Miles stepped out of the pod; his back itched like it was on fire. He walked to a mirror nearby and found his suit had ripped open, and from his back, he had sprouted an impressive white wingspan. Using his thoughts, Miles willed them to flap, and they did, though they ached as though they were stiff and unsure of what to do. He willed them to stop, then willed them to disappear, and they folded and went away and, as it is with magic, his suit was suddenly whole again.
“Thank you, Tommy. Remind me not to let you do that to me again,” Miles said, straightening his clothes out.
“You’re welcome, Miles. Perhaps we can go get a cup of tea or a lager later,” Tommy said. “I get off at five.”
“No,” Miles said before turning around and walking off without another word. Without being able to use his Balancer powers, Miles would have to use one of the main portals back to Earth from outside Headquarters. He headed in that direction now, his footsteps echoing down the corridor as he walked. Miles felt strange; he felt unsettled, which he put down to the new wings and shift in powers. Being unable to use his powers left him with a sour taste in his mouth, and he hadn’t used a portal since he was a student like Jason. It was strange to him. Still, he was on his way to discover what was happening, and once that was dealt with, he could resume his job of balancing the books without hindrance. If there was one thing that Miles despised, it was someone messing with his well thought out plans.
Once outside Headquarters, Miles took a unique gold coin out of his wallet, the currency of supernaturals everywhere, and waited his turn at the portal. Once he reached the front of the line, he tossed the coin at the portal and said, “Los Angeles City.” The portal glowed a bright purple and once ready, he stepped through and was instantly transported to the outskirts of the city.
Chapter Four
Miles
The portal trip back to Earth left a dizzying effect on Miles, and he took a moment to get his bearings before taking stock of where exactly he had appeared. He had enough gold coin to portal as much as he wanted, so that wasn’t the problem, but he didn’t want to be dizzy for the next few days portalling across town like an idiot. He stumbled a bit, realizing he was on beach sand, and looked around. He recognized Topanga Beach instantly and nodded, satisfied with where he had arrived but surprised at how few people were about.
It was the closest Malibu beach to Los Angeles and usually, even in the evenings, there would be beach parties happening with teenagers drinking and making out. Oddly, there were just a few people packing up their beach-going things to head home. Miles checked the time and confirmed it was six in the evening, late enough for teenagers to start a bonfire and get ready to party. This did not bode well for him.
He took out his phone and ordered a taxi to Topanga Beach Drive as he made his way there, cursing the sand that hindered his ability to walk. The car was waiting for him as he climbed the steps up to the road. It wasn’t an ordinary taxi, Miles knew this when he ordered it; even supernaturals had upgraded with technology, and this Fae driven Uber was just what he needed to get around town.
“New to the area?” the Fae asked him.
“Yeah, just got in,” Miles said with a grin. “Looking for a local Neutral Ground to get a drink and relax.”
“You’ll want Neutral Ground,” the Fae said. Miles leaned forward to read his name off his license.
“What was that, Luck?” Miles asked. “Did you say its name is Neutral Ground?”
Luck nodded as he pulled off. “Yup. Owner is one Lizzie, thinks she’s hilarious and rebellious. She’s okay though, as Fallen Angels go. Prices aren’t bad, and the music is okay.”
Miles sat back and looked out the window.
“What brings you to town?” Luck asked.
“Questions that need answering,” Miles said with a smile. “I’m an Angel, and word on the street is there is no evil in this place; it got me wondering.”
Luck fell quiet, and Miles didn’t think that was a coincidence. “You know anything about that?”
“No, I just drive a cab.”
“Oh, okay, cause if anything was going on, it might be something I want in on,” Miles said. “You got my number on the app, so if you hear something, please give me a call.”
“Sure,” Luck said, but Miles knew he had lost him, probably scared him, which meant something was up, and it was being kept on the low. Miles would have to approach it from a different angle.
The taxi stopped outside a pub and Miles paid Luck in gold coin. “Keep the extra,” he said before climbing out. He watched the cab drive off before turning to look at the pub. It looked perfectly ordinary from the outside, no sign of anything suspicious at all. Several supernaturals were gravitating inside, but not one was a Demon or ‘dark’ supernatural. These were all good beings: Angels, Fae, Pixies, Leprechauns... Miles didn’t like the look of this at all. He decided to take a walk around the block to see what else he could learn before he ventured inside.
He casually walked away from the pub and up the street, his hands in his pockets. No one paid any attention to him. He thought about only going one block up, but the flash of a red light a distance away made him go another. That was Demon fire; he recognized it even from that far away. He didn’t want to hurry in case someone decided to tail him, but he wanted to talk to the Demon. He hadn’t seen any mortals on the streets at all; it was as if there was a curfew in place, and they were all at home.
He rounded the corner and saw two Angels dragging the Demon into an alleyway. ‘Dammit’ he thought; he sped up slightly and paused just before rounding the corner. He listened carefully.
“Where are your friends?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“We know you’re hiding somewhere in the city.”
“It’s just me, I swear.”
“But you keep coming back, so we’re going to have to find a way to kill you permanently.”
“Why are you guys doing this to us? To the Balancers?”
“Tell us where you’re all holed up and we might offer you a quick death.”
“Screw you.”
There were screams and Miles slowly rounded the corner to see the Angels cutting away at the Demon’s flesh. This wasn’t how they usually did things; it was ordinarily quick, clean kills to send the Demons back to Hell where they had to apply to be sent back to Earth. Miles took a deep breath and walked forward.
“Hey, guys,” he said with a smile, “What you got there?”
The two Angels spun around, weapons drawn and fire in their eyes.
“Whoa, I’m one of you,” Miles said, willing his wings out, “I just thought you guys could use an extra set of hands sending this scum back to Hell.”
“Get lost, newbie, this doesn’t concern you,” the dark-haired Angel to the left said. “No one invited you to this party.”
Miles held his hand up. “Well, no one invited me, but word is getting out, and it’s starting to kick up interest which is why I came. Others will come too.”
“What others?” the fierce, blond Angel to the right said, taking a step towards Miles.
“The other Angels, I’m Miles by the way,” he said. “I am new to town. I needed to know how you guys were doing it. Tipping the balance in our favour at long last. I want to do it in my city too.”