The deathblow was quick and clean. The dagger of Divine Steel easily sliced through Maria’s chest and into the stone alter below it. It cut her heart in two, and ended her life. She did not suffer. It had to be quick. The healing powers of angels were well documented throughout history, and that was the last thing the Infernals wanted to deal with.

Her chest deflated as her last breath escaped her. Her eyes were still wide with fear, but they were now glazed with death, and slowly the smell of fresh shit drifted outward. Death was not pretty.

Gerry had seen a million deaths over a dozen lifetimes, but he had never seen a mother loose her child. Lucifer’s comment had fileted Ava raw. It was written all over her face.

“No.” Her denial came out as a whisper as her sword clattered to the floor and she fell to her knees. “My baby.” Tear started to stream down her beautiful face, and he had to look away.

It wasn’t hard to find something else to occupy his attention. The power conduits his lieutenants had warded into the floor around the alter were glowing a brilliant gold now. It was nothing like the angel’s radiance, but it was strong enough to state that something was happening. They grew brighter and brighter as he felt the ætherial shift from Maria’s death.

The intensity reached its apex and the power of the Nephilim multiplied by the sacrificial ceremony unleashed itself. Outwardly, nothing happened to the world. The squad of angels still stood around their leader looking slightly confused about what was happening. Gerry and his lieutenants stood around their leader with only slightly more insight into what was happening, and Lucifer and Seere stood next to the alter glowing with power.

Then everything shifted. The æther wobbled like it had been struck a mighty blow. It strained against something, flexed, and then strained again. Gerry felt like he was sitting in the middle of an unnatural disaster. It was like someone had just opened a window in the middle of a hurricane. The æther battered back and forth, and only those sensitive enough to see it even knew something was happening.

There was a deepness to the event that Gerry had trouble identifying. It was like he was back in the Carver’s dungeon with Prince Seere completing the ritual to transform him into a Dux. He felt like he was at the opening of a precipice. Underneath him an ætherial nuclear bomb had just exploded and he was only experiencing a fraction of the shockwave. He didn’t possess the skill to look any further, and he didn’t want to.

He just needed to concentrate on what was right in front of his eyes. Both Lucifer and Seere’s eye were alight with something foreign to Hell: complete and utter joy. An incomprehensible amount of æther was swirling around and into them. The angels saw that just as clearly as Gerry, and they back away in fear. Except for one.

“Now! Before it is too late.” He leapt toward them, passing where Ava was nearly catatonic on her knees.

The halo around the angelic soldier blazed with Divine power. There was a flash of steel as he brought his sword up for a killing blow. His target was Lucifer, The Morning Star.

The world was blotted out by an intense light. Gerry grimaced as he shut his eyes tight and threw his hands over them. It didn’t do much to help. The odd gold-white light seemed to penetrate and fill everything. Slowly, the world returned as his eyes healed. He blinked rapidly to clear the gold-white stars dancing across his vision, and when he did the angel was nowhere to be seen. The wall behind him had been freshly decorated. It was not painted in the soldier’s blood and guts. There was a black scorch mark on the wall. Angel wings were fully splayed out in what would have made a fantastic charcoal painting, and it was made even better since it signified they had one less opponent to face.

Lucifer and Seere hadn’t even moved. They both stood transfixed on the spot soaking in the power of the ceremony while the ætherial fabric of the universe continued to roil beneath them.

***

Ava was numb. The world had fallen away under her feet. She’d thought she could get there in time before her heart broke again. She’d felt the death of her son. She’d felt him die. She didn’t know how, and she didn’t know who was to blame, but she was going to bring Divine justice down on them.

She’d marshalled her forces as she fought through the pain and led them to the location of Gabriel’s demise. What she found was not what she’d expected. She couldn’t see anything as she hovered over the school complex. The lights were on around the gym, but she couldn’t sense anything going on within.

It hadn’t been a leap to suspect wards were at play.

“We go in hard and fast.” She told her soldiers as they unsheathed their swords and started to glow as they summoned more of their Divine essence.

She would take care of the roof. She summoned her own power. Her glow overshadowed all of her soldiers combined. With a grunt she grabbed the æther in the roof and pulled. There was a concussive blast as matter sought to fill the void she’d just created, but they now had a point to assault whatever was happening.

That began the worst moment of Ava’s life: two children gone in one night, two Lords of Hell invading Eden, and the unleashing of an ancient power she hadn’t seen since her Father’s victory that secured them Eden in the first place.

It didn’t help that it was the Father of Lies and The Great Dissenter that she was facing. There was no chance of negotiations. She simply couldn’t trust the two former angels.

Ava didn’t think things could get any worse until she turned her attention to the lesser players. Victoria – the Soulless Maria had been hunting – was there. She was looking half in awe and half terrified at what she was seeing. Most of the others filled with Infernal-tainted æther she didn’t recognize, but she committed them to memory. As a Dominion she was supposed to impartially govern her territory, but she had special plans to send those creatures back to Hell.

There was one face that she did recognize and she had to fight back the crushing guilt when she saw him staring up at The Great Dissenter with admiration and fealty.

As if on cue, the man turned and locked eyes with her.

It was clear now he was Infernal, and judging by his greater size and proximity to the Infernal Lords, he was likely someone important. Despite that, his look wasn’t hateful. He wasn’t sneering at her like a conquering army at their prey. If anything there was a hint of pity in his eyes as they met hers.

She ignored it. Even if he did feel bad that didn’t change anything. He’d help kill her daughter. They’d all have to pay.

“Now! Before it is too late!”

Her head whipped around as Lucas took the initiative. Her inaction had led to his seizing the initiative. She encouraged that in her subordinates. was what she always said.

The problem was that Lucas misjudged the swirling æther around the Infernal Lords as a weakness. It was the exact opposite. She opened her mouth to yell at her comrade in arms, but it was already too late. The Morningstar’s hand was already raised and pointing at the charging angel. All Ava could do was squeeze her eyes shut and turn her head.

It didn’t help much as the Father of Lies energy blast scorched Lucas from this plane of existence. She felt the heat of the beam blast past her. If not for her armor of Divine Steel her pale skin would be fire-engine red. She hoped there was enough of his æther left to reconstitute him in heaven, but she doubted it.

She’d felt Lucas shredded by the insane power of the former Seraphim. The reminder of Lucifer’s power was a wakeup call to the turbulent emotions churning inside her. She was powerful, the most powerful angel in the area, but she wasn’t a match for the Lords of Hell. The traitor Gerry, and his band of goons she and her soldiers could deal with, but she needed backup if she wanted Charlotte to come out of this fight as anything more than a smoking crater.

The scorching of her retinas began to heal quickly once the blast ended. She didn’t bother to look behind her where Lucas’ scorched remains were on full display. Instead, she bent her head, prayed, and made a call she wished she would never have to in her life.

She was finished by the time the two Infernal Lords lowered their arms. The ætherial aura around them was beginning to fade as they did what they wanted with their new power, but it was replaced by confident grins.

“It is done.” The Great Dissenter breathed in deeply and exhaled.

Reality swirled as he exhaled, and Ava shuddered.

“Now, what to do with you?” The Father of Lies turned his attention on Ava and her squad.

Backup arrived just on time. A comet of bright light shot across the sky and landed next to Ava, fracturing the floor, and jostling the group of angels.

“You called.” Emmanuel, the Dominion of Charleston, lifted the visor of his helmet.

The other Dominion stood thirty feet tall – towering above everyone in the room. He was clad from head to foot in gleaming Divine Steel, and his curved cavalry saber seemed to vibrate with its blade honed to a molecular level.

“Splendid!” A man next to Gerry clapped his hands with a prideful smile on his face. “I have been waiting decades to place my blade in your heart, Emmanuel.”

Recognition flashed in the other Dominion’s eyes. “Today only one of us will walk away from here, Lucian.”

The Great Dissenter snorted and shared a look with the Father of Lies. “Today, none of you will walk away from here.”

Ava matched his smile with one of her own. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”

She had dismantled matter with her arrival, and Emmanuel had shattered the floor with a flamboyant landing. Both were meant to demonstrate the breadth of their power to their enemies. The next arrival didn’t need to do any such thing.

She simply appeared between Ava and Emmanuel and eclipsed their meager abilities. Ava had trouble comprehending her sheer power, and she thanked her Father that they were on the same side.

The Great Dissenter squinted with displeasure, and The Father of Lies gave an exaggerated huff.

“Hello, Uriel. Long time no see.”

The archangel in charge of the protection of the United States of America looked at the scene with precision. She was a mountain of strength in this churning shitstorm, but even she looked cautious.

“Lucifer, Seere.”

“What, no titles sister?” Lucifer puffed out his chest and swept the archangel a bow. “Uriel Keeper of the Flaming Orb, welcome to our little get together.”

Uriel’s face was passive as she continued to survey the scene. “You are trespassing in our Father’s garden.”

“It isn’t his.” Seere spat. “He took it from its true creator, and turned it into his little soul factory.”

“It is his, brother,” Uriel said forcefully. “Your failed rebellion already showed your inadequacy against his might.”

“That was then, this is now.” Lucifer shrugged. “Are you really prepared to do this?” He spread his arms in invitation. “Many of your precious humans will perish.”

“We have means to mitigate that.” In response to her statement armor started to crawl up the archangel’s dark flesh.

It wasn’t as blocky as the Dominions’ armor. There was more fluidity to it, but one look at the æther showed it was stronger. Lastly, a spear appeared in her hand with a golden orb fixed below the blade. Both Lords of Hell gave the orb a concerned look but nothing more. Ava could tell they were still confident in their chances.

“Very well.” There was a flash of light and Seere stood before them with bloodstained wings, scorched eye socket, and great broadsword. He wasn’t as tall at Emmanuel, but he’d shed his human form for the time being. His armor fell somewhere between the Dominions’ and Uriel, and it swirled with Infernal energy.

“As you wish.” Lucifer grinned and another flash of gold-white light blinded everyone.

Ava gasped as the Father of Lies rose out of the transformation. Unlike the polished silver of the Divine Steel, Lucifer’s had inlaid gold and angelic writing carved into the seams. It went to reason that the carvings would have compromised the integrity of the armor, but a look at the æther contradicted that. If anything the runes inscribed on the fallen angel made his armor stronger and more powerful than Uriel’s.

Unlike the rest of the combatants, his helmet was on and his golden wings were splayed out behind him. With all the large angels gathered together it was getting a bit crowded in the gym. The wings pulsed with æther, but what really caught everyone’s attention was the single slit in his helmet. There was nothing but glowing gold-white light behind it.

Uriel repositioned her spear with the blade toward the two Lords of Hell. Ava thought she imagined it, but she swore she could see indecision pass across her superior’s face.

Uriel was known for being the most pragmatic of the archangels. She would never waver from doing what was right.

You could have cut the tension in the room with a spoon, but it was a soft clicking sound that finally did it. It didn’t come from either side. It came from the men’s locker room. It was comical to watch all eyes swivel to the door between their two sides, but the levity of the situation ended there.

An old man with a stooped back and a cane gingerly opened the door and stepped out in between the two opposing forces. Ava thought it was some senile old man with a death wish. She almost ordered one of her soldier to spirit the man to safety, but then he raised his head and looked at them.

His eyes told them everything.

Uriel hissed and got into a crouched fighting position with her spear pointed at the new threat. Ava almost did the same, but kept her eyes on Lucifer and Seere. They were no longer the greatest threat, but they still thought they could defeat the forces of good arrayed against them.

“Satan.” Uriel hissed as her spear shook slightly in her trembling hands.

“Sister.” He disregarded her completely and looked at Lucifer and Seere.

To their credit, the two Lords didn’t look too abashed under the King of Hell’s gaze.

“A round of applause for you two.” He lifted the hand holding his cane and clapped three brisk claps. “I’ve been searching for that seal for a long time, but no matter.” He replaced the cane on the ground and took a deep breath. “You’ve weakened the veil enough for me to break through. It is crumbling even as we speak.”

True fear crossed Uriel’s face, and that was when Ava knew avenging her murdered daughter was the least of her problems.

“Soon our armies will meet on the real field of battle, so I leave the decision up to you, Sister.” Satan regarded Uriel. “Die now or die later.”

Uriel hissed again, but didn’t answer. Her orb was glowing so brightly it looked like it was about to explode, but it didn’t, and it was a good thing, because right when things seemed the most hopeless the door to the women’s locker room opened.

“Sorry I’m late.” A man stepped out and regarded everyone.

He had flowing white hair, a great bushy beard, and kind blue eyes. He was the spitting image of Santa Clause if Santa was jacked beyond belief and looked like he could snap your spine with his pinky finger. His face was considerably less jolly as he surveyed the room, and those kind eyes hardened into ice.

“Come on!” Lucifer wings shivered with irritation as the new man stepped up next to Satan.

They were within a few feet of each other, but neither looked uncomfortable with the other’s presence.

“Michael.” Satan gave the new arrival a respectful bow.

“Brother.” Michael returned the bow. “Father sent me.”

Satan’s eyes narrowed at the comment, and he turned to face the commanding archangel of their Father’s Divine Host.

They were quite a contrast. Satan looked old and feeble while Michael shone with health and virility. Of course the outward human appearances meant nothing. This was the Commander of the Host versus the Captain of the Seraphim Guard: the two most powerful of their Father’s creations facing off against each other. The only thing more powerful or destructive would be their Father himself facing one of the other Primordial Beings of creation.

“Father wishes for you to return to your realm, to leave Eden be, and to avoid any further bloodshed.” Michael delivered the demands with the confidence of commanding the most powerful army in existence.

“Those are the demands of a tyrant, Brother.” Satan answered calmly. “He wants no one to challenge his rule or to be free to make their own choices. Don’t you remember how this all started,” Satan pointed at Seere and Lucifer. “A simple case with a simple premise. Why can’t we, his angels, make our own decisions?” He looked back at Michael. “When he got a displeasing ruling he cut out the judge’s eye and stripped him of his authority. If you ask me, that sounds pretty tyrannical to me.”

“Don’t try to twist the issue, Brother.” Michael countered. “You’ve always craved power. You’ve never been content with being Father’s right hand. You needed to be God. That is what this is all about. You’re quest for power,” he gestured at Lucifer and Seere, “and you took many of our brothers and sisters with you into the Pit when you failed.”

The two ætherial beings stared at one another for several tense seconds.

“I see that we will not come to an agreement.” Michael looked genuinely sad.

“I agree.” To everyone’s surprise Satan shared the sentiment.

“May the best man win, Brother.” The two men shook hands and walked to join their respective sides.

Ava couldn’t tell if those were good or bad odds. All she knew was that she feared for her life, for the people of Charlotte, and for every human soul in existence.

She couldn’t characterize it any other way. The Apocalypse was here, and it was about to kick off with a bang.