Achieving Heaven Through Hell Part 1: A Peaceful Afterlife

Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Advanced Recovery

"Hey pal, need a hand?"

"No."

"C'mon! Ya gotta let me try my hand at it!"

"No."

"It's scrambled eggs! I could do it with five hands tied behind my back."

"Get out."

"Alright, alright! Geez! Cranky-ass motherfucker..."

The bowl shook as he whisked the egg, his shoulder throbbed abominably at the best of times and it outright screamed when he raised his arm more than a hair over his chest. Needless to say, it was proving somewhat difficult to make breakfast this morning. The bowl was beginning to shift on its rims, threatening to spill, he tried to lift his wrist slightly in order to get a more stable angle. His shoulder tensed, an electric jolt of pain raced up the side of his neck as torn muscles spasmed, yanking on steel staples. Kira hissed as his elbow instinctively pulled into his side, bracing the injury. The bowl nearly flew off the counter when a pair of alabaster hands shot in from beside him, scooping the potential disaster up and to safety. He looked over and saw Charlie, she was wearing a white shirt and black pants with suspenders, her long, flowing hair done up in what appeared to be a multi-stage ponytail with at least three bands that he could see. Her sleeves were rolled up like they were the other night, when he asked her to...

He turned away from her and stared at the stainless steel counter, his own red eyes glaring back at him in the reflection; if he never saw Angel Dust again it would be too soon! If he ever relapsed, Cherri would gain a profound and revelatory new understanding of explosives.

"Whoops!" Charlie chirped, setting the bowl back on the counter. "Almost had an accident there!"

She stood there and smiled at him, bright and chipper as ever. That she of all people had seen him in such a disheveled state, heard him babble whilst in the grips of some infernal joy, so sure that all was right and well, it burned in the pit of his stomach like acid. The indignity of last night stung him, gnawed at him, and now he bore the wounds and encumbrances of his little foray with humanity, with what these people considered 'normal'. He could have erased some, if not all, of his pursuers that night, but he had hesitated; he held back to protect Angel Dust of all creatures! And now he was hobbling around, one arm useless, the other crippled, essentially helpless should Holy Diver send any sort of follow-up team to the hotel. And he would... eventually.

But he hadn't; not yet, anyway.

Why?

"What are you making?" Charlie said, looking into the bowl. "Plain Jane scrambled eggs?"

Of course! Not even Holy Diver was bold enough to endanger the Princess of Hell! ...Probably. That would buy him some time to recover, to establish a bulwark, to–

"Here! I'll help!" Charlie said, grabbing a salt-shaker and moving for the bowl. "Just a little dash and–"

Kira's hand shot out and he snatched the salt from her hand. "Stop!"

Charlie flinched and stepped back, surprised at his sudden outburst.

Kira set the shaker down on the cooking station with loud 'bang'. "Never add salt to eggs before they're cooked! It'll change how they rise and ruin the texture!"

"O-oh..." said Charlie, an embarrassed blush forming in her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Something in her expression dug into him like fish hooks; a hot flush burned across the back of his neck, his hackles raising as a cold sweat formed on his brow. What was wrong with him? He was right, wasn't he? She almost ruined the cornerstone of everyone's breakfast. He corrected her and now he could get back to work.