A group of men and women in long white robes walked slowly past a perfume store led by a man that by all appearances was an angel. His hair was a pale brown and from his back burst two impressive white wings. He led his group of followers with a sense of purpose about him. This man's name was Jack. Jack was a messenger from God. Placed on this earth to guide a new savior to their destiny and safeguard them from the minions of the Devil. He knew his mission was righteous and holy and that the holy child was near. Only three days ago he had been granted the clarity of mind by God to know where they would find the child and when. However they could not simply collect the child. No there was another matter to be attended to.

For the child dwelt amongst a group of orphans, poor things that had survived the Lord's calling of their parents. One of their number was the destined child. The Lord has seen fit not to reveal precisely which one. It was his wisdom, granted by God, that would make the child known. Yet also among this group of orphans, and the source of the difficulties, was another child. This child was not touched by God but by the Devil. A spawn of Satan himself sent to lead the blessed child astray. Jack and his followers could not let this happen. They would find the savior and kill the devil child. Just ahead was the group of children and their two female minders. Jack made note of a store nearby that would hopefully serve as a good place to hold the children until they had completed their tasks. With luck it's unholy decor would help bring forth the evil in the devil child. Jack signaled to his followers to make ready their weapons and led them toward the group.

Andrew was completely distracted while these things were happening. He was busy perusing a very strange little nick knack shop just across the way from the local goth emporium Cold Crypt or some other such grim name. It wasn't the type of place Drew made a point of visiting. In fact he wasn't entirely sure why he was in this shop to begin with. He'd been bored and had decided to take a walk. Somehow that walk had landed him in a mall. Whatever the reason he'd just about decided he'd had enough of dust catchers and had turned to exit the store when the sounds of chaos reached his ears. Gun shots and screaming. Drew didn't even miss a beat and shifted to a run to go survey the situation just in time to see a bunch of white robed people with guns and knifes threaten a group of children into darkened aisles of Cold Crypt. Totally unsurprised by this he began to edge across the space without drawing notice from the four robed sentinels that now blocked the store's entrance.

The guy behind the counter had dropped what he was doing and run out the door to greet him.

"Dude, it worked. I summoned you. I thought... maybe you weren't real, but here you are."

At this, Jude was offended. "Of course, I am real."

That prompted the man to usher Jude into his store, The Cold Crypt, where he, Dominic, proceeded to show a very uneasy Jude how very much Dominic had done in Jude's name... if Jude's name was actually Satan.

Jude tried to correct him. Really, he did. But it just never seemed the appropriate time. The best he was able to convey to the man was that Jude was not Satan, but a lesser devil.

The more Dominic said, the sicker and angrier Jude felt. If anybody had earned a trip through a plate glass window, it was this guy. Only. Jude was almost certain that he wouldn't be able to lift him.

The devil regretted not working out more.

"You know, I thought you'd have facial piercing and gauged ears and like tattoos and stuff."

"I sought you would have some sense of self control." He might not be able to physically hurt him, but if Satan was his idol and he thought Jude was buddies with Satan... That opened Jude up for a world of verbal hurting. "Kneel, worm!"

Also, a world of bossing.

"You are needed for a very special mission." What the mission was, Jude was totally making it up on the fly. Hadn't he seen a group of kids nearby?

"Zere are many children near here. And I need—"

"A virgin sacrifice?"

The devil frowned and re-shuffled his wings. "Don't interrupt me." He tried for his most serious and most intimidating voice.

Then, he was almost certain he heard gun shots. "I need your help." Jude grabbed the man's arm and dragged him out onto the street. A few others had come out to see what the commotion was. The kids seemed to be... under attack?

The four robed men who stood at the door came to attention when Jude and Dominic came out onto the street. "He's here for the child!"

How did they know he was trying to get Dominic to adopt a kid to bring some responsibility into his life?

Did it matter when they were both getting shot at?

Probably not. As soon as they had come out onto the street, the two of them were flinging themselves back into the store and out of the way of gunfire.

"We need a way to get past them."

"Hey. Don't sweat it. I've got a whole store of supplies."

The next time the devil and his friend came out for battle, they were dressed in black leather, wielding spiked maces and pushing an Iron Maiden in front of them. It was heavy, but that thing was solid iron. Bullets bounced right off it.

They ran, they pushed, and they shouted their battle cries. The aim was to shove the heavy torture device right into all four of them, effectively stopping the irresponsible spray of bullets.

Chaos erupted within the confines of Cold Crypt before Drew even got halfway to the entrance. Bullets were flying, the guards were turned toward the interior of the store, and Jack seemed to be shouting something. From what he could see through the window displays the women and children had hunkered down in one corner and were just trying to ride the sudden chaos out. Just as Drew was about to attack one of the men at the entrance from behind he noticed what seemed to be...an iron maiden?!...rolling at the men in question. Before he could ponder the insanity of that any further Drew pulled himself hastily out of the contraption's way just in time for it to take out three of the four gunmen. Drew hadn't gotten a very good look at the people responsible but inwardly he saluted them as he kicked the other guy in the back of the knee and made a grab for his gun arm.

A struggle ensued between Drew and the other gunman leaving the two who had dealt the first blow with the medieval torture equipment to follow up on the other three. Surprisingly a security guard was working on engaging one of them almost immediately after they'd been bowled over. Drew wondered if he'd been nearby. That was the only reason he could think of for the swift reaction time. Whatever the reason, Drew was glad of it. Hopefully the MRC would be on scene soon to help clean this up. This guy just wouldn't let go of his gun darn it!

Jack meanwhile was angry, very angry. Satan had come to defend his child and three of the devil's acolytes had risen up to aid him. This was not going as it should! He should have been able to separate the holy child and the devil child out of the group by now. He had no quarrel with the rest of them. The other children and the women could go free once he'd located the two he wanted.

"Beloved devotees! The devil seeks to stop us! Show him the strength of your faith!" shouted the winged cult leader.

Obligingly the other four cult members drew their weapons, all knives, and advanced on the two men within the shop that dared to oppose their holy mission.

Jude's leather jerkin didn't fit very well. That was what he got, buying off the rack.

Dominic and Jude heaved the iron maiden off its wheels and into two of the guys with guns. One jumped out of the way in time. One did not. That was a crunching sound that could not be un-heard.

That left one for each of them and, though Jude did not have a lot of adult hand-to-hand combat experience, he did have a tail. Really, that should have given him the upper hand. Instead, it just seemed to get in the way.

"Ow!" Dominic stepped on it and Jude spun around to whack the Satan worshiper. His tail, in turn, whacked the guy approaching from behind. Ha ha! He was so surprised, the guy took a step back and Jude took that opportunity to lunge... to lunge... Dominic took a step forward to crack his whip at the guy who was lunging at him and thus released Jude's tail from under foot.

Jude's opponent had his wits back, leveled his gun and promptly got a face full of flailing red guy whose balance was off thanks to a sudden release of his tail and previous attempts at lunging forward. His gun went off but his gun got knocked out to the side and the shot went wide.

They landed in a heap together on the ground, Jude on top. So of course he took the opportunity to punch the guy in the face.

OW! Turns out faces are BONY and hitting them really hard HURTS. He shook out his hand and scrabbled for the dazed man's gun instead. Once he had it in hand he turned it around and hit him with the back side. He groaned, but quit fighting back after that.

Armed, Jude turned to look after Dominic, but he had his opponent well in hand. His whip was around the other man's neck and he was whispering things into the guy's ear. Only, the guy seemed to have passed out a while ago. From fear or from asphyxiation, Jude couldn't tell. Yeah. Dominic's stories were just. that. good.

> "Beloved devotees! The devil seeks to stop us! Show him the strength of your faith!"

"Are you kidding me?"

They all drew weapons, guns or knives... did that guy have a chain? Really? Really?

"Dude. I'm not Satan." They didn't seem to care. Jude even tried tossing away the gun. Nope. That guy still had a chain.

"Run?" Dominic had never suggested anything better. Okay, maybe the Iron Maiden came close.

They ran.

Drew's struggle over the gun was subsiding as he finally wrenched the weapon out of his opponent's hands and used it as a club to bash the man into unconsciousness. Now he was out of the way and Drew didn't have to shot anyone. Oh it was brilliant that he now had a weapon but after that mess in the alley with Jorge there was no way Drew was ever going to willingly pull the trigger on a gun again. Not if he could absolutely avoid it. With that man down Drew was actually feeling pretty confident. The security guard had taken down his target with a minimum of fuss and Drew wasn't concerned in the slightest about the two that had been hit by the rolling device of pain. They were actually winning! At least, until the crazy with the wings called his other four followers forward. Drew started to intercept them and thereby aid the two guys in the shop. Keyword: started. Before he could get to their side the two were legging it. Well crap.

That left just him and the security guard to handle these four. One gun, two knives, and a chain. Before he could even choose they were on him and the guard. Drew got stuck with a lady with a knife and the guy with the chain. That left the security guard to tangle with the gun and knife duo. Drew wished the man luck. He'd need it. Briefly, just before the woman thrust her knife forward and his fight began, Drew wondered why the cops were only swift to react when it wasn't advantageous.

Just the story of my life I guess.

And then his thoughts were turned to battle. Battle, and ignoring the self righteous exhortations of the crazy leader of this shindig. Drew dodged, kicked, punched, and took damage even as the man rambled on.

"Yes my breathen! Show the demon and his demon touched horde that they cannot escape the hammer of righteousness! We shall lead the world to a new dawn, a new perfection!"

Jack turned then to the group of children. The savior was here, he knew it. Soon there would be a sign. Surely the blessings bestowed on the child would soon manifest themselves to protect it from the evil within this place.

Jude heard the sound of someone getting hit. Hard. The young devil caught Dominic's arm.

"We can't." Jude spoke with a conviction that Dominic easily matched.

"You're right, the children..." Hope welled in Jude's chest. "Those goody two shoes won't be sacrificing anybody!" Dominic spit in disgust off to the side. Hope died. But in a way, it didn't matter. The guy was willing (wanting?) to march to hell and back before he would let those people have the kids. Jude would take what he could get.

And what they could get was the whip Dominic had been using before and had lost in the tangle and a big gun. Jude had never used a gun before. Certainly not one this big. He had to prrrrrryyyyy it out from under the edge of the maiden, but he got it.

The two men looked at each other once, nodded and waded back into the fray. They would not be trying to leave again.

Dominic jumped in to help the security guard. The security guard didn't look happy to have the help even if Dominic's whip took out the reach advantage of the other guy's chain.

Jude went to help the other guy, but... angel wings kept talking and talking and talking.

He leveled the gun at the fanatic's wings and pulled the trigger. The shots were so loud in the close space that Jude's ears rang and the shots were so strong and automatic that the gun kicked and sort of sprayed up toward the ceiling after a few good shots.

Drew ducked under another knife swipe only to get hit by a lash of the chain across his chest and shoulder. His flinching was involuntary. Used to pain though he might be it still hurt. The security guard seemed to be managing well enough, though he had been winged by bullets a couple of times. There was no helping that really. Frankly Drew was astonished that he'd avoided serious injury from the weapon. Perhaps it was his previous experience coming to the fore but Drew had the highest respect for the devastating damage potential that guns had. Sure they were really just contained force flinging bits of metal at high speeds but they could end a life as quick as you pleased. If he were honest with himself Drew still had nights that he woke up shaking from a nightmare due to his last dealings with a gun.

Surging back to his feet Drew attempted to knock the knife out of the woman's hand but failed and got cut for his trouble. He hissed at the sting of the blade as the two that had fled reentered the fight with weapons of their own. That evened the odds, for which Drew was incredibly grateful. At least for a matter of moments until he actually saw what weapon one of the men was holding or where he was aiming it. A stream of curse words were about the only coherent thoughts in his head as the spray of bullets cut across the room and bit into the madman's wings.

"Are you nuts?! You coulda hit the kids!"

Drew was seething and trying to control his anger, the cultists were grouping up on their wounded leader, and the leader himself? Well Jack's world was pain. His beautiful white wings, the signs of his favor in the eyes of God, were staining with red red blood as he sat there on the floor having crumpled from the pain. He was a messenger for God! The one destined to guide the savior! So why did he hurt so much? Why would God, the holy and righteous, allow a heathen devil to injure him so?