Chapter 38: Until the End

Noma slowly turned Ethan onto his back, placing his hands at his sides. He looked like he was sleeping peacefully. And so did Alex. Except that Alex looked anything but peaceful. Leaning over him, she felt heartbroken and didn't care much for anything else. Despair was all that she had left. Father was gone, the angels had no Home, and Gabriel had seen to it that Earth was desiccated. The humans didn't trust them and their lives didn't matter anymore.

The one hope that she had was that this man would bring everyone together. And instead, he lay lifeless in her arms. Tears ran down her cheeks as she pulled his limp body into her arms. Her wings unfurled and stretched out, cocooning both of them from the outside world. It gave her a moment of privacy as she leaned down and briefly kissed his forehead, and then softly on his lips. His body wasn't cold yet, still warm and pliable, almost as if he would wake at any moment from a deep sleep.

She whispered to him, "You are loved, Alex. You have always been loved. I love you. Be at peace."

She leaned her forehead against his cheek and took a moment of solace, pressing him close to her. His solid body was heavy and muscular against her and she welcomed the weight of it. She looked down the length of his arm and saw the tattoos. They were still there. Unmoving.

And yet…

…and yet they seemed to shimmer just a little. As if they were coasting along the top of a dark lake. And every time she focused on them they were still, but out of the corner of her eye they looked like they were moving, snaking around his arm.

Pulling away from him, she looked down at Alex's face and then studied his neck. Something was happening. The warmth she was feeling wasn't dissipating, it was increasing. As if his body was becoming a furnace. "Alex?"

A small glimmer of hope shot through her as she noticed the tattoo crawl up the sides of his neck, trickle onto his face and up to his temples, framing his face. They were glimmering and shifting, brighter with each passing moment. And then she noticed his face contorting, as if he were in pain.

A second later, he took a breath. His entire body shuddered with the effort.

"Alex!" Noma grabbed his face, cradling it as she grinned down at him. "Alex, you're ok! Wake up, please!"

His hands automatically grabbed her wrists and held them tightly, yanking them away from his face as he suddenly jerked upright. His eyes opened, blinking rapidly. But there were no irises, only a silvery-white glow blanketed his orbs.

"Alex?" His name died on her lips as she stared at him. He might not be the Alex she once knew. It dawned on her then, that he might be something else entirely.

He gently pushed her back and let go of her hands. And then he looked down at his own hands. They were covered in scrolling symbols as the tattoo took over as much skin as it could. It was doing something, telling him something, coursing over him and through him.

Noma pulled her wings away and shuffled back a bit, her knees ached from the sand. "Alex? Are you… you anymore?" she stammered, her anguish palpable.

Raguel was not far from her, still dealing with coordinating through her comms. She turned to find the glowing man staring at her. Pausing for a moment, she took a step closer to Noma. "Noma, we must leave. Now."

Conflicted, Noma stared at her lover. "What have you become, Alex?"

"Noma!" Raguel's voice was more urgent this time as she unfurled her own wings. "You need to leave now. We all do!" And then she took to the sky, not waiting for her to follow.

Alex watched the redhead leave and then turned his focus on Noma. It took him a moment as he stared through her, but finally he registered who she was. "Noma."

"Are you…"

He slowly moved back and stood up. The glowing tattoos rapidly flowed over his skin in a way that made it look like it was flickering. Like a ticking time bomb. He turned from her and faced the city's North Gate. An open maw to the decaying city.

Gusts of wind picked up speed all around them. A storm was brewing. The clouds were darker than when the eightballs descended and Noma couldn't tell where it was coming from.

"Are you doing this?" she asked loudly, competing with the howl of the wind.

He didn't move at first. His ripped bloodied shirt fluttered around him as he stared at Vega. It was as if he was searching for something.

"Alex?" she yelled.

He looked over his shoulder at her, his eyes beaming. "You should leave, Noma," he said, eyebrows knit with concern. The expression was so familiar to her that it gave her a false hope that he was somehow still in there somewhere.

"Don't go…" she said, stepping forward, reaching out to stop him. Her hand barely grazed his shoulder, but it immediately stung with pain. She yanked her hand back, cradling it as it burned. It was cold to the touch and felt like she had dipped it in ice.

He looked at her with a pained expression. "I'm already gone," he whispered with anguish. A moment passed and then he turned away. With resolve, he started towards the opening.

"No! Alex!" she yelled after him, wanting to stop him, but knowing in her gut that she couldn't touch him. That skin…there was nothing she could physically do to stop him. And perhaps she shouldn't. Something inside of her warned against it. Perhaps he was doing exactly what he needed to be doing.

Eightballs dropped to the ground and followed behind him as he walked through the gate and into the city. None of them would go near him, but they followed closely, like a rabid pack of dogs.

Noma watched as he disappeared, leaving her behind on the outside. She massaged her hand and whispered one last time to herself, "Alex, what have you become…"

Someone landed behind her, yet she didn't move. A red-armored angel stepped closer, standing next to her as she stared after the Chosen One. Noma looked up at her former lover with forlorn eyes. Furiad stood with her. In solidarity. Despite everything.

~~~**D**~~~

Inside the city walls, Michael and Gabriel traded blows. Debris flew everywhere as they flung themselves back and forth into the crumbling buildings. Gabriel had already nicked Michael's arm with his empyrean blade, and Michael had slashed Gabriel's upper leg.

They were both bloody and sword-less as they beat each other with a rage that could be felt by those around them. At the moment, Michael seemed to be winning as he held his brother down into the crumbled concrete, causing gashes to the side of his brother's head. They were so focused on each other that neither of them noticed that the chaos around them had stopped. That the eightballs were no longer zooming by.

Suddenly anything that flew, hung back. Almost as if it were a ceasefire. As if they were waiting…

~~~**D**~~~

Azrael slashed through another eightball as she flew around the nuclear plant. The horde was harder to dispatch than she cared to admit, and it was definitely taking longer than she liked. Turning the corner, she found Raphael slashing through another group of skittering lower angels who had the audacity to try their hand at taking him on.

She flew in and helped him, slamming into one half dressed female and then backhanding another who flew up behind her.

"I thought you had this!" Raphael called out to her in a mocking tone.

Azrael gave him a look, and the distraction cost her as another one came out of the woodwork and actually caught her on jaw. She tumbled backwards through the air and then gave chase as it flew away from her and the plant, crisscrossing over the city and then suddenly careening to a halt.

It hung in the air and stared down at the scene below, suddenly entranced. Their chase was forgotten.

Azrael flew up behind it and shoved her blades into its back, yanking them up and taking off its wings. With barely a shriek, the eightball plummeted to the ground below. Satisfied, Azrael flapped her wings and was about to turn back to the plant when she noticed something strange.

Eightballs hung in the air all around her, flapping their wings and gazing at something. None of them fought, none of them gave chase. Nothing was happening. All of them entranced and focused on one thing.

Azrael gazed down at the destruction.

Something glowed as it edged its way closer to the pair of warring archangels.

~~~**D**~~~

Another piece of a building blew apart and part of it came down as Michael once again flew at Gabriel. This time he had found one of his lost swords. Gabriel had just enough time to block his attack and slam Michael in the face before the nearby water tank spilled its contents everywhere, washing them out onto the street. The two brothers laid in the midst of debris, mud and slosh.

Soaked and exhausted, Michael slowly stood up, still gripping the sword. His anger still fueled him, despite his weariness and his wounds.

Gabriel laughed as he pushed himself up. His sword was a few feet from him. He had lost his grip on it during the washout.

Michael yelled at him. "You have doomed us, brother."

"Have I now?" Gabriel retorted, smacking the puddle near him, splashing the water at his brother for a momentary distraction. And then he made for his sword.

But Michael was faster, kicking him back and holding his blade to his brother's throat.

Gabriel laughed again, surprised that Michael paused, despite everything that had transpired between them. "Go ahead, brother. Why do you hesitate?"

Michael's eyes narrowed. "For the glimmer of hope that you are still the Gabriel I once knew. That you'll see the error of your ways!"

Blood ran out of Gabriel's mouth, dribbling between his teeth and down his chin as he grinned up at him. "It makes no difference now, Michael. The Morning Star will see to it." He swallowed hard. "It was all part of the plan." And then he laughed maniacally.

Realization began to sink in as Michael stared at his brother's beaten face. He said slowly, "You're mad. You're truly mad."

"Am I? It makes perfect sense," Gabriel explained proudly. "It never occurred to me that the Morning Star was right… not until Father left us here. There was never going to be a world for us. The Nether World was never going to suit me." He paused. "Father's construct will not allow for the Morning Star to rule here. Not without help."

"Alex…" Shock permeated Michael's body as he realized the consequences of Gabriel's actions.

Gabriel giggled, more blood dribbling out. "There is no better beacon to light."

Michael pressed the blade harder into his neck, cutting into his skin. Crimson started flowing. "That light was extinguished by you, Gabriel. Alex is gone."

A dark look passed over his brother's face as his smile turned more sinister. "Is he, now? Are you sure?" His attention shifted to just past Michael.

Distracted, Michael glanced back to find something bright moving towards them from across the clearing.

Striding forward into the area, Alex walked with purpose. His eyes blazed brightly, distracting everyone in the vicinity. The eightballs behind him stopped moving when he halted in front of the brothers. His skin flickered rapidly as the tattoos shifted and moved. It was odd and distracting.

Michael's mouth fell open at the sight of him. And his sword was almost forgotten until Gabriel shifted, bringing his attention back to his brother. Glaring, he remembered his anger. "What did you do, Gabriel? Are you mad? Father will never return now!" He shoved the sword further in, fully motivated to finally end him.

But he didn't get far.

"ENOUGH!" Alex threw both hands up, with his palms out. He concentrated and shifted his weight.

A blast of energy hit both of them and they broke apart, each thrown in opposite directions. Gabriel smashed into a remaining pillar of a broken building, crumbling it on impact. And Michael was sent across the clearing as he smashed into a tree and cracked it with the force of his body. Crumpling to the ground, neither brother stirred for a moment.

And then Michael pulled himself upright, still in shock as he stared at the Chosen One.

Alex's glowing eyes watched him as he stumbled closer. One of his glowing palms followed him, hand outstretched and aimed at Michael. The archangel implored, "Alex…"

"This ends now!" Alex's strange hollow voice echoed throughout the settlement as if he had a microphone.

"Don't do this…" Michael said, blood dripping down the side of his face.

Alex blinked at him. A moment of recognition in his eyes as his brows furrowed. After a moment, he hesitantly lowered his hand. "Michael?"

And then something heavy barreled into the archangel, tumbling him into the rubble and puddles of water. Wings slashed Michael's ribs as Gabriel reinstated the onslaught. He slammed the hilt of his sword into his brother's face, stunning him momentarily, and then hoarsely yelled, "The Chosen One is right! We will end this!"

Gabriel tried to hit him once more but Michael flew upwards to put distance between them, only to have Gabriel fly after him, smacking into him again.

Alex watched them for a moment, his face showing the conflict inside. To intervene, or not? To finish it. Or destroy everything.

Michael grabbed his brother and flew straight into the concrete ground, slamming them both into it in order to stun his brother. As quick as he could, Michael rolled away and got back on his feet. He stood over his brother with a scowl as Gabriel grinned up at him, blood streaming down his neck. His sword again laid just a foot away. "You will see. The world will be better for it."

Michael scowled as he raised his sword and went for it. And then everything happened at once: Gabriel shoved Michael's wrist back, knocking him in jaw and then twisted down to swipe his own sword. Meanwhile, Michael slashed downward just as Gabriel shoved his empyrean steel upwards. The blade slammed into Michael's abdomen and shoved up the length of his insides before protruding out of his back. Gabriel buried it until the hilt hit skin. Michael's breath caught as he froze.

And then Gabriel staggered. Michael's own blade had made its home in his clavicle; the blade partially shoved down the length of his chest, peeking out of the other side.

The two brothers were stunned, still gripping their respective weapons. Michael's mouth worked as he tried to take in air. Blood was already welling up into his mouth as he watched Gabriel's shocked face as he tried to recover. He pulled his sword from Michael's body, but Michael wouldn't let go of his, involuntarily gripping it as he sputtered.

Standing firmly with feet planted further apart, Alex stared at them. His tattoos flickered ever faster. Their light got brighter as they pulsed. "You have no idea what you've done." His voice echoed again. It sounded almost remorseful.

More winged creatures moved closer, curiosity drawing them to the Chosen One.

~~~**D**~~~

Azrael hung in the sky, staring down at the scene below. She couldn't tear her eyes away, as if she were transfixed by the Chosen One.

Below her, the city was hazy with smoke and the majority of the humans were gone. The Camp and Oracle Corps had done their job – they had been evacuated and were on their way to safety. It had been Raphael's plan all along. She could see the trucks off in the distance rapidly disappearing, with only a few left outside of the North Gate, where Raguel and Dutch were supposed to wait.

The glow from the Chosen One pulled at her. She felt a strong urge to get closer. But something kept her at bay, kept her hanging in the sky. Something told her that this was not meant for her.

But the eightballs were a different story. They had stopped their assault and were landing in the clearing below, inching closer to the city center, closer to the Chosen One. All eyes were on him as well as the two archangels fighting in front of him.

"Michael…" Concern shot through Azrael as she watched Gabriel shove his sword through him. Immediately, she flew forward, wanting to intervene.

But someone barreled into her, spinning her away from the city's center. Tumbling upwards, Azrael yanked herself away as she righted herself. Ready to attack, she turned to find Raphael hanging in front of her with wide fearful eyes. "AZRAEL! Wake up! We must leave! NOW!"

Blinking, she felt confused. As if a spell had been broken. Glancing down, she noticed Alex's body flickering faster. The glow was getting brighter and brighter, rippling out from Alex and encompassing the whole area. The eightballs were closing in on him, tightening their circle. Alex's hands were out and blue flames burned on the tips of his fingers.

Raphael's hand gripped her arm tightly and he wrenched her away. "NOW!" he growled. Within seconds, they were flying north, leaving everything behind. Her last glimpse of her lover was of him staggering forward onto his knees and slumping over. His brother stood by him with an ashen face and blood dripping down his leg. That look was the Gabriel she once knew, the Gabriel that once remembered what was right and what was wrong.

Too little, too late.

~~~**D**~~~

Michael struggled to remain upright as he squinted at the bright beacon in front of him. Hugging his torso, he glanced at the blood on his hands. He knew that most of it was pooling inside of him as he gurgled and coughed every time he tried to take in air. Looking up at his brother, he watched, as Gabriel remained motionless, transfixed by the Chosen One. He, too, was hunched in pain. And then something shifted in his body language.

Gabriel turned to him with an odd expression. "Perhaps I was a bit rash…" he said in a light tone, giving him a quirked eyebrow. It was absurd and Michael wanted to laugh at him out of the sheer ridiculousness of it all, but the blood gurgled out of his mouth instead, as his body trembled with the mere effort of breathing.

They both squinted into the brightness, as Alex remained rooted to the spot like a burning statue. The eightballs had made a tight perimeter around them and seemed to be waiting for something.

And then Alex's tattoos pulsed three more times, shooting bright beams out into the surrounding circle. His mouth fell open as strange words spilled out, words in the old tongue, Lishepus. It was beautiful and lyrical as his voice resonated throughout the crumbling city.

Immediately, the nearest eightballs clutched at their heads and scratched at their faces as they fell over. Their muscles spasmed and their eyes began to bleed as pressure built up inside their skulls. A low moan echoed from them as one by one their bodies shivered and then stopped, staring glassily up at the sky. Their bodies were once again human shells as each eightball was exorcised into the nether.

The light dimmed for a moment as Alex threw back his head and let loose a scream that thundered through the settlement. Beams of white light poured out of his tattoos and opened mouth, sweeping the area in a perfect circular bubble that grew larger with every passing second. As the brilliance expanded and overtook the area, a resounding rumble rippled through the debris. The bubble got larger, blinding anyone in its midst as it rapidly grew closer to the two wounded archangels.

With pain etched into his face, Michael took one last glimpse up at Gabriel before they disappeared into the radiance. Gabriel was already studying him, his own face covered in remorse as he tilted his head in that familiar way of his. And then a split second later, he slammed into Michael, grasping him around his ripped torso, and propelled them both forward into the debris-strewn air.

And then there was no more.

Everything vanished into the luster as it took over all of Vega.

~~~**D**~~~

Standing on the top of a nearby ridge, Raphael clenched his fist as he stared at what was left. Azrael stood next to him with her wings stretched out, feeling the rush of the air currents as they blew through her feathers. What was below was only heartache. And yet she couldn't tear her eyes away.

It looked like a dome of silver had cocooned the settlement, and was expanding outward past the walls and into the desert. The light pulse twice more, as if it were a signal for something. And then a beacon of blue light shot upwards into the clouds above, momentarily brightening the entire upper atmosphere.

And then the dome retracted into itself, sucking in sand and debris as if it were black hole hoovering up all that lived around Vega. An eerie silence made Azrael's light breaths sound like they were echoing through the valley below. The area was still as the air currents disappeared.

A second later, a thunderous BANG cascaded outwards, rippling through all that once stood, and shaking the earth beneath the archangels' feet. Fragments were flung out of the center of it as city walls were flattened and whole sections were leveled.

Once the rippling force finally reached the two angels, they took to the air as they tumbled backwards from the impact. Once she sorted herself out, Azrael stood once again on the ridge. Her hands clenched into fists as she stared at the rubble and wondered if anyone could survive that. Even an archangel wouldn't survive such damage.

Landing next to her, Raphael took a deep breath. He glanced at her and noticed the tears wet on her cheeks. His own heart clenched as he reached over and took the warrior angel's hand. They stood together in silence. He had no words left and neither did she.