".........." there seemed to be a long silence from the other side. However, it was only about 3 seconds, before the man on the other end spoke.

"Got it." was all he said.

In about 5 seconds, they heard a voice from the kitchen downstairs.

"I'M HERE!" Hal called to them.

He then made his way upstairs, quickly getting Liv away from the scene.

"Come on, sweetie, let's go." he said to her quietly.

"Tell me EVERYTHING when you learn it." he then told Angela. "SOMEONE is going to pay for this, and they will pay dearly." he vowed.

'What in heaven and hell's name could have killed Zeke?' he then mentally wondered. 'He's half ARCHANGEL...'

"......" Hal was silent, before looking at Liv.

"Come on, Olivia." he whispered. "Let's go." he told her.

"I'll take you to the Unit. No school today." he finished, before they both disappeared.

Just as they did, the fae that Angela had summoned showed up, and looked shocked and horrified at what seemed to have happened to Zeke.

"Goodness gracious!" one exclaimed.

"What happened!?" another asked.

"Yes, of course." one of them replied, before they started to fly around Zeke, preparing to transport him.

---

Hal was speaking to his secretary, telling her how he was NOT to be disturbed right now.

At ALL.

He was going to devote his time to trying to comfort and console Liv, and that was final. That was the most important thing right now, and he would not hear otherwise.

--

With the pooling of their mana, the fae and Angela were able to get Zeke to the medical wing... specifically, where bodies were examined. And one of the attending staff was extremely shocked and horrified to see who Angela had brought.

"...Doctor Edwards...?" he said quietly.

"Please tell me this isn't who I think it is." he said further, trying desperately not to believe his eyes.

"....." the man was silent.

"Very well." was all he said, as he started to prep for it.

Meanwhile, Hal just sighed as Liv asked her questions.

"I don't know sweetie." he said. "I... I just... I don't know." he mumbled.

"Hopefully we'll find out." he then told her, trying his best to comfort her.

---

Zeke's world slowly changed from darkness to light, as his eyes fluttered open.

'Wha...?' he thought.

The last thing he remembered was being in a dream. And then nothing. And now he was in a cold and sterile area, where everything seemed to be metallic. He was unfamiliar with the area, but it looked vaguely familiar... mostly because he almost never went to the coroner's area.

He then saw that he was naked, and looked over and saw the backs of Angela and one of the staff members. And they were readying scalpels.

"....can I at least know why I'm being operated on?" he asked.

"......." Spence was silent for a moment.

"I..." he stammered. "I... heard it, too..." he said further, slowly looking behind him, as though he were in a horror flick.

"Yo." Zeke said with a wave.

This caused Spence to almost freak out, as he dropped one of his implements, and started to back away hastily.

"....was it something I said?" Zeke asked.

"Also, it's kinda cold in here. Can I get a pair of shorts?" he asked further.

"......huh?" Zeke muttered.

"I... wait..." he mumbled, before stopping and thinking about it.

"That... might explain a lot." he went on.

"For future reference, it takes a celestial being to truly kill me." he told her. "...or the devil. Or a REALLY high-level demon." he continued.

"Ok, we'll discuss it later, but I'm damn hard to kill. Usually I'll go catatonic as my body repairs itself, though that can take a while." he explained.

"But... what the hell DID that to me in the first place...?" he then wondered aloud, scratching at his head.

Zeke just sighed.

"It never came up." he said. "...also, it DID slip my mind..." he admitted sheepishly.

"But I'm sorry for the distress I caused you-" he went on, before pausing suddenly. "...and... oh dear, if Liv is under the impression that I'm dead, she might want to come see me." he told her.

"See that that is not, in fact, the case." he reasoned.

"But... damn, what DID happen to me...?" he then wondered aloud.

"The last thing I remember is... well... dreaming." he told Angela, as he got into a sitting position.

"..........." Zeke was silent for a moment.

"Oh." he said. "Oh dear." he said further, his tone more hushed now.

"I... yeah, okay, I should see her." he continued, getting up off the table, and landing on his feet.

It was at that point, Spence returned with some jeans, boxers, and a shirt. He quickly handed them to Zeke, before leaving.

"Lost and found. It'll have to do." Zeke said, before putting the clothes, on... but pausing when he read the shirt.

"...I swear he did this on purpose." he muttered, putting it on.

Mommy's little angel. it read.

Zeke looked down, and saw that his bellybutton was exposed.

"....quick trip home." he said.

"Just to get a shirt." he told her.

"I'll return these clothes later." he added.

Meanwhile, Hal was silent, before sighing and looking at Liv.

"Olivia..." he said quietly.

"I... I'm sorry." he apologised.

"But... will you please let us try and help?" he asked, before there was a knock on the door.

"Busy." Hal hissed, venom in his tone.

"...uh... but this is important..." Zeke's voice said from behind the closed door.

"....." Hal was silent as well, and did NOT look amused.

At all.

"...is this some kind of cruel prank?" he said, his tone promising severe consequences if it was.

There was silence from the other side of the door, before it opened slightly, and Zeke poked his head in.

"I... I assure you, it's not." he said.

"I'm here. And I am not dead." he assured them.