Chapter 28: Amy & Harvey

"Here."

"Thank you, thank you!"

Amy accepted the white paper bag from his hand. Walking before her, Harvey sat on the bench opposite her; putting down his own bag, he looked up at her as she pulled out a wrapped hot dog. Taking off the foil wrapping, she took a large bite of the food.

"Not bad. Still, it's leagues away from a New York hot dog." Amy spoke and took another bite.

"…"

Harvey sighed and opened his bag. He was in a black hoodie and jeans. Considering Amy already knew his real identity, he found no real reason to walk around as Vengeance. Taking a bite of his hot dog, Harvey looked at Amy as she took another bite. She ate like it was the most delicious meal she ever had. He had to admit, she was very beautiful. Almost otherworldly.

Looking around at the park they were at, Harvey expanded his senses out twenty yards. Nodding at the fact that he had found no one close enough to listen to them. Turning to Amy, he's surprised to see her gone from her seat.

"What the?"

"I think she left you, dude. Tough break."

Jumping at the voice in his ear, Harvey spins and finds Amy beside him—a smiling cheshire expression on her face.

"Should I be so lucky."

"Ouch."

Harvey was surprised when he found himself chuckling. Amy's eyes widened at his laugh; Her face erupted into a brilliant smile. Shaking his head, Harvey couldn't help but think that maybe he misjudged her. But it was too soon to tell; he needed more information from her before he wrote her off as not a threat.

"So, Vengeance. Let's talk."

"...Harvey." Harvey said with a small smile. "That's my name. Vengeance is the name I use when I'm out at night... working."

"I see, well, Harvs." Amy wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Ask me anything! But for every question you ask, I ask one back!"

"Seems fair." 

Harvey thought about what he would ask the angel first. His mind was buzzing with questions, but one needed to be answered before anything else could happen. Looking up, he stared deeply into her eyes.

"Are you a threat? To me? To humans?"

"Nooope!" Amy made a popping sound at the end of the word. "Like I said before, I'm an Archangel! Me and three others are down on the mortal plane. We volunteered to keep an eye out for all of humanity. You know, like help someone here and there. Stop a few psychos from causing mass genocide, stuff like that."

"Why?"

"Nuh-uh. My turn." Amy held a finger up at him. "What are you? You look like a human, but you're not one. The two souls you possess are also something you don't see too often."

Harvey nodded at the question. Frankly, it was one he wondered about from time to time. What exactly was he? One couldn't exactly write down 'The spirit of vengeance' on an identification form.

"... I'm not sure. I was human a while back, but now I'm not." Harvey said out loud, almost like he was talking to himself. "Now I'm more."

"Hmm... I see."

"The second soul I possess is still me, just another aspect of who I am."

Amy nodded and hummed to herself. She then closed her eyes and looked up, a smile on her face. Harvey wanted to know what she was thinking. Could she have an answer for him?

"You're not lying. You see, we angels have this ability that lets us know when someone is untruthful." The angel smiled as she looked at a rabbit a few feet away. "It must be hard not knowing what you are."

"...Do you know the name Zarathos?" Harvey asked quietly. He expected his partner to try and stop him from asking that question, but he remained silent.

Amy's eyes widened, and she looked down at her shoes. "Zarathos... That's a name I haven't heard in a while."

"Zarathos was a powerful demon. Even amongst his kind, he was on another level. Even the being that created us angels has their reasons to have feared him." Amy spoke. "But Zarathos was an odd demon. He never prayed on the innocent. He targets sinful souls and those corrupted by evil. Even kept most of the other demons in check, preventing them from consuming a majority of humanity."

Harvey nodded as he listened; a part of him always wondered who his partner truly was. But whenever he wanted to ask, he felt like it was wrong to do so. Who was he to question the being responsible for saving his life? But Harvey wanted to know more. He wanted to know if Zarathos was who he thought he was.

"A while back, maybe a few centuries ago. Zarathos vanished from this universe. No one could find him for a long, long time." Amy frowned as she spoke. "As an angel of justice. I always looked up to him, as odd as that sounds. A demon that many called The spirit of vengeance. The spirit that delivered justice to the wicked."

"Ah, sorry about that!" Amy said as she let go of him and laughed awkwardly. "I kinda got lost there."

Harvey shook his head and smiled. He assured her it was okay. Looking up, Harvey leaned back and relaxed slightly. 'Sorry for doubting you, partner.'

'It's of no consequence. I always knew you had a shred of doubt; it would have been naive of you if you didn't.' Zarathos replied.

"Thank you, Amy. For telling me that." Harvey stood up from his seat and looked down at Amy. "There's something I want to show you."

Amy looked at him in confusion. In a split second, Harvey's head was consumed by fire. The angel's eyes widened, and her mouth opened into a silent gasp. She stood up and stared into his eyes, her mouth lifted up into a small smile. Amy nodded to herself, finally realizing his situation.

"The spirit of vengeance... Zarathos is a part of you."

•••

"Wow! You live here all alone!"

Amy exclaimed as she looked around Harvey's house. It was a large, comfortable-looking home; stepping into the kitchen, she saw how spotless it was. Either her new friend was a neat freak, or he didn't cook for himself. She popped her head around the corner and saw him walk up to her with a smile.

"Yeah, I do. You're free to stay as long as you want." Harvey said. "I can't necessarily let an arch angel be homeless while she stays in my city."

"Oh my. Just so you know, I'm not easy." 

Amy joked as she looked at his annoyed expression. She always loved messing with humans; regardless if Harvey was no longer one, he still reacted like a human; they were so prudish! Then again, if Micheal heard her and saw that, he would discipline her for a decade. Harvey then motioned for her to follow and guided her upstairs. Entering the room, he stood inside, looked around, and nodded.

"You can have this room. Make yourself at home, Amy."

Amy nodded and looked around. The room was large and fully furnished. The bed looked heavenly! This is a significant departure from when she slept on cardboard boxes or in the sky. Sure, she had no real need to sleep, but after three centuries of sleeping like the humans, she's acquired a liking for the act. Jumping on the bed, she rolled around and laughed.

"Ah! It's heavenly!" She said as she looked up at Harvey. He smiled at her in amusement. "So, care to join me?"

"Funny. Here."

Catching the keys he tossed at her, she looked down and smiled. A little skull keychain accompanied the keys. Thanking Harvey, she rolled off the bed and opened the bathroom door. It had everything you could want! A shower, sink, toilet, and a mirror. Of course, she had no real need for the toilet. After all, everything she eats becomes energy inside her body. Being an angel sure has its perks.

'...and negatives.'

Shaking her head, she turned off the light and closed the door. Looking back to Harvey, he asked if she liked it. Nodding, she walked up to him and hugged him. She knew he was a little uncomfortable with her touching him, but that was just how she was! Being the angel of justice and love caused her to be more affectionate with those she cared about.

"Okay, that's enough." Harvey said as he pushed her back gently. "Let's get some sleep. Well, talk tomorrow."

"Roger that, Partner!"

Amy soluted as he smiled at her in amusement. Harvey wished her goodnight and closed the door. Turning around, she gazed around the room and smiled. This was nice; she couldn't remember the last time she had a room to herself. Taking off her denim jacket, she raised her arms and stretched.

"For someone with a demon inside him, he sure is a nice guy."

Amy knew from the start that Harvey was a good person; half of his soul radiated a bright light. While she was curious as to why the other half was bathed in shadows and fire, it was then made clear why. It was because of Zarathos, The demon who made demons run away in fear at the mere mention of his name. The two are connected, working together to continue going after the sinful and wicked.

"I'm glad I came here."

Amy said to herself as she looked over in the direction of Harvey's soul. He was across the hall in the next room, not too far from her. Amy looked over to the bathroom and decided to take a long, hot shower. She couldn't really accumulate surface bodily waste, so she always stayed clean, but feeling the water cascade down her body was a pleasant experience. With a nod, she stood up and started to strip. 

•••

"School? How old are you?"

Amy asked as she set a plate of eggs and ham before him. Apparently, she decided to take over his clean kitchen and make breakfast. Looking over her shoulder, he saw a huge mess. Amy smiled cutely at him as she stepped in his line of sight.

"I'm 17, but I'm turning 18 next month." Harvey said. "So about the mess-"

"Wow! You're pretty young! Then again any human is young compared to me" Amy spoke, exaggerating. "I'll be sure to make you some pancakes on your birthday! Now go on, eat!"

Harvey nodded and decided to ignore her blatant attempt at hiding the mess. Looking down at the burnt eggs and cold ham, he smiled and ate. Amy looked at him expectedly and nodded at him. Harvey felt his eyes prickle slightly. When was the last time he had someone cook him breakfast in his home? Finishing his breakfast, Harvey looked over to his new roommate.

"Thank you. It was delicious."

"You're welcome, Harvs."

They sat in a comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other's company. Harvey wondered why he invited her to stay at his home last night. He had no real reason to, but he felt an odd connection with her. It was a strange feeling. It felt like they were somehow the same. Perhaps it was because they shared the same goals.

"Thank you… for letting me stay." Amy said with a soft smile. "I've been on my own for centuries, taking care of my responsibilities. That I almost forgot…"

"How nice it is to have a friend."

Harvey smiled and nodded. Ah, it made sense now. They were kindred souls. Thanks to the Dunphy family, he no longer felt so alone anymore. But before he met them, it was just him and an empty house. It felt like he was suffocating whenever he was here; it was why he used to spent all his time out on the streets—doing drugs and drinking beer—anything not to be here.

"Yeah… it is."