Underneath the running water, Jack sighed as he took in the warm stream.

A shower. The first in five months.

Jack looked down at the pool of soot, blood, and dirt that swirled into the metal grated drainage below.

He took a breath, listening as footsteps drew near.

Of course it was Ada, the woman knocking on the door and announcing her presence before Jack beckoned her in.

“What the hell is with you, women, and showers?” Lilith said, the bystander sitting on the nearby toilet seat as she filed her claw-like nails

Ada stood behind the shower curtain, her shadow clearly visible to Jack who paid her no heed.

“Can I join you?” Ada asked, her voice almost hesitant.

“You’re the mother of my son, I don't see why not,” Jack replied with Ada joining him a moment later.

Jack remained still, his eye focused on the pink bathroom tile as Ada’s hands gently glided down his back.

“H-how?” Ada asked, rubbing the scars on Jack's back.

“The apostles,” Jack explained, keeping his face away from Ada. “I can heal from their attacks but sometimes it leaves scars. Something to do with corruptive code.”

“There's so many…” Ada whispered before drawing close, hugging Jack from behind with her hands resisting the temptation to go lower. “I've missed you.”

“... I've missed you too,” Jack said, the pair sitting there under the heat of the running water.

“How long can you stay?”

“Not long. Tonight I go and talk with Selfia and her generals, tomorrow…” Jack trailed off as Ada’s hand moved to his face to try and get him to look at her.

“Let me see,” Ada coaxed with Jack finally turning so she could look at him directly without his eye patch.

The sclera of Jack's left eye was black, the iris turned red from its golden hue as thin lines of corruption pulsed from the injury.

In a way it was unsettling, almost akin to a demon peering into her soul.

“Does it hurt?” Ada moved her hand, shifting the palm with her thumb rubbing Jack's skin and drawing closer to his eye. “Is it dangerous?”

Jack caught her hand, bringing her palms close together as he looked at the woman who held such love for him his heart felt as though it would explode.

“Sometimes,” Jack answered truthfully, “Corruption twists data flow, often nullifying system abilities and skills. If I catch it early I can expunge the code but this one was too late… am I hideous?”

“No! No of course not, you're the most handsome man ever,” Ada smiled, drawing close, standing almost on the tips of her toes as her breath intermingled with Jack's. “Ito and Celeste are with your grandma and Leona. How about I show you just how much I missed you?”

Skin to skin the pair hung there for a moment, the air heavy with steam and heat from both of their bodies and the shower.

Jack smirked, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he grabbed Ada by her slender waist whose eyes danced with lust.

“I think I'd like that,” Jack said before leaning down and hoisting Ada up.

****

*Clack. Clack. Clack. The golden stilettos worn by an archangel vibrating the floor.

Sahaqiel. Not Sara.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Her full name being spoken by the one closest to her unsettling the angel as she paced back and forth within the tribal councilmen suite that served as Selfia's office.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Jack never used her full name. The fact of which was eating away at the woman who was getting on Selfia's nerves.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

“Your pacing is giving me a headache,” Selfia said, the white-haired woman slamming four of her floating prosthetics onto the wide long table littered with battle plans and logistics for the upcoming raid.

Sahaqiel began to float.

Selfia sighed, closing her eyes that still bore her red contact lenses.

“Go! Go away and bring Jack! How is it you and him always find ways to annoy me! Please leave before I throw-” Selfia frowned, noticing the angel gone as her adjutant Di’luk and Python entered the office with a stack of reports.

****

““Goddess.””

Ignoring the two paladins Sahaqiel took to the sky, hovering above the lush city of Hoshido surrounded by high rise stone walls and gorgeous country-side scenery. At least, it would normally be gorgeous if not for the red sun casting its hateful rays over everything.

A byproduct of the Apostles, the perverted mana in the air warping and distorting the world.

In the far distance, she could make out the echoes of battle carried through the wind, faint traces that were unnoticeable to the masses below. But Sahaqiel could see it, could make out the thousands of soldiers fighting the demonspawn hordes moving on them en masse from all directions.

Fortunately with the flux of mana back in the air, awakened were empowered, unfortunately this also applied to the monsters as well, whipping the demonspawn into a frenzy.

They had maybe two-three months before the artillery cannons fell silent, before the bullets stopped freely flowing and the mechframes were left without charge.

Even now the airships that Selfia had brought were being used as massive barricades that drew the defensive line, serving both as bulwark and barracks for the soldiers defending their bastion.

Thanks to its geological location, the mountains acted as a natural barrier, and with the old demon heart purged, the build up of demonspawn in the area had been significantly less severe than any other city. However the only thing that truly kept the apostles from ransacking the city was the statue of herself venerated by the Cintelli paladins.

Which… drew in a whole slew of issues…

Sahaqiel sighed, fluttering in the wind as Awakened like Tenno, Belia, and Jin fought at the front lines.

After settling her heart and finding the courage to face him again,the archangel took off, flying down towards the non-descript three bedroom home.

She hovered outside, waiting for a moment before flying past the fence and towards the door and knocking on its oak entrance.

A moment passed, then another, the angel frowning as she missed her astral form. At least when she was ethereal she didn't have to worry about things like doors, etiquette, or being “goddess-like” in public.

Sahaqiel sighed, her wings fluttering in irritation as gazes of nearby pedestrians settled on her.

Deciding to flee the eyes of her onlookers, Sahaqiel gave up and entered the home where she was immediately greeted by a familiar scent of sweat bleach mixed with fish.

“Oh…” Sahaqiel let out, realizing immediately what Jack had been doing the last few hours.

The angel slumped her shoulders, her feathers almost vibrating as her skin tingled upon spotting a shirtless Jack exiting from Ada’s bedroom.

Wide-eyed, she could make out the naked woman splayed out, almost a husk with a smile on her face as the door closed.

“I thought the meeting wasn't until another hour?” Jack asked, the towel wearing man refocusing the woman who was at a loss for words for a moment.

“Oh, uh, yeah…” Sahaqiel said, her toes curling as she resented having a body for the first time since she got it back.

“Sara. Eyes up here,” Jack said, walking past the angel whose hands nearly moved to slap the butt cheeks hidden to her by a thin cloth. “So?”

“Uhm… Selfia is calling the generals early. Time is of the essence.”

“Got it,” Jack said, opening the front door and walking out half-nude much to Sahaqiel's surprise.

Following behind, Sahaqiel attempted to coerce Jack to get dressed but he merely blew her off, walking through the city until he was ascending up the city center stairs with a myriad of eyes following him.

“Goddess,” the twin paladins in gold armor said as Jack walked by.

“Is there something I missed?” Jack said as Sahaqiel caught up to him in the hallway.

“Well, you know how there's a statue of me in their flying city?” Sahaqiel said, obviously flustered.

“Oh…” Jack said, putting two and two together and connecting the dots.

“It's embarrassing, I mean normally I wouldn't care, but it hits a bit dif when your at the end of the world.”

“Hits, a bit diff…” Jack repeated, eye wide and passing by a shocked Kamila who immediately raced off.

“Slang I picked up from Celeste and Ho-sook. They're basically inventing a new language these days.”

“Uh huh…” Jack said as he approached the double door of the couniclmen’s chamber that's guarded by a team of Black Rose knights.

“Sir?” The knight let out, putting her arm out to stop Jack. “Forgive me… sir, but perhaps more proper… attire should be worn for this meeting.”

“I agree,” Jack smiled, lifting the woman's arm out of his way. “How about you go fetch me some clothes. In the meantime, time is of the essence and I'm needed. Consider this an order.”

Jack brushed past the guard, opening the double doors where dozens of officials from the tribes, Theocracy, Empire, and a group of cyborgs Jack didn't recognize stood around a massive map.

“Ladies, gentlemen, what do you have for me?” Jack said as he walked around the crowd to stand beside the flabbergasted Selfia.