Next Morning, New Years Day 2025

Awakening from her slumber. And, finding she had survived the extermination with her wound nowhere to be seen. Winter awoke to find herself in a familiar bed in her bedroom. She sighed and lay back down under the comfortable duvet she had found herself under. She sighed in relief after waking from the pained sleep that nearly led to her being at death's door.

When Winter hears a faint snore reach her ears. She turned her head to see a sight that made her giggle at what she had witnessed. In the chair by her bedside. Her brother and sister, Austin and Eliza, are seen clutching Winter's right hand while she lies there. That's when the tiny hound nearly starts to cry at the memory coming back to her. She had almost died! And, that would have meant she could have never said goodbye to her siblings, mother, and father. That would have come to pass if she hadn't been saved by her aunt and the angel who had saved her in the nick of time.

Speaking of said angel and her dad. A knock on the door announced the entrance of her savior. Her dad stood in the doorway interrupting Winter's thoughts. She smiled warmly at the male now seated at the other side of her bed with a chair he had pulled up from the dressing table. Once he is in place. He begins to speak.

"Good morning Winter. With your dad's permission. I'm here to make sure everything has healed nicely before I allow you to go about your business today. Is that okay with you sweetie?"

With a nod from the hound to the angel. Dex begins to look over Snow's second youngest daughter to make sure she has healed up from last night's scare. And, that nothing had bugged the female while she slept. Once everything was in check and the medicine had done its job like he had hoped it would overnight. Dex looked at Winter with a reassuring smile before announcing his news to Snow when he entered the room.

"Well, Snow. Everything is normal. And, your daughter looks as good as new. The wound has vanished and there is no scarring to be seen on her arm. She may go about her day today."

Eric couldn't help but sigh in relief. Dex goes to exit the bedroom to allow the three siblings to see each other. He exits the room to find Octavia standing beside Snow. Smiling shyly, she says to Dex.

"Thank you for saving me and my niece, Dexter. I don't know what would have happened if we couldn't get out of there alive."

Dex merely smiles. As he is about to walk away. He is to be pulled back to receive a kiss on his cheek in thanks from the adult he had helped save. With a warm smile back to Octavia. Dex leaves the room with a smile never leaving his face once.

When Octavia realized Snow was still standing beside her. And, when she saw the teasing smirk on his face. She punches his arm and says.

"Don't even think about it."

Morningstar Mansion

Everything was smooth sailing for the King of Hell on this, the first day of the new year. Standing just outside the boardroom doors. And, before he would enter the meeting.

Walking into the small hallway where the councilors and advisors hung their coats and hanging up his coat. Lucifer is pleasantly surprised to see his daughter's bodyguard awaiting him.

When the fallen angel spots the King approaching. He greets the King with a smile before speaking.

"The Queen and the members of the council are awaiting you in the boardroom Lucifer."

Lucifer nodded in understanding before he entered the room properly to greet the people he was meeting with today with his wife and their two assistants.

Inside The Boardroom

The moment Lucifer entered the boardroom. No one was sitting down. And, everyone was standing upon his arrival into the room. included in the standings were the angel vanguards that had accompanied Jesus to the annual meeting that God and the royalty held on the 1st day of the new year after the extermination. Upon his arrival, he shakes Jesus' hand before glaring down at the angels giving him the stink eye, and motioning for everyone to be seated.

"Esteemed members of the council, Heaven. And, my loving Queen. Welcome, to this meeting between the two powers of Heaven and Hell to discuss what will happen going forward for both our worlds."

Once he says his piece. Lucifer motions for Jesus to stand and say his piece while the devil King sits beside his wife. while both their advisors take notes. Jesus begins talking. Unbeknownst to all in attendance for the meeting. Something was going on behind the scenes that was out of the hands of all of the important figures that were present in the room.

Rooftops, Six Thousand feet away and facing the Mansion

A Six hundred caliber rifle is locked and loaded and placed over the edge of the roof on its bi-pod facing the mansion window of the unsuspecting dignitaries that were gathered in the room. The owner of the said rifle is seen speaking down his walkie-talkie to his squad on the other end of the airwaves while he is laid prone with his sights firmly set with his target in full view of the enhanced scope on the rifle.

"Command, this is Angel Six. I'm going dark."

"Copy that Angel Six. Is your squad in a position to capture the VIP inside her home?"

"I can confirm that command. My team should be infiltrating the VIP's home right about… now."

Later That Day, Octavia's Bedroom

Sat in the bedroom of her home after just barely surviving the extermination yesterday. Octavia is seen on her phone to Loona while walking around.

"Well, it was nice to meet new faces while it lasted, sis. I wonder what Dex is doing now?"

"I wouldn't know Octavia. What I do know is that Snow wouldn't stop telling me how you blushed up a storm around his best friend."

"GAH! I'm gonna kill him the next time I see that jackass!"

While listening to her stepsister laughing on the other end of the line. Octavia closed her eyes and allowed her thoughts to wander whilst relaxing on the bed. But, in her state of relaxation, the female owl is blissfully unaware of the intruders that are about to infiltrate the royal owl's mansion.

Unaware of the struggles downstairs and, the sounds of her two dads being beaten down. Octavia didn't see, or hear, the angel that had placed a chloroform-soaked rag over her beak. She barely got any time to struggle against her captor before she fell into a deep and drugged sleep.

Once the owl was bagged and tagged by the angel that had drugged the female. The angel heard the phone talking away to itself.

"Octavia? Are you still there sis? What's happening?"

Deciding against picking up the phone. The angel stomped his boot-covered foot down hard onto the phone that belonged to Octavia. Once the line went dead. He sparked his communicator to life and spoke down the radio.

"Angel Six, we have the VIP. Requesting to return home."

Back on the Rooftops

"Good work team. Return to Heaven and keep radio silence until I return."

"Copy that sir."

Once the radio communication ended. The angel with his custom mask on soon focused his sights back on the window before him. Taking a deep breath to steady his aim with the silenced weapon. The angel took his shot with the hellfire round in the chamber.

Boardroom

Everything seemed in slow motion for the King and Queen the minute Jesus slumped forward with a massive bullet hole in his head and blood splattering everywhere in the building. Much to everyone's horror and panic that soon ensued.

With a look outside of the window. Lucifer saw the assassin from where he stood in the room and his eyes widened in fury. He had spotted on the other end of the gun that had assassinated his brother. But within seconds of seeing who he'd seen on the rooftops opposite the mansion. The assailant had vanished with a sarcastic salute to the Devil King.

Someone and Lucifer knew who didn't want peace between Heaven and Hell and the beneficial partnership that would follow.

Mansion, Later That Day

Being called to the mansion on his day off was something Snow wasn't expecting. But, the moment he saw Balthazar standing beside a crying Charlie and her stoic parents. Something didn't sit right for him. Entering the boardroom with Dexter in tow. The mayhem he was witnessing was like something out of a Benny Hill comedy sketch. Except, there was nothing funny about the sight of what had happened during the peace talks. Judging by the blood soaking the Queen. Someone had been killed during the talks. And, judging by Lucifer's angered look. That someone was from Heaven who had been killed. Oh, how Snow wishes he was wrong when Lucifer addressed him.

"Jesus got assassinated while the talks were concluding."

That was the bombshell Snow was not expecting to hear. The son of God had been shot dead in Hell. Now, it wouldn't be long before God brought his wrath down upon Hell. And, he would nuke the Pentagram and the cities under it when the news would eventually reach him.

Despite the pause in talking. Snow spoke.

"Do we have anything to go on your unholiness?"

Eric got his answer when Balthazar dropped a rifle down onto the table before Snow. The look he was getting from Balthazar had Snow thinking. There were only two sniper rifles ever made in Hell that used custom six-hundred caliber bullets in their magazines. When the I.M.P. building had been raided by Lucifer's King's Guard. The guard noted that the armory had been broken into. And, the rifle that was before Snow? It just so happened to be the one that belonged to him. With the incriminating evidence missing from its place in the weapons locker. Lucifer could only say one thing.

"How could you bring Heaven's wrath down upon us Snow?!"

Snow and Dex could only look in horror. Was the King seriously pinning this murder on him?!

Realizing this was a magazine from his sniper rifle codenamed Vengeance. Eric could only go on the defensive when he retorted.

"I swear your unholiness. I had nothing to do with this! I was preparing to visit Mercedes' parents with my wife and kids today!"

'I know what I have to do now, it's my life, one and only!'

Despite the weird looks Dex got. Eric was mentally thanking some corporeal being that he'd been bailed out. He answered his cell phone to a winded and pained-sounding owl on the other end of the line. Well, that was something he wasn't expecting.

"Technical Sergeant First Class Dexter Goldsborough speaking."

"Dexter? Oh, thank goodness I managed to get in touch with you! Listen, I need you and Snow to come to the mansion immediately! Something terrible has happened!"

Dexter looks at Snow and Balthazar with a worried look in his eyes before answering the worried owl on the other end of the line.

"Stolas, I'm going to need you to remain calm and explain to me what has happened. And, I'll need you to leave out no detail if you want the team's help."

With a pained and heavy sigh being the only answer Dexter was going to get, for now. Stolas eventually spoke after coughing painfully.

"I understand. Well, Dexter, let me start from the beginning…"

Snow and Balthazar could see a multitude of expressions crossing over the normally calm technician of the squad while the owl prince explained the situation. Telling his side of the story about how a squad of angels had infiltrated his home, and beat the owl to the point of almost blacking out. Before explaining something that made Snow's blood boil he heard Stolas over the speaker on Dex's phone.

When he continued to explain. He mentioned he had heard the struggle in Octavia's room. And, with as much strength as he could manage. Stolas used his will to painfully climb the stairs. And, try to help his daughter. Only, when he had managed to get into Octavia's bedroom. The room was ransacked and Octavia was nowhere to be seen. After that, Stolas had blacked out from the pain he was in now. Leading to the phone conversation he was now having with Dexter while he was receiving medical attention at his home.

"Once I had come too. I knew I had to seek out help as soon as possible when the idea hit me. Who better to rescue my little owlet than the one who saved her from the angels in the mall? This led to me calling you now to ask you a favor when you arrive at my abode."

"Understood."

"Also, Take Blitzy and his imps as a backup when you go and rescue my daughter! And, Dex…"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"I don't normally use such, abhorrent language. But, when you find out who kidnapped my daughter. I want you to kill the bastards and bring their corpses back to me. Am I understood, Dexter?"

With a new look towards his team and his new mindset in place. Dex spoke back to the owl prince and gave Stolas the answer he wanted to hear.

"Don't worry, Stolas. I'll return Octavia home or die trying!"

Once the two said their goodbyes from either end of their respective phones. And, Dexter hangs up. He places his phone back into his cargo pants pocket. Now, with a determined look crossing the technician. He was ready to bring the angels to justice who had ruined the peace talks. And rescue Octavia.

Outside Stolas' Mansion

Arriving in the afternoon at the mansion of the owl prince was not something I.M.P, Balthazar, Snow, and Dex were expecting to do today for New Year's Day. But, when Dex had filled in his commander about the situation Stolas had brought up. Snow and the others had given Dex their full support and offered to help in any way that they could. Especially when it was Snow's sister-in-law.

Once the denizens had pulled up outside of Stolas' home in Balthazar's minivan. Their first thought was to send Moxxie out of the van first with his pistol at the ready. Just in case any undesirables were awaiting the seven to ambush them.

Once Moxxie gave the all-clear to there being no enemies in sight. Blitzo roughly shakes Dex awake and says.

"Wake up Dex!"

At the abrupt wake-up call. Dex awoke with a start and pulled his shotgun out on the occupants of the car. Only to realize where he was. This causes him to calm down and put the shotgun back into its case before he clears his throat at that moment of embarrassment on his part. Causing the other six in the van to chuckle at the alertness of the fallen angel in the van.

Mansion Grounds

Etiquette aside, Snow, Balthazar, and Dex approached the situation before them by two of them walking in front of the imps while Dex walked behind the imps towards Blitzo and Stolas' home.

It should have sounded like business as usual for the snow-white angel/demon hybrid and his team when they approached the gates. His first thought was soon said aloud when he halted the other six in his makeshift task force.

"Right, once we get to the door to meet Stolas, who is the father of the girl who was kidnapped at the same time those douchebag angels murdered Jesus during the peace talks. So, yeah, no pressure guys."

Checking to see if his team had heard what he had said and received a multitude of nods from the team that were at either side of Snow outside of the door. Dex pressed the buzzer. Despite the wait, a voice soon answered from the other end of the line.

"Hello?"

Perfect. After Stolas spoke, Snow spoke up.

"Pops, it's Snow, I.M.P., Dex, and Balthazar. We're here to help retrieve Tavia."

Silence soon followed before a voice said softly when Stolas opened the door partially.

"Snow? Is everyone here that I requested?"

With a once over and a headcount from the Goetia's son-in-law. Snow nodded in confirmation towards the owl, whom, once he confirmed it for himself the snow-white Genesis was with his chosen task force. He took a second to look outside before allowing Snow, Dex, and the I.M.P entrance into the mansion once Snow had Balthazar stay on guard outside as they went inside.

Stolas' Study

"Thank you for coming on such short notice Snow. You have no idea how ecstatic I am about you and your team taking on this mission to rescue Octavia."

Stolas' gratitude showed and Snow could tell straight away that the owl prince was happy to see the task force. While Dex was doing small patrols around the room in case there was another incident just like the one at Lucifer's home. And, while the patrol was going on. I.M.P. was seated with Snow before the hybrid spoke whilst holding Loona's right hand.

"It's my pleasure Stolas. Myself, Loona, and, of course, you and your husband. We all know what it's like to want to defend our children with our last breaths. Knowing that it's my sister who has been abducted by the angels of Heaven. Well, how could I say no?"

Stolas nods with a pleasant smile at the gratitude from the hybrid before him. When the smile vanished, the conversation was soon to turn serious the minute Stolas stood up from the chair behind his desk and looked out of the window of the study. With a heavy look gracing his handsome features and, with a sigh leaving his mouth. He speaks.

"Let's get to the point shall we, Snow? I'm sure I don't need to remind you, but. I want you to rescue my little girl from whoever's clutches she is being held in. And, I want you to bring her home where she belongs!"

Snow nods in confirmation at what is being said to him. Stolas keeps a solemn look on his face when he turns to face the male and the I.M.P who are doing two different things. Snow is seen sipping the special shine that one of Stolas' servants had kindly provided for him and Loona while Blitzo, Moxxie, and Millie were listening carefully from the edge of the leather seat they were currently occupying. Loona offers some clarity.

"I was the last one to speak to my sister before she was taken by these angels. We were just talking before I heard the struggle. I had no idea she was being abducted. But, when it clicked what was happening after the line suddenly went dead? I had to alert Snow."

Stolas looks at Loona before looking to Snow for answers. Luckily, Snow was going to give his father-in-law the answers he wanted.

"It's true. But, Octavia's situation is not the only one going on right now."

That was what got the attention of the room. Dex knew what Snow was talking about. But, he decided to let the male explain after Stolas asked.

"What do you mean, Snow? What happened?"

Taking a deep breath. And, getting a reassuring squeeze of his hand from Loona. He answers.

"The angels that took Octavia. Are the same angels that are framing me for the murder of Jesus Christ in Lucifer and Lilith's home."

Snow didn't need to think too long about who the angel could have been that framed him. And, who they were contacting when he says.

"I think I have a rough idea who the angel in question could be Stolas. But, he hasn't surfaced since Balthazar and myself killed Zerachiel."

"Do you know who it could be, Snow?"

Snow nods. In doing so, Stolas sits back in his chair and runs a hand down his face in fear. If it was indeed another factor that Snow was referring to. Any finesse required would soon be out of the window.

Dex couldn't help but shudder. He knew exactly who his friend was referring to that could have ordered the young owl princess' abduction. And, at the same time, ordered Jesus' assassination. Just the thought of said angel resurfacing made his skin crawl.

For the imps. Ever since the campaign to rescue Evangeline. Blitzo, Moxxie, and Millie nearly got PTSD from that one mission alone. Even to this day. Blitzo would worry for his hellhound since, well. Every time she had nightmares from the day she nearly got struck down before Snow and Balthazar saved her from Zerachiel and his katana making mincemeat of her. She would wake up the entire house with her screaming and crying. It would take the girls and Snow hours before she would come down. Knowing the flashbacks were haunting the imps and his wife beside him. Snow takes action and shocks everyone in the room with his sudden outraged action.

SMASH!

There went Snow's glass tumbling onto the floor and shattering into a million pieces on the floor with his fury in full force. When he eventually regained his composure. He looked at everyone before he spoke directly to the owl prince.

"Stolas, we will find Octavia. If the angel I think it is is involved with this whole mess. I will give you my word that my team and I will kill the angel and his team. And, we WILL return your daughter home! You have my word."

With his son-in-law's words reassuring the owl. Snow and the others take their leave from the house knowing what they needed to do now.