Morning

Lilith wasn't a lazy person, nor was she the kind to ignore her duties as the queen of her circle. Whenever she or her husband needed to get something done, they'd always do it together, not just because of love but because it was easier to share the responsibility. However, when they started the reform, Lucifer insisted on handling it independently. He wanted at least one of them to be with Charlie as much as possible, and in his own words, he thought Lilith was the best choice between them.

So now, as she sat at her husband's desk, she finally understood the scope of everything he'd been dealing with by himself these past six months.

"This...is...overwhelming..." She said slowly, speaking not only to herself but an Authority who stood at attention in front of her.

"Apologies, mam." They replied, "But ever since lord Lucifer collapsed on television. His workload's managed to backup quite a bit." They explained.

"That was only a day ago!" She exclaimed, finding it hard to believe THIS much could accumulate in such a short period.

"May I break it down for you so you can understand why?" They suggested, receiving a nod in response, "The first pile here is from the press. Most of it comes from Channel 666 News since they're the dominating media monopoly in the circle. Besides asking about lord Lucifer's condition and why he collapsed, they also want to know where the Slayer's gone. A man like him can't vanish without people immediately taking notice." They began as they moved to the second pile of papers, "The next one is comprised of updates from the battlefront on earth. You pretty much only need to read these. But there ARE some papers you'll have to look over because they're suggestions for how we, the Authorities, should alter our patrols in the circle and how many should be added to the current deployment as the situation requires. So you will need to approve or give your general thoughts about each one." They continued, proceeding to the final pile, "And lastly, these documents are focused entirely on lord Lucifer's normal duties. Whether they be about the circle as a whole, the reform, or other governmental matters that his position must be involved with. I'm afraid you'll have to examine those in excruciating detail." They concluded.

"I'm familiar with the third one. I am the queen; keep that in mind." She told them.

"Oh! I'm sorry, mam. I didn't mean to make it sound like you don't know what you're doing." They apologized.

"You're fine. Still, I can't believe this is but a fraction of what my husband's been handling all on his own. Tsk, that stupid man." She said with a sigh, yet a smile accompanied it, "I'll be sure to show him how much I appreciate his willingness to deal with this mess on his own, so I wouldn't have to. After I beat some sense into him, of course." She decided, "Is there anything else I need to know before I get started?" She asked.

"No, mam." They answered.

"Then you can go. Tell your superior or superiors that they'll hear from me before lunch." She instructed.

"Huh? You will?" They questioned, "But, mam. That's enough work to keep you busy through the entire day." They pointed out.

"Again, I AM the queen." She repeated, "And besides, haven't you ever heard the old saying? Behind every great man is a greater woman." She shared before lightly shooing them with her hand, "Now go on. If I want my schedule cleared by noon, I need to get started now." She said.

Responding with a simple nod this time, the Authority left the room as ordered. Over the next few minutes, with a quill pen in hand and a freshly opened jar of ink, Lillith went through the piles with remarkable efficiency and care.

"Hm?" She sounded after half an hour had passed, caused by her cellphone ringing, "Hello?" She spoke into the device after answering.

"Lilith. Don't hang up." Stella's voice responded. Her greeting was based on the assumption that if she didn't tell her that she'd immediately end the call.

"I wouldn't. Even though we don't know each other personally, like at all." She replied, "But this does bring me to the obvious question, why are you calling me, and how did you get my number?" She asked.

"The same answer for both, Helsa," Stella informed.

"Ah right, obviously the Eldritch family would have our numbers." She said, "So, what does Helsa want then?" She inquired.

"Due to recent events that we're both aware of, she wants to hold a banquet tonight here at the estate. But she's not trying to make a big press deal out of it. It's essentially a smokescreen to keep the nobles and Overlords calm, ensure them everything's fine, and so we can finally have a proper sitdown with you and Lucifer to talk about the reform and our movement." Stella explained.

"Not a bad idea." She admitted, willing to give Helsa credit for the cleverness of her plan.

"She'd also like you to help ensure nothing leaks to the press, and the public remains none the wiser. We can ensure total privacy on our end when it comes to the banquet, but you know how persistent people are in Hell." Stella informed.

"Huh, oddly perfect, you chose then to mention that." She responded as she picked up a particular handful of papers.

"Do tell." Stella encouraged, wanting to know the specifics.

"I've taken over Lucifer's job so he can rest. And right now, I'm looking at a five-page formally written request from a certain news anchor. Asking if either of us or hopefully both are willing to partake in an exclusive interview. So maybe I should indulge him by saying if he calls back his bloodhounds sniffing for any kind of story, then we'll have something of a sitdown with him." She explained.

"Five fucking pages? How desperate is he?" Stella questioned, shocked that a person could extend any request to that length.

"It's not so much desperation as it is persistence. Which I appreciate Tom for doing it in one attempt rather than several for weeks." She said, "But staying on topic, what time should we be at the banquet? I assume it's happening tonight?" She asked.

"Everything should be set up by five. We'll have the guests start arriving at six. Won't be until seven or so when things are in full swing." Stella answered, already having it all planned out in her head.

"Sounds good. Can we show up early to avoid getting swarmed when we walk in the door?" She requested.

"I see no problem. Plus, it'll give us a chance to talk about the real issues for an hour." Stella replied.

"Fantastic. We'll see you then." She told her before hanging up the phone.

.

.

.

"Done already, mom?" Octavia asked her mother as she walked up next to her.

"Yes. Despite practically being strangers to each other, we could have a civil conversation." Stella answered, ending the call on her end, "But why did you come to check up on me? Did you and Helsa struggle to strike up a conversation?" She asked.

"Uh...yeah, that's it," Octavia answered while rubbing the back of her head, "She's...interesting, though." She said, trying to be nice.

"Don't worry, dear. The more...eccentric side of Helsa grows on you. It just takes time." Stella assured, also trying to find a polite way to describe Helsa's personality, "But moving on, should we go check on Verosika? See if she's invited every addict and sexaholic in a fifty-mile radius?" She suggested.

"Sure, can I go to the bathroom first, though? The toilets the Maykrs made for us when we stayed with them last night were weird in a way I can't describe." Octavia asked.

"Oh no, I understand completely. They were more similar to the toilets in prison rather than those in an actual bathroom." She answered.

Smiling since her mother understood where she was coming from, Octavia then went off to find a restroom. Taking the stairs to the second floor as that made the most sense to her, she'd eventually be brought to a stop as she heard a sudden loud thud come from one of the rooms she was walking past.

"The fuck?!" She nearly shouted, startled by the random noise.

Looking at the door to her left with a curious yet cautious gaze, she moved a bit closer to it so she could try and hear if anything else was happening. But by the time she took only her second step, it opened, revealing Helsa standing there in the doorway.

"Oh, hey there, Octavia." She greeted with a smirk, "Heard the noise did ya?" She asked.

"Yeah. Sorry." Octavia answered, apologizing for her potential snoop.

"Don't be. If I heard that, I'd be curious too." She assured, "Sadly, it wasn't anything interesting. I was moving shit around, and some of it fell on the floor." She explained before crossing her arms, "So, what brings you to the second floor?" She asked.

"Looking for a bathroom," Octavia answered.

"Keep heading the way you were. It's the door at the end on the wall facing you." She directed.

"Thanks." Octavia replied as she went on her way, "Oh! And mom got everything sorted out. Might want to talk to her about it." She informed.

"Will do!" Helsa called out since they were further apart now.

Watching her until she disappeared into the bathroom, Helsa then went back into her room when she was out of sight, where she'd enter another conversation with someone else.

"Good girl." Valentino praised her when she stepped back inside, laying atop her bed to relax.

"Thank you, daddy." She responded with a smile.

"Tell me, how old is she?" He asked.

"Seventeen. Stella mentioned it to me once." She answered.

"Hm, good enough." He said, "How close is she with the Slayer? Or do they barely know each other?" He inquired.

"She's close. And the same can be said about Gabriel." She informed.

"Oh ho, angel boy. Now THAT'S interesting." He said as a smile crept over his features, "Looks like I've found my date for the party tonight." He decided.

Evening

To say the assortment of people at the banquet was colorful would be a bit of an understatement. Essentially, two groups made up the guest list in its entirety. The first was made of their followers, the Nobles, and the Overlords, and while they each had their distinct style and personality, there was still an air of refinement or respect that each carried. The second was comprised entirely of succubi, incubi, and a few Hellhounds, all of who gave off the energy of a fraternity rager that was on the brink of going off the rails at any moment.

Can you guess which of these two groups were invited by Verosika?

"This has GOT to be the weirdest party I've ever been to," Octavia said to the pop star, both women opting to hang out with each other rather than the moshpit of demons that surrounded them.

"Really? It doesn't even crack my top one hundred." Verosika replied.

"I bet. You probably have a lot of insane stories. What with being a celebrity and everything." She suggested.

"Girl, there are some parties where I only know shit because of the social media pictures. Otherwise, they're a blank hole in my memory." Verosika shared before she moved her focus to a specific clump of demons, "How do you think your mom and the Magnes are holding up?" She asked.

True to the queen's word Lilith and Lucifer showed up at five. Where they got to have one hour of pleasant conversation with Stella and Helsa, alongside talking about the current status of everything, before they then had to put on their practiced routines for social gatherings. And speaking of the devil in particular, despite it only being a day since he collapsed, he looked great, which goes to show what a full day of bed rest and a loving wife can do for a man.

"Mom's a beast when it comes to this stuff. The same can be said for the Magnes. And although I don't know her as well as you do or mom, I'm pretty sure Helsa's the one making the guests sweat and not the other way around." Octavia answered, not worried that they might be getting overwhelmed by everything.

"Definitely. Helsa's one of the most headstrong people I've ever met, only being beaten out by my darling William~" Verosika replied with a blissful sigh.

"Man, that love potion really did screw with you hard, didn't it?" She asked.

"If you mean help me express my true feelings for William, then yes," Verosika answered, causing the teen to roll her eyes.

"Oh, my bad." She said sarcastically, but it flew right over the succubus's head, "So, how long is this supposed to go on for?" She asked.

"I think until ten? It could be longer since my peeps know how to party, and all the nobles are winos." Verosika answered.

"Then I'm going to head out. Since I don't want to talk with any of these people, no offense." She told her, referring to those she invited with that last part.

"None taken. Everyone I know is a piece of shit. Ain't like it's news to me." Verosika replied before pointing to Helsa, "You should tell her and your mom. They'll get one of the staff to drive you." She suggested.

Responding to that with a smile and nod, Octavia walked over to them and the Magnes, who they were still talking to.

"Oh, Octavia." Stella greeted her daughter when she reached them, "Enjoying the party, dear? Or is something wrong?" She asked.

"No. I'm fine. But I did want to talk about that." Octavia answered while looking towards Lucifer, "You look a lot better than you did on TV yesterday." She told him.

"All thanks to my wife." He replied as he put his arms around Lilith's waist, "Despite being the queen of Hell, she's been, my angel." He complimented.

"Gack! Could you two lovestruck teenagers do that when people aren't around?" Helsa jokingly asked, much to their amusement.

"Funny coming from someone who has yet to have a steady relationship~" Lilith playfully teased.

"Damn, nice blow." She complimented.

"She always goes for the throat and leaves no survivors." Lucifer bragged as he loved that side of her, as well as every other side, "But anyway, you said you needed something, Octavia?" He inquired. Feeling bad, they redirected the conversation.

"Thanks." She replied, grateful that she didn't have to remind them, "I was wondering if I could head home? This isn't my kind of scene, even when it's fake." She said.

"Of course you can. Helsa, one of your people, should be able to take her, right? So she doesn't have to walk there." Stella suggested.

"Sure thing, won't be any problem." She assured, "Give me a second to go find someone. It won't take more than a minute or two." She requested before walking away.

"I appreciate it!" Octavia told her as she left.

"You know, I'm surprised you're here at all and not with the others. What with all the insanity and everything." Lucifer admitted.

Unfortunately for the devil, he just stepped on a conversational land mine, as Octavia's expression changed to one of slight unease.

"Fuck. What did I do?" He immediately asked while turning to look at Stella and Lilith, "How badly did I just shove my foot in my mouth?" He added.

"No, you're fine. I just...didn't feel like being near my dad right now is all." She explained.

"How come? You two usually get along perfectly." He said, receiving a questioning expression from her, "Okay, so you're not postcard material yet. But it's better than wanting to stab him or something." He clarified.

"It's actually because of your brother." Stella chimed in.

"What did he do?" He asked, automatically assuming it had to be something terrible.

"He didn't do anything. Stolas is the bastard in this." She answered.

"I find that hard to believe." He replied while crossing his arms, "We may be getting along now, but I know Gabriel. He's got a stick so far up his ass sometimes he may as well be a unicorn." He said.

"Lucifer. I know we're on better terms now. But I will shove my thumbs into your eyes if you're not careful." She warned.

Taking a step back out of fear, he believed she was serious from how calm yet terrifying her tone was.

"Okay. When did this happen?" He asked, referring to her willingness to stand up for his brother.

"Gabriel's become a family friend. He's done a LOT for us." Octavia informed.

"He's never mentioned that to me." He replied, astonished by this news.

"Obviously. Unlike Stolas, he respects my wishes and isn't an inconsiderate dick." Stella said coldly.

Thankfully by that point, Helsa returned, which put a pin on this topic for now.

"Alright. The car's waiting outside." She informed Octavia, only to notice a second later the unique atmosphere of the group, "Did I...miss something?" She asked.

"Mom's terrifying anyone who strikes a nerve. So no." Octavia answered before turning around, "Will I see you at home?" She asked.

"I'm most likely not allowed to get within fifty feet of that place. Otherwise, security will tackle me again." Stella answered.

"Not if I tell them not to. I'm the only member of our family left with dad busy elsewhere, which leaves me in charge." She said, "Plus...it'd be weird even with the staff there to be all alone...I'd...like to have you there." She confessed.

"Aww. That's so sweet. You two are making so much progress already." Lilith commented with a smile while putting a hand over her chest.

Stunned for a moment by that confession, Stella was both honored and overjoyed her daughter wanted her around.

"Hey, I've got a GREAT idea." Helsa spoke up to get their attention, "Why don't you ride with her? The banquet's in full swing now, and later, the Magnes and I can handle it when it comes to addressing the crowd." She suggested.

"Are you sure? It wouldn't be any trouble?" Stella asked, not wanting to abandon her responsibilities.

"Not at all. We can handle it. You go spend some quality time with your daughter." Lilith joined in. However, it was admittedly also to make Lucifer feel like he wasn't walking on eggshells anymore.

"Alright. Then we'll both be heading out." She said, which made her daughter smile.

"Have fun, you two! And don't stay up too late!" Helsa exclaimed as they walked away, a smile present on her features all the while.

The mother-daughter duo made their way out of the manor to the waiting limo outside, being careful not to shove or push anyone in their path as they walked. Once they were inside the vehicle, seated, and their doors were closed, their driver started up the engine and drove out of the estate.

"I still can't believe you wanted me to come with you." Stella confessed, starting a new conversation, "I didn't think we were close to that point in our new relationship yet." She added.

"What can I say? You impressed me." Octavia said.

"How?" She inquired curiously.

"When you stuck up for Gabriel last night, and even today when Angel accused you of having sex with him. I've never seen you stand up for anyone other than yourself, mom. And...I don't know...it made me proud." Octavia explained with a shrug and a smile.

"Really? I did something that made you proud?" She asked, wanting to be sure.

"Mhm. Any doubts that you've grown as a person were pretty much gone after you did that not once but twice. The second time proved the first wasn't a fluke or heat of the moment kind of thing." Octavia answered.

"Wow...I...I've never had anyone be proud of me before but myself..." She muttered in disbelief, staring wide-eyed at the floor, "Is...is this what it feels like when you've accomplished something that has actual significance?" She asked. Having never experienced the emotion she was currently feeling before now.

"Yup," Octavia confirmed with a smile and a chuckle.

"...Have...you ever felt that before?" She inquired, for if she did, it had to have come from her father.

"When I was little, yeah. Dad tried to make me feel as proud of anything I did as possible. But then, as I got older, you two screamed more, and the depression started kicking in. That special praise of his slowly lost its glimmer." Octavia replied.

Letting out a long heavy sigh when she heard that, afterward Stella sank into her seat and leaned her head back.

"It was so much easier when I didn't care about anything..." She groaned, never having felt this terrible in her life, "You have become a wonderful person, Octavia. Despite the two monsters you had for parents..." She said.

"Everyone's capable of changing. The monster I've known all my life is in the past now, where she belongs. While my mom's the one who's sitting next to me right now." Octavia replied, hoping it'd make her feel better.

Sadly, she wouldn't hear her mother's response or see her reaction. Without warning, the limo suddenly stopped, nearly throwing both of them forward and out of their seats.

"HOLY SHIT!" Octavia shouted while quickly stopping her momentum. To avoid landing on the floor face-first.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" Stella angrily questioned, speaking to their driver, "Unless some asshole suddenly came out of nowhere, you've got NO excuse for this!" She scolded.

"Sorry. I just couldn't stand that TV movie bullshit anymore." Their driver explained. From their voice alone, both of them could tell it was a man.

"Excuse you, you bastard!" She exclaimed, her anger quickly rising, "I don't know if you're drunk, high, both, or are simply stupid. But if you don't apologize right now to my daughter and me, I'm going to rip out that disrespectful tongue of yours!" She warned.

"Um...mom." Octavia spoke to get her attention, which thankfully worked, "We're not home yet. And we're not at an intersection or something similar either." She informed.

Feeling her eyes widen on their own from this news, Stella quickly looked out her window, only to discover that the limo was parked in some out-of-the-way alley.

"...Oh. I get it." She said as an explanation came to mind, "You're from Channel 666 News, one of Trench's reporters who managed to sneak into the party. And you think that you can learn something by bringing us out here!" She accused.

However, the first thing they'd hear from the driver wasn't words but the sound of his hands clapping in slow applause.

"I'll give you credit; that's a damn good guess." He complimented with a snicker, "But you're off by a tiny bit. I DO want to learn something. That is why I brought you here. But I'm not from Channel 666." He told them.

"Then...you're some other reporter...right?" Octavia asked, a rapidly growing feeling of nervousness appearing inside her.

What came next neither of them was prepared for, as their driver decided it was time they saw who they were speaking to. Slowly, the window that hid him from sight was lowered, and when their eyes met, the women's unease instantly became fear.

"Afraid not." Valentino answered with a tooth-filled grin, "I work for a much, MUCH higher power." He said.

For one second, their minds didn't believe it. They thought, for whatever reason, this was a demon who HAPPENED to look like Valentino's twin brother. But that moment of denial went as fast at it came, being replaced by both of their instincts that were screaming to escape. Grabbing onto their door handles, they gave them a pull, only to find that at some point, Valentino had locked them from the front.

Watching them try to escape only made his grin grow wider, and soon enough, he opened his door before stepping out. By now, both Stella and Octavia were doing everything they could to break free, including taking off their shoes to try and use them to break their windows. Adding onto their panic was that the limo's windows were tinted, so they had no way of knowing who he was going for first.

"WHY THE FUCK WON'T THEY BREAK?!" Stella shouted as she hammered away at hers with her high heel. Unable to figure out why the glass wasn't even chipping.

"I don't know! But this isn't working!" Octavia shouted back, right before she had a realization, "He left the separator down...I can crawl through and-"

Before she could finish her thought, she was interrupted, the cause being Valentino's hand that broke through her mother's window and grabbed onto her throat.

"MOM!" She cried out as he violently pulled Stella through the window.

"Sorry, hon. You're going to have to wait your turn." Valentino told her, his sadism getting fed by watching her struggle in his grasp, "I've never had the pleasure of fucking a virgin before. Everyone who came to me had their cherry popped by twenty men at least. But don't worry, I know how to break them in~" He promised before slamming her down on the ground as hard as he could.

Having used enough force to where her body and head made a small crater when she hit the concrete, it successfully knocked Stella unconscious. With that handled, he reached back inside and ripped the car door clean off, allowing him to get into the back seat without any problems.

"FUCK OFF! GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Octavia screamed as loud as she could while kicking her legs at him.

"Ah, ah, ah. I'M the one who'll be doing any kicking, punching, biting, etc." He said while wagging his finger, "So, be a good girl and cut that shit out!" He ordered as he grabbed onto one of her legs as tightly as he could.

Big. Fucking. Mistake. For the moment, Octavia felt any pain, which in this instance was caused by him digging his fingers into her flesh, a barrier made of divine energy formed around her. And the tragedy about this happening for him is that the holy shield can only be passed through by her or those she allows. So his arm, which was still grabbing her, got severed at the elbow.

"FUCK!" He screamed out loud before falling backward out of the limo, "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT BULLSHIT?!" He questioned as he held onto his amputated limb with his other hand.

"What...what just..." Octavia began to say to herself in a low volume, only to stop as she remembered what she was wearing, "Wait...he...he said he'd know...if something happened..." She muttered.

"What the FUCK are you going on about?!" Valentino asked as he got to his feet, "What the fuck is this forcefield bullshit?! I swear when I'm-"

SCHLICK

A wet, messy sound went out through the air, the cause of which was also responsible for Valentino's sudden silence. While he was ranting, a portal opened behind him, and from it came a spear that belonged to a child of God. Yet when he who held the weapon emerged from the rift, you wouldn't have guessed that, for although he wore an angelic cloak and was the very definition of an angel, the aura he gave off was entirely sinister.

"Don't. You dare. Say anything else." Gabriel spoke, his voice so cold yet filled with fiery hatred, "You even so much as look at her, and I will make you suffer." He promised.

"Heh...nice...to see you...too...pet..." Valentino greeted, still choosing to taunt him even as he choked on his blood.

Not giving him the honor of a vocal response, Gabriel lifted him in the air while still impaled on the spear before bringing it down onto the street so that way he'd hang on it above the ground. He chose to do this because Valentino wasn't his priority right now, rather the frightened young women inside the limousine.

"Octavia, are you alright?" He asked with great concern, sticking his head into the limo, trying to find any wounds.

"He...he...just grabbed me..." She answered, pushing the other half of his arm off of her leg and onto the floor, "Please...check on mom...she's hurt!" She requested.

Learning that Stella was here caused Gabriel's mind to stop, for he was so focused on the moth demon, he didn't see her. But when he pulled his head back out and looked at the ground nearby, he found her lying on her back unconscious, with a small pool of blood forming beneath her head. Jumping into action immediately, he knelt beside her, pulling her into his arms so that he could heal her wound.

"...Ngh...ugh..." She groaned after a few seconds, his power working fast, "Oc...Octavia...Octavia..." She repeated, fearing what her daughter was currently going through.

"It's alright, Stella. You're safe now." He assured as Octavia exited the vehicle.

"G...Gabriel?..." She questioned, unsure if he was there or if this was a trick her injured mind was playing on her.

"Octavia. Could you look after her?" He requested.

"Of course. Do what you need to." Octavia replied, not needing to be told anything else.

With her injury healed and Octavia's barrier dispelled, the archangel left the two of them by themselves so he could return his attention to their attacker.

"Aww...look at you...spend six months being a meat puppet, and when you come back you-"

THWACK

Delivering a powerful right hook to the demon's face, Gabriel nearly caved in the entire left side of his head with that blow. And yet, Valentino still kept his grin. Even as his teeth and pieces of his ruptured tongue fell out of his mouth and hit the ground, he refused to change his attitude.

"Fucking...nice...punch..." He sputtered out, barely able to speak coherently after taking a strike like that.

"Was this intentional, Valentino? To attack me personally by going after people I am closely associated with?" Gabriel asked, needing to know.

"N...Nah... I just got lucky...that the tight bird pussy I was looking to screw happened to be one you're tapping yourself..." He answered with a laugh, blood shooting out of what was left of his mouth when he did, "Gotta say...didn't think you were into incest...tell me...who'd you fuck first and which one of them ate the other out while you did?..." He asked.

Such depravity, Gabriel thought he'd seen the worst of creation after all the time spent as the archangel of justice. But this mistake of life, this abomination that had not one single shred of decency in its soul, all he wanted to do was give this bastard a taste of what the wrath of God feels like.

"When I bring you before my court, surrounded by those who will condemn your soul, I will take such pleasure in giving your sentence." He told him in a low, almost grow-like voice.

"That's...nice...angel boy..." Valentino replied, "But...won't it be hard...swinging a gavel...when you're in a fucking coma?..." He asked.

Before Gabriel could say or do anything, a new portal suddenly appeared beside him. And from this new rift, which was dark crimson like blood, a powerful blast of hot lead came from within, sending him into the building across the alleyway.

"GABRIEL!" Octavia shouted in horror, unable to see him through the smoke and debris.

"Took...you...long enough..." Valentino said, speaking to the entity responsible for the attack.

Stepping out of the portal was a demon that neither Octavia nor Stella had seen, a humanoid creature that wore armor and held a double-barrel shotgun in one of its hands. Without saying a word even to the person it came to rescue, the demon grabbed Valentino by his shoulder and, in one powerful motion, lifted him off the spear.

"Wait...grab...them..." Valentino instructed as he weakly pointed to Stella and Octavia.

However, the creature didn't even give them a passing glance. It remained silent as it ignored Valentino's order and went back into the portal. It was then that Gabriel would reappear, emerging from his dazed state as he flew towards the rift with his wings spread out.

"VALENTINO!" He screamed in rage, grabbing his spear and pulling it from the ground when he was close enough so that he could then throw it in the hope of striking his savior.

Unfortunately, right as the weapon reached the portal, it closed, causing the spear to embed itself into the building behind it. Seeing this happen filled the archangel with so much anger, to the point it felt like his soul was on fire.

"Gabriel." Octavia spoke up, causing him to look at her, "Mom still needs help." She reminded, for although he did heal Stella's wound, it didn't remove the toll it took on her.

Seeing them both sitting there on the ground, no longer in danger thanks to his actions, Gabriel was quickly brought back to his senses.

"Right. We'll go to the Sentinel homeworld, where the others are." He told them as he came over, "My father will be able to ensure nothing is wrong with her, better than I can. And we also need to inform them of this." He said, receiving a silent nod from Octavia in agreement.

Kneeling so he could lift Stella into his arms, Gabriel simultaneously opened a new portal and had his spear vanish by the time he stood back up. And with that done, all three of them left Lucifer's circle.