LoveStruck

By L.S. and Jennifer McGill

NC-17 Adult Content and Themes



Book One: Fallen Angels

She closed the door to the apartment in which she had lived all her life and 
sighed. The door locked with a click that echoed in her ears with a finality 
that bespoke doom. She picked up the single bag that carried all the 
possessions she owned after a lifetime of service, a life now fallen into 
ruin, and walked down the brightly lit hall to the elevator. She pressed the 
button, and almost instantly, the doors opened. She stepped inside the roomy 
interior, ignoring the cheerful voices of the choruses coming through the 
speakers as the elevator descended. Today, the usually upbeat music seemed a 
false promise of heaven.

As the elevator descended, she looked at herself in the mirrored walls, 
glumly noting the redness of her eyes from crying, the disheveled mass of 
her flaming red hair. She pushed her glasses back up her pert nose, the gold 
frames settling back in front of her eyes where the oval lenses of pink 
glass hid some of the redness. Better perhaps to take them off and not be 
able to see the world she was leaving behind, but she hated her 
nearsightedness without them too much.

The doors opened out to the enormous lobby and she walked across the vast, 
echoing room to the front doors. She stepped out into the eternal sunshine, 
the bright sunlight seeming dimmer, though she was the only one who seemed 
to notice. She flagged down a taxi, watching as it turned to retrieve her. 
The golden chariot dipped down to the street, the hooves of the Pegasus 
pulling it chiming on the cool metal of the gold surface. The gorgeous blond 
Adonis driving the taxi leaned down to help her up.

�Where to, miss?� he asked, the musical sound of his voice grating on her 
ears.

�Pearly Gates Complex,� she answered.

As the taxi transported her to her destination, she sourly reflected on the 
overdose of pleasantness that was part of her daily life. Rather� had been a 
part of her daily life. Bright, eternal sunlight, unvarying temperature, 
sweet scented breezes, and angelic choruses, Heaven was everything one could 
want, and more�

Unless you wanted something forbidden.

She shoved her way through the crowds of incoming souls, heavenly agents, 
and waiting loved ones she found when arriving at the complex. Finally, she 
arrived at a desk she had always shunned before, as all good angels did. The 
black marble counter exuded a chill aura that made her shiver. The clerk 
behind it only added to her foreboding, his black glasses matching his suit 
and wings. His face was blandly anonymous, as only a bureaucrat�s could be, 
and the expression of official dislike could have been painted on.

�Papers?� he asked in a monotone, oddly contrasting to the typical musical 
voice of most angels. She sighed and handed over the end of her life�s work.

The clerk eyed the pink paper emotionlessly. �Name?�

�Harteriel Serefina, Seraphim first class,�

�Not anymore.� Emotion colored his voice finally, a vicious, gleeful tone. 
He reached up and Heart felt a wrenching sensation as the golden circlet was 
pulled free and dropped with a clatter on the desk. Only the silver circlet 
of light, innate to all angels, remained hovering over her head. The clerk 
glared at it as though he wished he could take that away, too, but only 
Heart could choose to remove it, and a glance into her eyes confirmed her 
unwillingness to do so. The clerk changed tactics.

�This is the Exiles� Gate, girl. You come here, you don�t work in Heaven 
anymore!� he crowed licentiously, a nasty smile on his face.

�I know,� Heart said, the jibe hitting home and chilling her all the more.

�I don�t think you do,� the clerk laughed, enjoying the opportunity to rub 
the salt in. �You fucked up, girl.�

He tapped the pink slip of paper. �Exiled by orders of the Cupid.� He 
stepped out from behind the counter. �An angel of Love, a Virtue no less, 
and you had to be exiled? That�s a major fuck-up, girl. Takes a major 
violation of the rules. You little stuck-up prisses in the office of Love 
are usually too good to wind up here. What�d you do? Fuck a demon? Eh?� He 
laughed maliciously at his supposed joke as he grabbed the front of her robe 
of office. �Haven�t gotten to exile a Virtue since Valentiniel.� He yanked, 
ripping the robe from her unresisting form.

Heart stood impassively, too numb to respond to the clerk�s bullying until 
he grabbed her handbag and threw it into a scanner. She let out a small mew 
of protest as her sole possessions disappeared. The clerk laughed at her 
distress then pushed her through an arch next to the desk, his shove 
sprawling her awkwardly on the floor, her glasses nearly flying away. She 
desperately pushed them back over her eyes.

�So long, traitor! If I had my way, you�d fall a lot farther than the mortal 
plane!� His ominously gleeful laugh was cut off as a door closed over the 
arch.

Heart tried to orient herself in the blank circular room, her passage though 
the arch having left her dizzy. She was shaking her head to clear it as a 
beep sounded and her bag dropped on top of her. She clutched it to her 
chest, but had no chance to check it as the floor opened beneath her and she 
fell into space.

She clenched her teeth to keep from screaming, and tried to extend her 
wings, but only a numb feeling existed between her shoulders. She cried out 
in misery at the loss, but her grief did not change her punishment, nor 
would it make her beg forgiveness.

She had done nothing wrong! Only loved�

She fell, a tiny speck in the wide shaft of open air that the giant golden 
stairway defined, a fleeting spectacle for the mortal souls ascending. Below 
her, a crystal sphere drew closer and closer. She gave one last look to the 
blazing glory of her lost home before she struck the surface and passed 
through.

She landed in a heap on a gritty sidewalk, her ears assaulted with noise. 
She slowly rolled and climbed to shaky feet, taking stock after the rough 
landing.

She stood on a familiar sidewalk in New York City, lightly trafficked at 
this time of day. Across from her, a small row of shops quietly stood, their 
glassy faces blankly staring at the empty street. A small caf� stood almost 
directly across from her, a lone waiter cleaning tables left by the last of 
the late lunch crowed. The entire street stood in shadow, overhung by tall 
buildings on either side.

She turned to the store behind her, not noticing the strange look she was 
getting from the owner of the flower shop next door. Her eyes sought out the 
sign along the music store�s weathered fa�ade, which proudly proclaimed its 
name to be Celestial Sounds. The windows were covered with an assortment of 
garish music posters, among which two stood out most prominently. Many 
passersby had noted the irony of Led Zeppelin�s �Stairway to Heaven� poster 
being right next to AC/DC�s �Highway to Hell,� but only a few knew the 
truth.

She stepped forward to place a hand on the poster of the golden stair, but 
only smooth glass met her hand. She collapsed in tears, falling to her knees 
at the base of the wall.

�Well, well, what have we here?� a cruel voice asked.

�Why, it�s a little slut, so eager to get fucked, she couldn�t wait for us 
to strip her,� another voice laughed.

She looked around, her sight blurred with tears. Six men surrounded her, 
dressed like a gang of typical punks; but they wavered in her vision, 
looking one moment like a group of deliberately-bald teenagers from a neo- 
Nazi gang, then shifting into the semblance of lower-level demons. She 
pressed her back to the wall behind her, fumbling through her bag, hoping, 
praying they hadn�t taken it�

�Leave me alone!� she said, her frustrated efforts in vain.

The tallest one leered. �Now why would we do that, when it�s obvious you�re 
dying for us to fuck you?� The cruel malice in his eyes shifted between 
merely human to diabolical. Hands grabbed her from either side. She screamed 
as she struggled, but it was no use. Her sight finally cleared, revealing 
the group to be truly demonic. Frantically, she glanced around. The street 
was clear of would-be saviors, and all of her angelic protections seemed to 
be gone.

The tall leader grinned, his sharp teeth glittering in the light from her 
halo. �Into the alley, boys. We get to enjoy some angelic pussy before we 
deliver her!�

She fought, screaming and kicking, as she was dragged by the two brawniest 
of the demons into the alley and draped over a trash bin. Her legs were 
forced apart by massive hands. She struggled with futility as the first 
demon made to step between her legs, his hand reaching for the swastika- 
emblazoned buckle of his belt�

In a squeal of tortured rubber, a midnight-black Corvette convertible 
fishtailed around the corner of the alley and braked, the headlights 
illuminating the shadowed corridor. A blur launched from the car into the 
air, then flipped before slamming into the concrete, shattering it. The 
demons froze in shock at the sight before them, but Heart sighed with 
relief.

An Amazonian woman crouched before them, her feet buried to the ankles in 
the shattered cement. One hand was also buried in a third hole, her fingers 
puncturing the pseudo-rock as though it were clay. Long legs met under a 
short black leather mini, and the skintight halter-top barely contained 
oversized breasts. Her violet eyes blazed out of a heart-shaped face under a 
long, white pageboy haircut, and a slight smile graced her lips. Her free 
right hand held an axe-bladed trident. For a long moment, no one moved. Then 
she spoke in a warm contralto that carried more menace than the gravelly 
voices of the demons.

�Care to try someone your own size?� A wicked grin revealed inch-long 
canines.

For a second, the leader seemed nonplussed, but then he grinned again. �How 
sweet, twice the meat!� He motioned to the two closest to the strange 
newcomer. �Get her!�

The two demons separated to come at her from both sides, but the stranger 
didn�t move. As they aligned on either side and began to rush her, she 
shrugged.

With blinding speed and the power of a piledriver, bat wings caught the two 
demons and slammed them into the walls on either side, crushing the bricks 
nearly a foot and a half back and turning the pair into mangled carcasses.

The leader blinked in shock at the altered appearance of his foe. Two purple 
horns just poked through the sides of her bangs, and her skirt had been 
pushed up far beyond the bounds of modesty by a muscular tail that ended in 
a large spaded tip. Delicate points had appeared on her ears, while her legs 
now terminated in an elongated foot that suggested hooves. The hand holding 
the axe-bladed trident had five-inch nails of the same purple as her horns. 
Violet light burned around her weapon, wisps of glowing vapor rising like 
smoke. Her wings completely spanned the wide alley.

�What the fuck!� Surprise was evident in his gravelly voice. �You�re a 
goddamned succubus?�

�Let her go,� she commanded, and ice was warmer than that eerie tone.

�Mephistopheles will have your horns for this, bitch! You�re interfering 
with a sanctioned operation!�

�If you don�t let her go, I plan to do more than interfere.� The violet glow 
around the trident�s head grew larger, brighter.

�Fuck this,� The leader nodded at the two holding Heart. �Kill this bitch.�

The two large demons grinned and moved toward the succubus, drawing long, 
curved swords out of their long coats. The last demon drew out a 9mm.

The two swordsmen charged as the succubus launched herself upwards, 
revealing that she did, indeed, have a pair of sharp hooves. Her double- 
ended trident swung in a tight circle as she deflected three bullets and 
landed between the swordsmen and the gunman. Her trident intercepted the 
gunman�s wrist as he tried to re-aim; his hand flying away with the gun 
still in it. He jumped back with a shout of pain and shock as the two 
swordsmen swung.

Heart cried out in fear, the leader�s arm choked tight around her throat. 
But the succubus caught the swords with either end of her trident and spun, 
throwing the two demons in opposite directions as the gunman came up behind 
her with a large knife�

�Then he was looking down in disbelief at the spaded tail that had 
penetrated his ribcage. The succubus pulled her tail free and made two 
passes with her trident, the larger of the two ends separating first the 
head, then the upper and lower torso, sending them flying in all directions.

The larger of the two swordsmen charged her from the rear. She reached up 
with her wings, their powerful thumbs latching on to an overhead fire escape 
as she launched herself into a backwards kick. Her sharp hooves smashed off 
the top of the demon�s skull as he vainly tried to swing his blade at a 
target that had so suddenly gone from forward to up. His eyes rolled into 
their sockets as black blood gushed from the mangled remains of his head. 
Then the succubus landed behind him with a wing flap and gave his torso a 
diagonal permanent vacation from the rest of his body with her large blade.

The remaining demon closed warily, drawing a second sword. He assumed a 
Chinese sword stance and his blades began an intricate dance as bloody light 
crawled along them. The succubus answered this with a light show of her own 
from the trident, her wings shrinking to a fraction of their normal size.

Heart watched fearfully as the two combatants met in a spectacular whirl, 
blades flashing too fast to follow. For long seconds, the sound of steel 
against steel rang in the air, then the demon�s right arm, still clutching 
its sword, flew theatrically away. A still-whirling trident caught the 
second arm at the elbow� In a few more whirls, the demon lay in nearly a 
dozen pieces at her feet.

Heart found herself flung back down onto the trash bin, and she screamed as 
the leader pulled out a large knife and went to stab her. For a long frozen 
second, her eyes focussed on the dagger tip as it descended towards her 
breast, then a streak of purple fire burned across her vision, and she felt 
the restraining hand ripped free.

The succubus-flung trident carried the leader nearly ten feet before pinning 
him to a brick wall. He screamed as he tried to pull the triple- bladed 
spear free.

�You goddamned slut! Bitch! Bhaalor will gut you for this!�

The succubus sauntered up to the demon as Heart�s eyes followed her. She 
laid her hands at the haft of the trident.

�I could care less what Bhaalor thinks.� She wrenched the trident upwards, 
the axeblades shearing through brick, flesh and bone alike. The leader fell 
to the ground, his upper torso splitting wide as black blood poured in a 
flood from his carcass.

Heart turned at a sudden crackle and watched as the demonic blades flared 
and burned, leaving not even scorches where they had fallen. Only the 9mm 
remained, still clutched in a demonic hand. She turned wide, relieved eyes 
to her savior, who was approaching her with a smile.

�Are you okay, Heart? I�m so sorry I didn�t get here faster. They didn�t 
hurt you, did they?�

Heart flung herself into the tall demoness's arms, her short frame nestling 
into the succubus's as she laid her head against the base of the demoness's 
chest. "No, Beloved, you arrived before they could do more than frighten 
me."

Tension flowed out of the succubus as relief showed in her face. �I�m so 
glad, Love. If they had hurt you��

�I�m fine, Seraph, just a little shaken.� Heart looked around at the remains 
of the six demons. �You handled that magnificently. You moved so 
beautifully. Have I ever told you how pretty you are when you fight?�

Seraph blushed, and self-consciously pulled her skirt back down from her 
hips to where it belonged. �Really?�

Heart gave her a rib-crushing hug. �Yes! You were wonderful!�

�I just wanted to make sure you were safe, Love.� She returned the hug with 
equal force, the looked down the alley, past her Corvette, and spied the 
little sidewalk caf�. �Hey, let�s go to that place across the street. 
Fighting makes me so hungry.�

Heart appraised Seraph's blood-spattered state, then looked down at her own 
voluptuous figure. "Um, I'd love to, Beloved, but you're a mess, and I 
haven't a thing to wear!"

Seraph looked down. �Well, um, I have a spare tube dress in the car�� She 
answered.

Heart smiled. �Then let me deal with the blood.� She spoke a few musical 
syllables as the blood shimmered and vanished from Seraph�s form.

Seraph giggled. �That tickled.� She turned to lead the way to the car.

Heart smiled as she watched the demoness's swaying walk, then followed, not 
wanting her beloved to get too far away.

* * * * *

It had taken nearly ten minutes for the two to move the �Vette and get seats 
on the sidewalk patio, but the conversation still consisted of reassurances 
that Heart was unharmed. For long seconds after the waiter left, they simply 
gazed at one another before they simultaneously spoke.

�I love you.�

They both giggled. �We keep doing that,� Heart noted. �I think it�s 
wonderful.�

Seraph smiled. �I think you�re wonderful.� Then a look of concern crossed 
her face. �Oh, Heart, I heard what they did to you! I�m so sorry.�

�It�s not your fault, Seraph,� Heart sighed. �If nothing else, at least it 
will help your job.�

The demoness couldn�t meet her eyes. �I know. Mephie gave me a raise and a 
promotion right before I resigned.�

�Then some good came� You what?!!?�

�I quit. I resigned from the Department of Corruptions.�

�But Seraph, you showed me how necessary your job is to the balance of 
nature! You make so many people happy, and you don�t have to hurt a single 
soul doing it!�

�Yeah, and then they go to Hell because I damned them with lust� and causing 
your fall� All I did was ruin your life!�

Heart reached out to cup the succubus�s chin, making her meet the kind, 
heavenly green eyes of the angel. �That�s not true, Seraph. You�ve made my 
life complete. You showed me the side of love I�ve always missed, the 
passion I�ve always believed was corrupt, but is really so pure. You showed 
me that, Seraph. You showed me the lies for what they were, showed me what 
love is supposed to be!�

�I seduced you��

Heart laughed. �If I remember correctly, I�m the one who crawled into your 
blankets.�

�Oh, Heart, if only I-�

�If only what?� Heart cut her off, a note of sadness creeping into her 
voice. �Please don�t say if only you hadn�t challenged me to our duel. I 
love you, Seraph. I don�t regret losing the duel.� She kissed Seraph on the 
cheek. �Losing it won me so much more. You, for example.�

�But you belong in Heaven.� The anguish in Seraph�s voice was plain. �And 
you didn�t lose our duel. You won it. You�re an angel of Love, here to show 
mortals what love is. And you showed me.�

Heart was silent for a moment, pain in her eyes. Then she spoke with a voice 
that was alien and cold, even to her. �Theliel said I have no concept of 
what true love is.� She shrugged. �You�d think if anyone would have 
understood about us, it would be the angel who holds the office of Cupid.� 
She looked into Seraph�s agonized face. �But he seemed to get violently 
angry about it. He wouldn�t even listen to me, just called me a whore and 
threw me out of his office. Then, when I got home, I found my exile papers.�

�Oh, Heart!�

�I just can�t believe Theliel could be so unfair. He�s punishing me because 
I�m fulfilling my oath of duty! I am being an angel of Love! Nowhere does my 
oath conflict with our feelings!� Heart gripped her teacup with white 
knuckles, frustration strong in her voice.

�I�m so sorry, Love. He�s doing this to you because of me,� Seraph hung her 
head over her tea.

Heart was instantly contrite. She put her teacup down and slid her chair 
over by Seraph�s. �Beloved, I love you. There is no law in Heaven against my 
loving you. As an Angel of Love it is my sworn duty to bring love into 
everyone�s heart, especially those who are unloved. My oath demands it, 
Seraph, and I�m not capable of otherwise.� She hugged the succubus tight. 
�And when we met, you were unloved and alone, yet you fulfilled your duties 
as best you could without ever lowering yourself to the viciousness so 
common in Hell. I�ve dealt with other succubi, Seraph, and most of them fed 
indiscriminately, sowing only chaos and pain. In all the time I�ve watched 
you, I�ve never seen you feed without giving so much happiness in return. 
I�ve brought the gift of love to humans who�ve descended to the depravity of 
demons. How could I not give the gift of my love to a demon that has such a 
caring heart?�

�But Heart, all I�ve brought you is pain. I got you kicked out of Heaven. 
I�ve cost you your job. And� and�� She broke off, sobbing.

Heart held Seraph�s head to her breast and stroked her long white hair. �And 
you quit your job and saved me from those other demons. You chose me over 
everything else you had in your life, Seraph. You sacrificed. I can think of 
no greater testament to our love than that.� She lifted Seraph�s face to 
look into her eyes for a moment. �I�ll bet you never even thought of it that 
way, did you,� she said, more a statement than a question.

Seraph shook her head, her eyes still bright with tears.

Heart hugged her tightly. �Oh Seraph, you are such a treasure! Now I know, 
without any hint of a doubt, that I love you, and no matter what Theliel 
thinks, I know I�m doing the right thing�� She kissed Seraph lightly on the 
lips. ��Because you love me, too.�

�More than life,� Seraph whispered, burrowing her head against Heart�s 
breast again.

The waiter came and set down their food as quietly as possible, not 
disturbing their moment of quiet as the two women comforted one another with 
nothing more than mutual presence. Finally, Seraph looked at Heart.

�You really don�t think I�m silly for quitting?�

Heart looked at her with loving eyes. �Beloved, I know you must have had a 
good reason.� She grinned. �Old Mephistopheles must have been angry, though. 
I know you were his best agent.�

Seraph nodded, not going into the details. She was afraid to tell Heart why 
the demon squad had been waiting. Her boss had been very angry that she�d 
refused to lead Heart into a trap. He�d looked forward to raping and 
breaking her. He�d kept Seraph tied up for hours eluding the agents of the 
Infernal Revenue Service. All of the demoness�s assets had been seized, 
along with her official papers. Except for her car and her private bank 
account, she was destitute, and probably about to be declared a renegade and 
banned from Hell.

But the look of Heart�s eyes made it all worth it and more, and in that 
loving gaze she abandoned all regrets.

Sometimes, love flies on fragile demon wings.

* * * * *

1 They ate between bouts of blissful gazing and many �I love you�s,� much of 
the conversation revolving around how wonderful the other was or how happy 
each made the other, but eventually, they got around to the ultimate 
question: what next?

�Well, I guess we have to go down to Central Admin to get assigned a 
residence and be evaluated for new jobs,� Heart said brightly.

Seraph raised an eyebrow, then shook her head. �Love, I keep forgetting how 
new this will be to you.� She looked at Heart and smiled. �Darling, there 
isn�t a Central Admin. We�re going to have to find a place to live on our 
own, and find jobs on our own. Plus, we�re on the mortal plane, which means 
we both have to feed to keep up our strength and powers, as well as eat to 
nourish our physical bodies, and not just for the pleasure of the tastes of 
mortal cuisine. All that takes money. I know you angels rarely deal with 
such mundane trivia, but it�s gonna be part of our lives, now.�

�Oh, I hadn�t thought of that. I�ve always just called into being anything I 
needed.�

�You don�t have your angelic lifeline anymore, Love. Your link to Heaven�s 
been severed. You don�t have that thin beam of light in your aura that kept 
you fed, and your aura�s definitely weaker. I�d say you have a week before 
we have to find you a source of energy to feed from.� Seraph looked worried. 
�And I have no idea what you feed on.�

Heart laughed. �Beloved, we�ve spent all this time together and you never 
realized what my energy comes from?�

Seraph shook her head.

�You, Beloved. Your love feeds me. And you have spoiled me with a feast so 
abundant and pure that I have no need or desire for any other source.�

Seraph looked at her, wide-eyed. �But � I�ve never felt you draw anything 
from me!�

�I don�t draw, Beloved, I only take in what you give me, and you give me so 
much love, I have a fear of growing fat.� Heart chuckled. �Have no fear of 
me starving for energy, Beloved.�

Seraph fairly glowed with happiness at the sound of Heart�s laugh. She 
leaned to give Heart a hug, and Heart drew her lips up to give her a long 
and passionate kiss.

�Nor should you need to fear for your own needs, Beloved,� Heart whispered 
when they broke. �The flames of desire you have woken in me are yours to 
feed on as you wish. You will find in me a hunger to match your own.�

Seraph breathed heavily a few times. �Stop, Love, or you will have me 
begging you to take me right here!� She shifted in her seat. �And I�ll wet 
this seat cushion beyond its ability to soak!�

Heart giggled. �I love you.�

�I love you too, but I�m serious! I had a hard enough time not throwing you 
down on that trash bin and making wild passionate love to you right then!� 
Seraph whispered fiercely. �Another kiss like that and I won�t be able to 
stop from orgasming!�

Heart smiled, very pleased with herself. Seraph took a few seconds to 
compose herself, then drained her tea. She gave Heart a wicked look.

�You just wait till I get you in a hotel tonight, Love!�

�Promise?� Heart�s canary grin grew wider.

�Damn right!� Seraph nodded. They both fell to giggling.

�I love you,� they both said simultaneously, and broke out in laughter yet 
again. Then Seraph reached out a hand to grasp Heart�s tightly. �We�re going 
to make it, Love. I have faith.�

Heart�s face crumpled, and Seraph was afraid she had made Heart cry. But her 
heart soared when her angel spoke again.

�I do, too, Beloved. I love you.� And while there were tears in Heart�s 
eyes, Seraph could tell by her ecstatic gaze that Heart was not in the least 
bit upset.

Seraph threw a fifty from her cleavage to the table and rose. �First thing�s 
first, though, Love. If we�re going job and apartment hunting tomorrow, 
we�ve got to get us both some clothes!�

They walked out of the small caf� over to Seraph�s �Vette. A myriad of 
N.Y.P.D. crime units and several police cars had gathered across the street.

�Hm, when did they arrive, Beloved?�

Seraph shrugged. �Don�t know. I wasn�t paying attention to anything but 
you.�

Heart stopped to look over at Seraph lovingly. �I love you. You always say 
the sweetest things.�

Seraph blushed as she unlocked the car and held the door for Heart before 
getting in, her tall frame barely fitting in the sports car. She looked at 
the units in the rearview mirror. �I don�t think they�re gonna be too happy 
over the mess I left. Just as well we were just leaving.� She started the 
car and smoothly merged into traffic. �First stop, Saks�s!�

They accelerated away into the tangled traffic, neither one noticing the man 
with the tan trenchcoat who�d tried to flag them down�

* * * * *

When it was first called in, the old lady who owned the flower shop had 
called it a gang rape. But by the time the N.Y.P.D made it through the 
holiday traffic to the scene, it was a homicide, and most brutal to boot.

The two officers who were first on the scene couldn�t even line it 
themselves. The crime scene unit had had to, because one of the two beat 
cops was a rookie, and his more seasoned partner was helping him gag up the 
hero he�d had for lunch. All the older cop could think was, What a waste of 
good pastrami� And the younger cop�s ongoing whining: �I�m so sorry, man, 
I�m sorry�� � was beginning to get on his nerves.

New York � in some ways, the greatest city ever, in others, hell. The 
numerous dismembered parts of an as yet unknown number of corpses certainly 
proved that here was a slice of the latter. The older cop continued to pat 
the rookie on the back as he looked around. What the fuck did the killer 
use? he wondered. A fucking chainsaw? He shuddered as he watched a forensics 
expert mark chalk around a severed head, then turned back to studiously look 
at the brick wall his partner was vomiting against. The vomit was normal and 
sane; the carnage surreal and terrible.

After almost thirty minutes of continual retching, the younger cop finally 
sat back and gasped for some air.

�Wow� I mean, Jesus H. Christ! Who the hell could do that to someone?�

The older cop shrugged. �Enh, you get used to it after awhile. Work traffic 
division for a while, kid, you�ll see worse.� He looked around and added to 
himself: Not much worse, though.

The rookie gave him a disbelieving look. �Yeah, right.�

The older cop decided to forgive him; after all, he�d been young and dumb 
once. He turned and stepped out to where he could see the hustle and bustle 
of the crime scene, and noted sarcastically, What a surprise. The coroner is 
here before Homicide. He walked to the mouth of the alley and nabbed the 
officer who�d taken the statement from the old lady.

�So, what the hell happened here?� he asked.

The other officer, another long-time beat cop, shrugged. �Not sure. The old 
coot claims it was the Devil bearing a pitchfork.� He tapped his forehead 
and rolled his eyes. �From the old country, you know.�

�Jeez. Another religious nut. She say what the perp used besides a 
pitchfork?�

The older cop shook his head. �Ask her. Makes about as much sense as 
anything at this point.�

�Yeah, in this town, I suppose anything is possible,�

The two cops looked down the alley at the crime scene, reflecting for a 
moment on all the evils man can inflict upon itself, and on the idealistic 
flame that brings guys like the two of them in as rookies, only to flicker 
and die with time. The older cop�s eyes fell on the rookie, his face still 
pale. He�d been like his partner, once. They all were, but so many grew out 
of it after seeing scenes like this one all over the city.

The statement cop looked at the older cop and his partner. �Stick around. 
Lipton�s gonna wanna talk to you,� he said as he strode away.

The rookie, who was still within earshot, asked, �Lipton?�

A sour look crossed the older cop�s face. �Lipton. The Ghoul. Homicide,� he 
said, like that should explain everything.

His partner stayed confused. �Why do they call him that? And what do you 
have against him?�

�He�s a freak,� the older cop said. �He thinks he�s chasing demons, shit 
like that. He gets all the weird cases, cases like this one. Occult murders, 
bumps in the night, Freddy Krueger shit. He�s the department�s expert on the 
occult, but he�s one scary fuck, I�ll tell you that.�

�Yeah, that Lipton, what a weirdo,� a voice from behind him proclaimed 
brightly.

The older cop turned, freeing the rookie�s line of sight. Before them, 
standing nearly six foot two, was a man in a tan trenchcoat that was open 
enough to reveal a pair of jeans and a navy blue T-shirt labeled �N.Y.P.D.� 
His badge, mobile phone, pager, and gun all hung off his simple brown belt, 
and the pools of clotting blood on the pavement hardly affected his 
N.Y.P.D.-issued combat boots. His chest was a bit broader than it should 
have been, hinting at a Kevlar vest under his shirt, and his black hair was 
slicked back impeccably. His face was severe and stern as his dark eyes 
blazed at the beat cops. He had the air of someone who had stared Evil in 
the face and laughed at it, or like someone who would cut off his own right 
hand with a chainsaw if it was possessed...

�Is it true that he believes in demons?� the rookie asked, much to the 
chagrin of his partner.

The tall man appraised him coolly before replying. �You�re on the streets 
every day. Tell me � don�t you?�

Before the rookie had a chance to respond, the man turned, his trenchcoat 
flaring with a flourish worthy of Superman as he strode away.

�Don�t go anywhere,� he told the two over his shoulder, then began threading 
his way across the charnel ground of the alley.

When he was out of earshot, the veteran turned to the rookie.

�And that,� he said, �was The Ghoul.�

* * * * *

Detective Bruce Lipton made his way across the crime scene, looking for the 
coroner. He�d always considered it ironic that he should be called The Ghoul 
when, often enough, the New York City coroners not only reveled in their 
terrible duty, but also looked the part. Young or old, they all seemed to 
resemble the Tall Man from Phantasm.

However, the coroner for this particular scene was the exception that proves 
the rule. Terry Shaw was a vivacious blonde who looked like she�d stepped 
right out of a porno movie, but whose intelligence should have been honed by 
the Ivy League. Lipton had always thought she was wasted among the dead. She 
was far too alive.

He waited a few moments until she noticed him, then she bounced up.

�Bruce!� she said, her voice a cheery contrast to the grisly atmosphere of 
the alley. �I�m so glad you could make it so quickly!�

Surveying the carnage, Lipton replied, �Yeah, this is one of those cases 
alright.� Turning to face Shaw, he asked, �Ok Terry. Whatcha got?�

�Humph! Tell me you don�t love this.� She reached down into the tangle of 
body parts she�d been studying and withdrew a hand and lower arm. She wiped 
the severed end with a blood soaked cloth to reveal the bone as she 
explained. �Whatever our perp used was very sharp. Cut through both bones 
like they were melted butter. No grooves, chips or marks, just one clean 
sweep. And it was apparently hot enough to cauterize the cut without searing 
the surrounding tissue.� She turned bright eyes on Lipton. �Any idea what 
kind of weapon would have done something like that, outside of a medical 
laser?�

Lipton didn�t answer, though he could have. He�d seen weapons that did that 
before, not that Terry would believe him if he told her.

She looked at a black smudge on the hand, then dusted some of on her finger. 
She smelled it, and then tasted it. Lipton winced.

Didn�t she see what she was holding? Scratch that. He knew better from long 
experience.

Terry spit the substance out. �Gunpowder.�

No, Lipton mentally corrected. Brimstone�

�Judging by the powder burns, this guy got off some rounds.� She said in 
amazement. �Quite a few. And now, he�s Chop Suey.� She looked at the 
detective, �what could have survived that?�

�Maybe our victims were lousy shots.� Bruce quipped. Or maybe bullets didn�t 
matter to what they were shooting at, he added mentally.

�Well given the ribbons I�m seeing all over, I�d have to say that even these 
guys couldn�t have missed someone who got close enough to do precision work 
like this. On four people!�

�Still, I don�t see why you consider that so unusual. Maybe our perp wore 
Kevlar.� He averted his eyes from the vicious looking thing she was holding, 
and a momentary glint of silver caught his gaze for a second. He eyed the 
caf� across the street for a moment, then dismissed it as a passing car. �So 
we get four sliced up skinheads. You said this one was extra special. And 
I�m not real impressed by what I was told of Mrs. Loggiabrazzia�s testimony 
either. Anyone dicing up four people Yojimbo- style in an alley looks like 
the Devil.�

Terry gave a little disappointed frown then brightened. �Ah! Wait. Follow 
me.� She beckoned him with the severed hand, the long claws nearly raking 
his chin. He dodged out of the way as Shaw continued. �You haven�t seen the 
best part yet!�

She led Lipton towards the front of the alley, where about thirty feet in, 
two clusters of forensics personnel were gathered. They parted like the Red 
Sea when Shaw pushed through their ranks, followed by a bemused Lipton.

When he beheld the grotesque sight they had concealed, he admitted, �Ok. Now 
I�m impressed.�

Crumbs of brick were still falling from the edges of the depression and 
blood still seeped slowly to pool at the base of the wall, where the 
forensics team had been trying to take care not to track it everywhere. The 
corpse was embedded among the bricks; its ribcage and the back of its skull 
crushed in from the force of impact. The face was distorted but Lipton 
thought that he�d categorize the expression as shock. It held no weapon, but 
it was dressed in the semi uniform of a local skinhead gang, this being its 
only real resemblance to having once been human.

Of course, it never had been human. It just looked that way to the evidence 
collectors. To Shaw. To the beat cops.

Not to Lipton.

Every single feature, from the horns on its head to claws on its hands or 
the talons on its feet, all of it was readily apparent to him. Each scaled 
or leathery limb, each bloodstained fang imprinted itself on his memory, 
just as it had the first time�

He shook his head. �Hm�. Is there any chance Mrs. Loggiabrazzia could 
identify the bulldozer that cruised through here?�

�Damn.� Terry said, her mouth forming a pretty moue. �I though for sure this 
time I�d shock you speechless.�

Giving her a sidelong glance, Lipton said, �Yeah, right.�

He couldn�t look again� he�d be too gleeful about the demons� demise. He 
looked around the alley. Six demons. He would dance for joy if something 
weren�t bugging him about this.

He dug out the notes he�d collected from the beat cop when he�d arrived. The 
call had come in as a rape, six guys against one girl. Then when the first 
units had arrived, twelve minutes later, it had been a multiple homicide.

He looked around again, trying to lay out how the fight might have happened. 
He moved toward the center of the alley to get a better view, and stumbled. 
He glanced briefly at the pothole and dismissed it, looking instead at the 
chalk outlines of where bodies had been.

There was nowhere to hide, no cover. It had been a stand up fight. 
Some�thing powerful had waded through six demons in minutes, and saved the 
girl they had been trying to rape.

He looked at the corpse embedded in the wall, then its mate, noting that 
they were exactly opposite. He looked down and stepped back from the cracked 
pavement, his mind not registering for a second exactly what it was seeing, 
then not wanting to believe what it saw. He stared until he realized that 
Shaw was calling his name.

�Bruce! Bruce! Are you ok?�

�Humm? Oh yeah, I�m fine Terry. Just lost in thought. Trying to figure out 
the logistics of this fight.� He gave her his standard grin. �Anyway, I 
think it�s time I took a crack at the witness.�

Shaw nodded. �Don�t worry Bruce. I�ll get you a souvenir.�

Lipton winced. �I�m sure you will.� He wandered into the flower shop.

Behind him, Terry looked down at the strange pothole Lipton had been staring 
at. For a second, she stared in confusion, then her eyes widened. She 
reached out and grabbed a passing technician. Pointing to the holes, she 
said �Get a plaster team over here at once.�

* * * * *



Mrs. Loggiabrazzia was an elderly Italian lady who now, if not always, 
vehemently believed in God. In her hands she held a prayer book and a rosary 
and her portly body was perched on a small stool precariously, looking like 
she would fall off if she shifted even slightly. Her perfume was strong 
enough to overpower the fragrances of her stock, and the flower print dress 
she was wearing combined with the tiny stool made her look like an oversized 
bouquet. Her weathered face was dried and cracked with wrinkles, her weary 
eyes fixedly staring out the front of the shop. Lipton shook his head. He'd 
seen that stare before.

He pulled up a stool and seated himself before her. Before he could speak, 
she told him in a hushed and weary tone "I already told them what I saw."

Lipton nodded. "I know. But I do need you to go over it with me again." He 
said gently.

"You won't believe me any more than they did."

"You might be surprised at what I would believe Mrs. L." He'd decided to 
give up on the full name. Like most surnames in New York, it took longer to 
say it than to tap someone on the shoulder. "I'm here because of what you 
saw. They don't know what to believe, but I believe you. I specialize in 
these cases. Cases involving the supernatural. I want to know what happened 
to those demons out there, Mrs. L."

He let the statement hang in the air, and was pleased to note that she 
stopped staring into space and looked at him. Most people who could see the 
"Others�, as he thought of them, didn't know what they were, or what to 
think of their visions. Some were driven mad.

At times, Lipton even thought he might be one of those.

Unfortunately, the existence of so many others who could see angels and 
demons was simply proof that he was all too sane.

Her eyes sought out his. "You can see them too?"

He nodded, and relief was apparent on her face. "Thank merciful God." She 
closed her eyes for a second, and when she opened them, they were clear 
again. "Where should I begin?"

"At the beginning, hopefully," Lipton smiled.

The old woman nodded. "Well, I was watering my flowers at the front of the 
store when the angel appeared in front of the music store next door. I 
recall thinking how scared she looked and wondered what was wrong."

"An angel?" Lipton asked. "That wasn't mentioned in the other reports."

"They asked me about the skinheads and wouldn't believe me about the demons. 
And I didn't want to get the angel in trouble."

Lipton smiled. "I see. So what did the angel do?"

"Well I remember thinking that maybe I should offer her a robe or something, 
she looked so cold, naked as she was, but before I could, she turned to the 
music store and collapsed crying. That's when the demons came out of the 
alley. They surrounded her and started to drag the poor dear back into the 
alley. That's when I called, when I heard the one who seemed to be the 
leader say they were going to rape her. I thought maybe the police would 
scare them off.�

Lipton jotted that down. "I take it that when they got into the alley, the 
angel killed them?"

"Oh no. I know I told the other officer that. It was Lucifer."

"The Devil?" Lipton raised an eyebrow.

The old lady nodded. "It had to have been. I was on the phone with the 
precinct when the black Corvette came around the corner like a bat out of 
Hell � � She crossed herself at mere mention of that place, then chuckled. 
�NO pun intended. Anyway, it whipped around the corner and screeched to a 
halt."

"And Satan got out?"

"Oh no. I didn't know it was him at first, I just saw this girl jump out of 
the car and land hard enough to bury her feet in the pavement."

His eyes hadn't been lying, then. He nodded.

"I knew then that something was strange about her besides the pitchfork."

"Pitchfork? Like a three pronged spear?"

"No. It was fancier than that. Like a big axe, but it had heads at both 
ends. When the demons saw her, they were surprised, but they went to grab 
her. I thought for sure she was going to be killed, but she waited till the 
two trying to grab her were on either side and she changed."

Lipton nodded. "Go on."

"She grew bat wings and a spaded tail, and her pitchfork got all glowing 
purple. She used her wings to slam the two demons into the walls. That's 
when the other demons drew weapons and tried to kill her. But Lucifer killed 
them instead."

"Why do you think she was Lucifer?"

"Well, who else could kill demons so easily?"

Lipton raised an eyebrow. It made a certain kind of sense from her 
viewpoint. He refrained from listing any of the other creatures who could 
have done similar chaos. "So what did the demoness do to the angel 
afterwards?"

"They hugged one another and the angel thanked her for rescuing her."

"Wait a minute. Are you saying the demoness rescued the angel? She didn't 
kill her or drag her off or anything like that? Just let her go?"

"Oh no. They left together. They were so sweet on one another, like young 
lovers."

"Are you sure the girl was an angel?"

"Oh yes. She had a lovely silver halo."

"And the demoness chopped up the other demons to save her?"

"Yes. She even apologized to the angel for being late."

Lipton rubbed his temples. This was getting too weird even for him. "And the 
angel didn't try to kill her or anything?"

"Oh no! They've been ever so sweet and caring to one another. I'd definitely 
say they're very much in love." Her eyes went back to looking out the store 
front. "Detective. Can you really see them?"

Lipton spun and followed her gaze.

Just leaving the cafe across the street was a female couple, both in black. 
A tall white haired looker was just closing the door of a black Corvette for 
a stunning redhead.

A redhead with a silver halo.

Shock froze him for a second too long. He jumped from his stool and ran from 
the flower shop just as the 'Vette pulled into traffic. All he got was a 
glimpse of the tag SE2 YOU. He cursed his rotten luck as he punched a light 
pole. They'd been across the fucking street!

Back in the flower shop, Mrs. Loggiabrazzia watched the frustrated 
detective, then, satisfied that everyone was done asking her questions, she 
went to make herself a cup of coffee. As she passed the open door to the 
ally, she looked out at the evidence team pouring plaster into the holes in 
the pavement and shook her head.

"When Lucifer saves an angel from his own demons, you know there's going to 
be trouble."

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