Sem stood rooted to the spot, she had been expecting some kind of intercepting force but not one quite like this. Three demons towered above the woman, slobbering and baring their teeth in an obvious attempt to intimidate, but keeping to the arc formation behind her. The filthy rags they wore contrasted the woman's silky red gown just as their ashen skin contrasted her porcelain complexion. The woman seemed to be in control.

Her shimmering red dress mesmerised Semila in the same way, she imagined, her eyes mesmerised humans. It seemed to pulse with a life of its own, or to writhe with the echo of movement like a chameleon subtly changing colour. The woman's heels clacked on the concrete as she neared. The cut of the dress left nothing to the imagination. The dress' material clung so to the woman's body that even her most intimate parts became easily discernible as she neared. Sem averted her eyes, shook her head, and determined evaluate the woman without the taint of lust. So she avoided her legs and torso altogether. Strong, defined shoulders, muscular yet feminine arms finished off with ample cleavage, she held an air of supreme confidence that dripped with desire. The silver rings on her fingers, the twin ruby-jewelled daggers that hung easy on her hip, and the necklace she wore matched the dress to perfection. Slowly Sem's eyes worked their way up to the woman's face: beautiful, jet black hair and emerald eyes that sparkled with mischief, and skin so pure and pale it seemed a tap would crack it. Her charming, quirky smile topped it off, and then she spoke.

Her melodic voice floated through the void. 'It seems a vagrant has found the gates of hell. Tell me tramp, what is your business here?'

Two of the demons snorted behind her, laughing at the insult thrown at the angel. Sem didn't hear the slur, she only heard the voice, beautiful and calming. She felt compelled not only to tell the truth but found herself wanting to befriend this alluring woman too. 'I have come to Hell to find the portal to the mortal world. I am Semila, a Guardian Angel to John Finnie.' She dismissed her knife. 'Can you help me?'

The demons snorted and shoved at each other as Sem waited for an answer. Did John feel this way when he looked at her honey eyes? The woman's green eyes stirred her passion, sucked her into another dimension, and made her happy at once.

'Ah, Semila. Of course I would love to show you the way, but my chaperones here' --she turned and pointed at the demons-- 'They would be most upset if you were to find your way to the portal, especially as they are here to rip you apart and devour your essence.'

Sem pouted, her shoulders sagged. 'Then I'm truly fucked.'

The Red Woman's lips curled up into that charming smile. 'However,' she said, 'if you were to, say, kill these demons behind me and show your worth, I would love to lead you there myself.'

The demons took a step back from the Red Woman, confusion on their faces as they glanced at each other, then back at the angel.

Sem summoned her knife but something was wrong, she felt sluggish, slow, and weak. She looked at her knife, it felt alien in her hand, as if her hand wasn't her own. She looked at the beautiful Red Woman again. The Red Woman smiled and spoke to Sem. 'Wake up,' she said. Sem blanched and coughed as if she'd been splashed with ice cold water.

Two demons ran forward from either side of the Red Woman, their feral faces eager for the kill. Both faltered then ground to a halt after a few thundering bounds then looked down at their chests.

Sem took a step back and shook her head, befuddled. 'What the fuck is going on here?' she said.

The two demons now an arm's length from Semila fell to their knees, still confused about what was happening to them. As they leaned forward, collapsing, Semila spotted a jewelled dagger hilt protruding from each of their backs.

The Red Woman walked between the two monsters gasping for breath at Sem's feet. She placed her hands on their heads. 'Lesser demons, weak and pathetic followers of an evil way past its prime.'

She looked directly into Sem's eyes and smiled her charming smile, then grabbed the hilts and yanked the knives from their backs. Spurts of green and blue gunk spouted from the wounds and dribbled onto the ashen slab below them. The Red Woman followed through with a double stab to their throats, the knives having disappeared to their hilts in the demons' fleshy necks before Sem could blink. Both demons hit the floor face first, all life faded from their pale grey eyes.

With a guttural roar the last demon charged the Red Woman, but a punch from twelve to its temple sent it reeling. The Red Woman turned as Twelve wrestled the demon into a headlock. At the pop of its neck she twitched, then chuckled behind her hand.

'Oh my! That made quite a noise didn't it.' She turned to Semila and Sem couldn't help noticing how her every movement dripped allure.

'What the fuck is happening?' Sem's voice seemed far away. She looked at the three demons, all dead. 'Who the fuck are you?' she snarled in a whisper.

The Red Woman didn't answer, she turned back to Twelve who was wiping a hand on his trouser as he looked down at the demon at his feet. 'Twelve,' she said, 'who told you to kill that demon?'

Twelve looked up and shrugged. 'I did. Never liked this one anyway.'

The Red Woman raised an eyebrow and turned back to Sem. 'I can only assume you are responsible for this...am I correct?'

Sem crouched and held her blade defensively before herself. 'I asked you a question, who the fuck are you?' She blinked away the lethargy in her limbs and her mind, then steadied her footing.

The Red Woman clapped her hands and smiled. 'Quite wonderful, a Sentinel that thinks for itself. The Dark One was right, you are an interesting person Semila. This is already turning out to be an awesome day.'

'Fuck this!' Sem shouted and launched herself forward, knife first.

Her knife halted mid strike, clashing against the woman's two ruby daggers crossed at the blades. Sem grimaced as she pushed down. The Red Woman smiled again and in a blur of movement she kicked at both of Sem's knees, then slammed her petit foot into Semila's chest. Fuck, why did it hurt so much? Sem flew through the air. The woman's foot felt like a demon's hoof but appeared so delicate and feminine. Was it the heels? They hadn't seemed all that solid before what with the shimmering. Sem landed hard on the grey floor, palms and knee scraping. A petit red shoe stepped on her hand and crushed the hilt painfully into her fingers. Then the twin daggers were at her throat.

The Red Woman leaned over the angel on the floor. 'Some beings consider it rude to be attacked with an angel's knife. We haven't even been introduced properly. You have no clue as to my intent Semila, you have no clue why I'm here. Attacking a more powerful opponent is a stupid move. A lesson well learned I think. Yes?' The Red Woman took her foot off Sem's hand and moved away, sheathing her daggers as she went.

She started talking again with her back to Semila as she walked back to Twelve. 'I must say, we had a little bet, the Dark One and I. He said you wouldn't kill Twelve, he said you had it in you to change a person's destiny. I didn't believe that could happen. You see I have asked Twelve about its death day.' She tapped her finger on one hilt. 'Interesting things, Sentinels. They remember everything, a photographic memory you might say, and it was quite happy to tell me the whole thing. Strange that others haven't thought about using them to get information on the future.' The Red Woman sighed. 'So you see, we knew you were coming because of Twelve. We also know what you want to get from the mortal plane and we are glad to help.

'Unfortunately I lost the bet, I said you would kill Twelve, although I must say I'm glad you didn't. I quite like him, he's always been different.' She looked back at Sem who was up on her feet and dusting herself down. 'He's especially different now.' The Red Woman stroked his face with the back of her hand and turned to fully face the angel.

Semila wanted to scream, and not for the aching throbs she'd recently acquired but the frustration this woman was causing. 'I don't want a fucking conversation, I just want to know who you are and how you know what I am doing here.' She clenched her fists.

'Oh my, all that anger inside you, it's delicious.' The Red Woman moved forward and took a deep breath as if to breathe in a whiff of the angel's essence. Her partially separated crimson lips stirred a want in Semila and she ground her teeth. The woman snickered and Semila burned with rage and shame. How was this woman doing this? She wasn't...She- she liked boys, dammit. What the hell was wrong with her?

'My name is Natasha Malign and I am a succubus, although I must say I want to be more than I am.'

Sem rolled her eyes. 'A fucking succubus, that explains it. Charmed by a fucking lesser devil! Why do you want to help me?' she asked, now wary of the woman's powers.

'Not me,' Natasha said. 'The Dark One, it's he who wants to help you and we're already late.'

She turned and walked to the gate, and Semila pointedly ignored the woman's alluring walk. Twelve stood by and opened the gate when Natasha stepped close, giving a slight nod as she walked though. '

Why thank you twelve, such a gentleman,' she said and stroked his face again. Sem heard the succubus' voice echo in the tunnel beyond the gate. 'And they said chivalry was dead.'

'If you want to finish your journey Semila, then you must pass through,' Twelve said as he beckoned with his shovel-sized hands.

With a sigh, Sem nodded and passed through into Hell. She couldn't stop the shiver trembling up her spine or the brief terror and compulsion to flee that flooded her. But she ignored it. This was the way. 'My friends call me Sem, Twelve,' she said.

Behind her the gate closed with a bang of finality.

'Sem it is then,' said Twelve and stepped closer behind her. So he was joining them. Sem felt glad for it.

As they followed the succubus deeper into the dark tunnel, Sem couldn't help but feel she'd boarded a crazy train with no brakes.

P.S. What do you think of the new characters? Who's your fav, or who are you suspicious of? *wink*