A/N
I'll get this out first-no, this isn't the first time I've posted this. Site took it down for "excessive violance" in light of its K-plus rating. Not sure how the content (hasn't been changed) counts as "excessive" but I've given it a T rating this time.
Anyway, concerning the fic itself, this was written in response to the animated piece Wrath. Kind of "meh" in regards to my reaction to the piece-nothing wrong with it in itself, but it didn't give us any info that other Diablo lore hadn't already covered nor was the duel between Imperius and Diablo brought up in Diablo III to my knowledge. Anyway, hopefullly this can be enjoyed regardless.
Blood for Blood
The world didn't have a name.
Not that that bothered Imperius. Few worlds created by Heaven or Hell lasted long enough to have a name, whether they were destroyed by the opposing side or they simply fell apart on their own. And if Hell had named this place, the Archangel of Valour didn't care. Whatever the Prime Evils had called this ruined husk was irrelevant, and the sooner its blight was erased from the cosmos, the better.
"Stay still Imperius, I can't mend your wound if you keep fighting."
The angel grunted and let Auriel work her magic. Yes, the sooner he got off this world the better indeed. Sooner he got to the High Heavens, the sooner he'd be in a position to erase the stench of demon blood from his armour. The sooner this world was obliterated, the sooner the monument to his weakness would be erased as well.
"There. All done."
Both angels rose to their feet, the Archangel of Hope standing silent and her counterpart looking at where Diablo had drawn blood. Or rather pierced his armour and allowed his inner self to leak out, but he supposed it was the same concept. It must have been…interesting, the angel thought, to actually have blood flowing through you. It certainly explained demons' madness-couldn't stand the stench of their meaty forms rotting.
"You did well…" Imperius said, turning to face his fellow angel.
"In what? Battle or healing?"
"Both."
Auriel bowed. "I exist to serve."
Was she being sarcastic, or was this true subservience? Either way, Imperius didn't like the tone of her voice. It was the same kind of tone Tyrael had used when he last talked to him, his last words along the lines of "there's a difference between justice and vengeance, and you can't seem to see that." He would have thought Tyrael would be the most understanding of him striking down the Lord of Terror rather than taking him captive. He was a proud warrior and servant of Heaven…surely he realized that there was no point in dealing 'justice' when demons didn't even understand the concept.
Itherael and Malthael were silent and inscrutable-as always. Auriel though…
"If you have something to say, say it," Imperius grunted.
The Archangel of Hope glanced up at him. "Pardon?"
"You have something you want to tell me, and I'd rather here it here than in my own domain," Imperius said, grasping his spear and fighting the urge to fly all the way to Hell and impale as many demons as he could. "I don't want secrets between us."
"Oh. Secrets, is it?" Auriel asked. "Very well Imperius, I'll let you in on secrets. I suppose it's no secret that your actions down in the catacombs have driven a wedge between us?"
"Us? Or just Tyrael?"
"It's the same thing," she snapped. "We operate as one, or not at all. Yet time and time again, you and Tyrael butt heads on the issue at hand."
Imperius remained silent. That was true…to a point. Certainly they had different means and methods of meeting Hell's forces in battle. But on the other hand, Tyrael backed him in almost every decision made by the Angiris Council. There were disagreements, true, but for the most part, he felt he could count on the Archangel of Justice as an ally. And if not, well, Auriel was usually the one to bridge the gap.
"I know what this is about," Imperius said. "There's a wedge between us, and as usual, you have to mend it." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "I understand, my dear, but-…"
Auriel slapped his hand off. "You understand nothing."
Imperius recoiled. "What?"
"You don't understand what you've done! You haven't just disagreed with Tyrael, you disagreed right in front of a Prime Evil!"
"Let him think what he wants."
"Oh, he shall," Auriel said. "He'll think about it all the while he's reforming in the Black Abyss. And as soon as he crawls out of that cesspool and reunites with his brothers, he'll tell them that the Angiris Council isn't as unified as we'd have the Demonic Hordes believe. You'll just give them more of a motive to press their strength further."
"Let them press it all they want," Imperius said, thinking of such a prospect and relishing it. "We'll drive them back. We always do."
"At the cost of how many?"
"Let them fall, they'll only reform," Imperius said. "Angels, demons…we always come back. Being struck down means little in the-…"
Auriel slapped him.
Imperius recoiled from the blow. It didn't have much force behind it, but the emotional impacts…he glanced around. The two were on a ledge, thankfully isolated from the Heavenly Host below, but if anyone saw…
"Unity indeed…" he murmured.
Auriel lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry…I shouldn't have done that."
"No, you shouldn't have. But it's been done, and as long as you bring Tyrael back into order, I won't impose order on you in turn."
Her gaze went back up. "Is that a threat?"
"Threat, warning…trust me Auriel, if I wanted to deal the type of punishment I reserve for Hellspawn, I would have done it by now. But as we're above their depravity, I'd rather get back to Heaven and plan to do such things against those who truly deserve them."
"More blood for blood is it?"
"As always. As always was, and always shall be."
The Archangel of Hope remained silent. Imperius knew why-every angel lived up to their namesake, and he suspected in Auriel's case, her hope included the wish that the Great Conflict would end-sooner rather than later. Only as far as she was concerned, she might settle for peace rather than eradication.
"I should go," Auriel said as she took to the air. "There's been enough blood spilt already."
Imperius chuckled. "Blood for blood…we're angels, Auriel. We don't bleed."
"Exactly. So saying blood for blood when you struck down Diablo wasn't a declaration of revenge. It was bloodlust."
And with that, she flew off. Hope departed Valour, and all Valour could do was stand and fight back the urge to let lose wrath.
Snorting, Imperius turned back to face the battlefield. Corpses of demons, bleeding from the blows of Heaven. A reminder of how much damage he could do.
Let them bleed…the archangel mused, tightening his grip on Solarion. Let them bleed and burn…