[sylvanSpider]

Hell

Olivia's face softened and she relaxed a bit. Alright...I'll give it a shot, but I can't make any promises, okay?” she signed, biting her lower lip. Nothing about this future occupation was comforting. She knew what angels looked like. If demons went to Hell looking the same as they did in life, then it was the same for angels. There would be no difference between killing an angel and killing a person. It would look the same.

It would feel the same.

The change in pronouns from “it” to “me” was all Olivia needed to muster up the strength to go through the double doors into the arena. She had no idea what wait for her beyond them besides that it was a place to practice her powers – whatever the fuck that meant. “Vibrokinetic Constructs” sounded like it was ripped right out of a comic book, and she was given this gnarly-ass cane to top it all off. Canes she'd always associated with the blind, but apparently that didn't matter to the Council and she now kept it on a strap she'd made on her back. Using it as a walking cane felt more arduous than simply carrying it. She didn't know why she carried it at all, why she even had it when she went to the bar. It just felt right, she supposed, having sacrificed her most loved of the senses for it. It had to be precious, right? ...Right?

She hoped so.

><><><><><><><><

“Was guilt inhibiting you, Nancy?” Axle asked, tilting his head and looking at her with black, unblinking eyes. “You must have been a decent person before you came here, huh?” Axle vanished only to reappear in front of her, leaning against the wall beside the weapons.

[b] “Guilt is a way to deal with the aftermath, yes. But what about during the fight? Will a lack of guilt enable you to dodge bullets, shrapnel, and immaterial projectiles? What about have the wherewithal to know where a teleporting or invisible enemy is? What about those who lacked guilt without a sacrifice? Those that weren't sane before? Will a lack of guilt be a strong enough crutch for you then?” Axle asked, taking down one of the knives and toying with it for a second before throwing it directly at Nancy, it missing by a mere inch and vibrating in the wall beside her.

“I'll tell you what, Nancy,” he said approaching her, “I'll not use any of these weapons on you, at first. Though I could and you would walk out of here physically fine. I'll give you a chance to try to catch me. Use your new ability and see what you can do. Try and kill me if you can.” His voice was suddenly playful, and a hint of a smirk stayed etched at the corners of his lips, “There are no consequences here.”

Heaven

If Luka screamed out in pain, Sage didn't hear it. Nor did he care to listen. “Luka” and “Sage” were no more in that moment, it was only hunter and prey and the prey was safe and secure in his jaw. It felt like an eternity for Sage since he could eat and then he'd had so many delicacies. Bed bound, the most delicious treats from around the world were made for him personally by his brother. Food had always been his gateway out of the hospital, and the sacrifice hurt more than he'd ever care to admit. But it was seen now. His first meal was his new friend and he tasted better than anything his brother could have made. The taste was...it was...divine.

Without thinking, his jaw closed down, tighter, tighter, until he was tearing flesh from bone. When Luka went limp, Sage finally sat back, sucking back Luka's flesh with a greedy gulp. In that moment, he knew that he had won and he knew that he would be returning to the battlefield time and time again. Not for the money. No, nor the power.

He would be coming back for the taste.

In the background, he could hear Avani speaking, but he couldn't hear what she said. All he heard in that moment was the ringing in his ears and that low rumble in his stomach that told him to continue; there was more, he must continue. He licked his lips tasting Luka's blood, finally shaking his head to get out of his reverie. His gaze drifted to the one he'd just killed, already mended but still wide-eyed and carefully looking away.

Katarina watched, nodding with satisfaction when the victor had been determined. Luka would need to experiment with his powers. His were the kind that had a high skill ceiling and weren't friendly to beginners; but with a little help from his friends he'd see what all he could do and soon he'd be able to manipulate scents as well. Even Sage wouldn't be immune once he learned that. Luka looked shell-shocked and Sage sat against the wall, Luka's blood starting to dissipate. He was breathing heavy and started to get up.

The new angel made his way over to Luka and put his hand on his shoulder, “Hey I uh...might have gone overboard there...I'm sorry...”