Muse rounded the corner of a large stone obelisk and pressed her back against it. She looked to her left and right, making sure she was out of sight. All she needed was for Aaron to see her vanish. She let out a long sigh and tapped her fingers against the marble behind her. She wasn’t looking forward to passing herself through the ground. Rifling through dead bodies and coffins had to be gross. But it might be interesting to see what people had buried with them. She suspected that more than a few coffins went into the ground empty - she was curious to figure out if she was right.

She looked to her right as she heard a raindrop hit the stone next to her. Muse watched in idle fascination as the rain began to fall. She never got wet - the water would run off of her as water runs down glass. She looked up at the sky and wished she could feel the rain. Shrugging off her melancholy, she melted into mist and then vanished from sight.

Muse spread herself out thin, encompassing a large area of the ground and above. She moved down, pushing herself into the dirt. It was like she was trying to shove her hand into soft rubber. It didn't really hurt, it was just... really weird. Muse had to focus to keep herself there, feeling the earth constantly trying to burp her back out.

She pushed herself further down until she started to sense the coffins. She moved along, sweeping up one lane and then another, checking every coffin and tomb. She did her best not to focus on the bodies, just to sense them as little as she could and move on.

Dead body… dead body... tires… dead body… dead body… dead baby... dead body. Hey, nice necklace... dead body... dead body...

Victor plodded up to Isaac. The sorcerer looked much like the stone statues around him, only a blob of black instead of a blob of white. Isaac glanced up at the sky in annoyance, and then popped open his umbrella and held it up over his head. If Victor didn't know better, he'd have thought Isaac didn't know he was there.

“So, you think you're planning on being nicer to Muse?” Victor asked.

“Pardon?”

“I mean, she’s really not a bad kid. You gotta give her credit for dealing with the whole... y’know... ‘hey guess what, you’re my bitch’ thing you pulled. And check it, she’s even helping now without complaining.”

“Perhaps. Although she is showing promise at being more of a permanent addition to this outfit, I cannot yet trust her loyalty. She is still too unruly.”

“Yeah, and? So are all of us. I think you like it that way," Victor smirked. He knew Isaac well enough to know that the man, while not exactly what he would call a 'social butterfly,' wasn't a complete hard-ass either. If Isaac was, he would have staked Victor long, long before this point.

Victor let out a long breath as an awkward silence fell between them.

“You have taken to her,” Isaac said simply, cutting the silence abruptly.

“Huh?” Victor looked up, surprised that he had spoken. “Oh. I mean. I like her. She’s cool. Funny.”

“You like her,” Isaac repeated with the same tone of voice.

“I mean... oh. You mean... like that?”

“Yes.”

Victor turned to look up at him. Isaac was almost the same height as he was, only an inch or so taller, but he still always felt like he had to look up at him. He shook his head at the thought of dating the blue-haired ghost. “I mean... she’s dead.”

“So are you.”

“But... not like that. She’s like.. dead-dead... she doesn’t feel shit, y’know that?” Victor sighed ruefully. That's all he really needed, dating a girl who couldn't feel anything. Emotional love was good and all that, but it felt somewhat empty without being able to enjoy the company of someone in a more... physical sense. Maybe everyone was right - maybe he was shallow.

“Hm?” Isaac looked back at Victor thoughtfully. “No. I did not.”

“‘Parently she can’t feel or smell or taste anything. Except like… electrical pain, apparently.” The vampire shook his head. "I think that'd make dating kind of hard."

“I suppose it would."

“So doesn’t really matter.” Victor shrugged and began drumming the fingers of his hand on his thigh. He wished there was something else to talk about. “Man... I hate the waiting.”

“I doubt you will have to wait much longer.”

“I think that’s worse.”

Muse had covered just about a third of the burying ground when a sudden sharp pain wracked her. It was like someone had driven hot needles into her. She heard a screaming noise that must have been her. Next thing she knew, Muse found herself laying on the ground, staring up at the orange-glow of the overcast and raining sky. She let out a groan as the last twinges of the searing burning sensation faded. “Hate… Ow...”

She heard someone calling her name. Footsteps, and then the familiar face of Victor hovering over her. “You okay?! What happened?" He took her by the upper arms and helped her get up, steadying her on her feet. She was grateful for that, as she really didn't want to attempt to stand on her own.

“Something hit me... hard.” Isaac was walking towards them in the darkness, and she shot him a sharp glare, finding a scapegoat for the pain still buzzing through her. “Why’d you zap me?!”

Isaac merely raised an eyebrow. “I did no such thing," he replied curtly. “It must be close. Where is it?”

“I don’t know. I got hit hard... could be anywhere. I guess, within... maybe twenty feet.”

Isaac shut his eyes. He tilted his head back and ran his hand back along his hair, clearly dreading the idea of digging up that much of the yard.

“Um... Boss?” Victor said meekly.

“What?” Isaac replied sharply.

“I... uh... think I know where it is.”

Isaac opened his eyes and looked at the vampire, where he stood simply pointing at a stone in silence. He peered closer to it in the dark and read the writing:

Isaac Ostheim

Born December 1911

Died September 1945

Lord, Take Him From Us

For We Cannot Give Him Up To You

He couldn’t help but groan.

Muse propped up her elbow on her knee, her chin in her hand. Sitting on the back of a different stone, she watched as Isaac stood over his own 'grave,' staring at the stone marked as his. The man had an unreadable expression on his face. That’s what he always was, though - unreadable. She didn’t think he had a complete lack of emotions - she’d seen enough of him now to know that there was something in there. Just, God help her if she knew what any of it was.

"I'd give money to know what goes on in your head."

"Pardon?" That caught his attention. He turned his head to look at her, one thin eyebrow arched.

"I'd seriously give money to live in your head for like... ten minutes. I really wanna know what goes on in there."

"I'd fathom you would either regret it or find it sadly disappointing." Isaac smiled with a thin twist to his lips and looked back at the stone.

“I didn’t say I’d get anything done. I'm sure it's all... hitherto, wherefore, suchlike, and... math equations."

That drew a chuckle from his throat. "As you are so curious, I was contemplating how strange it is to be looking on one's own tombstone. It is a moment of reflection that most are graciously spared."

"At least you're not in it," she said flatly.

Isaac paused for a moment, then twisted his lips in the same small smile. "I suppose you would know, wouldn't you."

"Lil' bit."

"It must be very odd to be as you are, my dear."

"You have no idea."

“Ah, I am sure I have experienced something parallel.” Isaac shook his head and turned his attention back down to his grave. For a moment, the façade cracked, and she saw a glimpse of loneliness and sadness cross his face. He held his right hand out in front of him like was warming his hand over an invisible fire. "Perhaps I will tell you a tale or two someday if we have the time."

"Looking forward to it." Look at him - getting all… moody over his own tombstone. Maybe he is human after all… She didn’t have much time to debate as she saw a flicker of blue glow dash between two stones. If her heart could leap into her throat, it would have. “Not this crap again…”

“Good. The waiting is over. Deal with them.”

"Deal with them?!"

"It is either us or them, Muse. If you do not fight them, they will not hesitate to fight you."

Muse let out a small groan and slipped off of the stone. She didn't dare vanish, as Aaron was around here somewhere. She ran down between the stones towards where she had seen the blue glow.

"Abomination!"

Muse screamed as a large sword whizzed by in front of her face. She fell back onto the grass as Michael stepped out from the stones to stand at her feet. The man looked like something out of a strange nightmare. The rain was pouring off his helm, the gold cross blazed across the face seemed to be glowing the same way it had before. Wide-eyed, she waited, terrified, for him to do something. He looked down at her and did... nothing.

"Stand and face me, girl."

"Huhn?!"

"I will not fight you on the ground. Stand and face me." His voice had that same foreboding hollow sound to it.

"I don't want to fight you!"

"Then you accept your judgment." Michael turned the sword around over his head so it was pointing down. Gripping the hilt with both hands, the sword flashed a bright white glow, nearly blinding her. She screamed and, concern for being seen tossed away, vanished as the sword dug into the ground, sending a shockwave across the grass, chipping stones in its pass.

Muse took form again on the grass and backed up, holding her hands out in front of her. "Michael, seriously, stop! I really don't want to fight you!"

There was no reasoning with him. He was walking towards her slowly, holding his sword ready in his hand. Fear tugged at her. Michael was intent on ending her. She wasn't sure how, or if, he could. But she was in no mood to find out. She looked over to Isaac for help, but he was standing there unmoving. His hand was still out in front of him, apparently lost in what he was doing.

Muse ducked barely in time as the sword passed through the air above her head. He was trying to lop her head off! Muse let out a small squeal as Michael grabbed her by the upper arm in one hand, turning the sword quickly, running it through her midsection. Nothing happened, so he tried again, stabbing her somewhere else. She didn’t think it’d do anything, but if he got bored with trying to stab her, he’d try and stab someone else next.

And she had an issue with being stabbed.

Call it personal.

She reacted instinctively, slamming her fist into his head. His head snapped back abruptly, and he went still. The sword dropped from his hand to the grass, and he collapsed to the ground limply.

"Oh... oh... oh crap..." Muse put her hand to her head, staring down at the armored man. She had no idea how hard she actually hit him. She had no idea how hard she could hit him. She just wanted him to stop. Her world was suddenly upended again as she rocketed backwards, slamming into the grass. She looked up to see Azrael, hunched down by a stone. Its white mask shone with the rain, the darkness behind the eyes even more contrasted in the dim light. The hood was pulled low over its face as it slowly straightened up, tilting its head from one side to the other as it stared at her.

"Okay, circus freak..." Muse slowly climbed to her feet, keeping her eyes locked on the whatever-it-was. Gunfire sounded from her right, off in the woods. She heard yelling but hoped that the others could fend for themselves. She didn't take her eyes off of Azrael as they were locked in some weird Mexican stand-off. At exactly the same point, the two vanished. Azrael was heading towards Isaac, and Muse knew she had to stop it. Muse tackled Azrael, taking shape the second before she hit the Crusader. The two rolled to the ground in a pile of rags and fishnets.

She shoved Azrael off, tossing the thing a few feet away from her. Pulling herself to her feet, she wiped her hair out of her face. “Look, Dude, I can see you. I really can. I know you don’t believe me, ‘cause you’re all badass and whatever… but really. I can see you. So stop tr-“ Muse looked down at a dagger stuck into her chest. Azrael’s white mask hovered barely an inch in front of her face. She hadn’t seen him move. Not at all. She gulped hard out of reflex, the white mask and empty eyes succeeding in creeping her out, even if she was already dead.

Azrael twisted the blade, her mind going empty with pain as it sent sharp crackling arcs of electricity through her. She screamed, collapsing to her knees. “Stupid... Okay, I'm annoyed. Seriously.” She looked up slowly to see Azrael was gone. She looked around to find it but instead saw that Michael had gotten to his feet, and was walking towards Isaac... who wasn’t moving.

“Isaac!” Muse yelled as she vanished, rushing forward.

Muse couldn’t make sense of what Isaac was doing. He just stood there, locked, with his hand held out over the grave. He seemed completely oblivious to the large armored man coming up behind him with the intent of ending his life.

Michael swung his sword, meaning to decapitate Isaac. Halfway through the swing, Muse rammed into him, knocking him back onto a table-top tomb, falling with her on top of him. She blinked down at him and did what she always did when she was scared. She cracked jokes.

“Well - Hello, sailor," she purred out huskily.

“Ungodly nuisance!" Michael snarled. Muse yelped as he shoved her off with his arm, throwing her hard enough to send her flying a good five feet, tumbling over a tombstone onto the other side. She landed with a hard thump.

"I... am... so... sick of this." She pulled herself to her feet, glad she couldn't feel the pain of impact. Shaking her head, she realized there were figures heading towards them in the rain. Running through the grass and stones were Aaron and Eric. "Shit." Now she had to stay locked in her body - if Aaron saw her disappear, all hell would break loose.

Michael turned his attention to the men running towards him and turned to face them. Eric skidded to a halt and backed up, shaking his head no - the little blond apparently did not want to tangle with the armored man. Aaron simply slowed to a jog. Muse expected Aaron to be afraid, but instead... the big man looked suddenly mournful as he finally slowed to a walk, then stopped.

"Aaron, leave here," Michael spoke.

Muse blinked. How the hell did Michael know Aaron?

"I can't."

"Why? You never threw in your lot with your brother before. Leave. Spare yourself the pain."

"I... can't." Aaron glanced at her briefly. Michael's head turned to look at her and then back to him.

"Aaron. She is damned. Leave her to her ends and go. You do not need to walk this path."

The tall scarred man shook his head slowly, lowering his head so his hair hid his face. He looked like a child being scolded.

"Very well. Then grieve for her and your brother together." Michael turned back towards Isaac, lifting his sword to cleave Isaac in two. Muse ran at full tilt, fighting the temptation to ditch her physical body.

"No!" Aaron shouted.

Gunfire rang out through the burying ground. Muse shoved Michael, checking him sideward into an obelisk, stopping the blow meant for Isaac. She was about to yell at Eric to do something before she saw Aaron's suddenly horrified expression. She blinked at him, confused.

"What?"

Aaron could only point.

Muse looked down and saw three neat bullet holes that went straight through her chest. The English language didn't have words for what she wanted to scream out. She looked at Aaron, opening her mouth and finding nothing to say. The horror on his face made her want to cry.

"What... What..." he stammered.

Muse only vanished completely, unable to stand the way he was staring at her. He screamed and recoiled, staggering over his own feet and crashing to the ground. Michael simply stood there as Uriel ran into view, gun still aimed towards them.

"Ah-hah!"

Muse had completely forgotten about Isaac, who had apparently rejoined reality. The turf in front of Isaac began to push up as if something was lifting up from under the ground, pushing rocks, stones, and twigs out of the way, rejecting the object from it like cancer. A small wooden box, long, thin and flat, stained dark with dirt and mud, slowly came into view. As it hovered under his hand, Isaac calmly took it and tucked it under his arm.

Turning, Isaac idly gestured his hand at Michael. The man careened through the graveyard, crashing through trees and landing with a loud thud somewhere in the distance. He turned and held out his hand, grasping something in the air in front of him. Muse could only watch as Uriel attempted to scream but could only make quiet gagging noises. Isaac twisted his hand to one side, and Muse heard a sickening crunch. The man fell to the ground. Muse did not need to be told what happened.

Isaac pulled the box out from under his arm and began to wipe off the dirt and mud from it. He started to walk through the grass away from them, walking past Aaron and Eric as he headed into the darkness. "Come, we have what we came for," he said casually as if nothing had happened.

Muse hovered near him, wishing she could make herself impossibly small and tuck herself into some dark crevice somewhere. When they arrived at the hearse, Victor and Mal were already there. Muse stopped, shocked - realizing that Mal was holding an unconscious Michael, gripping the back of his armor where it stopped at the neck - holding onto him like he was a doll. Mal threw the unconscious form into the back of the car with the clanging of metal on metal.

Without thinking, Muse abruptly took shape in front of Isaac, causing him to pull up short, actually looking surprised for once. "The hell are you doing?! Are you trying to get them to chase us?!” she shouted angrily. She looked over at Mal or Victor for any help. Mal only shrugged tiredly, leaning back against the back of the hearse with his eyes shut. The lines in his face were exaggerated with the clear exhaustion the big man was suffering. Victor seemed too occupied with trying to fix his chin-length hair in the reflection of the glass.

"I take my opportunities when I see them," Isaac replied simply as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "And this is a lovely opportunity."

"This is not an opportunity! He's a psycho, he tried to-"

"What are you?!"

Aaron stormed up to her, grabbed her by her upper arms and wrenched her around to face him. She was shocked at the anger in his eyes. She vanished, causing him to recoil again, pulling in a sharp gasp.

"I'm dead," she said from nowhere. Now she was defensive. She wasn't going to take being yelled at, even if she was at fault.

"What?!" he yelled.

Muse would have given anything to stop time. Anything to get away from this.

"I hate to interrupt, as I am sure we would all love to watch this little drama play out. We need to leave before Michael awakes or a Vatican squadron comes as back up.” Muse was suddenly grateful for Isaac’s interruption. Staying invisible, she hovered by the sorcerer as he climbed into the passenger seat of the hearse. She settled down in the space between him and the zombie Paul. She looked back at the hearse at Aaron, where he sat almost in a ball, his head lowered and his hands curled into fists. She had screwed things up, and hard.

"Muse," Isaac said quietly from next to her, adjusting his glasses with a push of his ring finger. "You can thank me later.”