He paced down the street. The beings that lined the sidewalks, and flooded the roads were either criminals or victims. Some humans huddled together in the alleyways. It was some of makeshift shelter that highlighted one of the few advantages of being an angel. The majority of houses range in shades of grey. Occasionally, there was a pop of color which brought a false sense of security, a false sense of happiness, and a false sense of equality. One house, was a vibrant mansion. An old man sat outside. He was wrapped head to toe in rags.

“Hey sweetie,” the old man crooned.

Alex kept his head up, and continued walking.

“Do you have any money to help out an old man?”

He paused, “Sorry, sir I am not sure what that is.”

“Right… Sorry I forgot you angels can’t carry it,” defeated, the old man sat there in his filth complaining.

He kept walking..

“You aren’t being a good example by refusing to help the poor.. Do I need to alert the archangels?”

Fear shackled him into place. Alex turned towards man with a forced smile, and his voice was like a calm before a storm.

“No need to do that, sir. I simply cannot help you for I do not have this... ‘money.’’

“Do you have anything of value so I can pawn it?” The old man smirked.

“I’m sorry sir, I do not have anything on me,” Alex replied with his jaw clenched.

“What about your pants, even that is worth a lot since They made it.”

“Yes, sir. You... can have my pants,” with that Alex stripped down to the bare unmentionables.

The old man took the cloth. He bolted into the maison sneering at Alex through the window.

Nonetheless, it was the man who passed out a paper who recieved punishment.

Alex approached a small brick house. Nothing about it stood out in particular, except for the secrets that laid inside. He didn’t bother to knock on the wooden door, and there was no need to pull out a key.

“Are all sins sinful?” Alex whispered as the door swung open.

The door revealed a library. Nothing special: vaulted ceiling, wood paneling walls, and books lining the shelves as far as the eye can see. The space wasn’t large. Just enough to be considered a library, but not too much to be consumed by the information. There was a girl at the reception desk. Her eyes were glued to a book in one hand, and a doughnut in the other. She her golden hair wrapped perfectly into a braid. Of course she was blond for most angels were. They weren’t corrupted.

“Dad!” She announced when the door opened, “what happened to your pants?”

Alex’s gaze remained transfixed onto the floor.

She figured it was best to not press the issue about his lack of clothing. This wasn’t something out of the usual. 

“Your hair got darker. You’re gonna be a brunette soon. I can see it now: “Alex the brunette. The first to not fall!”

He glanced up at her.

“Says the one who is committing two sins at once. Greed for knowledge and gluttony,” He mumbled as he pursued the aisles.

“Dad, stop!” She dashed over to him quickly, “your wing already healed crookedly. I swear every time ya get hurt you heal faster! Ya are gonna heal as quickly as Arach-whatever Michael.”

“You shouldn’t disrespect him like that…”

Her hands clapped the base of his wings.

He tensed.

“It’s the only way to fix it. I’m gonna lay it straight afterwards, but if ya keep this up. then you will heal so quick that I won’t be able to fix ya anymore. Do ya want twisted wings like Michael?”

“Michael got them from beating demons and archdemons.”

CRUNCH

This time he did not scream. Alex’s entire body, emanating from the back, pulsated in agony. The wing was forced into a straight line for a moment before the bone fragments shifted into place.

“Now, stop mopin’ around will ya? We need ya to be strong for everyone else, dad.”

Alex laid his head down onto the table with his arms wrapped around his head.

With a exasperated sigh he replied, “there is no use… there is in injustice, and it will never become justice. We can’t even attempt to change the system where the sinners walk free, and the innocent are punished. We can’t fight a war that doesn’t exist. Most angels have been brainwashed to believe a lie. Sure, we did no wrong. There is nothing wrong with eating outside of mealtime, or wanting to read anything. There is no wrong in loving someone… just like how I loved your mother. Anyways, no one will ever believe us. I’ve kept this silent fight up for my

entire life, and with one more try I could fall. I don’t want that to happen to matter the cost. I don’t want to leave you alone, Emilia. You’re just a child, and you need a father. Let’s just… stop. I can hide you here until you are grown.”

At first his voice rose with a passion that he had in his youth. As the monologue dragged on the energy was sapped out of his voice by the gravity of the situation. Froze in a silent horror her face became paper white.

“Dad, you can’t let that wickedness that was inflicted upon you speak for you!” She cried out.

“Look, Emilia, if I get caught once more I will fall. I heard it from archangel Michael himself.”

“Perfect!” Emilia cheered.

“Perfect?”

“Use this to your advantage. Let the others know how dire that situation is, and use the threat to emphasis the oppression. You’re right it is not fair, but before we did not have a rallying cry. Sure, we all knew that the way we angels are treated is rather unfair, and that it is those filthy humans that cause all of the trouble. However, besides the punishments nothing terrible happened. We can use this threat to prove that an innocent man will be exiled. Have his life and reputation ruined for no reason. Come on we can do it!”

“What about you? If anything happens to me you’ll…”

“I am a big girl, dad! I am my father's daughter after all. Besides, even ya said I have a better handle on the basics than ya.”

Alex glanced up at that round face. He stared into those young blue eyes that shown with hope and optimism. Alex became entranced with that smile that shines as brightly as the sun.

You are useless.

What can you two do alone?

You and your daughter can’t do anything.

Her existence is illegal. You could get her killed.

You failed at getting support with those pamphlets.

You can’t do anything.

‘Didn’t I make this library? Didn’t I have a kid. Didn’t I at least try?’ Alex thought.

“Alright fine. Let’s go gather information, but if one thing goes wrong then I will quit. But before then, pop quiz!”

“Dad! No!”