“What are we doing here, Grigori?”

“You’re here, Cato because you owe your God a favor and I’m here to make sure you follow through. If you do this right, then who knows … You might just get invited back,” Grigori chuckled.

“So what? Does God want a fallen’s help and his top angel to dotodayonaplaneofallplaces?” asked Cato.

“We’re here for her,” Greg said, pointing at a nervous-looking, blonde-haired girl.

“And how is she important?” Cato asked.

“For someone who’s supposed to be all-knowing, Cato you’re incredibly dense. Her name is Cassidy Linette, and she’s currently having an allergic reaction from something she ate. Ah, looks like a peanut allergy with something in the ice cream. An EpiPen? Of course it’s in the bag above her.”

The girl was frozen in fear, her eyes darting back and forth, unable to cry out. “From the looks of it, no one has noticed because it’s attacking her nervous system.

“This is why we’re here, Cato,” Greg said walking up to the girl. “Hello Cassidy, you mind if we call you Cassi? Great. Now I know you’re really confused right now.

But just to be clear, we’re the good guys. Well, I am at least, this guy.” He said gesturing to Cato, “Let’s just say he isn’t exactly in God’s favor as of late. Now, it’s important to note that in approximately four minutes youwilldiefromthisoverreactionto your allergies. I know what you’re thinking ‘Why is this happening tome? Iliveagoodlife.’ Well unfortunately, you’re due for a visit. Only you can see us in the last moments of your life.”

Her eyes were full of wonder and fear, as she was unable to speak.

“Greg, she’s going to die before you can do your little holier-than- thou speech if you don’t help her,” Cato interjected.

“Alright then, time to play doctor. We need to kill some time before we kill her.” Cassidy’s eyes bulged and she tried to cry out at this new development. “Gotcha! Sorry didn’t mean that. We don’t get a lot of chances up in heaven forhumorwithmortals. Such fragile creatures, you humans,” he said, caressing her cheek before departing for the bathroom. Cato took Cassidy’s hand and calmly tried to comfort her.

“I’m sorry that this is happening to you. Because Grigori spends all of his time in the clouds, he’s become a little … desensitized to human suffering. He’s only brought me here so that I can watch and become like him—callous to the pains of mortals. It’s a sick game, one that

I was cast out of heaven once for defying. Just hold on.”

Grigori stepped into the bathroom, assuming the form of a person before returning to Cassidy. This is going to be fun he thought. He walked forward and approached Cassidy in the guise of a doctor.

“Ma’am are you alright?” he inquired taking her shoulder and rubbing it. Her frozen face told the whole story. “Excuse me, stewardess. This woman is going into some type of anaphylactic shock! Do you have any gear? I’m a doctor!”

His words brought a worried stewardess with a first aid-kit and a defibrillator. AsGregspokemedical commands to the stewardess, the real meaning of his words filtered to CassidyandCatoonly.

“Cassidy Linette, you stand accused of violating God’s law of blah blah blah. The point is that you can’t even speak because that allergy is attacking your throat and swelling it up.” He snickered maniacally. “You’ve been up to the devil’s business haven’t you, Linette?” Cassidy opened her mouth and desperately tried to cough out what words she could.

“No … not … true …”

Grigori nodded his head empathetically.

“I know sweetie, but the thing is, I have a quota to fill and you just find yourselfinaneasypositiontobe harvested. But don’t worry, this is less of a task for you than it is for my associate here,” he snarled, looking up at Cato. “He gets the honor of removing you from this miserable plane called existence.” He handed Cato a syringe. “It’s her EpiPen, brother. You can choose to give it to her, saving her life but violating His will. For that transgression, you will burn forever. If you choose not to give it to her, you can rejoin us back in heaven.”

Cato stared at the outstretched syringe. He glanced at Cassidy’s frozen eyes. The passengers were pushing to get a look at what was going on. Cato took it in his hands. Grigori’s eyes pierced his soul and he uttered in a dark snarl, “Your God demands this Cato.”

Cato met his stare, “If that’s what He wants, then He’s no God of mine. If I’m meant to burn, then I will burn!” he declared, stabbing Cassidy in the chest with the pen. A bright light exploded and surrounded them.

White everywhere. Grigori strode up, clad in a white Armani suit.

“Always the dramatic, eh Cato?”

“Hey, if the mortals never got an angelswearingtoburnforthem,they’d never be obedient. And the girl?”

“Yes, yes she lived. She’s found her faith. She’llneverbethesame.”Catoglanced down at Earth. “They never are.”