A/N: Welcome to a new chapter my dear Lucifans! The story of our beloved angel is one of pain and suffering. So get your tissues ready, because what you have read so far, has only been the throw of a tiny stone into the pond. Now you'll get to watch the ripples spreading. I strongly encourage you to listen to the songs for a bit of "atmospheric" background theme when you read this chapter. Enjoy the read!

Recommended Songs for this chapter:
The Unforgiven - Blakwall
One Man's Thunder - Sons Of Pythagoras
Sacrifice - Steve Jablonsky

Quote:
"It has been said, 'time heals all wounds.' I do not agree. The wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone." ― Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy


He tried to find peace at his usual hideouts on Earth, but couldn't draw the joy from his creation like he once had. Taking flight into the cold of space, he retreated to the solitude of Earth's moon. The vast dusty landscape a mirror of his own emptiness and devastation. Here he could watch the planet he had helped shape to its marvellous beauty from afar.

Fingers clinging onto his robe as he slung his arms around his legs, he rested his chin on top of knees, her heated moans still quietly echoing in his ears. He took in a sharp breath, shaking his head as if this could help him get rid of the memory, but all it caused was a tingling sensation in his nose when he caught a hint of jasmine and rose, her scent imprinted on his robe and skin. He debated whether or not to burn his clothes, but he didn't want to have to explain himself to his Mother.

Again and again he tried to rid himself of the images popping into his mind, but the view of Earth remained a constant reminder of the Garden and tore at the fresh wound in his chest. So he took his gaze upward, seeking comfort from the Morningstar instead.

Having felt uniquely connected with the blazing construct of plasma and gases, Samael sulked and poured out his tormented heart to the star. His creation responded to him with a mind of its own, sending subtle tremors into his soul, soothing the deep cuts he had suffered from his latest trip to Earth.

Here, on the gray canvas of the moon and with his star as a silent comfort, he replayed the events of Eden over and over in his mind.

He had trusted Eve, given her not only a part of himself, but offered her everything of his being, his very soul. He had let her into his heart, had felt a connection with her, he had never had with anyone else before, had trusted her with this precious gift. And she had betrayed his trust.

It took him a while to understand why he felt that way. The realization, that she had once made a promise to not lay with another man than Adam. And yet, she had pulled him into the grass with her. Had moaned his name in sweet deliriums, whispered her desires into his ear and filled his heart with love and affection. He had felt loved and accepted, wanted even.

How could he have been so naive, to think what he gave to her was special and that it mattered to her? She had been free to lay with whomever she wished, but since she hadn't told him about her promise to only lay with Adam, the feelings he had offered to her, his heart held out towards her in his hands, felt utterly wrong. And so he thought it all to be wrong, because it left him with nothing but pain.

Until Eden, his greatest pain had come from the neglect and reproach from his Father, but now the torment of Eve's betrayal on his emotions, her decision of not telling him about her promise and her careless use and discard of his body and feelings, made him drown in a swamp of despair and pain that felt completely new to him. New and more cruel than any other pain he had experienced before.

He kept sulking for days until his hurt and sadness turned as cold as the moon's surface he sat upon.


The shining squares and white tiled Grand Plaza of the Silver City were almost empty as everyone was busy with their assigned duties. For days Samael had ignored his Father's calls until eventually he felt physically pulled back into the Silver City by Him. He knew it was a last, firm reminder to come more or less willingly, before God would have completely torn his last shreds of will away from Samael and simply made him appear in the throne room. A force and experience Samael rather prefered to avoid, which was why he decided to comply and go to his Father. But without rushing, so he had decided to go by foot.

"Don't dawdle, Sam! Father awaits you." Michael grunted, his spear pointing towards the grand tower as he escorted Samael along, his set of white wings towering over Samael's semi-folded ones due to their bulkier wingbow.

He hated when Michael called him that. It wasn't just the short form he disliked, but the way Michael spoke it with disdain and condescendence. It wasn't a secret among God's children that the two archangels had disliked each other ever since their creation.

"Don't you have anything better to do, Mikey?" he snorted back, "I don't know, something like… get your fill of 'awes' from the fledglings by showing off your oh-so-supreme combat skills or braiding your ridiculously long hair? I mean, seriously, what are you? A mammoth?"

But Michael dismissed the comment about his long blonde hair with a shake of his head. "Just go on with your jokes, little Sam. You know what? I will actually have the best time as I'll watch what Father will do to you as punishment. This time, you've gone too far, brother."

Biting his tongue, Samael refrained from commenting on Michael's remark on his being created just barely after him, and kept his response down to a deep grumble.

A voice suddenly rang out from a passage to their right. "Stop shoving me around, brother! You'll pay for that!" Slowing down his walk, Samael observed as another of his siblings, Midael, heavily armoured, forcing Gadreel to move forward towards Samael and Michael.

"We will see about that, Gadreel. First, you're going to pay for your transgressions. You have been called from Father and you will obey," Midael grunted, his spear aimed at Gadreel's back. "Move!"

Enduring the humiliation, Gadreel moved forward, joining Michael and Samael shortly after. "Samael! This is not right! Tell them! I didn't do anything!"

Samael frowned. He stayed silent, not able to form words or grasp the devastation that had spread inside him since Eden. How did it all have come to this? What had stood at the beginning?

Ah, yes… Free will.

He wanted to have it, longed to embrace it with a burning inside him that was stronger than anything else. But God didn't grant it to him or his siblings and he realized now, that He had not planned on ever giving it to them either.

He hardly noticed that they had entered the tower, his mind as numb as his body, if it weren't for the constant light pokes from Michael's spear. Arriving on the top floor, Samael could already feel the thundering vibrations of anger from his Father through the door of His throne room. Fear rose inside him, when he suddenly felt himself lose control over his wings. They retreated into his back against his will. A first small show of power from God.

He clenched his jaw as he stepped inside the massive hall, tensed his muscles and forced himself to stand upright, but it was to no avail. When he felt the might of God brutally crush onto him, it first caused Gadreel and then himself to drop to the white floor with heavy grunts. Looking over at Gadreel, he noticed his black-green wings were drawn back as well.

Michael and Midael both stepped back quietly, keeping their distance to the scene that was about to unfold. They stood guard, watching intently, although not sure what to expect.

Even without looking at him, Samael knew his older brother carried a gleeful smirk, anticipating to bathe in the disciplinary measures from God. Panting and swallowing, his palms on the ground, Samael's lips curled back in anger. He despised whenever his Father forced him to bend to His will, especially after everything that he had done for Him and never receiving anything in return.

"You have no idea what you have done!" God's voice roared through the room, forcing its way into Samael's bones.

The impact was so powerful, that Samael was sure, if it had been just a little stronger, his Father's words would have crushed his bones. Gasping, he tilted his head, barely able to catch a glance at his Father's robe. "And what have I done, Father?" he grunted with disdain.

He felt a sudden sting on his cheek that soon turned into a sickening, pounding burn. God's hand had smacked against him with a sickening crack. He knew, the force was calculated once again and just hard enough to not break anything, still, it hurt like nothing else in existence could. And it hurt not only physically, but it also left an emotional scar on his heart and soul, being struck by his Father.

"Hold your tongue, Samael! You've ruined everything! You and Eve, and your childish naivety, your forsaken curiosity! You've tainted her and Adam, as well as all of humanity that is yet to come!" He bellowed, loosening some of His tight powerful hold.

"What…?" Samael asked, "I haven't… I haven't tainted her… I haven't ruined anything! She's the one who betrayed my trust! She hurt me!"

But God insisted. "Oh, but you did ruin everything. You brought sin and evil into this world, Samael! Humanity is flawed forever because of you. It will drown in chaos and pain."

His Father's words shook at his very core. How was that possible? Why was it yet again all his fault? How had he brought sin and evil into the world?

"Your pride again, Samael!" God shouted, a blast of energy emitting towards His son, causing the marble floor to crack in a seam like a lightning bolt. "You disobeyed My orders. You weakened Gadreel, making him disobey. You tainted Eve with the fruit, and made her disobey as well, before you let an even greater atrocity happen: Laying with her!" Mercilessly, God forced Samael to raise his head and look back at Him, before the deity made sure to let every ounce of contempt and anger He had flood into His son's being.

Samael knew it was impossible to withstand, but still tried with all his power not to cry. The salty droplets of absolute emotional havok trickled past the thresholds and searched their way down his cheeks.

"You let her sin taint you! Your light is dimmed to the point of never able to return to its original intensity. The darkness you set free has begun to consume you. You, who once was the brightest of them all! My glorious Lightbringer!" With a hiss God moved from Samael to Gadreel, making him crumble just like the archangel, willing him onto his knees and have him panting from the power that crushed onto him.

"As for you, Gadreel..."

"Father, please let me expla-"

Another smack sounded through the hall as God chastised Gadreel with a slap to his cheek. "Silence!" God's voice roared, causing Samael to flich and Gadreel to whimper from the hit. "You disobeyed My orders as well! You let your brother shake your willpower and question My authority. You have been the one to let him enter in the first place, Gadreel. Even though you felt such gratitude and fulfillment with your task to protect the gates of Eden."

A moment of silence rested in the air and made Samael feel panic arise inside of him, not sure of what more to expect. Would he yet again be scolded and doomed to watch over the youngest siblings, to be grounded or to clean the armoury from top to bottom? Tilting his head, he glanced at his Father standing before Gadreel, the difference of height between God and his children even more intimidating now that they were on their knees.

Somehow, Samael felt this was different. This wasn't just another scolding. This wasn't small. It was grave and significant.

And that scared him.

"For your defiance, you will be sentenced to stay in the Silver City. You no longer will be allowed to guard Eden and you will be forced to take responsibility, having allowed your brother to persuade you to disobey Me." God explained and turned to Samael once again.

Gadreel began to whimper and sob and turned to look over at Samael with a defeated expression of devastation and suffering written all over him. His bright green eyes, usually sparkling with happiness, had turned glassen and pale, achromatic almost.

The tiles in front of Samael cracked further when God strode over and he could see his Father's right hand's fingers lightly twitched at His side.

"Samael, I am taking away your ability to transition between the planes as I speak. You will not be granted to leave the Silver City and I render your wings unusable until I deem you worthy of them again." He paused for a brief moment, His voice sounding heavy from disappointment. "You were amused by the humans incapability to fly and then had the brashness to lay with Eve. It's only righteous to limit you to walk like a human."

Samael's heart thundered in confusion and fear. The thought of having his ability to fly taken from him, ridding him of finding his solace on Earth, was absolutely terrifying as he knew he would be forced to stay where he would receive nothing but disdain. There was no place to hide and nowhere to have peace of his siblings. He gasped and whimpered as he felt a heavy pressure against his wings hidden inside his back. It was clear to him, it was now impossible to bring them forth on his own will, God's power constantly suppressing them.

"Furthermore," God's omnipresent voice suddenly continued with emphasis, "You will be brought to the Grand Plaza, where you will take a thousand lashes from Puriel's whip."

Upon hearing his Father's additional sentencing, Samael's lungs contracted as if all the oxygen seemed to be sucked out of them from a mind numbing kick right into his chest. He gaped, dread running through his every cell. Physical punishment in front of all of his siblings was not something he had ever expected before.

"And lastly, Gadreel will be the one to execute your punishment." God finished their sentencing and motioned for Michael and Midael to step forward and take their siblings along.

"W-what?!" Gadreel stuttered in a whisper, his head snapping up, panic spreading on his features. "N-no! No! You can't make me do that!"

An odd sound escaped Samael's throat and a new wave of hot tears ran down his cheeks, silently dripping onto the broken tiles beneath him. His fear turning into absolute horror. "No…" he heard himself faintly whimper, "No… that's not fair…" He felt as a strong hand gripped at his upper arm, trying to pull him onto his feet.

"Get up, brother! You heard Father's judgement. Come on!" Michael hissed, yanking at Samael's arm.

Nothing made sense. He didn't understand any of what his Father had accused him of. Of course, he had disobeyed his Father, as he had done countless times before, but how was this any different? How was offering a fruit and connecting with a human, which felt absolutely blissful, such a crime? How was it, that this time, instead of scolding him with some nonsensical punishment like doubled duties, God now seemed to unleash unthinkable anger upon him, sentencing him with utmost cruelty and making him suffer with his heart, body and soul? How was it, that although he was being the one who got hurt from Eve and had his trust and heart broken, he was accused of having done something wrong? How was his Father just, when all Samael had wanted, was free will and make decisions on his own without God's almightiness overwriting it all?

It all seemed wrong and so he felt the need to protest. To resist. "N-no…no... NO! It's not FAIR! Get off me! You can't do this!" Samael shouted and cried, his voice breaking apart along with his soul. "Father! FATHER!" he screamed as hot tears broke free and he panted from exhaustion and painful heartache. "You don't love me, do You?" he cried out, his emotions pouring out of him as if he was bleeding. "You hate me! Why do you hate me so much, Father?!"

Sobbing he watched as God strode back to His throne in silence, not making a move to respond. Feeling Michael's hand tightening around his arm, he turned towards his brother, devastated and trembling all over. "Michael, listen to me, please…. Please don't do this… You can't do this-"

"Oh but that's Father's orders. So I can, little Sam. And I will." Michael growled lowly, roughly pulling Samael up, using his spear in his other hand to move beneath Samael's chin. "Move!"

Samael flailed in attempts to break away from Michael's grip, but there was not much to achieve. He was effortlessly hauled up from Michael, as he was still weak from God's might and judgement crushing down on him. Feeling as Michael began to pull him along onto the attached balcony, Samael's head numbly rolled to the side, spotting as Gadreel was facing the same treatment from Midael, being dragged along shortly behind him.

"I told you, I'd have a good time listening to Father's punishment for you." Michael hissed lowly, a sinister grin spreading on his lips. "Now I'm eager to see you break apart in front of our siblings and have you repent for your atrocities!"

Samael continued to cry as he and Gadreel were flown to the Grand Plaza. Every fibre of him hurt. From the pain of Eve's behavior. From God's power making him crumble and His anger and punishment for him. And from Michael's malevolence, because even though they had never shared a liking towards one another, Samael had never thought of him to feel such contempt, that Michael would actually be delighted by him being physically harmed.

"Get me Puriel's whip!" Michael barked into the small crowd of siblings that observed the scene.

Samael's blood ran cold at his brother's cold words. Slowly more and more siblings gathered around them, noticing the significance of what was about to happen in front of them.


"Please… I… I don't want to do this, Michael-" Gadreel begged. Puriel's divine weapon, a whip with nine stripes attached to a short, silver staff, hang at Gadreel's side in a shaking hand.

"Execute your punishment, Gadreel, or things will only get worse for you. And don't you dare to even think about making your hits weak for your brother's sake." Michael sneered lowly back at him through clenched teeth.

Samael's breath quickened when he saw Gadreel turn towards him, and saw his brothers green eyes red rimmed and filled with pain, showing the despair and horror of what he was forced to do. "Gadreel…"

His glance fell onto the whip. Swallowing, Samael's eyes widened, when it finally dawned to him, that there truly was no way out of this punishment. Their siblings were watching with mixed excitement from both fear and anticipation, but no one walked in and demanded for this not to happen. No one interfered, let alone questioned the judgement. Of course not, he thought in sadness. How would they oppose God, when they were all slaves without free will?

Looking back at Gadreel, he took a deep breath to steady himself. There was no point in making his brother suffer even more than he already did. "Gadreel," he uttered again, trying to sound confident, although fresh tears streamed down his face as he nodded at his brother, "It's okay…"

Gadreel thickly swallowed, visibly struggling as he shook his head. "Samael… No… Please… I can't-"

"It's fine, brother. Really… I'm not mad at you. I know you don't want to. I'm so sorry I've put you into this position…" A pained short laugh bubbled up as he wiped away the tears from his face, with both his hands, bound from thick heavenly shackles. They clanked as he dropped his hands, their heaviness wearing them down. With a soft sigh, Samael offered a small but genuine smile. "I love you, Gadreel, no matter what you're forced to do. I forgive you." Giving him a last soft nod, he turned his back at Gadreel, waiting.

With a scoff, Michael stepped in front of him, his blue eyes shimmering with anticipation and satisfaction as he gripped onto Samael's robe collar. He roughly pulled the fabric over his shoulders and down the arms, revealing the flawless muscular torso. Leaning in to Samael's ear, he whispered darkly, "I'll watch it all."

Samael gazed after Michael until he walked out of his view. Then he looked insecurely through the rows of siblings in front of him and he braced himself for the first impact. He had felt pain before, had taken beatings and wounds from heavenly weapons when he had trained with his siblings, but never before had he been defenseless, nor had he been forced to take a hit, let alone a thousand.

"I'm s-so sorry, Samael… I… I'm sorry…" Gadreel whimpered behind him.

The slash echoed over the Plaza and cut through the chattering and murmurs of the gathered angels and a moment later, Samael's scream drew everyone's attention, rendering them momentarily speechless.

The pain was fierce. It stung and lingered like a second torment, after the impact itself. Quickly his back began to show several thick streaks of skin turning red.

When the second hit landed, he grunted and cried out again and was accompanied by Gadreel's whimpers and apologies. The material of the stripes tore mercilessly at his skin and soon Samael felt not only the hit and stinging, but also a burning of his marred back.

His lips parted and Samael's vision blurred when fresh strikes of the whip hit him again and again. The sounds of his siblings chattering and their faces filled with resentment slowly faded away, covered up from his own sobs and the menacing snaps of the whip's tails.

"Samael… brother, please forgive me… May there be salvation for our souls..."

The moment the bands tore into his flesh, Samael's sobs and cries turned into heart shattering screams of agony. His throat already felt sore, but now it began to burn from the sheer violence of his voice. The onslaught of pain made his trembling knees give in, causing him to ungalantly drop to the ground with a deep, guttural groan. He rested himself on his palms, panting, feeling as something wet trickled along his sides. Shivering he tilted his head further down and caught a glimpse of deep crimson splatters on the ground.

Jaw and teeth clenching, he tried to hold himself together, but failed when the stripes slashed down into open wounds, tearing further at his back's skin, causing him to release another harrowing scream.

The snapping sound of the whip became the beat of a monsterous symphony of pain, to which Samael gave its most prominent tunes with agonized screams and cries. Gadreel accompanied it with his never subsiding, desperate pleas for forgiveness and the mass of gathered siblings surrounding them added their chimes with malevolent shouts and laughter.

His divine metabolism tried to keep up with the slashes against his back, trying to heal the wounds caused by the heavenly weapon, but it was a slow process in general, and given the rapid speed of the beating, his body tore open more and more.

Soon the cuts on his back became impossible to count, as they had turned into a gathering of marred, bleeding open flesh of torn skin and muscles. Every strike against him send a new wave of blinding pain through his body, making him fall into uncontrollable cramps and shivers. Each hit drew the strength out of his muscles, eventually making slide to the ground into a pool of agony consisting of blood, sweat and saliva.

And suddenly the hits ended. "I can't do this anymore, Michael… Look at his back… He's bleeding… I can't… I just can't-" Gadreel sobbed in a pained voice, his eyes red rimmed and tormented.

Samael quietly sucked in trembling breaths, as he slowly began to curl up on his side and into a ball, hands moving to rest above his head like the last bit of protection he could give himself, not sure when a next hit would land on him.

With a sharp step Michael towered directly next to Gadreel, sneering, "You're only at a hundred and seven lashes. Go. On."

"At least give him some time to recover!" Gadreel begged, stifling his sobs.

"I will tell you when you can take a break. Don't worry, you won't accidentally end him. I'll make sure of that. Now, go on!"

"I'm sorry, Samael…" Gadreel muttered, inhaling shuddering breaths.

The snap of the whip was hitting him on his flank, damaging so far unscathed skin. Quickly it turned red and swollen from the next slashes and Samael twitched and sobbed in torment, his mind switching on its primal instincts for protection, and curling himself further, as if making himself a smaller target would help him endure more of the onslaught of hits.

The shouting of his observing siblings increased when Michael ordered Gadreel to pause for the first time. He barely registered Gadreel dropping down on his knees next to him, reaching out and combing through his dark tresses with trembling fingers.

"Shush Samael… Shush… You get some time to recover, brother…" Gadreel muttered under tears.

"H-how m-m-many?" Samael stuttered hoarsely, his head shifting slightly to peek through his arms still shielding his face.

Gadreel hesitated before answered reluctantly. "Two hundred."

He let out a weak groan and pulled his head back into the cover of his arms, every fiber of him feeling on fire. But he noticed that he finally felt able to breathe again, without the reflex of tensing up as he would brace himself for a next hit.

The hours passed on and his divine metabolism worked its ways, letting his wounds close up and his blood regenerate, until his skin had fully healed once again and was back to its flawless angelic beauty.

"Continue." Michael ordered harshly, not having left the side of them, but closely observed Samael's healing process.

"I'll try to be quick, brother… so it'll be over faster…" Gadreel whispered sadly and got back up.

The slashing sounds of the whip echoed through the Silver City once again, and just like before, Samael's screams set the main tune to the beat, while his skin was torn open a second time, and new cuts were added with each hit.

He couldn't focus on anything, so he wasn't sure at what point Gadreel had changed his aim, but eventually Samael noticed the vicious stripes tore into his thighs and calves, instead of his back, drawing out new waves of sharp, unbearable pain.

For an undefinable time, he felt drowning in an endless sea of pain, despair and excruciation. Again and again he was allowed to recover, only for the punishment to be continued. And each time felt like an eternity.

At some point he thought to have registered that many of his siblings had left, the crowd that watched his punishment having become significantly smaller.

Gadreel's hits had subsided once again and Michael had taken care of connecting a chain to Samael's handcuffs, to throw it above a pole and have him forced to stand upright, his body fully exposed and without the possibility for Samael to shield himself with his arms and hands.

"Last round, little Sam. Let's see how you take it." Michael spat at him and turned to Gadreel. "Make the hits as painful and hard as you can."

Gadreel followed his orders, albeit with protest, and put more force into his slashes that dug into his brother.

Unable to escape them, the hits landed against Samael's chest and stomach, marring and clawing at his skin and flesh, for the last two hundred lashes of his penalty.

Samael's voice was long broken away, his throat too sore to scream anymore. And then, all of a sudden, he fell silent altogether. A handful more slashes landed against his flanks, drawing more blood that continued to soak into his robe and run down his legs onto the ground. His mind disconnected itself from his body and the physical maltreatment, and something inside him snapped.

He realized there was nothing for him anymore. He hadn't gained free will. Hadn't gained an ounce of respect or affection from his Father, but instead had always been lambasted and scolded, never having done enough to satisfy Him, never having been the perfect son. He'd always been treated as if he was behaving in a wrong way. Like a rebel.

"Then that's what You'll get…" he breathed, his lips curling up into a small smile, his eyes distant and lost in the depths of his thoughts. More hits cut into him, again and again, but his smile only grew, until a gurgling, short laugh pressed out of his chest.

Gadreel stopped mid-swing, panting and staring in confusion. "Brother…?"

But Samael's smile turned even wider with his teeth clenched, turning it into a smirk, standing in contrast to his torment. Another row of heavy, short-breathed laughs rumbled from his throat and his eyes turned dark as they wandered over the remaining siblings surrounding him. "This won't change anything… I will keep fighting for my freedom… for having a choice!"

The expressions of his siblings turned irritated and concerned. They started to murmur amongst them in hushed voices, obviously disturbed from Samael's change of behavior.

"Continue!" Michael shouted at Gadreel. Eyes glaring scornfully, and lips curling back in anger, he stepping closer to Samael to take a closer look at him. "What, Sam? Losing your petty, little mind, are you?"

"Oh don't bother… With your mindcuffs you don't even understand the idea of choice. I bet you're even more ignorant than the humans were… They might just even be superior to you altogether." Samael taunted with a laugh, feeling how easily he could push aside the pain as he focused on his boiling anger.

Growling Michael turned to Gadreel, roughly gripping him at his throat. "FLAIL HARDER!" he bellowed and before roughly shoving him back.

Gadreel followed the archangels order and slammed the whip with even greater force, soon ripping flesh and spraying the surrounding tiles further with his brother's blood.

The lashes sliced into Samael's chest and thighs again and again, but not once did he respond with a scream or whimper. At most he let out a soft grunt through his clenched teeth, barking a dismissive laughter. Looking at Gadreel, he held his pained and confused stare.

"Come on, brother! Show him how hard you can hit. Let them see how they can try as hard as they want! I won't cave in! I won't surrender to Father's punishment! They. Can't. Break. Me!"

Michael's eyes darkened with anger at Samael's strength to withstand the beatings without further cries of agony. "Gadreel! His face." he hissed lowly, Samael's eyes glaring daggers at him with a dark smirk. "Let's see what's left of Father's most beautiful angel, when your penalty is paid."

Gadreel looked between Samael and Michael, shocked. "But Michael, that's-"

"DO IT, you disgraceful little lurdan!" Michael bellowed back at him.

Samael didn't close his eyes, wanting to indulge in Michael's rising anger. It felt almost too easy to upset him and make him explode while his own contempt and blinding wrath inside of him felt strangely soothing to his wounds. The thought of his own freedom was burning inside him like an inextinguishable roaring firestorm, his willpower bracing him, steeling him for whatever impact would come, offering Michael not even a second of weakness.

He didn't flinch, even though the impact of Gadreel's powerful strike spun his head and at the same moment he could already taste blood. His lip tore open, left eye cut through, he spat a clot of blood to the side and turned back, grinning, with his teeth smeared in dark red. "Come on! Again!" he barked in mad laughter, watching as the surrounding siblings stared at him in complete shock and horror. "What? You think this is going to break me? Nobody will ever be able to break me again, so come on! Give me all you've got!"

Gadreel continued with the punishment, although looking even more disturbed from his brother's mad behavior than the gawking brethren. The slashes carved into Samael's left and right cheek, sliced into his throat and ears with sickening wet sounds. Hit after hit landed on him disfiguring his once angelic face into a torn, bleeding lump of muscles and sinews, barely able to still cover the beaten skull that laid underneath. But Samael's gurgling, dark laughter never subsided, even when a slash cut into his trachea.

At last the punishment was over, and Michael removed Samael's handcuffs, letting him carelessly drop on the bloodstained ground. The execution had taken three full days. Three days in which the Grand Plaza had turned into a grotesque display of angelic butchering.

Riddled from his own tormented mind, exhaustion and horror of what he had done to his brother, Gadreel too had dropped onto the ground, sobbing and staring at his shaking hands with a disgusted grimace.

The Plaza had turned empty, as the last remaining siblings, who had watched the punishment, as well as Michael had left them without another word. They laid in silence for hours, breathing, regenerating, and realizing that it was finally over.

Yes, it is over, Samael thought, his teeth still bared in a crazy smirk.

I'll get my freedom. We will all get it…


A/N: *takes a deep breath* Riiiight… Phew… Was this as hard for you to read, as it was hard for me to write? It's a strange feeling when writing, as I somewhat enjoy to have Samael/Lucifer suffering, but at the same time it deeply hurts and I truly feel with him. Hopefully I could transfer the pain and suffering he endured, so that you felt as if were standing next to him. This has been a major moment in Samael's life, for his mental state and for his view on his Father. Let me know what you think! Love you lots!