Blessed by Night

The first person to enter the room was a woman.

She was exotic, with slate-colored skin and captivating golden eyes.

As soon as she entered, she was the tallest woman in the room. At 6'8, she dwarfed even Malachi.

Her black hair framed her face in a delicate, regal style like the Pharaohs of old.

She wore the unit's usual leisurewear of black tactical pants and a simple t-shirt.

Her muscles strained against her shirt, and while not prominent like Bianca's, they were still toned and noticeable.

She would have been quite the charming figure if her face were that of a human rather than a jackal.

She was immediately followed by a younger man with dark skin and glowing green eyes.

When he entered, the room instantly became warmer on account of the crackling green flames comprising his hair.

Like Malachi, he wore golden earrings and bracelets that were more ornamental than gaudy.

He had a laid-back, calm demeanor that would make most people label him as infuriating right off the bat.

They would not be wholly incorrect.

"We're not late, are we?"

The last individual to enter the room was a face that Malachi and Anna both lit up to see.

He was a large, burly man with a full black beard and a bald fade.

His frame nearly took up the entire doorway. As soon as he entered the room, he immediately intimidated the guards stationed behind Awena.

She didn't look the slightest bit amused.

"Let me make sure everyone's all good and acquainted..."

Opal stood in front of the jackal-headed woman and beheld her first before going down the line.

"This is Major Evaline Baashar. As you can see, she is a dual-type Bystial and Mystic Evolved.

Next, we have Specialist Lodur Greenson, but everyone around here just calls him Loki. He is a support class Evolved who specializes in rescue and recovery.

Finally, I'd like to introduce you to Staff Seargant Ezekiel Logan."

She smiled at the room like a viper.

"These three have already volunteered their time to travel with the Saints. My confidence in them is second to none."

Malachi and the girls smiled innocently. Awena looked like she was going to spontaneously combust.

"So? Are we all good to go now?" Joanne asked, trying to hide her smug nature.

It wasn't working.

The veins along Awena's head were starting to push against her skin angrily.

"...You will all need to be briefed on overseas protocol."

Joanne finally slipped up and let her smile show by just a hair.

-

Awena hadn't just come here today with orders. She had also come bearing no small amount of supplies.

Medical necessities, non-perishable rations, and bottled water. Lots and lots of bottled water.

While she was watching the rest of her family sort things out, Joanne was leaning against the wall and smiling to herself.

The high of getting married yesterday was still affecting her. And even though they weren't going on an ordinary honeymoon, she still planned to treat it like one whenever they were able.

Planning things to do as a couple of eight was difficult, but Joanne was starting to think that she might actually quite enjoy it.

"You're smiling."

Somehow, Awena had snuck up on Joanne while she was distracted. However, she didn't seem too bothered by her popping up all of a sudden.

"Something to say?"

"I just got off the phone with the members of the former president's cabinet. I had to convince them that this monnumnetal shitstorm was actually some kind of worthwhile idea."

"Did you have a nice phone call at least?"

"Don't give me that shit, Jo..!" Awena hissed. "They're all pissed and i did you a huge favor just now."

"Do you want me to fall to my knees and thank you?" Joanne raised a brow.

"If it were an option! Maybe even just a simple thank you would be fine!"

"Thank you. Are we done?"

Awena clenched her fists. Her jaw became set in place.

Did she want to punch Joanne? Maybe. But more than anything, she just wanted her old friend to stop being so damned stubbon.

She suddenly unclenched her fists- her eyes stinging and heart thumping. "...You said you forgave me."

Joanne looked away.

"...But I guess you just said that out of kindness, huh? Always did have that kind of bleeding heart."

Joanne chose to remain silent. Probably for the best.

"....Hit me."

Joanne's silence broke as she stared at Awena incredulously. "...What?"

"I was a terrible friend. I was cowardly, and scared, and I betrayed you so... hit me." Awena tapped her jaw. "I deserve it."

For some reason, Awena's insistence that Joanne hit her was even more upsetting than it should have been.

And Joanne finally lost it.

"Hitting you..? What good would that do me? I could crush your head like a grape, and it wouldn't accumulate to 1/30th of the pain I had to go through."

"I-I didn't say that, I just-"

"I was starved. Beaten. My head was shaved. I couldn't use my powers and-"

"I... know." Awena said quietly. "I-I saw the feed, and I always wanted to-"

"You... saw what was happening to me..?"

Awena met Joanne's eyes and found a new level of hurt that she didn't know how to decipher.

And suddenly, all of her words seemed insignificant. There was nothing that she could say or do to make things go back to normal.

She felt foolish for even opening her mouth.

"…You told Malachi that you couldn't bear to see me like that-"

"A-And I couldn't!" Awena insisted.

"Everything alright here?"

Nadine appeared like a ghost without making a sound.

Joanne dashed away the look of betrayal on her face and replaced it with a happy little smile that no one would question.

"Fine, hon. Couldn't be better."

Joanne hooked her arm with Nadine's and began pulling her back towards the rest of their family.

But she couldn't leave without stabbing Awena with a few last words.

"Thanks for the favor, Secretary. We won't forget it."

Even when Joanne had left, Awena hadn't moved from her place.

She kept wondering if this was how her old friend had felt- staring at the wall with an ocean of thoughts in her mind and absolutely no one in the world to tell them to.

-

With supplies sorted and their ride-alongs assembled, the newly formed Saint family returned home with three newcomers in tow.

Zeke, Loki, and Eva didn't really seem to understand why they had shown up at the Saint's house. Or why they were standing outside with their eyes closed.

Finally, Loki couldn't bear the quiet.

"...S-So, is this like a religious moment or something, because I get really anxious when it comes to those..."

Zeke and Eva snorted.

Sei gazed longingly at their home as she sighed in silence. "No, I'm just... saying goodbye to the house of my dreams... and it took me so long to build it too..."

Luna poured water out of her thermos for the deceased.

"Don't worry, babe." Malachi wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "We can always put the place back like it was whenever we come back."

Despite her husband's coaxing, Sei remained misty-eyed. "....But my patio!"

"Don't you mean our patio?"

"No, I took the time to plan it out; all you and Bianca wanted was a gaming room with images of those silly cards on the wall."

"There is nothing silly about Red Dragon Archfiend."

"Damn right." Bianca nodded firmly.

Sei took another moment to stare at her house before sighing and letting go.

"Okay... I'm ready." She confirmed.

Loki raised his hand again. "I'm sorry, I still have a lot of questions. What are we doing at your guys' house? Why have we just been staring at it for five minutes, and why did we go get Waffle House before we came here?"

The group looked down at the bags of food they were carrying as if they had all completely forgotten about them.

"...Well, I wasn't leaving America without a chicken hashbrown bowl. Were you?" Anna raised a brow.

"Okay, fair point."

Malachi pulled out his phone and dialed a contact. He left the phone on speaker so that everyone could hear.

"What's up, Step-Bitch?" Serana answered.

Sei's face turned red.

"We're all outside now, Ser. You can hit the button now." Malachi said.

"Cool, hold your tits real quick."

Not ten seconds later, the ground started to rumble as their entire home lifted itself out of the soil.

Zeke, Loki, and Eva dropped their bags in unison from the shock.