User blog:The Vaudevillain Veteran/Someone to watch over us: Chapter 2

It had been a week since the Black Angel had rescued the mamono from the gallows beneath Belem, and in that time the Black Angel hadn`t gotten much sleep, as whenever he shut his eyes, he knew that a mamono was about to meet an unfortunate end.

But after 4 days, his body couldn`t continue being active nearly 24/7 and the Black Angel knew he wouldn`t be able to help any mamono if he was dead.

Currently the Black Angel was standing above a grave, unmasked. He had rarely allowed himself to walk around in public unmasked, but on this occasion, it would be downright disrespectful to go the cemetery with a mask on.

Especially his deceased father`s grave.

With a heavy sigh, he placed a fresh batch of flowers above his father`s grave.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF:

ALLEN JOSEPH HAYDEN

Was all that was written on the tombstone.

Today the Black Angel was not a vigilante helping those in need; today he was Jonathan Hayden.

"Dad I wish you were still here, if I had known why you betrayed the Order to save innocent lives who didn`t deserve to die, I wouldn`t have-" Jonathan choked out, the memory still too painful.

Flashback

"Hey dad your back!" A 10 year old Jonathan cried out in joy as he ran up to his father to hug him.

"Hey Johnny, have you been behaving while I was gone?" Allen said in a soft voice that was unbefitting of his big burly stature.

"I have dad." Jonathan replied.

A woman soon approached the duo whilst holding a toddler by her hip. "Sir Allen! Your son was nothing but a ruffian during your absense. Not only did he allow his younger brother to CLIMB a tree that had a beehive on it, he was laughing at it!" the woman said sharply.

"Jonathan is this true?" Allen asked his son disappointedly.

"I was ready to catch him if he fell!" Jonathan said in his defense.

"Jonathan I`m disappointed in you, you`re grounded until morning."

"But dad-"

"No buts Jonathan, go to your room now, it`s late anyway." Allen stated.

"It`s only the after-"

Allen shot his son a death glare that made Jonathan scurry to his room.

Once Jonathan was in his room he took off his armour and placed it on the armour stand.

"Miss Hemsworth, I know Jonathan can be a bit... much sometimes, but you must understand the boy lost his mother when he was only 6." Allen said.

"But making his brother clime a tree Sir Allen? That is a bit extreme, don`t you think."

"I know, being a single parent isn`t easy, and with me going on these missions for weeks at end I can`t devout enough time for Jonathan and Nathan. Perhaps he is doing that to get attention." Allen said with a sad sigh as he poured himself a glass of liquor.

In the other room instead of going to bed, Jonathan was secretly listening to the conversation the mention of his mother saddening him slightly.

Timeskip: 2 Days later

An angry crowd had gathered around in the town square, hurling insults at the man being escorted by guards.

An irritated Jonathan was watching the man, none other than disgraced hero Allen Hayden being sent to the gallows.

While the guards were putting the noose around his neck, a scrawny red haired man was reading out Allen`s "crimes" to the people.

"Allen Hayden, for assisting and rescuing monsters you are to be hereby hanged like the common criminal you are. Any last words traitor!?" the man sneered the last past.

"Yes. The only monsters I see are the priests and knights of the Order, especially you Remy." Allen spat out.

"Defiant to the end huh Allen?" Remy snickered and with the pull of a leaver, the floor beneath Allen opened.

Flashback: End

It started to rain now, and Jonathan decided to head back to his home as he was finished paying respects to his father`s grave.

Night time quickly approached, and Jonathan donned his alter ego of the "Black Angel" and made his way to another Order settlement by silently following a nearby garrison of knights.

Many gruelling hours had passed until the knights finally arrived at their destination, The city`s giant metal gates immediately opening for the knights. Jonathan however conjured a spell that made his hands sticky, thereby allowing him to scale the city`s walls with ease. Knocking out the archers was not an issue for Jonathan, and once they were out of the way he continued to follow the knights to the castle that seemed to their new destination.

A feeling of unease swelled up inside Jonathan, he hoped that no mamono were seriously injured, or worse dead. Resisting the urge to just beat up the guards right then and there, Jonathan continued to follow the group into the castle.

Sneaking into this castle was not as easy as the last one Jonathan snuck into, and had he not had his chameleon skin charm activated, he would`ve surely been detected by now.

SMASH!

"Crap!" Jonathan muttered to himself, how could he have not seen that vase he wondered, and now the sounds of footsteps were coming his way.

"What was that?" One of the guards asked.

"It seems like a vase simply fell over."

"That`s weird, vases don`t just 'fall' over. Someone must`ve knocked it over" one the knights said.

"But who there is no one here." the other knight replied.

"True, I`ll have the guards be on high alert. An uninvited guest is in the castle, I just know it." the knight stated.

Through either sheer luck or skill, the knights did not notice Jonathan`s presence in the room, and he quickly made his exit.

AHHHHHH!!!

"No! Am I too late?" Jonathan asked himself; immediately rushing to the source of the screams.

Jonathan followed the screams until it led him to a large wooden door, he tried to open it but it was unfortunately locked.

"Looks like I`ll have to do this the old fashioned way huh?" Jonathan said as he got out a lockpick from his cloak.

"Yes!"

Jonathan opened the door slowly and what he saw filled him with both sorrow and anger.

A priest of the Order was currently throwing holy water on a Unicorn, the singing sound the water made upon making contact with the Unicorn's skin put her in a lot of pain.

Jonathan couldn't take it. The sight of the innocent mamono being tortured by the priest was enough to push him over the edge.

"Get away from her!" Jonathan roared with fury as he lunged at the priest.

"Huh? Guards! Guar-" the priest never got to finish his cry for help as Jonathan's fist made contact with his jaw.

Jonathan kept on punching the priest so much that his resistance soon ceased.

"Stop! Please!" The unicorn begged.

Jonathan, albeit reluctantly, did as he was asked and soon ended his assault on the priest.

"Why do you show him mercy, when he didn't show any to you?" Jonathan asked.

"Because responding to violence with more violence never works. One doesn't need to respond with their fists to show someone the error of their ways." The unicorn stated.

"Are you alright ma'am, your injuries are not significant are they?" Jonathan asked as he inspected the Unicorn's body.

"No I am alright thank you for asking" the Unicorn said.

Sadly their little conversation came to an abrupt end as the guards who heard the priests cries for help arrived at the scene.

"You there! The one in the black robes, you are under arrest for-" the knight was interrupted by a loud pop as Jonathan and the Unicorn seemingly disappeared out of thin air, leaving the knights confused and angry.

Jonathan and the Unicorn arrived in a forest just outside of the Order city.

Jonathan shivered, then relaxed as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You are not a bad person, I can sense you only want to do good but please do not let your anger consume you." The unicorn warned.

"I'll try not too ma'am, it's just that I couldn't stand someone as pure as you being harmed." Jonathan stated solemnly.

"It's ok. And besides you don't have to call me ma'am, my name is Camille, what is yours?" Camille asked.

"It's... best you don't know." Jonathan blurtered out.

"It's alright, you can tell me." Camille said; her eyes now clouded and her face now a deep red.

Camille caressed Jonathan's face and then attempted to take off his mask. Jonathan moved his head away before she could do so, and teleported away.

Camille's face change into that of a sad frown at Jonathan seemingly rejecting her, with a sad sigh she walked alone in the dark forest.

Jonathan was still watching her from afar, her warning still ringing in his head

Please do not let your anger consume you.

'Camille does have a point' Jonathan thought, as he made his way home now, while thinking internally, Jonathan realised why he was so distant to those he helped.

Self hatred

Jonathan couldn't forgive himself for the horrible things he did as a Paladin, and especially when he learnt the hell child soldiers and Orphans living in Order cities went through everyday.

And how he did nothing to ease their suffering.

Thinking about what those kids went though made Jonathan become teary eyed, the guilt at not helping them eating him up in the inside.

They deserve to be loved and cared for, I don't

That's why Jonathan made it his life mission to help out those who needed it most, so that no one, human or mamono, would have to experience so much suffering and pain ever again.