Azazel narrowed his eyes. Something was off he knew it, but couldn’t place it. He look down the hall and then moves to the table and pulls the radio out “Intern where is Virus and 7-2?” He ask.

Virus stood there staring at Azazel body and the angel. Everything in him wanted to take the angel destroy, but he wanted far away from Azazel.

Oh fuck. Uh. Who the fuck was 7-2? What did the intern sound like? He flipped back through his mind to think of something but instead went with static. A voice chopped up with robotic sounds as the reception failed.

“How are you?” Gears asked the doctor, looking him over and analyzing his wounds.

“I’ve felt better but I’ve been through worse at his hands.” Wagner glared at Azazel.

Gears frowned at that before practically dragging him to Virus’ side. “Should we take his toy?” It had helped them incapacitate the demon after all, he figured.

Azazel tilt his head “something is not right.” He repeat looking around. Before he head off to the monitor room.

Virus shook his head “if we take him will Azazel try to find us?” Chances are Azazel was always going to look for them period.

The angel had clearly been throttled within an inch of his life, but he was still curled around Azazel as though trying to protect him, one hand stubbornly clutching a horn. His throat healed slowly, enough that he could croak out a quiet, “Saved you, s-see? S-Still have light…still have,” he whispered, and whether they’d noticed it or not there were indeed a couple of pristine feathers returned to their silvery gold state.

As Azazel headed out into the hall, he’d find the doors locked. The first open door he’d stumble on was Wagner’s quarters, which had Virus and Gears there. The two were a mess, their claws tangled in each other’s chests as though they’d committed a most poetic form of suicide by crushing each other’s hearts. However, the monitor room door, should he get to it, was indeed locked.

“He’s going to try either way. He did help get my nanites in him.” Gears said. He thought about what the angel had said about being abandoned by Stahs for 24. He wasn’t that different than them in a way.

“We may have to stay on the move. I don’t know if he can use my soul to track me but I wouldn’t put it past him.” Wagner cautioned.

Gears looked down at the whisper from the angel, indeed noting the feathers that returned to their silvery gold state with interest.

Azazel smirked when he came to Wagner quarters “This is a dream.” Only reason he guess is cause Virus was a copy of Voltaire and he knew Voltaire never kill himself or be killed so easily. He check the monitor room and laughs “A dream…..has to be.”

Virus nods “grab the angel.” He told him. Looks to Wagner “we have a place.” He told him. Turning and walks off to head to the elevator

Any attempts to remove the angel were met with weak resistance. He clung stubbornly to the demon, breath labored through his damaged throat. “L-Let me ss-ave you, love,” he rasped. “This is…M-Master…I h-have to stay….please go.”

As soon as he realized it was a dream, the world went dark and all that stood there was Virus, head cocked slightly to the side as he regarded Azazel in silence with a curious but calculating stare.

Gears snatched up Mariel with a little struggle, carefully lifting him onto his shoulder. “Nah, we’ll find a way to get that ring off. We won’t abandon you.”

“Alright, we’ll go there then.” Wagner nodded, moving to follow Virus with Gears bringing up the rear carrying Mariel.

Azazel stared as he saw Virus and arch a brow “You didn’t strike me as having this power little infection.”

Virus merely chuckled, twitching slightly before straightening up once more. “The hive is everything,” he said simply. “We understand, but you do not. How would you know? Do you feel it inside you, infecting you? Soon we’ll be together. Us, together. You, without a will of your own.”

In Gears’ arms the angel squirmed before falling still, exhausted. “I-I can’t…”

Azazel just laughs “Oh really the hive” he challenged it “then do it.” He call the bluff ” make me a hive ….take my will if you think you can.” Seem unmoved by the angel at all, he was confident he could kill them all.

Virus remained still. Kal was playing it cautious, not wanting to move too much and risk making any moves that would give away that Virus wasn’t Virus, as he had with the double suicide business. Damn. There was a blank look in Virus’ eyes as though his mind were elsewhre, and then a slow smile spread across his face. “Do you expect bright lights? A parade? We are already working right now. It takes time, but our nanites are holding you unconscious while we work. It will be over by the time you wake up.”

There -was- something strange about this dream, though. Not the Virus act going on now, but the way it was constructed around him. There was even a vaguely familiar air to it, as it was constructed by a demon after all.

Azazel smiled “Considering I love breaking wills and made a living of it. You being the poor copy you are, yes I do suspect you to be showy about it.” He told him. Azazel scoffs “nanites? As advance as you are, you use nanites?” He knew Voltaire didn’t however he wasn’t fully sure on Virus, but he wouldn’t show it. “Uh huh….if I wake with no will, I wouldn’t know would I if I woke.” He state. He then look around some and focus. “Show yourself, with explanation or else your punishment will be prolonged.”

The image of Virus stood there a moment longer, then gave an annoyed sigh before changing its stature somewhat. It wasn’t…Virus-like. The figure now stood straighter, hands clasped in front of it and legs slightly apart at parade rest. “We ssee no reasson to show oursselves, now that you have gotten curiouss and ruined our meal,” he chided in a deep voice that definitely was not Virus’.

Azazel narrow his eyes “Make a meal of me? Tell me why I shouldn’t banish you from this plane” was he powerful enough to do that? He then says “your timing hilarious though, so you must work with Wagner…..clever boy. However it makes punishing him all the more fun.”

‘Virus’s chuckled. “It’ss rather difficult to banissh things while you’re unconsciouss, don’t you think?” Fuck, he hoped so. From the small amount of prodding he done, he was starting to realize that he’d suddenly hooked a great white on a little old fishing pole. “We do not work for anyone, we are our own. However, it wass our pet who told us there were great feastss to be had in thiss underground laboratory. One of the shapeshifterss sent to attack the manssion, adorable little creature. We came here to find sso many are dead, but we found you here assleep. Very convenient.” It wasn’t a lie of course only convenient manipulations of the truth. The image of virus tilted its head slightly to the side. “Unfortunately, you are rather unpalatable and disscover the dream far quicker than we would have liked. Now we are at a loss of what to do with you, as we are ccertain you will react with violence once you wake. You do not sseem the rational sort.”

Azazel would smile “you do realize I am Azazel right? I am quite powerful.” He then arch a brow “tell us of this pet and we might let you off. If we find it interesting.” He told him “was it 24?” He ask. “Very convenient ” he repeated. Azazel then smiles “hey I can be a reasonable demon….” he say to him

There was a head tilt in the opposite direction then. Oh dear. He was trying to remember if they’d said his name at all during the conversation while he was being lazy. Oh fuck. Oh dear. Oh shitberries. He parted his hands to the sides as he shrugged. “We heard the others mention numbers after we gave this one a nightmare of the one known as 24,” he said, gesturing to himself – well, to Virus. “We are unaware of our pet’ss number, only that he wass ssent from this laboratory to attack the manor, and wass captured and convinced to sstay.”

Azazel smiled “you are helping Virus….” he chuckles. He then nods “Very well then….doesn’t matter. All will return here. Eventually.” He step closer “I’m going to be very merciful this one time, leave and pray you never cross my path again or else…I’ll turn you into an experiment. Got it?”

The creature grinned wide. “Ccertainly. Helping. If ‘helping’ iss giving it a nightmare sso dreadful that it woke up trying to claw itss own sspawn from itss belly. That wass quite amussing, we’ve never sseen ssuch a vissceral reaction upon waking.” Sighing wistfully, he took a step back as Azazel stepped closser. “We are difficult to experiment on, we assure you, but….we would not be oppossed to this offer. We are here to feed, not for conflict. We were ssimply told thiss was a good ssource of fitful ssleeperss.”

Azazel grins a moment “Why not continue to attack them then.” He told the creature “keep feeding those nightmares” Azazel then snickers “I have ways, trust me.” That tone sadistic. He then nods “it for the experiments, I am not a menu option. However Virus sounded like a awesome wonderful food source for you.”

“Mm. Becausse we musst be where we are feeding, and you have ssaid we may not cross your path again. The Virus creature iss magnificent – did you know it had never dreamed before? Iss this what having a virgin iss like?” he laughed, and somehow Virus had four eyes – a small slip of the illusion. “We will releasse this dream and allow you to wake peacefully. Thiss hass been ssomething of a …missundersstanding. There iss no hard feelingss, hm?”

Azazel died laughing now at that remark “Guess you popped his dream cherry” he snorts. He then smirked ” no miss understanding. You took an opportunity and it didn’t work out. I however have a whole new reason to break this Virus.” He state.

The image of Virus gave a small bow then, and for a brief moment there was a shadow behind him – the actual creature over ten feet tall with four arms arranged in a gentlemanly fashion in a bow of his own with those four glowing eyes. It was gone then, and Azazel would be free to awaken on his own whenever he overcame the chemicals released by the nanites into his brain.

Azazel did wake, he had a strong will, plus his body was different then humans and such. He got up and looks around “Lets see how far you got.” Grabs his radio “Intern! Locate Wagner.”

“Y-yes sir!” There was silence for a moment before the intern spoke again. “H-he just walked off camera on thr surface, sir.”

Azazel then ask “was Virus with him? Who all was with him?” He ask.

“Virus and 7-2, sir, as well as the angel you brought with you.” The intern said.

Azazel thought a moment. It be sooo much sweeter to rebreak the angel, he twist the ring to turn it off for now. It wouldn’t come off the angel, but he wanted to give the angel false hope. Plus he could use it to track them.