When the Angelus looks for a new vessel She is weak. The Darkness seeks to gain the upper hand.

I wish to thank Top Cow for such great characters and give them kudos for showing the development of a lesbian relationship in mainstream comics. I wish to thank Lilith for wonderful advice.

The alarm clock went off. Bloody Hell thought Daniel, one of these days I won't get out of bed because those stupid roosters gave me a heart attack. I had finished high school last year and had decided to travel the country and do seasonal work on different farms.

I'd always felt connected to the land and enjoyed helping things grow. After growing up in the city where there was hardly any visible greenery the opportunity to do seasonal farming was a godsend to me. Especially after the activation of my meta-gene.

When Jade first announced the meta-gene and then superheroes started showing up I thought it was cool. I would dream of flying often even imagine going on adventures and saving people. But the biggest surprise was shortly before my final exams when I discovered I actually had a meta-gene. And boy, was that a let down.

The first time I saw the dead I actually wet myself, it was made even worse due to the fact that I was talking to mum at the time. My mother, descended from deposed French royalty- her words- couldn't see what I saw and expressed her disgust at what she perceived as behaviour less than a dog (as even a dog could be trained). She expressed most vocally. I was sure that the entire apartment building heard her screaming at me.

I ran to my room and stayed there. My mother thought I was just embarrassed and that was why I wouldn't leave my room. But when I started screaming and didn't stop she called the ambulance.

The ghosts wouldn't go away. They even told me that they were here to help. I spent a day in hospital to be told that the only thing that was different about me was the meta-gene activation. The ghosts and spirits however didn't go away and I spent three afternoons a week for the remainder of the year in a shrinks office.

Shortly after I'd finished my exams I arrived at the psychologist for my final session of the year. I went into the counselling room to find that the shrink wasn't the only one there. “Ah, Daniel let me introduce you to Ms. Angel. I would not normally do this but I think that this lady maybe of some assistance... ah... as to your predicament.”
“You mean my seeing ghosts” I stated bluntly trying to see how the woman reacted. “Precisely” Dr. Chandrahar said

Christina 'Finch' Angel was a good looking woman who appeared to be in her late twenties was apparently a well known psychic and medium in the US and was on holiday in Australia. It seemed that the good doctor's wife was involved in all this 'spiritual' mumbo jumbo crap dealing with angels and spirits that had “crossed over” and were “earthbound”. I rolled my eyes, who came up with all this crap?

The hocus pocus woman (she told me to call her Finch) explained to me that seeing the dead wasn't unnatural, in fact she said that in the past priests and priestesses trained to do precisely that. She suggested ways for me to attune myself to this energetic vibration, but I was not impressed. “Well, I'm not a priest so the dead can leave and find someone else to bother,” I said miserably.

“Unfortunately, if your meta-gene is keyed to spiritual energy I'm afraid you won't be able to get that to happen.” She gave me her card and said, “I'm staying in the country for the next six months if you need me call. We can talk free of charge.” She gave me a brilliant smile and walked out of the office.

The doctor and I talked some more and I admitted to him that some of what she told me had helped and that even though I didn't put much faith in her techniques I supposed that I would try them. He suggested that if they worked, we should have one more session and break for the year. I agreed and left.

As I walked home I noticed a stretch limo parked outside the police station. This lifted my spirits as I imagined the rich woman it belonged to complaining to the police about her stolen emeralds. My humour improved so much that I didn't even realise that I answered one of the ghosts questions.

I arrived back home just before dinner, only to find that my mother had left me a note telling me that she had to go to work for some reason or other. Oh yeah, remember my mother told me that we were descended from French royalty. I don't know if that's true, but I do know that my mom's some super diplomat at the French embassy. Her name is Marie-Elise Baptiste and I believe she has some official title like 'Your Honour' or some such thing.

Mum had left me some money so I could get take out, but I thought that I'd rather go to the club and have dinner there. So after left her a message to say where I was I caught a bus to the club. The Taxi Club had been open for over 40 years and I think it used to be more of a club for the gay and lesbian community, but now it was the (I thought) premier tranny club in Sydney City.

It wasn't the weekend so there weren't any shows but it was trivia night so I decided to join one of the groups while I ate my meal. I was half way through my burger when there was a commotion at the door. I looked out the window and saw the same limousine that I saw earlier in front of the police station.

The driver opened the passenger door and one of the most beautiful men I had ever seen got out of the car. He had long black hair past his shoulders, his skin was smooth without any sign that it had been touched by stubble. He was a big man, around six foot- add a few inches. He was wearing dark glasses so I was unable to see his eyes above his well chiselled nose. As he walked up to the front door, the ghosts became agitated but before I could wonder why, my vision blurred, I rubbed my eyes and opened them again. And I almost threw up.

I had ghost vision. I saw the aura surrounding this man. It was one of death and violence. Pain and suffering. Like he got his jollies off of other peoples misfortune. His aura wasn't black. It was oily and muddy. It was so dark that you could almost see the demonic presences that the ghosts could sense surrounding this man.

I had been enjoying my meal. No more. I felt ill. I left without paying and as I walked out I heard everyone making a big fuss about Mr. Estacado. When I got home I phoned the club and told them to put my meal on my charge account but was told that a V.I.P. had paid for all food and drinks that evening. I didn't know how to feel about that.

I tried to practice some of the techniques that Ms. Angel had shown me. They seemed to calm me down but I was still overwrought by what I had seen. My final appointment with Dr. Chandrahar was on Friday and I decided to call Ms Angel and make an appointment to tell her what I'd seen. I got her message bank. I doubted my evening could get any worse but, of course, I was wrong. I had the most horrible nightmare that night.

On Friday I went back to the shrink. I decided not to tell him about the Estacado man but I did tell him that I had been practising Ms. Angel's techniques and that they were helping. I found it surprising that they did but hey, you learn something new every day (sometimes). The doctor found this extremely exciting, I actually think that he was more excited than I'd ever seen him before. I mean by the way he acted you'd think she helped him more than me. Maybe in some shrink way she had. I don't know; shrinks: go figure.

We decided that I should take a year off instead of looking for a job or deciding what to study. He said that after the stressful events of the past few months I should be doing something relaxing where I didn't need to think too much about stressful issues. Something I would really enjoy.

I got home just in time to answer the landline; it was Ms. Angel...Finch apologising that she never got back to me sooner because she had been camping in the Blue Mountains. I wondered why she was apologising when she was doing me the favour... mediums...go figure. She told me that she could see me at eleven o' clock tomorrow morning.

It was Saturday and I woke up in a really good mood. I don't know why, but I was really excited about seeing Finch. I mean she was pretty and all but that wasn't the reason, I was just really comfortable around her even if I was still unsure about mediums.

She had told me the she would come to my place, which was kind of surprising as it was like she was going out of her way to help me. The door bell rang and when I opened for her she greeted me with a big hug...and no...I wasn't bummed about her invading my personal space. The ghosts really seemed to like her and I could see her aura, I'm not really sure why but I trusted her implicitly.

We went into the lounge room (I even offered her tea or coffee, which is unlike me- mum would be worried about me). Once I got what she wanted I sat opposite her and started telling her everything. God it was so unnerving, I knew that if she asked I would probably tell her about my bowel habits...well maybe not that...but almost anything. She had a worried look on her face by the time I'd finished and I could see her gathering her thoughts before speaking to me.

“Jackie Estacado is a known criminal figure is the United States but the police have never been able to pin anything on him. Also in esoteric circles everybody knows that he is the holder of the Darkness, be careful Daniel this is a very dangerous man.” She then proceeded to explain what the Darkness was, she ended by saying something I would have done even if she didn't tell me to; “If you see him again run away as fast and far as possible.”

She seemed happy that I was going to travel and after I told her where I would probably be going she got a big smile on her face and told me that she was driving to Queensland and that if the farm I was going to was on the way she'd be happy to give me a lift there.

My mother didn't seem to trust this amazing woman when I told her about Finch. “She's a complete stranger who you met and told all about your meta-abilities and she just suddenly out of the blue offers to take you to where you're going on holiday, you must be out of your mind if you think I'm going to let you do that!”

I suppose she had a valid reason and I wasn't able to make believe me even when I told her about my ghost vision and what Finch's aura told me. In the end we compromised by asking Finch if she'd let my mum do a check on her with the Embassy. To my amazement Finch agreed.

By mid- January, Finch and I were driving North toward Port Macquarie, this would be my first stop. The farming in Port Macquarie was mostly Oyster farming and I had been unsure about doing this but Finch said it might be a good idea to learn more about farming than just the land part.

On the drive up to Port, I asked her why she called herself Finch. She seemed to smile at something, perhaps a memory. “My father was and avid bird watcher and when I was about nine he began calling me his 'little finch' because he said I had an over-abundance of energy. When he was killed in a car accident, I missed him so much. I went to live with my aunt because my mother died in childbirth. I wouldn't answer to anything but 'Finch' and after a while it stuck.”

“I'm sorry about your father...”
She turned suddenly, “Don't!...don't be sorry for a person because they're dead. Don't be sorry for those left behind. Life and death is a natural progression and death should be respected just as much as life!” She smiled sheepishly and looked at the road again, “Excuse me, it's just something I am passionate about. I know lots of people are scared of death but as a medium and psychic I speak to those who have crossed over. Its nothing we should fear. In time I'm sure you begin to see it the way I do.”

I just accepted what she said. I had a feeling that there was no way my life would be as simple as it was a few months ago ever again. I began to feel depressed but that didn't last. I wasn't sure why I let Finch talk me into the oyster farming but I did. I trusted her; over the past month we'd preparing for this trip and everything we had grown close despite the almost ten year age difference.

Oh and don't think I was just pushed around by her, oh no, she caved to a lot of my demands too. Like the time the car broke down five kilometres from the nearest garage and I refused to walk into town to get a mechanic so she walked there to buy stuff while I tinkered with the car (even though I don't know much about cars ). I think I was just being difficult about something 'cos we'd had an argument, but the make up kisses were great. What they lead to was even better.

But the really big concession was when she agreed to go to Tamworth before Port so I could go to the Tamworth Music Festival. I asked her to stay with me for the festival, but she said she would rather spend winter in the South Pole than go to a country and music festival.
* * *

Finch drove past Bundaberg towards the Sunshine Coast. She couldn't believe the feelings this young man evoked in her. It was like Daniel was a part of her that she didn't even realise had been missing. A few days later strange things began to happen around her.
* * *

I spent 3 months on a farm in Tamworth working with horses and pigs, and like Dr. Chandrahar said, I didn't think too much about anything but pig slop and horse shit...well, cleaning out the stables was probably one of the smelliest and most physically liberating things I've done in my short life.

I hitch-hiked to back to Port Macquarie to do my time as an oyster farmer. I spent two weeks on a ship dredging oysters, I didn't expect to enjoy it and I don't really think I'll do it again but that's the great thing about having an older girlfriend, they give good advice. I'm glad for the experience I had. After my oyster adventure Finch came by as a surprise, to take me home again.

Oh, one little thing I forgot to mention, the entire time I was away I been practising the techniques I'd been shown. The most amazing thing had been happening but I'd been so focused on pig slop and oysters that I hadn't even realised that it had been happening. Somehow I'd become comfortable with the ghosts and spirits. We were communing on a level where it felt as if they'd become an extension of myself.

I got into the car and it was like we'd never parted. I hadn't really thought of Finch being gone at all during my time away from her. I didn't miss her or anything, and no, it wasn't because I'm a bad boyfriend.

Finch told me that she had had a very strange experience while she travelled around Queensland. It's seemed that shortly after she'd left me in Tamworth she began to hear country music. She was adamant that she didn't have the radio on. She told me it was almost like the music came from the air around her. She also said that about a week after the music stopped the air began smelling strange.

We worked it out by the time and day of which song she heard and when she smelled things. She heard Keith Urban when I went to listen to him and Casey Chambers when I saw her. It was astounding! What made it really freaky was that she couldn't possibly even be playing a practical joke on me because there was a mix up with the concert timetable and Keith and Casey had to change the times of their performances at the last minute.

To really prove that something strange was happening, she went on to tell me what she smelled on the exact day I was working at the farm, on the days that I worked with the pigs she smelled pig slop. On other days she would smell horse manure. When I had been on the oyster boat she told me that the air around her had smelled different; briny.

We drove back to Sydney in a comfortable silence. I don't know how she felt but to me it was like we were connected at a more than physical level. I could tell she had something on her mind but never said anything, I knew she'd tell me when she wanted to. We arrived back at my apartment building but before I could open the door she asked if we could talk there for a while.

“Dan,” she said in a hesitating manner “I want you to come back to the States with me, I want us to work together, she paused, “...professionally and personally. I want to ask your mother but I want your permission to do so first.” To say I was shocked was an understatement, she hurried on as if she was scared that she wouldn't be able to get what she wanted to say out if she didn't do it now. “I'm in love with you, I Love you. I know we haven't known each other long but I know you can feel it too.” I just stared at her with my eyes welling up with tears and fell in to her arms with tears streaming from my eyes.
“Yes I Love you and I'm in love with you, ” I softly said from where I rested my head on her shoulder. “Finch, there are things you don't know about me...”

“Don't worry about it she replied, we're connected and nothing you say or do can change it.” And then and there I knew she'd be fine with the knowledge that I'd always felt more female than male. And we went in to talk to my mum.

As we walked toward the unit I lived in, a woman of flame so bright appeared in front of us. She smiled at me and made a gesture as if she were blessing us and disappeared into thin air. I looked at Finch, but it seemed like she hadn't seen anything. I decided to tell her only after we'd spoken to mum.

Marie-Elise Baptiste couldn't believe what she was hearing. The Angel woman was in love with her son. She wanted to take him away with her. Her baby. For God's sake, the woman had to be ten years older then Daniel. But he seemed just as smitten as she and Marie-Elise had to admit that even she could see from the way that they looked at each other they they were indeed in love. And so, like all mother's, she found that the time to let her son go had come.
* * *
Jackie Estacado was pleased. He'd done reasonably well. It seemed the Sydney had a history of organised crime and so the police were tougher to crack than he'd expected but he'd managed to get a lot of the cops to come over to his way of thinking because the Darkness could corrupt the weak willed. But he decided to take it slowly here.

What thrilled him more was that in the Taxi club's early days it had hosted darker energies and the Darkness was able to bring those back to the club. He loved going there and would leave every weekend with a flock of women.

His contacts had told him there had just been big busts of the families in Melbourne and he decided he would swoop in there while they were weak and take over but as he was preparing to leave on a chartered flight he sensed the Angelus in Sydney. This pissed him off no end because he sensed he would lose a lot of business by not leaving Sydney now. He told his driver to turn around and return to the Sydney Hilton. Maybe if he got rid of the person She- the Angelus- decided to choose for her new vessel, the Darkness would leave him to do things in order of importance.

It was 3:30 pm and Jackie was sitting alone in an inconspicuous second-hand rental parked across the street from an impressive apartment building that seemed to cater to foreign diplomats. He just hoped the next Angelus vessel wasn't the wife of some high ranking European diplomat or politician. He didn't need that kind of headache- unless he could wait until the sun set and let the little guys (as he called his darking demons) deal with her.

The Angelus had actually done him a favour by marking the vessel and he could see the Light of said 'mark' pulsing through the walls of the building. He clenched his jaw as the demons started nattering at him and egging him on. Shit they could be annoying! “Hey boss, hurry up let's just ice the bitch by blowing up the building.”
“I give you guys too much lee-way in your stupid war, I'm honouring the agreement to kill the Angelus -Bitch and her vessel. You just let me do it my way” he replied with exasperation.

He actually realised that their suggestion to him might be valid, but there was no way that he would pass business opportunities up by blowing up a building used to house foreign diplomats.
It was now 5 pm and even though the sun still had not begun to set but the surrounding high-rises and narrow alleyways ensured that there was enough shadow to let the little guys out. He let the Demon aspect of the Darkness cover his features . This added to the power that the Darkness gave him and gave his demons greater freedom to cover the area.

As he did this he realised his mistake, the Angelus knew he was there for her vessel, he got ready to be attacked, he felt Her nearby but She didn't attack. This set him on edge. He'd lost the element of surprise and he had just about decided to leave the car and slip away into the shadows of the city when fortune seemed to shine on him- what an odd phrase for the work I'm doing he thought with a chuckle.

There was a loud explosion and alarms started ringing. It turned out that someone had broken into the vault of the Pitt Street branch of the ANZ Bank. Well, only he knew that it was a robbery as he'd set it up earlier that week in his bid to take over Sydney but his plans had changed when he decided to work in Melbourne instead. Obviously somebody decided not to cancel the job. As the police car sped past where he was standing in the shadows he sent a a darking demon to to chow down on one of it's tyres.

The car flipped right over when it's tyre gave out and it flew right through one of the shop windows causing a huge commotion. He knew that people being people with their morbid curiosity would come out to see what had happened. And when the vessel came out he would have her. She would die and he would be able to carve his niche in the Melbourne underworld. People did indeed come out to see what happened. But not the vessel of the Angelus.

* * *
The ghosts were on edge. He could feel Estacado but was afraid to tell his mother or Finch in case they went outside. The decision of what to do was taken out of his hands when there was what sounded like a car accident outside. His mother was about to go to the door to see what was happening when he shouted “DON'T”. His mother turned to look at him strangely.

“Don't go out” he repeated in a quieter tone of voice, “there's something bad out there.”
His mother just laughed at him but a second later she stopped, “Okay, I made a mistake once before so I'll listen to what you have to say.”

With a look at Finch I began to tell her about Estacado. This led to me telling her about our deeper connection and what we experienced while we were away. What I didn't tell her was something my lover and I had just found out. Finch had left the room to take a call on her mobile, but although she walked out she was still visible to me.

It was actually like the were two of the same woman, one walked out of the room and one stayed holding my hand. I knew what Finch had talked about on her call and who she talked to. It was actually kind of embarrassing, it seemed Christina Finch Angel had a best friend that she told everything to. It seemed she had been telling all her friends that she had found the one — MOI — and that she was off the market.

Apparently she realised what happened just as she finished her conversation. She came back into the room red as a beet, smiling at me she mouthed 'sorry,' I just smiled at her. She's just so cute.

My mother completely missed that little byplay, at least I thought so but I was told otherwise later that evening by a very sheepish looking lover. It seemed that my mother knew exactly what passed between us, even if she didn't know the reason for Finches embarrassment.

After explaining the Darkness and Jackie Estacado to my mother, she was quite adamant that Finch stay here for the night. She looked at me and said, “I was so happy when it seemed that you didn't have a meta power that was dangerous, but now I think you may have one that is the most dangerous of all.” Her next words left a chill running down my spine, “Be careful my son, if what you say is real I fear for your soul.” It was totally unexpected as she walked out the room, closed the door and called, “Don't make too much noise.” I went red as a beet as there was a round of female giggles.

I had very strange dreams that night. I saw the Angelus wreathed in flame, shining like a glorious beacon of light. I saw her bending over a dead woman's body and speak to her spirit about revenge. I saw her working in partnership with a human spirit to fight the Darkness and keep it from stealing the Light of Spirit from all mankind. From there the dream turned into a nightmare as I saw the strong Spirit that had worked with Her getting weaker as it became her slave.

I tried to pull away from that dream. The Angelus was supposed to be good, it seemed wrong to do this to someone trying to help you, even if it is in service to a noble ideal. I saw that She Loved the Darkness, but seemed cursed to be at odds with It because of the first Man's fears. Then it seemed that She asked a question, I tried to escape what had become a nightmare. NONOno I would not give her my soul!

I was aware of Finch sharing my dream/nightmare, and when the Angelus asked her a question I couldn't see her answer. I screamed in defiance I was scared for Finch,“Finch don't let her take your soul!” I woke at the same time as my lover, we were covered in a sheen of sweat from our shared nightmare.

Finch looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, “ Her goal is noble.” I had to agree.
“She can't be allowed to destroy souls no matter the nobility of her goal.” I replied. “If she does she is worse than Him, the Darkness.”
He kills, yes that's terrible but the soul carries on once the body dies. I have seen it.” I then explained, “There are spirits who wander, these are the ghosts who are lost or won't leave because of unfinished business, some cross over but come back to help from the other side in spirit form.”

By the time we were eating breakfast, the dream had been forgotten and a sense of contentment filled both of us. My mother came down and kissed me good morning surprisingly she kissed Finch as well, apparently she now considered Finch her daughter. I told Finch that I'd go back to the States with her but asked if we could spend time in New Zealand first as a holiday together. Happily, she agreed.

* * *
Jackie Estacado was fuming. He had spent the entire night sitting in his car on the off chance that he get the opportunity to do what the Darkness wanted. He knew staying there all night was a waste of time but the Darkness was irrational and when that happened it took control of his body. It took a supreme effort of will to not walk in to the building and 'off' everyone.

It was 10:00am when he saw the One who had been marked by the Angelus. She was with a young man, a boy just out of his teens. The boy was looking around but apparently couldn't see what he was looking for.

What puzzled Jackie was the fact that the Glow of the Angelus covered both of them , he didn't really question why this was, he just reached across the seat to get the silencer for his gun from the cubby-hole

I couldn't figure it out, I could sense Estacado but couldn't see him. I had told Finch he was still there and had begged her not to go but she told me that now that we knew the Darkness was after us we knew that it would come no matter what we did. I so I walked her back to her car. We reached the driver's door and as I opened it for her, Estacado appeared our of nowhere with a gun.

Time stopped as I saw him point it at Finch, my vision narrowed onto the gun and I saw very clearly his finger pull the trigger. Before I even heard the gun go off I was flinging myself in front of Finch. I think one of the spirits helped me move really quickly because I think I got in front of her at least I felt the bullets hit me, but I also saw them hit Finch.

I knew I was only wounded but before I fell to the ground I knew Finch was dead. Then everything went black.