Everyone stood at the base, which was so silent, you could hear a pin drop. Arcee kept her optics glued to the spot where Jack had been standing, the smoldering runes where he had disappeared. She hadn't the foggiest of what happened to her partner, where he was, or who or what that took him. All she knew was panic and fear. What in the universe was going on?
"Arcee."
Arcee was pulled from her mile a minute thoughts and turned around to face the mother of the human she had sworn to protect, the one she had just let some mysterious being take away. When she looked into June's eyes, she saw a fear she had never seen in her before, not even with Airachnid. She looked up at Arcee, pleading for some kind of assurance that her son would be alright, or at least, an answer.
"What is going on?" She asked.
Arcee looked back at the runes, which were no longer glowing, and shut her optics.
"I made a huge mistake, June. I messed up...big time."
No one remembers how their dreams begin. They're just thrown in, right in the middle of it, like the second act of a movie and they don't question how they got there. It was because of that that Jack was wondering, hoping, that this was all a dream. After that whole, whatever that was back at base, Jack remembered being taken away by the other cloaked figure with the crosses. After that, he ended up in the room he was in with no recollection of going there, being taken there, or even waking up there. He was just there.
It looked like a waiting room, a large one. It was the kind you sit in when you're about to be interviewed for some corporate job in the city. That was underselling a bit because the whole decor of the place was ritzier than any upscale hotel in New York, London, France, wherever. There was an Asian looking woman sitting behind a desk, typing away, answering her work phone. Jack had already tried to ask her where he was and why he was there. She merely told him to wait a moment as "she" would be with him shortly. The wall behind him was just glass, but Jack couldn't see out of it. It looked like there was a heavy fog obscuring everything outside the building. But he could make out a few rays of light. It looked like a sunny day. Shame the fog was messing it up.
The whole place felt off to Jack, otherworldly. The people, even more so. The woman behind the desk seemed normal enough, but her lack of attention to Jack in the slightest made her feel a little inhuman. Every so often, someone would enter the room and go through the door behind the desk. All of them were women, gorgeous women. Most of them didn't acknowledge Jack at all, but few of them would give him a little smile and continue on. Each of them floored Jack with their beauty. It was almost unnatural because they were all so...perfect.
But that didn't change the unease of wherever he was, nor did it make him any less worried about his mother and everyone else back home. They were probably worried beyond reason, terrified even. His mother, Jack could only imagine how close she was to a breakdown at that moment. He had been kidnapped before and it was too much for her then. And Arcee, she had gotten so much more protective of him ever since she had learned about Billy Kincaid. This was the worst to thing for any of them to have to go through. He needed to get back home.
Jack decided to try again with the receptionist and when he was about to stand up and talk to her, another women entered the room, this one far beyond any of the beautiful women he had already seen. Maybe Jack was a bit biased since red hair was his weakness, but her ginger locks that went down past her shoulders put every redhead he had ever crushed on, from Sierra to Christina Hendricks, to absolute shame. And just like all the others, her face was unnaturally beautiful, almost...angelic. Her pale skin seemed to glow in the light of the immaculate room they all stood in. And she was tall, an Amazon if he had ever seen one. Any women Jack would fall for from this moment on would forever be in the shadow of the Goddess like being before him.
Jack was hypnotized by this woman, so much that he was staring and he was never one to creepily stare at anyone, male or female. He didn't even noticed that she looked unhappy, seemingly not wanting to be there. But what did break his trance were the earrings she was wearing. They looked like disks of some kind, a bit oversized for the decade they were living in. But the design on them caught Jack's attention because recognized it as the same as Spawn's mask.
The woman then turned her glare towards Jackson, who suddenly felt like a rabbit beneath the eyes of an eagle. He quickly turned away, sweating as if he had just committed a murder in a courthouse. This woman's cold glare was more powerful than his mother's, Arcee's, and Airachnid's combined. It frightened him to his core. He hoped to God that she would disregard him like the others, but when he slowly panned back to her to see, she was still staring dead at him.
Jack turned again, praying for her to leave, but she watched him closely. He could feel her eyes burning into his soul. Suddenly, she moved in front of him, casting her tall shadow over him, blocking the light that was reflecting off of her perfect skin. Jack didn't dare look up.
"Look at me, boy." Her strong voice commanded.
Jack didn't have the courage to disobey and slowly looked up at the scowling ginger Amazon's emerald eyes. He swallowed down on nothing and felt himself shrinking beneath her gaze.
"I'm sorry for staring...I was just...I..uh...I."
Jack was tongue tied and dry in the throat and couldn't manage a single complete sentence. The woman continued to stare him down, apparently unhappy with his mere presence.
"Angela." Jack heard the receptionist call. "Angela."
To Jack's mercy, she turned away and fully faced the woman behind the desk. Now, Jack had a name for her.
"I don't care what she's doing, she's gonna see me and she's gonna see me now." Angela said with no room for discussion.
The woman tried to stop her, but Angela marched right past and went straight in the next room, slamming the door behind her. The woman sighed and sat back down. She seemed used to this kind of behavior.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to make her mad." Jack said.
For the first time, the woman actually acknowledged a little more personally.
"It's not you, kid, trust me."
Angela barged into the office of the one in charge of this place and slammed her hands onto the desk as she sat behind it. The woman, an older woman with short, white hair and glasses looked up at Angela, unamused.
"Barging into my office unannounced and without invitation. Is it Sunday already, Angela?"
"Cut the shit, Gabrielle, and tell me what the hell you think you're doing!"
Gabrielle stood up and placed her finger upon Angela's lips, even less amused than before.
"Number one, you will to talk to me with respect and you will not use profanity in my office. Understood?"
Angela smacked Gabrielle's hand away, but she firmly grabbed Angela's swatting hand with her other. The two stared at each other with such intent on a confrontation, but Angela jerked her hand away and took a seat across the desk.
"Now, tell me what your grievance is this time." Gabrielle said calmly as she too sat back down.
"That boy out there, why is he here?"
Gabrielle sighed, and condescendingly, removed her glassed to clean them, despite not having a spec of dust or a single smudge.
"Angela, when you insist on doing everything on your own and ignoring the agency and protocol, you do not get to come back and demand to know what we do in this building.
"Don't give me that shit, Gabrielle!"
"Careful, Angela! I can have a Redeemer toss you out with the snap of my fingers."
Angela calmed herself and looked on with shock.
"A Redeemer, is that how you got him?"
Gabriella merely put her glasses back on and stared at Angela.
"You went after a Hellspawn." Angela stated.
"You're not the only hunter out there, Angie."
"You went up the ladder and sought help from an Anti-Spawn to help you take one down? And you call yourself hunters?"
"This wasn't a matter of hunting down a Hellspawn. This one was different from the others."
"How so?"
"It doesn't matter. All that matters is that it appeared suddenly and it went after the boy. We knew very little about this Hellspawn and couldn't send one of our own after it, so yes, we sought help from the Anti-Spawn to make short work of it and save that boy's life."
"Couldn't send one our your own? You mean you couldn't move through the absurd bureaucracy fast enough to send a hunter out. And you wonder why I choose work independently?"
Gabrielle scoffed bitterly. They've had this conversation several times before, each more pointless and annoying than the last.
"So, why save the boy? Millions die everyday and he wouldn't be the first to be killed by a Hellspawn. We don't save people here, we're not guardians. We hunt Hellspawn and destroy what we can of Hell's army. What makes that boy so special to send a Redeemer to rescue him?"
Gabrielle began to smile, seemingly pleased with herself.
"Didn't you feel it? Didn't you see it for yourself?"
Angela raised an eyebrow.
"The light...Within that boy's soul shines a light that is capable of burning away the darkness and saving a thousand more souls."
"What are you..."
"You had to have felt it, even just a little, a warmth when you noticed his presence, and peace within his heart that holds no ill intent, no selfish desires."
Angela didn't seem to agree.
"I felt nothing from that boy, except for his eyes looking me over with the same lust that all humans have
"Or perhaps you were just too distracted, wondering what I was planning to do with him to notice. But that boy, he is pure. Very few humans have ever been born with such a soul inside of them and fewer have managed to hold on to it, uncorrupted. His light even gained the attention of Malebolgia."
Angela's eyes widened for a moment at hearing that.
"Which is why he sent a Hellspawn from another world to destroy him before we could get to him." Gabrielle followed.
"Another world?" Angela questioned.
Much to her annoyance, Gabrielle merely exhaled and deciding to tell Angel what she had learned.
"There are Cybertronians living on Earth."
Angela was shocked to discover this.
"They've been here for a few decades now." Gabrielle continued.
"Cybertronians, here?"
"Yes and I'm sure you know their God, Primus."
"I do know. They're one of the few mortal beings that actually have a direct connection to their creator. The Well of the Spark is a Heaven they themselves can find."
"Indeed, while our God chooses to handle things more...mysteriously, Primus often enacts his with a little more presence through the actions of a Prime."
"A Prime?"
"Individuals among the Cybertronians recognized for their pure hearts and noble intentions. Often, only one is chosen to be blessed with the title of Prime at any given period. On Cybertron, they are almost Messiah figures, meant to lead the people into a new era."
"And what does this have to do with the boy and this light you see in him?"
"The current Prime living on Earth, the last of his kind, has recognized the boy as one who is the same as him."
Angela took a moment to figure out what Gabrielle meant by that. But when it came to her, she sat straight at the implication.
"The Prime recognized that boy out there as worthy of the title as himself, even though he is a human. As such, he bestowed upon him an Cybertronian artifact of great value, meant to symbolize his honorary status. For Primus, that is as good as his own word. The boy is essentially the first ever human Prime. Even in his decayed state, Primus has recognizes him as well. Do you understand?"
Angela understood. If the boy was worthy of a title that was only bestowed upon the purest among the alien species, then he himself was pure. Pure not only meant uncorrupted, but with training, the ability to save those that were corrupted...and to slay those too far gone.
"What do you intend to do with him, Gabrielle?" Angela asked, a bit of grimness at the edge of her voice.
"To Malebolgia, the boy is a weapon of Heaven that he cannot allow us to wield. He will stop at nothing to taint his soul and claim him for himself, even stealing the soul of a Cybertronian damned to rot in Unicron's Pit and turning her into a Hellspawn."
"Is that what we intend for him, to be our weapon?"
Gabriella could tell that Angela was not happy to be a a part of this.
"Angela, you do realize that here in Heaven...we are outnumbered."
Gabrielle turned her seat to the wall behind her, where she kept a relic as her time as a Spawn Hunter, a Dimensional Lance. The Dimensional Lance is the prime weapon of any angel against a Hellspawn and is said to be suicidal to to challenge one without it. Like Angela, Gabriella had slayne countless Hellspawn over the centuries with it. Now, it hung behind her to remind those who followed her that she too had fought the good fight and that she still knew how to use it. It was a symbol of pride for her, like the earrings Angela wore, made from the armor of a Hellspawn she had hunted many years ago.
"When Hell declared war on us, they knew they had the upper hand, for all we had were our the souls of the untainted who had never tasted blood and us angels who serve God faithfully. Malebolgia and Satan had countless followers among the demons and even more souls of killers and mass murderers and thieves, all too willing to strike bargains for their pitiful lives. It's because of that we've had to lower our standards for being allowed to enter Heaven. In order for us to stand a chance against Hell, we needed the souls of mortal warriors of our own, even if they had blood on their hands. Hell acquired the soul of Genghis Khan, we acquired the soul of Attilla the Hun. Now, heaven is filled with as many corrupted and hateful souls as Hell."
Gabriella lowered her head at the sheer pointlessness of what was bound to be a Pyrrhic victory.
"When it's all said and done, would Heaven still be Heaven? With Jackson Darby...it may."
Gabrielle turned back around to Angela, locking her hands together in front of her face as she rested her elbows on her desk.
"If his light is as bright as we believe, he may be able to purify many of those souls. Warriors with the same virtues and dedication as us, loyal to us who will fight for the Heavens and not for their own desires."
"And what of those he cannot purify?"
"If he is unable to save them, he will be the one to purge them. With the right training, he could be as powerful as any Dimensional Lance. Even the Hellspawns would be unsafe from him."
Gabrielle seemed pleased with the possibilities, but Angela was not.
"And if he refuses?"
Gabrielle didn't seemed pleased anymore.
"He won't. If he is truly a human Prime, he will answer the call."
"And what is he doesn't?"
"Then he is not worthy and we'll know he has thrown in with them."
That answer did not sit well with Angela in the slightest.
"With us or against us." She bitterly said.
Gabriella did not reply.
"This is not right...This is not right and you know it."
"This is war, Angela. Ideals are the first casualty, we learned that long before humans even existed to coin the phrase."
"We are forcing a mortal being to fight our battles, not just a soul, but a living human. We are demanding that he fight for us, not as a soldier, but as a weapon. This is no different Malebolgia's tactics."
"Which is why he is winning. More humans stray from God's light everyday. More people succumb to temptation and descend into sin. His army grows every second. We need Jackson Darby. We need him to light the path for us."
Angela couldn't believe what she was hearing, that the agency had succumbed to such desperation. Her apathy towards humans aside, she had no desire to enslave the same way Hell does.
"Gabby...He's a child."
" A hundred years ago, he would've been old enough to fight a war."
"A hundred years ago, humans were even more savage than they are now. Are we not better than them? Are we not above the atrocities they commit?"
Gabrielle rose from her seat, heated from the debate.
"This is not a war for land, or wealth, or warped ideas of faith and religion. This is a war for their very existence as well as our own. This is about survival and everything is fair game. One child to end it all and save the Heavens...I needn't say more."
Gabriella sat back down and looked Angela dead in the eye, who returned it in kind.
"He is our best chance to defeat our oldest enemy. He will fight for us, whether he wants to or not. And you will not interfere. This is bigger than any Hellspawn and this time, insubordination will not be tolerated."
Gabriella calmed herself, but she was also done debating for the day.
"Leave." She said.
Angela turned around and stomped out, slamming the door behind her. She left the waiting room without saying a word, casting a slight glance at Jackson Darby, who still had no idea where he was or what he was about to be forced into. She pitied the boy, she truly did. One thing the Gods have always stood by was the value of free will. When did the one they served forget that?
Angela left through the elevator and Jack was a little more than frightened by how angry she seemed.
"Jackson Darby."
Jack looked to the woman behind the desk.
"Gabrielle will see you now."
June Darby sat at the bottom of the stairway that led to the human area of the base, shocked into silence. Arcee had told her about Jack going back into the alleys in Rat City, those alleys. She told June what Jack had told her, about Spawn, about Chapel, and everything Jack was going through since then. Then she told her and everyone else what happened when she went back there, when she ran into Airachnid...and Airachnid met Spawn.
Disbelief was to be expected, at least, that's what Arcee thought. But how could they disbelieve, after everything they had just witnessed? What Arcee told them put it into perspective and made it make sense. Airachnid had come back from the dead somehow, as Arcee believed the same as this "Spawn" guy.
But the truth was of no comfort to June, as none of it held any answers as to what happened to her son, where he had been taken, or how they were going to get him back. The only thing the truth accomplish was drive her fears deeper since this was all connected to that horrible night, six years ago.
"How could you let him go?" June asked in a nervously calm voice, not even looking at Arcee. "How could you let him go back?"
Arcee had an answer, but she her posture expressed how she felt, ashamed.
"I didn't know, June. Jack went behind my back. I would've never..."
"You're supposed to protect him...I had just told you everything about six years ago...about those alleys. How could you let him slip by you and go back there?"
Ratchet stepped in, reluctantly. He was far more to blame for this than Arcee was, for sure.
"June, it's not Arcee's fault. She was out on patrol, she was just doing her job."
Ratchet paused to prepare because he knew June would be all over him once he told her what happened.
"Jack came to me and asked me to send him there."
June suddenly lifted her head with a gasp. She looked at Ratchet in disbelief and horror.
"You sent him there? You sent my son back into that hellhole?"
Ratchet was not prepared for the way June's eyes burned into him, almost with betrayal.
"I-I...He said he was going to pay his respects. I told him fifteen minutes and no more."
June continued to stare at Ratchet, desperately wishing that what she was hearing wasn't true.
"Perhaps I...lost track of time..."
"How could you, Ratchet?"
June's eyes were tearing now. Of all the Autobots who understood her overprotective tendencies, Ratchet got her most of all. He was a doctor and much older than the others. He was caretaker and a healer who was as protective towards to other Autobots as June was to the children. The two were more alike than they wanted to admit.
"June, I'm sorry."
Optimus stepped forward, unable to stand the sight of June crying or Ratchet faltering.
"Ms. Darby, the fault lies with all of us. But it lies with me most of all."
June's eyes widened with even more shock than before. Feeling betrayed by Ratchet was bad enough, but Optimus?
"Tell me you didn't know, Optimus."
"I did know, Ms. Darby, and I am truly sorry. I believed that Jack returning would be essential to his recovery."
"What?"
"Jack was still suffering from the trauma of what happened and I believed that in order for him to move forward, he would need to revisit the past and confront it. Had I known that such events would unfold, I would've never allowed him to go back to Rat City."
June could only look up at Optimus, hurt beyond reason. How could he let this happen? How could he make such a decision without her?
"When this is resolved, I will understand if you no longer place your trust in me. But at this moment, our only concern in finding your son and we will find him, Ms. Darby."
June closed her eyes and lowered her head. She sat back down on the steps and ran both her hands behind her head, locking them behind her neck. She was scared, anyone could see.
Optimus hoped he did not lose the faith June Darby had in him for it meant a great deal to the Prime. He turned to Arcee, knowing that she was the best hope they had to find Jack.
"Arcee, is there anything else you know that might be able to help us find Jack?"
But Arcee was lost herself. Even without the worry of what was happening to her partner, she was so far out of her element that she didn't know where to start...But there was someone who might.
"Cogliostro." She said to herself in a eureka moment.
"Cogliostro, the vagrant." Optimus stated.
"He was the one who took me to Spawn. If anyone knows what's going on, it's him."
June stood up and looked to Arcee, hoping that this Cogliostro person could lead to her son. Arcee looked down to her, hoping herself she wasn't setting up for a failure. Cogliostro may know who it was that took Jack, but how willing he was to help was uncertain at best. And there was the matter of Spawn. He made it clear he didn't want to see Arcee back in those alleys. And even though she believed that he cared about Jack's safety, even if he claimed he didn't, he was not going to want to hear how she let someone else kidnap him. Going back to the alleys may very well be a death sentence. She knew she didn't stand a chance against Spawn if he were to attack her. But if she had kept a closer optic on Jack, this would've never happened. The risk had to be taken, for Jack's sake.
"Ratchet, open a bridge."
"Arcee, maybe you should think about this."
"Ratchet...just open the bridge. If I'm gonna find Jack...I need to go back to Rat City. I need to go back into the alleys."
Into Spawn's territory.
When Jack entered the office of this mysterious building, he was greeted by a slightly older woman. At least, she looked older if her hair was of any indication. But let it not be said that she was any less beautiful than any of the woman Jack had seen today, except maybe Angela. Again, biased for redheads. Unlike Angela, however, she seemed happy with his presence. She smiled politely at his entrance and was kindly offered a seat across from her. She was pleased with him it seemed, as her smile never left her face, the exact opposite of Angela.
"Can I offer you anything, Mr. Darby? You've been patiently waiting this whole time, it's only right I extend my hospitality to you."
"No, thank you...Ms.?"
"Call me Gabrielle."
She held her hand out for Jack and he took it respectfully. Since he was certain she was as strong as she appeared, which was a lot, he was sure to grip her hand firmly, something his disappeared father taught him to do.
"Ms. Gabrielle, I uh..."
"Would like to know why you're here."
"Yes, please."
Gabrielle stood up from her seat and approached the window that made up her far wall, very much like the waiting room outside.
"I'm terribly sorry about my 'associate' bringing you here the way he had. It was improper of him to snatch you away like that, in front of your mother no less. Poor thing must be worried sick."
Jack was surprised she knew those details.
"How did you know that?"
Gabrielle looked back at Jackson.
"About my associate? I sent him to retrieve you."
"No, about my mother being there."
Gabrielle went to another desk where she kept a tray and a pitcher of water. She began pouring herself a glass.
"I may not have the all seeing eyes of the Almighty himself, but I can see close enough when I know what I'm looking for. And I saw everything Mr. Darby, I saw it all."
She took a sip of her water and sat back down at her desk, placing her clasped hands on the table.
"You were watching me?"
"I was."
"H..How?"
Gabrielle seemed to be looking for a proper way to answer that.
"Well...I'm what you would call an angel."
Jack knew he had the most dumbfounded look on his face. He couldn't have heard that right. She must've misspoke or was having fun with him.
"A-a what now?"
"Come now, Mr. Darby, you know what an angel is. Heavenly beings watching over people, harps, fluffy white wings."
"Angels...as in Heaven?"
Still smiling, Gabrielle tilted her head.
"I did say Heavenly, didn't I?"
"You're an angel...from Heaven?" Jack asked incredulously.
"Where do you think you are now, Mr. Darby?"
Even though he was already skeptic, the question made Jack uneasy.
"Go over to that window. Take a good look outside and tell me what you see."
Jack didn't believe what he was hearing. It was ludicrous, even by he standards of weird he was already used to. Alien robots were one thing, undead soldiers were another, but actually being in Heaven was a bit too out there for him. Jack turned to the window, which was still showing nothing but clouds outside. He stood up and began to walk towards, telling himself that there was a fog out and nothing more. He didn't even want to entertain the idea that he had somehow made it into the afterlife.
He stood at the window, but not really looking beyond the glass. For some reason, he was beginning to think there wasn't any fog at all. He looked closer and he could see the rays of light shining through the clouds...But they weren't coming from the sky. Jack focused his vision and he could vaguely see movement. They were nothing but shadows and silhouettes, but he could clearly make out human shaped figures...and wings coming from their back...and they were all floating and flying about.
Jack stepped back, unsure of reality around him. For a brief second, he forgot how to function. But when he came back, he came to know shock previously unfelt before.
"I'm in Heaven." He said, but without the joy that statement is often spoken with.
"Yes, you are, Mr. Darby. And I welcome you."
But Jack didn't welcome the...well, welcome. Instead, he began to suffer a panic attack, breathing and shaking uncontrollably. If he was in Heaven...
"I'm dead. Am I dead?"
He looked to Gabrielle, who was now worried and not smiling.
"Oh, God. What-what happened? Did Airachnid kill me? I thought-I thought that the masked guy killed her. How did I...Mom, Oh my God. Mom, she must be...She must be devastated. Oh, God. If she saw me die..."
"Jackson."
Jack felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see Gabrielle trying to calm him down.
"Calm yourself, child."
"But-but I..."
"Breathe, breathe."
Gabrielle demonstrated her calm breathing for Jack to do the same. Jack mimicked her and was able to get a hold of himself.
"Sit down, Mr. Darby, before you have a heart attack."
Jackson nervously sat back down and Gabrielle joined him.
"No one's ever died after they've gone to Heaven and we wouldn't want you to be first."
Jack looked back up, finally calming down.
"So...I'm not dead?"
"No, Mr. Darby, you're very much alive. There would've been no point in sending a Redeemer to save you if we were going to kill you ourselves."
"A...Redeemer?"
"The masked being wielding Heaven Fire, the one who dispatched that wretched Hellspawn."
Now, Jack was focused again.
"You...You know about the Hellspawn?"
Gabrielle's smile disappeared again, and this time, she looked much more serious.
"We know the Hellspawn well, Mr. Darby. It's our job to hunt them."
Jack pulled back. Now, he was afraid.
"Hunt?"
"Yes, Mr. Darby, hunt. We are warriors of Heaven and servants of God. Our job is to protect the mortal world from all agents of Hell and none are more dangerous than the Hellspawn."
Gabrielle stood up again and walked behind Jackson, standing with her back to them.
"That's why you're here, Mr. Darby. We want to make sure you haven't been tainted by the one from those alleys."
The Rat City alleys were lit up by the appearance of the Autobot ground bridge. Arcee stepped through in her bipedal form, knowing the light had gotten the attention of the alleys watchdog. There was no point in taking her alt form this time. Most of the occupants of the alley had seen her true form already and if they hadn't, she was certain that she was far from the most shocking thing they had seen.
"Ratchet, Optimus, I'm here." She said into her comms.
"Arcee, this is a bad idea." Ratchet said from the other end.
"It's the only option we have if we wanna find Jack."
"But you said this being was dangerous, even more than Airachnid. You also said he warned you to stay away. He doesn't sound like the type to repeat his warnings."
"It's a risk I have to take, Ratchet. This whole thing happened on my watch."
"Arcee." Optimus said. "I agree with Ratchet, however, we are unfortunately out of options. But you must be cautious. If Spawn becomes hostile, you are to retreat immediately. You have already learned that our kind cannot harm his."
"Understood, Sir. Killing communications until necessary."
"Be careful, Arcee."
Arcee began to make her way through the alley, seeing the wary glances of the vagrants who recognized her. They were nervous, but not of her. They knew something was about to happen in their home and it was likely to end violently. They all knew too well how Spawn handled intruders.
Arcee continued on and it didn't take long before she got deep enough into the alleys that it seemed like even the moonlight was afraid to go any further. She found herself as the only known presence in the area, as the others wouldn't dare come to the place
Suddenly, Arcee heard the rattling of chains and quickly turned to where she thought the sound came from.
"Spawn?" She said in a startle.
No answer...not good.
"I know you told me not come back, but I didn't have any other choice."
She kept turning to look around, making sure not to keep her back to anything for very long.
"I need your help, Spawn...you and the old man."
She heard the chains again, above her. She got his attention.
"It's Jack...Someone...Something took him...and I think one of you might know what."
Arcee couldn't see anything above the buildings, but she knew she felt something watching her. She took a few steps backwards...but stopped when her winglets touched some chains behind her.
She figured it out instantly, but it was already too late. The chains came to life and wrapped around her torso, pulling her up into the darkness above. Even with her metal body, being strangled so tightly still hurt like the pit. But she knew something far worse was in store for her...unless, she could convince Spawn or Cogliostro to help her.
She was pulled up to hole in one of the many vacant buildings. Waiting for her was a red cloak and a pair of piercing green eyes. Seeing him again brought back the fear she had been trying to push away since the night before. Spawn stared into her soul, as if the same green fire that consumed Airachnid was about to shoot from his eyes and burn away alive as well. He narrowed them, not happy as she could see.
"You let Jackson be taken from you?" He asked lowly and coldly.
Arcee didn't answer.
"I thought you were his guardian. Your job was to protect him."
Spawn tightened his chains and it seemed like he was going to choke the life out of Arcee with them. Then, they loosened and he let her fall to the ground. She hit the concrete hard and had to take a nano-click to pull herself together. She did so just in time to barley dodge one of Spawn's chains lashing out at her, smashing a hole in the ground where she was just laying. She got up quickly, but Spawn dropped down across from her, looking for a fight.
"I trusted you to keep him safe. I let your little slip-up pass. But you let him get kidnapped...again!"
"Spawn, please."
"Shut Up!"
Spawn shot his chain around Arcee's ankle and pulled it out from under her. She hit her back again and felt his cloak rope around her neck. Just like last time, he began to strangle her.
"I'm starting to think you're not the one to protect him."
Spawn pulled himself towards Arcee and landed on her midsection. Still keeping her bound with his chains and cloak, he balled his fist and pulled it back, conjuring the familiar green flame around it.
"Who took him?! Who took Jackson?!"
"Spawn, enough!"
Spawn looked behind him and saw Cogliostro.
"She will tell us everything, but only if she still lives. Let her go."
Spawn looked back at Arcee and she could tell he really wanted to hurt her, even just a little. He was far angrier than she expected or hoped he'd be. He released her and removed himself. He began walking towards Cogliostro as Arcee recovered.
"Start talking." He ordered.
"Jack was..." Arcee had to work her voice back. "Jack was taken by someone who was like you."
Spawn stopped and Cogliostro looked even more alarmed. Spawn turned around to address Arcee.
"Like me...another Hellspawn."
"No...I don't think so. He kind of looked like you, but different. His appearance was different...so was his power. He came from the sky."
Arcee couldn't tell if Spawn was skeptic or confused. Cogliostro was neither.
"A Redeemer." He said.
Arcee gave the old man her attention, as did Spawn.
"What the hell is a Redeemer?" He asked.
"Heaven's version of a Hellspawn, a Heavenspawn, an anti-Spawn."
"What does a Heavenspawn want with Jack?" Spawn questioned.
Cogliostro seemed grim, wary, uncertain.
"Exactly what I feared."
He looked to Arcee and moved past Spawn to approach her.
"What happened before the Redeemer appeared?"
Arcee regained her strength and kept her optics on Spawn. He was too unpredictable and she wasn't going to chance her survival by letting him catch her off guard.
"It began when...when Airachnid appeared."
Spawn was focused even more.
"You remember her, right, the spider?"
"I remember sending her to Hell."
"Well, Hell sent her back...with your powers."
Both Spawn and Cogliostro were genuinely shocked to learn this.
"She was also like you, minus the mask and cloak. Her optics, her frame, her energon, they were all just like yours. Her body could heal like yours could. We couldn't kill her."
Cogliostro was able to piece it together.
"Malebolgia stole her soul from whatever demonic entity rules over your race's underworld and turned her into a Hellspawn, the first ever from another world."
"Why?" Spawn asked.
Arcee answered.
"She came for Jack. She wanted to kill him."
The answer caused Spawn to look at Arcee with the same hostility as before. She was afraid that he was about to attack her again, so, she prepared to take her alt form and run for it if he did.
"That's when the Redeemer appeared and slew her." Cogliostro finished.
"Yeah...That's what happened."
The old man lowered his head, looking hopeless all of a sudden.
"I was afraid of this."
"What's going on? What does this Redeemer want with Jack?"
"The Redeemer is merely an agent of Heaven. They are the ones who want him."
"Heaven?" Spawn questioned. "Why?"
"Because they intend to draft him into this war and fight for them."
Arcee pulled back and Spawn wasn't any happier with the answer.
"What war?" Arcee asked in alarm.
"The war that's been raging since before all creation, the war between Heaven and Hell. The prize, human souls."
This was way bigger than Arcee realized and she began to see that she was in over her head. But if she was overwhelmed by all this...What was going through Jack's mind, wherever he was?
"You know about him?" Jack asked Gabrielle
"We've known about him for quite some time. We've been studying him, watching him closely."
Jack wasn't sure of anything anymore since he was told that he was currently sitting in a building in Heaven. He was even less sure of this all too perfect women telling him all this. She claimed to hunt Hellspawns, which meant she wasn't friends with the one he knew. This caused him to distrust her. Spawn saved his life and she had to have known that. Did she intend to kill him? However, this also meant that Jack might finally learn something about Spawn and Al Simmons.
"What is he? I mean...What exactly is a Hellspawn?"
Gabrielle looked on in deep thought.
"Hellspawns, as their name implies, are agents of Hell, soldiers in the underworld's massive army. They serve under the rule of Malebolgia."
Jack didn't like the sound of that name.
"Is he like...the devil?"
"A devil, but not the only one."
"So...not Satan."
"Satan is another ruler of Hell, the original ruler. I know what you're thinking and yes, he is the same angel you've read about, cast out of Heaven for defying God. He likened himself to God, even believing himself to be superior. But, alas, he was only an angel and was unable to rule Hell on his own. So, he granted different sections of the underworld to other demons who were as powerful as him. Malebolgia is one of them."
"So, you're saying there's more than one devil?"
"Yes, Jackson. And this one, he is the one that's been amassing an army of killers, rapists, and warmongers since the dawn of man."
Jack listened closely, though he was sure what he was about to learn would shatter everything he thought he knew.
"A murderer dies and goes to Hell, he is given a choice. Spend eternity in unending torment, or serve Malebolgia for the chance to return to Earth and kill again. The killer makes the obvious choice. He thinks he has escaped his punishment. But Malebolgia is a master of lies. The killer will return to Earth, but only when Malebolgia will allow it, meaning when it serves him. Until then, the killer's essence is ripped from his soul and replaced a substance that grants him the power of Hell known as ectoplasm. You've seen it in the Hellspawn from the alleys, the green substance that it bleeds."
Now, Jack had one answer to one his many questions, but it brought nothing that felt like closure.
"He is then bound in a suit and cloak, the uniform of Hell's army that can never be removed. This entire process robs the killer of his will, of his consciousness, his very identity. When it's finished, he is no longer the damned soul of a murderer, but another faceless soldier for Malebolgia, meat for his army."
"So, Spawn...Al Simmons...is just a puppet for this Malebolgia."
Gabrielle sighed.
"He's different from other Hellspawns. See, you know him as Al Simmons and the world remembers him as a hero. But there was a dark truth beneath the glory you were all told stories of. Al Simmons was a killer, one of the finest there ever was."
Jack remembered what Fowler had told him about Simmons and the CIA.
"I know what you're thinking. He was a soldier and he fought for his country and you're right. But the blood on his hands was much deeper than that."
The more Gabrielle she talked, Jack could see the disgust on her face.
"He killed for a number of reasons and very few of them were even close to anything noble. He killed on orders from his superiors, without question. Many of them were even less noble than him and they most certainly deserved to die. But others were good, genuine men of honor who the ones he answered to wanted out of the way. Some of them were innocent, bystanders, people who didn't get out of his way, people who made the change and wanted to start over but his masters couldn't allow to live. Al Simmons killed over a hundred people in his lifetime and he did them without a second thought. His hands were soaked in a river of blood."
Fowler was right, it was better not to know the truth.
"He made a career out of it and eventually, he had gotten the attention of Malebolgia. When he died, he was sent to Hell as any killer like him would be. But Malebolgia offered him a bargain and just like all the others, he made the deal. Now, he resides in those alleys where we've been watching him, studying him, and waiting for the right time to take him down. Since his return to Earth, he's continued to kill."
She was right. In his search for answers, Jack had read all about the bodies that kept turning up in Spawn's alleys.
"So what, you say. They were all murderers, they deserved what they got. I'm certain that in the Hellspawn's mind, he justifies it in the same way. Many Hellspawns try to hang on to their humanity by doing what they feel is right. But as killers, it's all they know how to do, so they trick themselves into thinking that they're doing the world a service by punishing those who have spilled innocent blood. But all they are really doing is sending more souls to Hell and recruiting for Malebolgia's army. They enact his will without even realizing it. And when his army is completed, he will bring his legion of Spawns right here to our gate. The final battle for existence, for the survival of our kind and the souls of yours will begin with Al Simmons leading them as Malebolgia's General. That is who your protector really is, Jackson, nothing like the savior you thought him to be."
She knew. She knew how Jack viewed Spawn, even after that night he went back. But was it all true? Was Al Simmons really just a slave to the devil meant to lead the end of mankind? The answers he was looking for...he got them...But he didn't like them. Everything he believed in was shaken. Jack didn't know what to think.
"Now, back to the matter at hand."
Jack looked back at Gabrielle, hoping for something he could take comfort in.
"You now know the truth about the Hellspawn. So, you can understand why we would be concerned that your encounter with him as well as your admiration might've led you astray. I'm happy to see that despite all that you have suffered...your heart is still pure."
"My...my heart?"
"Jackson Darby, I'm going to be honest with you. Up until a few days ago, you did not have our attention. We first saw you six years ago, when you were a child...the night you and Cyan Fitzgerald were taken."
Another shock to the system. They had been watching him for that long?
"Your heart was pure even then. But you were just a child. Many children are born with a clean slate and a light that won't go out for many years. After the night you escaped that other monster, we figured that it was only a matter of time before you would become jaded and the light would soon fade."
Gabrielle stood up and and went to the front of her desk. She sat down at the edge of it, but not in a way to be flirtatious, but to be able to look through Jack's eyes closer. She leaned forward so Jack could see hers. She wanted him to see her clearly as she talked while she could see him and see how he responded.
"When you went back into the alleys and met with the Hellspawn after all these years, we were watching. We were still keeping tabs on him, but we never expected to see you again. But there you were, standing before him...your light shining brighter than it ever had."
Her expression changed. She was looking at Jack with hopefulness in her eyes. What did she mean by light?
"We began to watch you and we found that your life had taken an unexpected turn of events."
Jack was about to panic. That meant they knew about the Autobots. His expression must've gave him away.
"You don't have to worry, Jackson. We know everything about every race throughout the universe, Cybertronians included. We didn't know that you had come to befriend a group of them, among them, a Prime."
Jack was beginning to feel a little more at ease. With the subject switching back to his current protectors, to Optimus, it was helping him forget the mess he had gotten himself into.
"We know what it means to be a Prime, the honor it holds. You respect this Prime, yes?"
Jack smiled for the first time today.
"Yeah...I do."
"As you should. Optimus Prime is a good being with a pure heart, just like you. It shouldn't surprise me at all that he named you an honorary Prime."
"How do you..."
"How do I know?" Gabrielle smiled. "I may have gotten the word from Primus himself after learning about you."
It just never stopped, the things he was learning shifting from Spawn to himself, it continued to shock him.
"Optimus Prime doesn't know this, but his word can sometimes be as could as Primus'. I understand he entrusted you with something of great importance as a token of trust."
Jack quickly held the Key to Vector Sigma hidden beneath his shirt. She knew about that too?
"And you used it to restore his memories in a time of crisis. Jackson, when you did that, Primus saw for himself why Optimus Prime had trusted you and named you honorary. He was so impressed by your actions that he granted you a true title, even though you are human."
It took a moment for Jack to realized what he was told, but when it sank in, Jack was stuck in a state of disbelief.
"Are...Are you saying that..."
"Jackson Darby, it is my honor to tell you that since the events of Unicron's awakening, you have become the first ever Human Prime of Earth."
With those words, Jack's breath was taken.
"Which is why we need your help?"
"That makes no sense. Jack is just a kid."
Cogliostro had just explained to Arcee what Heaven wanted with him and she was far less than happy, as was Spawn.
"I hate to say it, but I'm with E.T. here." Spawn said from his little corner, far away from Arcee. "Why would Heaven want someone like Jack to fight for them? He's no soldier. I've seen child soldiers. He isn't broken or brainwashed like them.
"You know full well why they want him, Spawn. You've seen it. Jackson's soul is incorruptible."
"Yeah, a regular choir boy." Spawn replied. "What good does a good boy do in a war against Hell?"
"He is more than just a choir boy. His heart is so pure that he possesses the ability to guide lost souls back into the light, so long as even the slightest flicker remains."
Arcee cut back in.
"Alright, slow down. Souls and light, what do you mean that?"
Cogliostro turned back to Arcee.
"On your home planet, what do you call the very essence of your species, the part of them that remains, even after death?"
"Our spark." Arcee answered. "We were created from the Well of the All-Spark by Primus and when whe offline, we return to the Well to be created again."
"And what of those who have lived their lives causing pain and torment to others?"
Arcee immediately thought of Airachnid and Starscream and Megatron.
"They go to the Pit of Unicron. Legends say they spend the rest of eternity being melted down and rebuilt as his slaves."
"I see...Primus is your God, The Well is your Heaven, Unicron is the devil, and the Pit is hell. Your sparks are your souls."
"I...guess that sounds right."
"Then let me explain. Humans are far better at sinning then they are at saving. There are more souls in Hell than there are in Heaven. God and Satan have been warring for eternities and the final battle is upon us. As it stands, Hell has the greater numbers."
A few days ago, Arcee wouldn't even think to believe in this supernatural nonsense humans were always on about. But one of her enemies came back from the dead and was nearly unkillable. He beliefs were shattered when she saw Airachnid with the same powers as Spawn.
"Heaven has tried to build their own by allowing sinners to be ascended and recruiting killers before Hell could get a hold of them first. As it stands, the two factions are near indistinguishable from one another. Heaven desperately wants to win and is in need of a new method of attack."
"And Jack somehow can make that happen?"
Cogliostro sighed.
"He can...When he returned, they saw what we saw. It's why I warned him to stay away."
Arcee approached Cogliostro.
"Sir, please. What do they want with Jack? Why is he so important to them?"
"Because, Jackson Darby, as a human Prime, you have an ability we angels do not. In the time we can lead one soul to salvation, you can lead a hundred."
Gabrielle knelt before Jack and placed her hands upon his shoulders.
"Angels are not so good at reaching the minds and hearts of mankind. We are beings born of another plane of existence. It's not easy for us to get humans to see the light. But for a human with a heart like yours, you can guide them to us. You can show them the way."
"I don't understand. What do you mean by that?"
"Jackson, in the end...God will save all, even the devil. But right now, the devil's grip on your kind is tight and it gets tighter with each day passed. People are blind to the light and are letting darkness consume them. Hell has corrupted and defiled countless souls of good men, God fearing men and turned them away from us. What's worse, he's turning them in his slaves, his soldiers."
"You mean, Hellspawns?"
"Yes, Jackson. Because of that, we've been desperately trying to save as many souls as we could, even those who have lost their lives without redemption. There are sinners here, Jackson, in Heaven. And if we don't save them soon, they will descend down to Malebolgia."
Jack was trying to make sense of all this.
"Am I...Am I supposed to save them?"
"Yes, Jackson."
"But how? I'm just a kid."
"No, you aren't just a kid, Jackson. You are a human Prime. You're the same as Optimus, who you admire so greatly. Just as he led the last of his kind to Earth and saved his species from extinction, you can save the souls of yours. You can show them the light. You can purify their hearts."
Gabrielle let Jack absorb this information.
"Your partner, Arcee, she walked a dangerous path for a long time. She was no sinner, but the hatred that existed in her heart had the potential to lead her into the darkness to consume her. She could have just as easily lost herself in her own rage as Megatronus did when he created the Decepticons. But you helped her find her way back. You saved her, Jackson. And you did it without knowing what you really were. Imagine what you could do now that you have this knowledge."
Once again, Jack found himself with a heavy weight on his shoulders. Just like when he learned that only he could restore Optimus' memories and he would have to go to Cybertron to do it, he was overwhelmed. But Gabrielle was right, Jack did admire Optimus. He was his hero, everything Jack could only wish to become. When he learned of what he had to do to save Optimus, Jack didn't hesitate. Now, he had a much bigger task before him and he was recognized by Primus for it. He couldn't turn his back on this either. But he still didn't understand what he was supposed to do.
"So, what? I go up to these souls and I...pray?"
Gabrielle laughed as she sat back on her desk.
"Not exactly, Jackson. All you really have to do is talk to them, help them see the changes they need to make to be saved. I know it sounds too easy. Anyone can say anything to them. But others only have words. Your light, it holds influence that carries into your words. You can reach them where others cannot."
"And what if I can't? What if they don't want to change?"
"If you can not save them, Jackson, nothing can. Unfortunately, the only thing left to be done would be to let them be dragged down. You won't be able to save them all."
Jack then had an idea.
"What about Hellspawns?"
Gabrielle stopped smiling.
"What about them?"
"Could I save them? Could I...save Al Simmons?"
Now, she was almost scowling.
"There is no saving them, Jackson. The Hellspawns have already sold their souls to Malebolgia. There is nothing left to save."
"But the one from the alleys, he knows who he is. He's not mindless. He saved me twice already."
"He killed the ones who would've killed you. That's not the same as saving you. I told you, he only thinks he's in control. Malebolgia pulls his strings, make no mistake about that."
"But what if I can cut those strings? If I can save a sinner in Heaven, maybe I can..."
"The Hellspawns must be slayne, Jackson." Gabrielle raised her voice. "There is no redemption for them. They are full fledged agents of Hell, one step below demon natives. No Hellspawn has ever been able to break free of Malebolgia."
The stern look on her face told Jackson that nothing more needed to be said. But Jack couldn't accept that. If a soul of a sinner they got to before Hell did could be saved, why couldn't Al Simmons be saved also? Jack then decided to dig deeper about something he wondered, but hadn't really focused on, a questioned buried in the back of his mind not about Spawn.
"What about that old man?"
Gabrielle looked confused.
"What old man?"
"In the alleys, there was this old guy who knew Spawn."
Gabrielle was a little more attentive.
"Tell me about this old man."
"He talked to Spawn like he was his friend. He seemed to know a lot about him. He knew me. He remembered me. He knew what Spawn was. It was him that I heard the name from."
Gabrielle pondered.
"I thought he was just some old guy who's been with Spawn for a while. But now you're telling me about Heaven and Hell and I've been wondering if...Is he with you guys?"
Gabrielle still look confused, though intrigued, so Jack continued.
"I mean, he seems like he's able to keep Spawn under control. He listens to him when he tells Spawn to calm down. He's trying to help Spawn. And if he's one of you, then he thinks that Spawn can be saved. What if he's right? What if he's just been trying to find a way to free him? What if I'm that way?"
Gabrielle didn't look like she was giving Jack's theory much thought. In truth, she was still trying to figure out who this old man was. Not long after Jack was finished did she remember.
"You're referring to Cogliostro."
"Cogliostro?"
"And he is not one of us."
"He isn't...Who is he?"
"He's another agent of Hell, Jackson. And whatever he told you, I can assure you that it was a lie."
"But that can't right."
"How so, Jackson?"
"He tried to get me to leave the alleys. He warned me about my soul being put at risk. And he looks just like a normal human."
"You think that agent's of Hell cannot take the form of an old man?"
"Are you saying he's a demon?"
"No, he's another Hellspawn, Jackson, just like Al Simmons."
Jackson had to stop and think about that for a second because right away, he felt that didn't make any sense.
"But he doesn't have a suit."
"Hellspawn's can disguise themselves."
"But you said they can't take the suits off. If he can disguise himself, why doesn't Al?"
"I don't know, Jackson. I'm sure he has his reasons."
"If he's a Hellspawn, then why didn't he use his powers even once? He didn't do anything during any of my run-ins with them."
Gabrielle didn't even care to answer. She was acting very differently than she was a second ago.
"And wait...If you were watching Al Simmons, were you watching the old man too? Why aren't you so worried about him."
Jack got up and started walking around the room. Something didn't feel right. There was something Gabrielle wasn't telling him.
"You're saying the old man, Cogliostro, is a Hellspawn."
"Yes, Jackson, a Hellspawn."
Jack thought for a few more moments.
"Is...or was?"
Jack turned around and saw that Gabrielle was now standing up. She didn't like the question one bit.
"He was, wasn't he?" Jack asked accusingly. "But not anymore."
"Jackson, stop."
"He broke free, didn't he. He freed himself from Malebolgia."
"Don't go any further, boy."
"And now, he's trying to free Spawn."
"Jackson."
"He's trying to save him...They can be saved."
Jack suddenly felt a hand around his neck and he was lifted up off the ground by Gabrielle.
"Listen well, boy. The Hellspawn are our enemies. There is no saving them. They exist for one purpose, to kill for their master, Malebolgia."
Jack kicked his legs and struggled to break free, but his body weakened as his lungs choked on the last bit of oxygen.
"So get this idea that you can save them out of your head and focus on the task at hand. Are we clear?"
Gabrielle released Jack and let him fall to the ground. As he gasped for air, Gabrielle walked past him and poured herself another glass of water.
"Are we clear, Jackson Darby?" She asked without looking at him.
Jack rubbed his burning throat and got his strength back, but he remained on the floor.
"Jackson, are you still with me?" Gabrielle asked.
"Who's gonna fight the war." He asked with his strained voice.
Gabrielle turned around as she sipped her water.
"Hm?"
"When the Hellspawns come to the gates...Who's gonna fight them? If there's as many of them as you say, then there's more of them then you. You can't fight them alone...So, who's gonna fight with you?"
Gabrielle merely watched Jack on the ground, not answering his question. Jack smiled bitterly, figuring it all out.
"Save the souls of sinners...You mean killers, good ones. You don't want me to save anyone. You want more soldiers for your army. You just want me to purify them so you can draft them without worrying about them turning on you."
Gabrielle exhaled in disappointment and placed her drink back on the tray. Jack continued to talk as she walked over to her desk again.
"So, I'm just glorified recruiter for you, is that it? I'm just here to 'save' them so you can send them off to war."
Jack laughed.
"Meanwhile, I have a way to put a real end to the ones you're really worried about without fighting and you won't even hear it out. You hate them that much, huh? You guys don't sound like angels. And this place doesn't sound like Heaven. It looks like you're all just doing it the same way as the red guy downstairs."
Gabrielle pushed a button on her desk phone.
"Celeste, could you send someone in to retrieve Mr. Darby?"
"Yes, Ms. Gabrielle."
Just as Jack stood up, the doors flew opened and in came two larger looking angelic women, each giving Gabrielle their full attention.
"Mr. Darby here isn't going to be as cooperative as we hoped, so we're going to keep him here until he listens to reason."
Gabrielle motioned her hand and the two grabbed each of Jack's arms. He didn't resist as they dragged him away, physically at least.
"I want no part of this, Gabrielle. You're the same as they are. You're the one not listening to reason. We can save them and stop this war."
Jack continued until he was taken through the lobby doors and out of earshot. As they took him to God knows where, he made a hard decision that he wouldn't play their game. There was no greater good, as far as he could see. There was only a devil and a lesser devil. He wouldn't be there pawn. He'd refuse them at every turn, even if it meant never seeing his family again.
"And what if he says no?" Arcee asked.
Cogliostro continued to look grim.
"They will not give him a choice. They need him."
Spawn moved from his spot and approached Cogliostro.
"Then I'll go bust down gates of Heaven myself and take him back."
"Don't be foolish, Spawn. Even if you could get to Heaven's gates, make it past their defenses, and find Jackson Darby, if you bring him back here, you will mark him for death. If they witness him being rescued by a Hellspawn, they will decided that he has thrown in with Malebolgia and is their enemy. They will hunt him as they do us."
"So, there's no other way?" Arcee asked.
"Jackson will return. It's a matter of when."
"When what?"
"When he gives in to their will and become their instrument, willingly or not."
"What kind of Heaven forces a child into their war?" Spawn angrily asked.
"One that has fought for so long, they have lost sight of what they are fighting for. Make no mistake, Spawn, even Gods fall to the same trappings as mortals."
Arcee didn't like this. It sounded like her only option was to wait.
"So, when Jackson comes back...What then?"
"I do not know, Arcee. Heaven may leave him be for the time being. But eventually, they will call on him again to do their bidding."
Cogliostro looked back to Spawn.
"Which will most certainly including taking you down, Spawn."
Spawn looked shocked to hear that, then he saw Arcee looking at him, suddenly untrusting.
"I won't do it." He said. "I won't...I won't try to kill him."
Both Arcee's and Cogliostro's expressions changed.
"I will never kill another child, even if he is my enemy. I didn't save his life to take it myself. I'd let him send me back to Hell before that."
Arcee, for the first time, was surprised by Spawn. He really did care about Jack. Also for the first time, she found some common ground with him. They were both scared for Jack's safety and desperately wanted to save him.
Jack was placed in a room that was bigger than his whole house and infinitely more lavish. Just like the lobby, it was decorated and tasteful, seemingly belonging to a person of royalty. The room was filled with delicious food and drink, far beyond anything he had ever eaten back on Earth. Gabrielle had even come to see him earlier, offering him a companion or several to spend his nights with. She wasn't subtle about what she meant, dropping all pretense by bragging to Jack that sex with an angel was far superior than with a mortal. She was doing anything and everything to try and tempt Jack.
Of course, all of these promises were made on opposite ends of a caged door that blocked off the exit, a gilded cage if he had ever seen one. He gave in to none of her offerings or promises. He ate when he had to, drank when he had to, and ignored his teenage hormones that urged him to lose his virginity in an angelic threesome. He would not be tempted. He would not be their tool.
But days went by and Jack was already missing his family. Not only did he missed them, he was certain that they missed him and they were far beyond afraid. They knew nothing of what was going on and didn't even know if he was alive. His poor mother, he could only imagine how sick she must've been making herself. He wanted to see her so badly.
But if there was one thing he learned and held on to was that he was a recognized human Prime. And his instincts were telling him that this whole setup was wrong. He needed to hang on until he could figure out a way to escape. If he could make it back to Optimus and use the space bridge to see Primus himself, he might get the answers he needed. But how was he going to escape? How do you escape Heaven?
Jack then heard a commotion outside of his prison. It started off as banging and thumping, but quickly escalated to swords clashing and bones breaking. Jack backed all the way to the wall behind him, unsure of what was going on outside.
The door burst opened and Jack's eyes fell upon another warrior angel. This one was also a red head, clad in silver and gold armor with a large sword strapped to her back. She held a lance in her hand that was bigger than her, seemingly big enough to hurt Arcee. She wore a gold helmet that only framed her face, decorated on the sides with a pair of silver wings, making her look like a Valkyrie. Her eyes were covered up in black war paint in the shape of sharp arches that were very similar to the white arches in Spawn's mask. Then Jack noticed her earrings. They were the same ones the woman named Angela was wearing.
She kicked the cell door opened with no effort and Jack tried his best to back even further into the wall. He had a feeling the ginger angel already didn't like him and it seemed like she was there to do anything but show him mercy. She approached him with a fierce look in her eyes.
"I guess..." Jack nervously began. "I guess Gabrielle got tired of waiting for me to change my mind."
Jack closed his eyes and submitted to his fate.
"Just make it quick."
But moments that felt like an eternity passed and nothing happened.
"I'm taking you home, Jackson." She said.
Jack opened one of his eyes and looked at Angela.
She was suddenly looking less fierce than before.
"This isn't your war...And I won't let them force you into it."
She held out her hand to Jack, asking for his trust.
"We need to go."
Hoping he was making the right decision, Jack took her hand she she led him out of his cage. Angela knew what this meant for her, but this was the line she would not cross for Gabrielle. Savages or not, humans still had a choice. Gabrielle did not have the right to take Jackson Darby's away from him, pure light or no pure light.
So, everyone back on Earth is confused and scared and Arcee is desperate enough to go to Spawn and Cogliostro for help. Thankfully, Cogs kept Spawn at bay long enough for Arcee to explain what's going on. But at the moment, none of them really know what's gonna happen except that Jack will eventually return. But what comes after is what's got Cogliostro worried.
So, Angela was introduced in this chapter. I made some slight changes. In the comics, Angela was a bounty hunter of Heaven and had to go through Gabrielle for permits and the like. Here, she works for Gabrielle, but often breaks the rules and ignores protocol. She's basically a rogue cop. As always, she's at odds with Gabrielle, but this time, she's really taking issue with what they're doing.
So, now Jack knows what's the story behind Spawn and why Airachnid came after him. But he isn't buying what Gabrielle's selling and doesn't want to take part in any of it. Still, Jack knows he's going to have to play a part, but he'll have to figure that out when he returns home.
In the end, it was Angela that freed him from Gabrielle's custody, but how's that gonna affect his past with Spawn, especially since his partner may be working with him at that moment.
Things are happening and might be getting a wee bit out of control. Really trying to stay on these stories, but I'm working on fumes most of the time. I must continue to apologize for these long waits. But, I can get back to Old Nightmare and ASOG, which had gotten a lot more followers these past few weeks, and that gives me time to figure out where I want to go with this story. I hope to hear from you all then. Thanks again, and Lord give me strength because this job is kicking my ass.