Chapter 2: An angel, a human and a raccoon walk into a bar…

The air felt dead, the sticky smell of blood filled the small space around them as Uriel stared Sam down with angry, yet tired eyes. As if he had seen this happen one too many times already.

"Do you want to back out now, Sam?" Uriel asked coldly, Abel and Cham both followed the angel's gaze to the puzzled expression that covered Sam's features like a blanket. The man opened his mouth as if to speak but seemed to think otherwise before closing it, causing the tension to spark in the air like lightning in a storm.

"Look," Abel barked, "I don't know what the hell is happening, but if these things are going after raccoons I can't imagine what they'd do to people,"

Cham swallowed, glancing back to Abel with tired eyes, "So, what do we do?" He asked. Thought he knew the answer, he felt the desire to hear the other man say it. As if to confirm their new friendship.

"We go into town and start beating these sons of bitches," he retorted, knocking the head of his baseball bat on the bloodied ground below causing a loud "ping" to sound out around them.

"It's not that easy," Sam replied, "You can't just go into town and start ganking these things. We need a plan, you need —" he sighed, rolling his eyes before running fingers through his long hair, "You need someone with experience." The words came out through gritted teeth as he spoke. Sam knew that he was trapped in this, just as he always has been.

"Great!" Uriel chimed, laughing. His laughter sent a shiver down Abel's spin, as if his blood was made of ice.

"Sam, I will leave these two in your very capable hands," he laughed, putting a bloodied hand on the older hunter's shoulder. Abel opened his mouth to speak but with a snap of Uriel's fingers and the sound of wings flapping, Uriel was gone. The only part of him that remained were a few bloody footprints and a small white feather that landed in a little pool of black, bloody, sludge. Sam let out another sigh before turning on his heels.

"You better come to my place then," making towards the door, he spoke as if he was already on his last nerve, pulling the Impala keys from his pocket. Abel and Chamuel shared a quick look before Abel pelted after the hunter, Cham glanced back at the Carnage one last time. Eyes spotting the small white feather, feeling a sickness inside him grow as he turned and followed the others into the garage.

The sludge popped around the feather, dissolving it as it seemed to spring to life before melting into the concrete below, leaving no trace to be found. Slowly the rest of the sludge seemed to follow suit leaving only the bloodless bodies of the raccoons.

***

Abel stared blankly out the side of the impala, only a few hours ago he found himself absolutely freaking out over the beauty of the car. Something he'd never done before but this car just clicked with him, he couldn't express why but he loved it. Finding himself fiddling with a toy soldier that was jammed into a door, running his fingers over carvings on the wood. It felt so familiar. It felt like home almost, glancing up at Sam he expected it to feel like home too but it didn't. Instead he found his eyes moving to the mirror.

In the back seat Chamuel was hastily typing on his phone, a small smile on his lips as he did so. That felt more normal to him, something about Chamuel brought a calming presence to him. Though he liked Sam, the man felt cold. But that wasn't something he wasn't used to. Abel seemed to feel that about people often, as if him just being alive annoyed most of humanity. But with Cham, he had helped Abel, he didn't run when the going got tough. He stood his ground, and silently, Abel couldn't believe how cool this math teacher looking mother fucker was.

"My brother," Sam started, bringing Abel's attention back to him, "he loved this car, ya'know? He-- we crashed it often, and he fixed it."

Abel could sense Sam had more to say but was holding back, eyes staring directly at the road as he spoke. "And if you're going to be-- ganking whatever this is, you might want to learn more about this car,"

Sam hesitated, unsure if he should even mention possibly giving the car to the other. After all, it was his car, right? Though if Dean was alive he knew that his brother wouldn't have given it a second thought. That is, when Abel was old enough.

"Though maybe don't learn too fast," Sam added.

Abel listened to Sam speak. He didn't know a thing about Dean. He was told the basics, but nothing outside of 'he saved the world,' or 'he survived hell.' This Dean seemed almost like a movie character opposed to a real person, let alone his own father. The desire to talk to Sam, to understand more, it seemed to fill a hole he couldn't quite explain. He wanted to know more about Dean, more about Sam, but as he moved his attention from Sam to the waking world outside, Abel couldn't help but feel as if his entire life, something was missing and that caused him to remain silent. Lost in his own thoughts.

Sam seemed to follow in the silence as Abel quietly wondered how coming out here was going to help them, his town was overrun with living car oil sure but they could stop it, right? After all, Cham had that weird glowing hands thing and he had his baseball bat. That's all they needed, at least, he assumed. Abels thoughts faded back to reality as Sam spoke up, "Alright, we're here."

Chamuel glanced up, confused. The sun touched the top of the trees, shining a brilliant gold light over the men as Sam pulled into an old parking lot. A beaten up home with a junk yard in the back sat before them with a large sign that read "Singer Auto" the rest of the letters were nearly impossible to read below it.

"I don't know, man, I'd have assumed you to have a nicer place," Abel remarked, glancing at Sam with grin.

"Oh, this isn't my place, but it's closer to where we need to go. Plus, it has a lot of stuff we can use,"

Sam parked the car, threw on the parking brake before climbing out. Abel blinked as the sun turned his hazel eyes to a brilliant green, stepping from the safety of the Impala and into the waking world. Chamuel followed by, eyes narrowed as the sun cast mighty shadows behind them. Chamuel followed Sam towards the old home, leaving Abel to stare after.

Abel watched the two for a few short seconds before his eyes moved down to their long shadows. His heart stopped, he felt a rush of anxiety explode through him. He could feel the sweat from his panic run down his forehead. Chamuels shadow, for only a few quick seconds, had what seemed to be large, soft wings that stretched out so far they were almost the length of the car. The entire ride over he'd been fighting with himself on how real it all seemed, and though the shadow had returned to normal how could he continue to question it? Maybe a trick of the light? Maybe a lack of sleep?

"You coming?"

Abel glanced up at Sam, who looked at him with a puzzled expression. Blinking away the panic in his mind,

"Yeah, of course I'm comin'." He called back, giving the others a lopsided grin as he strolled up to them. A prickle of anxiety bit at his stomach, but he blamed it on the lack of sleep. His mind clouded with thoughts as he watched Sam fiddle with a few keys.

Angels and demons, he never believed in them. As a child his foster mother used to tell him angels watched over him, but after he had been sent to a new house the comfort of angels seemed like a fairy tale told to orphans. Now, he wasn't just with his apparent uncle, but with an entire Angel. If this was all real, did that really mean he meant anything to this war? Uriel told him that he was meant to save them, but how? He could hardly save himself. He could feel the anxiety and fear building, Sam was speaking to them but Abel didn't pay attention.

A panic attack settled into his gut. Was he going to die? What could he possibly do? His mind reeled, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Blinking in surprise he looked up, seeing Chamuel giving him a small smile. Suddenly the pain, anxiety, fear, it all melted. It felt as though it was being forcefully sucked out and replaced with a warm calm that brought him down from his highest panic.

"It's alright," Chamuel whispered, at first Abel stared blankly at the other before pushing the hand away.

"I'm fine, man, just a bit of anxiety!" He whispered back, glancing down at Sam.

"Come on, Sammy! My grandmother's faster than this," Abel jokes, nudging Sam lightly,

"There!" Sam said, with triumph in his voice, turning an old key in the lock with a loud and satisfying click! Sam glanced towards Abel with a sad tint over his eyes when he heard the old nickname Dean would call him, but he said nothing to Abel.

Pushing the door inward with a loud creaking, the watery light of the sun filled the musty room, chasing the shadows away with its warmth. The inside was old, yet homey. With books piled around them in a cluttered fashion, the strong smell of dust greeted the three as they stepped into the darkness of the home.

Abel walked past Sam, glancing around him in awe. The inside looked as if no one cleaned in years, with ancient beer cans tossed around his feet, the wood creaked with every step he took.

"Whose house is this?" Abel asked, turning attention to Sam who was making his way towards the kitchen.

Abel glanced over at Chamuel, he could see a flash of anxiety on his face, hesitating he whispered "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just hate old houses,"

"Are you worried it's haunted?"

"Yeah, don't wanna see anyone I know,"

Abel smirked and followed Sam into the kitchen.

"This is Bobby's house," Sam called back, opening the fridge, pulling out a beer. The can let out a hiss, pop!

"He uh, was a hunter like me," Sam seemed to be picking his words carefully as he closed the door to the fridge, motioning for the pair to follow him into the kitchen. Leaning against the table as he took a swig, "He use to pretty much help us with everything,"

"When you say 'us' do you mean…?"

"Yeah, me and my brother erm, I guess your dad," Sam rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"He was-- basically our other father," Sam sighed, "I've tried to keep up with cleaning it and making it look-- presentable, but I can only do so much," Sam kicked an empty beer can lightly with his foot.

Abel jumped up onto the counter to sit, legs dangling off while Chamuel pulled a chair out from the table, settling in the seat. The two watching Sam, causing the hunter to feel a prickle of embarrassment flash over his skin. Taking another nervous drink,

"Ya, know, I keep the utilities on, clean out the weeds sometimes, try to keep the junkyard-- kind of clean," He chuckled,

"So I was thinking the two of you can squat down here, I can teach you some basic things today...have either of you fired a gun…?"

Sam pointed between the two, an eyebrow arched.

"Sammy, did you just ask an Angel and a stoner if they've ever fired a gun?" Abel asked, an eyebrow raised. Chamuel blinked a few times at Abel,

"Do you know anything about angels? We're not all dresses and halos," Chamuel pointed out.

"I read somewhere that you have at least seven eyes, that's pretty cool, like a spider,"

"Oh my god," Sam groaned,

"I…" Cham shook his head, "I guess like a spider makes...weird sense?"

"Wait, so If you are an Angel...why can I see you? Shouldn't my eyes burn out?"

"That's only the hot ones," Cham joked, eyes flashing with humor.

"This isn't helping," Sam placed his drink on the table with force, "This isn't a game! You can, and will, get hurt! You could die!"

Silence followed this for a few quiet seconds, Abel stepped off the counter and made towards the fridge. Pulling the door open to the small fridge, helping himself to a can of beer, popping the top and taking a small swig.

"Do you think we can't do it?" Abel asked, though there was a hint of a challenge in his voice the question seemed to be genuine.

"I could hardly do it!" Sam replied with a bit more strain in his voice than he meant there to be.

"Well no offense, Buffy, but from what I heard you were the reason the world almost ended," Abel recalled the story Uriel had told them, causing Sam's face to flush red lightly, anger flared in the hunters eyes.

"Stop it," Cham chimed in, standing up quickly causing the air around the men to kick up lightly. The soft whooshing sounds of wings filled the small kitchen. Abel looked at Cham with slight shock at the sudden movement but Sam's expression didn't waver as if the man had dealt with it plenty of times before.

"No we've never fired a gun," Chamuel said, crisp blue eyes moving from Sam to Abel.

"Will you teach us?"

"I can just watch youtube videos, I don't need his help," Abel retorted, waving a hand in the air in a dismissive manner.

"Abel, if it means anything to you, I was ordered to protect you and keep you from dying, So maybe instead of accidentally shooting yourself in the face you get help from a professional," Chamuel gestured to Sam, eyes narrowed in a challenging fashion. Abel put his hands up in a mocking fashion as if Cham had pulled a gun on him.

"Fine, fine." Abel said, taking a sip of the cold beer, "Teach us, Mr. Miyagi!" Abel said, giving the man a lopsided grin.

Sam glared at Abel for a few heartbeats, but his gaze turned soft. Just like Dean, Abel wasn't going to be an easy one to get along with.

"Look, we're going to play to your strengths," Sam replied, standing up full now with a little more animation in his step. Tossing the empty beer can into the trash as he walked past. Abel took another sip of the beer, before handing it to Chamuel and following after Sam. Cham blinked down at the half full can then followed after the two, still holding the can.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not going to teach you just shooting, I'll...I don't know, show you a few things," Sam replied, making towards a closet, he swung open the door, parting the coats aside so he could get a better view of the back of the small room. Sam moved aside a few balls, and a handful of tennis rackets before finding the treasure he had been seeking, a maple colored wooden baseball bat. Sam turned back to the two men, holding it out towards Abel with a curt smile on his lips. Abel slowly reached for it, taking it in his hands with wide eyes. The bat was a little heavy with high quality wood, it reminded him of playing baseball in college. For a few short breaths he could almost smell the grass below his feet, hear the cheering of the crowd, if only he could go back. A rush of sadness flooded his mind but he shook his head as if to dismiss the memories.

"Are you listening?" Sam asked, cutting Abels thought process in half.

"What?"

Sam shook his head, "I said, you used to play baseball professionally, right?"

"I mean, I wouldn't say I was a professional," he joked,

"I just had a full scholarship, my man!" Abel replied proudly, "For an all girls baseball team! Unfortunately they didn't want someone with a beard joining them,"

"My great aunt had a beard," Sam replied.

"Yeah but she shaves hers more than I do,"

Sam laughed. For the first time, Abel saw Sam smile and it made him feel more at ease,

"Yeah I played!" Abel laughed, getting into a stance as if he was about to swing.

"I was the best hitter that team got," He swung into the empty air with a loud swish!

"Well, we're going to make this bat more...useful, for hunting, Follow me!"

Sam took them through the home, explaining to them what each room meant. From the panic room, to the car lot. The older hunter found himself going into stories, details, things that weren't important. Getting lost once or twice in his own memories.

From there he introduced them to the weapons, letting the boys hold the gun, explaining how they work, how to shoot and where to reload. Sam also went through the handling of a shotgun,

"Shotgun shells, salt!" Sam said, showing them the large buck shots, Abel reached forward with a tentative hand, rolling it between his palms. It was hard, cold, he'd never held a bullet before. Let alone one for a gun as strong as a shotgun.

"These things will blast through ghosts easy,"

"Shooting ghosts huh? I'm starting to think this is all real," Abel chuckled nervously, handing the shell to Chamuel who held it to the light as if he expected to see through it. Sam ignored Abels comment as he took the shell from the angel.

"What if I don't have a gun? Do I just run in swingin? I trust you, man, but a single baseball bat and a gun might not be the only thing I need,"

"Oh don't worry, I'm getting to that!"

Sam finished explaining the guns to the boys, making sure to insist the two use them. He knew with experience they'd understand but at the moment all the two could think about was how violent the gun seemed. He almost laughed at this, "Wait till you see what the demons will do," he replied smoothly, causing the other two to look on in shock.

The group hustled towards the junk yard with a few guns for shooting practice. Sam set up a couple targets for the pair to use, explaining how to use each gun again before taking the baseball bat in hand.

"Chamuel, make sure Abel doesn't shoot himself, I'll be right back,"

"Hey!" Abel called after, glaring at Sam's back but the older hunter didn't turn around or acknowledge the shout.

***

Abel was set up to shoot down the targets, holding the gun up, as he was taught, squeezing the trigger, a loud bang rang through the air; The small kick caught him off guard but he was able to recover within a few heart beats, silently thankful for the ear plugs.

"See!"

"You missed,"

"Yeah but I shot closer than last time,"

"Haven't you heard the phrase 'close but no cigar?'."

"I heard the song Weird Al made about it" Abel replied with a smile, turning his attention to the target once more. Abel took in a breath, letting it go he shot. Miss! Shot again. Miss!

He grumbled to himself as he reloaded, glancing over at Chamuel who was sitting on the hood of a car. His eyes scanning the screen on his phone, a troubled look on his face.

"Hey Cham-a-lam," He called towards the other,

Cham glanced up with eyebrows furrowed together, "Uh..yeah?"

"Do you have, like, superpowers or somethin, man?"

"W-What do you mean?" Chamuel asked with a small voice.

"I don't know, you're an archangel, aint'cha? You gotta have some kind of crazy power."

"Did you just call me Cham-a-lam?"

"Answer the question, I know you got that glowing hand thing,"

Cham chuckled, "It's-- well it's more like an extreme exorcism..."

"So besides that, what else do you do?"

Chamuel raced his fingers through his blonde locks, "Shouldn't you be practicing?"

Abel raised an eyebrow at the Angel but decided against pushing it. Turning back towards the target he readied himself, sucking in a breath before letting it out. He shot, for a few seconds he stared at the target before it registered in his brain. He hit it! Abel gasped in excitement and turned towards Chamuel. Slapping his phone away playfully, dragging the other up and pointing.

"Yes! Fuck you!" Abel shouted, cheering.

Chamuel laughed at the sudden outburst, shaking his head, not interrupting the prideful strut Abel had put on with the fact the bullet only hit the bottom of the paper.

***

As the day progressed and the sun died out behind the junkyard Abel and Chamuel started to grow restless. The two took turns shooting at the targets given to them for a few hours, only to realize Sam hadn't returned. The pair found their way back to the house, looking high and low for their mentor before giving up and settling down in the kitchen. Abel taking his time fiddling with bread, jam and peanut butter,

"I wonder where he is," Chamuel said, his phone set on the table. A checker board was laid out on the table in front of him. Chamuel moved a few red checkers, switching one or two of the black ones while Abel's back was turned. Snickering to himself as he did so,

"Guy probably decided to bounce." Abel replied, turning towards his friend with a plate. Placing it in front of the other who looked at it surprised.

"You made me something?"

"Yeah! PB and jam, stable to my diet," he laughed, sitting down across from the other with his own food. Taking a swig of beer he looked over the checked board,

"You didn't move my guys did you?" Abel asked, eyes narrowed,

Chamuel picked up the sandwich, taking a bite with a smile on his face,

"You can't prove anything,"

"That's what a guilty person says!"

"Hey hey, this is America, I have a right to a trial of my peers,"

"I'm your only friend, and I say you're guilty,"

Cham laughed, his eyes warm, "Did you just say you're my friend?"

Abel felt his face turn red, taking a bite of his food and jumping a few of Chamuel's red checkers,

"Shut up, Chams, your move!"

Chamuel laughed, leaning forward to make a move only for the sound of a door opening caught his attention.

"Well it's good to see you're makin yourself at home," Sam's voice came from the door that connected to the kitchen. As he stepped in, both men leaped to demand an explanation, only for the once clean, beautiful baseball bat to be held out to them, to Abel.

The once light brown wood had been dyed a deep brownish red, silver spikes as sharp as knives stood out against the top of the bat. They shimmered dangerously in the musty light of the kitchen, Chamuel also looked shocked as Abel slowly took the bat from Sam. He could see salt had been rubbed deep into the wood.

"I figured since you're all about baseball, I'd use that to your advantage. It's been soaked in holy water, dead man's blood and I scratched some salt into it." Sam nodded proudly at the bat, "Oh and the spikes, pure iron and some silver,"

Abel held it in his hand, weighing it. It was heavier than any bat he'd held but he felt it would work non the less.

"Wow this is awesome!" his eyes sparked with excitement, then fear. He knew that he'd be using this as a weapon, yet it felt right. As if a weapon in his hand felt more comfortable than a normal bat.

"Great! Don't ask where I got the blood from," Sam walked past them and into another room, "I got to show you one more thing"

"Oh I'm going to ask," Abel replied,

Chamuel raced a hand over the bat with wide eyes.

"This is real," Abel whispered, glancing up at Chamuel with wide eyes, Cham nodded slowly. "This is real," he replied with a nervous note to his voice, it was all starting to sink in now,

"Well, real or not, I've always wanted to go ghost hunting!" Abel said, stepping away from Chamuel. He hoisted the bat up easily, so the middle of the bat rested on his shoulder before turning on his heels and following after Sam. Chamuel hesitated, glancing back to the checkers that sat on the table. The angel picked up one of Abel's black chips, jumping the remainder of the red ones and pushing them to the side.

"Cham! Come on!" Abel shouted from another room,

"Coming," Cham called back, grabbing the other half of his sandwich and following the sound of his friend's voice.

***

"You'll need to read these... And these," Sam said as he piled books on top of each other in front of Abel, who sat with his legs crossed in front of him on an old beaten up couch. He arched an eyebrow as the older hunter continued to stack. Some of the books in the library were real books, printed, published and available to buy in your local store. From what Abel could see, those books were tamed versions of the second pile of books. All of which looked as though they were either printed and shoved together in a binder, written in pencil in an old notebook, or handfuls of sticky notes lining into the heart of other books.

"Any handmade ones," Sam said, pointing to the pile of messy, dirty and coffee stained notebooks, binders and folders, "Are made by other hunters, they're going to help you the most!" Chamuel, who had settled beside Abel, leaned forward, plucking the top book before flipping it opened. A few torn papers fell to the floor causing the mans soft complexion to turn bright red.

"Sorry," Chamuel chuckled,

"What about the other books?" Abel asked as he helped Chamuel pick up the papers that had fallen.

"Those," Sam started, patting the top of them, "Are just basic information on a lot of the monsters you're probably going to see."

Abel stopped, "How many monsters?"

"Hundreds,"

"Damn," Abel whistled, running his fingers through his hair, smoothing it back.

"Look, I have to leave for the night,"

"What? Where are you going?" Abel asked with a tilt of his head,

"Well I have a family, I can't just ditch! Besides, Bobby's house is fortified and should have everything you need." Sam clapped his hands together, scattering dust into the air.

Cham waved his hand in the air, coughing lightly from the dust, "Get some sleep, I'll be back in the afternoon," Sam called to them as he made towards the front door, pulling his phone from his pocket as he made his exit. The cool air flooded the warm home for a few rapid heart beats as the door was pulled open and shut behind the hunter.

Abel stared at the door for a few minutes before turning his attention back to the books, it suddenly hit him, he was exhausted! He hadn't slept since the other night but he felt an itch, a restlessness that caused him to think that sleep might not be so easy. At least, not sober.

"Well," standing up, Abel moved towards Chamuel whose eyes scanned the words on the paper before him. A look of concentration covered his face as he read the confusing literature. Abel watched for a few seconds before placing a hand on the book, shutting it closed.

"Hey, I was reading that!"

"Correction, you were reading it," He grinned, "Now!" Abel pulled a set of keys out of his jacket pocket, dangling them lightly in the air, "We're going to a bar."

Chamuel blinked in surprise at the other, adjusting the collar on his light pink pull over,

"A-A bar?" Anxiety flashed on the angels face as he spoke,

"Yeah, ya'know, chicks, drinks! Maybe we can find you a nice lady, huh? Chicks dig math teacher types."

"I'm not a math teacher, and shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"Come on, Cham, I'll be your wingman! Just a few beers, little flirting and we'll come right back. I swear!"

Cham glanced at him, then back to his book. "What if Sam comes back?"

Abel shook his head, "He can text me, come on Cham! I can't go alone or Ariel might have a fit,"

"Ariel is a mermaid,"

"Whatever Cham, come on!" He smiled at the other, a playful tone in his voice. "An hour! That's all I'm askin,"

Cham shook his head, pulling out his cell phone. "I guess it's not too late."

"We'll be there and back so quick your halo will spin."

Chamuel swallowed, standing up with a sigh, he rubbed the back of his head in a nervous manner.

"Fine, I guess it won't kill us?"

"That's what I'm talkin' about, man!" Abel punched Chamuel's arm lightly, causing the Angel to grunt in dissatisfaction. Abel knew if he didn't invite Chamuel the angel would probably just follow him anyways so why not be inviting?

***

Abel had found the keys on a coffee table just by the library. He wasn't sure what car they were for but even if they didn't find it he could afford an uber to take them to the closest bar. From what he saw on the app on his phone the closest was a small ten minute drive away. He and Chamuel had taken to the junkyard, pressing the alarm button on the keyring causing an alarm to blare only a few car lengths away from the two. Abel punched the air in a form of triumph as the pair weaved their way around the junked automobiles.

They stumbled upon an old truck, it was covered in a light layer of rust around the front but from what the two could see it wasn't too beaten down.

"Probably just sat in the rain too long," Abel mused as he ran a hand over the front, letting his fingers trace the sharp edges where the rust had started to eat away at the metal. Chamuel pulled open the passenger door hesitantly, it let out a loud creek as it swung open violently causing the blonde to stumble back in light surprise.

"Yeah, only the rain," He muttered, pulling himself up into the seat. Glancing down at the stereo, brushing dust away from the dials.

Abel swung the door opened to the drivers end, climbing up into it with a laugh. Excitement had rested in the man's green gaze, the idea of doing something semi normal was exciting to him. He knew well that an hour wasn't going to cut it but figured that'd be a road he'll cross when it comes down to it, besides, Cham didn't seem as if he had a lot of fight in him. A few back and forths and Abel would probably come out on top! The brunette pushed the key into the slot, gripping onto the thin leather wheel as he turned the key. The truck let out a growl before falling quiet again,

"Oh well! Guess we'll have to go back inside," Cham laughed,

Abel shook his head at the other, turning the key another time. Once more the car roared before falling into the silence of the night. Abel scoffed, pulling the key out and back in as if that would somehow make the car turn itself on.

Chamuel watched Abel knowing damn well the human would, probably, just call a taxi or a lyft. Maybe even make them walk!

"Maybe--" Chamuels words died in his throat as the engine roared to life, letting out an angry puttering that filled once peaceful night air with harsh smoke. Chamuel leaned into the old leather seat, he wasn't going to go home in an hour. He silently knew that was a lie but if he let Abel go places by himself Uriel would have his head. Abel wasn't a child, if anything, he'd fare better against some of these creatures than Chamuel was. The Angel's grace was slowly fading the less he used it, making him almost the same as a human. This caused his anxiety to prickle the top of his skin whenever he thought of it.

The car jumped to life as the peddle was pressed down, the kick made Chamuel's stomach turn lightly with the sudden movement.

"I can't believe we're doing this," Cham groaned.

The car ride was short, thanks to Abel's navigation app on his phone the two were able to weave through the roads with ease. Chamuel mostly looked out at the night sky until he heard a soft noise next to his head. A noise that he could hear over the loud music that blasted from the speakers and Abel's singing. Cham shook his head, maybe the hunter ran over a pinecone, or a pothole? But he hadn't felt any bumps.

There it was again, it was close. Chamuel glanced around the two person front seat before turning his head to look out the small window that led to the truck bed. The bed of the truck had a sheet held over the top, one of the corners of the sheet was flapping in the wind but the rest looked pretty tied down. Chamuel watched the tarp for a few more minutes before feeling the car make a sharp turn into a parking lot.

The lot had a handful of cars scattered about it, people hung out around the outside laughing loudly into the night air. A large neon sign buzzed, flashing the name of the bar for the world to see illuminating the night with it's fake warmth. Abel leapt from the car with ease, adjusting his army green jacket and shoving his keys into the pocket. Chamuel followed after, climbing out of the car with little enthusiasm, eyes still trained onto the back of the car. Narrowing them, he thought he saw movement under the tarp but Abel's voice cut into his subconscious,

"Hey come on, Chammy!" he hollered.

Chamuel glanced back towards his friend, racing his fingers through his hair and letting it rest on the back of his neck in a nervous fashion.

"Yeah, coming," His throat felt dry as he followed his friend to the front doors of the shabby and broken down looking bar.

The inside smelled like a mix of smoke and body odor, the air was thick with the breaths of handfuls of people packed close together. The inside of the bar was small, with a long table that was attached to a backroom. The bartenders were going in and out of the double doors to get more alcohol, cups and napkins. A few people littered the stools that were pushed against the table, drinks in hand, smiles on their lips as they chatted with one another. In the middle of the room was a large open space with a few scattered tables, a band played on a stage that was set against the wall. The beat from their drum could be felt in the ground below his feet.

It was loud, he could hardly hear anything anyone was saying as he followed close behind Abel, who moved through the bar as if he'd been here hundreds of times before. The hunter squeezed his way past a few people who had taken to dancing and chatting beside the bar. He took a seat in a cherry red stool, placing a hand on the sticky wood with a small smile. He waved over to one of the few bartenders who were scurrying about. A chipper man bound up to him, a smile on his face,

"Hello sir, what can I get you?"

Chamuel took a seat beside Abel, giving a nervous smile to a few girls who were sitting only a few inches from them on their own stools. They giggled, looking away from the two.

"Hey man! What'cha got on tap?"

The bartender went into a list of the beers they had, mentioning how he enjoyed one over the other. Chamuel couldn't pay attention, his mind continued to move back to the truck and whatever the boise was. It was a familiar noise, but he just couldn't put a finger on it.

"Here ya go!" Abel said, placing a large cup of beer in front of the man who looked at it with a confused expression, "Thanks, I uh, don't really have any money right now," Chamuel confessed, feeling his face heat up with embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it, Chams. I ain't hurtin'." He chuckled, taking a long sip of the cold beer.

Chamuel blinked at the other for a few seconds, though he was a therapist he hadn't had a client for a few years now and his money situation was severely lacking. He wasn't sure where Abel had gotten his money from but Chamuel decided not to question the generosity of the other, after all, he'd never had anyone buy him a drink before.

The two drank their beers, chatting about nothing as they did so,

"So why is an angel a therapist?" Abel asked as he ordered them another round.

"Well -- God sent me down here to understand humans and well, I guess I figured the best way was to be a therapist."

"Did you go to school for it?"

"I mean-- yeah, I've been down here for almost ten years,"

"You can be down here a hundred years and still not do anything," Abel pointed out, drinking down the next beer that was placed in front of him,

"Jesus christ, Abel!" Chamuel laughed as he watched his friend down nearly the entire beer.

"I'm a professional," He joked, nudging Cham and nodding his head to a table a few arm's lengths away from them. A few women were settled down on the table, they waved to both Chamuel and Abel who grinned back,

"Come on, we gotta go talk to them," He said, turning towards the blonde.

Chamuel looked to Abel and then the girls, he felt his face burn as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Why do you want to talk to them? Can't we just...learn about each other?"

Abel shook his head, giving the other a look, "About each other? There are a handful of sexy women who are looking at us and you want to stare into my eyes and tell me more about your life as a therapist."

Abel didn't give the other a chance to reply as he stood up from his spot, making his way towards the group who giggled as he came over. Chamuel cursed Abel under his breath before grabbing both his and Abels drinks, following close behind.

Chamuel felt a chill run down his spine as he took a seat at the table, Abel started to introduce them, lightly nudging Cham as he did so with a closed fist but the Angel wasn't paying attention. Something didn't feel right, his mind continued to move back towards the back of the car.

"I love your shirt,"

The voice pulled him from his thought process, blinking down at the hand that was playing lightly with his shirt. It belonged to a woman sitting beside him, her eyes narrowed playfully with a smirk on her lips.

"Er uh, thanks," he chuckled, "I got it from Kohls, I think,"

Abel shot Cham an irritated look, "I was just tellin' these beautiful girls that you're a therapist,"

The woman that had been touching his shirt moved a little closer to him, he gave her a small smile. "Yeah, well, I mean I was for awhile. Then I encountered someone that really shook me, so I ended up taking a break."

"And now he's here, wanting to start up another practice, right? Chamuel?"

It was almost weird to hear Abel say his full name at this point, looking at the man in light confusion. A practice here? He felt a nudge on his arm, glancing back towards the women beside him before turning his attention back to Abel.

"A practice?" He asked, tilting his head. Abel shot him an annoyed glance with a thin smile, gripping his glass tight in his hands. Chamuel opened his mouth to continue talking when a scream erupted from the front of the bar. It was so loud the band fell silent, the air suddenly felt cold but this only lasted a few ticks of the clock as the front door seemed to explode inwards as a large raccoon tore into the room.

"It's rabid!" Someone shouted, a few collective gasps and screams as the patrons in the bar quickly moved out of the animal's way, all looking at the creature with confused and wide eyes. Chamuel slowly stood up from his seat,

"Abel," he whispered,

Black sludge dripped from the raccoon's maw as it moved it's head around in a wild fashion. Everyone stood frozen as they watched the raccoon vomit up the black vile and collapsed to the floor.

"Is it...dead?" someone asked. Murmurs rose around the bar.

"We need to get these guys outta here," Abel's voice surprised Chamuel as he felt a hand on his shoulder, before either of the two could make a move the Raccoon let out a hiss, a sickening pop filled the air as the creatures skin seemed to almost boil. The black sludge started to move slowly from the floor, shaking as it just about floated in the air. Abel watched with wide eyes, the crowd around him shifted as if they were all getting ready for something to happen.

The black sludge rose higher and higher into the air, it visibly shook as it stopped about Abel's eye level. In a single breath the sludge exploded, the black sludge flew in every direction causing everyone to start screaming as the mucus seeped into the skin of its victims. Abel blinked in surprise, Chamuel had stood in front of the hunter. His face now covered in the sludge. Chaos exploded around the two now as everyone tried to run out at once, Abel felt himself being pushed forward only to be caught by his friend.

"You okay?" Chamuel asked, rubbing the sludge off his face with the back of his sleeve.

The air tasted like iron as Abel stared at the black sludge on the other's face. It sizzled off slowly, falling to the ground below.

"The sludge," Abel whispered,

A Scream caught their attention, the two whipped around to see the raccoon was standing straight up. It's jaw hanging off its mouth in an unnatural fashion, it's skin seemed to almost crawl with the black blood that ran through its veins like a sickness. The body contorted, the sickening snap of bones filled the air, popping like fireworks as its body started to grow in size, the skin hardly being held together by the sticky black goo. Almost like a glue that kept the monstrosity from falling apart. It towered over Chamuel and Abel, gagging, spitting as it did so. It's eyes tiny compared to the now large, bulging head. The black sludge formed around the racoon, giving it a monstrous appearance.

Each breath it took sounded like agony as it bore down on the two, Abel and Chamuel watched it with wide eyes.

"That's a big raccoon," Abel whispered, taking a few steps back he felt his body connecting to the table he had just been sitting at.

The raccoon creature took a step towards them, leaving a large bloodied footprint behind. Chamuel took in a breath, clenching his fists. The familiar glow started around the angel's hands, and though he felt fear and uncertainty flash through him, Abel took a step forward and away from the table. He balled up his fists, unsure of what to do as he watched Chamuel.

Chamuel opened his hand, holding it out at the monster. The creature glowed a soft pink only for the light to die down in a few seconds. Confusion flashed over the blonde's features, he took a step back towards Abel. Blinking away the fear, Cham tried again. He felt his energy being sucked into the light of his hands, the sudden burst of power he felt caused him to hesitate. He never felt such power before becoming an archangel and he wasn't sure what it meant, causing him to stop paying attention for a single heartbeat.

"Cham!"

Pain flashed through his body as the Raccoon used its massive paw to smack the angel away from him, screaming as its paw touched the other. Chamuel's body seemed to almost burn the monster, Abel mused. His eyes flooded with understanding as Cham collided with the wall, falling onto the ground in a huff. The Raccoon growled, making its way towards where the blonde had fallen.

The idea that flashed into his head wasn't something he was expecting but his instinct had kicked in, not only did he feel a fiery rage at watching that creature harm the people around them but also attack his friend. Abel took off past the raccoon, causing the monster to snap it's attention over to him. The monster roared, trampling over towards the hunter.

Abel leapt over a fallen table, silently thanking his previous baseball coach for making him do hurdles whenever he mouthed off, and that was often! The creature bore down on Abel, the man leapt onto the counter of the bartop and rolled to the floor. The monster made contact with the multiple bottles of alcohol on the wall as it ran straight into it. Abel covered his neck and head as he was soaked with the strong smelling liquid, he could feel the glass from the bottles cutting into his back through the jacket but it didn't bother him. The monster stumbled back, screeching in agony as it clawed at the glass on its face.

"Not that smart, are ya?" Abel whispered, he turned his head to start exploring the stuff that was hidden behind the counter. He grinned as his hands found the margarita salt,

"Abel!"

Abel scrambled up, his wet hair plastered to his forehead, "I'm alive!" Abel shouted, with a quick movement of his arm he showered the creature in the salt. It screamed in agony, stumbling away from Abel with a roar. It's blood showered the floor below,

"Do it again, Cham! Kill it!"

Cham was watching Abel with eyes as wide as saucers before jumping into action the second Abel called for him.

"Right!" He shouted, taking in a breath his hands started to glow. Feeling his power rise, it flowed through his veins as if his blood was made of pure fire. Abel watched in awe, the angel was now floating in mid air. Large soft pink wings exploded from the man's back, ripping open the back of the angel's shirt. Feathers danced to the ground, showering the floor below him. Chamuel's eyes snapped open, they were bright as the sun; glowing like headlights in the darkest of nights.

He continued to slowly float towards the ceiling, the air in the bar whipped and roared as if it was ready to go to war.

"Whoa…" Abel breathed, his eyes wide as he held the box of salt in one hand and a broken bottle in another. The creature didn't seem to care for the fancy show as it hacked a few times, racing claws over its now dark red eyes. It snarled, opening it jaw wide. A roar ripping from the depths of its throat as it leapt to attack the Angel,

"Be...Gone!" Chamuel shouted, his voice filled the room, it was as though God had come down and spoken for him. The once nasily voice sounding strong and ferocious.

Chamuel pointed a finger at the beast, the monster's jaw only seconds from latching onto Chamuel's hand only for it to scream in agony. A brilliant pink light illuminated the entire bar, Abel hid his face from the blast, ducking back behind the bartop. Shutting his eyes tight, the creature screamed in unholy agony before the screams suddenly stopped, followed by the rotted smell of burnt flesh. The light slowly died away, causing Abel to slowly uncover his face, peaking out from where he hid to look around. The light was gone, so was the monster. In its place was a large burn mark in the wooden floor, the tables had been knocked back against the bartop, blood and raccoon parts showered the room around the burned wood.

Laying on the floor next to the burn mark was Chamuel, his shirts completely torn apart but his wings had vanished. Feathers surrounded the angel as he laid still on the hard floor below.

"Cham!" Abel shouted, leaping to the otherside of the bar top, racing to his friend. Slipping in the muck and falling beside the man with a grunt, he scrambled back to his feet. His clothes were soaked in blood and alcohol,

"Cham, man! Can you hear me?" Abel asked, leaning down and shaking the Angel lightly. Chamuel groaned painfully, blinking up at Abel.

"Abel? What...happened?" Cham asked, he was visibly shaken, a large welt on his head was forming.

"Can you move?"

"Yeah, I think so?"

Abel helped Chamuel to his feet, glancing at the front door. Standing there were a few patrons from earlier, holding their phones up with wide eyes and jaws on the floor.

"Shit," Abel whispered, making his way to the other people, Chamuel staggered only to grab onto a nearby table for support. Abel stopped, turning towards his friend.

"Come on man, get it together," he whispered, concern clear in his features as he pushed himself up against the Angel, letting the man wrap an arm around his shoulders.

The two hobbled towards the front door, Abel shoved past the few people who continued to watch them without saying a word. Outside the parking lot was mostly empty aside from a few cars and a motorcycle. He could hear loud sirens in the distance now as the cold air of the outside touched his face he realized how much pain he was in. His back felt as if it was on fire, his hands were bleeding but he didn't stop as they quickly made for the truck. Abel scrambled to get the keys out, he helped Chamuel into the passenger seat before hopping in the front seat. Putting the car into drive Abel turned onto the road back to Bobby's, he could see the lights of the police in the rearview mirror but he didn't stop his driving. Knowing they probably didn't see him drive away, regardless, he made a mental note not to take this car out again.

"Cham," Abel whispered,

The angel glanced up at his friend, his head throbbed painfully as he forced himself to stay awake. His eyes burned with exhaustion, he never felt tired before in his life. As an angel he had a small advantage when it came to sleeping and eating but right now he felt more human than he ever had in his life.

"Yeah…?" Chamuel asked, fearful what the other could possibly say. The entire incident was a blur in the blonde's mind as he looked over at the bruised and beaten up hunter. He had glass in his shaggy hair, cuts on his hands and face, yet a smile was settled on his lips.

"That was badass!" Abel laughed, Chamuel blinked at him. Him? Badass? Chamuel laughed too, even though it hurt. He laughed.