Sophia's Chronicles

Chapter 25: The Prison Break

"A little Stormbringer, are you?" I teased my little babe. He was still sound asleep in my womb, as if he were so innocent in all of this. Pride washed over me in waves. I knew this would come eventually, but still, to see my son become an archangel before my own eyes was an experience I wasn't ready for. Not even out yet and he was reaching into the fabric of the universe and weaving it as he saw fit. Upon further thought, I had come to realise that the surge of strength I'd felt in that laboratory wasn't just my anger—it was also my son's. Despite the traumatic events of the last day, we were both weary but intact. Still, that wasn't an ordeal I wanted to repeat. Getting out of here was imperative.

As well-thought out as it was, my plan was a long shot. It depended on a lot of 'if's and 'maybe's. If we got caught by Raphael again, who knew what else could transpire. I wasn't set on finding out. There was a constant hum that surrounded the prison. It was the warding. A long-term guest in these cells would have learnt to tune them out. But I didn't. I knew all of its sounds, its crests and troughs. Every now and then, there would a sudden undulation sweeping across the whole prison. Again, unnoticeable to the untrained ear. It was a crack in the shield—the tiniest gap left when the warding switched polarities. It was the strongest kind of warding there was, especially considering the number of prisoners and myself. The only downside, though, was that the crack left the warding vulnerable for just a fraction of a fraction of a second. Hopefully, it was all I'd need.

I closed my eyes. "Brace yourself, kiddo," I warned him. "Pray for mommy."

I felt it coming. The hum began to recede like a wave from the shore. In that picosecond, I hurled my awareness outward. With such limited time, I couldn't seek anything or anyone in particular, except for myself, of course. I searched for that tiny fragment of myself, which would be in Hell. It was like grabbing in the dark for a scaffold. With all the force of my will, I searched. Ah, a tingle. I felt it. This could work, after all. I focused on it, and it grew clearer. When I entered this space, all other sensations fell away from me. I was but a speck suspended in the dark, reaching for another speck. Time was slowed down indefinitely.

I imagined myself reaching out a hand to that faint spark. Something grabbed back. I gasped, and immediately released a sigh of relief. The distinctive scarlet eyes appeared in the dark as somewhat of a reassurance.

"Sophia? Is it really you?" Lucifer's voice held a desperate optimism. I was indescribably thankful that I'd given him that lucky charm containing my essence.

"Yes," I released a swift exhale, close to tears. "Lucifer, my love, are you alright?"

I felt his spirit pulling me closer. I could see a silhouette of him, one whose eyes were visible and who could be felt but not held. I imagined it was the same on his end. Our painful distance was no more evident than this. It was like we were right in front of each other, but not really. "I- I'm back in the Cage," his voice trembled as he said so. His strong irises dared to show disappointment then. "I tried to talk to Michael, like you said, but… he didn't care. And then, things got out of hand. All because of that weasel…"

"Honey, I know," I reassured him. "I- I know what happened. Raphael told me."

"Raphael?" he uttered the name with a mix of both confusion and loathing. "What do you mean?"

"He- he ambushed me," I wearily admitted. All at once, I saw the red in his irises deepen. More tellingly, the inner corners of his eyes sharpened in a steep frown. "He has me locked up in Heaven's prison."

"In Heaven?" Lucifer seethed. "Oh when I get my hands on him… Tell me that bastard didn't hurt you."

I simply squeezed his hand. "You know Raphael's had it in for me for a long time," I simply said with a sigh. Lucifer squinted at the non-answer, until he understood what I was saying. The steady up and down of his tense shoulders hastened. "Whatever you're feeling, I'm feeling it too."

"Sophie…" he muttered, shaking his head. "I can't do this. I can't do this again. I need to get out."

"Funnily enough, that's what he wants too," I told him. "He wants to open the Cage and bring the Apocalypse again but this time, use me to get you to surrender." I could see the angst building up his torso, seeking the nearest creature to abuse. "But that won't happen, my love. I promise you. I have a means of escape."

He paused to let his eyes dart about. "If he thinks hurting you will get me to surrender, he's wrong. I just have another reason to keep fighting, on top of the two I already have," he stated with what I assumed was a clenched jaw. I could practically imagine the hollows of his smooth, pale cheeks deepening. Were that I could lay a gentle caress to soothe his erupting anger.

I could tell the question was on his mind. "Your son is doing just fine, considering that Raphael tried to poison him," I came right out with it.

"Raphael tried to what?" he practically shouted. "Okay, wait, son?" I gave him time to process all of it. "Poison…?"

It was at this point that I just pressed his hand against my womb. Lucifer quietened immediately. "Can you feel him?" I asked. Despite myself, I cracked a smile. "You were right, you know? He can get through anything. I saw him raise me a storm."

"Really?" he huffed, astonished. A current of love cycled between us endlessly. This moment was ours alone. His projected hand caressed my belly. "It's still so unbelievable to me. We actually did it. We created something."

"He's beautiful. Every day I feel his life force growing within me," I confessed my awe. "I love him. And I love you."

I held his face in my hands. "So… have we thought of any names?" he said, amused.

"Uh… there's no rush. I'm sure it'll come to us at some point," I reasoned. It was a good question, though. I hadn't given it much thought. "And, um, there's something I need to tell you about our son." I wasn't sure how to put it. I even doubted my own memories, but it was what it was. "He is blessed. By God."

"What?" Lucifer gasped. His fierce eyes deflected about for a moment. "Oh no, should we be worried?"

"Worried?" I repeated in shock. "Lucifer, it's good news. We might be damned but our son isn't. There's a chance he'll grow up in a world that loves him," I argued. "But more importantly, it's a sign that things aren't over for us. No matter where we are. As long as we're both alive, there's something we can do."

"Look, I… I just don't trust this," he shook his head. "If it is as you say, I'd be overjoyed. But I just can't help but be wary. Especially with how unusual this child must be."

"Unusual?" I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you feel it?" he asked me. "He's a being of both Light and Darkness. Can't you feel the… the chasm separating his two natures?"

I tried to concentrate. "No…? He feels normal to me, like a fusion of the two natures, not a divided being. You don't think he's going to be conflicted with himself, do you?" I worried.

"I don't know. This is all new. It just seemed weird to me that Father would pour His blessings onto a grandson He'd have to share with His Sister," he elaborated. A belated sigh billowed out of his chest. "I mean, that wouldn't be the biggest problem. Your Mother is still locked away. But what if He tasks our son with something dangerous?"

"We can't think about these things," I ran a hand over his upper arm. "I… can't. I can't deal with that right now. All I know is that our son is meant to live. That's all that matters to me."

A short pause fell as he begrudgingly set those worrisome ideas away. I knew he was justified in thinking so, but we couldn't spend all our time worrying when we should be euphoric about what we had. "You said you have a way to escape?" he gave me an expectant nod.

"This is part of it," I said.

"Good, good," he approved. "You know what you have to do. You have to open the Cage. I'll be damned again if I miss my son's birth."

I nodded. "Of course. I'll be on it," I vowed.

"The Horsemen's rings," he pointed out. "The Winchester has them."

"Hm…" I gave it some thought. "There may be an opportunity. The Winchesters' pet dog, Castiel, is stirring up quite the trouble in Heaven. He's so set on defeating Raphael that he's willing to free me."

"Castiel?" Lucifer repeated like he didn't believe it. "But he's dead. I killed him."

I released a heavy sigh. "I hate to break this to you, but God resurrected him. Now the angels are holding him up to be some kind of messiah sent to fix Heaven."

"Oh, so God's just handing out freebies now," Lucifer threw up his hands. "And you made His blessing out to be some miracle."

"It is," I insisted. "God, why can't anyone see that?"

"So that's your plan?" Lucifer questioned. "You're relying on the same cretin that Molotov'ed my brother?"

"I don't like how that sounds either," I calmly assured him. "Desperate times, these are. And you should see the way things are going right now. Just the other day, Castiel came in here, swollen with the power of thousands of souls, and shot Raphael into orbit."

"Don't sound too impressed," Lucifer huffed with narrowing eyes. "I could do that and more."

"Look at the bigger picture. He sees Raphael as a threat. So do I. Once Raphael is out of the picture, our child will be safer," I explained. "And then I can work on getting you out of here. But that still leaves the question of Michael."

"Okay, hold up," Lucifer held up a palm. "You said Raphael wanted to open the Cage, to restart the Apocalypse. And that Discount Messiah wants you to help him stop Raphael from doing all that. What makes you think that he won't do you next?"

"Please, Lucifer, I'm not oblivious to these things," I said dismissively. "By then, the threat would've been eliminated. Besides, the deal was to stay in our separate lanes. I won't interfere in Heaven's affairs, and he won't interfere in mine."

"That simple, do you think?" Lucifer warned. I wondered when our roles became reversed, with him being the cautious one and I taking the risk. "You do realise that you fighting Raphael is basically another Apocalypse of its own? He could just let the both of you weaken each other in the fight, and then step in with his 'swollenness' and end you both? The moment you try to release me, you're just the same as Raphael to him."

"Then I won't," I suggested.

"What?"

"You can hold on a little longer, can't you? How's Michael adjusting to the climate in there?"

"Sophia," he said with added emphasis. "Are you serious right now?"

"Deadly," I said curtly. Despite his eye roll, I remained firm. I even used my no-nonsense voice. "The only reason I do this is to protect our son. You weren't here, Lucifer, when he forced poison down my throat to disfigure our child. I- I cannot be at peace with myself knowing that this maniac is out there, waiting with such schemes. It fills me with such… desperation to do something. My hands are just shaking thinking about it."

"Mine too," he protested. "You don't think I want to rip his head off for even thinking about hurting you? We're stronger together, remember? Let me help. I can't sit aside while you do this all by yourself."

"And if I open the Cage, we'll have to worry about Michael too," I argued.

"You're with child!"

"I am not helpless!" I retorted, acid fuelling my words. "You're one to talk, really. You were ousted by a human!"

He fell silent. His irises averted from me. It was only after a few breaths that I'd actually stopped to consider what I'd said.

"Lucifer, I'm sorr-"

"Forget it," he said, dejected. Then, much more softly, he said, "If it was you, I would've worked day and night, sparing no expense, spilling all my blood if I had to, just so you could walk free again. In fact, it's exactly what I did. I just thought you'd do the same for me."

My heart quivered in its seat. "Of course I would," I squeezed his forearm. "I would, if it were any other day. But now I have to think about our son too. We have to put him first before ourselves."

"This isn't about choosing, Sophie," he denied, voice trembling. "You know it. You're just not willing to trust me as much as you used to. Ever since you came out of that Vault, you've just been finding one excuse after another to push me away."

"How can you say that?" I pushed the question from deep within my core. It was painful to hear. "All my life, I lived and breathed for you. And don't talk about change, because if there's anyone who's changed over the years—over the Mark—it's you. We aren't the same archangels we were a million years ago. Please, I'm just asking you to make a small concession."

"Have what you want…" he said, turning away.

"I'll come for you. I will," I promised. There was more I wanted to say. I couldn't just leave on such a sour note. But it was time. Our slowed down picosecond neared its end. Just at the moment I retreated from our little congregation in the space between atoms, a loud alarm blared through the air. I flinched, not expecting such a noisy welcome. That was my cue. The door to the prison was hastily flung open. The guards dashed in.

"Search all the cells!" a guard yelled.

I set down a book I was halfway through. "Jeez, they're in a bout, aren't they?" I muttered.

There were six of them. Not good odds for one angel and his blade. They started with Gadreel and me. First, they cuffed me, as was protocol. Then they opened up the cell. Anytime now. I stepped aside, leaning against the open door as the guard walked in and turned over all my things. The key was still in the keyhole. I peeked out behind the guards in the hallway towards the door. Soon enough, a brown trench coat came into view. I had to say, he knew how to be nimble.

"Castiel? What brings you here?" I heard a guard say. Castiel wasted no time in stabbing him. Straight to the point, then. I rushed out and closed the door to my cell, locking it with the key. The two guards closest to me caught me in the act and rushed to brandish their angel blades. I pushed one against the other, causing them both to lose balance. In that brief downtime, I grabbed one of their blades from its holster and slashed both of their throats. Castiel engaged with the fifth guard, their swords striking furiously in loud metallic clashes. The last one charged at me. I grabbed the guard I'd previously pushed and held him up as a shield.

The first strike went right through the angel I held and I used that momentum to disarm my aggressor. Then I pulled back my arm and delivered a punch. It may not have been my strongest, but it knocked him off balance enough for me to wrap my cuffs around his neck and incapacitate him while he squirmed for freedom. I couldn't say that I didn't enjoy that too much. By then, Castiel had finished off the other guard and came over to stab this one too.

I held out my hands expectantly after handing Castiel the keys. With a click, the cuffs came free and fell to the ground. Good riddance. Just for good measure, I stowed them with me. The guard I locked in my cell held onto the bars and tried to rattle them. "Let me out of here! Please, I'll do anything. Just don't leave me here!"

"You're right, I shouldn't leave any witnesses." I snapped my fingers and the guard exploded into tiny angel bits.

"Sophia!" Castiel yelled. "He begged for mercy. We could have recruited him!"

"You really believe that?" I said, bored. "I'm only going to say this once, Castiel. If anyone wants mercy, they'll join your side. Besides, you're the one who wanted secrecy."

We were about to leave, but I saw another figure curling his hands around the bars of his cell. "Sophia, you promised," Gadreel implored, eyes wide like a puppy's. I saw Castiel's sceptical expression.

"I did," I confirmed. Castiel gave me a blank stare so I assumed there would be no protest. I found the key to Gadreel's cell and cuffs on another guard's body. "And I do keep my end of the deal."

More banging clamoured from the other cells. "What about us?" one of the other prisoners yelled.

"We can help too!"

"Please, I'll do anything!"

Well, I did have all the keys with me. "Oh what the Hell," I shrugged.

"No," Castiel insisted, halting me. "They're paying for their crimes."

"Aren't we all…" I sighed, unhanding him from me. "Today, freedom wins." I leaned in closer to him to whisper, "Wins us good distractions."

He locked eyes with me knowingly. With his unchanging stare, I couldn't tell if anything was happening in that head of his, but he did give a short nod.


Freedom sure did feel nice. Now that I could walk normally, my gait shifted to accommodate my growing child in the front. That was something to get used to. More guards heard the hullabaloo and raced to meet the trouble-makers. Needless to say, the hallway was painted with angel grace. Our little troop was doing well so far. The other inmates were a bit too zealous to be free, so I reeled them in with commands. They accepted it, seeing me as some leader for setting them free. I even considered taking them back with me to Hell, where they could actually have a future. Gadreel, though, remained broody and tensed up around Castiel. I could tell, he was desperate for redemption. It was sad considering what a fine helper he'd make if he could just get over himself.

We came upon a connector leading to three other hallways. Castiel was steadfast in making towards the exit. I caught his arm and spun him to face me. "The Seekers—they're being held hostage in the Infirmary's lab," I told him. "We have to get them before we leave."

"There isn't much time," the angel argued. "The deal was your freedom in exchange for help. Not theirs."

I suppressed an elaborate eye roll. Now I knew what Lucifer meant when he had called Castiel a 'tightly-strung chord'. "You do realise these angels form the backbone of Raphael's operations," I pointed out with incredible patience. "Lucky for you, they don't quite like being shackled and used as slave labour. So you're welcome."

With what seemed like a heavy burden, he relented. He gave the signal for the others to follow us. One of the prisoners, Zephon, cast us a grimace and said, "We should be running away from Raphael's goons, not towards."

He looked to the others for support. There was some shifting amongst them. Gadreel stood firm, and said, "I'll not walk away from the chance to atone for my sins."

Another angel, half-convinced by Gadreel, added, "You can take your chances, Zephon, but I'll stick to the lot with the archangel."

That seemed to settle the consensus of the group. We darted towards the Infirmary with a coordinated silence. This was going to be tricky. Guards everywhere. I split them up, so that some of us would first confront the guards at the entrance and the others would sneak up from behind to catch them by surprise. I created a bubble of silence around us, but that wouldn't mask the bodies. We had to hide them in a corner. Finally, we stormed into the lab. With our efficiency and shared goal of escape, the whole ordeal was done and dusted in a matter of minutes. The Nalkam were soon freed and rubbing their wrists.

Shemsiel found his shades on a guard's body, rubbed the lenses on his attire and put them back on. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm happy to see you," he told me. A mild distaste seemed to befall him as he saw the other angels who had tagged along with me. "But did you really have to bring them along with you? You know they're criminals, right?"

"Honour amongst thieves," I simply said.

Raziel helped Pahaliah out of her shackles and as she gave Rahab a once-over, he came over to us. "The materials needed to make Occatin, not to mention a number of other dangerous items, are still here. We need to destroy them," he said.

Dinah's eyes lit up. "Can I set it on fire?"

Raziel looked at her with concern. "You're quick to suggest arson."

Castiel looked around us at the lab, noticing all the strange concoctions and contraband. "Do it," he ordered.

The two looked at him with a strange dissonance, and then to me. I nodded. Dinah turned to Raziel with excitement, her eyeliner-defined gaze beckoning him for approval. Raziel sighed, "Alright, you can burn it down."

She shrieked in a way I never imagined her to and picked up a baton from one of the guards. There was no hesitation at all. She just went at it, smashing all the glass and chemicals everywhere, while the rest of us were poised to leave. Taking one last look at the mess she'd made, she snapped her fingers to ignite it all. A blue luminescent flame spread from one end of the room to another.

Meanwhile, Rahab ambushed Castiel with a big bear hug. The latter angel tensed up uncomfortably in Rahab's dark biceps, eventually only relenting to awkwardly pat him on the back. "We are indebted to you, brother," he told Castiel with a grin that could fill up the whole room. "What you did to Raphael took big cojones."

"I don't know what male genitals have to do with that," Castiel blankly said. "But I suppose the appropriate response is… you're welcome."

Letting out a hearty laugh, Rahab let go and slapped him on the back. Gadreel, who'd gone to check if the coast was clear, returned with a sombre face. "We need to go. Now," he reported.

With me in the lead, we turned back into the hallway where the connector was. Just as I looked around the corner, I saw several angels assembled at the junction like a pack of wolves. I stopped abruptly and assumed cover at the corner, holding out my hand so the others would follow my signal. The angels in my view were being briefed while their leader made an announcement via the communication system.

"Attention all units: the prisoners are loose. I repeat, all prisoners are on the run. That's nine angels and an archangel. Command centre: requesting one unit for the fire in the Infirmary," she said. Then, to her unit, she said, "Everyone spread out and search. They couldn't have gotten far. Secure the path to Heaven's gate."

The angels dispersed, thoroughly covering our exit. Shit. That was a no-go. Just then, an idea came to me. I beckoned my companions to follow me as I took them back the way we came, but instead of taking a right to the Infirmary, we took a left to the armoury.

The old workbenches were exactly how I remembered them to be when Hassiel used to be here. Once the whole troop was in here, I shut the door and ordered them to move furniture to block it.

"What's the plan?" Castiel asked, despondently looking at the door while a table was being moved against it.

"The search party's looking for us where they think we're going, which is the exit," I reasoned. "They're not going to look for us in here. We'll just lay low until they've given up."

The others were about to ease up and find a comfortable spot for the wait, when our next surprise awaited us. A rattling noise arose out of nowhere. We all jerked towards the noise. The angels assumed defensive stances as I tried to locate the source. It had come from the office nested in the far end of a wall. I slowly crept up to the threshold and held a blade, ready to strike. The door was open. Counting to three, I rushed into the office. I caught the gleam of an angel blade coming at me. I instinctively raised my blade to block and deflect the attack, using another hand to grab the neck of the angel attacking me. Within seconds, I had him pushed up against the wall.

"S-Sophia?" the choked voice said.

I gasped. It couldn't be. My eyes stung with recognition. I slowly lowered him to his feet. "Hassiel?"


His vessel was an older man whose youthful spirit was still preserved in his vivid blue eyes. Lines of worries past were etched onto his face, along with a black beard peppered with grey strands. Words had abandoned me. I simply pulled him into a hug. He was careful enough not to press against my belly.

"Too… tight…" he stammered before I released him. "If I wanted death by hug, I'll let you know."

I chuckled. He followed me as I walked out of the office, blade lowered to show that he meant no harm. "It's Hassiel. He's with us," I assured the others. They sheathed their swords, though uncertain gazes remained trained on him. There was so much I had to say. I took him aside just to have some privacy. "What happened to you? I feared the worst after our last meeting," my lips quivered. "Are you alright? I heard you'd escaped the prison."

"All with good fortune, m'lady," he nodded his head respectfully, hand to his chest. "I kept my head down all these years. Even possessed a human who was just like me—a Smith—and enjoyed the fruits of the Earth."

"Pleased to hear it, friend," I gave him a warm smile. "So why would you leave all of that to come back here?"

"The Apocalypse was one thing but talk of this war… it's something else," he leaned in closer to me to whisper. "A civil war, they're saying. When I heard that it was Raphael up against a mutiny, I knew that I had to do my part. After all, it was he who forced me to betray you and build the Cage and the Vault. If there is a way that I can cripple him and feed him to the wolves, I will take it. I came here to smuggle some weapons from the arsenal out of Heaven."

"Good thinking," I praised. "It's nice to know that there are people like you who are willing to fight for justice."

"Say, I heard you were out of the Vault, but I didn't know if that was true," he admitted, an eerie reservation hiding in his voice. "It wasn't built to be opened again, Archangel. I thought… I thought you'd be gone forever."

"I'm here. Really," I assured him sincerely. "But what do you mean, it can't be opened again?"

His thick eyebrows were woven together in thought, his eyes seemingly wandering over every image recreated in his mind. "The seals, the warding, the layout—it was like no structure I'd seen before. It was all an imagination of a mind unknown to me, and a language I'd never heard spoken. It was God's instruction yet, it couldn't have been Him. The power it exuded was… was alien," he seemed absolutely horror-stricken. "It was like the Vault was meant to be excised from the very fabric of our universe. Like you would be erased and never spoken of again. Even thinking about it again, I- I feel an unseen eye watching over me."

The hairs on the back of my neck arose. I thought I'd get some kind of clarity from him, but this just seemed to make things worse. "Hey- hey, it's fine," I snapped him out of his daze and rested a hand against his shoulder. "Just forget about it, okay. We don't have to think about it anymore."

He gulped and shut his eyes briefly before opening them again. "You're right," he shook his head once to get rid of the memory. "Anyway, I'm hearing this Castiel fella's really riling up the Heavenfolk. That him right there?" he pointed cursorily with a thumb at the brown coat. I nodded. "You trust him?"

"About as much as I trust most people," I simply said. Hassiel understood what that meant. "He's not my first choice for an ally, but we both want to do in Raphael's face really bad so I have to hand it to him."

"We're all kind of on the same side then," Hass concluded as he watched the other angels lounging about.

"I have to ask," I said suddenly. "How did you escape the prison?"

He chuckled. "I built those prisons. I can get out of them."

I left him to go mingle with the Seekers while I discussed strategy with Castiel. The angels sat huddled in a far corner in the armoury. Castiel and I stood at a distance from them. "It's only been a few hours since you've freed me and I've already brought you precious resources," I beamed. "We're at no loss for weapons or intel. The next step: rallying supporters and gaining trust. I say, while the search party's probably headed to Earth to look for us, we paint the town red and show them that Heaven belongs to the angels. Oooh, we can even light Raphael's office up with holy oil. That'll send the message."

"That's too risky and out in the open," Castiel said with the energy of a deflated balloon. "We cannot allow Raphael to know our strength before the actual confrontation."

"Fine, be boring," I crossed my arms. "So what's your plan?"

"I need to reach out to the angels. Let them know that there's a way other than Raphael," he divulged. "The only way to do that, however, is to show them that I'm strong enough to beat him. Which leads us back to the souls."

"Right," I nodded. "So how are you harvesting these souls? Genocide or Heaven?" He froze up. I tilted my head. His gaze flickered about. "Castiel…" I said questioningly. "Where did you get the souls?"

"I may have borrowed them from Hell," he blurted out.

"From Hell? That doesn't make any sense."

"They were given to me. By Crowley."

I didn't believe my ears. I had to do a double take. "Excuse me?" I said blankly. "Crowley? Who's he to give you all of that, huh?"

Castiel seemed to shrink within himself. If I was being charitable, I'd say he looked guilty. "He's proclaimed himself the King of Hell."

"How can you just say the most absurd things with a straight face?" I berated. It took me a while to process it.

"I suppose, that after Lucifer was trapped in the Cage, and you were captured by Raphael, no one remained to give direction to the demons save him," he explained.

"Yeah, not helping," I silenced him. I pressed a couple fingers to my temple. "Listen, he is an illegitimate King. He isn't in any position to be bargaining with my, and my husband's, property. Now, what did he want in return for those souls?"

"He's in it for himself. Everyone sees Raphael as a threat," Castiel went on. "He doesn't want the return of the Apocalypse."

"You're not answering my question," I curtly pointed out.

The angel opened and closed his jaw a few times. "He… wants me to help him look for Purgatory."

"What's he going to do with that?!"

"The souls in Purgatory are far more numerous and powerful," he explained. "Crowley wants to split them. If you can help us, you can get a share too."

I pursed my lips. I sternly put a hand on my hip. Castiel's brows crinkled slightly. Perhaps I'd been staring too long. "Seriously? This is what you signed a deal for?" I dryly questioned. "Let's consider—for the sake of argument—that it is possible to find and open Purgatory. You do realise you're getting ripped off."

Silence from the gullible little Seraph.

"'Find Purgatory' in exchange for a meagre fifty thousand. Crowley's but a mere conman. Once you show him the gates, there's nothing in it for you. Drop him, and I'll give you the best offence loyalty can buy," I offered. "All without opening the floodgates to God's worst creations."

"He already has a good head start," Castiel stated. "I believe he's close to-"

"It. Doesn't. Matter," I asserted. "Do you really believe that you and a little crossroads demon can control the power of souls so aborted that even God never wanted to see them again?"

"All the souls in Hell couldn't be enough for this fight," he argued. "If I'm going up against Raphael, I'm going to need all the firepower I can get."

"I can give you that," I said slowly, in case he wasn't able to catch it. "I'm telling you, Angel of Thursday, that Purgatory is the wrong way to go. Did you not see the chaos that reigned the Earth during the Apocalypse? All of that and no one, not even God, thought that the creatures of Purgatory needed to be involved. I'm telling you, as someone who has fought these beasts and Leviathan, that it's not worth it. There will be no more discussion of this. Once I return to Hell, I will undo whatever damage Crowley has done and we will start afresh."

Castiel threw his hands up in resignation. "Fine," he conceded. "I must warn you—Crowley is no mere crossroads demon. The throne fuels him."

"Don't you worry about that," I assured him. "Let me handle him." A pause precipitated from our agreement. Before he could leave to check if the coast was clear, I said to him, "We are still angels, Castiel. Despite our differences, we must work to preserve some order."

He nodded solemnly. He left my presence with a heavy air about him—the kind of air dense enough to coalesce into rain clouds. I must have been looking some kind of way too, seeing as Hassiel broke away from the group to approach me. "Seemed like an intense dialogue," he expressed concern.

"Just a minor difference in opinion," I brushed it off.

"Well, now that we're here, I think I may have something that'll turn that frown upside-down," he dug into his satchel. "You must've dropped it during the Fall. I came upon it after my escape, luckily before anyone else could. I hope you don't mind that I made some updates."

When I saw the sleek metal, it was like I'd finally reunited with a part of myself I'd lost. Its glimmer in the dark was like no other – an instrument as personal to me as the bone in my arm. My jaw dropped as he handed the archangel blade to me. I held it gingerly in my hands, tracing my finger along its edges and handle. The short sword was engraved with hard, intricate designs on the handle and softer, flatter designs on the blade. The designs were supplemented with green stones and my sigil was imprinted on the centre of the hilt. The runes used to empower it glowed faintly as my finger moved along the edge of the blade.

"Few things can truly qualify as art. But this… this far exceeds them," I sighed with awe. I gripped the hilt and flexed my wrist to swing the blade in a figure of eight. Felt as natural as a sea breeze. "I can't thank you enough, Hass. You are the one friend whose affection never grows old. Anything you need, I'm just a prayer away."

"Your offer is very generous," he respectfully bowed his head.

"By the way, I'd like to seek your counsel on a certain matter," I began. He gave me an expectant tilt of the head. "These weapons you mean to smuggle out of here, would you think it's wise to use them in the rebellion?"

He took in a deep breath as he ruminated over it. "I think… there is a chance they could be useful. As long as you trust the one wielding them. You mean to hand them over to Castiel, don't you?" he realised.

"I'm thinking about it," I said hesitantly. "I'm not completely sure about his priorities, but it is on the table. So you can get these weapons out of here?"

"There's an angel I trust. He helps me get in and out sometimes. Name's Balthazaar. I'm supposed to meet him soon. It can be done, no doubt about that," he confirmed. "Though, the fewer witnesses, the better," he eyed the others. "Not saying they're going to rat us out, not intentionally anyways."

"Hm… I agree," I conceded. I didn't like the idea of lying to my friends, but not much of a choice remained. It was probably safer for them anyway. "I've an idea. Before Castiel comes back, sneak out and find this Balthazaar. Tell him to ring the alarm bell outside when we leave."

"That'll alert every guard in the area," Hass grew puzzled. Then, it dawned on him. "And no one will notice us sneaking back into the armoury. You always did surprise me with how quick you were on your feet."

That elicited a grin from me. "So can you do it?"

"With your blessing, anything's possible," he nodded. "Give me a head start."

When Hassiel left, I returned to the Nalkam. "…everyone sees through it now," I heard Raziel say.

"Sees through what now?" I intercepted as I seated myself with the circle.

"Raphael and his iron fist," he explained. "It was always there, but with Michael gone, the angels are seeing him for who he really is. Those loyal to him are trained in covert operations and work by instilling fear. It's no wonder that the angels see Castiel as a breath of fresh air, as someone more reliable. Where's Hassiel gone?"

"He went to help Castiel," I lied breathlessly. A brief silence eclipsed the moment. I was afraid someone was going to start asking questions. Instead, Pahaliah gingerly rested a hand on my womb.

"How's he coming along?" she asked, at once amazed and relieved by the pulse of life. The others seemed to perk up at that. I could feel the questions brimming on the tips of their tongues.

"He's a strong one, I can tell you that," I beamed. "I just um… I think I owe all of you an explanation. It's all very sudden, I know, but it felt right. After all the losses we've endured, I just thought it was time we created life rather than destroy it."

I saw that Raziel was warily raising a hand. I nodded at him. "Quick question—and I don't mean to offend, at all—but some people, not us, may look at this and think that- that a child born of you and the Devil may not be the-"

"I get it," I said dryly. "This isn't about anyone else. This is about us moving on with our lives. How long has it been since any of us has heard the patter of a cherub's feet? Maybe that's what we all need. Someone new to show us what the world should be like. No Apocalypse, no Heaven, no Hell. Just us and increasing entropy."

That stirred some thoughts in their heads. This was all so new. I didn't expect them to accept it all so quickly. Even I wasn't so sure what prospects the future held. "We just hope for more peace," Raziel opined.

Dinah was next to steer the conversation. "So, have you thought of names yet?" she asked with a cheeky smile turning up her lips on one corner.

I thought back to my conversation with Lucifer. I could just imagine him with me right now, nagging me to pick something or listing out as many as he could think of. "No, not yet. I want to take my time with this. What's in a name, anyway?"

"Oh, everything," Shemsiel chimed in. "It describes who we are. That's why God always named us first, because He knew what we'd be. Until He left, that is. Just look at Rahab – proud and quarrelsome, just like his name. The evidence is right there."

Rahab huffed. "You're just making that up! I'm sure it means something like handsome and strong!"

Shemsiel grinned. "See what I mean?"

"Okay, okay," I calmed them down before more jibes were thrown around. "You're all free to throw in suggestions but I'm going to wait until he's born before committing to anything."

The sound of a door being opened startled us. We stood up, blades in our hands. It was Castiel. "It's clear," he reported.

"Wait, where's Hassiel?" Pahaliah asked.

"Hassiel? Wasn't he here?" Castiel added to the confusion.

I stayed quiet for the span of a few heartbeats, but the situation failed to resolve itself. "He went out to find you," I covered. "He'll probably circle back soon."

Just then, the angel himself showed up behind Castiel. "I'm back. Yes, I was just looking for you, Castiel," Hass confirmed. "Now's our chance."

We treaded silently out of the buildings. We'd lost them well—there was practically no one in sight and the gate to Earth was wide open. As I'd suspected, some of the angels must have fled to Earth in search of us. The gate was a glowing strip of light, pulsating alone where it stood in the open field. To get to it, we would have to dash past the citadel square. At its centre was the grand fountain from which liquid crystal spewed out in flawless, mathematically ordained arcs. On the left was the mural I'd done—one of my last undestroyed works. It was a giant portrait of all the angels in Heaven, arranged by rank in concentric circles around the image of God. Even now, even from this distance, the sheer devotion it emanated touched me. Right above the mural was the canopy hosting an alarm bell, with Balthazaar ready to act at its pulleys on the ground. With a mighty heave, he tugged at the ropes.

The chime was a lofty ripple in the air, making a rumbling effort at an alarm. It certainly was loud, though—I was sure all of Heaven's corners heard that. The mass fluttering of wings erupted within the cover of the receding chime. The others were practically frozen in their step. That was my cue. "Raziel, get the Seekers to the gate right now," I ordered. "Castiel, Gadreel and the rest of us will hold off the reinforcements."

"We can't just leave you here," Raziel denied, duly flustered.

"This is non-negotiable," I said through clenched teeth. "I'll be right behind you. Now go!"

I looked straight in his eyes, expecting nothing but compliance. His eyebrows furrowed in disappointment. Signalling to his team, he led them away. Now it was just Castiel, Hassiel and the three other prisoners with me.

"Open fire!" someone yelled. A hail of flaming arrows soared through the sky towards us.

"Run!" I commanded. We narrowly dodged the avalanche. One quick glance behind me revealed a trail of holy fire hissing in pure desire for our necks. The soldiers were closing in on us hastily, coming at us from all sides. We had no choice but to fight, despite the insurmountable odds. Several of them against the seven of us. I shot and exploded angels as soon as I saw them rushing towards me. My accomplices were busy themselves with a blade, but were able to hold their own. Seeing an opening, I grabbed a bow and quiver and targeted the angels hunting down the Seekers. That gave them precious space to make it closer to the gate.

I reached into the quiver and found there were no more arrows to draw. Shit. I threw it away. I spotted another quiver at a reachable distance. A large horde of angels, though, were charging towards me from the very same direction with murder in their eyes. Gadreel locked eyes with me in the middle of the scuffle.

"I'll hold them off," he offered, making a break for it with me. He engaged the horde while I seized the quiver and swung its strap around my body. I fluttered my wings open at once, spreading them out to their full length as I flew up to get a better view. Other angels had come out into the open from the nearby buildings. Some of them saw the rebel Castiel in need and immediately joined him in holding off the guards. The dividing lines became clear as everyone was forced to pick a side. Surprisingly, Castiel's side was of no meagre strength. He was a promising investment, it seemed. Our little tussle had now become a small battle.

I pulled two arrows back at once. With mere intent, I lit their ends bright with a deadly green fire. I let go. The arrows lodged in two angels' chests. At once, they exploded in a blast that took down the angels around them and injured yet more. I scanned the crowd for Balthazaar. The poor angel wasn't able to stand clear of the fighting.

He was in combat with three other guards. In no time, he had defeated them and looked around, in case anyone else came to attack. I hovered above him, aiming an arrow at him. He raised his arms in surrender and his mouth hung open in shock. Authentic or not, his expression was a useful one. Winking at him, I shot an arrow straight at him. He fell back from the impact, and winced in pain on the ground while I landed on the ground and approached him. "What the-"

"Shh. Just play along," I whispered. Using the angel blade I picked up from before, I stabbed him in the chest. With a bright flash of light, he died.

A second later, Balthazaar stood dazed in the armoury. "What the hell just happened?" he asked in a poignant British accent.

"You just died. Or rather, everyone thinks you did. You're welcome," I replied. "Few people enjoy that luxury."

"Okay, Hassiel did not mention this." He bent over and placed his hands on his thighs, winded from the fight.

"Hassiel tells me he trusts you. Can I trust you too?" I plainly asked.

He nodded, head still down.

"Good. Do as you were meant to. Get these weapons out of here and wait for my instruction," I ordered.

"Sounds great," Balthazaar gave me a thumbs-up. "The only problem, and it's a small one, is the bloody civil war right outside."

Hassiel soon joined us. "Don't worry too much. No one's going to so much as look at you," he told the angel. He briefly rummaged a drawer in his office and got back to us. "Here are the keys. Let's start moving this stuff."

Once they'd packed everything neatly, I directed them around the fighting, through paths branching away from the square. I stayed back while they made it out without anyone noticing. Now, for the final act. I caught sight of Castiel and aimed a thought at him. "Castiel, the others are out. It's time for us to go," I ushered him. "Get your supporters and leave right now."

Just to add the cherry on top, I aimed three arrows at Raphael's foot soldiers. Again, they exploded with much collateral damage. "There! The archangel's loose!" someone yelled.

That got everyone's attention, regardless of loyalties. Gadreel and the other prisoners—one of them had already perished—rushed to my side as defence. Even for me, the chances were slim. It was all happening so fast. All I saw was a mass of them, like a flood, coming my way. My breaths grew heavy. On one side, I saw Castiel fleeing with people who'd revealed their support for him. And then it happened again. Just when I was about to fire some shots from my palm, a sudden dizziness pulled at me like an anchor. I pressed a hand to my forehead as I struggled to retain clarity. No matter how much I willed it to go away, I had no choice but to succumb to this wave. It pulled me down so hard I could barely register anything around me. If I tried, I could hear the muffled sounds of Gadreel yelling at me to get back up while he and the others valiantly fought off our enemies.

A pair of hands latched onto my arm. I gasped. That brought me back from the daze, but only barely. My initial trepidation was soon flushed with relief. Hassiel was a sight for sore eyes. "Y-you came back for me," I huffed and puffed for breath. He put my arm around his shoulder and dragged me away while my accomplices moved with us as cover.

"Wasn't just about to abandon you here," he consoled me. We'd made it halfway across the field when I'd finally felt my strength return to me. The power of a thousand suns surged through my veins. I wielded my blade like it was an extension of my arm. I sliced and slashed every angel who stood in our way. No mercy was offered to those who came close to my son.

"Close the gates!" someone yelled. Angels rushed to coordinate the closing of the portal, all of them gathered with arms raised to seal up the opening. I knelt with one knee and stabbed the ground. That sent a rupture bursting their way. The angels fell back like pins in a bowling alley. One hand on my belly, I pulled myself up and drudged along to the gate. We only had so much time before the angels got back on their feet to close the gate again. Hassiel was at my side. Gadreel was behind me. He had been so valiant in pushing the angels back that he'd let more get between us. For a moment, our eyes locked. There wasn't much time.

I let a deep breath permeate me as I tensed up all my muscles. With a simple stomp, I released all that pressure as a scream. The sonic wave ripped through the angels morbidly close to me and pushed back the whole crowd of them. My eyes were burning with green light, their laser intensity setting ablaze anyone in their trajectory. I saw Gadreel fall to his knees.

Hassiel and I were one step away from the gate. It was closing fast by now.

I looked back at Gadreel one last time. He was immediately apprehended by the angels. They held him down by his arms and cuffed him. All I saw was the sheer betrayal in his eyes.

Hassiel and I took the leap. A prompt hiss sealed the portal behind us.


A/N:

Hi, small update from me. It's 18 Jan 2020. As of today, I have replaced chapters 16 to 25 with newer versions. I am currently rewriting these earlier chapters as I am a self-loathing perfectionist. I'm just giving you a heads-up before you proceed further and realise that this story looks like it was written by two different people. Well, technically I started this fic around 3 to 4 years ago, and since then, I've grown as an author. Looking back at the earlier stuff, I really wasn't satisfied, which is why I have been rewriting them during my term breaks. Let's just say, this part of the fic is still under renovation. Unfortunately, I don't have any more time until perhaps the summer to get back to writing. Anyway, hope you can forgive certain discrepancies in chapters after this, though it shouldn't be too bad. Happy reading and thank you for your support!