How many can say they'd raise hell for love?

He was maybe stalling himself but it didnt matter. They werent in a rush and he would rather take the time to explain himself, even if it didnt seem to make sense at the moment. "You'll know in due time," he assured her, looking down at the mark on the ground. As she reminded him that the room was sealed, one side of his mouth curled up to a smile. "This is not to summon," he said but she had probably figured that out by now. As she mentioned Buffy, his smile disappeared as he grit his teeth. The black mass seemed to come more alive and he clenched his bloodied hands. "She's dead!" he hissed like he wouldnt hear more of it. He just shook his head as his expression saddened. "I've got no choice. I've lost," he said, relaxing his hands to reach out and finish the new mark. But just as he moved, so did the mass, lunging right at her to attach. Whether it got her, time would tell.

Weeks had gone by and Vanessa felt more and more frustrated every day. She felt quite alone as well, because she hadnt known what to tell the people around her. That she was out looking for a stranger she wouldnt even know when she saw? Running her hands through the silver hair, she tied a high messy ponytail, mostly to keep hair out of her face. "Buffy.." she mumbled to remind herself who it was. A picture or something would have been nice, but it wasnt like they had had time for such an exchange. She went back to where the summoner had led her when the fenix had been in charge, back to the cemetery. Circling between those locations she expanded a little further each time. "I'm stupid if I think she would still be around," she said but alas, by her own words she remained stupid enough to keep going. "Buffy!" she called out into the street.

As the week passed, Ethan had noticed how obsessive Vanessa had become about this whole ordeal, so he had taken it upon himself to enlist Darren and himself as some sort of squad to help her. It wasn't ideal, but with Darren's ability, they could at least search out a bigger surface area. Vanessa was hellbent on searching the same area over and over, and he didn't blame her, because that was her only lead. "Vane, you should really rest for today ... We've been searching for hours now," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. He knew she wanted to find this fenix, but maybe it was just too late? Like, people didn't just go missing without a trace or no-one knowing anything.
His eyes turned to look at Darren who were probably worn out by all the voices of the people surrounding them. "Hear anything yet?" he asked, just anything would be nice to stop Vanessa from circling, but so far it hadn't born any fruits.
Just then a group of clergies passed by, one thinking about a blonde being buried up by the temples.

"No!" she was just quick to answer, feeling her hands shake a little at the thought. He hadnt seen how scary the summoner had been, what he believed to be his loss had lead him to. She sighed and shook her head as she mumbled an apology, lifting a hand to place on the side of her head. It felt quite heavy on her and she knew that once this was over, she would be looking forward to a lot of her usual breakdowns. For now they were just all kept at bay, no matter what the toll would be on her later on. Looking at Darren she seemed almost desperate at this point.

"Bare shite, E," Darren said in a quiet tone, his eyes slightly squinting as the tension on his head from being out this long definitely had surpassed headache by now. But he figured that going anywhere would just make Vanessa act out, so of course he stayed. It just seemed so hopeless. He looked down just as the clergies passed by. He frowned as he listened in, but then scrunched his whole face in pain. "About fookin' time, innit. My head is so knackered," he mumbled to himself, before he repeated the most useful thoughts of them all.

Ethan gave the cambion some space. She knew this was weighing on her, and he worried what might happen when this found it's resolution. But he tried not to worry for now, just supporting her might be enough for her in this moment, or so he hoped. He could sense how tired Darren was, and he knew that his friend needed a break, but if Vanessa insisted, there was little Ethan could do. Darren was a real friend, he would help even if it meant that he would be aching and hurting for the rest of the week. However as he picked up on something, Ethan felt a glimmer of hope, even though it was a burial, then it was at least a resolution. "Then we head up North, right? Ask some clergies, speak with some randoes as well, and we'll get closer to the end," he argued, sending Vanessa a trying smile. Maybe it wasn't a good ending, maybe they would find nothing at all, but he sure hoped they would at least get another clue.
They ended up heading up to Raleska, but it was clear that most people at the temples were busy around the temple of Justiae. Clergies running around, wounded and sick people gathering to get some help. Damn, it was really getting bad, huh? "Aight, lettuce have a looksie then," he said as they spread out to look for a blonde fenix, or perhaps just to hear anything that might help them.
A fenix of that description didn't seem to ring any bells, at least not until Ethan stumbled upon an elderly clergy, sitting in the shade and having a sip of tea. He had giant bags under his eyes, and his body was clearly worked to the bone in all of this madness, but the human didn't really know just how hard he worked. Ethan managed to get some information about an unknown gravesite a bit further north of the temples. It was temporary, seeing as the cemetery in Southern were kinda busy right now. "I mean, if she's alive, you'd be able to hear her, right?" Ethan argued, leading Darren and Vanessa in the direction the old clergy had described.

Vanessa almost lit up as Darren seemed to know something, because maybe they could finally come to the bottom of this. She had seen the soul, Buffy had to be alive or at least a step closer to coming back. The soul had gone but if it was for the afterlife, then there wouldnt have been a body? She was sure that was how it worked. "Let's not waste too much time," she said, grabbing Ethan's hand but also Darren's as well. She knew she was being hard on her friend but she also knew that he was too stubborn to not go through with something, just as she was. They got to the temples and spread out trying to find someone who knew. Vanessa seemed to have no one that knew, most of them giving her hateful glares which surprised her a little. She wasnt sure where all that was coming from, but she pushed on regardless. Coming back to the others she felt a little defeated. Just as Darren nodded and went ahead, Vanessa followed, clutching her hands a little tight. It was just then that she felt something round, soft and quite squishy hit her from the side, soaking her in something that bore the smell of sweat, blood and she'd say vomit. Turning her head she watched a couple of angry people staring at them. "If it wasnt for Bael's children, we'd never be in all this trouble. It's all your daemon people's fault!" one yelled, another joining in, "If you scum had just been wiped out in the first war, then we wouldnt have had all this death and decay!" and just then she looked down to notice that it was some sort of cloth that had been completely worn out from tending wounds. Wiping the liquid off her face she blinked a few times. "I'm fine... I'm fine," she quickly whispered, but her hands started shaking.

Darren nodded at Ethan's words and went ahead, looking down as he tried to catch up on something anything. He however heard someone curse in their mind and soon after he heard the impact of whatever had been thrown at Vanessa. The angry crowd's thoughts completely threw him off his search but hearing their words also just lit a fire under him at the same time. "Shut ya gobs, ya fooking idiots!" he said, stepping in front of Vanessa as he wasnt sure what else they would do if she was in their line of sight. "She's done nuffin' in this whole mess!" he argued but the crowd seemed immovable in their opinion. He looked at Ethan with tired eyes. "How'se V?" he asked.

Ethan knew this really wasn't their problem, and if he could just listen to that selfish voice, maybe they could go home soon. But part of him also knew how devoted Vanessa were to her friends. If she deemed this important, then there was really no way of changing her mind. They moved through the many people, and while it felt a little stressful, he also knew to keep his head clear and his ears open. What he couldn't have foreseen was the heckling.
As soon as it happened Ethan froze, looking at Vanessa before looking at the soggy thing on the ground before he rushed to her. He wasted no time in trying to clean her hair, checking in with her. "Vane, are ya alright?" he asked all in worry. He heard the despicable words that these strangers slung out, frowning as he could hardly believe what he heard. His eyes then went to the mob, gritting his teeth as he looked at them. "Is this really how ya treat other people? Fooking shame on yous, y'all ain't nuffing, ya hear!" he yelled out in anger. Ethan was willing to start a fight if that was what it took. "Do y'all kno who dis is?" he yelled at them, stepping forward, his fists shaking a little. "Dat was ma fooking girlfriend ya just tossed shit at! Get lost, before I wreck all ya failed pieces of shites back up ya mums bums!" His accent only growing stronger the angrier he got.

She was so confused. She knew from the news that the world was going to shit, but she couldnt see where she had become the root of the problem? She wasnt even tied to the temples in any way. Her jaw trembling she nodded at Ethan but it wasnt really true. She wasnt okay and unsure what it was in the soggy thing while also knowing, it just made her stomach sink. People thought she was the issue? Hearing him yell at them made her shake her head. They were just angry and scared. Probably one more than the other. She carefully turned but then someone came out of the crowd. "You're with a daemon? You fucking traitor!" one from the crowd yelled but the guy just stared at the human. "I had a wife and a family. Now I have to bury my children and watch my wife waste away from infection," he said in a cold tone, shifting between the angry human's eyes. "Word has it that the daemons plotted this, unleashing hell on earth. We're angry, we're suffering and here you come waltzing in for gods know what purpose," he said, frowning as he shook his head. "Be happy it was a medical rag and not a rotten piece. We've got more than enough to throw," he said in a warning tone. "Get her out of here before someone does something stupid," he said in a warning tone.

Darren was just as angry as Ethan but he couldnt muster a fight in this state. He could barely hear anything in the mass of angry thoughts, all saying things that he wish he couldnt hear. The images were just as horrible as the words and he felt sick to his stomach. He couldnt hear whatever the guy was telling Ethan, but he also couldnt contain himself as one face in the crowd was the one thinking of things that Darren didnt even what to repeat. He just moved forward and gave a pretty solid punch considering how exhausted he was, almost stumbling over his own legs afterwards. "Fooking dickhead, what kind of shite are you thinking about doin...!" he yelled but all the clutter couldnt prepare him for someone hitting back from the side.

Ethan knew that things were shit, but this was outrageous. As if Vanessa was some sort of representative for the whole daemon race now? He shook his head, readying himself as Darren hit a person.
"That's enough!" a stranger's voice bellowed. A cambion stepping in between the hoard and the three young adults. He was rather tall, curly hair and his face disfigured by infection. Ethan didn't know who it was, but those around them sure seemed to know. "I don't need to repeat myself, so now, you better split up, or I will make you," he said coldly. People around them seemed to mutter to themselves, a few giving warning looks, even pushing their chins out as some sort of warning, but they eventually went on with whatever they had been doing. "People are desperate, but you three are innocent ... Just hurry up and do what you must, but then you have to leave ... Raleska is no longer a place of peace," he sighed.
"And who the fuck are ya?" Ethan asked, narrowing his eyes as he clearly didn't trust the stranger, even if he was a daemon. "Jasper ... Now, go on," he replied, his voice empty. Ethan scoffed, shaking his head as he went to Vanessa. "I hate to say it, but he's right ... C'mon," he said as he lead them further north until they finally reached the unmarked graves. What met them he hadn't been prepared for. Mass graves. He stood for a few good moments, staring blankly at the many signs, only with numbers as identifiers and no real names. Ethan was no stranger to facing danger, but facing his own mortality didn't sit well with him. Swallowing he took a few steps forward. "Darren, ya hear anything?" he asked.

The mass didnt take lightly to Darren punching one of them, but luckily someone seemed to step in. Vanessa looked at the tall figure, frowning deeply as she recognized the black mass that seemed to have infested him. Was this what Baal's sister and her had to fear? She didnt linger on the thought as they were told to hurry. Nodding she placed a hand on Ethan's cheek, mumbling a faint thanks. She definitely appreciated him standing up for her, but she always had so it wasnt anything new under the sun. Heading to the mass graves, she felt her heart hurt a little because the words from the mass rung again in her ears. This was what they thought she had done to them. Looking to Darren she hoped he'd hear something that could quickly get them out of this place.  

A little disoriented, Darren got back up on his feet, ready to fight but it seemed that no one came forward. As the thoughts quieted down, he could hear the daemon speak, looking back at him though his sight was a little blurry from the punch. He mumbled a quiet thanks as he passed the guy, but he didnt seem to either notice or care that Jasper looked disfigured. It was most probably the first one. Just as they went, a pretty girl ran past them and up to the daemon, Darren couldnt hear her words though it was probably something comforting. She at least seemed worried in her thoughts. Arriving at the graves he had thought that his mind could get some rest, but his eyes darkened as they stood there. "I-" he mumbled, moving away before he had to lean forward as nausea hit him like a train. He couldnt hold back from what he seemed to be hearing. Definitely wasnt happy about losing his meal either. Drying off his mouth he coughed and spat. "Half of them arent even dead. I can hear them, innit. Like whispers, begging and pleading to be heard, to be dug up," he just said, his tone slightly shaking.

Darren's words sent a chill down his spine, reaching down to give Vanessa's hand a squeeze. He felt like he needed some comfort in this fucked up situation. "But, ya can't just bury a living person," he said to himself in disbelief. There were a few people walking around, workers mostly dressed in protective gear as they lowered a new coffin in to the ground. This couldn't be real life, this was like some fucked up horror movie.
The trio stood a bit in silence, even birds weren't in this part of Raleska. It just all looked bad. "Well," Ethan breathed out, scratching his head a little and messing up his hair, "I guess we 'bout to start digging, innit?" It wasn't really a joke, but what other choice did they have. He looked around, not really sure where to start, but something caught his attention.
A young woman, about her late teens, walking around but with a blindfold over her eyes. Did she think this was a fucking playground!? He couldn't help but feel his anger rise, and he knew that Darren could hear all the horrible slurs that he kept in. "Let's start at the eastern part and work ourselves west, how does that sound?" he asked, trying to remain calm, but that girl was pissing him off.

"I dont sense life in them," Vanessa just said in a quiet tone, looking at all the different graves while she held on tightly to Ethan's hand. She just felt hollow about the whole situation at this point. People looked at her and saw this, she still didnt know what had happened to Alyssa in that room she had left her in with Baal. And Baal. What was his whole deal? She lifted her hands and rubbed her temples, closing her eyes before sighing deeply. "Yeah, it's our only choice," she agreed. She noticed Ethan looking at something and turned her eyes in the same direction. She frowned a little confused, but decided that it was worth checking out. "I'll be right with you," she promised them before she walked up to the girl, trying her best not to startle her. "Hey. Are you alright?" she asked with her eyes narrowed a little.

Darren didnt seem happy about this at all but he also didnt know what to say or do. He could hear them plead. Vanessa's input didnt help at all. Was she calling him a liar? Or were they really not there but also there? He couldnt think too much about it, his head was already quite beat at this point. Vanessa went off to check on the girl and Darren could hear Ethan's irritation towards the girl. Poking Ethan in the side, he nodded towards the eastern part. "Ignore her. We dont know what she's doing here," he said. It could be some sort of jibber jabber practice and neither of them would probably understand.

Ethan just nodded at Darren's encouragement to leave the weirdo alone. However as Vanessa said she'd join them in a second he frowned, but he wasn't going to stop her. He did however watch her from time to time, not understanding why she all of a sudden went to speak to some stranger when in fact she had just been accosted by strangers near the temples. He tried to shrug it off, helping Darren go through the graves and figuring out the system. It had to be anywhere between three weeks ago and now. And thankfully the clergies had been smart enough to add dates to each lot. They started by the oldest date they had to work from and got started.

As someone approached her she seemed calm. Her light brown curls moving with the wind and getting entangled. While she was wearing a blindfold she seemed to look in the cambion's general direction, smiling softly as she was asked if she was alright. "That's very kind of you to ask," she said, her voice timid and relaxed. The blindfold was a little dirty, but it could also be explained by the fact that they were surrounded by soil. "And yes, I am ... I'm just waiting for my brother," she said in a soft spoken voice. "Is there something wrong?" she asked, frowning slightly as she turned her head a little to the side.

Darren hadnt ever thought he'd get to call himself a gravedigger. Or was it robber? Sighing he followed Ethan's lead, listening in on the voices before disclosing whether he heard something worth checking out. Frankly it was hard to differentiate what was worth and what wasnt. The way they all begged, anyone could be this Buffy and werent anyone who was seemingly alive worth digging up? Getting the first coffin, Darren was so sure that he was hearing something coming from it. But as he opened the lid, a foul stench hit them, the corruption laying around the body like it was some sort of soup of decay. "What the fuck!" Darren exclaimed, falling back as he looked horrified. Taking off the lid only assured him that he was hearing life, but what he saw was death. "Nah bruv, nah! Fuck that!" he just said, feeling his eyes water as he got up and moved away. It had to be a sick joke or something, this couldnt be real life. Darren never really cried, but he had reached his limits.

There were a lot of questions on Vanessa's mind, but she felt like she had to mind her words for now. As the girl disclosed she was waiting for her brother, to then ask Vanessa whether anything was wrong. Vanessa scratched her neck and looked towards the grave. "I'd say a lot of things at the moment. But we're looking for a young blonde. A fenix's body that hasnt burned yet," she said, just as she heard Darren's scream, turning her head in worry to see the human walk off. She looked back at the girl with the blindfold, hoping she wasnt wasting her time being here when the others were working hard. "Do you know anything about that?" she asked, her expression hopeful.

Ethan's eyes widened as he saw the decaying corpse inside, holding his breath as to not throw up. Closing up the coffin, he started filling it in once more. Of course he could hear Darren freaking out, and as soon as the coffin was buried, he walked to his friend. "Oi, oi, chill, ait," he said, wiping some sweat off his forehead. He didn't like this shit either, but what other choice did they have? Vanessa hadn't gone in to detail about how important this was, but he could just sense it. Like he could feel that finding this fenix would solve something for maybe the world. Ethan saw Darren's tears, looking down because he felt like a shit friend. "Look, I ain't forcing you and Vane ain't either; We would never blame ya for walking away now," he reminded him.

The girl turned her head at the scream, but rather than her eyes, it was her ears. Frowning behind the blindfold her lips separated, but only to breathe out. The mention of a fenix made her hum. "Well I haven't seen anything ... Alright, that joke might be uncalled for, sorry," she said, pulling a half smile before reaching out for the person in front of her. "Could you take me over to your friends?" she asked, wanting to help. "I might be able to assist you, if you want it?"

"That's fucked up innit," Darren sobbed, rubbing his eyes as he was no crybaby. Fuck no. He just needed a moment to collect himself but would that even help now? Even if Ethan reminded him that it was okay to leave, wasnt that a lie? He could hear Ethan's thoughts, know how he thought this was more important than either of them believed, by the way Vanessa was acting. Could he really just up and leave when he had read those thoughts? Gods, he hated being able to read minds more than ever, if that was possible. "No, we keep digging," he said with a shaky tone, going back to the next grave.

This wasnt a time for jokes, so Vanessa raised her eyebrows at the girl, holding back a sigh. The apology made her nod, but then she realized the girl couldnt see her, humming to let her know she had been heard. As the girl asked to be taken to her friends, she agreed and then frowned a little confused. How could a blind girl help them? She thought she'd rather not ask and reached out to grab the girl's hand, placing it on her arm as she started going back to the others. She could tell that Darren was at his limits and she felt bad. Looking at Ethan she wondered if he was holding up. So much was happening and she felt like she was keeping them in the dark about it all. "It's here," she told the girl, but she had to go help the guys dig.

Ethan groaned as he saw the girl following Vanessa. What was it with that girl and why was she touching his girlfriend now? Grinding his teeth he kept digging, being thankful that very few people were out here to watch.
The girl followed the stranger, but she adjusted herself to hold on to her elbow instead, as it was much more stable and easier to follow that way. The stranger stopped and so did she, listening to what was going on around them. She could sense two guys along with the female stranger. Taking a few steps forward a little in blindness she finally bumped in to a tall figure. "What is ya fooking problem!?" Ethan burst out as he was pushed forward and losing his balance. The girl frowned, but it was hard to see for the blindfold. She stepped away for a bit before she felt herself bump in to another tall figure. He seemed more friendly. "Can you give me a hand?" she asked, her voice sweet. If he did, she would use it to stabilize herself as she sat down on the ground. She took off her shoes, fiddling a bit with the strings, but she insisted on doing it herself.
Once she had the shoes off, she reached out for a hand to help her up on her feet once more. "Calm," she whispered to herself, taking a deep breath before burying her heels a bit in the dirt.
She stood there for a few seconds, before she prepped up, pointing in a direction slightly south of where they were standing. "Someone's over there ... Alive," she said with certainty, but it was clear Ethan didn't trust this. She was a blind girl for crying out loud! How the fuck could she find someone under ground when none of them could.

Vanessa just had to trust her gut on this one. She had seen similiar things in the facility she had grown up in, how people had been derived of senses to enhance the other. It was complicated to explain right in this moment, but she could feel Ethan's agitation, even more when he snapped at the blindfolded girl. She carefully moved over to him, lifting him if he hadnt gotten up already, cupping his face in her hands, "Trust me," she mumbled, her eyes almost begging him. He didnt trust the girl and she didnt blame him. But if the girl got frustrated with them and left, they might have lost a fair chance to find Buffy faster than initially expected. As the girl pointed in a direction, Vanessa went over there. Frowning a little, she carefully stomped in the ground, guessing that the girl could sense it before she asked if it was here. She'd keep doing that till she reached where the girl was pointing to.