AN: So I've spent my weekend rewatching Good Omens and falling in love with it all over again. Well today I was listening to the song Destiny by Markus Schulz feat. Delacey and that classic moment in cartoons where the main character gets a brilliant idea and a lightbulb forms above their head happened. I'm going to have so much fun with this story. I just know it. For now, enjoy the prologue!
Prologue: In Heated Succession
Gabriel's nostrils flared almost overdramatically as he gazed at his watch for the third time in the span of twenty minuets. Of course, they were late. He should expect no better from the leader of Hell and his henchmen. Still, it was mildly irritating. He took a sip of coffee from the cup on the table in front of him, trying to be as discrete as possible. He hoped Satan would be wise enough to do the same. Tapping his fingers on the table, Gabriel gazed out the window at the mindless, thoughtless humans that wandered the streets, inwardly rolling his eyes at what a waste of space most of them were. Sure, there was a good few sprinkled in here and there, but Hell was overcrowded for a reason and humans were so easily influenced. Still, that was a thought for another day because there was an impatient figure looming over him, clearing their throat.
"Lovely weather we're having," Gabriel said nonchalantly, lazily moving his gaze to the man, who looked overly angry about everything.
"Bit too cold for me," the man said with a hint of a smirk and Gabriel chuckled, gesturing for him to sit.
"Coffee, Paul?" he asked, gesturing to the cooling cup that had been sitting there for the last half hour. The man, who was so obviously Satan, sneered.
"Enough of the pleasantries, Jerry." Gabriel inwardly cringed at the name. Jerry? Really? Well played your highness.
"Besides, we have… business," he continued with a plain look on his exaggerated human features. The business, of course, being what to do about Aziraphale and Crowley. They'd caught on to their little ploy a touch too late and both parties had been furious that they'd been outsmarted by such lower beings. Both sides were determined to come up with a suitable punishment this time. It was actually Gabriel who'd come up with the current idea and he was actually quite excited to pitch it to the man downstairs. After all, this was only going to work if they worked together.
"Very well. Let's get down to it then." The pair was in the back of the little diner they'd agreed to meet at, but Gabriel still used discretion with speaking. He leaned in closer, folding his hands in front of him, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Surely you agree that we went about punishing these traitors the first time. I'm not questioning anyone's authority here but we both made mistakes. My goal is to fix it." Satan looked rather bored and stirred the probably cold beverage with a spoon that looked too small in his grasp.
"Go on," he said, feigning a yawn. He obviously had very little faith in Gabriel and his plan and viewed this as a massive waste of his precious time.
"So, our immediate go to was physical torture, yeah?" He said, trying to build up to the climax of his big plan. "Come on big guy. That's so last year isn't it?" He chuckled at his own joke but when it was clear that nobody else found it as amusing, he cleared his throat.
"But what about mental torture?" Satan perked up, knitting his eyebrows together. It was obvious that his curiosity was peaked but he kept a silent, domineering demeaner.
"The two obviously care very deeply for each other. We didn't take that into consideration. Memory manipulation is such a beautiful thing, is it not? Just imagine, erasing any trace of the other from each of them and leaving them with that constant aching that somethings missing. Making them believe that they are normal in this world and watching them completely fail at normal things like love and happiness because without each other, they are nothing." Gabriel leaned back in his seat; eyebrows raised as he lifted his hands in a mock shrug. Satan was silent for a moment, a pensive look on his face. He tapped his chin a few times before quickly pointing at Gabriel.
"You may be on to something but consider this. We only manipulate one of their memories, give them memories of a perfect life and then yank it all away from them." Gabriel nodded, clearly consumed in this new plot, then tilted his head to one side.
"Alright, I'm picking up what you're putting down as the cool kids these days would say, but what about the other one?" Satan smirked, mimicking Gabriel's mock shrug.
"That's easy. Just knowing the other doesn't remember him? Torture in its purest form." Gabriel nodded again, liking the idea but posing one final question.
"And if he tries to fight for the other?" Satan's eyes flashed a darker color than the human eyes he was using, a dark, sinister chuckle escaping his lips.
"Let him try."