Girlfriend is playing Mass Effect 3.
And we were recently discussing how Angels would probably be Geth. And she just got to Legion.
So.
Background, implied Sabriel if you squint. Otherwise, gen fic, focused on the angels. Lots of headcanon for canon-based AU. Michael and Lucifer break out of the Cage to help fight Leviathans. More headcanon babbles after the fic. Also posted on my tumblr.
It should be a simple task—tearing through demon and Leviathan and anything that dares to get in their way—but there's something heavy weighing down on Michael.
He casts a glance to Lucifer, watches his brother delight in freezing the clouds of demon essence before he shatters them; watches him extinguish them without a second thought. If Lucifer feels any trepidation, he hides it well. So does Dean; but, Michael can't be sure if that's because the Winchester is focusing on the fact that Michael is using Adam as a vessel or because the Archangel refused to let Castiel come along in favour of Lucifer. Sam looks rightfully worried; but, his is definitely more from Lucifer and the fact Gabriel was missing to begin with than the growing pile of bodies that follow them—
His thoughts are interrupted by Lucifer tearing a Leviathan's throat out, just before the thing can chomp down on Sam, and Michael quickly pushes the thoughts away.
It's probably nothing.
Crowley isn't stupid. Roman isn't stupid.
An Archangel is a threat.
An Archangel could level a quarter of the planet without blinking.
All four of them had been trained specifically to take on Leviathans, to protect Father's creations if the virus of creation ever got out again.
They wouldn't hurt Gabriel. Not with Michael and Lucifer both on a crusade against them. (Quite specifically against Roman; but, Lucifer's still out for Crowley's head, as well. Michael has no intention of stopping his brother.)
He's worrying about nothing. (And, he's going to tell himself that the tiny prick in the back of his mind is Adam mumbling about bringing Lucifer; it is not worry.)
They're deep into the prison when they finally pick up Gabriel's energy. It's faint—Lucifer assures him that it's likely because he's mastered the art of blending in among humans; it isn't because he's hurt and Michael wants to believe that more than anything. (He takes a small relief in the hope that lights up in Sam's eyes and lets that keep him focused, even when Adam mumbles 'I hope he's right' in the back of his mind.)
The presence gets steadily stronger, though that isn't saying much. Even when they come to a pair of welded, metal doors, the energy is barely more than it was; it takes little more than a twist of the wrist from each Archangel to rip the doors apart and out of the wall. They both tilt their head.
"Why the Hell would they secure an empty room?"
Sometimes, Michael thinks that Dean talks to keep from getting trigger happy; but, it's definitely the question on everyone's mind.
There's nothing spectacular about the room; a large metal dome in the center, but nothing else. No anti-angel wards on the walls, no banishing sigils. Just the dome and a console.
Lucifer snarls, his Grace burns enough to leave new scars on his vessel (Michael feels horrible for reanimating a dead man so his brother won't take a new vessel; but, he needed him to focus on the task, not on maintaining himself to not burn the population to a crisp) and his wings bristle before spreading out in agitation.
'They wouldn't dare.'
Michael finally tears his eyes from the dome, just long enough to give his brother an appalled look for the thought, and glances back at the Winchesters, "Sam, can you open it?"
"Uh… yeah…." If the sudden drain of colour is any indication, Sam has the same fear.
It takes a considerable effort not to just blow the console to tiny pieces; but, Sam does get it open relatively quick and there's a sickening silence hanging in the air when the dome hisses and opens.
Dean grabs Sam before he can rush forward. Wires and tubes and needles—all of the strange, horrible things that humans have come up with in the more recent centuries, mimicking age old torture devices. Bright gold wings have dulled to caramel and rust. The blood loss is nothing compared to the Grace running out of him. Gabriel gives both of his brothers a pathetic, barely conscious stare.
"Mike… Luce… help."
The rasp is enough to break the shock; as delicate as they should be, neither of them take notice and tear the wires from above Gabriel. They'll figure out how to get the hooks out of Gabriel's wings later—much later—and carefully lower him.
A howl from down the hall attracts Lucifer's attention. His wings spread once more (they glow faint enough that even the Winchesters can see them) and he gives Michael a quick look—a look that's begging to let him rip whatever else is left in the building apart with his bare hands. And, Michael nods, vaguely; as soon as his brother's down the hall, he knows that Lucifer has abandoned his vessel in favour of sinking his own talons into the unfortunate hoards.
He doesn't say anything to the Winchesters (though, he'd imagine that the flash of wings is enough for them to know they should stay back, because Sam hasn't tried to approach yet) and just keeps Gabriel's vessel close to share enough Grace to stabilize his brother.
Gabriel gives him a dazed smile and presses close, "S'good t'see y'Mikey."
"Hush, Gabriel," He keeps his voice down, holds his brother tighter, "Just hush. You need to rest."
"N'aw… you an' Luce fightin' togeth'r. S'worth bein' 'wake for."
Michael shakes his head and he knows a fond smile is trying to take over. But, it ends up feeling guilty more than anything. He should have been able to protect Gabriel. Without Raphael around, Michael and Lucifer are the only two left. Gabriel is strong, in his own right. But, this isn't his fight; it's never been his fight. It made him a target, because Michael and Lucifer assumed he could hold his own.
Because they assumed Crowley and Roman wouldn't be stupid enough to go after him all at once. Because they assumed that the focus would be on them, not on their little brother.
Adam tries to tell him that there's no way he could have known; but, Michael did know. He should have known. Because the quickest way to throw any of them off, is by going after the one person that never wanted a war.
Babble babble babble.
This was supposed to be short. But yes. Because Michael being guilty he couldn't protect his little brother.
Applied headcanons:
*The Cage wasn't made to hold two Archangels. It was barely made to contain just Lucifer.
*Lucifer may not like humans, but he does like the Earth and he doesn't want Leviathans to plague it. Michael is the good son that will do everything in his power to protect his Father's creations. When they realise that Leviathans are running amok and Raphael is dead, they stop trying to kill each other to work on getting out of the Cage.
*Archangels are the only beings in Creation that can stand up to Leviathans. They can't destroy them; but, Leviathan can't destroy them as easily as they can lower ranked Angels, either. They can fight back more effectively; but, Leviathans are still a threat so long as Roman is out of Purgatory. Since no Archangel is willing to break into a grave in the name of securing a holy bone and most of them wouldn't dare strike a deal with the King of Hell, they do require human assistance to make the weapon. (Alternatively, Lucifer was considered the King of Hell for a while; they aren't sure if his blood would qualify as such or if it would only qualify to the Fallen Angel's blood.)
*Roman kept a hold on Gabriel when Cas tried to pour the souls back into Purgatory and when the Leviathans escaped into the water. Upon striking a deal with Crowley, they've been looking for ways to make Archangels less of a threat on the off chance God made new ones or, as happened, Michael and Lucifer got out. (Raphael died after Cas absorbed Purgatory, so his return was never an immediate threat to Roman)
*Crowley agreed to help just to see what made Archangels tick, rather like his experiments on Eve and her Alphas. And now I disappear again.