We were woken in the morning by the gong- a noise like a gunshot reverberating around the prison  block.
"Well well, little Serafer, time for you to tell us everything." The guard leered.

"You're not taking him." Zion said, standing up and placing himself between the guards and me.

"Someone got a crush?" The guard laughed.

Zion didn't move. A wall of muscle and scars protecting me, that would only get hurt if one of us didn't move. So I did. I side stepped him.
"I can take the pain. You can't." I muttered, as I passed him.

"No!.." But the cell door had already closed behind me. His shout followed me down the walkway. "Tiger!..."

I smirked slightly at that. I was still smirking when I was shoved into the interrogation room. The smirk fell when I looked around, though. The room had been transformed. Gone was the desk, chairs and recording machine. In their place was a typical torture table.
This will be fun.

I closed my eyes, and let them carve into me. No more than a tickle, really. "Where is your planet?!" The interrogator yelled.

My planet. Orange and red. The sand in between my toes. The two suns overhead. The twin mountains disappearing into the clouds. Jumping off of the mountains and soaring over the glass headquarters.
The parade. Marching in time. Sword training. Metal on metal. Sharp as the the night, capable of cutting through the darkness. Of cutting through emotions.
It was natural selection, really. Those who fell or were wounded were degraded, sent off to the farms or into the mines. The longer you lasted in training, the higher rank you revived.
I was not trained with the others. I was trained by Death- an old, frail Serafer who was still strong enough to level  an army with just a flick of his finger.

The knives cut into me, my blood was everywhere, but still, I said nothing. They threw me back into my cell even more angry than before.

"Fuck." Zion breathed, looking at me. He helped me to the shower, and sat me down. "What happened?"

I shrugged. The movement caused more blood to flow from my wounds, but I was already weak enough that I didn't notice.
"Does it hurt?" Zion muttered.

"Starting to." I replied, my eyes closing.

"No, keep your eyes on me. Come on, Ajax. Look at me. This isn't how you die."

"I know." I whispered. "But this is where I give up."
The pain had finally got to me, and I screamed. The blood was mixing with the water, swirling down the drain with a gurgle.

"Ajax. It's okay. Come on. It will pass."

"I can't.. I can't numb it..!" I gasped.

"Then don't try. Just concentrate on healing. Tell me you can heal yourself."

"Takes.. time." I muttered. He was ripping up his shirt, bandaging me with the fabric.

"That's got most of it. Thank fuck you're so thin." He muttered, but I could hardly hear him through the pain. I thought I was flying, but my wings were still damaged. I could feel Zion's arms under my legs and back. The bunk appeared as well. And then, nothing.

I woke up surrounded by darkness. "Zi..?" I whispered.

"Here, Tiger." He was sitting right next to me. "You've been out for two days, but you're healing reasonably well."

"Thanks." I muttered. He didn't need to ask what for. Thanks for looking after me. Thanks for not leaving. Thanks for not being scared away. Thanks for not leaving me to die. Thanks for not telling the guards all that I've told you.

"Any time, Angel."

"I'm not.." I coughed.

"Yes, you are, so shut it." He replied, and I could hear the smile in his voice. 

"Zion?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you helping me?"

"You really want me to answer that? I guess, there's an adventure in here somewhere."

"Really? Just for the adventure?"

"Well, you might have something to do with it as well." He grinned. "Anyway," Zion coughed, "I saved you some of last night's dinner if you want it."

"Thanks." I muttered, sitting up a bit too quickly. I suddenly felt very weak and before I knew it, Zion's hand was on my shoulder, anchoring me down. Keeping me conscious. He handed me the tray, and I noticed him flinching slightly as he moved.
"What happened?" I asked quietly.

"Nothing, I'm fine." He replied. I raised an eyebrow in response. "Alright, fine. They beat me with their sticks because I refused to let them take you again."

I didn't know what to say. "Thank you." I muttered, surprised that someone would stand up for me.

"Don't look so surprised, we're friends now, remember?" He grinned.

I nodded, still in a state of shock.

"Now, whilst you were asleep, I was thinking.."
I nodded.
"Rifts form in time and space, occasionally. They produce a lot of energy, so if a Serafer -you- could use that energy, that might be why we keep turning up in random places."

"Death could, but I wouldn't be able to."

"Why not?" He asked.

I took a breath. "I... didn't finish my training."

"I said you were all talk." Zion smiled. "But what if.. hm... You said that Death used to be a nickname, right? So what if you didn't actually need training. What if you're born with the skills and the training just perfects them?"

"It's a valid suggestion.." I muttered, my mind reeling. "Can I sleep now?"

"Of course, Ajax." Zion said, lifting the now empty tray off of my legs.

What if I don't need training?

What if I don't need the surgery?

What if I was born with the skills?

Like I had been born with the wings?

What if...?