Xaphan: Do I seriously have to do this?
EL: Yes.
X:But it's so retarded. I doubt anyone would think a loser like you could own the rights to White Wolf.
EL: Just do it before I put you back in the box.
X: Fine. EndersLegend does not own the rights to White Wolf, World of Darkness, Vampire the Masquerade, Werewolf the Apocalypse, Mage the Ascension, Wraith the Oblivion, Demon the Fallen, or Hunter the Reckoning, peanutbutter and jelly sandwichs, or half of Mickey Mantle.
EL: Enough embelishing.
***********************************************************************************
Xaphan sat in the corner chair of the darkened, hotel room. He watched his wife sleep wishing to stay here with her and forget what he had to do. Ava simply lay there smiling, remembering the night they'd had hopping from Rome, to Paris, to Dublin, and finally New York. Xaphan had tried to cram as much time as possible into the last few months. Not only preparing her for what was to come but, making up for lost time. They had been lovers during the War of Wrath and had found each other again after the Abyss broke open. She had changed but not nearly as much as he had. He'd always cursed himself for that fact. Some part of him still clung onto their love and wanted to be the angel she remembered. Ava's sadness only added to his burden. She wanted him to be the noble angel that fought for humanity instead of the corrupter he'd become. While she'd done her fair share of misdeeds they were childish in comparison to his machinations. Xaphan had done true evil in his time on Earth. He was guilty of all the Seven Deadlies.
Everything he'd done had been necessary though. Thousands of years of war and imprisonment had molded him into the demon he needed to be. No angel could have done the things necessary to save this world. He was able to do things only a monster could do. He did it all gladly for humanity, for all life. This world was rotting and only the corrupt could stand a chance of saving it. The noble defenders, deluded Werewolves and lost Hunters, could only scratch the surface where the wounds festered. Xaphan was deep enough to attack the source of the infection. All he needed were the tools to destroy it. For seven years he'd been gathering those tools. Mages, Skin-changers, Demons, Vampires, Wraiths, and even Hunters had all been moved like pieces on a chessboard. Some were even his friends, though he never felt bad about the deception. They'd never thank him but if they survived the coming darkness it would be do to his lies.
Ava's chest rose and fell under the soft silk covers. Xaphan continued to stare till he felt he could keep that peaceful image in his head, wishing she could stay this happy, but knowing it wouldn't last. He stood and grabbed his pants off the dresser. Sighing he headed to the bathroom to change.
***
Xaphan walked out of the bathroom dressed in his usual suit choice and grab the Mirage jacket off the bed and pulled it on, thankful someone had decided to make a suit without lapels. He messed up his hair and put on a pair of sunglasses that made him look like some rich douche-bag that didn't realize it was night outside.
He grabbed the door handle of the bathroom and walked through, and out of a totally different bathroom in a house in Cranbury, New Jersey. It was a nice house but it looked like a senile old lady had decorated it. Almost nothing matched and it the shelves in the hallway were crammed full of porcelain dolls and little angel statues. Several cats made their way past him only stopping to rub against his leg. Xaphan made his way down the hall to the sitting room. The owner sat in a chair hold a warm cup of tea, but lacking the Dementia responsible for the tacky decorations.
"Waiting for me Lucy?" Xaphan asked more viciously than he'd intended.
"I wish you'd stop calling me that," an annoyed Lucifer said through an eighty-year-old woman's body.
Xaphan flopped onto the flowery sofa cushions and grabbed a waiting cup of tea from the table, trying to regain his casual attitude. He knew Lucifer couldn't read his mind but he could easily read his face. It was too late in the game to screw up now. He took a few sip of the tea and watched his employer closely. Xaphan almost expected Lucifer to die in front of him the way his host body was wheezing.
"Don't you think it's time for an upgrade?"
"Excuse me?" Lucifer asked looking annoyed again.
"Your body. I'm pretty sure she has Emphysema," Xaphan said with a grin.
"Meryl suits my need for secrecy. Few would suspect me hiding in a social security recipient's body. But maybe you're right she is a bit constraining."
Xaphan looked off to the left a bit. "You'll need another body soon. Someone's seen through your rouse and assassins will be here within a few minutes."
Lucifer sighed and leaned back in his chair, setting the cup on a saucer on the magazine table next to him. Xaphan snickered when he thought Lucifer might pull out knitting needles and start making a sweater. He sat his cup down on the table next to the saucer drawing an angry gaze from the Morningstar. Xaphan was glad to see that Lucifer still wasn't above certain limitations. It made him feel less out of his league. Manipulating the Adversary was the most dangerous thing he'd ever done. Lucifer wasn't a chess piece he was the other player that Xaphan was trying to bluff. The old body rose from the seat slowly, achingly. Lucifer walked toward the table holding his large flowery dress. Xaphan smiled as the old crone leaned painfully forward to move the cup onto the saucer. The entire exercise seemed to take the wind out of him. Finally, Lucifer moved to the large bay window in the sitting room and watched the outside world.
"You know it's still night out," Xaphan said, more of a statement than a question.
"Do you?" Lucifer asked staring back at him.
Xaphan took off his sunglasses and folded them onto the table. He stood and walked to the window next to Morningstar. Lucifer's body stood almost two feet shorter than Xaphan. The weight the body carried along with the hunch hide the power of the Adversary well. No one would suspect this harmless-looking old lady almost brought heaven to its knees. It was a good reminder to Xaphan of the fire he played with these days. He was the former Throne of Falling Stars but his enemies could wipe him out if he stepped wrong.
"Is everything ready?" Lucifer inquired almost disinterested.
"As much as it can be. Nazriel has more than quadrupled her efforts to find you. When you reveal yourself she'll fall behind you and the Luciferians will be yours to command. And I've put Belphigor on your trail. He'll find his way to Nevada in about two weeks. That's a generous estimate since he's pretty dumb for a Devil," Xaphan said with a pause, waiting for Lucifer to say something.
When he didn't Xaphan continued. "I contacted all the Senators you asked me to and made sure that they'd throw their weight against anyone investigating the Church of the New Light for cult activities. And the Society of Leopold has been led to the Giovanni's front door. That should keep the Giovanni down a bit and hopefully give me more time to stop their little Endless Night bull shit."
Lucifer sighed and looked down. He smoothed out the wrinkles in the old woman's dress as best he could. Xaphan wondered what he'd find if he could go prying around in Lucifer's head. He forgot about that idea quickly when he realized it made him shiver. This time he waited for Lucifer to break the silence.
Lucifer looked up to Xaphan, with cold eyes. His eyes had always given him away in every body he'd ever had. Xaphan held steady knowing that Lucifer had no way of knowing everything he'd done on the side. He resisted the urge to swallow, knowing it would make him seem nervous. "No fuck ups" he reminded himself. He broke the gaze when he knew he'd give away his guilt by trying to hold the shared glare. Xaphan looked again to the outside. A few cars slowly creeped by keeping their lights off, like it hid their intentions somehow.
"Your friends have arrived. I didn't think a woman your age took gentlemen callers this late at night."
Lucifer stepped away from the window and walked toward the kitchen on shaky knees. He paused at the door way but never looked back to Xaphan.
"Are your other pieces in position?"
Xaphan turned and gave a coy look knowing Lucifer would never see it. "Almost. The Camirilla found the tablet I planted in Rolling Rock and the Sabbat took the bait. The vampires made it to Shangri-La. Lilith has taken notice of Gabriel and Sinclair. She's probably watching them day and night. Little creepy if you ask me. She needs to find something more constructive to do with her time. Adele's off in her own little world but she'll be ready when I come calling. Ava knows everything I can teach her without putting her in too much danger and making her useless. And the whole deal with Metatron attracted the Weaver to Kyle so he's got some nice blossoming powers and just enough of a hero complex to be led along. And with Albrechts death he's in the right position to lead the Perfect Metis to his destiny."
"Good, how much time do you need?" Lucifer asked.
Xaphan looked to the left to check the patterns, "Five minutes."
Lucifer walked into the kitchen out of sight. Xaphan grabbed his sunglasses from the table and headed for the garage. The garage was cold and unwelcoming. A white sheet covered Xaphan's get-away ride. He yanked off the cover letting it billow across the room. The door opened for it's master and he sat into the bucket seats. Xaphan sent out his power over animals through the house and all seven cats made their way into the garage and up into the car.
"Hang on guys," Xaphan said as the engine roared to life. He shifted into gear not bothering to open the Garage door. The door gave way to the Chevy Nova. The car burst through and plowed over one of the would-be thrall assassins. The back end rose over the body and came down with a thump. He hit the breaks and the car drifted left into the street. He sensed a few of the thralls running out the front door trying to give chase but they were too late. The house erupted from a gas explosion fueled by Demonic Lore. Fire and splinters went in all directions. The ground shook and car alarms went off. All twelve assassins were vaporized instantly. The cars parked in the yard flipped into the streets. Only Xaphan's enchanted vehicle remained unscathed.
Xaphan hit the gas and sped down the suburban neighborhood like a bat out of hell. Only one middle-aged man managed to run outside in time to catch a glimpse of the license plate that read HELLBENT. He stood in his yard wearing only a wife-beater and his boxers, screaming to his wife to call the police. Xaphan was long gone.
***
Twenty minutes later Xaphan, on his way to the highway, flipped open his phone and dialed a number. The phone rang three times before the person on the other end answered.
"Hello," an overpowering voice said from the other end.
"He's looking for another body, now's a good time to talk," Xaphan closed the phone immediately after he finished. A seconded later Metatron appeared in a flash of light next to him. Light seemed to radiate off him, along with his pretentious all-white suit. Even for an angel it was a bit much, Xaphan thought.
"What happened?" Metatron asked.
"Some Earthbound decided to throw him a welcome back party. What does it matter?"
Metatron stared for a second, acting offended, "Does he suspect anything."
"The patterns haven't shifted in the slightest since I received that first vision so I doubt it but I can only see up to that certain point so who knows," Xaphan said with less venom in his voice this time. "Besides I'd probably be dead already if he did."
"Or we're all playing into his hand," Metatron reminded him. "He's likely better at this game than either of us."
"You maybe, I doubt you could manipulate a starving man into eating a sandwich without my help. Speaking of which how are things on your end?"
Metatron paused briefly, reflecting. "I've managed to take out most of the Bane Mummies. I've broken their cycles so they shouldn't be coming back. It's no guarantee though since I'm not familiar with that magic. As far as Charon I went as far as I could into the Shadowlands but I kept attracting Spectres and thought it best to retreat before I became overwhelmed. My strength is diminished there so I couldn't continue the fight for more than a few days."
Xaphan considered the news, "The Banes are good and while I'd like Charon's help we don't need it. It's too bad though. If the rumors are true he'd be helpful fighting against Lilith."
"Could Sedriel find him?" Metatron asked.
"She's busy with the Giovanni," Xaphan answered, turning off the overpass onto the highway. He headed back towards New York. The traffic was heavy even now. Xaphan turned on the CD player and Fire by The Crazy World of Arthur Brown came through the speakers. He gave a half-smile and relaxed back into his seat.
"The barriers are weakening like you predicted," Metatron continued. Both the Abyss and the Gauntlet have become more pliable. Soon enough the Veil will be gone and the cat will be out of the bag."
As if on cue one of the cats crawled from the back onto Xaphan's lap. He gave a little scratch behind the cat's ear. The cat gave an appreciative purr and curled into his lap for a nice nap.
"The abyss is weakening because Cappidocious is helping the Lassombra Antediluvian reconstitute himself into a body. This is pulling the cracks in the Abyss walls even wider. Soon enough the stronger demons will get through. In fact today several demons plan to try and summon one of the Lords. Naturally I've been invited to attend but Ava will have to go in my place."
He paused as he passed a semi-truck whose operator seemed to be falling asleep at the wheel. Xaphan spent a little faith to give the man some needed energy. The truck righted itself quickly and the driver looked ready to take on the world. Metatron gave Xaphan a knowing smile but received a snarl in return.
"As far as the Gauntlet, I assume Lilith has something to do with that. She'll need her allies to help her and most of them are trapped on the other side. Hopefully the worst of them will be stuck on the other side for a while."
Metatron looked to the road for a minute. "You mentioned Cappidocious. Isn't he part of your plan?"
Xaphan laughed and said, "Yes he is. Nikki…err…Sedriel is getting close to Augustus's resting place. When She finds it she and several other Slayers will start the ritual to give Cappidocious a body. Unfortunately for Augustus, he'll have to sit out this apocalypse."
Xaphan wove between a few cars before resuming, "I've also got people in place for when the supernatural reveals itself to the rest of the world. The Technocracy wont be able to make any strong moves through the Governments at least for a little while. They'll have to come out in the open for this one."
"Don't underestimate them," Metatron added.
"I wont. He's probably found a body by now so I guess this is the last time we get to talk," Xaphan looked to Metatron. "It was good while it lasted."
Metatron smiled at him, "It was. Good luck my friend. Oh and I took care of that last thing for you. If everything goes according to your plan your little world-savers should be fine."
"Thanks," was Xaphan's only response. He sped up into a gap between the cars on the highway and shut off his lights. He spent some of his faith store to open a portal to the Shadowlands. The car drove through and re-emerged a second later in an alley a few blocks from Xaphan's hotel. He emerged from the alley into late night traffic. A minute later they pulled up in front of his hotel.
Xaphan stepped out of the car holding the cat that had been resting in his lap. He held the cat close and scratched it's back affectionately. Metatron slid into the drivers seat and looked to Xaphan.
"Find homes for the cats, destroy the car, and finish any business that you have. It was good to see you again old friend. Even if it was only to see you die," Xaphan said to Metatron with a saddened nod.
"Don't worry so much. This is what we angels do. If we have to die to save the world so be it."
With that, Metatron closed the driver-side door and drove off. Xaphan watched him go feeling an uncomfortable burden on his heart. The cat in his arms snuggled closer to him in an effort to protect himself from the cold.
"So be it," Xaphan said as the taillights of the Nova disappeared around a corner.
Xaphan walked into the lobby of the hotel and headed toward the elevators. The desk person looked like he was about to say something about the cat but Xaphan ignored him and walked on. The elevator dinged to the floor and Xaphan got in. As the doors closed Xaphan felt the pressure he'd been holding off close around him. He looked to the ground and had anyone been in the elevator they would have seen his broken heart. He cursed and welcomed it all at once. Without it he'd be no better than the things he fought, but it made him unsure. He slumped against the wall and felt a sense of irony as the radio played John Mayer's Gravity. Xaphan enjoyed the few minutes of solitude before pushing the button for his floor.
As the doors parted for his floor, he regained some of his composure. Each step to his door felt heavy, like the whole world now rested on his shoulders. He was sure it did at this point. He slid the key card into the door and walked into the suite. He made his way to the bedroom and set the cat on the ground. The cat wasted no time running to the bed and curling up to Ava. She moved a bit to accommodate the cat but otherwise didn't stir. Xaphan threw his jacket to the chair and began to undress. After putting on some sleep pants Xaphan eased into the bed. He rolled next to Ava and ran his fingers through her long blonde hair. His fingertips brushed against her soft skin. He remembered again why he was still willing to do this after all these years. He had defied God because of love and he wanted to be that noble just one more time, for her. Love would keep him going. It was all he had left. He closed his eyes and let the oblivion of sleep take him.