Chapter 9: "Smote from existence"

AN: Sorry this is so short. All caught up; mostly. Hope you all like this part, because next we'll be seeing the reason Michael is such a feared and revered Archangel; translation: Pure angel Bad-Ass coming up!


The commandoes were just finishing up pulling files from the base to be hauled out for data-mining when Steven arrived. The Commandoes gape at him for a moment and Steven smiled shyly. The silence was broken when Dugan gave a hearty laugh and surged forward to pull their former Lieutenant in to his arms.

"You're really alive, Kid," he laughed and squeezed Steven tight. Steven stood lax for a moment before his arms slowly came up to loosely hold Dugan of their own accord. When he realized what he was doing he quickly enveloped his arms around his Sergeant.

"Dugan," he sobbed softly into the aging ginger's neck. "I thought I'd never see you again!" Dugan pulled Steven even tighter to his chest and savored the moment with the boy before the others protested.

"Hey, Dugan," Gabe said, "quit hoggin' the kid, and let us have our share!" Steven released the old sergeant with a laugh and was instantly mobbed by the others. Gabe pulled him into a big bear hug that turned into a group hug when the others decided they weren't going to wait.

"I missed you guys," Steven whimpered around a sob, and buried his face into Gabe's shoulder.

"We missed you too, kid," Jim said into his ear, and Steven smiled. "We missed you both."

"Speaking of our esteemed colleague," Falsworth said as they pulled out of the hug, "where is Bucky?" Steven puffed out a breath of air in worry and looked out to the door.

"He's going to meet up with Fëanor before us," he said carefully, "but something happened," he widened his eyes and looked at the ground shaking his head in disbelief. "And you're not gonna believe it!"


Fëanor and his team make it to the records room just as Bucky comes around the corner; the moment they saw him, the breathed a sigh of relief. Arion gasped and let out a sob, emotion overwhelming him and filling him with joy and sorrow. Arion could only stare at the man he had loved so much and still loved despite everything. Bucky had changed so much in appearance, but underneath it all Arion could still see his beloved James. Overcome with joy, tears ran down his face and he rushed to Bucky. He came to stop before him and quickly took in his changed appearance, his eyes roving over Bucky's armored leather jacket pausing for a moment on the shiny metal arm, before he reached up and brushed away the hair partially covering his face. Arion smiled watery at the change as he brought both hands up to cup Bucky's cheeks, before he threw his arms around his beloved and pulled him flush to his body. Arion embraced his beloved and reached out through their bond to find him but when he did he felt someone else besides Bucky. Arion's eyes snapped open and he pulled away in confusion.

"James," he said then shook his head. "No. Not James. Who are you?" Arion took a step back and shifted into a fighting stance. Bucky finally looked at Arion and his eyes began to glow.

"I am Judgment and Mercy," he said and his voice took on the tone of thunder and wind, echoing in the space as if it were a cathedral. There was a gasp from Joshua, and the clang of a Sword being dropped from Maedhros' hands.

"Archangel," Joshua gasped. Arion looked at the being that wore his beloved's face with fear and confusion. Before Arion could speak again the commandoes and Steven came out of the record room. The Commandoes gaped in awe at the sight of their old Sergeant, the same as he was the day they lost him, not having aged a day.

"Holy Shit," Dugan exclaimed, and Bucky looked over at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Language," he chastised slowly and calmly, the glow finally fading.

In the room before Steven explained what happened. To say that they were shocked would be an understatement.


"You're saying that your Ada, our Serge, is being … possessed… by an angel?" Morita asked incredulously. "Don't tell me you buy this, Dugan." Dugan looked back at Steven and saw his honesty.

"I am not lying!" Steven hissed, "You didn't see what it… Michael… did. He tore the room apart as if it was nothing, and the Chair… it looked as if it had been torn to shreds, as if it was made of paper! He was glowing and he showed me his wings! And he is an Archangel, Jim; there's a difference." Steven glared at the old Asian man, and folded his arms over his chest. Gabe grinned and jabbed his elbow at Jacques and mumble something to the Frenchman, which he started to laugh at. Steven threw the pair a dirty look, because he heard them and understood.

"It really is you, isn't it, Steven," Falsworth said with a fond smile. He chuckled and went to place a hand on the older young man's shoulder, "you haven't changed." Steven smiled softly but still glared daggers at Morita. They suddenly heard voices outside and realized that the others had finally made it.

"If you don't believe me, then see for yourselves," Steven said smugly. The group turned and went for the door when they heard a terrible voice like thunder and wind echo into the room. Its power had them all clenching their guns and shaking slightly in fear.

"I am Judgment and Mercy," it said and they all recognized Bucky's voice but the power laced into it was not his. The clanging of a dropped sword had them all coming out of their stupor and making for the door.


"Barnes," Morita asked once he got a good look at the man before him, "is that you?"

The Commandoes took in his appearance with awe. He was covered head to toe in black, his jacket a mockery of the blue one he wore years ago with leather straps going across his chest the back harness and weapon belt accentuated the change in his physique, making his waste look even slimmer and chest more broad. His right arm was covered while the left was bare, showing off in contrast his shiny metal arm. His weapon belt had more weapons than they could name in a breath but contained a pair of combat knives some throwing knives and more guns then any sane man would ware in public. His Kevlar pants had knee pads and pockets that lent to a very combat feel. His boots were combat issued and made of the same reinforcing leather and Kevlar weave. Every inch of his body was crafted to feel aggressive and dangerous, and though his face was uncovered, the draw of his brow was aggressive looking and blank. His hair was longer than it was but there was no mistaking who was under the layers of armor and death. It was mockery of his former self, but it invoked awe and fear; just what HYDRA was going for in their most dangerous weapon.

The being within Bucky raised his eyebrow in a careful expression of askance, and though it wasn't Barnes doing it, the commandoes instantly recognized Bucky's "did you just ask me that, really?" look. That look brought a bark of laughter from Falsworth, and a trilling chuckle from Dernier, and before they knew it the whole team was roaring with laughter; even Steven had cracked a smile. Bucky, or rather Michael, simply smirked and shook his head, but his eyes and whole face softened and he looked more like Bucky than the Soldier.

"No," he said with a smile, "but he is in here; safe." Dugan grinned and pulled Bucky in to a crushing bear hug. Michael grunted at the force behind it. "And I thought cupids could only hug this hard," he groaned through clenched teeth. The group laughed at the Archangel's obvious discomfort, and Dugan set him back down.

"It's good to see that he's alive," Dugan said softly. Falsworth came forward and sat a hand on the ginger's shoulder.

"If only the Captain could be here," he said with a touch of sorrow. "He would have been so happy to know you are alive." The commandoes all got looks of old sorrow and grief tinged smiles, before they physically shook themselves out of it.

"not that this hasn't been a touching reunion," Fëanor finally said, "but I think we need to go before someone realizes that this base has been dark for too long." The others nodded and gathered their weapons.

"He's right," Adrian said, "we need to get going. Brother, shall we?" Nelyo scooped up his fallen sword with a smile and moved to take point.

"Never thought you'd ask," he said with a grin. Fëanor and Joshua shook their heads with rueful smiles, and followed. The group made their way out of the base, encountering comparatively little resistance on their way out than they did coming in.

The Commandoes covered the rear with Fëanor's team in front, while Steven and Bucky (Michael) were in the middle, perfectly protected by the rest of their friends. That wasn't to say that they didn't fight as well. They did, and viciously they fought. Steven showed the Commandoes just how much his skills had changed and evolved, where as Michael fought with a precision and ferocity that none could match. If it wasn't with his guns, it was with his knives. Two long triangle bladed knives whirled in his hands as he moved, flashing silver in the pale light; his face perfectly still as if carved from stone. His expression determined and steeled with wrath, made him a terrible sight to behold.

They leave the base and a trail of bodies behind them, and head for their extraction point and the ship waiting for them to take them to safe harbor. Just as they crest a hill overlooking the base, Michael stopped. The rest of the team took notice and turned to see why.

"Mike," Dugan asked, "why'd you stop?" Michael stood staring at the ground for a moment before he turned and looked at the base. On his face is a look of pure malice, and hatred that none of the Commandoes had ever seen on their sergeant before; save for briefly when Zola's name was ever mentioned in his earshot. "Michael?"

Michael's breathing was forcefully calm, as his face broke into a vicious snarl. It was a look of utter hatred, one he had thought was only reserved for his fallen brothers. Suddenly he brought his right arm up and straight out, palm and spread hand facing the base. At first there was nothing. Then the ground began to shake. It was slight at first, only a low tremble, but it quickly grew into a full tremor as the earth seemed to roll and quake under an unseen force. Cracks started to form in the ground around the base as Michael's expression grew more cold and determined. Suddenly his palm twisted up and he thrust his arm up toward the heavens, as if he was sweeping something away. In the blink of an eye the base is enveloped in a beam of blinding light, so bright that the others had to turn and look away. The sound of breaking stones and twisting metal reach their hearing, over the massive sound of an explosion, before they are knocked down by the force of a shockwave. The sound as it rushed over them was akin to a blast wave. The rush of suddenly displaced air being violently forced away was like a prolonged thunder clap; it roared long and low. It could be felt in the bones. Steven braved a chance to look and saw the light collapsing in on itself, pulling in everything near to it like a collapsing star. And then like a cosmic implosion, the light exploded back out and pushed them all back into the ground; another shockwave pressing them all flat; but not Michael.

Bucky's form stood tall and strong under the onslaught. He never moved an inch his arm still thrust toward the sky and his face as still as stone. Finally the dust and wind began to settle, and the earth became enveloped in a deathly calm. Nothing sounded. Neither a bird nor beast made a sound; even the wind had ceased its howling it became so still. The commandoes finally pulled themselves back onto their feet as Michael lowered his hand to his side. They all moved to stand at his side to see what had happened. They looked over the hill's rise and were instantly overcome with shock.

"My …GOD!" Falsworth gasped, when he saw the sight before him.

"Lord in Heaven," Dugan breathed.

"It can't be," Morita exclaimed.

"It's… just," Gabe tried to put into words, but couldn't. Luckily Jacques did.

"C'est incroyable," he said, "Il n'y a rien!" (It is incredible! There is nothing!)

"It's gone," Steven said.

"As if it never existed," Maedhros breathed in shock. He looked at his father, and saw similar shock and awe on his face. He looked back down on what was once the base. Down below was nothing more than a smoking ruin and smoldering crater where the earth collapsed in on itself when the base was vaporized under Michael's blinding wrath and might.

"And God raised his hand and sent the angels and the Archangels, to destroy his enemies," Joshua said softly as Michael turned and looked at them with glowing eyes. "And Michael raised his might against them, and they were smote from existence." Joshua looked at the wide eyes of the others and then back at the Archangel. "You've done that before, haven't you?" Michael nodded and looked at the destruction he wrought.

"The last time I did that was in Sodom and Gomorrah," he said, "I wiped the cities from the face of the earth so that none could find them in the future." He looked at the group again and smiled softly. He dropped his chin to his chest and seemed to sag under his own weight, and he would have toppled over had Steven not reached out and grabbed him by the arms to hold him up.

A change came over the man in Steven's arms, as if a weight had been lifted and years of hardship were lifted from his face leaving it young and soft again. Bucky's form slowly blinked his eyes open and looked up, and for the first time in years there was recognition in his eyes, when they light on Steven; recognition that Steven knows.

"Stevie?" he said softly, and Steven's face crumpled as tears fell and a brittle smile pulled across his lips, full of joy and love.

"Ada!" Steven sobbed and buried his face in Bucky's chest. He was finally home.


TBC….

AN: yay got it done. I was making up prophetic lines that would sound ominous for describing the power of an archangel. I imagine Joshua read it in some old manuscript and nearly forgot about it. Michael is not someone to be messed with, especially when he is royally pissed! Hope this was enlightening. Before you ask it is implied that Karpov died in the base. I was too lazy to write it. See you all again in the next chapter.

Howard is next and some revelations come to light.