Hell was truly an awful place. It was dark, and miserable beyond belief. Ash constantly made it's way down onto every surface. There were no trees, or dirt, or green growth. It seemed to be entirely composed of grey, flat rock, which existed solely as a surface for the complex machinery of guilt replays.
The endless canyons of doors, filled with dead souls running through their personal hell-loops, were an impressive sight. The doors would sometimes rattle and buck, to spill flashes of light out into the darkness. Other times, they stayed firmly closed, only allowing the sounds of sorrow, screams and pain to fill the air. The worst part was the insane laughter of those who had become aware of their loops but couldn't stop them.
None of it really mattered to the angel. His only reason for being in Hell was to cement his place next to his Father; and to do that, he needed to kill Lucifer, Michael, and Amenadiel. He walked on through the gloom, savoring the idea of permanently removing his hated brothers.
Still, he knew better than to lose focus in the maze of doors. He kept the bulk of his attention on getting safely to his destination. He sometimes flew down the corridors because it was the fastest way through, but there were dangers lurking in the cavernous shadows for the unwary. Today he chose to walk through. It was somewhat safer, as long as he didn't open any of the doors. He reminded himself not to let some past guilt draw him into a room, where he would become trapped.
Whenever he could, he avoided the whole thing and crossed the dimension barrier to arrive directly at the fortress. But that wasn't possible today. He glanced up to gauge the distance remaining, and stopped to study the structure's strange appeal.
He had to admit that Lucifer had created an imposing structure that perfectly overwhelmed the barren land. A damnation destination… glorious in its mockery of the Silver City, with graceful arches and buttresses of gleaming marble that rose high above the sterile rock. Yet it was strong beyond imagining and defensible against enemies. It was Lucifer's first grand F.U. to his Father after he healed and fought his way to the title of King.
It gave the appearance of fragile beauty, yet no enemy had ever breeched the walls by force. It had enough space for faithful servants, a large room for war counsels or defense, a throne room for the King to grant favors or dole out punishment, a banquet hall used during the peaceful time after Lucifer had decimated all those who fought against his reign, and the inner quarters for sleep and other nocturnal activities. It was born of his will, brought forth from the granite backbone of the mountain that formed the foundation and rear of the building. The north-facing entrance rose up and looked out over the vast plain of darkness. The only light near the palace other than the white glow of the structure, itself, came from the great abyss of fire that bordered the eastern edge of the building. Perversely, Lucifer had place a large balcony on that side, which overlooked the horrid inferno. It jutted out over the blazing pit, so that anyone standing there would feel engulfed by the flames and flickering light. It made an excellent (if somewhat dramatic) departure/arrival spot between the dimensions, but now that Michael was in residence, it was too risky to use.
The angel looked over his shoulder as he continued through the gloom. He hurried along the path, hoping to make it to the small, barely used servant entrance of the palace unnoticed. He shook the ash out of his blonde hair as he stood before the door. He tapped gently on the panel. Immediately the door was opened by a female demon and he swept inside to follow her to a tiny, unused storage room.
They both entered the room in silence and shut the door. He reached for the candle and match that waited on the side table. With one strike of the match, the room was cast into feeble light. He turned to the demon before him, "So, what can you tell me?"
The female demon known as Dereen gave him a shrug, "All is going according to plan. I have a spy watching Michael. She tells me that he is getting suspicious and has started to leave Hell more often."
"He's going to Lucifer for advice. The two seem to have gotten close again rather quickly."
"So we have twin angels to defeat?"
"No. There are three that must be taken down. But don't worry. You concentrate on Michael, while I work on distracting Lucifer and Amenadiel."
"Fine by me. That bastard, Michael, left me in chains to rot after I threw the human child off a cliff."
The angel smiled at her, "Yes, he and Lucifer are overly fond of human pets. Personally I find them to be pointless." He gave her a sharp look, "Which is lucky for you, otherwise you would still be in those chains."
"I am aware that I owe you a debt and I will repay it by killing Michael. But remember, I want the kingdom of Hell."
"You will have it. As soon as they're dead, I will help you take control and then I'll gladly leave this place in your hands for the rest of eternity."
"Then we are agreed. I'll get the demons stirred up again so that Michael has no rest. That will make it easier to taint his soul. Bring out the beast instead of the angel."
"Oh, I would dearly love to see that!"
"Ha, my little spy has already begun to tempt him. Once he takes the bait, he will quickly fall from grace." She slapped her thigh in glee, "It will be easy to destroy him."
The angel frowned, "I don't want the details. Just get it done."
She moved closer and whispered, "Yes. If you know too much, you might begin to feel responsible. You might end up a permanent guest here." She gave him a knowing glance.
He pushed her away and angrily left the room. His disgusted voice carried back to her, "I accept no blame. I am doing what I must. Father needs a son who is worthy of his grace; me. Just get the job done. I don't care how."
She laughed wickedly, "That's what I'm counting on."
Meanwhile, in the palace above, Michael arrived to question Maccut, Kennet and Allatia. Guilt set heavily on him for letting his desire for Ella come before duty. He knew Lucifer's anger was justified. The longer it took to ferret out his traitor, the longer Chloe and Trixie were in danger. The choice was clear. He would find the traitor before he left Hell again, no matter how long it took. He felt hollow, remembering Ella's hurt when he left. Human emotion was much more difficult to understand than he thought. He was causing Ella and himself pain. Perhaps it would be better if he never saw her again. He shook himself out of the self-pity that crept into his heart. He had a job to do. Lucifer, Chloe and Trixie needed him. He made his way to the council chambers to wait for his demons to join him. It wasn't long before Kennet entered the room.
The young demon gave Michael a curious look, "You wanted to see me?"
Michael stood very close, "Yes. And I apologize in advance, but I don't have the luxury of doing this gently. He focused on the demon's eyes, "Tell me your truth!"
The words rang in the demon's mind, echoing painfully. He stuttered, "I… I s…s… serve you, my lord."
Michael, eased back on his demand, "Do you know who is working against me?"
Kennet frowned, "No. But I have wondered at some of the attacks. They seem to be too well aimed, too well informed…"
Michael stepped back, letting go of the demon's mind. "Thank you, Kennet. You may go, but do not speak of this to the others."
Kennet gave a small bow and left the room as fast as possible.
Michael pursed his lips, angry that he was still no closer to an answer. He stood up straighter when he realized he wasn't alone. He turned to find Allatia walking toward him.
She smiled seductively, "My lord. I'm surprised to find you here." She place one hand on his arm, "Have you changed your mind about my offer?"
Michael forced himself to remain relaxed under her touch. He gave her a knowing smile, "Let me close the doors, so that we may speak in private."
Allatia laughed. This was the part of her work that she enjoyed the most; corrupting innocence. She turned to watch him walk back to her, "So now we are private. What would you have me do?" She moved to run her hands up his shirt-front, lust flowing through her as she looked into his deep green eyes.
Michael, immediately took control, "Allatia, I command you to tell me the truth."
Her face became a mask of pain and her hands fisted into the material of his shirt as she fought his demand. "No. I can't."
He pushed more power into her mind, "Don't make this worse. Tell me."
She gasped, "I am to seduce you. To corrupt you and keep you distracted."
His eyes filled her entire mind, "Tell me why."
"Dereen commands it. She and the angel, Aruniel, will reward me when you fall and she takes control of Hell."
He sent a single burst of power into her, and she blacked out, dropping against him. He eased her down onto the floor and quickly left the room, moving swiftly toward the eastern side of the palace. Aruniel! He should have guessed. Once again, he pondered the change in all the Heavenly Host. Every brother and sister seemed to be changing, some for the worse. He had to get to Lucifer and tell him that Dereen was free and that Aruniel was behind the attacks in Los Angeles.
From an alcove, Dereen watched Michael leave the council room, noting how determined he seemed. She kept in the shadows, blending in with the darkness. Slowly she trailed behind him. She realized he was making his way toward the grand balcony that looked out over the great abyss of fire. He seemed very focused on getting out. Something was wrong. Maybe he knew. She decided that she had to act before Michael could get to Lucifer. She moved faster, know she had very little time before he manifested his wings to make the jump into the earthly dimension. As she got closer, she could smell the molten rock, feel the heat, and hear the hiss and crackle of the living flames. Fountains of fire rose up to bathe the balcony in the deadly glow of the orange and gold light. Michael stood near the railing, and gazed out at the strange, sad beauty of the place. It was difficult to look down into the flames for too long. Despair and hate flowed along with the fire, overwhelming even the strongest. He shook off the effects of the pit and smiled. He had the answer. Now Lucifer could protect Chloe and Trixie, and perhaps he could apologize to Ella.
As Michael paused near the rail to gather his thoughts, Dereen crept as close as possible, moving on silent feet. As soon as his wings appeared, and he made the first strong downbeat to take flight, she moved. He was past the rail of the balcony and above the fire far quicker than she expected, but she knew there was no choice. She would either go through the barrier with Michael or die in the fire if she couldn't reach him. Running swiftly, she leapt up onto the balcony rail and launched herself into the air aiming for Michael's back. She landed right between his wings, hanging on tightly as they made the jump through the barrier.
He tried to stop, using his wings to back pedal and throw off the weight on his back, but it was too late. They appeared in the sky over the patio of his brother's penthouse. Dereen held tight, her legs gripping his waist as the knife in her hand flashed. She brought it down between his wings, aiming for this heart. The blade sunk deep.
He cried out and fell the last 100 feet onto the terrace. She jumped off to land next to him, noting the bright red stain spreading onto his shirt and wings. "One down and one to go." She smiled and licked the blood from her knife as she quickly ran through the living area to search the bedrooms beyond.
In a small, neglected bedroom she found a bag of women's clothing marked for charity. She grabbed a dress, turned on the water in the bathroom and quickly rinsed Hell's ash from her skin and hair. She put on the clothing and silently walked back into the living area. With a final glance at Michael's limp body, she walked down the stairs and quietly slipped into the crowd at Lux.