Warning: Sweaing, trauma, length...
Kiriel and Mordrael swore as Michael backed them in a corner. "We are so fucked," Mordrael growled.
Kiriel narrowed her eyes. "Hold him off a minute; I know someone who can help."
Michael grinned – it was nice to be known, and feared. Mordrael was smarter than Kiriel – there was no one this pathetic Fallen angel could call to her aid… Mordrael took Kiriel at her word, but his attack showed how he felt – as if Michael had already defeated him. After all, Michael's wrath was as legendary in Sheol as admonished in Heaven. Michael blasted Mordrael with holy fire, and the young Devil cried out and fell to the ground, but he had served his purpose.
Kiriel smirked, as shadow coalesced before her and withdrew, and Michael stared in shock at the leering, eight-winged fallen before him. It was Samael. And he was wearing a pair of the wings he'd torn from Michael.
Kiriel and Mordrael vanished and Samael looked at Michael like he was something he wanted to eat. Michael's hands fisted, and he hefted his great sword and foolishly attacked head on, seeing nothing but his beloved, lost wings and a chance to get them back at last.
The illusion dissipated as Michael ran through it, and he panicked, realizing his error, turning too late. Samael had already appeared at his back. The fallen angel pinned Michael's arms down, forcing the sword away, pressing a tainted dagger to Michael's throat. "You bastard!" Michael hissed.
Samael chuckled darkly. It was no wonder humans confused him with Lucifer – Samael made a better evil overlord than Lucifer. Samael was truly cruel, sadistic, where Lucifer was merely determined. "Shut up, you prideful, vain, sodomizing piece of shit cloaked as a holy being…"
That shut Michael up – he was full of guilt and remorse over his existence, and Samael knew it. They had once been allies, and now Samael used everything he'd known about Michael to his advantage. "I'm going to make an honest being of you," Samael remarked, pressing a hand into Michael's chest.
Michael shrieked, instantly forced into shifting to his purest form, little more than condensed, brilliant light and heat, like a miniature star, and Samael did likewise, turning into a vacuous shadow, more akin to a black hole. Still, he reached into Michael's form till he found a small, solid core. He tore it from Michael, and Michael was forced into a human body and collapsed, passed out.
Samael changed back to his fallen form, holding a small, glowing orb that looked like glass or quartz and walked away, chuckling as he juggled Michael's holiness lazily, leaving the now former angel collapsed in an alley. Belial's falcon, who had circled above, cawed and vanished in gold flame.
Belial jolted as the sound of fire cracking suddenly and a caw of his falcon tore the silence. The priest he'd been seducing looked in fear as the creature winged around Belial, cawing frantically. Belial's eyes widened as the falcon related to him the tale of what had gone on in the alley, and he and the bird vanished together, leaving a stunned priest in their wake.
Belial appeared in the alley next to Michael and knelt as the falcon perched on his shoulder. He turned Michael onto his back, shuddering – Michael's fiery eyes had turned a glazed navy blue… "Oh my Micah…"
With hurried care, Belial lifted Michael and took him out of the city, setting him down in a cavern hidden in the precipice that surrounded the city. No humans could access it, so hopefully Michael would be left in peace. Belial gave another worried glance to Michael, and then flew off, leaving the falcon to guard Michael.
The angels guarding Heaven's gate were shocked to see the fallen Seraph ascending, his gold eyes wild with worry. Even the cherubim were no match against Belial – he quickly dealt with them, leaving them bound but unharmed and raced through Heaven to the seventh layer, finally reaching Raphael's hospital.
"Raphael! Raphael, come quickly!" Belial shouted, running across the room to meet the chief healer of Heaven.
Raphael was shocked to see Belial, but quickly dropped what he was doing and joined the fallen. "Belial, what is it?"
"Michael! Samael fought Michael again! I don't know what he did!" Belial choked, grabbing Raphael's hand and guiding the healer in a steep dive from the heavens to earth.
Raphael followed readily. "What condition is he in?" Raphael asked, imagining a gory mess with limbs strewn about… His stomach turned, imagining Michael's crimson hair matted with blood and – stop it!
"He's human… He doesn't look too bad, but… but he's unconscious and – well, see for yourself," Belial said, breaking the fall more sharply than Raphael could and leading him into the cavern – Raphael caught up quickly. The two knelt by Michael, who laid still, his unfocused eyes staring straight up, his body motionless except for the rise and fall of his chest.
The two put their hands on Michael's chest, closing their eyes and searching Michael's body with their power, Raphael healing as he went, and Belial aiding in anything he could, though he was limited. At last, Raphael opened his eyes and sighed, shaking his head. "I don't understand it… But Michael is no longer an angel. He's human."
Belial stared helplessly at Michael. Finally, he spoke. "I'm going to go talk to Samael. Will you keep Michael here, and stay with him? Perhaps I will be able to talk sense into that devil…"
Raphael nodded. "We'll wait here, and I'll keep doing what I can."
"Thank you," Belial replied as he got to his feet and vanished, reappearing in Sheol in Pandemonium's court, where Samael was recounting to Lucifer of what more he'd stolen from Michael.
Belial's face was dark as he grabbed Samael's shoulder. "Samael, you filthy pig. What the fuck did you do to my Micah?" he scowled.
Samael smirked at Belial, shrugging his hand off and tossing the dull orb in the air, catching it deftly. "I stole his soul. It was something to see! You should have –"
Belial's fist said more than anything he could have, and Samael scowled after he recovered from the blow. "Give it back, Samael," Belial growled.
"Never for nothing," Samael returned.
"Lucifer, please," Belial asked, turning to the sovereign of Sheol for help.
Lucifer shook his head. "I'm sorry. He's already made a verbal contract. You'll have to think of something to give for it, Belial."
Belial looked back at Samael. "What do you want for it?"
Samael thought for a moment. "I got the idea from something Raguel did to Abaddon… He took Abaddon's soul, and that's why Abaddon is mad. I've been wanting to try it for a long time, and Michael practically walked into it…."
Belial's predatorial eyes narrowed. "Your point is?"
Samael chuckled at Belial's seriousness. "Maybe if you can retrieve what Raguel took, I will return this to Michael," he said, hefting the orb.
Belial thought for a moment. "Will you guarantee that if I can get from Raguel Abaddon's soul, that you will allow that to be returned to Michael?" he asked. Perhaps he could cut a deal. Surely, if nothing else, the other Seraphim would pressure Raguel to agree.
Samael shrugged. "Sure."
Belial nodded. "I'll see what I can do."
"Good luck. Raguel is difficult, but I have faith in you, Belial," Lucifer offered, and Belial nodded, smiling in thanks as he left to explain to Raphael.
After Belial briefly recounted to Raphael, he stood to leave again. "Let me go with you – they may not trust you, but I can attest to the truth of your words," Raphael offered, rising as Belial prepared to leave.
"That might be well," Belial said, turning to leave when he felt a tug at one of his wings. He turned. Michael had been awake but silent, his eyes still unfocused, as they had talked – it was his hand that held Belial's wing and now stroked the feathers shyly. Belial's heart shattered in his chest. "We can't leave him alone… Please stay again, Raphael. I… I need to do this."
Raphael nodded. He assumed Belial meant for some Sheollian politics, but that was fine. "I'll take care of him again. Don't worry." Belial nodded and left, desperate to help his Micah…
It did not take long to get to the seventh heaven again and call forth the remaining Seraphim for an audience. After Belial recounted the events and deal to the Seraphim, he concluded, "Please believe me when I say I want Michael's soul returned to him as much as I am sure you do. But Samael has been very clear about his terms. Please, Raguel, for Micah's sake, give me Abaddon's soul!"
Raguel appeared uncomfortable for several moments. "Belial… That… might not be possible."
Belial stared at Raguel in shock. "What do you mean?"
Hesitantly, Raguel replied, "I'm not… I'm not sure. I will need some time. I will try."
"Raguel, you have to do better than try! This is for Micah's soul!"
"I KNOW!" Raguel shouted, his usual icy demeanor for once broken. He wanted Micah to be well, but… He wasn't sure he could give up having Abaddon's soul to keep him company – or if he could even separate himself and Abaddon anymore…
"Just… Go. I will see what I can do."
Belial sighed and left, rejoining Raphael disconsolately and telling him of what Raguel had said. Raphael was as baffled as Belial. As they talked, Michael continued to sit (he had been sitting since Belial returned) and stroke their wings, his eyes blurry and unfocused, the faintest of smiles on his face, despite what seemed to be his deep concentration on each feather and detail of the Seraphim's wings.
"I can't take a living human back to Heaven with me, Belial," Raphael interjected suddenly after a brief lull in the conversation.
Belial nodded, "Nor can I take him to Sheol…"
"What do we do with him? We can't just leave him alone one earth, Samael-!" Raphael cut off suddenly and looked away uneasily. Both of them felt nervous. Samael could kill Michael – or Michael could meet with some other horrid fate…
"I have a pet still on earth… I can leave Micah with him for now…" Belial trailed off… Serpiente – or Fallax Veritas as he now called himself – had been his favorite pet, the only one he'd taken from among the humans that he thought he'd truly loved… And he'd been keeping an eye on that pet, though Fallax didn't know it. He wasn't sure if it was wise to reveal himself to Fallax like this after all these years but… Well, surely Fallax had figured out that a Fallen Angel didn't die… And he trusted Fallax to take care of what his master – Belial – held sacred.
"A devil?"
"You have another idea? My pet will take excellent care of Micah, once I ask it, and I'll make sure he does nothing to taint Micah while he's… fragile…" Belial couldn't call him human. 'Human' meant far too many things.
Raphael sighed and shook his head. "No… No, if you're sure this pet will do…"
"I am."
After a moment, Raphael nodded. "Come on, Little one… time to go," he murmured, standing and offering a hand to Michael. Michael made a child noise but did not seem to see the hand. At a signal, Raphael stood aside and let Belial take Michael… Belial may have been a fallen angel, but he loved Michael, and Raphael knew that and trusted Belial. And Raphael had always been particularly innocent and naïve, even by angelic stereotypes.