"Are you a God fearing man?"

Carter glanced over at Drago. It was the first time the body snatcher had spoken since he had beckoned him to enter the side tunnel, the dry darkness enclosing them on all sides, only their footfalls echoing in the deep.

"It is such a strange question, on so many levels." Drago stated, leading Carter farther and farther from Fredrick's chamber. "You are my brother, yet I know nothing of you."

"In a previous life, if one is to believe." Carter said simply, wondering where this conversation was going. It was disturbing, the way Drago would flip from rage to brotherly love on a dime.

"Oh, you are my brother. Deny it all you wish, but Abaddon lies within you, his soul yours. You have merely forgotten." Drago smiled, ever so slightly, and Carter felt his skin crawl. "But I ask again…are you a God fearing man? The fact that I am asking the Voice of God alone is quite amusing."

"Why should it be?" Carter asked. "I am still a man, no angel. God does not appear to me, demand of me things. I merely serve him, as all should."

"Yes…there is the key word. Serve." Drago paused at last, Carter and him in a large underground library, the stone shelves stacked high with scrolls and ancient books and little things that had not seen the light of day since they had been written. "It is not the first time you served him."

"quot;What do you mean?" Carter asked, working to never allow Drago to come behind him, to keep the door always at his back.

"God has a way of…abandoning his servants. He forgets them, asks for so much, and then gives nothing when they need him."

"I have heard this tale before from Marie Delpine. She too claimed to be the Voice of God…infact, you were the one that came to her."

"Indeed I was. And we both know that she never was the Voice of God…but I am here to tell you, Abaddon…you and I have served God.

"In our first lives, we belonged to a tribe, the first of humanity to be given powers. Strength, speed, flight, and so many more. Only we survived the flooding of the Earth, save for Noah and his ark. We were tasked to be God's angels upon Earth, to protect our lesser brothers against the darkness." Drago paused, glancing at Carter. "For 5 generations the tribe grew…and fo five generations they knew only happiness and servitude.

"Then the dark day came."

Drago grew quiet as he spoke, and though he wore another man's face, Carter could see the pain flash deep within the body-snatcher's eyes.

"I was but a child. You were older, just nearing the age between child and adult. It was you, Abaddon, who learned of our parents' death, slaughtered by the barbarians you call humanity. Never had one of the tribe died. Never. And when we begged God to bring them back…we received no reply.

"In our grief, we knew we had been betrayed. God had used us, and he felt no need to give us anything in return. That is when you decided, yes you Abaddon, that we would no longer serve him. We would become our own masters, make our own destinies."

"To serve in Heaven…or rule in Hell." Carter said, looking about it.

"I always laugh at the tales of Lucifer. How many of his legends were born from our deeds" Drago chuckled as he moved about the room. "We started small, stealing what food we needed, finding shelter where we good. But as we grew stronger…as our powers grew stronger, we rose up, becoming warlords, kings and a queen…and finally gods ourselves.

"We learned well for the harsh lessons God had taught us. To those that served us with loyality, we rewarded them with their hearts desires. For those that betrayed us…death would not come quick enough to them."

Carter crossed his arms over his chest. "Tell me, Drago…what the hell does any of this have to do with me and what you have been doing down here?"

"Everything." Drago said. "Long I waited for you and Bithiah to return to this world, and now you both walk the ground once more. Finally, at long last, my endgame can begin, and we can begin to change the world."

"You mean rule it, to take it over."

"No." Drago said, smiling. "Change it. We will not rule it, Abaddon…that is not our destiny. I have…far greater plans for this world than mere ruling."

Drago moved towards a table, pulling out several maps and scrolls and laying the out for Carter to see. Still weary, Carter moved towards his enemy, looking down at what he had to show.

There lay detailed draws of Vatican City, Israel, the West Bank, India, Tibet and other Holy sites, the birthplaces of all major religions. And on each map, there were small notes of their army strength and the dangers in attacking them.

"You want to destroy relgion."Carter said quietly.

"No, Abaddon…I am going to destroy God…and then we will take his place."

^&^&^&^

(The Alliance Safehouse-France)

Vally mumbled as she walked into the com room, rubbing her eyes. Helena looked up at her granddaughter and smirked. "I thought you were going to go to bed."

"Uh huh." Vally said, trying hard to show she wasn't sleepy. It had been a long night, the children up way too late, and Madrid had left an hour ago to get both Gabe and Vally settled while watched over Derek.

"And where is mommy?" Vic asked.

"uhhhhh…."

^&^&^&^

"SNORK!"

Gabe mumbled, curled up on his mother's chest, as Madrid, sprawled out on her bed, let out another unlady-like snore.

^&^&^&^

Helena laughed. "Come on, now that you put mommy to bed, its time I put you to bed."

"But I want to talk to daddy!" Vally whined, yawning.

"You can talk to him in the morning, now come on."

^&^&^&^

"What do you mean, replace God?"

"God is a cruel master, Abaddon. He has used this world for his own benefit, ignored the pleas of the people. Fredrick, do you know why he is the way he is? Because Sylar murdered his entire family. He never even ot to see the bodies, they were reduced to ash. And then, God has the nerve to give him a power…a power over the dead. A power…he can never use on his own family." Drago shook his head. "That is God's will. To take and to take…and never give."

"And that justifies him?"

"Most of the dead you see out there were already dead. What does it harm to have them alive again?"

"And what of the families you have taken?"

"The children, if you are only concerned about them, are alive and well."

"And their parents?" Carter asked.

"Dead."

"You murdered them."

"I killed evil beings. Let me ask you, Carter…if I told you that a man and woman worshipped a false god, that they tried to instill in their children these beliefs, and would harm them when they disagreed, would you agree that the children must be taken."

"And that is what you have done?"

"Not in this example. In that one I talk of all the many cults and religious sects the American government as removed children from. Did they not remove those young children from that group in Texas? How many cults have the government swooped in on and rescued the innocent, given them to good homes? I am merely doing the same. I am finding the innocent, and giving them over to good families."

"Ones that believe only in your cause."

Drago smiled. "But of course." He clenched his fist. "We can not grow soft, Abaddon. I have gathered those with abilities, rewarding them for serving me, and together we will tear down the religions, we will wage war upon god and we will win."

"And you believe yourself capable of taking His place?"

Drago chuckled. "Do not lie, Abaddon. Long in the darkness, when the world has fallen asleep, you wonder in your heart that if you are destined never to die, can you truly be called a mortal? And as your powers grow, you wonder deep within your soul…are you human? I am here to tell you, you are not. You have become a god, brother…you just never realized it."

"And your answer is to destroy the world."

"To make it better! To destroy the old world and build a world of peace! Have you not done the same thing?" he moved about Carter, like a serpent. "Did you not kill Marie? Merrick?"

"No…they died…"

"They died…not by your hand, but you would have killed them. To protect your family, to protect the world. I am merely doing the same thing. The world is my family, and God is Marie and Merrick to me. I am driving a dagger through God's heart, and I will take his place, a better and more just god…and I want you by my side." He stepped away. "You ask me not to kill? I will agree! You wish for no more innocents to be harmed, I will do so!" he clasped Carter's hands, and he found he could not force Drago away. "You and I brother…we will work together to make this world a better place. The babies I took, they are safe in Eastern Europe. We will raise them ourselves, teach them. No longer will we do as we did in the past, with murder and death…together, our combined forces will drive away the corrupt! You said that you could serve in Heaven, or rule in Hell. You are wrong. You can slave for Heaven…or you can save the World."

Carter shut his eyes, trembling slightly. "it is…a noble goal." He finally admitted. "And I believe…that you believe all that you say. And perhaps, from your side, you are the hero in this story. Only one thing concerns me."

"What…what can I do to make this right?" Drago said, knowing he was on the verge of victory.

"Nothing." Carter said. "Because you already did it." Whammy flames began to flare up all over his skin. "You tried to kill my wife and son…you shot my daughter!" He shoved Drago away, eyes glowing red as his silver flames exploded and he entered his ascended Metatron form. "You may have been my brother…I may have been Abaddon…but that was another life. And in this one…you tried to kill the people that matter most to me!"

"They aren't real…I am your family…not them. They are but shadows-"

"SHUT UP!" Carter roared, the scars on his back ripping open and his fires forming the illusion of angel wings. "You dare attack my family…my Madrid. My Gabriel. My Vally. And for that, brother…you are cast from my family."

"No…Abaddon…"

"You are no longer my kin. You belong to no house, your blood not mine." Carter drew his sword. "And I will see your head on a spike, and your soul burn in the fires of hell!"

"You…you never were going to turn, Metatron…you did this to learn of my plans!" Drago screamed in fury.

"Yes." Carter raised his weapon. "You are a fool, Drago. And now that I no longer need to learn of your plans…" His blade glowed with whammy energy, and before Drago could react, Carter lashed forward, his sword singing as it cleaved his left arm from his shoulder. "…you will die." He swung again, slicing off a chunk of Drago's right cheek. He watched as the blood dripped from his blade, enjoying it very...very much.

Drago narrowed his eyes. He threw off his robe, his bare flesh quivering as his arm regrew. "Metatron!" He pulled out a sword and raised it, features already shifting into something...not human.

"Come, brother..." Carter said coldly, "Its time to finish our dance."