The bar was suddenly silent as Theo's hand stitched itself back together, his golden blood signifying one thing. Holy magic. Nim's blood finishes stitching itself together as the glow fades under his skin. Jaxa sits frozen from the suddenly revealed information.
"Shit, you're going to be eaten alive down here." She says, grabbing him by his arm and rushing them out of the bar. "Stay close." She whispers in his ear as they move through the streets. "Angelic power is a beacon for trouble, and your glowing ass is going to attract the worst kind of sinners," Jaxa says, pulling him closer, her grip tight and firm.
"Where are we going?" Theo asks.
"Good question," Jaxa says, stopping for a moment. She grips his arm tighter as she thinks. "We can't have you getting shanked... or shot." She thinks out loud.
"Preferably not," Theo says with a small grin.
"Shut up." She says, still in deep thought. Jaxa's ears suddenly perk up. "My place is close."
"Your place?" Theo asks hesitantly.
"Yeah, I live alone and it's quiet. Just don't get any human idea's" She says with a slight smirk.
"Lead the way," Theo says, rolling his eyes.
"Just shut up and follow me," Jaxa says, putting up her hood and running through an alleyway as it begins to rain.
The rain in Hell isn't the same as on Earth, not dangerous or deadly, but more menacing. As the drops fall, the sinking feeling of a storm on the horizon floods Theo's stomach. The sensation reminded him of listening to tornado sirens in the distance and the alert noise on the radio. As they moved through the street for the first time since Theo got to hell, he was reminded of something from back on earth.
"BEEP... BEEP... BEEP ...TORNADO EMERGENCY FOR, Green County Missouri... The National Weather Service has issued a... Tornado warning until... 2... am... BEEP... BEEP... BEEP..."
"Looks like it's going to pass over us." Theo's dad says, sitting on the sofa, looking at a map sprawled on the TV, lighting the room. Theo sat looking out the window as the blackened sky hued green as lightning passed through the clouds, lighting up the neighbors' houses.
"It always does," Theo says, watching the rain thump harder. Theo looks out to see small icy spheres striking his father's truck, leaving a small dent in the hood. Theo grins slightly. "You're going to be pissed," Theo says, turning back to the living room, looking at his dad sitting and watching the TV.
"Hail?" His dad says with no expression. Theo simply nods.
"I swear..." His dad says grunting as he stands up from the sofa. His dad walks over to the door, putting on a pair of boots. "Grab the tarp." His dad says, grinning. Theo rolls his eyes and runs to the garage door, and grabs a bag hanging on a hook.
"We should have done this before it started!" Theo yells from the garage, seeing an old beat-up car engine lifted by a cherry picker. "Or you could finish the 69!"
"Tarp Theo!" His dad yells from the living room. Theo rolls his eyes and walks out with the tarp bag. Theo's dad opens the door as a hold breeze sweeps into the house, the refreshing smell of wet grass and country air filling Theo's nose as he feels the cold beads of rain shrapnel hit his bare feet. The two walk outside as Theo feels the sting of a piece of hail hitting his shoulder.
"Hey, you coming?" Jaxa says, pulling Theo out of his memory. Theo shakes his head, whipping water out of his eyes, and nods. "Then get your ass moving!" She yells, jumping over an alley fence. Theo follows, lifting himself over using a dumpster. As he lands on the other side, he feels a chill down his spine like he is being watched. He glances around him for a moment before continuing to follow Jaxa through the back alleys of the city.
The two run through the rain coming passing glowing signs that reflect off of the newly formed puddles, creating a water painting landscape on the cobblestone and cement streets. Theo's boots splash through the water, his long black shirt getting drenched in the rain as his legs kick up the heavy water onto his camo pants. Jaxa suddenly stops in front of a broken-down apartment. Theo looks at it in disbelief, seeing what look like scorch marks on the upper floor windows and boarded-up doors ramshackled together. He also notices the same type of cracks he saw in the office he was transported to, covering the surface of the walls. The aesthetic of Hell's building became more recognizable to him as he looked around, seeing the same markings on every building.
"Really?" Theo asks.
"What did you expect, a five-star hotel? This is the best thing you can get in Hell. Quiet and concealed." She says, walking up the building's fire escape.
"Do you really live here, or are you just taking me somewhere quiet to eat me?" Theo says, smiling.
"Shut your stupid face, if I wanted to eat you, I'd have done it already." She says, sliding open a window and rolling inside. Theo follows her inside, stumbling through the window. Theo looks around, seeing a small room with a bed and a dresser. Theo walks through the bedroom door, seeing a rundown apartment living room with an old-fashioned TV and a well-worn sofa with scratch marks on it. Behind the sofa is a small counter with a kitchen. "Welcome to my humble shithole," Jaxa says, shaking off her fur like a wet dog. "Don't touch my shit and I'll let you stay, angel killer." Jaxa digs through a small closet and pulls out an old blanket and pillow, handing them to him. "Couch is free, just don't make me clean up after you," Jaxa says, taking a seat on the sofa and scrolling through her phone. Theo nods and places the blanket and pillow on the couch. "What, not going to sit down?" She asks with her fangs showing, with an annoyed glare.
"I'm soaked," Theo says, pulling on his wet shirt. Jaxa rolls her eyes, not looking up from her phone. She points to a door on the other side of the room.
"Go get a towel, and there should be a first aid kit under the sink. Wrap up that hand to be safe." She says. Theo walks to the bathroom, seeing it unexpectedly clean. He leans down, opening up the sink's cabinet and pulling out a small box, placing it on the sink counter top. Theo opens up the box, seeing syringes of what he can only assume are drugs and a few small wrapped red bandages. He takes out one of the wrapping and wraps it around his fully healed hand. He closes the box and places it back under the sink, then looks over at the walls, seeing multiple towels hanging as he takes one, drying himself off as much as he can before hanging it back up and walking back into the living room.
"Why are all your bandages red?" Theo asked as he walked back in.
"Because blood can get annoying to look at," Jaxa says, not looking up from her phone. Theo takes a seat on the couch, his body truly relaxing for the first time since he arrived. He lets out a small satisfied sigh. Jaxa looks at him as he runs his hand through his blonde hair before closing his eyes. "So, what's your plan now, human?" She says, smirking. "I expect you to make some money soon. I'm not hosting a freeloader, and you still owe me for those drinks." She says, putting her phone away.
"Okay, point me in the direction of a job and I will," Theo says, smirking.
"Did that angel who sent you here say anything about what you're supposed to do in Hell, that usually happens with a punishment?" She asks, ignoring him.
"I have to... kill the seven deadly sins," Theo says awkwardly.
"Holy shit!" She blurts out laughing. "Those dumbass angels really hate you; you can't just kill a Sin; they are literal demigods in the demon world."
"I figured it was an impossible task, and the reward is going back to earth," Theo says with annoyance.
"You're in Hell now, you can do anything you want... literally." She says, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Stick with me and we'll make things fun."
"I still don't want to leech off of you," Theo says.
"You could come work with me at the assassins' guild," She says casually.
"You're an assassin?" Theo asks, his shoulders tensing again.
"Yeah, we just kill sinners and get paid for it, not a bad gig if you can handle the mess." She looks at him with a smirk. "So what do you say?"
"I've only ever killed animals, and an angel apparently, but that was an accident," Theo responds.
"Your accident got you stuck in Hell, human, might as well make the best of it," Jaxa says, giggling. "Or are you gonna get on your knees and pray for forgiveness?"
"Hell no! God can suck my dick for all I care." Theo yells.
"That's the spirit... say goodbye to your normal boring life and welcome to your new residence in Hell."
"Fuck it, guess I'm an assassin now," Theo says with a grin. "At least it won't be boring."
"Just try and not die till tomorrow." She says, standing up and walking into her room. "And you better not snore or I'll slice your throat in your sleep." She says, shutting the door. Theo grins at the threat.
"Guess this is how co-workers act in Hell," Theo whispers as he adjusts his position on the couch to lie down comfortably. His stomach growls slightly, but he doesn't pay it any mind as he closes his eyes. Like normal, his head rushes with thoughts as he tries to find comfort in his static position. The lack of sleep followed him from earth to keep him awake. He opens his eyes, his mind still racing as an aftershock of his new situation slams its way into his thoughts. Theo sits up quietly as he looks around the room, seeing trash bags filled by the door, pizza boxes on the kitchen counter, and dishes lying around the small apartment. "Might as well be useful," Theo whispers, standing up from the couch. Theo finds a box of trash bags under the kitchen sink and fills two with leftover take-out containers as he places them next to the trash bags already sitting in front of the door. He takes a deep breath and gathers the dishes from the room, placing them in the sink, but he doesn't turn the water on. Theo looks around the apartment with a grin at his work. Finally, he walks back to the couch and lies down, his eyes getting heavy as he falls asleep.