Done Undone

The days passed quietly, uneventfully, which Jean couldn't be more thankful for. It gave him time to contemplate the new life fate had forced upon him. He couldn't say the event at his family's reunion hadn't affected him; if he had his way, he would have spent the first few days in bed, but his mate would have none of it. Celezar kept him busy in more ways than the familial sort.

As Celezar changed the bedsheets in their room, Jean emerged from the shower. He cast a glance in his mate's direction, eyeing the freckled, scarred backside, then pulled his eyes away before the hybrid caught his gaze. Leaving the room, he heard the sounds of their children further in the house, chirping and running around.

A smile formed on his face when he saw Isel and Ivel snuggled together in the sitting room atop their usual pillow some feet from the fireplace. He considered taking them to their cradle but thought better of it. The girls were far different from their older twin siblings who had found their cradle to be a world of its own; they typically liked to sleep outside of its confines.

He did, however, cover them with a sheet. He ran his fingers through their short, wavy reddish locks, causing them to emit soft, contented chirrups.

Standing from the floor, he planned to give his older children a visit when the phone rang in the kitchen. He approached with skeptic trepidation. There weren't many who had their number...

By the fourth ring, he picked it up. "Yes?"

The person on the other line made a startled sound. "Well, it should surprise me to know this number is accurate, but..."

He narrowed his eyes. "Mosley? How the hell did you get this number?"

"I have my ways..."

"This had better be urgent," he said tersely. "I don't appreciate it when this number is used for business matters."

"It is."

Leaning against the kitchen wall, he waited.

Mosley steadily exhaled. "Listen...I know we're not exactly associates, but do you know someone named...Patiel Lowell?"

Eyes widening, the rising cold of fear blossomed within Jean's chest. "Yes, she's my niece...why?"

"I figured so. Your people have unique features. Well...you're not going to believe this, 'cause I sure didn't...but there's a god-awfully large bounty on her head."

"What?" He couldn't even muster a shout. "Who the fuck posted it?"

"It's anonymous. Payment's to be received through a broker." He could hear shuffling papers on the other end. "The bounty's...a million."

Pulling the receiver away, Jean stared off in horror and realization. Softly, he said, "They didn't..."

"Lowell?"

Snapping out of it, he replaced the receiver and asked, "When was this posted?"

"Couple hours ago. It's spreading fast all over the continent."

"Across the continent?!"

"Yeah. Whoever wants her found wants her bad. Doesn't sit right with me. Thought I'd let you know..."

"You have no idea how much this means to me, Mosley." Jean shut his eyes. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." He heard a pause, then, "Seriously. Don't mention it."

He chuckled but said nothing in return. A clicking reached his ears, so he hung up the phone. His slight smile disappeared the very next second, replaced with a deep glower of disgust and anger.

He did not know what their family would do when they learned of Patty's adopted kin's identities, but this was unprecedented.

Did they even know what this could do to her? How much danger it put her in?

"Jean?"

The strong scent of his mate reached his nose, and he turned to see Celezar with freshly washed hair, shirtless with loose pants on.

"They put a bounty on her head," Jean spat. When Celezar blinked, surprised by his vehemence, he explained, "My family. They put a bounty on Patty's head."

Shoulders falling, Celezar made a humorless laugh. "Wh-what? Do they...They did...What?" His smile faded. "Are...you sure it's them?"

Giving him a look, Jean approached. "Would you put it past them?"

"No," Celezar sighed, rubbing his forehead. "That was Mosley?"

"Yeah." Jean turned into the hall, then walked back into the kitchen, suddenly anxious and restless. "Fucking hell, sometimes I want to just..."

Watching him throw his hands up, Celezar slowly nodded. "What do you want to do? Antonio probably doesn't know yet."

"Why wouldn't he?"

Cutting his eyes away, the hybrid winced. "Believe me. He doesn't know yet."

Exasperated, Jean asked, "Will I ever know what happened to him?"

Celezar met his eyes, expression remorseful but deliberate. "Maybe. Maybe, love..."

With a huff, Jean looked towards the back porch door, mentally collecting himself.

They were fortunate Mosley was kind, or perhaps concerned, enough to inform them so soon after his family posted the bounty. "Can we call him, then?"

Celezar nodded, approaching to pick up the phone. He dialed a number on the pad, then put the receiver to his ear.

Jean kept his ears open, listening to the ringing on the other line.

His expression wilted when no one picked up, and Celezar passed him a concerned look before hanging up.

"I'd leave a message...but..." Celezar exhaled, glancing at the floor. After a moment, he covered his eyes, muttering something so soft Jean only caught a few words out of it.

Said words included "drunk" and "idiot", much to his concern.

"Looks like we'll have to give Colorado a visit," Celezar sighed, lowering his hand to flash a polite smile. "I can find him easier that way."

Narrowing an eye, Jean crossed his arms.

His mate returned the expression with an incredulous look. "What?"

"You're hiding something."

"Me? Never, Jeanie-boy." Celezar slipped into the hall, and Jean slowly followed him back to their room. "It'd be nice to get out, don't you think...?"

"What are you planning, Zarryel?" Jean stood in the doorway, watching Celezar don a shirt from his armoire.

"I'm planning..." Celezar tousled his wet locks after pulling the shirt over his head, "on coming with you to Colorado."

"And after we inform him?"

"Depends on if we can find him," he admitted. "He might be visiting Inferno for all I know..."

"Who and what," Jean enunciated, "in the name of Creation casually visits Hell?"

"Devils, of course, my silly man." Shirt on, Celezar leaned against the armoire. "Amongst other things."

"Right..." Jean slightly turned his head to the side and then looked away, contemplating.

"What's up?"

"If I had my way, you'd be staying at home," he sighed. Before his mate could retort, he looked him in the eye.

Celezar blinked, then softly chuckled, trailing a hand over his abdomen. "It's a good thing you aren't having your way then, hm?"

Jean shook his head but decided not to comment, aware that protesting against his mate's admittedly justifiable desires would only result in shenanigans--shenanigans he would love to partake in but had no time to.

"The kids?"

"I can get one of my sisters here in seconds." Celezar tapped his temple.

Turning around, Jean beckoned for his mate to follow. "To me, then," he said.

"Aye, Boss."

There was far too much enthusiasm in Celezar's voice, but it did bring a small smile to his face. Despite his reservations, it would be nice for them to travel together.

They left their room and into the hall where he touched a panel on the wall that pressed inward. With a click, he watched an entire section of the wall move aside, revealing a larger armory than the one in their room. His eyes scanned the many vials, belts, guns, and other weapons inside as he wondered what they would need.

"Nothing, really," Celezar said, answering his unsaid question. He reached into the armory and took out a large belt, donned it, and then acquired his dual swords Sapphire and Ruby from inside to hook onto the belt. "Hopefully, this won't take too long. I'll do most of the heavy lifting."

"You shouldn't be doing any heavy lifting," Jean muttered while watching him gear up. His words earned him a nudge to his side, but he only half-heartedly meant what he said.

"Anyway, I'm ready when you are, Boss." Celezar brushed some of his wet locks out of his face, then paused. "How do I look?" he asked, reaching into the armory to take out and wear his hat.

Jean's eyes ran up and down his mate's form. It always did something to him when Celezar wore that damned hat... "You look good," he murmured, trying and failing to sound neutral, not at all suggestive.

"Hmm." Eyes slanting, Celezar tipped the hat at an angle so only one of his eyes became visible and gave an appreciative wink.

Jean knocked the hat back a bit by its brim, then pulled the taller man closer to kiss. "If you keep doing that," he murmured against the moist lips, "we won't get anything done today."

"I love you, too," Celezar purred. He then pulled away with a cheeky smile. "Very well, then. Off to Colorado."

Jean turned, watching their surroundings change as they teleported across the continent in mere seconds.

They arrived in a secluded alleyway of no noticeable importance. Looking around, he discerned his environment with his senses and reoriented himself. Behind him, Celezar made a huff.

"I hate how dry it is here," he commented, walking in front. "C'mon, I know where his place is."

They emerged from the alleyway into a wide dirt street where traffic consisted of horse-drawn carts and carriages, much to Jean's pleasant surprise. Several people, dressed in colorful clothes, walked about, their chatter drifting through the air with the occasional shout for newspaper interspersed above the sounds of a small southwestern town on a pleasant autumn afternoon.

He had only taken a few steps forward when a large hand slipped into his. He smiled up at his mate, who wore a languid smile of his own as he led the way. Despite the urgency of the matter which brought them to the town, Jean didn't get a sense of haste from Celezar's demeanor. It leached into him, and while he wanted to do otherwise, he found himself observing the town's everyday doings with the awe of a tourist rather than a hunter.

Fortunately, they didn't have far to go. Jean soon caught the strong scent of an inhuman the closer they came to where he assumed Antonio called home. This also allowed him to realize the town itself had a sort of aura about it that undoubtedly belonged to a specific nephilim.

"We're in his territory," he commented.

"Yep. Have been since we came here. If you weren't with me, you'd be acting completely different and likely would have noticed sooner."

"What do you mean?"

Celezar shrugged, scratching at his stubble. "It's natural for inhumans to have a reaction when in the territory of a more powerful creature." He glanced down at Jean. "I imagine you'd be anxious, kinda sketchy."

Jean nodded with a slight frown. "A defense mechanism?"

"Hm, I suppose so."

"You've never actually experienced that, have you?"

"Oh, I have, love." Celezar winced. "I've met some of my granduncles, gone to their territories. Terrifying experience."

Jean's eyes widened. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to stand in the mere territory of one of the Devil Emperors. "Which ones?"

"Mm." His mate's brows furrowed in thought. "Ah, it was so long ago. That didn't help the experience. Since I know you'd want to know, yes, I have met Lucifer."

Celezar's eyes met his, and he stared into the green depths with a vague sense of horror that didn't belong to him. He squeezed his mate's hand. "I'm glad you survived."

"As am I. Fortunately, Lucifer is fond of kids."

"Never would have thought that..."

Jean noticed they abruptly entered a more rundown section of the town. Buildings were broken here, boarded there, and the streets weren't as clean. He felt the same sensation of righteous anger from when he first heard of his niece's living conditions. The Lowell sickness, as he called it. He could hear his mother's voice in the back of his mind:

She is a Lowell. She shouldn't be living in squalor.

He slightly shivered in self-disgust and felt Celezar give his hand a gentle, assuring squeeze. His shoulders eased a bit.

"Hm. He isn't home."

He glanced up at his mate. Celezar seemed disappointed, his jaw cocked to the side. "I take it you haven't sensed him anywhere else?"

"Nope." Celezar beckoned ahead with his head. "But that's his house."

Looking forward, Jean immediately picked out the brown two-story building from among the others, as it was the only one without boarded windows. Instead, beneath its ground-floor windows, there were planted flowers and naturally-growing ivy. Unlike the cracked, dry ground in the area, the soil around the building had been visibly tilled with signs of recently deceased flowers from the change of season.

Overall, it looked alright...on the outside.

"It has a barrier surrounding it, too," Celezar commented.

Jean nodded. He could see it, but it bore a signature unfamiliar to him. It took the form of a translucent square with the same basic shape as the building itself and covered in runes he couldn't read. He wanted to be worried, but he blamed his likely frivolous concerns on the sickness.

"Are we going in?" He paused. "Can we go in?"

"We should, unless Patty is home alone..." Celezar also paused. "I hope."

"Is she home?"

He shook his head, continuing to lead them to the building. "I don't sense her but the barrier is interfering a bit..."

The closer they came to it, the larger the building became. For a two-story structure, it had a considerable width despite keeping the shape of a square. Approaching the steps, Celezar passed through the barrier, over the stairs, and reached for one of the two handles of the double doors.

Cracking the door open, he peeked inside, then opened it wide enough for them to enter. Jean took a step in and immediately shivered, his hackles rising with heightened alarm. "What the..."

Celezar brought him closer, nodding. "We're in his personal space. His nest, if you will."

"And he isn't even here?"

"Yeah." Beckoning to the walls, Celezar raised a brow. "There are eyes on us."

Jean's eyes darted to the walls. They were decorated with demonic artifacts ranging from weapons to body parts, and it made him uncomfortable. Indeed, he sensed life inside the artifacts and could feel their metaphysical eyes watching them.

"You gotta be kidding me," he said with a deep grimace, moving so he stood flush against Celezar's side.

"What brings you into the domain of our Lord?" one of the artifacts demanded.

He startled, a growl in his throat. "I didn't know they could speak."

"Yes, we are all capable of speaking," another scoffed. "Who is this pathetic creature by your side, Lord Zelezh'arryel?"

"My mate," Celezar answered coolly with slanted eyes.

Muttering sounded in the room, and Jean had a feeling the artifacts didn't exactly like this. "Very well. Lord Aankhoth'ello is on a hunt," a third artifact explained, "and his family is elsewhere."

"Do you know when he'll come back?" Celezar asked. "The matter is urgent."

"He left several hours ago, My Lord, as did his family. We do not know when they will return."

Jean frowned, exchanging a look with Celezar.

"When he returns," Celezar continued, "tell him we need to speak immediately. The matter is about his daughter, Patiel."

"Of course, Lord Zelezh'arryel."

Turning to Jean, Celezar shrugged. "I guess that's that."

Jean glanced around with a huff. He wanted to stay to better understand the nephilim in his own home. Looking around did reveal what Schon had said about the alcohol bottles; they were scattered around, mostly near one of two couches, a pool table, and even stood forgotten near the front door. Even now, knowing his niece's adopted father was an alcoholic bothered him.

He finally sighed and turned towards the doors. "I guess so..." A gentle pat on his shoulder brought his attention to his mate, who flashed a small smile.

"What's bothering you, love?" Celezar asked as they approached the double doors.

"Everything," Jean muttered, shaking his head.

He opened the door and walked out into the fresh air. He nearly hoped the nephilim himself would have appeared, but the street remained empty and barren. As Celezar closed the door behind them, he walked into the street back toward the main town, antsy and brooding.

"Now what?" he said aloud to himself, looking at the sky.

Celezar came to his side, walking in step with him. Jean felt his mate's concerned gaze on him, but he didn't meet it. "He isn't in the country," Celezar said after a moment. "We're going to have to go our separate ways."

Jean nodded, hiding his disappointment. "I'll go look for Patty, then."

"And I'll go to Hell, look for Antonio. Been a while since I've been there."

"Be careful." He didn't look at his mate, but a soft purr brought his attention to him. He looked into amorous green eyes, and a strong arm wrapped around his waist to pull him closer.

"I'll be alright, love. I promise." Celezar rubbed their foreheads together.

Jean's shoulders eased as the tension left him. "Alright." He briefly closed his eyes when his mate planted a kiss on his forehead.

"Will you be alright here?"

"Yeah. She's around here somewhere."

"Alright. I'll see you later. Call me if you need me." With a wink, Celezar took a few steps away, then disappeared.

Jean stared at the spot Celezar had stood for a moment, then turned and continued on foot.

He returned to the main streets of the town, spreading his senses for anything that could give him a clue of where his niece could be. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't do much when Celezar had already scanned it.

Regardless, he was determined to stay in the town--if for no other reason but to wait for Patty or her adoptive family to return. However long that would take.

He looked left, then right, observing the many people giving him space as he stood in the street. His thoughts, while they had slightly calmed, burbled with anger and frustration.

Now that he was alone, they began to stew again.

He briefly shut his eyes, then turned to walk down the sidewalk. Glancing up, he spotted what looked like a city marker, as indicated by the Mēxihco flag waving high above the trees and brick buildings. He decided to make that his destination.

While walking, he kept his eyes alert for inhumans or anyone who stood out, much like himself. From the little he could sense, there were only a few inhumans around. All had humans in their presence, and they appeared happy and content, looks of adoration and care in their eyes and expressions that brought his mind to his own family.

He shortly found himself staring at a wall of bulletin board posts in the center of town, frowning with his arms crossed. He had learned the town's name, Itzatl, and that it was originally known for its mining, something they stopped doing some decades ago due to "strange and alarming" activity. That activity was likely inhuman, he was certain. The posts on the board appeared to be for services, including one that was handwritten and likely posted by Antonio.

Mentioning such things like "paranormal activity" and "monsters", Jean begrudgingly found it relatively appropriate for an advertisement by an inhuman hunter. What surprised him wasn't the blank, unassuming paper it was posted on but that it was written entirely in perfect cursive. He wanted to assume it was written by someone else. The arrogant part of him believed a person such as Antonio couldn't possibly have such neat handwriting.

His upper lip twitched. The Lowell sickness was in full force today.

Turning from the board, he looked over the heads of passerbys in search of any other locations or places of interest.

Itzatl appeared to be an active yet relatively quiet town, almost quaint. This was his third time in Mēxihco, but nothing had quite impressed itself on him during those visits. One day in the future, perhaps, he would like to visit again with his children under better circumstances.

Brushing the thought aside, he walked from the board to another nearby that displayed a map of the town. Both were underneath an awning, and he took advantage of the hidden sun to look over it with a hum of interest. He glanced over the intersecting lines and of roads and streets, then focused on the legend. According to it, a town hall was near. Perhaps he could get some information there.

Turning away from the boards, he pulled a pair of sunglasses from within the inner breast pocket of his vest. Since he became inhuman, his eyes weren't as sensitive to light as before, but he donned the glasses regardless. Squaring his shoulders, he began his walk deeper into the town.

The hair on the back of his neck went erect, and his head spun back in time for him to see a pillar of light in the far distance. From what the map had shown, the light made touchdown nearer to the waterside.

"Shit." He took off into a run toward it.

An elevate.

Patty summoned a fucking elevate.