Sophia's Chronicles

PREVIOUSLY, on Sophia's Chronicles: Jack parts ways with Zara and the boys, promising to get his friend VampireBoy87 to help with figuring out what Crowley was up to the last time they ran into each other and taking care of a little monkey who appeared to be spying on Zara. Kevin and Castiel reveal a plan to assemble ingredients for an exorcism plan to take down Lucifer. They need the bone of a sacrificial monk, blood of a powerful mage and a primordial ornament. Cas and Dean talk about Jack, further revealing the mysterious nature of this angel. In the flashback, Zara, Abaddon and Hades get slammed by Lucifer because Esther escaped (fundamentally Zara allowed it to happen). Lucifer basically wanted to pull the trigger on his own nuclear vessel but Zara talked him down and tried to defuse the 'bomb'. But just when she thought it worked, a fast ticking sound is heard.


Chapter 77: War and Peace

Hell – 6 months ago

"Omnis!"

The last thing she saw was his piercing blue irises. A sphere of bright, burning light enveloped them. When Zara found her body intact, she dared open her eyes again. It was a miracle that she'd had the sense to close them in time. If she hadn't, she may never have had eyes again. She may never have been able to see the stunning sight before her of an archangel emerged in freedom. His wings rising as but a shadow on the wall behind him and his eyes as deep as the oceans of blood he wanted to see. For once, he seemed like himself again – the last time being when he'd taken Sam Winchester as a vessel. A relief that had only lasted till the next afternoon, when he'd made the grim choice of leaving everything he loved for the sake of a justice that had seemed so necessary back then. Now it was just funny in a sad way.

Lucifer's lower lip intruded upwards in a sort of ruminative pout. "Guess it's uh, back to business as usual, then," he mused in the anti-climactic aftermath. "You're all gonna live."


Montana – 3 October 2012, 4.39pm

"This is it?" Kevin's frazzled eyes were now a default that just appeared whenever he looked at anyone with even a twinge of doubt. He picked up the droplet-shaped pendant and harshly investigated it with a gaze that accepted no excuses.

"Don't say it like that," the guy at the counter said, somewhat unsettled by Kevin's vibe. His nametag read Al. He seemed to blend in with the whole colour scheme of the place, like working in this trinket shop for years had made him see nothing but antique shades of colour even in the clothes he picked. "This is it. Kyra's Tear. They say that the world was made out of her sorrow, and her tears are the only remaining pieces of the cosmos that aren't corrupted by creation."

"Huh?" Kevin glared at the balding man.

"What kind of a being was this Kyra?" Castiel inquired, seeing as Kevin's cynicism wasn't getting them anywhere.

"The most powerful kind of being," Al explained with a sense of wonder lighting up his eyes. "An Izanami."

"Izanami?" Castiel repeated.

"Yes," Al said.

"Kyra is Izanami?" Cas clarified.

"An Izanami, yes," Al nodded. The angel's head only tilted. The more this man spoke, the more confused he was.

"I- I don't understand how an indefinite article can be used to address the Japanese goddess of creation and death," Castiel voiced.

"Not the Izanami, dude. An Izanami," Al puzzled. He huffed halfway between a breath and a sigh, suddenly finding himself staring at the men in front of him as a tingle of absurdity set between them. "They're a class of beings, like Izanagi, the male version. There aren't that many of them in the lore. Damage levels are quite high and this kind of merch is incredibly rare. You gotta appreciate what I got here."

Kevin, meanwhile, finally found something on the pendant that made his heart skip a beat. "Made in Japan," he uttered sharply, his words merely a rush of air.

"Um, yeah, where else are they gonna make it? Mordor?" Al almost laughed.

"You said this was a primordial ornament!" Kevin snapped at him.

"It is!" Palms outward, Al rushed to contend.

"It's just plastic," Kevin flustered.

"Wha- just plastic?" the man put his hands on his hips. "Is the universe just atoms? Are wires just copper? That's not just plastic. It's one of a kind, exclusive access only. The casing is real, good metal. And what kind of question is that anyway? Everything is made of plastic."

"But how can something primordial be made of plastic?" Kevin sputtered. "That doesn't make any sense. How can something belonging to a goddess be plastic?"

"Woah, dude, relax," Al flinched. "You're not one of them fanboys, are ya? It's just a show."

"A show?" Cas articulated.

"Yeah…" he looked between them, now positively befuddled. "Primordial. It's an anime."

"Oh God…" Kevin sighed in dejection. His fingers loosened and the pendant fell passively on the glass counter-top. All physical integrity seemed to leave him as he pressed a palm to his forehead.

"Izanamis are level 10 beings and really hard to find," he held up a card with an animated image of the character with a brief bio stated below it. "See that? Instant death to opponent. Super rare collectible."

"This is Kyra?" Cas inspected the card more closely. "Her bosom is rather large for her body. And I don't think that pose is physically possible. Unless she is some kind of shape-shifting deity or just incredibly flexible." He looked to Kevin for further clarification. The prophet just seemed lost in thought. "Kevin?"

"A weeb. I got scammed by a weeb," he muttered to himself. He threw up his hands, exasperated. "How did I forget that weebs exist?"

"Is that another class of being?" Cas inquired genuinely.

"Might as well be," Kevin sighed.

"Hey, we prefer the term 'enthusiasts of Japanese culture'," Al defended. "I mean, how did you not know that? There's a freakin' katana in the display glass." Cas and Kevin followed his gesture to the front of the shop. "There's no scam. You asked for an ornament from Primordial and here it is!"

"So this is ornament is not actually of primordial origin?" Cas pressed.

"Cas, it's a collectible. An overpriced piece of plastic that doesn't have any actual value. We're wasting our time here," Kevin concluded rather dejectedly. "Thanks for nothing, Al."

The young prophet stormed out coldly with the angel following less angrily at his heel. "Yeah, the feeling's mutual, asshole," Al called out after them.

Later,

Zara burst out in laughter, breaking the confused silence of the hunters. That put a smile on Sam's face – watching her double over while his arm rested on her shoulder where they sat on the couch.

"Guys, I'm so embarrassed," Kevin confessed as he stood before them. She only laughed harder. "I really thought this was something. But I guess I forgot that the third most dangerous force in the world, after angels and demons, is anime."

The pearls of her laughter seemingly slowed, only to rain upon them once again. "I'm sorry," she apologised in the midst of clutching her abdomen from the sheer delightful pain she was in. "I- I can't help it. Wait till Jack hears about this."

"I know it's a setback but can we cool it with the labels?" Dean remarked. He paused briefly to find the words. "Anime is an art form and deserves more respect."

"Dean, you don't want to go down this path…" Kevin sombrely said.

"So Dean is a weeb?" Castiel interjected.

"No, Cas. Th- I'm not- Forget it," he sighed. "Can we get back to the topic, please, you two?"

Zara needed a drink of water from that. She didn't think that it was possible for her to laugh this much anymore, even though it was such a silly thing. As the cold liquid washed down her throat, the physical fatigue of laughter and its warm afterglow made the moment freeze like a fragment of time that couldn't be lost. It was a part of her now. And when she looked at Sam again, there was a beaming sensation in her chest that she just couldn't pinpoint. She wrapped her hands around his torso as she rested her head on his shoulder and he received her like his next breath of air.

"It's an easy mistake, Kev," Sam finally said. "Don't be too hard on yourself. You've been going so hard at it these last few months. One mistake isn't the end of the world. We'll find the ornament."

Kevin nodded, halfway consoled but never less harsh on himself.

"I've been giving this some thought," Cas began, inching forward in his seat. "Primordial deities don't have 'ornaments'. They have no need for items of decoration. So what are these ornaments that the tablet speaks of?"

"Hm, maybe it's a loose translation," Kevin considered. "It was the closest word I could think of when the tablet was literally burning symbols into my brain."

"So what're you thinking?" Dean inquired of the angel.

"Something – anything – created by a primordial being could hold such immense power," the angel thought out loud. "It's a lot of firepower to exorcise a single angel. It's the equivalent of opening a can of beans with dynamite. But who would have access to those kinds of objects? Perhaps, other highly-powerful beings. Maybe some that we know of."

"You have someone in mind?" Sam probed.

"I think I do. I have something in mind, rather," Cas answered. Warily, his eyes met Zara's. "The Eye of Khaos."

She slowly broke away from Sam's embrace, sitting up straight. Her previously loose demeanour faded into something more rigid. Sam simply assumed it was curiosity because he too was intrigued by the mention of this object.

"The eye of what now?" Sam probed.

"The Eye of Khaos. Made by, as implied, Khaos. I barely knew His name until my recent correspondence with Raziel. I didn't believe him at first, but now it's starting to make more sense," his eyes roved over the carpet.

"What's making more sense?" Dean further asked.

"It's… it's hard to explain. But the Eye of Khaos… I've seen it before. I even held it once. It could be what we need," he suggested.

"Great, so you know where it is?" Dean held his arms open optimistically.

"No, but I think I know who does." Once again, Cas found Zara's gaze. This time, the boys understood the implication.

"I do," Zara 'remembered'. "Well, I have a good guess. The memories aren't always so clear."

"Wait a second. You've… seen the Eye of Khaos?" Kevin interjected, a semblance of fascination fuelling his voice.

"Yes, but not really. I've 'seen' it, but it wasn't me who saw it. You getting me?" she said. A million thoughts raced through her head. She needed a plan.

"Sophia," Sam articulated. She nodded in agreement.

Some disgruntlement stiffened Castiel's shoulders. "Sophia offered it to me once. During the civil war in Heaven. The stone contained millions of souls. I don't even know where she'd gotten them," he recalled.

"Nowhere good, that's for sure," Zara told him. For a moment they shared a feeling of guilt between them.

"Wait, I thought she was trying to kill you? Why would she offer you souls?" Sam asked the angel.

"We weren't always enemies. I believe she wanted to help me defeat Raphael. She…" he sighed. "She knew, well before you, that I was working with Crowley and tried to discourage me. The souls were a solution that didn't involve relying on opening Purgatory. And, perhaps, they were also a peace offering."

"An evil to beat evil, still evil," Dean concluded. "At least it's over now. For both you and Zara."

She nodded in some relief. "I have some idea of where it might be. I… remember…" her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "A building. In the middle of a forest. There were scientists and machines. Area 51-kinda situation." Images flashed in her head. "We passed a lake. I've seen it in pictures before."

It didn't take long for Sam to pull up his laptop and run some searches.

"That's it. That's the one," Zara confirmed.

With some more clicks, Sam found their answer. "Wyoming."

"Don't know about you guys, but that's a lot of ground to cover," Kevin voiced.

"I guess we're going on a little hike," Dean stated. Clapping his hands once, he assumed a decisive stance. "Let's step on it, then. Pack your bags, both of you."

Sam and Zara got up to oblige. Cas, however, was left befuddled. "Are you sure you want to split up again? You've been working too hard, Dean. A break wouldn't be a crazy idea."

"I- I know, Cas," Dean assured him. "I just thought we could use some air, that's all. I'm not feeling all this 'sitting inside' stuff."

"You've been here two days."

"I just… It feels great knowing that there's something we can do. Not just wait around for Lucifer to do something really really bad. Ball's in our court now. This time we actually have a chance of defeating the bad guy without worrying about losing someone," Dean reasoned. "I just wanna get out there and go get it, you know?"

Cas narrowed his eyes and in that moment, Dean could already anticipate the 'No, I don't know.' But before Dean could clarify himself, Kevin stepped in, "We should be finding the other ingredients anyway. Multitasking and all that."

"Right," Cas agreed passively.


Château de Leuré, France – 6 months ago

Mild piano wafted in the air. The palace lights were spectacular for a place out in the middle of nowhere, and they were but a complement to the forested surroundings of the building which made it seem more magical than at first glance. In the courtyard outside, the troops stared at one another with suspicion. There were a few groups of them there, each an entourage for a different person of import. Some wore machetes on their back, some bore assault rifles in their arms. Narrowed glances were exchanged, until one Asian guy lowered his weapon and approached the Indian Rakshasa. "Dinner's ready," the Asian guy said. "The King brought some authentic Chinese delicacies. We hope they are to your taste."

He signalled to his people and they stepped aside to reveal the back of a van. The suit-and-tie henchmen of the Dragon King – simply referred to as Dragons – dragged with them a struggling few who were blinded and terrified. Just the way the Rakshasas liked them. A petite lady, one among the victims, chanted prayers in her native tongue as a sole consolation.

"Priests, priestesses, imbued with power and faith. Gives an extra punch to a broth," the Dragon suggested.

The reptilian Indian being bared a one-sided smile, after which he said, "We bring you an offering from our home as well."

His companion handed him a small red velvet box which opened with a satisfying click of the latch. Inside, as the Dragon watched, was a small medallion. The glimmering, pure gold piece was nestled as comfortably as a child's head on a red bosom. It was in the shape of a seven-pointed star and held a smooth amber stone in the centre.

"A gift from Agni himself. He gifts the Dragons his own fire," the Rakshasa said.

A wrinkle of confusion tainted the Dragon's brow. "Does Agni know that we are of the sea?" he asked. Some of his companions behind him tightened their grip on the hilt of their rifles.

"Do you think so little of us?" the Rakshasa calmly rebutted, maintaining a sly curve on his lips. "The Star is a gift unlike any other. It is a fire that can keep you warm wherever you go, even underwater."

Upon hearing that, the Dragon leader raised an eyebrow questioningly. He looked to his second-in-command, who awaited an order, and gave the nod of approval. The Second received the chest while he, the First, picked up the medallion and lay it flat on his palm. With the power of a single thought, the amber glowed ferociously. As the Dragon watched, tendrils the colour of lava danced above the stone. In an enchanting embrace, the tendrils coalesced to form a fire so mesmerising he could not take his eyes off of it for a moment. But when self-awareness got the better of him, he simply put the piece back in its case for the Second to keep safely and replied, "Even underwater? The King will be impressed."

The Rakshasa and the Dragon shook on it, one's hand scarred with sacrificial wounds from eras long past and the other's adorned with the tattoo of a green, scaly back of a dragon. Consolidatory smiles were exchanged and the night continued.

Inside the château, a different kind of correspondence took place. The large, elaborate ballroom was the venue for a smaller attendance than the courtyard. Wine and food were served at the long table in the centre of the room but attention was paid anywhere but to the table. Morrigan's flaming auburn curls bounced about her shoulders and her back. She laughed boisterously at the sight of slender bronze-complexioned women approaching, scantily clad in metallic garments that barely covered any skin. Downing her glass of wine, she swung her arm around one of the women's waists and pulled the maiden onto her lap. "War may bring bounty but peace brings booty," she remarked with a strong Irish tint in her voice as she slapped the rear of the woman in her arms. "Always a pleasure to have Ishtar with us."

"Hmph," Parvati, the Hindu goddess of Love, huffed. She was adorned in the finest silk saree known to the world, jasmine flowers decorating her hair and gold jewellery lining her arms, waist and neck. She defiantly crossed her arms and turned her head away from the goddess sitting next to her. "This is how you behave? Mad with lust? It is uncivilised for us. A woman is a flower and her love has to be bloomed gingerly. You should take her in your own chambers. Not rip her dignity away right in front of everyone."

"Woah, get a load of this Holy Joe here," Morrigan teased, enjoying the curves of her new maiden more than Parvati liked seeing. The young lady simply chuckled with her cosmic companion as she rested her hands on Morrigan's shoulders. The Irish goddess had a great view of the garment of thin gold coins that formed the woman's bikini. "If you have such a huge problem with a woman's gingerly petals you shoulda cussed it out with Ishtar."

"I'm right here," Ishtar called out from across the table. She had a nonchalant smile perched on her jaw as she leaned back into her seat. Her sensual brown irises confronted Parvati, whose breathing sped up from the sheer disdain of the scene next to her. "A real woman can be soft as a flower or sharp as a blade, regardless of what anyone thinks of her. She can feed on flesh or offer you her nectar. And you look like you have a sweet tooth."

"Damn straight she does," Morrigan chimed in. "I reckon the three of us should have a little meeting of our own in my chambers later. Of course, these lovely ladies of yours are invited."

"Please, I will take no part in your lewdness," Parvati remained defiant.

"What, you don't have a taste for the feminine?" Morrigan questioned rather teasingly.

"I never said that… just…" Parvati shrugged. Her sudden hesitation ended almost as soon as it started, voice flaring up with tension. "Women should be treated with more respect than this."

"In other words, your husband was never creative," Morrigan snidely remarked.

"Hey, don't bring my husband into this," Parvati snapped at her. "You know nothing about him! He's greater than any man you've ever seen."

"Woah," Morrigan shrunk back, if only in mock surprise at her outburst. She rolled her crystal green eyes while Parvati remained tense.

"There is no greater respect than giving someone your full attention," Ishtar calmly stated in response to Parvati's earlier statement. Parvati's doe eyes found hers once again, and in that connection some kind of compromise was made. Parvati found herself relenting more to the idea proposed by Morrigan. Ishtar's full lips curved into an accepting smile which confirmed the arrangement.

"What's a guy gotta do to get in on the action?" a boisterous male voice interrupted the ladies' conversation. The women seemed to roll their eyes as the cocky Dragon King sauntered into the room with an open stance. He wore a black satin suit, completed only by the obnoxious diamond-studded chain around his neck. Tattoos covered almost every inch of his skin, save his face, which wore a smug grin that the three goddesses did not take a liking to. "I promise I'll be gentle. Things can get hot with a Dragon."

"This doesn't concern you, Yinglong," Ishtar brushed him off. "If it's pleasure you seek, the gates of my temple are open to you and your kind. For a small fee, of course."

"Your experimental drug," the Dragon King recognised. "Yeah, sorry. No can do. I can't market something that could kill the clients. We want them alive so they can buy more, not die before they give us good business."

"Kill them? We've done so many trials. It's a pleasure drug! It doesn't do anything more than that and we've proven it over and over again," Ishtar defended.

"Of course you'd say it works. Nothing personal, babe, it's just business," Yinglong shot her a sheepish smile.

"You question my integrity? As if I have reason to lie or deceive you? We take our practices seriously and pride ourselves on the fact that we deliver what we promise. I won't just stand here while you insult my people," Ishtar's cheeks flared with a flame-like intensity.

"If you wanna take it personally, that's your problem. But the world don't revolve around you. It revolves around Yu Huang, obviously. If Jade don't like it, I don't," Yinglong retorted with faux sincerity, like it almost pained him to convey the news. "You know how we are. Pragmatism over everything."

"Oh, so it's the Jade Emperor's decision, not yours?" Ishtar probed cynically.

"Uh, yeah," Yinglong said.

"Then I guess I should talk to him myself. He's not one to forget an old friend," Ishtar supposed.

"That's not necessary," Dragon King replied a little too quickly. "He doesn't like having visitors these days."

"Really? Because I could've sworn he was a party animal," Morrigan chimed in with narrow eyes. "For a shrivelled old man, he sure has the hunger for war and wealth like no one I've met. He loves hearing about things that'll make him more coin!"

"Hey, he isn't as greedy as you make him out to be," Yinglong argued. "He is on a meditative retreat now, and doesn't want to be disturbed. So it's up to me to handle all earthly matters."

Ishtar's narrowed eyes didn't spare him for a moment. Something about the subtle tremble in his shoulders put her off. "If he's on a retreat, how exactly did he weigh in on this decision?" she quipped. He's hiding something.

The Dragon King was about to give her an answer when another deep, female voice interrupted them, "Enough of this." The occupants of the room turned to face the head of the table, where a familiar dark woman had just assumed a commanding position. She wore a bloody red in the form of a trendy jumper, set to match the wrath that anyone would face to mess with her. "We're here for a reason."

"It's about time you got here," Ares spoke up from the other end of the long table. He'd been but a quiet, albeit bored, observer of the preceding drama. His formal suit could barely contain his muscular frame but he trusted the integrity of his clothes as much as he did the lady before him. "Your leadership is missed, Kali."

"Then let's get down to it. I would not have called all of you down here today if the matter wasn't urgent," Kali prefaced as the other deities who arrived with her took their seat. Together, they were a sizeable number. As the meeting formally commenced, the entertaining consorts left the room, leaving Morrigan and Ishtar rather empty-handed. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice. Horus, Morrigan, Parvati, Rama, Yinglong, Ares – I know how busy you all must be. But we cannot wait till things get worse. It's a shame Thor couldn't make it."

"Can ya blame him?" Yinglong interjected. "The last time you called a meeting, his daddy died! We're all taking a chance here."

His words rang a bell in Kali's memory. It was one that made her shoulders fall a little more than they already had. The events of that last meeting, though seeming like so long ago, were forever etched in her memory. A betrayal, a brush with death and grief all at once hit her like a storm. But it was also what gave her strength that evening. "What happened that night was… unfortunate. But this time, I took precautions. Javelin's system is more intact than ever, especially after that breach in the casino not too long ago. I will not have him – I don't even wanna say his name – humiliate us again."

"Strength is what we need, I agree," Ares spoke up. "If he thinks he can weaken us, he's wrong."

"Sahbee, are we sure this is the path we wanna go down?" Horus, a man of tall, thin stature spoke up. He had a smooth, ebony complexion with a deathly grey tint. In that moment, his curious tone was tinted with a casual Arabic accent. "Forgive my asking, but I'm not sure that Luci- he is such a big threat," he doubted, only attending to his words when Kali's laser gaze sharpened at the sound of him almost uttering the name. "I mean, what has he actually done to harm us? He shot up one casino. I'm sure Plutus is shaking in his gold-embroidered trousers but we all still have good business everywhere! This is no big matter."

"He makes a good point," Rama, the Indian god of virtue, agreed. He was a composed deity, the only one who seemed truly calm. There was a light in his eyes and when he spoke, the air seemed to still around him. "Sick people take out their sickness onto others. This King that you worry about, he's nothing but a rash on his own skin. Rashes can heal on their own. We don't have to respond to his tantrum, you know."

"So what, we should do nothing?" Parvati questioned.

"Doing nothing is an act in itself. Nothing is truly nothing. In fact, you could say that nothing is also something," Rama suggested, ending his sentence with a brief, glowing emission of light from his own forehead.

That elicited some condescending looks from everyone in the room. "Uh, thanks for your input. It was… something," Yinglong commented with due hesitation.

"But it wasn't just the casino," Ares announced, voice hardening with determination. "He has attacked my brother's businesses on multiple occasions. Dionysus now fears for his life! And what has he done but spread the joy of wine, women and song to the world? The King of Hell does not play around. He wants something and he's gonna hurt us to get it."

"Exactly," Kali chimed in. She leaned forward onto the table, planting her palms firmly on it as she addressed the room. "Just a few weeks ago, he hit up a meeting in Samara."

"The financial accounts meeting," Morrigan recalled. "It's a small-time deal, love. I wouldn't lose sleep over that."

"Don't you see what's going on?" Kali shot back. "He's using our own people to get to us."

"And again, it's the bottom of the hierarchy we're talking about," Ishtar, though beginning to feel disturbed, doubted. "I'm not saying that it isn't bad. Yeah, he's clearly trying to provoke us. If he wanted our attention, he would've done something more dramatic. Maybe we're overestimating the threat."

"Exactly," Yinglong agreed.

"His attempts to infiltrate us have all failed thus far," Horus voiced. Then, breaking into a snide chuckle, he said, "He is but an old man seeking relevance again. What have the demons accomplished as of late? A few serial killers? Some church scandals? It's all desperation if you ask me."

"What about Ganesha?" Parvati muttered, lost in her own thoughts. "My son died at the hands of this 'old man'. Maybe the King of Hell isn't as strong as he used to be, but I will never think him incapable of evil. Whether he can actually accomplish anything now – well, that is a matter for debate."

"Isn't it true though, that the demon army had better direction under the previous ruler?" Morrigan's eyes roved over the table. "The businessman. He was also friendlier with us. But now that he's gone, Hell appears to be nothing but a relic of a dying past."

"The angels have always been very good at deception. The archangel king is no different," Kali insisted. "This is what he does. Pretend he has any mercy until we let our guard down. And then we're all fair game. Do you all forget the apocalypse so easily? How his demons spared us no civility? How they vowed to take us all down with the humans? How ready he was to destroy the planet just to settle an old score with his own brother? It isn't possible to overestimate him. We have to be ready."

That instilled a sense of sobriety in the room. Horus shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Ishtar rubbed her neck nervously. Rama rigidly took a sip of his drink.

"That's not even including the millennia of harassment we've endured from the Judeo-Christian entities," Ares supplemented. "It is our time now and no one can take it away from us. I'm with Kali on this." A nod of understanding was exchanged between them. "Which is why I have a proposition for all of you. A multilateral defence alliance."

Soft murmurs erupted around the room. "That's against the rules," Yinglong said. "Javelin isn't meant for military alliances."

"Yes, we cannot risk fragmenting the community over this," Horus added.

"There will be no fragmentation," Ishtar argued. "It's self-defence. For all of our sakes. That's not against the rules. I think Ares is right."

Kali nodded. "We should all pledge something of value to the alliance. I'll start," with the wave of a hand, Kali made appear a sheet of paper on the table. Words appeared on it as she spoke, "I will bid Ravana to awaken the dormant Rakshasas. They will rise as protectors of our bond."

The paper was passed to Ishtar, whose own words appeared on the paper as well. "I will devote workers to the production of arms for the cause."

Ares was next. "I have able-bodied warriors ready to fight at my command. They will serve the alliance as necessary," he swore.

He passed the paper to Yinglong, who remained leaning back in his chair. A sceptic line beset his lips as he regarded the paper. "I'll pass. For now," he mumbled.

"You're abstaining?" Kali challenged. "This isn't a good look for you."

"I said 'for now'. I can't just make decisions without any time to think," he retorted defiantly.

"What's there to think about? It's self-preservation," Kali shot back, tension creasing her brows. "You can't just enjoy group privileges without contributing."

"Yeah, uh, I'm just not sure about this," Yinglong said. "I just need some time! Is that too much to ask? We're all gonna be here overnight anyway."

Sighing, Ares shifted the paper to Morrigan's side of the table. Her slender fingers reached for the paper but stopped midway in a dance of hesitation. Previously confident, she suddenly felt her lips tremble and licked them for comfort. "I think I'll sleep on it," she said.

"What is this?" Kali asked rather confrontationally.

"I just need to be sure, love. Just give us some space to think will ya? The Irish economy needs Mama Morrigan more than ever and Mama can't be doing charity without thinking about her young 'ins first," she trailed off.

The amount of pressure on the paper from Kali's gaze alone was unmatched. Luckily, Parvati was unaffected by it. "For the sake of our kind who have fallen, I pledge arms and warriors as well," she vowed, determined.

When the paper came to Rama, he simply said, "I have nothing but my leadership to offer."

Kali rolled her eyes. "Rama, this is serious."

"I am serious. Is it not unwise to devote such massive forces without anyone to keep them in check? What if they spiral out of control?" he challenged. "What you need is someone to give them direction and set them on the right path."

"And that someone's gotta be you?" she said in turn.

"I don't see why not. No one's pledged a general yet. Let it be me," he offered.

"Oh yeah, we'll just put Mr Bodhisattva here in charge of leading an army," Yinglong mocked. "When he faces the demons, he can stun them with his incredible karma and kill them with kindness. What do you wanna do next? Invite the King of Hell over and wash his feet? Suck his-"

"You're one to talk, Yinglong. You haven't given us anything," Ishtar argued. "Criticism is a privilege of paying members only."

"Okay, whatever. Next," Kali just rolled her eyes. Finally, it was Horus' turn. "The Sons of Horus would make a great addition to the alliance. And this would be good press for them. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Meh," Horus stuttered, face contorting with discomfort.

"What do you mean? Haven't you been looking for a way to redeem them? Especially after what they did to piss off the Asgardians?" she rebutted.

Yinglong audibly scoffed. Some perturbed murmurs spread across the room.

"Hey, that was a misunderstanding," Horus defended. "We've already apologised for that."

"And business hasn't exactly been good for you since then," Ares pointed out. "If you do this, you'll reap great rewards."

"So you say," Horus remained sceptical.

"I don't understand," Kali folded her arms. "What's gotten into you people?"

"Kali," Ishtar tried to calm her down.

"This isn't up for debate! We're talking about Satan here. If there's anything we should agree on, it's that he's a threat to all of us! This shouldn't even be an issue," she fervently stated.

"I think the issue is that some of us wouldn't consider him a threat," Horus calmly countered. "I don't think it's our deaths he's after."

"How can you tell?" Ishtar asked, now curious.

Horus took in a quick inhale through his nostrils. "Because he made me an offer," he confessed. Gasps resounded. "The opportunity to bring my sons into the business of taking souls to Hell. How can I resist?"

"How can y- just say no!" Kali yelled. "You're doing business with the archangel? How is this possible?"

"I think it is common knowledge, sahbee, that when the King of Hell himself offers you a gift, you should take it," Horus explained. "And it is not against Javelin's rules to do business with whomever we please, if I recall correctly. You patronised the demon Crowley for years and we didn't say anything about it!"

"Horus… makes a point," Morrigan chipped in. "If he wanted to lay waste to us all, he'd make it a little more obvious. I mean, remember the apocalypse? All those thunderstorms and volcanic eruptions?"

"Oh, so you're in cahoots with him as well," Parvati figured.

"It's… more of a budding friendship, really," the Irish goddess shrugged. "I wouldn't even call it a friendship. Maybe a symbiotic partnership."

"And you, Yinglong?" Kali asked.

"Uh, what she said," the Dragon King stammered. "Lucifer is more reasonable than you'd think, surprisingly."

"So what, the three of you formed some kind of group bond with him?" Kali scoffed.

"Does Satan look like the kind of guy who likes groups?" Yinglong huffed. "Nah, I didn't know about these two."

"You three went behind our backs," Kali accused immediately.

"Kali, please," Ishtar interjected. "This… certainly changes things. But let's not start pointing fingers here. We are all at perfect liberty to do as we please, so long as other members of the group are not harmed."

"Oh this harms us alright," Ares spoke up. "To pretend it doesn't is foolishness."

"Calm yer tits, Spartan," Morrigan lamented, getting up for her snarky tirade. "Let's not pretend that anyone in this group is such the altruist. We're all buttering our own bread here. Wasn't that why Javelin was created? So that we could all get off without fighting with each other?"

"All this group solidarity stuff is secondary," Horus voiced his support. "And frankly, a little unwarranted. We're not children. And we certainly don't need a government to control us."

"Yeah, maybe you all should try talking to Lucifer," Yinglong suggested. "You might actually get something out of it."

"Wait, wait," Kali interrupted him. "Don't you all see what's happening? He's driving us apart!"

"That's a little bit of a stretch," Rama tilted his head. "From what we've just heard, it doesn't look like the King of Hell is as bad as you make him out to be. He sounds quite delightful, in fact."

"That's a pile of horseshit if I've heard any," Ares snapped at him. "You wouldn't know until he threatens someone you care about, you idiot!"

"Hey, there's no need for name-calling!" Ishtar cut him off. "Let's be civil."

"Civility is for peace-time. Lucifer wants war," Kali declared. "He knows he can't take all of us at once so now he's cutting us off one by one so that we'll be nothing."

"Kali, are you sure you aren't clouded by the past?" Yinglong pressed. "I mean, we all know he's a bad guy but so are most of us. But you – weren't you seeing his brother? The one who went around telling people he was Loki?"

"This isn't about Gabriel. And in any case, you're all getting into bed with a guy who didn't even hesitate to kill his own brother," Kali huffed. "Don't you see? There's only one way out of this and that's if we take him down! Lucifer has to die!"

The last of her words seem to echo as her rage filled the room with silence. Of all of them, her shoulders were most taut and her words most caustic. Someone was about to say something when a rush of air filled the room.

"That's a little harsh, don't ya think?" a foreign voice boomed from behind Kali. She spun around immediately and there he was, staring her dead in her wide eyes.

"You," Kali growled. The archangel didn't arrive alone. The walls were lined with his demons, all armed and dressed for the occasion.

"Yes, me," Lucifer shot her a suave smile. He appeared before them a vision of clarity, smartly suited up in something that looked expensive. The mere force of his arrival was enough to stun them all to silence. Kali backed away slowly but found she had nowhere to go when her palms encountered the table. "And it's you, Kali. Looking well, uh, with the uh- I don't care. Okay," he quickly shifted his attention to the other deities. "Heard this was the hottest party on the block. And I didn't get an invite, so I invited myself. Relax, I didn't come to start any trouble. Although, I am a little hurt that you're all basically plotting to kill me."

"Not me though," Yinglong quickly denounced.

"Nor me," Morrigan chimed in.

"I was telling them how stupid it was," Horus leaned forward in his seat to seem more serious.

"Good, good," Lucifer mumbled as he sauntered from one side of the table to the other. Ishtar's back clenched up as she felt a chill pass her. "You see, I think we've all gotten off on the wrong foot here. I had somewhat of a revelation recently, on a pristine summer day, as I was sitting in a park. It occurred to me… hey, the world is a different place now than it was two hundred thousand years ago. We live in a new age, and we need new rules. No more of this… you stab me, I stab you… you make an offhand remark about me, I throw your family into a fiery abyss…"

"You're a little late to the party. If you haven't noticed, we're already doing that. You didn't invent the idea of peace," Ares remained cold. "And what about what you've been doing to our people? The casino, Samara…"

"A little misunderstanding. I mean, you people are so hard to reach. I- I had to do something to get into the VIP lounge," Lucifer replied with a casually higher tone as he shook his head slightly. "But I'm here now, to clear things up. I don't want a rivalry with anyone. In fact, what I'd like is… a lasting friendship. With every single one of you."

His wide smile sent shivers through Kali. She was speechless. Why was he here, now of all times? And bearing such an obviously showy façade? She watched as he dug his hands into his pockets and leaned against a wall.

"I know it sounds too good to be true. I mean, most of you are basically irrelevant now. Who even remembers your names anymore? Historians? So why would someone like me – someone that people actually know – wanna help lift you up? Well I say, why the hell not? Pun fully intended. You got the game, I got the fame. We can make it an All-Star Season," Lucifer went on. "But jokes aside, you're all, I'd say, pretty powerful, right? I mean, don't beat yourself up by comparing yourself with me…" he shrugged. "And I think people don't even treat you the way you deserve to be treated. Well I can change that. I can help you all become… who you really want to be."

"Because you're so benevolent?" Ishtar monotonously remarked, eyes narrowed.

"Exactly!" Lucifer pointed at her agreeably. "We could all be… unbeatable. Together." When he said that, he held up a clenched fist meant to signify coming together.

"And what exactly do you expect in return?" Ishtar asked.

"I'm glad you asked, Ishtar. They told me you were a smart woman and I believe them now. If anything, I have a lot of experience working with smart women. I fell in love with one," Lucifer reassured her with an uncanny thin smile that instantly sent an ambush of shivers down her back. "I don't require much. But to be more specific, it's gonna depend on each of you. I don't believe in blanket statements or blanket rules. Depending on what each of you has to offer me, I can offer you ten times of that in reward. And you know it's true because… well because it's me. In the end, it's up to you."

"That's very noble of you," Rama said, nodding like he understood what was going on.

"My man," Lucifer gave him the finger-point of approval too.

"Don't buy into his spiel, Rama," Kali warned. "He's just sugar-coating the fact that he wants us to fall at his feet and venerate him."

"I- I never said that," Lucifer shrugged with a breathy chuckle. "But if you wanted to do that, you're perfectly free to do it." After a brief thought, he walked back to the front of the room. "I understand that this is a lot to digest. I'd think about it carefully, if I were you. I mean, three of you saw something in what I had to offer, didn't you?"

When he looked at Yinglong, the Dragon King nodded, though avoiding the archangel's gaze.

"I offered the Jade Emperor a premium security deal, true story," Lucifer revealed, voice contorting with a serpentine flair. "When I came to see him, dude was so riled up, so worried about losing his life. I don't- I don't even know why. And then I said to him, 'Hey man, you need to chill. Do some meditation. I hear it really balances your chakras.' He heard me out and I sent my people over to take care of his security so- so he wouldn't have to worry about anything. Isn't that right, Dragon Boy?"

As he was saying that, Abaddon and her demons smiled menacingly at the luminous sight of the golden palace. The courtyard was wide and big enough to contain the numerous Hell-dwellers who'd arrived on scene. She patrolled the area, making sure things were set up properly. Were it not for the fact that her soul was too twisted, she may have even appreciated the bright, blooming flora of the Emperor's garden and the ethereal setting of the high altitude. The clouds rolled by them in a hurry to clear the view. She entered the palace and marched down the hallways, armed with a submachine gun along with her left and right-hand men. The Emperor's own people shuddered as the demons passed them, too shaken by their presence to even say a word. Then she entered the large chambers of the Jade Emperor himself. He was a large, greying man, seated in a cross-legged position in the balcony. His eyes may have been shut off to the stunning view before him, but with his bare back towards the spacious room nobody would have been able to tell.

"They say you haven't moved an inch," Abaddon noticed, somewhat impressed. "You're not a prisoner, you know."

All she saw was the slight judder of his shoulder as he huffed, presumably in laughter. "(You can decorate the bars but you can't fool anyone about this arrangement)," the old man simply said in his native Mandarin.

Abaddon let out a slow exhale through her nostrils. Her façade fell but her eyebrow raised. "You're good at keeping quiet. Most people don't know how to do that," she nonchalantly said. "You keep this up and the boss will be happy to give you more privileges. In the meantime, focus on that third eye."

Yinglong gulped. "Y-yeah," he stuttered. "It- it's Dragon King."

"What?" Lucifer mumbled. Tiny lines nestled themselves into the corners of his eyes as he squinted slightly.

"It's- I'm the Dragon King," Yinglong corrected him.

"Oh, right, right," Lucifer nodded, locking eyes with him though a little confused as to why this was brought up. "Yeah, see? I can work with other people. And Morrigan, haven't I doubled the Irish agricultural returns since we last met?"

In a distant cave in Ireland, a dog-sized crow howled and raved at the sight of the moon through the entrance of the cave. The crow spread its stark black wings and sped forward, but shrieked sharply when the metal chains tugged at its feet. "Shut up!" Hades growled at it. "Stupid crow!"

The crow continued its hysteric episode. A deep, tired rumble echoed from the Greek god's throat with a hoarseness that could scare a full-grown lion. He entered the cage and grabbed the crow by its throat. Its screaming immediately surrendered to his choke-hold. Its black, beady eyes widened as he snarled but nothing could prepare them for his next move. With no second thought, his giant, grey hand grabbed the crow's wing by the bone and twisted it till a crack sounded. Though she was a thousand miles away, Morrigan felt the sudden spike of fear through her chest and knew exactly what was going on. A shudder threatened to shake her to the bone but she never let it show. If she did, the consequences could be far worse.

Hades felt the air pressure resisting his hold on the crow's throat. It was like a balloon waiting to be burst, especially right after the damn bird got its wing broken. Then, the pressure in its chest deflated along with the animal's willpower. "That'll teach you," Hades tossed the bird onto the floor to recover as a shrivelled mess. Just as he turned to leave, he caught the stares of the other two inhabitants of the cage – the red wolf and the white horse. They too were cuffed at the feet. "What're you looking at?"

The wolf whimpered and retreated to the corner of the cage. The horse bowed her head and lay on her side, melancholic.

"That's what I thought," Hades muttered under his breath as he shut the doors to the cage. A final jingle of the keys and it was done.

"Yeah. Never been better," Morrigan answered through a tight jaw. A bitter taste filled her mouth, making her voice a little more hoarse than it should have been. But she'd been conscious enough to stop a scowl en route to her face.

"Right?" Lucifer laughed it off. "See, Sophia was always into gardening and all that. Loving that woman has given me perspective on all sorts of things. She even had a few fixes for Morrigan's little situation."

"Sounds like a helluva woman," Morrigan remarked in an unamused monotone.

"Damn straight. I only wish you could all have the pleasure of meeting her," he responded with markedly more enthusiasm than the Irish goddess.

"What happened, did you kill her too, like you did Gabriel?" Kali jibed from next to him. Lucifer's eyes rolled a semi-circular trajectory before resting in her directions. The demons tensed up, fingers closing around the trigger.

"She spared your life once, in case you forgot. You owe your every breath to her. I urge you to think about that more often. Meditate on it, even," he reminded her. His predator eyes bore into her, though he made no effort to threaten or harm her. It was the threat of the silence that heightened the tension between them. Then, like a light switch, he shifted into a more easy posture to face the other gods. "I'll just leave you all with this: there is a new dawn coming. We can all bring the light together, or you can stay in your little caves and fossilize. In the end, you're all going to rely on me. So it's time to start bringing your A-game ideas to me. And if you don't, just remember…" his expression suddenly dropped. "…I know where you live."

The lights flickered once. At the end of the millisecond-darkness, the archangel and the demons were gone, leaving a collective flinch in their wake.