Your first day as the new big boss. Monday seemed to take off without the slightest perceptible problem. That is until Monday made her presence known.

Amenadiel and the remaining zealots were brought in silence and under the steely gaze of those present. Restrained by Michael's people who felt absolutely no pity for them at all and simply dragged them not too gentle inside. They looked battered, especially Amenadiel who really did not look well and was bloodied, one eye shut, a result of the little conversation Celine had had with them earlier that day. Everyone stared at them but Alexander's gaze was downright vengeful:

" I am the new God and your father can do absolutely nothing to save you even if he wanted to. He is no longer in this universe and can never come back. I have actually already decided not to wipe you out of existence but that can still change. That depends on the answers to my questions. If they do not please me or I suspect that the answer is not the full truth then I will simply chop off your heads and put them on spikes in front of the palace so that everyone can see your heads and spit in your faces and there are many who would like to do exactly that. Understood!"

The prisoners nodded meekly. If Alexander squeezed his jaws any tighter his teeth would shatter. He addressed Celine:

" Celine dear, may I have my sword for a moment?"

The Demon did as she was asked, manifested Alex's sword and gave it to him. The latter placed his sword with the green scabbard neatly in front of him on the table. Amenadiel and his zealots watched the display of power and swallowed for a moment at its implication.

" Amenadiel, you knew about the children and you knew about that experiment of your father. What was it that he wanted to accomplish?"

God's eldest son knew since the moment he was brought back to Heaven and thrown into a cell that all was lost. His father was no longer there to protect him, a multitude of angels he had wronged over the millennia were after him, and there was a new God who clearly could stand him as much as the plague. His powers as an Angel had been stripped from him and so he was no more than a human in the presence of super natural creatures who could crush him under their boot just for the pleasure it would give them. The only chance he had was to answer truthfully because he had no doubt that this new God would keep his word.

" Father wanted a new kind of Angel, completely loyal to him, who would not ask questions. Stronger, quicker with more stamina."

" In other words, he wanted robots without their own thoughts, their own feelings and their own desires. And that was fine with you?"

" Father wanted it, I never questioned father."

Alexander sat back in his chair. Those who had known him longer knew that this seemingly nonchalant attitude meant he was at his most dangerous. His right hand remained on the green scabbard of the sword and his fingers seemed to tap casually on that scabbard.

" So that makes you a robot too? How about the fact that he killed over twenty thousand of your brothers and sisters? How about the fact that before we arrived here he had one hundred and thirty innocent children killed because they were not compliant, that on the day we arrived another eleven children were killed? How about the fact that those children were malnourished, treated like lab rats? Do you think it's normal to wash a child by pouring buckets of cold water over them? And please come up with an answer that doesn't make me expose you directly to my sword. In other words the full truth and don't obfuscate your part or thoughts, your life depends on it."
Amenadiel thought about his answer for a moment and decided to confess the full truth about his feelings. With Alexander, he knew he couldn't hide them anyway and he was already furious enough. He really had no desire to be completely swept out of existence:
" In the beginning, it was only Angels who I didn't think were useful. I didn't see what we could gain from sculptors and painters or drama and music. He had the children treated so that they would become hardened warriors but he never seemed to succeed. They were not faster, stronger or had more stamina. Maybe even less, certainly not the hard warriors he wanted. Father was furious at times because it seemed that his new creation was going to produce exactly what he would rather have lost. Angels like Jophiel or Ariel."
At the council table, Angels could be heard gasping for breath. Nariel and Ariel were so furious and would have preferred to attack Amenadiel. Jo could scratch his eyes out at his total lack of compassion for the children. And beside him, he felt Samantha's anger almost palpable. Alex raised his hand and calm returned somewhat and then he made a hand motion towards Amenadiel to continue speaking.
" Father explained to me later that he could absorb the grace of the Angels he killed and thus become more powerful."

" But you made the lists of which Angels needed to be eliminated. That reminds me of World War II when lists were made of Jews or homosexuals. That makes you the Heavenly equivalent of Adolf Eichmann."
Alex fingers plucked the scabbard of his sword for a moment and he said:
" It didn't end well with him either in the end... Your attention did go very much to those who were Lucifer's sympathizers. Why?"
" Those who were the first to side with Lucifer were all angels of love, the arts, mercy."
" And that didn't leave a light on in your chicken brain? If such gentle Angels chose Lucifer does that tell you nothing about Lucifer's character and the purpose behind his rebellion?"
" Yes, but Father said that in Heaven there was no place for weakness only for strong Angels capable of waging war."
" A war against whom Amenadiel? Against mankind? What can humans do against Angels? If we wanted it today then tomorrow humanity will be wiped off the map without a single loss. A war against Hell? Lucifer would never lift a finger to harm one of his brothers or sisters and the rest of the Demons aren't much of a problem either. So a war against whom?"
Amenadiel had to swallow for a moment and answered quietly:
" I don't know, father never told me."
" Then I'm going to tell you idiot!"
Snarled Alexander.
" A war against another universe! Not a war to defend this universe but a war of conquest against another universe. To exterminate even more Angels. To dominate humanity there too with his moronic laws! And you knew that all too well!"
The Angel grew a little smaller with each bit of Alexander's statement.
" You knew it without having to be told by your father, and you were only too happy to participate in that bloodshed. Don't you have a shred of decency, not a shred of compassion in your bones. You participated in the killings of your brothers and sisters as if it were spring cleaning, supposedly to get rid of all the weak ones and leave the strong ones. And once your father realized that he had gone too far, that he had exterminated too many Angels but could not create new ones without your mother he began his little experiment to create a new kind of Angel. And if the children didn't live up to his expectations they were simply killed and their bodies dissolved into nothing as if they never existed, had never been of any value, as if they were a toy. And you, you hoped to become the commander of an army of robots and conquer other universes. You simply wanted to take Michael's place. Not just the favorite but the general."
With a jerk, Alexander shot forward in his chair, Hellfire completely ignited in his eyes, and he yelled at him:

" I am sick of you Amenadiel, of your deepest being. I grow sick of the zealots who stand beside you and I am not going to waste any more time on you. This is the punishment I pronounce for all your sickening deeds."
Samantha squeezed his hands gently and he took a deeper breath. Amenadiel's answers had brought him to the limit, almost forcing them to their knees and rolling their heads:
" I sentence you to fall. No longer will you have your wings or anything of power, you will be perfectly human. You will live like a human being and spend the rest of your lives among them. But Amenadiel if you thought I was going to send you to LA near Linda hoping she would take pity on you and help you then you are wrong! Humanity was created in the image of the Angels and therefore humanity represents all races. You will be dumped on Earth with nothing, between those who have the least and suffer the most from poverty and oppression. That means for you Amenadiel the poorest part of Africa. Should you at the end of your existence as a human being manage against all odds to get back to Heaven then so be it but you will never get your wings back or be included in the ranks of the angels and you will be denied access to the city forever. If you do not make it and your destination is Hell then know that I have placed a marker on you and your place in Hell will be the deepest level. And I am almost certain given your character that you are all destined for Hell!"
Spiteful of the sight of the zealots and Amenadiel, Alexander snapped his fingers and they disappeared to Earth to begin their existence as humans. With a trembling hand, he took out a cigarette and lit it with difficulty. It was Lucifer who said:
" That, that's going to be hard for them."
" Why do you think I did it?"
Alex replied bitterly, and again he felt Samantha's hand gently squeeze his.
" Sorry about that dad, I'm quite angry. In my existence I have never came across anyone who can so easily, so ice coldly step over a life, his own son, as if it were an inventory of a storage unit. And the idea that my children could have been next..."
" We don't blame you Alex."
Said Ella:

" This must have been something like questioning hard Nazis after the war about their thinking and actions. It's just unimaginable that someone could think that way about someone else's life. I don't think anyone at this table could."
Everyone at the table grunted or nodded in agreement with Ella's words.

Alexander took a few deep breaths to regain himself and then said:
" Okay you guys know what to do to get started so let's go improve Heaven. Senior Staff if you would follow me to my office and oh yes Mercury you too please."
Everyone made their way to begin the tasks their God had assigned them. The rest followed Alex to his newly designed office. No one was familiar with it yet so they looked around to understand Alexander's taste. Most also understood that the taste of the furnishings was a reflection of the person who worked there and thus of that person's personality. Across from a spacious window was a large modern writing desk with a glass top, against the walls several whiteboards on which there was nothing yet but which no one doubted would fill up in no time. In one corner was a small but cozy sitting area for more informal conversations, and in the middle was a gleaming walnut table with comfortable office chairs that could seat fourteen people, one at both heads of the table and six at each side. The office simply breathed professionalism and nothing else. This was a room to work not for personal pleasure.
" Please sit down."
Everyone took their seats, and as Alex and Samantha had silently agreed, they took their seats at the head ends of the table. In this room they would be seen as equals in everything. Anna emerged from a room adjoining the office with a carafe of Alexander's favorite drink.
" Thank you Anna dear, welcome to Heaven. Will talk tonight okay love?"

She nodded with a big smile and brought Samantha a jug of her favorite tea and accessories

Alex said:

" I don't know what everyone wants to drink, so go nuts."
Meanwhile after everyone had taken their seats and made their own drinks appear they suddenly heard Ella:

" OH, OH, OH... but that means I get wings too but I don't know how to fly at all! I already have a little fear in an airplane..."
There was soft laughter around the table. Samantha who remembered her time with Alexander when he was learning to fly all too well winked at her and said playfully:
" Oh I guess that won't be a problem Ella. Lucifer will be all to happy to teach you how to use your wings. And also the real fun things you can do while flying mmmm."
Lucifer proudly and vehemently nodded yes and with that that matter was once again resolved. Alexander took a sip and lit another cigarette which earned him a gruff look from Samantha and he heard in his head:
" Alex... The kids!"
After one puff he stubbed out the cigarette to the amazement of those present who knew him well enough. A chain smoker who put out his cigarette after one drag, there had to be something behind it. He therefore said quickly:
" Mercury, we and more specifically Raphael, have a huge problem. If we start the Hell Project we need a medical infrastructure unseen in Heaven. Look the idea is that I am going to create an island just for that purpose. We expect perhaps a few hundred million souls from Hell who will need temporary hospitalization, our so-called residential patients. These may be patients who will need to be admitted for a short time or even a very long time. However, there will also be I don't know how many souls who don't really need to be admitted but will still need therapy, the patients in the day clinic so to speak. And just as many souls who can actually function normally but need, say, weekly or biweekly group therapy, or individual therapy. Raphael and I have discussed this many times and we have come to the conclusion that everything would actually be better concentrated in one cluster."
Mercury was nodding and in his head it was spinning, the scale of that project would be enormous. Raphael took over and hummed in his deep voice:
" What we were thinking of was planting a whole series of buildings on that island so that each building would not become so large that no one would know how to find their way around. We were thinking of ten thousand patients per building and then just kind of copy paste with the next buildings until we have enough but everything would remain more or less uniform."

Mercury thought for a moment and said:
" Yes, but this is medical so the facility will be totally different. Judging from what I've heard about this project so far, the patients will be mostly psychiatric patients so everything will have to be geared to as much peace and quiet as possible inside and outside the buildings, as much greenery as possible for peace, parks, ponds, and so on."
Alex nodded:
" Indeed, but we must also have an area where those souls can be delivered. Put a large cleansing pool around it as a first step to help cleanse their souls and a few MASH units outside of it."
" MASH units Mylord?"
Asked Mercury not understanding.
" Some kind of field hospitals, non permanent structures. A place where Raphael's people and the volunteers can make an initial diagnosis of the arriving souls and refer them on to the units best suited."
" That can certainly be done Mylord if Raphael and his people can tell us what they need then we can design and build it."
Ella raised her hand and Alexander said smiling:
" We are not in a classroom miss Lopez so you don't have to raise your hand, just say whatever you want to say."
" Why so much medical care, hospitals for hundreds of millions, MASH units, aftercare?"
When Alexander didn't know how to answer for a moment Samantha said:
" I think I know what Alexander, Lucifer and Raphael are getting at. People who spend time in Hell innocently and have to relive their worst nightmares or mistakes over and over and over again, and sometimes for centuries, they won't come out of it quite right psychologically."
Raphael gruffly hummed:
" That's putting it mildly. We don't know how many will be on the verge of depression, in full-blown depression, on the verge of psychosis, in full-blown psychosis, on the verge of being catatonic or will exhibit full-blown catatonia. We just have no idea until we get them to Heaven and assess them one by one. That means we have two and a half billion open questions that we will only be able to partially answer once we have taken them out of their cells and they have arrived in a MASH unit and we can make an initial diagnosis."
Ella swallowed and said softly:
" Jeez, I'm already sorry I asked, pfff."
All Alexander could say was:
" Yep, that's Hell and the work of Godfry."
Mercury said with confidence:
" Okay, some of my architects need to get to work with Raphael as soon as possible and work something out so we can quickly fill up that island of his. No problem, design first then construction and then the furnishings needed. Yep we can certainly handle that and deliver Mylord."
Alex nodded his approval and just took a one sip of his drink until he dropped his glass and grabbed his head. Everyone was startled as he shouted steely:

" Holy Fuck!"
He had received a prayer from Beatrice screaming, which did not bode well. He answered her in a soft hopefully comforting voice:
" Beatrice what is it Sunflower?"
" Mommy came to Daddy's house. They had a bad argument and then Mommy grabbed her gun and shot. Daddy is hurt, very badly. Mommy wants to go somewhere with me, far away from you."
" Sunflower, you have to stay calm now and not let your mommy notice anything, okay. I'll send Lucifer and Michael to help immediately. They will be with you darling in a moment and then everything will be over."
He took a breath and then said firmly:
" Lucifer, Michael you must go to Earth immediately. Decker has seized Beatrice and is on her way out of town. Lucifer bring Beatrice here but be careful she is in the back seat and I don't know if she is hurt and if so how bad. Michael grab the bitch and put her in a cell here in the city."
Lucifer looked at him and spoke a single word:
" Daniel?"
Alexander only shook his head and that was enough to make the twins run outside.
"Okay folks, I think that concludes the meeting."

Said Samantha instead of Alex as she saw and felt that for a moment he was completely unable to get his thinking in order. Moments later, only Ella and Samantha were left behind; the rest had understood the message between the lines.

Chloe breathed a sigh of relief, she had reached the edge of town and no one had stopped her. Trixie lay in the back seat and was quiet. She would have to check her right arm later when they were further from LA because she had probably pulled her daughter too hard with her. The engine of her car suddenly stopped completely and she didn't understand why. She still had plenty of fuel, no lights had come on in the dashboard. The car came to a slow stop and she already wanted to get out to look in the engine compartment. The next thing she knew, her window was completely shattered, she was dragged out of the car and she flew a few feet through the air before colliding unceremoniously hard with the asphalt. Michael with his terrifying black wings fully spread stood looking at her as if he might crush her at any moment. Lucifer opened the back door:

"Beatrice, child I'm here can you move?"
She threw herself into his arms from the back seat and wrapped one arm around his neck, the second arm lingering more or less motionless. The Devil lifted her in his arms and he asked her:
" Are you hurt? Are you in pain?"
" My shoulder hurts a lot Lucifer. Mommy pulled on it very hard."
Michael had lost sight of Decker for one second as he looked back briefly to see if the girl was okay. Lucifer had turned to Decker with his eyes aflame but the words stuck in his throat. She had drawn her weapon and pointed it at him while he had her daughter in his arms. Instinctively, he wrapped his wings around the girl to protect her. She could not fire more than two shots. Michael had already grabbed her by the wrist and squeezed forcefully, feeling the bones just about shatter under his pressure, and Decker cried out.
" Luci GO, take her to Raphael I'll take care of this bitch!"

Growled Michael coldly. Lucifer didn't let him say it twice and disappeared with Beatrice. He knew his brother hadn't just said this so Trixie would get medical care. He also knew that Michael would want to have a conversation with Decker before dumping her in a cell in Heaven and that this conversation would be far from pleasant for her. Without a word, Michael grabbed her by the throat and pulled her up from the ground.
" It's not enough that you wanted to kill my brother, twice! It's not enough that you killed your daughter's father! Now you want to kill your own child too! Alex hasn't passed judgment on you yet but I'm going to show you where you belong."
With those words, they disappeared from Earth and appeared at the gates of Hell. Alarmed by Michael's arrival, Belios and Bearus were with him in no time and looked in amazement at the still living woman who had dropped to her knees beside the Angel and was gasping for breath.
" What do we have here Michael? This one has a marker from Alex, special attention after her death but she's obviously not dead yet. So..."
" And speaking of marker, we just got one in here that needs special protection."
" That will be Daniel, killed by this here."
He pointed his hand at Decker.
" He'll ask about it. Daniel is in level one?"
" Absolutely. Just tell the boss he's safe, that he's not exposed to the essence of Hell for a second."
" I'll go upstairs for a while and then come get her. If I'm gone for an hour or so how many hours have passed here?"

The two Demons knew that the Angel absolutely knew how much time would have passed and that this question was meant for the human being.
" Hour on top? Maybe about ten hours here, maybe a little more depending on which level."
" Gentlemen would you be so kind as to have Miss Decker take a tour, let's say from levels five to nine? I'll pick this up later, no idea exactly when."
And with that Michael disappeared, leaving Decker behind with the two Demons. Bearus said:
" Wow you must have fucked up so bad!"

Lucifer appeared with Beatrice in his arms straight into the infirmary where Raphael was already waiting for him. The latter signaled to put her on an examination table but she refused to let go.
" Beatrice, this growler here is Raphael and he is the best healer in Heaven. Can he please take a look at your arm and shoulder?"
She nodded and Lucifer found no easier solution than to sit on the table himself with Beatrice in his arms so his brother could do his work.
" Okay young lady, let's see and this really isn't going to hurt."
Very gently Raphael placed two fingers on Trixie's shoulder and scanned her. The injuries her mother had inflicted on her were not too bad but were nonetheless painful for a young girl, especially a human child. Her shoulder had been dislocated and shot back, the muscles and tendons around it had come under severe strain. He winked at his brother and said to Trixie:
" Would you like to see something absolutely magical, Angelic magic?"
At the word magic she seemed to have forgotten her pain for a moment and she nodded fiercely yes. Raphael said to Lucifer:
" Take out your wings would you Luci?"
The latter did as he was asked but did not understand very well what this would be necessary for. Her eyes grew big as saucers at the sight of his white feathers who had a divine glow so close to her face. The hand she could move automatically went to the feathers but was stopped when he gently held her hand with his hand. She looked up at him in disappointment and said softly:
" Sorry Lucifer..."
" No need Urchin, it's okay to touch them but I want you to be careful okay. See those big ones over there? They are razor sharp and could hurt you badly. Our feathers are also very sensitive so you have to be gentle, okay? The little ones are no danger."
He released her hand and she gently placed it on the little feathers she saw and stroked them for a moment. For a moment Lucifer didn't know what was happening to him, it felt so good. But absolutely not in a physical way but in a absolute spiritual way. Like a bond was being forged with the girl that was so much deeper than the one he had with her so far. Raphael took her hand gently and looked at her:
" Good little one, now we are going to heal you but I could very well use your help with that. Do you think you can help me?"
She nodded softly and mumbled almost inaudibly:
" yes..."
" Fine, you see that feather over there? I want you to grab that and give it a tug yes?"
" Isn't that going to hurt Lucifer?"
The Devil pressed her a little closer to him. This child had just lost her father and was injured and yet the first thing she was thinking of was not herself but him, whether it would hurt him. At that moment he decided that he didn't care if she ripped all the feathers from his wings, he would gladly sacrifice them and accept the excruciating pain.
" It's okay Urchin, it's only one small feather and as you can see I have many more. Go ahead, take the feather."
" Okay..."
She said softly and with a short tug she had the feather in her hand. Raphael took the feather from her and said:
" Now look at your injured arm and see what happens when I use Lucifer's feather, that is pure magic."
She did as she was asked and the healer placed the feather on the arm and pressed it gently. Her whole shoulder and arm suddenly seemed to emit blinding white light and the pain disappeared. Raphael once again placed two fingers on her arm and said:
" So all better and all thanks to Lucifer and his magic feather."
Hearing that, she wrapped her second hand around Lucifer's neck as well. Ella, meanwhile, had arrived with Alex and Samantha around the time Raphael had tried to cheer Trixie up with the promise of magic. The way Lucifer handled the girl, as if by some miracle he no longer had problems with children as he always claimed, that he even pulled her closer to him and embraced her. Ella's heart made strange leaps in her chest. When Trixie began to cry panic appeared in his eyes for a moment but Ella quickly sat beside him and and cared for the small girl who would not let go of Lucifer. Alexander looked at Raphael, who stepped with him into the hallway after which the door was closed.

" The girl is okay, it must have been painful for her but everything is as it should be again. But if the girl can release him later when she is more stable I have to heal him too."
" Why, what's wrong with my father?"
" I don't know what happened back there on Earth but he has two bullets in his right wing. I don't know how that is possible because we are just invulnerable to human weapons. I don't think he realizes it himself right now but he's going to feel it when the adrenaline start to subside."
At that moment Michael appeared beside them. Alexander looked at him questioningly:
" I know boss you said in a cell. You didn't say immediately though."
He responded with a mean streak on his face.
" And where is she now if not in a cell?"
" Sightseeing..."
" Excuse me?"
Asked Samantha not understanding.
" She is currently receiving a personalized tour of Hell but only levels five through nine."
She immediately understood what was happening and what Decker was currently being exposed to.
" Good!"
Said Samantha bitterly.

Daniel's death had put a serious damper on the inner circle's spirits. Their misery, however, had only just begun. As they discussed one problem, the next was already rearing its head...