All characters and content of this work belongs to their respective owners, I own nothing other than my Original Character and the plot of this story.
The day finally came that Emeraldblade, alongside Launchpad would travel to Heaven to appeal their case to the highest angel: Sera.
"Hey Lady E? What should I bring with me? A jacket? A set of skies? A swimsuit?" Launchpad asked with glee, holding up a pair of suitcases.
"Really Launchpad?" Emeraldblade questioned her wingman on the "trip", "I doubt we're going to spent more than a day in Heaven, plus we aren't vacationing there you know."
Launchpad's enthusiasm suddenly plummeted, as he dropped his suitcases full of clothes and toiletries.
"Aw nuts, I must've gotten carried away again."
Not a moment after making the remark, the two of them exited out of Emeraldblade's hotel room that she was staying in and made their way down to the lobby where Vaggie and Tulip were waiting, Tulip was holding Ralts in her arms.
"All set?" Vaggie asked.
"You bet V," Launchpad replied with excitement, "Why I bet Heaven will be just like I always pictured it, sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows…"
"Yup…very utopian, you'll love it indeed," Vaggie remarked sarcastically.
"What about Ralts?"
"I'd advise not to take her with you sweetie," Tulip replied, petting Ralts on the head, "I have the feeling the angels won't be fond of seeing pokémon; that goes for Gyarados too unfortunately."
Emeraldblade nodded, disappointed but otherwise understanding, whilst handing Tulip Gyarados's poké ball.
"One more thing, before you leave, if you ever come across an angel in black with short hair and a cold expression, that's Lute. DO NOT TRUST HER!" the angel warned.
Suddenly, the conversation was interrupted by loud snoring and sleep-talking in the form of slurred gibberish, the four of them turned their attention towards the source of the noise and saw Demoman passed out on the couch in front of the TV.
"What's with him?" Emeraldblade asked.
"The fool's been spending the pass several days and nights staring blankly at that fucking TV, raving that Tom Trench on 666 is this Pyro friend of his," Vaggie explained.
Emeraldblade covered her face in disappointment, "I can't believe he's still obsessing about that striking similarity."
"I know," Vaggie nodded, "Anyways by my calculations, the portal to Heaven should appear any-"
Suddenly, before she could finish, a portal emerged out of nowhere just a few feet away.
"Okay…make that now."
"Oh boy!" Launchpad remarked excitedly, before grabbing Emeraldblade's arm, "Come on E, let's go to Heaven!"
Before Emeraldblade could protest, Launchpad yanked her towards the portal, as she entered it, she turned back to Tulip and Vaggie and waved goodbye. The two women responded by waving back with concerned smiles.
After the two of them fully entered through the portal, it vanished. Vaggie and Tulip stopped waving and turned to face each other, the former looking concerned.
"They're fucked."
Launchpad and Emeraldblade emerged on the other side of the portal, where they found themselves face to face with the golden gates of Heaven.
"Wow, Heaven's much bigger than I pictured it," Emeraldblade commented.
"Yeah," Launchpad agreed, "Do you think they'll let us in?"
Emeraldblade looked around and saw desk set in front of the gates, "Let's check over there."
The two of them walked up to the desk and were greeted by what appeared to be an angel: it was none other than St. Peter.
"Hiya, welcome to Heaven, can I get your name, please?" he asked.
"Yeah, Launchpad McQuack's the name." Launchpad replied enthusiastically, "And this young lady is Lady Emeraldblade."
"Mmhmm, let's see, Launchpad…Emeraldblade…hmm," St. Peter pondered through a ledger, "I don't see your names on the list here."
"We were sent here by Lucifer Morningstar," Emeraldblade replied.
"Oh, fuck- I mean…wait THE Lucifer, Lucifer Morningstar?! Geez sorry for the uproar, I mean do you have the right place? I mean he's the-"
"I'll take it from here St. Peter," a mysterious voice replied from out of nowhere.
Suddenly, Launchpad and Emeraldblade turned to see who replied to St. Peter, there flying above the clouds were two strange-looking entities, one larger and one smaller. Seeing their multiple pairs of wings as well as a third eye on their foreheads, Emeraldblade knew what they were: seraphs.
"Greetings McQuack of the Launchpad and Lady of the Emerald Blade, I am Sera, high seraphim, you honor me with your presence," the taller seraph greeted them.
The smaller seraph had long, white hair, and dark skin, she wore a long, elegant white dress with matching ballet flats. She suddenly giggled at the arrival of the visitors.
"Hi, I'm Emily, but you can call me Emmy, E, oh whatever you want. Welcome to Heaven!"
"Heh sounds like we'll get along well," Launchpad remarked.
St. Peter suddenly flew over and opened the gates, revealing the pristine utopia that was Heaven. By contrast, the place looked nicer than Hell at first glance, but Emeraldblade recalled Vaggie's warning, Heaven wasn't what it seems.
"Dearly beloved, it is my pleasure to say onto thee-"
"Uhh, I hate to ruin the moment, but uh…can we cut to the chase?" Launchpad asked.
Sera gestured St. Peter to adhere to the pilot's request.
St. Peter's smile faded, "Oh um sure, I-I mean if you insist."
"Come on, let me show you the way around this holy place!" Emily gestured the two mortals to follow her.
Emily led the two of them throughout various sites and points of interest in the "holy" haven for the blessed. While walking across the promenade, an unusual looking angel was watching them from a distance, she had pale skin and short, white hair with black streaks. Her outfit was a black dress with a halo in a matching color. Her most striking feature was the fact that she was missing an arm from a past incident. This angel…was Lute.
She was staring at them with a cold, suspicious look.
As the three of them were leaving the vicinity, Sera approached Lute, watching the three with a more positive expression.
"Your highness, may I have a word with you…privately?" Lute asked with a fake smile.
"Certainly…" Sera replied, before swaying her wings and teleporting her to an angelic-looking office, "What's your concern?"
Lute continued to "smile".
"Let me put this nicely," she then suddenly glared angrily at the seraph, "Why did you let HUMANS into Heaven? It was bad enough we had to put up with Lilith's brat and that traitorous bitch of hers, but now you're allowing mortals to just waltz into the pearly white gates as well; are you out of your fucking mind?"
"Watch your language lieutenant," Sera replied nonchalantly, "But to answer your question, it appears your…solution…for a second…yearly activity is causing upset and suspicion in the underworld, as such they requested to have some diplomats of sorts appeal their case to our doorstep. I should've known the botched effort you made months earlier would lead to controversy, let alone Adam's untimely demise, now I'm being forced to quell it."
Lute crossed her arms, "Why couldn't Lucifer just send his bratty daughter like last time?"
"Because Princess Morningstar is unavailable from what I've heard," Sera answered.
"And that traitor of a sinful lover of hers?"
"Unavailable too," Sera added.
"But your highness, what am I supposed to do about these potential sinners?"
"All I'm asking is that you try to keep calm about this predicament, otherwise you and to a greater extent we could have some new adversaries."
Lute grunted reluctantly.
"If you…insist."
Later, Launchpad and Emeraldblade took a rest in a hotel room that Sera had arranged for the two of them.
"Can you believe this place Lady E?" Launchpad asked enthusiastically, "They got the best things since sliced bread, AND smart phones. And the bakery, man who ever heard of angel food cake?"
"Launchpad, they have that back on Earth too," Emeraldblade explained, "Besides as great as the commodities are here, keep in mind we're here on a mission, to stop the upcoming Extermination remember?"
"Oh right." Launchpad realized.
Emeraldblade sighed, "Look, if it makes you feel better, why don't you go out and explore the rest of Heaven before we have to prepare for our court hearing."
Launchpad lit up, "Really, thanks Lady E, I'll see you later."
Launchpad left the room, excited to explore Heaven's surroundings.
Meanwhile, Emeraldblade sat down on the nearby bed whilst glazing at her surroundings. She then took a deep breath and sighed.
"I have a bad feeling about the outcome of this appeal," she said to herself.
Sometime later, Launchpad and Emeraldblade gathered at Heaven's angelic court where Sera presided to hear their pleas.
"Everyone," Sera announced, "We are gathered here today to hear the appeals regarding the upcoming…plan for Hell, via the verbal accounts of these humans."
"Humans?" Lute sarcastically reacted, "More like Lucifer's sympathizers."
"Hey, I resent that!" Launchpad sounded.
Emeraldblade nudged the pilot gently.
"Launchpad, you're supposed to say "Objection"!" she whispered to him.
Launchpad reacted sheepishly, pulling his coat collar, all the while Lute looked at them with a smirk on her face.
"Oh, hehe that's right."
Emeraldblade turned to the seraph, where she began to address her complaints.
"Your highness, if I may, we came under the appointment of Mr. Lucifer Morningstar to file a complaint with your upcoming…business with Oblivion."
Lute raised an eyebrow with suspicion.
"…Go on," Sera motioned Emeraldblade to continue.
"Thank you, so as you may want to know, I traveled with several merc- I mean friends to the underworld in order to track down a succubus, who happens to be working with a powerful demon that was responsible for a series of unfortunate tragic events regarding my past. There, I met a former angel name Vaggie and-"
"Wait a minute, you KNOW that traitorous slut who's in love with Lucifer's heir?!" Lute questioned aloud, causing the court to gasp.
"Of course she does," Launchpad replied confidently, "Why the two of them are like best friends."
Angels gasped again, before they began to murmur suspicion.
"Order, order!" Sera shouted, "While the Duck Man's confession is…disturbing, that's not the reason we're here."
"Okay look, I admit I did meet Vaggie, but she willingly agreed to help me on my journey to stop Nightmare, after all he was responsible for Charlie's kidnapping..."
"So that's why Lilith's blasphemous bitch was unavailable," Lute thought, "Either way, it serves her right, she got what she deserved."
"…The two of us confronted the succubus, Verosika Mayday, but she tricked us into a trap and captured most of our friends, Vaggie and I managed to escape, but we were challenged into a Demon Duel with her and her crew."
"Hmm…" Sera thought, "May I ask, who are these "friends" of yours?"
"They are a group of former mercenaries who were hired by a now-defunct company called Mann Co. half a century ago do eliminate the competition with a rival branch of the company. Half of them traveled to the underworld with me."
"Mercenaries? Do you mean they killed people in past?!" Sera questioned.
Lute smirked "Well this got more interesting…"
Emeraldblade became anxious, "Umm, well they are a rowdy bunch, but they have since subverted their past actions and agreed to help me on my journey."
"Ha! Good one E!" Launchpad commented.
"Mr. McQuack, do not speak unless you are addressed directly." Sera scolded the pilot.
Launchpad gulped, "Sorry, force of habit."
"Anyways, Vaggie and I enlisted the help of an individual by the name of Blitzo Bucko, alongside his crew in order to find out about Verosika and my friends' whereabouts."
"I recognize that name," Lute replied, "He happens to be the founder of the Immediate Murder Professionals."
More gasps sounded across the courtroom, followed by even more murmurs regarding the controversy.
"Look, I know they aren't the best people, but I had no other choice, Blitzo happened to date Verosika at one point, hence why I enlisted his help," Emeraldblade tried to counter, "Anyways, two of his employees, alongside another of the mercenaries joined Vaggie and I on a trip to Louisville to confront her, there I met Launchpad and a group of humans, and together, we stopped Verosika and defeated her after she decided to fight it out with us. The demons in the hotel, as well as I.M.P., while obnoxious, aren't wholly bad people, deep down they have good in them, and as Lucifer's daughter Charlie tried to clarify to you a little over two months ago, they can be redeemed."
Sera growled softy, "Not this again. I thought I told that girl before: souls in Hell cannot be redeemed."
"That's not true!" Emily countered, pulled out what appeared to be a list.
"Sera do you remember when Sir Pentious arrived here shortly after the last dealing? Well this list, which was written by Adam before he died, lays out the various ways souls can get to Heaven upon their deaths, one of which happens to be crossed out. I have a feeling that whatever this bullet point here is may be the reason why he's here."
"OH FUCK YEAH SISTER!" a male voice rang out in the court.
"Sir Pentious?" Emeraldblade questioned the high seraph, "Wait, you mean to say that a demon has redeemed themselves despite what you just claimed?!"
Sera hesitated, "He…he…forget about him, after hearing your testimony, I hereby declare that your appeal is dismissed, Hell requires retribution after what they did to Adam, so this extermination is justified!"
"WHAT?!" Launchpad reacted.
"You heard her," Lute replied smugly, "Your case has been tossed."
Emily, now impatient, flew down in front of Sera as a buffer to defend Emeraldblade and Launchpad.
"Sera, you can't do that! That's…genocide!"
More gasps rang out once more.
"Emily's right, revenge and justifying mass murder is wrong!" Emeraldblade added.
"That's ENOUGH!" Sera scolded, "Lute I hereby order you to carry out the attack a week from Saturday as planned."
"With pleasure, your highness," Lute replied with a snicker.
"As for you…Emeraldblade," Sera directed her disgust towards the warrior, "If you wish for you and your friends' safety, then I suggest you leave Hell as soon as possible, should you wish to stay, you will be deemed an obstacle, and Lute will be authorized to put you down."
Tears began to stream down Emily's eyes, "Why? Why are you doing this Sera?"
"…Because I don't want you to end up like Lucifer dear: Fallen." Sera answered.
"This wouldn't be happening if SHE knew about this," Emily replied angrily.
Emeraldblade and Launchpad looked at each other in confusion, wondering what was going on. Sera, meanwhile, was appalled.
"Don't you DARE bring up her name!"
"She is not to be spoken about…ever! You should know that!" Lute accused the young seraph, "If she learns about this, that will only bring about an insurrection."
"But at least she believes in redemption!"
"Sinful filth like those in Hell deserve retribution, especially ones that commit treason and homosexuality like Vaggie!" Lute countered.
Offended by Lute's comment towards her friend, Emeraldblade began to speak out.
"Vaggie was right," Emeraldblade interrupted, "You cannot be trusted!" Emeraldblade.
"Oh, so your siding with that traitorous slut are you?! Well let me tell you something you prick, when she made the decision to spare a sinner, I don't care if it was a just a child, a sinner is a sinner, and she threw her whole life away. As for you, you're beginning to walk down that same path, with your growing sympathy to that freak who loves girls, gouging her wings and eye was justifiable, and in the end she deserved it."
Hearing Lute's arrogance get the best of her, Emeraldblade's blood began to boil, suddenly, she thrusted her arm out and launched a green bolt of energy at the exorcist, causing it to graze against her bruised cheek. Lute flinched as a result, and when she came to, she ran her hand against it before holding out her palm and saw a disturbing site before her, a yellow liquid that was all too familiar to her, her own blood.
"WHAT THE-?! I thought only our weapons could harm us."
"THAT'S IT!" Sera responded, "I have had enough of this blasphemy!"
"WHAT?!" Emily reacted.
"This court is hereby adjourned! As for our…visitors, they've overstayed their welcome. Lute, expel them back to Hell, with my warning at hand.
"Hey, you can't do that!" Launchpad protested.
"Can it bird brain, she can, and I'll oblige," Lute responded arrogantly, with a smirk on her face.
Lute flew down and grabbed Emeraldblade and Launchpad by their backs.
"Time to leave you pathetic little girl." she ordered them to march.
Lute led Emeraldblade and Launchpad to a portal just outside the courtroom, all the while Emily flew stealthfully behind her to avoid arousing her suspicion. There, Lute released them as Emily watched silently.
"Exit through the portal immediately!" Lute ordered the two of them, "You should be thankful Sera spared your lives."
"You won't get away with this…" Emeraldblade warned the angel, "The last extermination failed, and I'll make sure this one does too."
Lute approached the warrior and stared at her sternly.
"Listen here you pathetic excuse for a good samaritan, cause I won't sugarcoat this, if you or any of your friends DARE interfere with this extermination, I'll have the pleasure in slaughtering all of you quickly and brutally. Do you understand me bitch?!" she warned her.
Emeraldblade held her ground, "Words will not me!"
Lute just smirked before turning to leave, "We'll succeed, and you'll regret crossing me."
Emeraldblade turned back to the portal.
"Come on Launchpad, let's get back to the hotel with the awful news."
The two of them entered the portal, knowing that the extermination was all but inevitable.
As Lute flew away however, she began talking to herself.
"I'm going to need as many of the exorcist as possible to fulfill the job," she commented, "Even if it means fighting to the bitter end in order to succeed."
Emily looked on in disbelief, before contemplating what to do next.
"I hate to disobeying Sera, but after what she confessed, I need to do something," she thought.
She then silently flew towards the portal as it began to close, slipping through it with not a moment to spare.
Upon emerging on the other side, Launchpad and Emeraldblade were greeted with a rather unusual scene.
"I'm telling you, that man on the television is PYRO!" Demoman protested angrily.
Everyone in the hotel was gathered around the Scotsmen as he ranted and raved about his claim.
"For the last FUCKING time you drunken imbecile, that's Tom Trench, NOT Pyro!" Vaggie told him off.
Emeraldblade cleared her throat, catching everyone's attention, "Everyone, Launchpad and I are back from Heaven."
Vaggie turned back to see her friend safe and sound, but immediately noticed the concerned look on her face.
"How did it go hon?"
"As expected, not well at all."
Vaggie grunted frustratedly, "I knew this wasn't going to work…"
"I know," Emeraldblade replied, "To make matters worse Sera has authorized Lute and the exorcists to kill anyone who interferes in the extermination, which Lute seconded that to my face."
Everyone gasped.
"Ugh, alright uh, this is actually very bad," Medic commented.
"What are we going to do friendo?" Iono asked.
Suddenly, before the female warrior could reply, another portal emerged inside the lobby, not a moment later, a third individual popped out of it. It only took a moment for Emeraldblade, Launchpad, and even Vaggie to recognize who it was: Emily."
"Emeraldblade, thank goodness I got here."
"Emily?! What the hell are you doing in…well…Hell?" Vaggie asked.
"Hi Vaggie!" she replied cheerfully, before turning her attention back to Emeraldblade, "Listen, I overheard Lute just as you left, she said that she's planning the biggest attack ever to assure the extermination succeeds. So I escaped Heaven to assist you in stopping the exorcists."
"But how?" Vaggie asked, "We've just about depleted all the Angelic Steel from the last attack, and even with the weapons we do have left, we'll still be outnumbered like last time, only worse.
"That's where I come in," Emily added, "Emeraldblade, during the court hearing, do you remember how I mentioned that there was someone who believed in redemption?"
Emeraldblade's eyes lit up, "Of course."
Emily smiled, "I think it's time I take you to see her."
Emeraldblade smiled, "By the way, who is she?"
"Her name is Palutena," Emily replied, "And she can be found in another, different Heaven."