> Past Left Alone [open]

[GABRIEL]

Gabriel, with silvery white wings folded behind her, kneeled down from atop of the Brooklyn Bridge. Her lengthy blue and silver gown blew slightly in the breeze. No-one would ever be able to see her from so far up in the sky. Especially since the traffic was racing far below during rush hour. The sun peaked through the morning clouds, while a slight cool breeze blew past her, ruffling her short blonde hair.

In her position, she was not praying, as some might have thought. But she was thinking about the next line of defense. The demonic side seemed awefully quiet to her in the last couple of days. That seemed to worry her, since they must be planning something big.

Gabriel held out her hand, and five small glowing white orbs appeared, and began to circle in her palm like miniture planets in orbit. As the light from the sun reflected onto it, it seemed to dance with multi-colored lrays of light. It seems there were more and more demons resurfacing. Possible in the state of realisation after the Day of Eden had passed. Now, she still wanted to find more of the Angels around the city. Either they were still coming into their powers, or they were still worried about the war at hand.

Either way, Gabriel was prepared to fight with little of the Angels that were known to her.

[Darius Martin]

Lately, Darius found that he liked to climb things. It seemed to help clear his head a little bit, and with all the stuff bouncing around in it right now, he needed any help he could get managing things. He wasn't sure what he was going to do once he got to the top of the bridge. Or, rather, he wasn't sure how he was going to get down. Maybe he'd climb down again. Or maybe he'd just make things a whole lot simpler and jump down. Even with the way his body healed, that should kill him.

When he got to the top, though, he found out that he wouldn't be as alone as he was hoping he'd be. Considering what she was doing with the lights in her hands, it was pretty obvious that she was another one like he was. Or at least, similar. He didn't believe a word of what he heard about angels and demons and half-breeds and all that. That couldn't be it.

Darius decided to bypass his usual request for help, since that seemed, inevitably, to result in him getting attacked by someone. Instead, he sat down a decent distance away from the woman, looking down at the vehicles that passed along the bridge. It was cold up here, so he pulled his jacket closer around himself. I twas the strange, metallic jacket Valkyrie had given him. It seemed to him like it might be a good metaphor for his life.

He didn't understand the jacket. He had no clue how it worked, where, ultimately, it came from, or why it had been given to him. Sure, he had asked for it, but this... Maybe it was the same way with his new powers. He didn't need to know how they worked or where they came from. He was sure that he had, in a sense, asked for them. He'd definitely asked for help when he was going to deal with Mitch. Maybe he'd just been given more than he expected, like he'd been given this jacket. And maybe, like he did with this jacket, he should just accept it, use it for its purpose, and go about his business.

The question was, then....what was the reason he was given this power?

He didn't say a word of this to the woman who was not too far away from him. He just stared at the vehicles in silence, hoping that just this once, someone else would ask the questions.

[GABRIEL]

Gabriel wrinkled her nose to the smell of car fumes and salty water. She never did adopt a sharp sense, but living most of her life as a mortal, she grew to the usual scents of the city life. It was all too familiar to her. But now as an Angel again, it was those small things that did not seem to matter anymore.

She looked around, and hear slight clanging from the bridge. Maybe it was the winds shifting the metal rods, holding it together? Something, or someone was there, whether they knew the Archangel was there or not. Shrugging, she looked away to the sky.

But of course the sound, almost vibrating, as if to indicate something heading up there as well. Soon enough, she heard footsteps and turned around to find a man standing a few feet away from her. The man was unfamiliar to her, and it made her wonder how he travelled atop the bridge in the first place.

For the first few minutes she just stared at him, as if expecting some sort of answer. But then her face softened, and she smiled.

"Not many can get to places like these - "

[Darius Martin]

Darius looked over at the woman. If that term applied to whatever she was. "Not many can do the things I can do," he answered. He wasn't sure that was completely true, though. Clearly many more were capable of this sort of thing than he thought. But, in a planet of six billion, the few he'd seen weren't many. He figured it was still a safe guess that not a lot of people had this kind of power.

He looked back down at the vehicles. A truck would do best, but he wasn't sure how to time it. He wanted to make sure he did this right, if he was going to do it, since if he managed to fail, he'd be in more pain than most people can even imagine. Idly, he plucked a small fragment of glass out of his chest. He still hadn't managed to get all of it out from the altercation with Ty at the library. Jumping through that window was a very bad idea.

Darius looked back over at the woman. For a moment, he wasn't sure what to say, since he'd decided to forgo his usual questions. So he said the first thing that came to mind. "So....what brings a girl like you to a place like this?"

[GABRIEL]

"Here is the only place one can do some deep thinking. A girl like me has much to think about."

Gabriel tilted her head to one side, and examined the man more closely. Behind the styled beard and angry demeanor, was a troubled man. She had seen many confused and suicidal mortals in her time, and she knew right away that this man was no different. Beside the fact that no mortal can simply climb the bridge unscathed.

She nodded respectively. "You're no demon, I can notice that much. If you were an Angel you would have been here much quicker. So it leaves only one thing..." She folded her arms, and turned towards him, rustling her feathers a bit, "What is troubling you, Half-Breed?"

Her tone was gentle, almost as a whisper in the breeze. This man must have been through hell and back. Soem half-breeds do end up confused and troubled, since a great weight has landed on their shoulders. A burden, as some would see it. But most of them tend to deal with their newfound abilities rather quickler. Some, are tipped over the edge. Ironic indeed.

[Darius Martin]

Darius chuckled slightly. She wasn't the first person he'd met who spoke about demons, angels, and half-breeds. He didn't buy into that anymore now than he had the last time. Whoever started that myth must have done a really good job of it. Then again, the last person I met who bought into it seemed like an idiot, easily confused. This one seems more intelligent, but it's possible that she's one of the ones behind it. Or maybe she's just as deluded as the other girl was.

He looked over at her. No, she didn't look like she'd be easily tricked. Something about her face, her eyes... "Half-breed. You're not the first person to call me that. Do you tell the whole angel-demon story to everyone you meet, or just people who you think might buy into it? If you want to know what's troubling me, at least do me the decency of being honest with me. I'm not going to buy into that. Angel-Demon stuff. I want real answers."

[GABRIEL]

Gabriel seemed amused, "What would you like me to call you then? A Mortal? A mere human? You and I both know that is not the case."

She dissolved the small balls of light that seemed to slowly orbit her angelic form. Right now, it was not necessary. Something about this man did not seem to believe her. How honest could she get? He may need a bit more convincing to be able to have a civil conversation with him.

She looked at him closely, "What would you like to know then? Try me. I have all day." He was not the first half-breed to question her, nor test her patience. But she was an angel for a reason, and so she will help the man whether he wanted it or not.

[Darius Martin]

At least s he didn't insist that she was telling the truth about the Half-breed bit. It was a start. "I know we're not normal humans. That much is pretty obvious. That's the first problem. I'm not sure what I am anymore, or how I got this way. It just...happened all of a sudden. No warning, no real reason. Maybe it was the circumstance...being in that situation...Or maybe it was the date... I don't know. But one second, I was just an ordinary guy. And the next... The next second I could climb buildings or fall three stories without dying, or run like the Flash...." Or throw a guy through a wall.

Darius shook his head. "But how I got these powers isn't the important part. That's just kind of a mystery, and I can live with that. What I really need to figure out is what it is I'm supposed to be doing with these powers. People don't just get handed power for no reason. There's got to be a purpose behind it, and I have no idea what it is. No one else seems to, either."

[GABRIEL]

She listened, all ears, at the man who seemed much more confused with himself than she imagined. "We are very much alike, you know. You see, I knew this day will come. I, along with many others, waited thousands of years for it to happen.The only difference between us is that I knew this day will arrive."

It pained her to think how long she had waited for this day. Many painful years becoming something she was not. Despite her history, she still was an angel awaiting a chance to be reborn into the person she was now.

"A half-breed is a result of the conception between a mortal, demon or an angel. Sometimes whose parents are both demon and angel. A half-breed is not made. They are born. But each has their own set of powers, to be used on their own accord. It is there choice to where they stand. Even I, as an Archangel, cannot force you on either side. It's about knowing which side matters, and predicting the outcome. That is your choice alone whether you want your life to have meaning, or to waste it."

It was not a usual conversation for her. Most half-breeds she has encountered past the Day of Eden, either tried to run away from her, or went insane. Even murderous some of the time, but she figured some of the demons made an influence already. Lately, they have been so desperate to recruit more innocent and confused half-breeds, which was why she did not give up on this man.

"Well, I can't keep calling you half-breed. What is your name?"

[Darius Martin]

Back to the Angel and demon bit, Darius sighed in his head. We're not going to get anywhere if I keep arguing with people about that. Better to just ignore it and move on. Either she doesn't know how we've got these powers or she's lying. Either way, arguing about that won't get me any answers.

"Sounds to me like you're saying I'm just some sort of accident of genetics. That I can do the things I can do because I'm lucky enough to have abnormal parents. And that there's no real reason behind it. Just pure chance." Darius shook his head. "I don't believe that. I'm meant to be doing something with these powers. And if not, if I am just random genetics without any real purpose or meaning..."

Darius stood up and looked down at the vehicles moving on their way along the bridge, completely unaware of what was going on above them. "Well in that case, why bother with my life if it has no meaning? There seems to be an unusual amount of people who want to end it. Why not give them what they want? The name's Paladin, by the way."

[GABRIEL]

"You're alive, aren't you? Then your life has meaning, " Gabriel said rather bluntly. People do not live for nothing, and everyone has goals and purposes. Even the poor homeless people in the streets, or even a little child learning to walk.

She nodded, "Paladin. Being a half-breed should not be seen as an abnormality. More like, an evolution of sorts. You have potential neither Angel nor Demon has. You must realise that there are many like yourself going through the same situation. Many are confused, I know. But, it's what you do with that power that defines who you are."

Gabriel looked around her and noticed the light dimming around her. It became an overcast day, where the grey clouds shielded the sun. Not her favourite kind of day, but she was never fussed about such things.

Stepping forward a few steps, she clasped her hands, "I am Gabriel, the Archangel of Mercy, Revelation and Truth. It is by no accident we met, don't you agree Paladin?"

[Darius Martin]

Heh....what do you know. I think she actually buys into the whole angel, demon, half-breed thing. This chick actually thinks she's the angel Gabriel. She's crazier than I am. Then, he added to himself, Said the man considering jumping off of the Brooklyn Bridge...

Darius looked over at her again. "Maybe you're right about this meeting not being an accident. Or maybe not. I met a man earlier messed with my brain and then tried to kill me. Was that intentional, too? What about the angel who tried to kill me when i went to a church? Was there any real reason for that? Was it all part of some plan? I doubt it. It's random chance, luck. Unless whoever you think is making these plans thought it would just be fantastic if I almost got killed twice in one day. If that's the case, I don't want to play any game with the sick bastard calling the shots."

He shook his head. "You're right about what I do with my powers being what's important. And if I knew just what it was that I should be doing with them, I'd feel a whole lot better about a whole lot of things." He realized he was being inconsistent, saying he didn't believe there was a purpose to his powers, then saying he didn't want any part of it, and then saying that he wished he knew what that purpose was. But then he realized what he was doing and decided that it was perfectly acceptable for him not ot make a whole lot of sense.

[GABRIEL]

Gabriel paused to consider her next sentence, "Being a half-breed, you are...how can I put this....vulnerable, to be coaxed into either side. The Angels, want what's best for you and will not try and bride, or force you to their side. With reason, they will help you to come to terms with the whole situation. Unfortuantly, the demons are always looking for recruits and if you wont join their side, they will try to kill you. There is no sugar-coating it, Paladin."

She was curious about the Angel that attacked him, but then again, not all angels were sweet. Even a few Archangels went rogue, but decided to come back to the light. People change, but like Gabriel, she was determined to end the war. Or at least put a truce to it, which would unfortunatly, would never happen.

"But, there are many who decided to stay neutral. Like I said, we angels try not to bride those like you. We try to give you as much of a light-hearted choice as we can give you. So tell me...what powers do you have? It might be worthwhile that I know, so that I may work out why the demons would want you on their side. Of coarse, they are very picky on their recruitment."

[Darius Martin]

Darius decided not to ask where the angel who tried to kill him fell into her explanation. Saying that some went bad now and then didn't really explain much. That sounded far too human. Instead, he decided to answer her question. He didn't see what harm it could do. There were creatures out there who could just pluck the information out of his brain. There was little point in keeping secrets like that.

"My body heals itself far too quickly, for one thing. I get cut or burned and minutes later its like it never happened. I break my leg and in a few minutes, its good as new. I can move far too fast, too. I don't really know how fast I can run. The only time I tried going as fast as I could, I ran into a pole," he admitted. "And I'm a hell of a lot stronger than a normal person. All these things together make me think that I should be fighting someone or something. The combination of those three...I'm built for violence. And I have no idea against who or what."

[GABRIEL]

Gabriel nodded, "I see. You posses superhuman strength, accelerated healing and great speed. A powerful combination, which makes sense why demons would want to claim you as their own. Not many half-breeds have that combination of abilities. Be careful, however. Those demons have arcane ways to drive you insane, corrupt or even brainwash you. Just be very cautious."

She found most demons used the same, or similar methods, thinking demons are the 'pure' faction. She mentally growled at the thought. As if they were not screwed-up enough already. She looked at Paladin, taking note of his emotions. He still didn't seem satisfied with the answers she gave.

"Is there anything you would like to know? Anything or anyone troubling you? Any names that may seem familiar to me, will help. I'll deal with them. "