(Anno Domini 1.5)- Hailfall

1.1 billion years ago…

Ben again found himself before the Council, in trouble once again

"BEN!" Gabriel, the head of the council, bellowed. "What were you thinking!"

The half-bat archangel was silent.

"Hmmm?" Gabriel pressed.

Ben sighed, and then shrugged.

Gabriel smacked himself in the forehead. "DAMN IT, YOU STUPID LITTLE…ARGH! YOU ARE SO LUCKY YOU ARE A WAR HERO, OR YOU'D BE DEAD!"

Ben giggled.

"What's so funny?" Michael, the official military commander snapped.

"He said 'damn'!" Ben snickered.

The Council sweat-dropped.

Gabriel leaned over to Michael. "He's acting as though he's as childish as his form…"

Michael nodded. "Bizarre. Say, what has the Science Guild said, on, you know, his diagnosis?"

The rest of the Council was staring at Ben, who went back to sleep on the ground.

"Aww…" Gihi, a female Arch-Councilor murmured.

Michael groaned. He had been trying to go out with Gihi for months, and now she was fawning over a mere child!

Gabriel snorted. "Disgusting, isn't it? It sickens me that that…thing is still considered an Archangel!"

Yito, another Councilor, turned his head, which had a long, shaggy beard to Gabriel.

"Jealous, are we?"

Gabriel snorted. "Jealous? Of what? That freak? Never!"

Another Councilor, Kinvar, had some scrolls in his hand that he was tapping on the table. Now Knivar looked old for an Archangel. His hair was platinum, and in a long, finely combed beard. He seemed to be smaller than the others, and yet have a sort of majesty. No one would know that Kinvar was only 2 billion, compared to Ben, who was 4.1 billion at this point. He breathed deeply and spoke in an authoritative voice.

"My friends, I have the information you seek. As you well know, Archangel Ben was changed when the Oni died."

The rest of the Council nodded, as Kinvar went on.

"But we still don't know the actual cause of his …mutation. Here's what the Science Guild has deemed: his genetics were mixed, possibly from the near-death trauma. Normally, our DNA is quite stable, but this must have been disrupted by that purple lightning bolt that struck Ben.

Naturally, his dying body was confused, and adapted to the change caused by the bolt, resulting in the change. Mind you, this is only a hypothesis. What we do know is that Ben is still genetically an Archangel, and has, in fact, grown stronger due to this bolt."

Before Kinvar could continue, Gabriel and Michael burst out laughing.

"STRONGER! Next, you're going to say that he could take me!" Michael said, dismissively.

Kinvar sighed. "He can."
All of a sudden, Michael stopped laughing. "WHAT! YOU MUST UNDERESTIMATE ME!"

Kinvar shook his head. "No. The genetics say so. If our analysis is correct…then Ben is quite possibly the strongest of all of us angels."

Michael snarled.

Gabriel sighed. "So, what should be done as for the fool's punishment?"

"He's just a kid!" Gihi protested.

Gabriel pounded the table with his fist. "NO! He's older than you, and probably older than everybody but Luci…"

"Stop! His name is forbidden here." Kinvar interrupted.

Gabriel sighed. "Let's get back on topic…"

Michael raised his hand.

"Yes, Michael?" Gabriel said.

"I think the little twerp should be banished!" Michael said vehemently.

"Arguments for?" Gabriel said.

"He's done nothing here since the war but cause chaos! He's a danger to us all!" Michael stated.

"Hear, Hear!" Zeus, an Archangel said, raising his mug.

Gabriel smiled. "If I may contribute…"

The rest of the Council nodded.

"Well, I've noticed that our respected Warrior's Guild Leader has been derelict in his duties. I have personally seen no troops more than those that were so mercilessly slaughtered by our dark cousins. He's been too busy with his 'fixings' of everybody else's job to do his own!"

Athena, another archangel, tapped the table. "Sir, that's hardly fair! There has been no need for soldiers since the war! Also, all of his students or 'comrades' as he once called them are DEAD! That, or they're the enemy's pawns. Don't you think he should be excused for…emotional trauma!"

Gabriel slammed his gavel down. "This was not the time for arguments against." He said coldly. "Besides, you seem to like Ben too much for your own good. Could it be because you like him?"

Athena shrugged. "That's personal, but I will answer it. He may be likable, but I would say the same were it any of us. In my opinion, it is YOU who seem to be biased, except that you are against him."

Gabriel snorted. "Arguments against?"

Athena smirked. "I think that this session is inappropriate. Ben has done nothing to harm any of us, and we need to be merciful to him."

Kinvar leaned forward. "I agree. He's practically a child! Yes, I know, he's older than most of us here, but he's been afflicted with a trauma that most of us probably would have died from."

Gihi nodded. "Perhaps a reform would be better. Since he's young, he has so more possibilities than us now…" She was going to speak more, but she sensed a presence outside the door to the Council-hall.

"Eris, come out. We know you're hiding there." Gihi said softly.

Eris came into the room, hands folded. "How did you know?"

"The 'DAMN IT!' behind the door might have given you away…" Gihi joked.

Gabriel glared at Eris. "You! You scientists need to keep to your own spaces! May Beelzebub have mercy! "

Kinvar stood up. "NO, GABRIEL. THIS TIME YOU'VE OVERSTEPPED YOUR BOUNDS! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED."

Gabriel sighed. "Sorry. Look, Eris- I have an idea. You and Ben go to Cybertron and do a bit of work on the Cyber Project. Ok?"

Eris nodded.

"All in favor?" Gabriel said, head bowed.

Twenty hands raised in the air.

"All against?" Five hands.

"Ayes have it. To Cybertron with you two." Gabriel sighed, temporarily seeming broken.

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