stunned to see his daughter; however that stunned expression was soon turned to shock as he, Mather and Bashir fell through the portal that Rachael created and then disappeared.
“Where did you send them,” Leviathan now up and wielding his cutlass; looking at the demon he only met briefly a few days prior.
“Away from here,” Rachael feeling dizzy as she lend on Maisy for support; “that portal took a lot out of me.”
Then we better get out of here,” Maisy creating a portal of her own back to Joan’s safe house; “are you coming uncle. Or do you want to continue to sulk and drink gin?”
“I’ll come,” Leviathan putting on his hat; “but I still want you to give me a reason as to help you win back hell.”
"That's easy," Maisy answering as everyone walks through her portal; "we're family."