Return of the Angels
Azrael walked through the blue cave with narrowed eyes. His strides were quick but they kept within the shadow of the cloak he wore around him. The fallen followed him like obedient dogs; their quietness reminded him of their stealth so he knew that he should be constantly accessing them in case they slipped away and did something against his liking. All of them were there behind him. They may hate obeying someone like him, but they remained loyal and it wasn't all about fear. He granted them power and titles as long as they did everything to his satisfaction.
He rounded around a rock and stalked towards the company of the angels who were sent to aid Celine in the upcoming battle. He saw Michael, talking with his brothers, discussing something that made no words to his ears until he came into hearing range. Eyes turned to him as he neared but he walked on, going through the gathering of the angels and to a rock on the other side. He turned and leaned his back against it with crossed arms, watching as his fallen moved around him and settled on all sides and on the rock.
"Azrael," Michael greeted as he turned towards him.
"Michael," he replied in acknowledgement.
"I gather something happened."
"What makes the ultimate servant of the Creator say that?"
"I can easily say you serve Him just as much as I do."
"I may be an angel, but I am not like the rest of you. I do not serve Him, I serve myself."
"What happened?"
"Mind your business, Michael. What happened was personal and at the moment, you don't need to know."
"I left you to talk to the girl so she can come join us. I noticed that since she is not with you, something has happened."
"Personal, Michael, leave it at that."
"You didn't discuss what you were supposed to have, did you?" he said narrowed his eyes.
He moved away from the rock and towered Michael with dark blue blazing eyes. "You may be in charge of them, but not of me. I offered to assist, I can easily abandon."
"Do not threaten me, Azrael."
"Don't appear as if you're in charge over all of us."
"Currently he is, Azrael." The tall dark haired imposing man said standing forward, reaching the same in height as Azrael. He crossed his arms. "Personal or not, it is something that might help us win her over."
Azrael laughed. "You're as cocky as ever, Gabriel."
He raised a dark eyebrow at him. "I don't see how I was being cocky towards you."
"You think that not standing up against someone far stronger than you isn't cocky?" he said with a smile. "I am the angel of death," he said seriously, "and none of you lower angels can even scratch me."
"What an over confident bastard…" someone muttered and Azrael's eyes looked over to him.
"State your name, angel!" he demanded.
"It's Zariel," he replied, straightening and looking Azrael in the eye. His eyes widened and he took a step back. "Oh, shit…"
"You've seen Celine," Azrael said with a smirk. "There's no doubt that you've realized."
"Realized what exactly?" Gabriel asks.
Zariel pointed at Azrael in clear confidence with what he was about to reveal. "This guy… He's Celine's father!"
XxX
Everyone looked at Azrael with wide eyes, but the angel of death just smirked proudly. His dark blue imposing eyes were looking at Zariel, almost as if he were considering on giving the angel a reward for guessing correctly, but his eyes kept switching to his pointed finger and they narrowed. Azrael was considering if he should break his finger for being so rude by pointing at him. He considered it and stepped towards him. Zariel seemed to have understood, looked at his hand, and quickly lowered it and looked away. That borrowed body of his would definitely not be able to heal if Azrael broke something.
"When were you going to tell us this?" Michael asked with narrowed eyes.
Azrael titled his head to look at him. "I was planning on letting you all suffer to try and figure it out."
"You offered to assist us," he said turning his body to oppose Azrael. "Everything you learn or know is to be shared amongst us all."
Azrael turned to face him. "Why do you even think that I offered in the first place?"
"You didn't want to help restore the angels?" Gabriel steps up.
"I'm the angel of death, I merely keep the balance right, and this planet is going to need some major help to keep it balanced. It's going to be fucked up pretty soon, so that's one reason. My main reason is because my daughter is on this planet."
"You're going to have to leave this up to us now, Azrael."
"I don't think so, Michael."
"You betrayed us by not speaking out you have a daughter," he accused.
Azrael's eyes narrowed. "Why would that be, Michael? Don't you think I have my own personal reasons to keep some secrets away from your ears?"
"What reason do you have then, Azrael?"
"Think of it yourself!"
"Is it because you didn't want us to know that you have a Seraph as a daughter?" Azrael turned his back on him, indicating he wasn't going to confirm anything. "Or is it because we would have taken her away from you and forced her to undergo training to become a Seraph that she was born to be?"
He turned around and quickly grabbed Michael by the throat and held him in the air. Gabriel lunged for him but Azrael was quicker, stronger and smarter. He held his slim but sharp sword to his throat. Gabriel kept his eyes looked with his, two imposing dark blue eyes challenged the other but only Azrael had the advantage. The other angels made no move since their two leaders were in Azrael's, a more powerful angel, hands. Zariel stayed still, seemed to be focusing on quietening his breath so that Azrael wouldn't look at him. But he looked over at Zariel, underneath his hood which covered his face, he smirked at him. He soon looked back at Michael where his eyes frowned and his teeth were clenched.
"Are you threatening my daughter, Michael?" Azrael asked.
"I was not threatening her," he managed out through his choked throat.
"Sure seemed like it to me."
"You misunderstand, Azrael." Azrael looked over at Gabriel.
"Shut it, prick!" he snarled at him. "If you're deaf I was talking to Michael and not you!"
"Gabriel, back down," Michael told him but his younger brother refused to obey. "Gabriel now!" he commanded. Azrael watched as the dark haired angel backed away, looking like a leader against the angels behind him. "Azrael, let's not cause a scene or create trouble amongst ourselves."
"You're right, so leave my daughter out of it!"
"I have no choice but to involve her," he argued. "She's a Seraph, our leader and the demons are targeting her because of her power. I don't even know if they know you're her father, if they know, it is possibly another reason why they want her so badly."
"If Lucifer gets her it will be on your head, Michael," he said and dropped the angel on his butt.
"Yes, sir," he said and rubbed his throat. Azrael took up his spot beside the rock his fallen were positioned and watched as Gabriel knelt down by his brother's side. They talked in a hushed voice but he didn't care what they talked about, as long as there was a plan to keep his daughter safe, he didn't care.
"Sire," Azrael looked to his fallen that had spoken.
"What is it Quinn?" he answers.
"I don't think it best to trust these angels."
"I have more reason to distrust you over them." He told him with narrowed eyes. "You may obey me, but that doesn't mean you don't plot behind my back to do whatever you can to break free from my bind I hold you with. That includes using my daughter against me."
"But sire, we weren't…"
"Don't say another thing Quinn. If I find any of you fallen mistreating my daughter or doing something I don't like with her, I'm going to kill you." Quinn fell into respectable silence.
"Azrael," he looked over at the female.
"What is it, Sin?"
"I think I should become acquainted with Celine, so that where there is at least an angel by her side at all times for protection."
"Shouldn't you be bringing this news to Michael?"
"She's your daughter," she countered. "Michael may be our leader in this, but you are the one that decides what happens when it comes to Celine."
"I have to agree that Sin has the right idea, even if she happened to be the angel who disobeys my orders." Michael said coming up to them with Gabriel in tow.
"There needs to be more than just Sin, but you can't possibly expect to get close to her. She refused to even think that I was her father."
"Wow, heartless, I guess someone like you deserves that since you abandoned her." Gabriel replied with crossed arms and his eyes narrowed.
"I'm blaming you for her attitude Gabriel, well you and Apollyon."
"I have nothing to do with the way she is."
"She's gets her attitude from the pair of you, brother."
"Maybe so, but she gets her stubbornness from you, brother." A male said from behind him.