Disclaimer: I own nothing! Just this crazy idea and the longing for Dominion to be renewed for another season! Well that and a love of angels anyway...
Summary: Let's just say Gabriel brings Michael a present...and like so far in this war...it's not a good thing...or is it? This idea got the most votes when I asked my readers in my other story (The End of The Angels) so here it is! Read and Review Please!
To tyrsway1, chrysolyne, sophiehorn, Fiction111, kahuffstix, Marie-J, Luna082881gmailcom, Rayven Lilith Sky: Thank you for the faves and follows!
To T: Yes, Chapter two is fully part of it, it was a half prologue, half insert, but necessary. Thank you so much!
To Mina: I will say yes, Blake lives til the end, everything else will be up in the air until you read it. Yup, two chapters since Two was a flashback/prologue ish thing. Thank you and enjoy this chapter!
To Sophik: Lol Michael was really out of it, and sadly that doesn't go away for awhile. He was frustrated and just lost it. Alex can handle it though. Mean streak...more like way too many years of experience dealing with obnoxious younger siblings. Yeah, Michael was and still is tired, but can still care for Alex when needed. No, no true voice like that for singing, not since being kicked out of Heaven. Here's your update, sorry for the wait. Thank you!
To Pamela: Here it is! Thank you and enjoy the chapter!
To Guest: Antichrist? I've never heard that one, I'm going off biblical titles of Chaos/War, Pestilence/Conquest, Famine/War (that one is pretty interchangeable, and Death himself. If I may ask, where did your names come from? I've always hear of the Antichrist being a separate entity. Thank you for your review.
To GuestM: Whoa-oh! I love it lol thank you!
To Guest: Michael was too tired to do anything else besides use a pillow, that and otherwise he might have seriously hurt Alex. Exactly, Chaos and Famine are sometimes pretty interchanged with War who seems to be the fill in in anything I've ever found. Conquest, I've only seen once, but I almost always see at least Pestilence and obviously Death. To be honest I've never seen the Antichrist as one of the Horsemen, he's always separate. And yeah, the advantage of AU and fiction writing, open to interpretation. Thank you!
Chapter Four
Proverbs 1:12
Xxx
"Let's swallow them alive, like the grave; let's swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death."
Xxx
12:16pm
Xxx
Again...Alex liked being a V-2...for the strict reason he didn't have to deal with the senate on a regular basis, or even care what was going on in the senate at all.
That apparently didn't matter as he now sat bored out of his mind in the senate session, stuck behind Michael against the wall next to Blake with William Whele on the V-6 soldier's other side. Guess it was 'bring your kid to work day' considering Claire Riesen was sat across the senate chamber next to Senator Levi's daughter Danika. That or...Alex didn't care.
Michael wasn't speaking very much within the meeting, voicing his votes or answering direct questions, but was otherwise silent, eyes moving only to glance at whoever was speaking, or was staring distantly at the floor. He had yet to bring up the three angels locked up at the city's military hub, but was likely waiting until the right place on the agenda judging by how he kept shifting the report pages in his lap.
Blake suddenly moving caught Alex's half asleep attention, the soldier looking over to see William discreetly passing Blake a computer pad with a piece of paper on top, a quickly scribbled note written out on the page.
Alex glanced at it when Blake tapped it slightly to get his attention, his eyes locked on Riesen to not attract anyone else's focus.
J...is the Archangel alright? He looks to be in pain? -W
The note made Alex's brow furrow, turning to watch Michael a bit more closely. William wasn't wrong, but it shouldn't be that obvious, or so Alex thought, he'd barely noticed the faint flashes earlier and Michael hadn't shown anything else once in the jeep.
Now however...the Principate couldn't be anymore spot on. Michael was stiff in his seat, the hand casually braced against the arm of the chair and his chin was the only part of him not tense, everything else was completely still as if any movement, even breathing, hurt. That and the archangel's eyes were tight, jaw clenching hard enough Alex was surprised he wasn't growling.
Michael twitched, or that's the best Alex could call it considering the movement was so subtle, but the fact that he-and judging by William shifting in his seat he did too-saw the archangel actually move meant something wasn't quite right. The archangel shifted again, shoulder tightening before his fist flexed slowly, any casual observer would completely disregard it. Alex saw it for what it was, a muscle spasm that had to have hurt like hell for Michael to actually move.
Heck, Alex had watched Michael get bitten by an eight ball before, the teeth almost shredding his forearm completely before the archangel relinquished the lower angel of its head. The wound had taken only an hour or so to heal, but it had to have hurt. Michael simply let a medic wrap it for convenience because of the blood, but had disregarded the injury otherwise. Either Michael had a ridiculously high pain tolerance or he just ignored it.
Now...Michael twitched again, his hand balling into a fist that remained tight for a full minute before relaxing, the archangel shifting to pull a pen out of a pocket and write something out on a scrap of paper, eyes flashing back to Blake while the other senators were distracted with the meeting.
Joshua grabbed it in a flash, glancing at the note before passing it to Alex.
Get Riesen to call a Recess, show this to Alex-follow me out.
Alex sighed but nodded subtly, letting Josh hand the note to William. The Principate nodded in understanding, shifting enough in his seat his father turned to glance at him. William mimed the sign for a time out, luckily David Whele agreed, jerking his chin slightly before turning to Riesen entirely.
Whatever passed between the Lord of the City and the Head Consul, Alex didn't know. But it must have worked because Riesen called a break once the current item of business has concluded.
Michael was on his feet almost before Alex realized he'd even moved, leaving the senate chamber as the other leaders either stood to stretch or to converse with someone else.
Alex followed a minute behind the archangel, seeing Michael duck into a side room just down the hall.
He wasn't exactly expecting Michael to make him close the door before releasing his wings.
"Umm...Michael? Care to explain?"
His mentor snorted softly, "My wings cramped, I'd forgotten how much that hurt when they're retracted."
"Judging by how bad your hand is shaking it's hurting pretty bad now."
Michael glanced down at his hand, shrugging as he set it on the table in front of him like the other as he leaned on the polished wood, letting his back stretch differently as his wings flexed slowly.
"It is already fading."
"Then why did you call me out here if you're fine?"
That earned an irritated sigh, Michael rubbing at his eyes without turning around, "I did not have you come with me because of my wings."
"Then why?"
"Because I assumed you would prefer a 'heads up' rather than being surprised by what I'm about to do next."
"Which is?" Alex asked, a bit nervous considering Michael sounded rather frustrated.
"Reveal you to the senate."
Ok, that got his attention.
"What? You're kidding."
"No," Michael sighed again, "I am not, especially with my brother within Vega's walls. If this is what I think it is, you must not remain hidden as the Chosen One, not when there is so much at stake."
"Like what?"
Alex fully expected Michael to actually explain himself now that he'd seemed to have resigned himself to what he was about to do, not that the prospect of this wasn't unnerving to the soldier, but as of right now he really didn't have any reason to not trust the archangel in front of him.
What Alex did not expect was for the door behind him to fly open and slam into his back.
Michael spun around at the intruder's call…
And Alex saw nothing but black.
Xxx
House Blake
Basement Level
Crematorium Vault
11:59pm
Xxx
It hurt…hitting the floor after falling only a few short feet, but lying on the cold concrete was much better than a sickening (albeit short) freefall.
Getting up was hard, stiff joints and weak limbs trying to push his weight upright and into a movable position took a lot longer than he'd thought.
Surprisingly the door wasn't locked, at least from the inside as he shoved the heavy bolt aside and stepped out into the regular area.
What in the hell…
First thing first...get the hell out of here and find-
He sneezed, and glanced down at his attire, blood stained shirt, ripped vest, blood on his jeans...no boots though...but everything was covered in a fine layer of dust.
Not dust.
Ashes…
Oh boy…
Xxx
Vega Army Unit Gamma
11:59pm
Six miles from Helena Joint Outpost #4
Eleven hours outside of Vega
Xxx
Cpl. Max Holmes stared out the windshield of the Army truck, gaping at the figure standing in the headlights in front of him.
She was covered in mud, and blood stains that looked like they'd been in her clothes for a long time, but her eyes held a fire that said she was a fighter at least.
Unit leader Sgt. Macy Rivers was already radioing into their captain in Vega, Max was firing up the eye scanner even as he stepped down from the driver's seat.
She was still panting for air from having run out in front of truck, but did listen when he asked her to keep her hands where he could see them, complying readily with the eye scanner before asking the one question he'd never thought he'd hear given the circumstances.
"What?"
"I said, what year is it?"
"2040 ma'am...are you alright?"
She growled softly, trying to rub some of the dirt off her face with equally filthy hands, "Not as alright as I want to be but better than I should be...get me to Vega."
Max nodded, offering her his arm when she started shaking slightly, whether in frustration or shock he couldn't tell, Macy was ready with a blanket to wrap around her as they helped her up into the truck after shoving some gear aside.
"Ma'am...can you tell me what you're doing so far outside of Vega? Or Helena?"
All they got was a slight shake of the woman's head as she stared blankly out the window, lost in thought as her hands balled into fists, "I live...lived...out here…"
"Outside of the cities? Man you're lucky and kinda crazy."
"Macy!"
The sergeant shrugged, gunning the truck back onto the road and towards the safety of the walls.
Max turned in his seat, passing their...rescue? A water bottle. "What's your name ma'am?"
This time she did turn to look at him, shining blue eyes locking onto his with a fire that so few held nowadays in this war.
"Just get me to Vega."
Xxx
October 12th
04:38am
Monte Carlo Hotel & Casino
Senate Chamber
Xxx
Michael rubbed at his eyes in both exhaustion and frustration, wishing the senators around him would stop arguing over marginal details and get down to what really needed to be discussed. The archangel had somewhere else he needed to be…
…
Fifteen hours ago
…
Becca Thorn barging into the side room near the senate chamber was the last thing Michael had been expecting when he'd stepped out to stretch his cramping wings and speak privately with Alex.
The next item on his list of things he wasn't expecting to happen as the blonde soldier to get hit by the door neither of them thought would open.
Well, that and Alex getting literally thrown across the room when Michael spun around.
It took the very clear and very loud sounds of bones breaking for Michael to realize what the hell just happened, that and Alex hit the wall and crumpled to the floor with a sharp gasp as the wind got knocked from of his lungs.
Michael could only stare in shock, wing still tingling from the solid impact of the appendage slamming into the human full force.
What was even worse, Alex wasn't getting up, he wasn't even moving.
Consul Thorn's faint gasp got Michael to move, stepping forward carefully and crouching next to the human. He almost didn't dare to touch the blonde, only doing so to ensure Alex was still breathing.
"No...oh god no...Alex...Alex wake up…"
Michael couldn't focus, could barely breathe as he tried to gently get Alex to at least roll out of the slumped ball he had landed in.
The archangel never wanted to feel the bones move under his hands.
"Alex!"
At that point Michael lost it, he didn't dare shake the soldier to try and stir him from unconsciousness, he was shaking enough himself to do that. Two people grabbed his arms, yanking him out of the way as someone else yelled for medics. Michael almost fought the hands pulling him back, almost, until Joshua Blake shoved him against the wall and growled right in his face.
"Retract your fucking wings! Before someone else gets hurt!"
Josh and Senator Cassian let him off the wall enough to pull his wings in, moving on autopilot at this point as they still kept him back.
They couldn't stop him from seeing though, and he hated what was in front of him.
Alex just wasn't moving, and literally a minute or so after he'd gotten hit, already his face was swelling and body noticeably crumpled from dislocated joints and broken bones. His uniform was torn to pieces, revealing deep scratches that bled over some of the black tattoos.
"Oh god no…"
"Michael! Look at me!"
Tearing his eyes from Senator Julien and Consul Whele trying to assess Alex, Michael finally glanced to Riesen, eyes wide in panic.
"What the hell happened?"
Michael was still having trouble breathing, chest tight as the medics arrived and started prepping Alex for transport.
"I...hit him…"
…
Now
…
Since the soldier was without family and essentially tied solely to Archangel Corps, Michael had ridden with the medics in the ambulance, that and if he hadn't he might have been uncontrollable. Josh Blake had gone as well, riding in the front with the driver as both EMT's were needed to try to stabilize the quickly fading human on the stretcher. Captain Finch and Mason had met with them at the ER, both officers needing to help hold Michael back with Joshua as the nurses rushed Alex into surgery.
Because of the medics and the tears in his uniform, Alex's tattoos had been plainly visible and the senate had panicked. Meaning after waiting in the hospital for nearly eight hours to hear Alex was out of surgery and in recovery, Michael had to rush back to the senate for an emergency session since somewhere in the chaos not only did they find out about Alex's identity, somehow it got onto the public comm. network and was spreading across Vega like wildfire.
Throw in someone let slip Gabriel was in custody…
Michael's day couldn't possibly get any worse.
Oh wait, it could, considering it was entirely his fault Alex was in ICU, luckily in a private room under guard, but still in critical condition. Michael had no idea just how bad the damage was…
"For the last time! There is not damage control, there is not turning this news in rumors or hearsay...it's done, it's over. The chosen one has been revealed and-"
The archangel was struggling to focus on the meeting, finding it increasingly difficult to think of anything other than just what the hell he'd done. For someone begging to gain Alex's trust and aid in a war, Michael had just about screwed himself over...plus his brother was still locked up and the archangel had a dead horseman's ring stashed in the Stratosphere.
This could not be more of a mess…
"Daddy!"
"Lauren!"
Michael needed to stop thinking that. He didn't look up as the senate session was abruptly interrupted by
Marc Blake's daughter, the little girl still dressed from the day before and sounding pretty panicked. For that matter her father sounded livid as he stood from his chair and stalked closer.
"What the hell are you doing here? Why aren't you in bed? Sgt. Dimaro, explain yourself!"
The AAC soldier sighed loudly, "Sir, there's been a...heh...development…"
"And this justifies you allowing my daughter to interrupt a senate meeting in the middle of the night?!"
"No Marc, I justify it considering a couple hours ago I walked out of your vault."
Now Michael looked up, in pure shock as rather filthy and pissed Jeep Hanson walked into the senate chamber, escorted by two more soldiers before they and Dimaro backed off.
Jeep glared at the senator in front of him, "A vault I might remind you is full of things that should not be capable of walking let alone breathing."
Riesen swore softly as he stood up, staring openly as Marc Blake just gaped. "What in god's name…"
"You tell me Riesen," Jeep settled a touch as someone else finally reacted to his sudden appearance, "I literally fell off the shelf and walked out, scared Lauren and Bixby here pretty badly and it took us this long to get guards to agree to come find you."
Michael met Riesen's confused gaze with a blank shrug, turning back and looking the two girls over, both were fine, Lauren was anxious because her dad was still noticeably pissed, but Bixby was downright scared to be in the senate chamber and around so many V-6s. Jeep on the other hand, while still confused, was more focused than Michael could say about himself, glancing around the room with careful caution before settling on Michael.
David was the next one to speak, sounding in desperate need of a strong drink, for that matter Michael wouldn't be opposed to the idea either at this point, "Just what in the hell is going on here? Got archangels locked up in Vega-"
"What?" Jeep demanded, glaring at Michael in utter confusion, he was ignored as David kept going.
"The chosen one's been revealed, and a dead man is living and breathing right in front of me! Will someone please start explaining all this?!"
The archangel wanted to beat his head against the wall, he truly had nothing to say and was running out of energy and patience.
Becca growled, standing up to put more emphasis in her words since she sounded pretty tired when she spoke, "The first question that needs to be answered-"
"Michael!"
Everyone jumped at the sharp yell, someone was pretty pissed off as they neared the senate chamber. Michael only looked up when the person arrived, stalking through the open doors angrily. It took the woman a second to find the archangel, hesitating just a split second at the sight before she growled and moved closer as the archangel stood up in shock.
"Where the hell is my son?"
Jeep moved first, grabbing the woman's arm to stop her, "Wait!"
"No!" The fact that she managed to shove him off spoke volumes, that and Jeep was pretty much in shock at this point too as he stared at the woman covered in dirt and blood. "You lost me listening to you when I found out just what you've been doing for the last decade and a half. So shut up and back off."
The man held his hands up in surrender, stepping back and letting the woman walk right up to Michael. She bodily shoved him when he stepped down from his chair, staring in shock and unable to speak.
"What the hell is wrong with you? I trusted you, you sonuvabitch!"
Michael couldn't answer, he couldn't breathe, feeling light hearted as she punched him in chest and he grabbed her shoulders out of habit, staring at the mud covered face.
Those eyes…
"Where. Is. My. Son?"
Her demand was only punctuated by her blazing eyes, the ice blue burning with a fire Michael both feared…
And loved...having been missing the gaze for so long even though he saw it everyday…
"Charlie…"
Tada!
Review please!
