"No!" A high pitched scream came from somewhere in the ally. It echoed on the brick so the source was hard to find.

"Come here little one." Said a man soothingly in Spanish to the girl who cowered in the corner. "It's okay Mira... We're not going to hurt you. We're friends of your daddy's. We just want to take you back to where you belong now. We want to take care of you."

But the girl with dark curly hair and wide fearful eyes wasn't believing the man in front of her. "No! You killed them! You killed them, you don't wanna help me!" She screamed back as the man moved closer.

He picked her up, holding her close as if he really did just want to help her. But she sank her teeth into his wrist, drawing blood. He screamed and dropped her, Mira ran then, not looking back. But the two men began to run after her. "Boss wants her safe! Don't hurt her!" Said the bitten man.

Mira ran, crying as she ran blindly down the streets, trying to find her way back to the park. But where was it?

Hale was enjoying a nice quiet night in the city tops, allowing his nose to smell everything and his ears to pick up every sound. His eyes were closed, ignoring the feeling to see everything clearly. The high pitched scream made his eyes snap open and he jumped to his crouched position at the edge of one of the buildings.

Hale jumped off from his ledge heading from building to the next, until he stood above the position where he thought to have heard the scream coming from. He leaned over the edge and peered down at the sight that was enfolding before his eyes. He frowned. Those men weren't vampires, they were mortals. Only vampires hunted down prey that small. He crawled down the wall, the nails shifting into claws and he let out a snarl, stopping the men dead in their tracks and seeing their heads slowly move upwards to his position.

No one hunted on this ground unless they were vampires, the mortals had gone too far this time. They would soon learn their mistake.

Mira heard a noise behind her but she didn't stop to see what it was. She couldn't waist any time. They could catch her at any moment, they were so much faster than she was.

But even though she hadn't found her way out of the brick maze, she didn't hear anyone behind her anymore and she slowed down, panting heavily. No one... No one was chasing her anymore. Had she lost them? were they really gone for now?

Two minutes went by and she still heard nothing.



"Get after her! Don't let her get away. You know how hard she is to find!" He growled. But then another kid appeared, a boy, with a nasty look on his face. Oh well, they didn't have time for other kids. Running past him without a second glance the two men came to a cross in the ally. Damnit! That other brat distracted them just long enough for the girl to get away.

"Alright muchacho. Where did your little friend go huh?" He asked the boy. Maybe they'd had some sot of street group that she'd joined. "See, she's gotta go home now. She ran away, and her daddy wants her back. Let us know where she's hiding, and we leave you and the rest of your friends alone 'eh?" He said with a glare.

Hale returned the glare with eased practice. He then jumped off the side of the building and landed on his feet, allowing the men only one escape route, the way they had came. "You think I care about your silly games and what you want. You mortals are delusional and have gone too far this time. This is my territory, my area and you have trespassed and I despise trespassers."

He was still was in a partly crouched position which allowed him to easily spring. Both of his hands were by his side, nails having extended in full claws and his mouth held slightly open, where his fangs were apparent. "I'm going to give you two choices, leave now and nothing will happen to you or you can stay and you will die." Hale always stated it as it was and if they were stupid enough to stay they would be slayed and Hale would revere in the gore and blood. Simply thinking about it made his eyes light up.

He would have to find the child after he was done with these two goons.

As they got a better look at the kid, they realized something was up. Their eyes were soon the fearful ones, they were soon the ones running away. They weren't going to stay anywhere near a demon. Or so they shouted as they ran.



Mira heard shouts of fear, and her heart skipped a beat as she heard two sets of heavy footsteps coming towards her.

She started to run again, but paused. They... They weren't going after her, they were running away? But from what? Her street senses told her that she too should be afraid. Whatever could have been after them could be after her too now. Maybe the police. If they found her... What would happen? Would it be a bad thing?

Making her way behind a dumpster, Mira hid, closing her eyes tight as she prayed to stay safe. If that came true, and she was found, then she might find a home. But if whatever scared them was evil, she would be safe.

Hale watched as they ran away. He must be losing his touch, there would have been time where only a look would have frightened them away. Of course at that time, people were a lot more superstitious, which helped him in the end.

He turned his head in the direction where the child had run and following his nose, found her hiding behind a dumpster. More curious than wanting to scare the child, he had returned to his mortal form and wanted to see if she was alright. Wasn't sure why he wanted to know such a thing but he simply had to know.

He rounded the edge of the dumpster and saw the small form huddling on the ground behind it. He touched her mind briefly and sensed that English wasn't her strong suite, that was find, he spoke Spanish and would be able to talk to her. "Hello, are you alright?" He hoped she was, it seemed that she was on her own and that she needed some help. A mortal child would be unable to survive without an instinct to protect. So far she had been doing quite well.

Mira's head shot up as she heard a young voice, in Spanish no less! This made her suspicious at once. Not many others spoke it around here it seemed. Especially not the other people on the street that she'd met.

Her crouched position automatically moved to an obviously defensive position and she glared at the boy. "What do you want? You here with them huh?" She snapped, her fists clenching as she readied herself for a fight.

He was about her own age, bigger though, and probably heavier too. But he also looked like he knew how to fight. She didn't really know much about fighting at all. Just try to hurt the other person before they hurt you.

"I ain't going back! They killed my parents and they gonna kill me too. Maybe even you!" If he was working with them, who was to say that the men wouldn't kill him.

Hale glanced in the direction that he had come and let out a snort. "Me? Work for them? Don't make me laugh. They couldn't give anything that I wanted. I already have what I want." He wanted her, not in a bad way, but he was amused to see that she had spirit, a fire that burned deep within her. He could use that to his advantage, it would prove to be quite useful.

He crouched down into a position where he would be more eye to eye level with her. "I'm not going to hurt you, but I could teach you how to fight. How to hurt them so they never hurt you anymore. I also won't allow them to hurt either of us." She would be extremely useful, more than she would ever know. He was itching for a fight and with people after her, he would be able to indulge in a fight. She would be useful to be kept around and if he taught her properly she would be exactly like him. Children were so impressionable.

"And how do I know that huh?"She snapped at him.

"You can teach me to fight them! You're stupid! They're grown ups. They're bigger, we can't hurt them. You're just a stupid boy." She stuck her tongue out at him. "They killed my daddy. And my mama too. You help me they gonna do the same to you too. And you think you can fight them huh? I could probably make you go crying to your mommy." She threatened toughly as she pushed pass him to make her way out of the ally. The men were gone, she would have to hide before they found her again.

The boy's offer was nice. It was really what she wanted. But how could a boy her own age, barely any bigger than she was, protect her from the men? They wouldn't be bothered by him. They'd just kill him. And since they didn't know who he was, and just a kid, they probably wouldn't even hesitate. Or bother doing it somewhere quiet.

"Maybe when we grow up... Then you can try to protect me." She said with a disappointed sniff.

Hale looked at her and he couldn't help but be amazed. This one had fire and would be perfect to teach and perhaps even turn. It would be fun to have someone to hang out with. When he spoke, his voice turned dark and silky, dangerously so. "They wouldn't dare to even try to kill me. They couldn't even if they wanted to. I've survived on my own and I could definitely teach you a thing or two."

She brushed pass him and he turned to watch her walk a few steps and then he vanished to cut her off. "You don't understand do you?" It would be fun to teach her everything he knew, teach her what she needed to defend herself. "There is more to people than what meets the eye. Many people in this town are special, like me. We move quickly, are physically stronger and dangerous to those that we deem useless. I particularly don't like people that attack children."

Would she understand? Probably not, but he would get through to her, sooner or later. "I can protect you, but if you would prefer to try your luck by yourself be my guest. I was only trying to be helpful." He was trying to be helpful and at the moment he didn't have any other plans besides teaching her to defend herself, but he was sure to come up with something else, when the time was right.

With a yelp Mira jumped back.

How had he gotten in front of her! She hadn't even seen him move and she was several feet ahead of him! Closing her fists to keep her hands from trembling ever so slightly she glared at him.

Her breathing picked up though as he spoke.

People that were stronger, faster?

No... They... They couldn't be people. People didn't move like that. People, especially little kids like they were, couldn't protect themselves from adults and usually didn't think they could. Her little body was tensed, ready to fight. She knew she couldn't out run him, she already knew that.

"What... What are you? What do you want from me?" Her face was still angry, but she was used to using a mask to hide her fear. But what was he? A demon... Something bad... Something evil maybe? He looked mean, but he said he wanted to hurt people who hurt others. That couldn't be so bad could it? Could he really be a demon? Escaped from hell and let loose on the earth? But his face... it looked like those paintings in church... The ones of the young angels, cherubs her mother had called them.

"You aren't like me, so what are you!" She snapped again, her feet moving slightly, a more ready stance.

Hale could feel the fear and for a moment was tempted to scare her out of her mind, but then remembered that she would be useful to him. Stay under the radar of the Amman and do good. He wanted to sneer at the word, but knew that he would still be able to kill the people that were after her. That was the only thing that kept him going and that was the fact that he would still be able to kill. That sweet blood and the gore spilling all over the body that he had just mauled. He would enjoy those kills and not only a little but very much so.

"What do I want from you? Nothing, but simply allowing you to defend yourself. It is a shame that men such as them would try to take you, when you do not what to be taken. It is not the way that the Lord wanted it to be." He kept his face gentle. He wanted to snort at that choice of his words. There was only one Lord and it was Osiris. He didn't believe in any of that Christianity crap. His religion was pure and true, the girl that was close to him didn't have to know that. Not yet.

He looked at her. So brave, so much untapped anger, she would be a wonderful weapon to him, a dangerous weapon that he would wield. He would control her and she would do his bidding, he would simply have to bruise that spirit, without crushing it. That spirit would be extremely useful. "Think of me as the angel of vengeance, come to give what was always meant to be yours."

She relaxed a hair as he spoke of their acts going against God. Wanting to hurt someone who had committed no crime. And though she had seen much, little Mira still believed in Angels. And angels could do bad things as well. Angels had destroyed cities that had sinned. Angels were the tool of God's punishment and the sender o his messages, the revilers of his will.

And they could take any shape. Mama had always told her that because we can't understand God, he always tries to help people understand. And this boy... He was like an angel. So much like the paintings. Pale, but beautiful, with perfect skin and piercing eyes. He only looked like a boy because it was what God thought she would be more comfortable with.

Her thought process was almost written on her face. First the apprehension. Then puzzlement and contemplation as she thought about his words.

"But still... Isn't it wrong to kill them? Even if they have hurt others, how can I judge them? Or punish them? What do you mean about what was meant to be mine? I don't want to hurt them, I just want them to leave me alone..." She murmured as her posture relaxed.

Hale could almost see her thought process and wanted to grin, she was slowly falling into his trap and he knew that as soon as she did, everything would fall into place, like a puzzle. She was definitely going to come with him, he could tell. The question was whether she would follow him to his home. Angels didn't have homes, but he supposed that he would come up with something to make her believe him.

"Do you want them to continue to chase you? I'm giving you the option to be able to protect yourself against them. You have some raw talent, that could be put to very good use." He would convince her in the end, he knew that, it would simply take some time. "You were meant to be free, little one. Unfortunately you a stroke of bad luck and I will make sure that you are safe from now on."

"No! But I don't want to kill them either! It's not right...." She mumbled slightly.

Why didn't she have this option though, before they got to mama? Did God not want to save her too? Did he think that she would be happier with Papa? Maybe she would be. Mira knew she missed him a lot. But she missed both of them. In one way, death would be a good thing, wouldn't it? She'd be with her family again.

But she didn't have a choice for now. She'd just have to wait. When God thought it was time, he would take her.

She bit her lip hesitantly. "Okay... But... But I don't want to really really hurt them. Just get them to leave me alone." She said sternly. "Promise?"