Leo wasn't sure what he was expecting. Obviously something different. Perhaps a golden winged angel, smiling in delight to see him, yet at the same time wincing inwardly and maintaining a cool demeanour. It wasn't that. Although it had been human centuries, the pain was as fresh as though it had just happened.
Leo closed his eyes for a moment. Lately, his thoughts had been frazzled. Ever since he discovered de Fleur's corpse, Leo hadn't been able to gather himself, or his thoughts. The ache from earlier that night had faded to a dull hurt. He could ignore it. Leo glanced around the deserted street. IT was strange to find such a classy inn out here in the ghettos.
Leo sighed, passing by it.
He wasn't sure why both the Demons and the Angels were involved, but wanted to weigh the pros and cons of each side before affiliating with either.
The Demons. Unlike the Angels, they had fewer enemies, and didn't hide their depravity behind faked good intentions. As the humans said, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions". Even so, this meant that they would find it easier to turn him into an expendable resource. That was what everyone expected of them. They wouldn't hesitate to gift him with a gruesome path to Oblivion.
The Angels. He'd have more free reign, but nowhere any other Monsterkind was involved. Even so, the Angels were the top of the supernatural food chain for a reason. It would be harder to get tips from the others however, things he'd normally be told. He'd only get the spick and span, only what he needed to know.
He needed more than that.
Glancing back at the out of place inn, Leo set himself to a decision. He'd look for de Fleur's identity here, what he'd chosen as a home, friends, his 'family', and everything in between.
Leo stopped at a shabby newsstand, with a rusted metal sign hanging over it.
'Arnie's Newspapers, Magazines, And More'
The 'And More' had been added in almost like the owner used a Sharpie to squeeze it in, trying to gain a crowd. It didn't seem to have worked. Leo tapped the desk rhythmically, peering over and looking for Arnie. The owner appeared to be in the back, behind a canvas cloth draped over a low piece of wood to hide the back of the shop from the front.
"Is that another human I hear?"
Leo smirked at that. "I suppose. Arnie, it's me. Malvent."
The shuffling from behind the cloth stopped. Then, quick thumps of footsteps hit the tarmac as Arnie pulled back the canvas with a disgruntled expression. Malvent studied the man carefully. He'd never personally met Arnie, but the Human had made quite a name for himself as a connoisseur of information amongst the 'higher' creatures. Interesting how these higher creatures were all categorized by the title 'Monster'.
Nevertheless, Leo had dutifully followed a trail of rumours. He'd told Mynth about how he was searching for this Arnie. And Arnie knew now. It'd been perfectly executed.
Arnie himself was a short, middle-aged man, with a balding head and crinkled eyes, scrutinizing. He had an olive complexion, and a suspicious look on his face. "What do you want, Demon?" So the alias, the fumble of words he'd accidentally used, they had found their ways to Arnie. So soon?
Impressive.
Leo merely continued to smirk. "Oh, you're wrong there. I'm no Demon. I'm a Fallen...Angel." He said, grinning widely. His fang like incisors, just a teensy bit sharper than that of a human, caught Arnie's attention. "All I need from you, is for you to point me to the right oath, with a bit of info ahead of time. That's not much is it?" Arnie nodded, still wary. "Alright, spit it out." Leo nodded. "The Angelic records are missing. How?" Arnie snickered. "Thanks for that tidbit, but that is seriously confidential. I'm already on the Angels' hit list, I don't need to go further up on it." Leo felt disappointed. "Oh, Arnie. I'd expected more from you." Arnie shrugged. "Leave. And don't try to pull any funny business either, a-alright? Being in this kinda business you come prepared." Leo put his hands up, stepping back. "I wouldn't think of it." He said smoothly.
Leo waved, opening up the strange trademark Fallen wings of his, with their dark aura and lifted off. It was better to fly away, under the cover of clouds. Harder for anyone to follow or track him. Leo continued. He had no choice but to accept the Angels' offer. However, perhaps there was an easier, if more emotionally painful, way to understand. Leo didn't necessarily want to return, but he'd have to. There was nothing else he could do.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Mynth was pleased to see him. She was in a better mood than usual, because, at his arrival, she'd only thrown seven knives at him. The Wendigo had taken human form currently, and was crouching mid-level on the fire escape, above him by two floors. She was replacing the seven knives she'd thrown at him with new ones in her hands, and was watching Leo warily. "I've heard about your case, cursed Fallen sinner." She spat. "I'm not helping you. Not today. Not in something like this. Leo sighed exasperatedly. The cannibalistic dark spirits that were the Wendigos were prone to overreacting and being dramatic. "That's a strained and blown way out of proportion." He justified, but Mynth was having none of it. Can't be right about everything. He said regrettably, thinking back to his original assumption that the cranky lady was actually not enraged to see his face.
She shouldn't have been surprised of course. Leo often visited this area of the main Wendigo residents living quarters, because behind every bad decision there was a Wendigo. That little voice tugging in the back of your brain, to do something absolutely horrible, to remove what of you is humane bit by bit until you are left nothing but a shell. They were foreboding, but it wasn't their fault. The Wendigos' only form of food, in a sense, was the darker parts of humanity, and occasionally, if the Wendigo is especially skilled, even an Angel. Causing an Angel to fall would be like a feast of all the darker things that those sanctioned only for good block out. Even so, the Wendigos' can't change that. Their only form of surviving was an irrefutably cursed way of life. To cause the problems of others. Constantly. Even so, this didn't mean that they weren't useful. They were always somewhere near any murders, dealings or generally shady business.
Leo had only learned all this through trial and error, some of which still had left scars. Mynth was a generally powerful Wendigo, and so was quite often the best source for any trouble brewing. Arnie had given him one thing. A hint. The Monsters didn't trust him, even though he was ever-knowing, but if not provided information, he was nothing. Mynth however, she was the creator of all of it, and he knew he'd gain something from her, in comparison to the recently fruitless investigative work he'd been doing. Not gaining leads was difficult for Leo, because his rank was only, and only, about his work, and if he didn't focus on that, then he'd have to focus on what had become of his life.
Leo focused on the task at hand, which was gaining information from Mynth. In human form, she had luminescent, frosty skin, almost-white blue eyes, and pure white hair, curling down her back. She wore Human clothes, a gray hoodie with a graphic of an ice horse in flames in the center.
Fitting.
Other than that, jeans and black sneakers. Nothing too attention-grabbing. That was probably already an issue, considering her pure-white hair was something humans had never seen before. She wore a belt, with which were strung seven knives, the newly equipped ones.
"Alright. Mynth, have you sensed any . . . Angelic activity, on this side of the radar?" He asked. Mynth's lips tightened, but her eyes widened, if only a mere fraction. "That's specific." She said vaguely. Leo nodded. "Frankly speaking, there's been some . . . turmoil with the Angels. Some things have gone missing, and an Angel is dead. Oviously, the Wendigos' area will be their first target to scout over, even if they go well over the Human expectations of police brutality, as long as they get their info and haven't directly sinned. So you really want that?"
"Fine. There was one. Another Wendigo though. I believe his name was Kelsio. Nice enough. Didn't like the Angels much though. One day, he came back shaken to the slum- I mean residencies, and he had a worried but euphoric look to him. Seemed strange, but we don't nose into how anyone's Hunt has been, not around here."
Leo nodded. Finally, he was getting somewhere. "Where might I find Kelsio?" He asked. Mynth shrugged. "He lives with the Witch Doctor, doesn't he? Go there." She made the sign to ward away evil across her chest as she said it, something ironic, considering she herself was often the reason that sign was ever used. "Alright." Leo muttered grimly. He was happy that Mynth hadn't tried to manipulate him with his memories, not this time. There was one thing, at least.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Riding the public transit bus was a disorienting and awkward experience, Leo had decided, by the time he got off at the Dante Ave. bus stop. A lady had spilled hot coffee over his shirt, effectively burning his chest and leaving his shirt stained. He smelledof mothballs, because the man sitting beside him had accidentally spilt several on the floor as the bus started moving, causing them to jolt every which way, and he practically ran off at the main terminal.
I'll stick with flying. Leo thought grumpily, turning to the right hand side of the two-corner street. A flickering old lamp post was the only source of light, an ominous sign. Dante Avenue wasn't a good place to venture about. Ever. Leo continued his way, certain he could take on whoever might attack him. No one did, although he saw a pair of yellow eyes with slit pupils watching him from a window, through the battered blinds. Probably a wolf-blood, hungry but controlled, because the hybrid hadn't attacked. Leo made no reaction, instead continuing his way, towards the small yet looming home ahead of him, with only one light on. He stopped, just short of the steps leading to the porch. As he began to step towards the door, it opened with a strange hectic atmosphere. The Witch Doctor stepped out. He had a mask covering his face, black with white patches where the eyes were meant to go and war paint around the neck. Every inch was covered in black paint, making his true form unseeable. He grinned, unhinged.
"Hello there Leo the Lion. Have you come to visit me?" He asked, tipping his head at an angle. Leo shook his head. "I believe you have a tenant named Kelsio? I need to see him." The Witch Doctor nodded. "Ah! He's a great one, always willing to pitch in ideas for my . . . pet projects." For once, Leo didn't want to know. "I haven't seen him in a while. He stormed in last week, and locked the door." Leo nodded, narrowing his eyes. "This is important. The Witch Doctor's crazed smile faltered, his mouth setting more of an unbalanced menace. " . . . Very well." He said, smiling widely again. "This way."
Leo followed the off-setting man up the stairs and towards the door, a number written on it, 669 in a darkening red that smelled suspiciously of blood. "Ah ah ah, not that one. Don't want to have any . . . bad dreams, do we? Here." Another door, at the end of the hall, with a (thankfully) normal gold-numbered 678 written on it. "Hm . . ." He muttered, going through a key ring he'd found while rummaging through his pocket. Many keys, of various shapes and sizes were moved, until he picked out a large, ornate gold one, and triumphantly pulled it up.
"Don't like losing these bitsies, I don't!" He laughed darkly. "Now where is the opener? The door opener?" Leo looked bemused, but pointed towards the doorknob. "Yes, yes." The Witch Doctor said, batting Leo away. His hands shook as he raised the key and fir it into the keyhole, turning it with a creak.
Silence, and the key seemed to be stuck.
Leo waited, hoping that all this hadn't been for nothing.
He needed answers from Kelsio, and fast.
The Witch Doctor shuffled the key, before a loud click made Leo practically sigh in relief.
Leo moved the door open, before the Witch Doctor could pull some other gimmick, and stepped into the room. It was spare, and a rotting smell hung over the room. "Pee-yoo." The Witch Doctor whispered, batting at the smell. Leo sniffed the air, sensing the strong and rank smell was coming from somewhere specific.
\With a somewhat dreading feeling, Leo crept around, getting closer as the scent grew stringer, trying not to gag. He opened his eyes, the smell too much, to see himself in front of the plain, wooden wardrobe. He opened it, as the Witch Doctor said "Ooooh!"
The dead body fell to the floor with a thud, just as Leo backed away. Blood stained the sides of the wardrobe, and Leo swore, running his hands through his hair.
Kelsio was dead, which meant that this was officially a killer on the loose, and that his main lead was gone. Great.
Two chapters that'll be updated on the basis of when I'm done writing them and then...end. You'll need to go to @Sh4rds for the rest. :P