[M] The Power's Training

It hadn't taken long for Achinoam to find the training room.

It was rather small and very breakable but the Angel could use it just fine. She'd just have to be careful.

The tall woman hummed as she lifted a sword that looked far too heavy for her thin frame to hold, flexing her hand on the grip gently.

She stared ahead for a moment silently before the sword erupted into flames.

Achinoam was a Power. The Angel needed powers that coudl ehr her with her fighting. Offensive powers. Fire. Fire could burn and melt. It was dangerous. It was perfect for fighting.

Her body moved effortlessly, gliding across the floor as she too different stances, her glowing eyes hidden behind pale eyelids as her crisp white braid followed behind her like a tail.

It was easy enough to find Achinoam when he needed her, no one of Earth besides himself and her gave off that much raw power.

Belial appeared the in corner of the training room, he had tried not to disturb her training, she couldn't afford to become rusty.

However that plan was thrown out the window as soon as he appeared.

A horrible aura followed the Demon, so dark and thick that it was visible, a dense black fog that followed him, of course his aura was only visible to those who possessed the power to see it, Angels were able to.

The fog loomed like a storm cloud, threatening to ensnare anything that came too close to him, Belial was in a bad place, that much was evident.

As soon as she felt the aura her sword faded away.

She turned on her heel, her hair flying out around her.

She was dressed very simply in a red tank top, denim shorts and thigh-high stockings; her hair in the same style as it always was.

Achi bound forwards with light steps, ignoring the dark aura for the time being.

Her arms wrapped around the slightly taller man's neck, hugging him close, burying her face against his neck.

Achinoam knew, she always knew what Belial was thinking, there was never a need for words and right now she knew what he needed, contact, someone to be close to, someone who would ground him and help make the irrational make sense.

Belial lowered his head, resting it against her shoulder and his arms reached up gripping onto her back limply.

His entire posture and expression, the aura around him, it all screamed out one simple word.

Defeated.

She pressed her lips against his neck gently.

There were no need for words here.

He wanted someone to be close to him and she was there and more than willing to be whatever he needed of her.

Her fingers weaved through his hair gently.

Belial let out an exasperated sigh as he leaned in closer to her, holder her tighter.

"Lucifer was right."

He muttered softly, his eyes still the same dull grey colour from the night before, everything about him seemed a little faded, his hair wasn't as glossy and rich, his skin paled slightly, he looked tired.

"They aren't worth our time, Father made a mistake when he made them, greedy, vile creatures."

Her muttered, followed by a barely audible murmur, which would've been missed by less skilled ears, though it may have been caught by the Angel.

"I should've stayed in Hell with him."

"Lucifer has his own opinion on things." Her voice wasn't quite as friendly as it should have been while talking about her brother.

She didn't wholly agree with Lucifer's ideas of the world. Everything was dark and there was something vile around every corner for Lucifer.

She didn't think that.

For Achi, there was something new and interesting everywhere. Sometimes there would be dark things that she'd rather avoid in the future but she loved the adventure of finding out what was good and what was not.

"We have flaws the same as them, Brother."

Perhaps their flaws seemed terrible to them but they also had flaws that she was sure that Earthen creatures thought were terrible.

But when he muttered softly, she stayed silent. He'd rather be in Hell? The one place that she'd never be able to reach him? She hugged him tighter.

"I've been such a fool, Achinoam, such a bloody fool."

He muttered, shaking his head in against her neck, the real truth was that he wanted to go home, not back to his room, or any property he owned, not even Hell.

He wanted to go home, his real home, before he had fallen into a life of sin.

He held onto her tightly, a sad smile gracing his lips as he let out a soft chuckle.

"And I was stupid enough to fall in love with one of them. I should've known better, they all either want me dead or they want something from me, power, fortune, gratification."

He gave a bitter laugh and shook his head, he was always the smart one, how had he let this happen?

"There's nothing foolish about falling in love."

How could he ever think there was something foolish about falling in love with someone? Love was a beautiful thing.

"Not everyone wants something like that from you, Brother."

She took half a step back, her hands moving to cup Belial's cheeks gently so she could look him in the eyes. His eyes were grey. It was a sad sight to see her Brother in such a state.

"What makes you so sad, Brother? it is not a sight I like."

"Don't be coaxed like I was Achinoam, they all want something, and they are relentless in the pursuit of their desires.

I know that if I lost my powers, within the week, those close to me would leave, I'd have nothing to offer them and those who wish me harm would show no mercy."

If he lost his power for even a day he knew Tony and Aodh would have him killed.

His eyes cast down as she stared at them, he didn't have the will power to make his eyes turn to their usual vibrant purple, they remained that flat, dull grey.

"I fell for one of my Slaves, he told me that he loved me also, I offered him his freedom so that we could be together, so that we could love each other..."

The Demon's breath caught in his throat, cutting him off, and he back his head out of the Angel's grasp, his hand running over his mouth roughly as he turned around, his fist colliding with the solid brick wall, it crumbled around his hand, causing a large indent.

Belial let out another bitter laugh and shook his head, he had been so stupid, Demon's don't get happy endings.

"I have never been coaxed. My decisions are my own."

Not once had she ever let someone coax her into something. If she wanted to do something, she did it. If she didn't, then she didn't. It was that simple.

Her lips pressed together when Belial explained why he was so down.

"Did you ask him why?"

There had to be a reason why Belial's Slave had chosen Slavery over freedom. Had the Demon asked for that reason or just assumed that he had chosen Slavery because he didn't love him enough to want freedom to express his love the way he wanted?

"No. I offered him all of me and he rejected me, for what? A collar and a whip!"

He growled his words unintentionally, he was furious and heart broken.

"What's worse is every-time I get close to him I can feel my heart lurching in my chest, struggling to reawaken and all I want to do is embrace him but I can't. He would rather me kick him to the ground and sneer at him than have me holding him in my arms!"

Belial lost it, slamming his back against the wall before sliding down it, his face dropping into his hands, the dark aura intensified, filling the room and spilling out through the cracks beneath the doors and the windows, snaking its way through the entire mansion like a creeper vine, trying to strange all other plants to death.

Well that answered her question.

No. No he hadn't asked. He had just assumed.

Trust her brother to do something like that and then make a big deal out of it. She was sure there was a reason behind it. A good reason.

"Ask him," she ordered gently, dropping to kneel next to him.

She rested a gentle hand on his shoulder, ignoring the dark aura that surrounded him.

"If you want to understand why, ask him. Don't just assume things about his decisions. You can't read his mind; you don't know why he chose Slavery."

He looked up at her from behind his veil was faded black hair, his dull eyes glaring at her.

"Maybe not knowing it better than knowing, what if he tells me that my suspicions are correct. That he doesn't love me as I love him, that I was just some play thing for him to manipulate."

Belial had done so much for Zakhar because of his feelings for him, even before he even knew they existed, it all started when he save him from the warehouse.

Dark visions of burning the entire coven to the ground flashed through his mind, everyone inside could die for all he cared.

She pursed her lips and rested her hands on her hips.

"And maybe you're being an idiot and assuming things that'll make you feel like an even bigger idiot when you realise they were wrong."

If he could play the sulking toddler, she could play the scolding mother.

She stood and gripped his hair, giving it a short, sharp tug.

"Stand up," she ordered.

If he wasn't going to go ask his Slave, she'd make him.

Belial growled as she yanked on his hair, but got to his feet, he knew that if he didn't the Power would simply throw him over her shoulder.

Achinoam was a pain in the ass like that.

"I don't want to see him."

He snarled, Belial was in no mood to see him, to put with the reality of the situation. The thought of burning down the mansion was because more and more tempting, thought knowing Achinoam she would scold him even more for taking innocent lives.

"I don't care."

She didn't let go of his hair, merely pulled him forwards by his hair. She could do that without much discomfort to herself; being nearly his height.

"You know where he is. Come on; take me to him. If you're playing bratty child I'm quite happy to play the peacemaker."

She continued to drag Belial forwards, out of the training room and into the halls.

Belial scoffed and glare at her, he was clearly unimpressed.
"You Angels, always having to be the good guys, can never just leave shit alone."

He grabbed the hand twisted in his hair, immediately they disappeared from the hallway and were standing in front of a bedroom door. Zakhar's room.

At this point Belial no longer cared he didn't try to hide is cold grey glare, his dulling hair, or the angry scowl that spread across his face.

His aura still freely spread out around them, climbing up the walls and coiling around everything in sight, he really did look like a Demon at this point, he looked cold and violent, his aura slithering around him like a pit of tar snakes, polluting the world around them in their strangling hold.

As Achinoam would put it, he was having on Hell of a tantrum.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she asked with an arched brow.

Her fingers slid from his hair and perched on her hips. Her foot tapped against the ground insistently.

"The door isn't going to magically open itself. Go."

He was playing bitchy and she'd quite readily play bitchy if it meant getting things done.

She hated seeing Belial upset like this and she knew that this would either make him feel so much worse or make him feel a lot better.

She hoped it was the latter.

Belial let out a slew of curses under his breath, all of them directed at the angel.

He was very quickly getting sick of her bossy nature, constantly pushing him to do things that he didn't want to.

The Demon tried to compose himself, pulling in his aura, hiding it from view. Of course Achinoam would still be able to see the dark cloud looming around him, but Zakhar wouldn't.

He hadn't seen the Lycan in a few days, but he didn't plan on seeing him for weeks yet.

Grudgingly he opened the door, not looking inside but he knew Zakhar was in there.

"Happy now?"
He muttered, glaring at the Angel, muttering the word 'wench' beneath his breath.

She smiled brightly at him, a soft giggle sounding as the Demon cursed at her.

"Almost. Now you just need to do what you came here for."

The bright smile didn't change but her aura did. She seemed almost threatening stood smiling brightly at the man, eyes shut.

A faint glow began to show on her skin. A threat. If he tried to leave before everything was settled, she would drag him back here.

"Take as long as you need to, Brother. I'm quite happy to stand here all night."

Zakhar looked up curiously when the door was pushed open.

Everyone was out. Damien, Evgeni. Even Lino wasn't here. Idly, he wondered where the Italian boy was above all others. He had become a permanent fixture of the room and not having him around was strange.

His brows furrowed slightly when they settled on Belial before dropping to the floor.

What was he doing here? He said he'd be gone for a few weeks.

It had barely been a could days.

Not that he wasn't happy to see him. He was just confused.

As Achinoam's skin glowed, Belial's was shrouded in darkness, a counter-threat. Achinoam was stronger than him but Belial was faster, more sinister, he could challenge the Angel if he decided to.

His eyes tore away from the woman, landing back on Zakhar, narrowing into a glare that bore into him.

He was glad the Lycan didn't look at him, it wouldn't take him long to notice the changes in his appearance.

"My sister here has come to the conclusion that it is vital that I ask you something, Zakhar, you are to answer truthfully."

No one was better at detecting a lie than Achinoam, she had grown up with Belial, she could tell, and with Zakhar the Demon was too torn to be able to analyse his words.

"Why did you pick Slavery?"
He asked, his eyes stabbing into him brutally.

His eyes flickered when he was asked the question, brows drawing together.

Why was he asking this now? Why not last week when he chose Slavery over freedom? It was an odd time to ask the question.

"I..."

Truthful. He wanted to be truthful but he didn't know how to explain it.

"You were disappointed in the choices I made. My choices upset you and I don't want to upset you. If you make those choices for me, you couldn't be upset by them."

He wasn't sure if he had explained it well. He didn't want to see his Master upset in any way - least of all because of him - so he had tried to find a way to stop himself from being the cause of the Demon's negative emotions.

It seemed he hadn't been successful.

"Look at me, Zakhar."
He spoke sternly, this would be the first time the Lycan had been able to see him since he had signed that contract.

He wondered idly how the man would take his new appearance, no doubt he would dislike the rather dulled and grim changes.

"Do I look like a man who is disappointed?"

Belial was disappointed, Zakhar was too scared to make his own choices in life, he really was a coward.