Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan - 2:22 PM

  I sat on the bench and happily watched my team interact with the Angelic Avatars. Stan had been a little sore when he realized that he had been tricked by an illusion, but Michael was happy to have had a good scuffle. Jeff was leading him through a few footwork exercises in order to show the fighter exactly what he had done during the fight.

  Everyone from Sol Ligatus, even Jamie, was freely sharing information at this point. They didn’t receive more than they gave with training exercises, tips, and advice, but that was okay. It might save someone’s life at some point, and that’s all that mattered.

  The Ann Arbor natives still weren’t quite sure what to do with themselves, and it showed in how they milled around. It was only yesterday that an army of Angels had shown up and helped beat the scenario into submission, which left them with a lot of free time. Some of their community leaders were trying to get in with my group and the others. None of them had pegged me as the leader of Sol Ligatus yet, which gave me some peaceful moments to myself.

  Although Glaraphel was standing behind me with his arms crossed looking like some kind of holy bouncer, but that was neither here nor there.

  Corwin’s favorite baseball landed near me, and the Evolution Hound tore up the already sparse grass in a mad dash to get to it. A group of kids were allowed to play with him despite the Angel’s trepidation. Letting them blow off some stress while having some fun with something normal was good for everyone.

  Just before his jaws clamped down around the ball, I Pulled it into my hand. Corwin’s eyes followed it as he began to chase, but saw that it was me. His front half went down to the ground, ready to play, before he stood up and barked.

  “Throw!” he all but demanded, the word translated by my class clothes.

  With a grin, I did so, Pushing it much farther than someone who was seated should have been able to. It went far over the kid’s heads towards the other side of the stadium, and Corwin started running for them. He jumped over their heads in a single leap, leaving them laughing as they turned to continue chasing him.

  “It’s always good to see kids have enough safety to play around like that,” Diana said. She had been eying me for a while, and it seemed she had finally decided to approach.

  “Yup,” I agreed. “It’ll be a good day when this is all over and no one will have to worry about monsters anymore. That won’t just be great for the kids, but everyone.”

  “I think some people who have gotten a taste for it might disagree with you, such as Michael over there, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t end,” she replied before gesturing at the bench. “May I sit?”

  Nodding, I turned my attention to Raphael’s Avatar in full. Diana seemed to be in her late twenties with thick, wavy hair. For an Angelic Avatar, she certainly didn’t look like it. She smoothed out her black dress as she sat down and fiddled with the sleeves of her red jacket.

  The only weapon on her was a dagger with a wicked curve, but I knew she had a fishing rod stored away in her inventory. Diana was a Support Caster, which was an incredibly vague concept as far as classes went. Raphael leaned into this, however, and thought it would be amusing to turn the second word into something with a double meaning. Out of all of the Archangels, he was the most flexible.

  “Thank you,” Diana said as she settled. “You know, I wasn’t sure what to think when we first heard about you. It happened rather quickly, and we were told we were shipping out an hour before it happened.”

  “Getting a ride from an Angel must have been fun, at least,” I chuckled, knowing they couldn’t have kept up with the Heavenly Host on their own.

  “Being princess carried from Ottawa to here was an experience, I’ll admit, but not something I’d choose to do again,” she said with a laugh.

  “Got stuck with a Power?”

  “Ugh, yes. He insisted on keeping his armor on the whole time, even when it was poking into me in uncomfortable ways,” Diana complained before shifting to turn towards Glaraphel. “No offense, of course.”

  “None taken, though he was wise not to remove his armor. There are many airborne threats out there,” my self-appointed bodyguard replied.

  “Here’s a pro tip for you,” I said conspiratorially, leaning in to whisper. “Get yourself in good with a Dominion or a Virtue. Both tend towards support and backline fighting, so they’re softer than Powers and Thrones. You know, in case it ever happens again.”

  “Cool, I’ll keep that in mind,” she replied with a grin before turning her attention back to the field. “I didn’t come over just to say hi and lament not being able to cuddle a hunky winged man mid-flight, you know. I had a reason.”

  “If you had, you’d have found a kindred spirit. I, too, wish to be wrapped up in Angel wings. Less from someone like Glaraphel, though, and more from my wife,” I said. The Power behind me bristled as I spoke about the Highest Sister like that, but he wisely said nothing.

  <<<>>>

  [[Patron Message]]

  You don’t need to make your intentions known to everyone who might find Angels attractive, you know. I’m well aware of how badly you want back in my arms. The feeling is not exclusive.

  Soon, though. I’m counting the hours.

  <<<>>>

  “I was wondering about the whole Consort thing, but that’s also not why I’m here,” Diana replied before whispering. “But, yes, being wrapped up in Angels wings sounds incredibly comfortable.”

  We shared a look and a nod of solidarity before I turned my attention back to Corwin. I gestured towards his baseball again, making it spin around him. He started turning in circles rapidly, mouth opening and closing frantically in an attempt to grab it before I Pushed it again.

  “I’m guessing you’re here because of this,” I said. Holding out my hand, the Staff of Raphael popped onto my palm from my inventory.

  “I am,” Diana confirmed with a nod before hesitantly reaching out. “May I see it? I’ve been told I can’t take it, but this was supposed to be my weapon at some point.”

  “Sure.” There was no problem with it, and I passed it off to her.

  She wasted no time pulling up its description once she had the staff in hand, and she whistled appreciatively. “You’ve already maxed it out?”

  “Thanks to my stunt in Washington D.C. with the holy nuke, yeah,” I answered. “It’s no surprise, really, given that the entire city, plus Arlington and some of Alexandria, was a hotbed of Demonic activity. There were a lot of bosses there.”

  Her eyes scanned the area in front of her and she frowned before looking towards the sky. “Raphael, would you please get Michael off my back about getting information on this Hellbreaker? I’m not going to cozy up to Anthony and hope he spills the beans.”

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  “You’ll have to forgive Saint Mikey,” I laughed, wielding the same name Michael had used for his Patron earlier. “He’s got a bit of a one track mind. It comes in handy, sometimes, but only when you need a sword.”

  “I learned that fairly quickly. It makes sense given he was chosen as that Archangel’s Avatar,” she replied, jutting her chin towards Michael, who was dragging Stan back to participate in more training exercises. “I like him well enough, I guess. He can just be intense.”

  “People deal with the apocalypse in different ways. Becoming proficient at killing monsters is a good way to spend it, especially if you’re trying to help.”

  “Yeah, I can see it,” Diana said with a nod. Smoothing her dress again, she turned towards me. “I was in Pittsburgh, you know. Around when the science center was liberated.”

  “Oh, yeah?” I prompted. I had gone with Jeff to liberate the Carnegie Science Center, though it had really been an excuse to let him cut loose and solo a dungeon on his own. It had been a fun outing.

  “Raphael had me stop by because of all those Demon-Zombie hybrids, or whatever they were, kept popping up,” she continued as she rested the staff in her lap. “I was passing through to join the Heavenly Host, since that’s where my Patron wanted me, but it was too much for him to ignore. I did some snooping around, and actually came really close to asking Sol Ligatus for help since you were on the top of the guild leaderboard. The Greg Davis Crew, too, though they weren’t nearly as dominant as you were.”

  Just the sound of his name caused my lip to curl in disgust. “Should be happy you never met their leader. He was a complete and utter jagoff, likely to lure you in with kind words just so he could manipulate you later.” The sheer vitriol I had for Greg seemed to throw her off guard, and I shook my head before reining it back in. “Sorry. I don’t say this about anyone, really, but he deserved the death he got.”

  “Right,” Diana said nervously, her hands unclenching from the staff before holding it up. “I just wanted to let you know I was there. Your Patron, who I still haven’t got the name of, bartered with Raphael for this. I heard you received it as a reward for destroying the source of the Demonic corruption?”

  “Yes, I did,” I confirmed with a soft, reassuring smile. “I had killed the Demon Lord Pustibule in Hell after dragging him there myself, and—”

  “Whoa, hold on, wait,” she all but exclaimed, turning back to face me. “You killed a Demon Lord? One of the guys General Malphazarin is wary of?”

  “Technically, I’ve killed two,” I corrected as I held up that many fingers. “But that’s neither here nor there.”

  “I’d say it’s probably both here and there. That’s a big deal.”

  “Well, Malphazarin didn’t give me the Heavenly Host to command for no reason,” I shot back with a shrug.

  Diana stared at me for a few moments. Glaraphel chuckled. “Yes, he is full of surprises.”

  “I’d say.” The Support Caster took a moment before shaking her head. She looked back down at the Staff of Raphael and pointed at it. “I’m going to bless this for you. That was what your team won, after all. You each receive a blessing. My Patron insisted that his went to you.”

  “Sure, go for it.”

  “Cool. This will only take a minute,” she replied as she moved the staff so she was hugging it tightly.

  When she closed her eyes, I swiped open my menu. That was going to get a boon, and it seemed like a good time to upgrade some of my gear. Between my Reaper’s Cloak, the Heelies of the Twice Blessed, and my Warmongering Mystic set, I had choices.

  I decided to do a twofer and pulled up the information on my gloves and cowl. My fingers flexed as I did. The gloves had been the first set item I had collected all the way back in Atlanta, while the cowl was the important one that enhanced Split so I could affect more objects with my telekinesis.

  The moment I upgraded them, I felt a jolt of power. Both had gone up multiple levels to become maxed out, and that kind of juice physically flowed through me thanks to Empowered Body. I looked at the two descriptions side by side.

  <<<>>>

  [[Equipped]]

  Gloves of the Warmongering Mystic +7

  (Set Item 1/6; This item is fully upgraded; +260 Mental Points, +36 Wisdom, +36 Willpower, Weight Increase ability augment, Distance Increase ability augment)

  [[Ability Augment]]

  Weight Increase

  When using Push, Pull, Lift, Drop, or Orbit, increase the weight of objects you can affect by 45%.

  [[Ability Augment]]

  Distance Increase

  When using Push, Pull, Lift, Drop, or Orbit, increase the distance at which you can affect objects by 45%.

  [[Equipped]]

  Cowl of the Warmongering Mystic +7

  (Set Item 3/6; This item is fully upgraded; +320 Mental Points, +40 Wisdom, +40 Willpower, Extra Focus ability augment acquired, Strengthened Mental Link ability augment acquired)

  [[Ability Augment]]

  Extra Focus

  Treat Split as four levels higher, allowing you more focus.

  [[Ability Augment]]

  Strengthened Mental Link

  When using Mental Link, you may connect with five additional allies. In addition, treat your Willpower as 75% higher when determining the distance this ability can be sustained.

  <<<>>>

  “And that’s the good stuff,” I whispered.

  The big winner here was finally allowing Weight and Distance Increase to work with Orbit. Every set piece had a small finale whether it was an additional increase or an addition like that, and both were very nice.

  A not insignificant part of me wanted to keep going, or perhaps look at my Status screen, but I held back. I was committed to taking this slowly so I would have something to do if I got bored. There were no fights scheduled and we were in a time of relative peace. Plus, they were always a snap of the finger away.

  I glanced at the Belt of the Warmongering Mystic on my item screen. Perhaps one more little upgrade couldn’t hurt…

  “Done,” Diane announced. She reluctantly passed the Staff of Raphael off to me, and I took it.

  “Thanks,” I said with a smile as I pulled up the item description.

  There was a new skill attached to it, and it was one I hadn’t expected. Most of what Raphael did had to do with buffing or healing, but this was a straight up battlefield control ability.

  <<<>>>

  [[Skill]]

  Catch of the Day

  You may use the Staff of Raphael as a fishing rod. Conjure an ethereal thread and hook that you can use to catch a target within 40 feet and drag them in a straight line towards you. The efficacy of this skill depends on the enemy’s Strength against your Willpower*1.5, modified by any forced movement passives. Catch of the Day deals no damage and can be used three times a day.

  <<<>>>

  “Oh, sweet,” I said as I read it through. “That can be really fun to play with, especially with my telekinesis.”

  “That’s what Raphael thought,” Diane replied with a smile. Stretching, she stood up and cracked her back. “I’m going to return to the others. I’m sure Michael won’t let me hear the end of it if I don’t learn anything. Are you going to join us?”

  “Not yet. I’m enjoying the ambience.”

  “Alright, fair. Good talk, then.”

  “You, too.”

  I smiled as Diane returned to the others and was immediately dragged to the side by Jeff and Michael. She had been expecting one, but not the other. Rookie move, really.

  <<<>>>

  [[Patron Message]]

  It’s nice seeing you sit still for a moment. Are you enjoying yourself, dear?

  <<<>>>

  Once again, I looked around. Corwin was playing, people were training, the Angels were all giving me a wide berth aside from the ever-stoic Glaraphel behind me. There certainly were things I could be doing, but taking a moment to people watch felt right. Like it reaffirmed what I was doing was correct. Even I needed that after so long.

  “Yeah,” I whispered so only she could hear. “Yeah, I reckon I am.”