"How could anyone do that...?" She whispered, her voice shaking slightly. "It's beyond cruel..." Falling silent, she pulled her sleeve up and held her arm out for Jin, pointedly looking at the ground to avoid site of both the angels and the blood.

Jin carefully took her hand, running the blade over the fleshy part of her palm. "It shouldn't hurt much at all, your pain tolerance should be through the roof." He said as he cupped her hand, the blood filling it. "Spread it over the ice." He instructed. "

She did as he instructed. He'd been right; she felt nearly no pain.

The ice sizzled under her hand, the blood eating away at it like acid. As the blood thinned and spread and the ice grew weaker the angel thrashed, causing what remained to break and fall away. The angel looked up at her unsure of what to make of his situation. His long blond hair was a mess, flecked with blood and dirt, and his soft blue eyes seemed unfocused as they slowly moved to Jin. "A demon... what now, heaven surely hasn't bought me back, and you're not giving off any malicious vibes, so it can't be a beating, why pray tell are you disturbing my infinite boredom?"

Jin stood over the angel, motioning for Carol to step back. "I've come to you with a deal, you may either accept or decline. Decline and you'll rot away here. Accept, and you'll be able to earn your freedom."

"I want no deals with devils."

"What about with and for an angel with the potential to end this war?"

At the sounds and the smell of blood heavy black bug like creatures began to show up, and Sue took that as her cue to act, attacking them as they made for the intruders.

"Her? Is she... oh, you didn't... Jin, you're brilliant...." The angel said in awe. "You didn't seem half as bright when I fought you."

"I was young then, and foolish, as most new demons are." Jin said with a hint of shame.

"Headstrong too, but it served you well."

"So do you accept my deal?"

"... No."

Jin starred wide eyed, frustration clear on his face. "And why not?"

"I'll do no dealings with devils." Another insane grin.

Jin turned his back on the angel, facing Carol. "You try."

Looking a bit anxious, she stepped forward, her hands clasped behind her back. "You really don't look well..." she murmured, dropping to her knees so she was about eye level with him. Delicately, she reached up and brushed pieces of dirt from his hair, her eyes curiously roaming over his face and body. "Why won't you help me?" She asked quietly.

The angel didn't flinch or recoil from her touch, but instead continued to grin as he answered, "It's not you I'm rejecting, it's the god of war over there. Who knows what his real intentions are? I could be training Hell's next mass weapon. I don't want anything to do with that."

"I'd give my word, but a demon's word is worth little these days." Jin said with a sigh.

"For what it's worth...I can give my word. Nothing he could do to me would make me turn on heaven." Her eyes met his. "I would never do anything to hurt anyone, no matter what it cost me."

"If killing one man would save a thousand, would you do it?"

She thought this over. "Honestly...I don't think I could. All life is precious. But if there was enough at cost...maybe..." She furrowed her brow, bothered by the fact that she couldn't really answer.

"I'll take your deal, devil, but just this once."

Jin blinked in surprise.

"Took you long enough, we're outnumbered a bit." Sue shouted, fighting off growing numbers of black bugs.

Jin broke the shackles with a flash of magic and the angel shakily stood. Impatient, Jin threw the angel over his shoulder, grabbed Carol's hand, and made a run for the exit, Sue at his heels.

She nearly fell over as Jin pulled her, and as a human probably would have, but managed to stay up.
Outside, Diah was waiting with an anxious look. "Of all the places I would not want Carol in, this is probably the worst."

Sue pulled the doors shut, and they were able to stop.

"Gonna put me down, demon? This is pretty undignified." The angel, who I guess I should be referign to by name, pointed out.

Jin set him down, the awkwardness of him wearing nothing but a long t-shirt setting in. "Carol, let him have the cloak, alright?"

"Oh... that's no good..." Isaac said with a small frown as he held a hand skyward. His wrists, no longer frozen and recently pulled from the pegs, were oozing thick dark blood down his arm and onto the snow. "Pretty, certainly, but not so good..."

Sue tore a strip off the blanket, and then another and offered them to Jin. Jin, not exactly a doctor, hesitantly wrapped the cloth around the wounds, tying them tightly. "We need to get out of here, I really don't want to tangle with a guardian."

"Guardians in the demon realm strictly guard the pits. There are a total of three of them and their little insects alert them when someone enters. They're incredibly strong, and not very patient." Sue explained to Carol.

Carol undid the cloak and handed it to Isaac, her eyes cast to the ground. "Then let's leave."

Isaac took the cloak with a polite thank you.

"Will we have room for another person? Including the two seats in the front the carriage seats six, and we have... what, seven? although Elias will sit on Marcu's lap. I'll sit up front with those two, so there'll be plenty of room in the back." Sue babbled as Marcus pulled the carriage up.

Jin helped Isaac into the carriage, "We'll have to build up your strength before anything."

"Don't worry about it, with a good meal I should be fine, and it won't take much to get my muscle back. Unlike mortal bodies angelic bodies are very focused on healing and health." Isaac answered, his voice distant. Jin helped Carol into the carriage, "Are you alright?" He asked softly, worried about her.

"...I will be," she answered softly. Diah put his hand comfortingly on her leg, eyeing her with concern.

Jin moved to sit next to her as they started moving. He rested an arm around her, letting her lean against him if she wanted. "Does it make more sense now?" He asked with a small sad smile.

"Yeah," she murmured, resting her head against his chest. "But why...? Why do they do this?"

"It's a battle that's been going on for thousands of years, there isn't really a reason anymore. It used to be for the control of the mortal realm, but there's no point in controlling it. We can't do anything more than watch anyway..." b

"So this is all completely pointless?" She looked up at him. "All this killing and torture...and there's no reason?"

"Not a good one. But can you think of a good reason for killing and torture? But that's why it has to end."b

She stared at him a moment, her eyes looking for something, anything to hint he was holding something back from her. There had to be a reason. She found nothing, and her head dropped forward, her arms wrapping around him.

Jin held her, unable to do much else.

"...I'm sorry," she mumbled after a while. "You probably think I'm being too sensitive about it..."

Jin shook his head, "You're taking it better than I expected."

"What did you expect?" Her voice sounded dead and weighted; she felt rather ill.