Chapter Text
Stephanie smiled as she ran down the halls while she giggled hearing her father in the other room
“5”
He counted down as she dashed around the house trying to find the perfect place to hide.
“4”
She decided the basement would be the best place, she quickly ran over and closed the door behind her carefully so as to not make much noise.
“3”
She went down the stairs carefully with her step and immediately running again when she got to the base looking around she spotted a door that blinded into the wall.
“2”
She quickly went in carefully shutting it behind her as her giggles grew louder as she found the perfect spot to hide.
“1”
She dashed to hide behind a box that was slightly open with a few dusty masks laying inside it with her giggles growing even louder.
“Ready or not, here I come!” Her father announced with his loud and powerful but yet kind and caring voice.
She hid her giggles as she heard her father upstairs trying to find her before he entered the basement as she tried to keep them to a low. She quickly moved curling into herself so that her father would have a harder time finding her though as she did so she accidentally kicked a strange glowing spear.
She looked up as the spear came down not realizing what was happening as she remained still, all she could do was close her eyes.
“Are you okay angel cake?” Stephanie realized her dad was holding her in one arm and the spear in another as he looked down at her with concern, she gave a small nod in response.
“This room it’s…” he paused for a moment. “It's very dangerous and is off limits completely, you understand?” He asked as he slowly started to walk out.
She gave a small nod and yet even as he was closing the door she couldn’t help but look at it, especially the giant picture of a woman who looked somewhat similar to her.
-
“Sir, your daughter was flipping off another student,” the woman told him, her voice calm and cold.
“Huh really? Don’t think I taught her that yet” he replied with a chuckle.
“Sir this is serious we can’t have her flipping off people here, she’s 7” the woman stated clearly not finding it as funny as he did.
“Yeah, yeah I’ll have a talk with her” he brushed her off as he went to see his daughter as she sat in one of the chairs as she looked down at the ground nervously.
“Hey angel cake, mind telling me what happened?” He asked, his voice was caring and sweet as his daughter looked away.
“Two of the older boys were making fun of me again and I asked them to stop because I had already hurt my finger today but when I showed them they started yelling at me how I was going to regret it and what not” she said her voice soft as she recreated her showing off her hurt finger, unfortunately or fortunately depending on who you asked it was her middle finger and she had bent all her other fingers down to get a clear view of the cut on it.
If he hadn’t heard his precious daughter was being bullied he would have laughed his ass off but he looked at her with a face of sadness, “and have you told anyone you were being bullied before?”
She gave a small nod “they always run into the boys bathroom before I could tell on them though…”
He paused for a moment, “you know what? Next time you punch those suckers, make them regret ever messing with you” He told her with a smile before he ruffled up her long brown hair, “now how bout we get some ice cream?”
-
“Coming give me a second!” Stephanie called out to her father with a smile as he held the door open, she came rushing through with a small chuckle.
“You know you really are becoming such a young beautiful woman” her father said with a smile as he looked at her and her birthday dinner outfit, she wore her usual leather jacket a gift from him, with a choker, as well as a black belt, but what stood out most was the purple dress she was wearing. “When did you get that dress angel cake?” He asked softly as he recognized it instantly.
“Oh uh honestly I don't remember to be honest” Stephanie chuckled lightly as she looked up at her father.
He paused for a moment a small smile growing into his face as he gently placed a hand on her cheek.
“You really are becoming a young woman your mother would be proud of”
-
“Do you really have to go twice a year now?” Stephanie asked her father as he was getting ready to leave.
“Trust me if you knew-“
“I know.” She replied quickly and sharply, “Em told me, she told me everything that happened at the meeting, how you kill those demons, that’s where you been going to hasn’t it? To kill them and train others to kill with you” her voice was cold and calculated and yet still filled to the brim with emotion.
Her father let out a small sigh, “Look there’s a very good reason, I’ll explain to you later” he told her as he began to turn the doorknob.
Stephanie froze for a moment the danger of her father’s job not quite hitting her till that moment, “stay safe dad” she said as she turned away slightly from him.
He froze as he let out a gentle smile turning to face her, “Don’t worry my Angel Cake, I’ll be safe” he’s been doing this for years. What's the worst that could happen this one time?
“I love you”
“I love you to”
-
Those long days of waiting for her father’s return have never felt this long before, sure she missed him before but most of the time she would just hang out with friends or have band practice but now, now all she could do was worry and think about him. She paced around the house, she knew it would be fine, he’s been doing this from before she was even born and yet something deep down inside her was screaming, crying even, she didn’t want to lose him, the one person she could always count on.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door, it had been hours since he left. Maybe something happened, maybe it was rescheduled? Either way she quickly flew towards it and opened the door expecting to see her father, instead she saw Lute, a close friend of his standing there holding a… no no.
“I’m sorry to inform you this but Adam he” Lute’s voice trailed off inside of Stephanie’s head, no he- he couldn’t be-
And yet the proof was right there.
Lute left soon after leaving Adam’s halo with Stephanie. She held it tightly to her chest as tears came flowing down, no no no! She should've done something! Maybe if she let him know beforehand that she knew he might have thought it over- or maybe if she snuck down she would be there with him at least then she would be there in his last moments!
Those demons, those awful demons took her father from her, the one person who was always there. She knew why now, why they killed them, because they really are the worst of the worst, evil souls, no creatures that don’t deserve a second chance.
She slowly got up and with tears still in her eyes and the halo still in her hand she made her way to her father’s room where the key to that forbidden room was kept. She found it pretty easily and with her free hand picked it up the cold steel resting on her fingers as she went down into the basement and placed it inside that room she remembered so clearly and yet barely even knew what it looked like and turned it. She took a step in as her eyes met those of the women in the picture which had seen much better days.
Her eyes landed on the box of masks, most likely the ones that they would wear to kill those awful creatures though all of them were broken now, as well as a spear, that very same glowing spear that had almost hit her as a child.
She knew what she had to do, it was the only right thing to do. Em and that other girl she talked about were right, those demons had made bad choices in their lives.
Especially that one who took away her father.