Sinners Are Winners [bxb]

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chris looked back at me, his eyes wide. "I-I don't know. I guess... well. I like you guys, I wanted to hang out with you for real... at least once, ya know?" I opened my mouth to tell that no, I didn't fucking know. But, he continued on. "Plus-- this is kinda dumb, but my mom was adamant on Xavion being this crazy, deranged person that was pulling all the strings. But, I didn't believe it. And, well, I wanted to see you all again and make that judgment for myself."

I felt Xavion turn towards Chris-- he had previously been staring down the angel with ferocity. "Well?"

Chris snorted. "You're definitely dumb, ugly, and deranged. But, well, you're not much of a trickster. All of your plans seem to go awry. I don't think you'd know how to pull a string if it was glued to your hand."

Xavion rolled his eyes, turning back to face the angel. "Wow, thanks for that."

Chris frowned. He looked at the angel before puffing out a breath. He turned away from his mother and walked in front of us. He kept moving forward until he stood in front of the angel. "Look. These are just normal guys, really. I think you should just let them be. They make some dumb decisions. But, I mean, we all do. Hell-- I made a dumb decision by convincing them to walk into your trap here."

"I have never made a dumb decision." The angel said, regarding Chris with an uninterested gaze.

"Wrong. You decided to put that outfit on this morning." Xavion shrugged.

Grant snorted. "You also decided to trust the same 11-year-old that we did."

I felt a grin crack on my face. "You also didn't duck when that chair came flying at your head."

The angel's jaw clenched. "All a part of God's plan."

"Well, by that logic, me throwing this at your face is God's plan?"

"Wha--?" Before the word even completely left his mouth, a drumstick smacked directly in the angel's face. Chris's mother let out a gasp of horror as the drumstick bounced off and sailed a hair's width away from Chris.

"Damn," Xavion muttered. "Nearly a double-kill." I turned to glare at him and found amusement dancing in his eyes. In his other hand, he held the drumstick's counterpart.

Chris scoffed. "I'm trying to help ya, here!"

"You're also sorta the reason for this." Grant shrugged.

Chris huffed, "Yeah... yeah. I'm really sorry."

"Do not apologize to the demon or those under its influence." The demon grabbed Chris's arm, making the kid wince and try to jerk away. The angel tugged Chris out of the garage. "Please, for your own safety, stay back and let me deal with them."

The angel reached for the gun-- the real one. And pointed it above my head, directly aimed at Xavion. He ducked behind my back and the angel rolled his eyes before moving his aim to Grant. Grant's eyes widened and his back straightened, as if yanked by a string.

"Is-- Is that necessary?!" Renee squeaked.

The angel's jaw clenched. "Unfortunately, I must rid all of those tainted by the demon. This includes both this human and Fallen 4392."

"What'd they do?!" Chris cut in. He swiveled to his mother. "Mom! You said the demon would just direct them home!"

"The only appropriate home for a demon is death." The angel spoke as if reciting some sort of lyrical poetry. "And, those tainted by them must be relocated to Hell."

"That's bullshit," Chris said, matter-of-factly. "All Xav did was exist. And all Grant and Ishmael did was exist next to him."

"Are you defending the demon?" The angel asked, losing focus on Xavion to raise an eyebrow at Chris.