A Simple Gift

Listening to: Tank!

The sky was an innocent blue, the grass a luscious green, and the city bustling with activity. Dowan Kroh practically danced to work every morning, or at least that's what any onlooker would reason with the way his feet gracefully navigated even the most unruly pathway. His headphones, the same he wore everyday, generated a near endless stream of unstoppable tunes that would allure even the most stern-faced gentleman. He ran a hand through his messy dark blue hair, and looked down at a nonexistent watch with a smile on his face. "Three... two... one," the subway doors opened as if on cue with a definitive 'ding dong'. "Let's jam," he stepped forward in rhythm to the song playing on his headphones.


"Take those damn things off when I'm talking to you!"

Dan Milano screamed at the top of his lungs, but the accused didn't seem phased. He calmly lowered his headphones to around his neck and cupped his ear as if to mock his superior. "But you're not talking anymore. Maybe I should put the music back on?"

"W-why you... don't you care about your job at all, Dowan Kroh?!"

Dowan smirked with a shrug, "I care about giving the people what they want - media uncensored by corporate, and the government. This is America, after all. We should be free to publish the truth, and I think you've lost sight of that through greed. I care about that. If this job doesn't give me the ability to do that, or if my superiors do not agree with that, then this isn't the place for me." He sat comfortably on the single leather chair despite what was just said. He regretted nothing.

Dan's face burned red with fury, and you could almost see smoke blowing out of his facial orifices. "Y-you certainly don't belong here, you impudent boy! You worthless idiot! You freakin' imbecile! I can have you banned from every position in this COUNTRY, and you DARE talk to me like that?! You are NOTHING! You were nothing when I found you, and you'll continue to be NOTHING if I deem it so! Get on your knees and beg to keep your job, you miserable prick-"

"I believe we're done here," Dowan stood and pocketted his hands. "I cleaned my desk prior to meeting you like this, Mr. Milano. It was a pleasure working with you, but I'll have to take my amateur writing elsewhere for personal reasons... as well as the five hundred and sixty clients this firm relies on. Oh, my sources will also be off limits, of course. That surely won't be a problem for the twenty stories your staff is currently writing involving their experiences, however." He spoke politely and clearly while walking to the door, and then tossed a wave over his shoulder. "Ciao!"

Listening to: Brand New Days

Dowan took a generous swig of his coffee while sitting at one of the window seats in Starbucks.

"Free at last," he let out a melancholy sigh as his headphones pumped relaxing music into his ears... but suddenly the sound stopped, and was replaced with a strangely familiar voice.

Or are you, Dowan Kroh? Is anyone truly free in this world? Is mankind not bound by the limits of their mortal coil?

Dowan blinked in surprise at the swirl of thoughts those comments inspired within him. "I suppose you're right in that regard, Masq. The power of our soul far exceeds the shell we were given upon entering the physical realm," he paused to take another gulp of his white chocolate mocha, his violet eyes slanting to look out the window. "I wonder then, what-"

Save her.

His eyes widened at the girl he just saw run across the street and towards the subway station. He was quickly out the door with employees yelling at him to pick up the drink he dropped on the way out.

Listening to: Tension Rising

"Dammit," Dowan growled as a mob of people filled the city, swarming the sidewalks. He struggled to push through them and made his way across the street in a mad dash, cars almost plowing into him. Leaping over a rail, he ran into the subway station where he saw the girl go, and quickly bounded down the stairs.

He jumped onto the floor and ran faster, pouring all he had into his legs. A minority of the people he passed wore cruel smiles, and some of them started to exhibit odd behavior... until their bodies melted away into shadowy figures bent on destruction. He heard a scream and looked back at an innocent being skewered by a demonic blade. "Shit, they're here already?!" The creature grinned wickedly at him and shrieked loudly, bystanders fleeing the scene in a chorus of fear and confusion.

The girl ran into the subway and he bolted for the doors, but they slammed shut just as he reached them. He saw her face closely for a brief moment, and thanked god that she was listening to an MP3 player. Realizing he was still in dangerous territory, he side-stepped just as a demonic arm pierced the train. It sped off with the demon still hanging on, and Dowan watched as it crashed into a pillar. Another train quickly arrived and the writer wasted no time in boarding that one.

He locked eyes with a demon, and stepped back as it charged towards the doors.

Listening to: Fahrenheit

The doors slammed shut just as the demon got its head through, and it squealed in pain. "Don't like that, do ya? Good, now get the hell away!" Dowan cursed at the thing and kicked it in the face until it fell back from the doors, and the train took off. The writer only had a moment to breathe as then the door leading to another car flung off its hinges. A seemingly endless stream of angry shadows poured from the doorway and into his car. He looked up at the sound of a blade tearing through metal, and saw that the entire roof of the car was being torn to shreds by demons wanting entry.

Dowan hurried into the car leading to the front and began to strain as the muscles in his body worked overtime. The windows around him shattered one after another as many more demons infiltrated the train. Abruptly, it started to pick up speed, but the writer only lost his footing for a split second.

"What's happening, Masq?"

I can sense that the demons pursuing us are planning to seal both of you inside another realm. There they would surely feast on her soul... but fear not, I will bend their power with my own to transform their wicked dimension into one born of holy energy.

"Yeah, that's... really reassuring."

I'll let your sarcasm slide, Dowan. Just get to the front car and the speed should mix with mine and the devil's power to create a warp of sorts. The girl should be there as well...

"Should? You don't know?!"

Of course she'll be there. I'd never let anything harm her.

"That's better," Dowan smiled as he reached the terminal in the very front of the train. He turned back to face the legion of demons swarming his position, and lifted his head up to look skywards. "Hope you know what you're doing, Masq..."

Listening to: Silence

Dowan stirred slightly and groaned in pain, his eyelids heavy and his body almost motionless. "M-Masq..." He muttered softly as his eyes slowly flickered open to stare down at blurry ground. "W-where... are we..."

Listening to: Silence

"Masq...?" The writer rolled over onto his back and heaved a tired sigh, looking up at what he thought was the night sky. "I... don't understand. What about her? What happened? What did you... do?"

Listening to: Silence

"Did you leave me, Masq? After all this time..." He held his head while struggling to his knees, and then made the mistake of looking ahead. His eyes slowly widened in shock at the thing standing there, its gigantic size dwarfing the young girl lying at its feet. The armored demon moved its colossal head to stare down at Dowan, a wide grin forming under its faceplate. "You wasted your life in vain, human. I will consume this girl, feast on the unlimited power held within her... and then I shall devour you!"

Listening to: The Genesis

The demon reared his massive blade and absorbed the vortex of dark clouds around the small piece of floating land they were situated on. Dark lightning struck the steel and flowed through the demon's veins as he prepared to cut down the unconscious girl, a ritual in which would tear her soul from her shell and allow him to feast upon it.

"I won't let you do that to her," shouted a powerful voice.

The demon paused and looked back at Dowan, who was now standing stably. "I won't let you touch her. I won't let anyone harm her! This I vowed to myself, this I swore!" He clenched his fists and screamed, engulfed in a bright light that surprised the demon and actually forced his body back. Waves of power rippled outward from the human as two blades of light shot from his shoulders. He fell to the ground as the blades started to form wings, brilliant wings of whitest glory. From head to toe, the light that consumed his form materialized into white plate armor with golden accents.

'Dowan Kroh' grinned while slowly taking a stand, his right arm stretched outwards as if beckoning something to him. A tiny sphere of light was born into his open palm, and from there sprouted into a magnificent sword brimming with tremendous might. Bracing it in both of his gauntletted hands, a flowing cape fell from the heavens to grace his back, secured at his neck. "Lord Changell Duoras of the Seventh Abyss, for your crimes against humanity, nay... for your crimes against the very foundation of this entire grand universe, your sentence..." He took a running step forward and vanished briefly, reappearing with his sword impaled within the demon, a splatter of blood signifying that the colossal armor was easily pierced. "IS DEATH!"

Changell released a wretched yell full of agonizing torment as his soul was torn asunder by the glorious blade. His body imploded in on itself, reduced to a mere sphere of darkness that was revealed to be the target of the blow. The sphere, too, disintegrated into nothingness as if the strands of the soul parted ways.

Listening to: The Path is Open

Dowan floated silently to the ground, and looked down at the girl lying there so peacefully. He spread his wings to cast a brilliant light throughout the realm, darkness slinking away to reveal beautiful blue sky. Flowers grew from the once barren ground, and all was right with the world. Walking over to the girl, he crouched and wrapped his arms around her, holding her up ever so slightly. He smiled the biggest smile he had ever donned while just gazing at her angelic face. And then... she opened her eyes.

"Mica..." He breathed.

She gingerly touched his face, the helmet having vanished with the sword he used to slay the beast. Caressing his cheek, she smiled gently, "I knew you'd come..."

He smiled, "I promised you, didn't I...? On that day many eons ago, I decided that I wouldn't let that happen to you, that I wouldn't let you fall no matter what. And that..."

She pressed a single finger against his lips and lifted her head so their faces were just inches apart. "You would always watch over me, always protect me. You are my angel, and I love you." Tears fell from her eyes, but they were tears of joy even as she pressed her lips against his.

Masq, who was otherwise known as Archangel Matthew in Heaven, kissed her back tenderly. "And I love you, my ordinary girl..." He uttered, embracing her closely. He held on to her as if it would be the last time, and in truth it might have been. He was only allowed to touch her like this because he had assumed the body of his faithful servant, Dowan Kroh. Ironically, the powerful demon lord that sought to claim Mica's soul for his own was also thanked for their union. Without his presence, Matthew would have never received permission to grace the Earth, and save his beloved.