Chapter Text
After the screen went blank, everyone got up from their seats. They had an hour to kill, and even the proudest among them refused to stay seated. Slowly, they began to walk towards the exit, a few stopping to look at the box and notebook.
Many paid no attention to it, as they didn't have anyone they wanted to bring here to see all this. Adam and Lute wrote down the names of the other exorcists and put them in the box. Sera and Emily simply left the room, with Emily pulling Sera by the arm to go try different foods.
In the end, only Charlie and Lucifer were left alone in the room, both looking at the notebook and box with uncertainty. "Dad... Do you think if we write Mom's name, Michael could bring her here?" Charlie asked, a mix of doubt and hope in her voice, longing to see her mother again after seven years of ignored messages and calls.
"Charlie, I don't think that's a good idea," Lucifer replied, but with the same underlying hope that Lilith would return to him and Charlie. "If your mother left, I'm sure she had her reasons. The last thing she needs right now is to suddenly be brought here... Especially with that piece of shit Adam present."
After that, they fell silent, before Lucifer smiled again, as he always did. "Alright, let's go try some of that food you said was available!" With that, Lucifer left the room, leaving Charlie alone.
Charlie looked at the notebook for a moment before picking it up along with a pen, writing Lilith's name in it and placing the sheet of paper with her name on it in the box. After that, she also left the room to follow her father.
Elsewhere, Michael was returning to his office with an exhausted look on his face. Unlike how he had been seen on screen, he was dressed in a white suit with some gold details; a completely white vest was visible beneath his jacket, and under the vest, a gold shirt.
He sat down in his chair with annoyance, and with a wave of his hand, he made the door to his office disappear so that he wouldn't be bothered again. He rubbed the bridge of his nose for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh.
“What does it cost them to share? We divided everything fairly, I don't need them giving me more paperwork,” he muttered to himself, looking disdainfully at a huge pile of unsigned papers.
Sighing, he got up from his chair and walked to a box in his office. It was an exact replica of the one in the movie theater, and opening it, he took out all the sheets of paper with names on them, beginning to read them one by one.
Most were names of the militia that Adam led; he learned they were called exorcists. “Can I sue them for copyright infringement?” he wondered to himself, remembering the name of his own squadron that he led during the war.
Finally, he came to Lilith's name, and for a moment he froze in place as he read it. Yes, he was aware that this was a possibility, but he still hoped that Charlie wouldn't put her name in the box.
Multiple memories flooded his mind: of Eden, of Hell, of a paradisiacal place where there was only a small wooden cabin, and finally, a memory of a battlefield where Lilith floated in the center while hundreds of portals opened behind her and horrible creatures emerged from them to attack him and his brothers.
It wasn't a name that brought him the best memories, for the memories of peace he had with Lilith were buried by the countless years of war in which Lilith participated on the enemy side. Sighing, he put the names back in the box and sat down in his chair again, conjuring a cup of hot tea as classical music began to play. "To bring her back or not to bring her back," he said to himself, a gold coin appearing in his free hand, which he began to toy with.
Yes, he had brought back Adam, who had been a far worse enemy during the war. But even so, he didn't know how different this Lilith was from the one he had known so long ago.
"You've always been a complicated woman, Lilith," Michael said to himself, before his brow furrowed. "Damn it, Sariel, I'm coming." With that, he rose from his seat and recreated the exit portal from his office to leave and return to his meeting; at least this prevented him from being buried in paperwork.
Returning to the movie, Charlie and Lucifer were eating at a Chilean restaurant, accompanied by Vaggie. "Mmmmm, this tastes sooooo good," Vaggie said, grabbing another plate of beef and sitting back down with Charlie and Lucifer.
"It's not the worst thing I've ever tasted," Lucifer commented while continuing to eat his beef tongue. "It's exotic, I'll give it that."
"Oh, you must be kidding, Dad," Charlie said while eating her chicken. "This is delicious, better than anything in Hell."
"Hahaha, Charlie, if you wanted something delicious, you just had to tell your daddy to cook something for you," Lucifer said with his usual arrogance, making Charlie and Vaggie a little uncomfortable before Lucifer himself realized what he had said.
"Maybe you shouldn't refer to yourself that way," Charlie said with a nervous laugh.
"Hahahaha, yeah, you're right," Lucifer said, just as nervous as Charlie.
After that, the three continued eating in silence until Charlie asked, "Dad, what was Mom like exactly? I don't mean what she was like in Hell, but what she was like in Eden?"
Lucifer fell silent at Charlie's question, surprised that she now wanted to learn more about Lilith and what she was like before the two of them were cast out of Heaven. "Charlie, you're my daughter, and I love you more than anything—"
"No, Dad, I don't want you to keep protecting me like that," Charlie said, setting her food aside. "I'm not a child."
Lucifer simply remained silent, considering his options. "Charlie, let's just see what the Lilith the screen showed us is like," he said, setting his own food aside and averting his gaze. He wasn't ready to have this kind of conversation with Charlie; the topic of Lilith was always a complicated one.
Charlie sighed in disappointment, getting up from her seat and starting to walk out of the restaurant. Lucifer got up and tried to follow his daughter, but Charlie stopped him. "No, Dad, I want some time alone," she said without turning to look at Lucifer as she continued on her way back to the screening room, followed closely by Vaggie.
In an American diner, Adam watched the scene with a smile as several plates of ribs rested on the table. Beside him was Lute, who also watched the father and daughter's separation with a satisfied smile.
Charlie entered the screening room, and the first thing she did was look at the box of papers with names on them. Every single sheet was still there, in the same disarray as when they had been placed inside. It was as if no one had opened the box and taken out any of the papers.
"Charlie…" Vaggie said, approaching her girlfriend.
Charlie looked helplessly at Lilith's name still written on the sheet of paper. She took it out of the box and turned to look at the screen. "Uncle Michael… are you there?" she asked into the empty room, hoping for a response.
The screen remained black for several seconds. Charlie hoped, longed, for golden letters to begin appearing on the black screen, but nothing happened; it was still the same as when they had left the movie theater.
“Charlie, he’s probably not listening… Angels never listen…” Vaggie said, placing her hand on Charlie’s shoulder.
“No, no, he’s probably busy, he said he had things to do…” Charlie countered, hoping that her uncle, or whoever introduced himself as Michael, was indeed listening.
“Honey… Believe me when I say I hate nothing more than agreeing with Adam… But it’s Michael,” Despite everything, Vaggie continued to refer to Michael by the name everyone knew him by, “He’s not a good person, he’s war incarnate. His nickname, ‘The Warrior Archangel,’ says enough about who he is and how he acts. His specialty is, literally, massacring entire armies.”
Before Charlie could refute that, the screen began to display blue letters.
Be careful how you refer to my brother, fallen one, you don’t know Michael, so you would be wise to keep your thoughts to yourself and not let me, or any other archangel, hear you.
“Who are you?!” Vaggie tensed up when she saw the letters appear, drawing her spear and looking around. She didn't know how the archangels could hear conversations, but they were most likely hidden throughout the room.
If you can't recognize me by my way of speaking, then you ARE a fallen one. This will be my only and final warning, if I hear you speak ill of my brother again, I will finish what that incompetent Adam and that stupid commander of his started.
Vaggie felt the deepest fear when she finished reading the sentence that was written on the screen; her fingers trembled as she gripped her spear tightly. The memory of that day came to her mind, how she let a sinful child escape, and in response, Adam and Lute cornered her, tortured her, mutilated her, and abandoned her to her fate in hell.
Charlie stood in front of Vaggie, glaring at the screen. "I don't know who you are, but I won't let you talk about Vaggie like that!" From Charlie's head, red horns began to sprout, her sclera turned red, and her irises became yellow.
The screen went black for a few seconds before more blue words appeared.
Ah, you must be Charlie. It's a pleasure to meet my niece. I see you inherited much of the archangels' natural beauty. It's good to know that. You can call me Uncle.
"I'm not going to call someone I don't even know 'Uncle'," Charlie said, pulling out her trident. "And especially not someone who just threatened my girlfriend with death."
Vaggie relaxed slightly and stood beside Charlie, only for the screen to continue typing.
I see, that's a shame... Well, you can call me Uncle Azrael. I'm on my time off, so I decided to take a look at my older brother's project. But if you don't want to talk, that's fine, just remember something...
Through all the walls of the movie theater, various blue eyes began to appear, every single one of them staring directly at Charlie and Vaggie.
We are always watching. And that fallen angel should thank her lucky stars that it was me who heard her speaking ill of Michael. If it had been Gabriel, Sariel, or Timotel... Well, you'd have to find yourself another partner.
With that, all the eyes disappeared and the screen went black again, allowing Charlie and Vaggie to let out a sigh they didn't realize they were holding. "Well... That was..." Charlie began to say, her demonic features fading away.
"Yeah... Should we stay in the room?" Vaggie asked as she took out her phone, noticing that 50 minutes had already passed since the break began.
"Yes, I think that would be best," Charlie replied, intertwining her fingers with Vaggie's and walking towards their seats.
The minutes passed, and little by little the room began to fill up again. Most arrived making noise as they went to sit in their respective places, relaxing in their seats, some discovering that they were reclining seats and lying down in them.
Everyone waited for the screen to start displaying Michael's words, but they never came. A minute passed. Two minutes passed. Four minutes passed. And finally, ten minutes passed without any message.
“Hey, what the hell is going on?!” Adam complained when he saw that the screen was still black. “Weren't we going to see how great he was in Eden?!”
“Ha! You wish!” Lucifer laughed at Adam, while indirectly glancing at Charlie, who simply ignored him, making Lucifer a little depressed.
Stop fighting, Michael is still busy.
Purple text began to appear on the screen.
You know? I still don't understand why he's doing all this, but whatever. I'm on my free time, so he asked me to continue where he left off.
“Archangel,” Sera began to say in a ceremonial tone and with the utmost respect, “If it's not too much trouble, could you tell us your name? So far we've only met Michael, so having another archangel speaking to us is a great honor.”
Charlie and Vaggie shifted uncomfortably in their seats, suppressing a gasp of surprise when they saw two tiny blue eyes appear on the backs of the seats in front of them. The eyes simply blinked before disappearing again.
I have no reason to give my name. Just because Michael introduced himself doesn't mean we all have to. Seriously, my older brother is terrible at commanding respect.
Many remained silent as they read how this other archangel spoke of Michael. Although no one could discern any clear emotion from the words on the screen, it was like watching a younger sibling trying to act mature while the older one wasn't taking anything seriously.
Anyway, as I said, I'm on my free time and I plan to enjoy it. So sit back and enjoy, I have things to do.
After that, the screen went blank.
"Hey! Weren't you supposed to bring the rest of my girls?!" Adam complained, but received no answer.
The screen flickered back on, and the first thing they saw was Michael walking through the Silver City.
Michael walked through the Silver City with tranquility. His body was still wrapped in the same white toga he had materialized when he was created. The robe clung to his perfectly sculpted body, muscles evident but with a slender figure that allowed for easy movement and agility. His gaze was serene and calm, his eyes focused only on the path ahead.
There were no loud sounds, only the relaxing sound of the breeze passing through the metal structures and the soft thud of his bare feet on the ground as he walked.
“Brother!” The serenity was broken by a feminine cry and the sound of footsteps running towards Michael.
“Gabriel,” Michael said gently, smiling calmly as he turned to see his sister running towards him.
Gabriel was a beautiful woman, with long, straight yellow hair and a slender figure with perfect proportions. Two gold bracelets rested on her right wrist, while a gold ring encircled her left arm, and a second gold ring adorned her left thigh. She was dressed in a simple white toga that hugged her figure and highlighted her attributes, while her blue eyes reflected a childlike innocence despite her adult body.
“Heavens, I’d forgotten how beautiful Gabriel was,” Charlie commented after seeing the creation of the 100 archangels; she had forgotten the appearance and names of some of them.
“Well, all the archangels were created to be beautiful,” Lucifer said, trying to strike up a conversation with Charlie. “Of course, I’m more beautiful than the others! Even if that screen doesn’t show it!”
Charlie simply observed her father for a few moments, ignoring him for the time being and focusing back on the screen. Lucifer just let out a sigh of disappointment, shrinking a little in his seat.
“I still don’t understand how those majestic beings are so feared,” Angel Dust commented, just as amazed as the others by Gabriel’s appearance.
“Appearances can be deceiving,” Sera said, glancing at Angel Dust. “The fact that they look like that doesn’t make them any less dangerous; an archangel is the elite of Heaven, after all.”
“Brother, look what I made!” Gabriel materialized a canvas, and on it was a perfectly detailed and painted solar system. “Father said I should learn about the parts of existence to deliver the messages he and The Maker wanted to communicate. So Adam and Lilith suggested I paint the cosmos! Do you like it?!”
“It’s beautiful, Gabriel,” Michael said, his smile remaining one of kindness and tranquility as his eyes reflected the love he felt for all his siblings.
“Do you think Father will like it?” Gabriel asked hopefully.
“Father is a busy man, Gabriel,” Michael said, gently taking the canvas and, with a wave of his hand, making it disappear. “I’ll keep it safe and show it to him when he has time, deal?” Gabriel just nodded excitedly while Michael chuckled softly. “Good, now go join the others.”
“Gabriel is so sweet!” Emily exclaimed excitedly, watching Gabriel interact with Michael. “And Michael is so kind!”
“Hmph, of course Michael is good” Lute retorted, arms crossed, just as annoyed as Adam at the absence of the other exorcists. “He's the strongest archangel, after all.”
Gabriel ran away from the scene, allowing Michael to continue walking, only for another sound to stop him. “Brother! Sariel pulled another one of her pranks!” This time it was a male voice shouting.
A blond-haired, purple-eyed angel was running towards Michael. The archangel was about two centimeters shorter than Michael. His body was more slender than his older brother's, he didn't have any noticeable muscles, and like the previous two, his body was wrapped in a white toga. A necklace with a golden cross adorned with emeralds hung from his neck.
“Raphael, what did Sariel do now?” Michael asked, stopping in his tracks as he watched his younger brother run towards him.
“She took one of the flowers Lilith gave me and hid it in Tamael's room,” Raphael began to explain, stopping in front of his older brother. “It's not fair that she does things like that.”
“Yes, it's not fair, and where is Sariel right now?” Michael asked.
“I... I don't know,” Raphael admitted, defeated, looking at the ground.
“You need to train a little more, Raphael,” Michael said, stretching out his arm to grab something behind him. His hand closed in the air, and soon a woman with long purple hair, light blue eyes, and a figure that rivaled Gabriel's materialized. The woman was dressed in the same white toga that all the angels wore, only hers had some obsidian jewels embedded in it. Michael had the woman by her white tunic, gently pulling her in front of him and next to Raphael. “Sariel…”
“It's not fair, nobody can surprise you,” Sariel retorted to Michael, pouting slightly.
“That's because it's me, Sariel,” Michael countered with a small laugh. “Now apologize to Raphael.”
“I'm sorry, Raphael,” Sariel apologized, looking away so as not to look at her brother directly.
“You're not even looking at me!”
Some laughed at the scene displayed on the screen, Adam grew irritated seeing how the focus was on the archangels and not on him or Eden. Lucifer simply watched the scene with a mixture of sadness and anger; although it wasn't the heaven he remembered, it still pained him to see this version of his older brother treating the rest of his siblings with such gentleness.
Charlie, for her part, looked longingly at the man who was supposed to be her uncle. He wasn't like Vaggie, Lute, Adam, or Lucifer had described him. What she saw was the ideal older brother, the one who always made time for his family no matter what.
And for a moment, she allowed herself to dream: if she were to meet her uncle, truly meet him and not just see the messages he left on the screen, would he support her idea of the hotel to redeem sinners? Would he listen to her and offer support where other angels had only ignored her and called her naive?
Emily observed how Charlie's eyes seemed to sparkle as she watched Michael's figure on the screen. And she, too, allowed herself to dream that if she managed to speak with Michael, she would ask and beg him to give his support to Charlie.
“Okay, now tell me, Sariel, did Lucifer help you with your prank?” Michael asked, smiling, extending his hand and grasping another piece of air.
From the piece of air materialized Lucifer, who was trying to escape, his brown hair shining just as it did when he was created. His brown eyes reflected surprise at being caught by his white toga, and from his left ear hung a gold earring with a flame-shaped ruby. He moved his feet frantically, trying to escape, but Michael's grip was strong enough to keep him in place.
“I told you to stay away,” Sariel reprimanded him when he saw that his accomplice had been caught.
“I was far away,” Lucifer said, finally giving up and walking to stand beside Sariel.
“Yes, you were,” Michael said, releasing Lucifer. “Now, Lu, you apologize too.”
Lucifer felt a pang in his heart seeing the love with which Michael treated his other self. It was painful to see a Michael who wasn't the cold general, the perfect warrior, the most loyal son of God. It hurt him to know that another version of himself could enjoy the older brother he secretly longed to have.
Charlie observed her father's reaction with a touch of sadness. Despite everything, it pained her to see her father hurt, and seeing this "improved" version of who was supposed to be his older brother must undoubtedly hurt him deeply.
“I’m sorry, Raphael,” Lucifer said, still looking at the ground.
“You’re not looking at me either!” Raphael complained, lightly tapping the ground with his bare foot.
Michael, Sariel, and Lucifer shared a small laugh. “Alright, you three, Lucifer, Sariel, go get Raphael’s flower from Tamael’s room. Raphael, go to your room and get some rest.”
With that, the three younger archangels ran off to carry out their older brother’s orders. Before Michael could continue on his way, he turned to look at a specific spot. “Azrael, you can come out now.”
In front of Michael appeared a man of similar height. Neat black hair, blue eyes, a physique similar to Michael’s, and a more slender build. His white toga hugged his body, while on his right arm was a single golden ring, with several blue agates embedded all around it. “Brother.”
“Is there something you wanted to ask me?” Michael asked, his voice never losing the gentleness and love with which he spoke to the rest of his brothers.
“No, I was just watching,” Azrael replied neutrally, his icy blue eyes reflecting no emotion whatsoever.
Charlie and Vaggie shivered in their seats as they watched the archangel who had threatened them just minutes before—well, he had threatened Vaggie. He lived up to every image they had imagined of him: a cold, distant being, with an appearance that screamed he could kill you at any moment.
“God, Michael could learn a thing or two from his brothers,” Velvette complained, noticing that the other archangels wore jewelry while Michael had nothing to make him stand out, aside from his supernatural beauty that could overshadow the rest who did wear jewelry. “His outfit is TOTALLY boring. If he came to me, I’d give him a great suit. Something that screamed he’s the big boss of them all.” She boasted arrogantly.
“Well, it’s not like he needs it,” Angel Dust said, his eyes never leaving Michael’s figure. As he glanced at Azrael, a chill ran down his spine, a chill that seemed to warn him not to look at him any longer than necessary, or he would end up dead.
“Did all those orgies destroy your brain?” Velvette scoffed, looking at Angel Dust with a cynical smile. “It’s not that he needs it, it’s just that it’s boring to see him without anything.”
“I see,” Michael said, approaching Azrael. “And what do you think of what you saw?” he asked, tilting his head with a smile.
“Lucifer and Sariel are still very immature. Gabriel is too expressive. Raphael is too emotional,” Azrael offered his observation of how Michael interacted with the rest of his siblings.
“And you are very reserved,” Michael said, placing his hand on Azrael's head and ruffling his hair.
Azrael lowered his head for a moment, his eyes, which had previously shown coldness and lack of emotion, now showed embarrassment. He didn't know how to answer, so he just let his older brother continue playing with his hair.
“Alright, now go and socialize with the others. I'm sure Jakariel would appreciate your presence,” Michael said, letting go of his little brother's hair.
Michael started to walk away, but was stopped by Azrael's call, “Brother…!” Azrael began, pausing for a moment as Michael turned to look at him with a questioning expression. “…When you come back… can you practice swordsmanship with me?”
Michael looked at Azrael for a moment before letting out a soft chuckle. “If that's what my younger brother wants, I'll gladly help him.”
“They’re just kids,” Charlie said, seeing Azrael’s reaction. Yes, she had felt a profound fear when he deliberately threatened Vaggie with death, so she could only wonder, what happened to make him start behaving like this?
“Don’t be fooled, Charlie,” Lucifer said, watching the screen with a touch of sadness. He wondered if Michael was just as good, if perhaps his time in Hell had distorted his memories of his older brother.
“That can’t be the same archangel who threatened me,” Vaggie refused to believe that the Azrael who acted like a socially awkward, maladjusted child was the same Azrael who had promised to finish what Adam and Lute had started years ago.
“He’s… like me…” Sir Pentious thought, watching Azrael, remembering how difficult it had been for him to make friends in his childhood.
In his childhood, Pentious had great difficulty forming real bonds with other children his age. His mother was a servant to several prominent people, and his father was not a present figure in his life. Because of this, his mother had to take him with her to clean the various houses where she worked.
Being socially inept was already a difficulty, but on top of that, there was the economic disparity he experienced with the other children he interacted with, so he never made any true friends and took refuge in science and his inventions.
When his mother died of tuberculosis, he used his ingenuity and his mother's former clients to sell his products and thus continue living in relative comfort.
Even so, he never formed true bonds, neither as a child nor as an adult. That's why he appreciated Charlie and the other inhabitants of the hotel so much; they not only accepted him but also believed in him. They were his first real friends in his entire existence.
Michael continued walking, stopping whenever one of his brothers approached him to talk. His tone never changed; he remained just as kind and courteous to each and every one of them.
He encountered Seraphiel, who showed him a machine that could make cakes after Adam and Lilith suggested they could make more food if they combined what they already had.
He met Timael, who showed him that he was practicing a new fighting style.
He met Farael, who showed him that he had discovered a new way to use celestial circles.
Each and every one of them went to Michael to show him their new creations, and Michael was always amazed and appreciative of everything his brothers showed him. Even so, there was one question, something that each and every one of his brothers asked Michael.
“Do you think Father will like it?”
And Michael always answered in the same way, with the same serene smile and gentle tone that only an older brother could convey:
“Father is busy, but I love it.”
They listened as the narrator explained the following minutes while the screen fast-forwarded through the interactions with the other archangels. With each and every one of the remaining 95 archangels. Each of them was dressed in the same white toga, each having different hair and eye colors. And each of them wore some kind of jewelry somewhere on their body, displaying their jewelry openly and proudly, all except Michael, who wore no jewelry at all.
“God! Michael is so sweet and cool!” Emily said with a big smile, watching admiringly the devotion and love Michael showed for the rest of his brothers. “Sera! Is the Michael from our universe the same?!” She asked, excited to meet who was supposed to be her older brother.
Sera remained silent at Emily's question. She tried to remember if her Michael had ever behaved that way. The archangels from where they came weren't exactly the most approachable; they were very withdrawn and never interacted with other angels outside of their own close-knit group.
They weren't bad, but they were quite serious. They never did anything unless they received explicit orders from God to do so. Even during the time of Eden, they never spoke more than necessary with angels of lower ranks. After Lucifer's fall, they became even more withdrawn from the rest of heaven. The last time she interacted with one of them was five thousand years ago when Adam died and arrived at the golden gates.
Michael finally spoke with each and every one of his 99 brothers, and now he was walking down a closed corridor that was barely illuminated by a few lights. His face still reflected the same serenity and gentleness he had shown his brothers, but as soon as his face was obscured by a pillar, his expression changed.
Now it was an expression of seriousness, almost coldness. His multicolored eyes had now frozen into a single blue color. His posture changed to a more rigid and upright one, his smile vanished, and only neutrality remained.
He continued on his way until he passed through a door, and beyond the door was a huge room with multiple monitors on every wall. In the center sat a golden throne on which Veril was seated, several cables connected to his terminal while hundreds of characters flashed across each and every screen at high speed, making them impossible to comprehend.
"Ha! If that's all it takes to manage existence, then I could do it without a problem!" Vox boasted upon seeing the multitude of screens connected to Veril's terminal. It reminded him of how he managed Tower V in Hell, and he was more than sure that he could do a job a thousand times better than Veril's.
"Ha! We all know you'd mess it up," Alastor said in his radio voice, looking at Vox with his mocking smile while the TV demon only glared at him angrily, blood trickling from the corner of his lips due to the anger he felt at that moment.
Something that few noticed was the change in tone that Michael seemed to undergo as soon as he passed the pillar. How his entire posture changed, how he left the facade of the older brother behind and now seemed to be the general that everyone feared.
Lucifer, in particular, felt a strong aversion, and although he would never admit it, a profound fear, upon observing his brother's transformation. It was the same way Michael had looked at him as he and Lilith fell into Hell. The same blue eyes that looked at them both with indifference before turning around and continuing to kill the rest of the beings who had supported him in his rebellion. That was the Michael he remembered, not the false mask he wore outside that room. Michael would never be the ideal, loving older brother that the screen portrayed, he would never be... right?
“Father,” Michael knelt before Veril, his gaze fixed on the ground as he awaited orders. “The rest of my brothers have been practicing the things you instructed. If you have a moment…” he began, as a small portal opened and he started to retrieve Gabriel's drawing.
“I don’t have time for that, Michael, but it’s good to know they’re following orders,” Veril said, still seated.
Michael simply nodded, putting Gabriel's drawing away again. His eyes softened for a moment, showing a hint of disappointment before hardening once more. A terminal appeared before him with a list of orders for him and the rest of his brothers. Michael sighed, beginning to modify the list on the terminal.
He took all the tasks assigned to his brothers and transferred them directly to himself. He took one last look at the list, making sure his brothers had no more tasks and that all of them had been successfully transferred to him. “Understood, Father, your orders will be carried out,” he replied, rising and walking towards the exit.
“What’s wrong with that fucker?!” Angel Dust complained, seeing the coldness with which Veril had treated Michael. “One of his sons wants to show him something and he ignores him?!”
In a way, it reminded him of how his own father had treated him and his siblings. The way he insulted and belittled them only to beat them afterward. Seeing that same scene happen to the most beautiful being in existence made his blood boil with anger.
“Father…” Michael stopped at the door and turned to look at Veril. “…When I return, I’m going to train with Azrael. And I thought that afterward, I could do a public training demonstration for the rest of my brothers with the help of Azrael, Tamael, Gabriel, Lucifer, Seraphiel, Raphael, Sariel, Timotel, Farael, and Jakariel… If you have time, I would like you to be there to see it.”
Veril didn't respond for a few seconds, still very busy with whatever he was doing. “If I have time, I'll be there.”
Michael simply smiled like a proud child, his blue eyes once again showing all the colors of existence. “Thank you very much, Father, I look forward to seeing you there and making you proud of us,” he said, bowing before leaving the room.
Both Angel Dust and Lucifer felt great anger and pain at seeing the coldness Veril showed towards Michael. It wasn't fair, even Lucifer could agree on that.
“That jerk doesn't deserve Michael!” Angel could clearly see the signs of emotional abuse that Michael was suffering at that moment; they were too obvious to ignore.
“Angel, maybe he's just very busy,” Charlie said in Veril's defense, trying to justify the coldness with which he was treating Michael.
Lucifer remained silent and began to think about his own past. He didn't remember his father being so... cold, even when he interacted with the rest of his siblings, his father always showed interest in their affairs.
Did the Michael of his universe act the same way as this Michael he was observing on the screen? Being the buffer between a father who didn't know how to love and the rest of his siblings? Did his Michael act so cold and rigid so that his father would only see his mistakes and not those of the rest of his siblings? Did... Michael cry when his father gave the order for him to be cast out into hell?
No, it couldn't be. Michael was cold and distant. God will always be cold and distant. He refused to believe that someone other than himself had also been a victim of the neglect of a father who couldn't understand his own creation.
“I agree with Angel!” Cherri Bomb shouted, also getting up from her seat, “Nobody deserves to go through that!”
“Sera, is our God the same?” Emily asked sadly, seeing how Michael clung like a wounded dog to his master.
“I... I don't know, Emily,” Sera admitted, also hurt by the treatment Michael was receiving. Even so, she found the unwavering loyalty Michael was showing to his creator noble; such loyalty and devotion should be worthy of admiration and an example to follow.
Lute, Vox, Husk, and Alastor noticed the unhealthy amount of tasks that Michael had taken upon himself. Although everything happened quickly, they noticed that each archangel had at least ten tasks to complete. Therefore, Michael was going to have to handle a thousand tasks all by himself.
Alastor, in particular, was fascinated. He found it amusing to watch the perfect archangel self-destruct, taking on a thousand tasks all by himself without asking for anything in return. That naiveté reminded him of Charlie, but taken to the extreme, and he could only wait to see him collapse under the weight of heaven.
In Eden, Adam and Lilith were resting under a tree. Adam was holding apple slices while Lilith rested in his lap, eating the apple slices that Adam offered her.
“Hahaha! I finally appear!” Adam said, getting up from his seat, happy to finally be on the scene.
“Good timing, sir,” Lute said with a smile, still seated.
Everything would have continued as normal, if it weren't for the fact that the skies turned golden. Both Adam and Lilith rose from their places, their golden eyes shining with excitement at the sight of the sky glowing.
“It's Michael!” Adam shouted like an excited child, recognizing the color the sky took on when Michael descended.
“What could be the reason for his presence? I thought Setariel and Askariel would be the ones to come today,” Lilith wondered as she watched Michael's figure descend, his six golden wings shining in all their splendor.
Lucifer and Charlie felt a pang in their hearts as they watched the scene between Adam and Lilith. It wasn't how Charlie had imagined it, or how Lucifer remembered it. They weren't fighting, they weren't arguing, they weren't clashing over ideologies. They simply... existed together, yes, that was the best way to describe it.
They didn't show much overt affection, they weren't resigned to being with each other, they simply felt comfortable in each other's presence in a way neither of them had expected.
For his part, Adam was also questioning his own memories of Eden. He didn't remember him and Lilith being so close at the beginning. That they enjoyed each other's company, that they behaved like... a couple? No, well, even he wasn't sure how they were behaving on the screen.
He was also surprised to see himself acting so childish and innocent. He was disgusted to know that he had once been like that, but at the same time, he felt something akin to nostalgia seeing his younger, more naive self.
“Adam, Lilith,” Michael began, landing gently on the grass, “It’s good to see you’re both well. I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m doing here.”
“Not really, I’m just happy you’re here,” Adam said happily, running to hug Michael.
“I am,” Lilith questioned, still keeping her distance, “Weren’t Setariel and Askariel supposed to come today?”
Michael chuckled softly, ruffling Adam’s hair and turning to look at Lilith. “Yes, it was their turn, but I decided to take it,” Michael replied calmly. “Father gave me some tasks I need to complete, so I won’t be able to come for my shift with Lucifer in a few weeks. Most likely, you won’t see me for about two months, so I decided to come down today.”
Lilith simply nodded, approaching Michael and giving him a hug as well when Adam let go. “That’s a long time,” Adam whined like a child.
“It’s only two months, you’ll see, it’ll go by quickly,” Michael assured them.
“Do you promise?” Lilith asked, looking into Michael’s eyes.
“I promise on my honor as an angel and older brother.”
Charlie felt a sense of tenderness watching the exchange between the first humans and the greatest archangel of all. In those days, heaven didn't seem distant; the angels were close to humans and spoke with them regularly. They even spent entire days in Eden, apparently taking turns.
Lute and Vaggie noticed how Michael referred to himself as "angel" and not "archangel." It seemed strange to them that he didn't use the title and name by which all of heaven knew the celestial hierarchy.
"Lilith, tell Michael what we discussed yesterday," Adam said excitedly as he watched Lilith and Michael separate from their embrace.
"What you discussed yesterday?" Michael questioned. Yesterday had been Asmadael and Uriel's turn to come down and watch over them, making sure they didn't eat the forbidden fruit, but when they gave their report, they never mentioned Adam and Lilith discussing anything.
"Well, it's a little embarrassing," Lilith admitted, clutching her arm and looking at the ground with some embarrassment as a blush appeared on her cheeks.
"Not at all! It's something great!" Adam encouraged her, but seeing his wife's shyness, he took over. "Well, we were thinking about what you told us last time. That your father planned to create more angels, so we came up with a way to differentiate them without using names," he began to explain happily.
"Oh? And how would that be?" Michael asked curiously.
"Well... In the language we're creating, 'arch' means first," Lilith found the courage to speak. "So we thought of referring to you and your 99 brothers as 'archangels,' the first angels to be created."
“Lilith is so cute!” Emily exclaimed, seeing how Lilith blushed about saying the name she had chosen for the archangels.
“What? No, humans didn't give us the name archangel,” Sera was having her third identity crisis.
“I agree with Sera,” Lucifer said. “It wasn't Lilith, or Adam, who named us. When Father created us, he said we would be called archangels.” He began to doubt his own memories again; he didn't remember his wife, if they were still married, being the one who nicknamed them archangels.
Charlie just watched the screen silently, gripping her seat tightly. After seven years, this was the closest "interaction" she'd had with her mother. Seeing her this way, so innocent, before all the events of Eden unfolded, was comforting in a way. Knowing that she was once just as idealistic as herself, knowing that at the beginning she lived in peace with the divine, brought her great happiness and reinforced her idea of redemption.
Even so, she couldn't help but glance at her father out of the corner of her eye. She knew she shouldn't judge, that she didn't know the whole story, but still, her mother looked so happy there, so she couldn't help but wonder, why did her father decide to ruin that by feeding her the forbidden fruit?
No, her parents loved each other, they must have loved each other, otherwise Lilith would never have eaten the fruit that Lucifer offered her. So she just had to keep watching, to see what happened in Eden that made her mother decide to follow her father in his rebellion against the oppressive system of heaven... Although from what she could see, heaven was many things, but oppressive wasn't one of them.
For his part, Adam watched the scene unfolding on the screen with resentment. Beneath his mask, he was clenching his teeth tightly with anger, with contempt, with... longing? More than five thousand years had made his memory as unreliable as Lucifer's. Sometimes, when he slept, he had memories of Eden, but all the memories were of him fighting with Lilith, arguing about things he never remembered upon waking. With each dream, his conviction grew stronger that extermination was justified, that because of Lilith and Lucifer paradise had been ruined, and now they had to pay.
But now he saw this, this version of himself, one who doesn't claim Lilith as his own, who doesn't boast of Lilith as a trophy. This version of himself treats her as an equal, and therefore he began to question his memories from more than five thousand years ago. Had there been anything more than fighting between him and Lilith in Eden? Had he been happy with her at some point? What was the real reason they became enemies when they seemed so happy together?
From beneath his mask, he glanced at Lute. Yes, Lute reinforced all his resentment towards Lilith and hell. That was all that mattered. That was all that mattered. That was all that mattered... Was that all...?
“I see, so you would be arch-humans?” Michael asked, tilting his head in confusion.
Adam and Lilith exchanged a glance before bursting into laughter, while Michael watched their interaction with bewilderment. Had he said something funny?
“Of course not,” Adam said, finally recovering from his fit of laughter. “As the one who names things, I decree that that name is awful for us.”
“Yes, I agree with Adam,” Lilith said, also stopping her laughter and wiping a small tear from her eye. “It’s a horrible name. We prefer to remain human.”
Some of them chuckled at Michael’s innocence and how imperfect he was at understanding human things. They found it endearing, and to a certain extent, it relieved them to know that someone like him wasn’t immune to making social blunders.
“Very well, then I swear it on my honor as an archangel,” Michael said, smiling again, kneeling before the two humans. “You will be known as humans, I and the rest of the archangels will protect you, we will cherish this name you have given us, and I promise to return in less than two months.”
“Come on, Michael, get up,” Adam said with a suppressed laugh, helping Michael to his feet with Lilith’s assistance.
“Yes, this is your last day here for the next two months, so we have to enjoy it as much as possible,” Lilith said, beginning to pull Michael along with Adam. The arms of both humans were intertwined with those of the first archangel, all three smiling without a care in the world. “I discovered this new fruit you have to try.”
The rest of the day, Michael spent with the first humans, going wherever they led him. Trying everything Lilith offered him, learning the names of the new animals that Adam had named. It was just another day in Eden, one of many.
The narrator had returned, explaining what was happening in the scenes that advanced quickly or were directly cut, jumping from one scene to another.
“Very nice and all, but when are they going to fuck?” Valentino asked, earning a glare from everyone in the room. Lucifer, in particular, was looking at him with fury, and if it weren't for the fact that part of his punishment was not being able to harm sinners, he would have already pulverized him. “What? I can't be the only one who thinks that, three half-naked beings, alone, in a paradisiacal place… Angel, prepare your holes! I have an idea for my next movie!” He yelled at Angel Dust, smiling sadistically.
Vox coughed loudly, grabbing Valentino by the ear and pulling him down. “Val,” he said with false kindness, his eye beginning to emit its hypnotic waves. “Not now.” Now his voice was more laden with anger; the last thing he wanted was to be on the wrong side of the King of Hell.
“Well, I wouldn't consider myself the best archangel,” Michael said, eating an apple while Adam and Lilith gathered more fruit. “For example, Gabriel is more expressive than me. Azrael is more efficient than me. Sariel is more stealthy than me. I wouldn't consider myself the strongest either. Lucifer is quite strong on his own; he's the one who shines the brightest of all of us, so I'm sure he'll surpass me at some point.”
Lucifer bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. He couldn't accept that the most feared being in heaven and hell, the one whose mere name instilled terror in the most corrupt beings of hell, the one whose authority was second only to God's, the one who was his older brother, was lowering himself to such a level.
Michael must be lying, that's all Lucifer could think. He couldn't accept that his older brother was placing so much faith in him. He couldn't accept that Michael saw him and thought he could be better than him, even though Lucifer himself was convinced he was. He couldn't accept... He couldn't accept that deep, buried part of himself that looked at the screen and his older brother's face with fear, that part that thought he had disappointed the being who had the most faith in him.
Vaggie watched the scene with distrust, gripping her arms tightly, her nails digging into her skin until small drops of blood appeared. Michael couldn't be this good, he couldn't be so gentle with everyone. Michael was cruel and infallible, he followed orders no matter how cruel they seemed. That was all the indoctrination the exorcists received from Adam and Lute.
She couldn't accept that the Michael who cared for and remembered ninety-nine brothers was the same one Adam and Lute talked about in the past. After all, if he was the same Michael, why didn't he retaliate against Adam and Lute when they mutilated her and left her in hell? Why did he allow Adam and Lute to be so cruel to the other exorcists?
She also couldn't allow herself to believe for even a second that Adam was ever innocent and loving. The one who was in Eden couldn't be the same one who would lead annual exterminations. The same arrogant, narcissistic, self-centered, sadistic, and misogynistic guy she knew couldn't be the same kind, innocent being the screen showed.
Charlie just watched her father and girlfriend have an existential crisis, and for the first time, she didn't know what to do. Despite everything, she was smart enough to know that trying to talk to them or calm them down would only result in both of them erupting in anger, saying how everything was unfair and that the screen was lying. At this moment, she felt useless.
“Come on, Michael, you can’t think so little of yourself,” Adam said, climbing down from the tree with some mangoes. “You’re the coolest archangel of all!”
“Yes, you’re the sweetest, the most thoughtful, the most loving, the most beautiful, you’re perfection,” Lilith agreed with Adam, helping him carry the mangoes.
“Haha, I appreciate your words, but I seriously think my brothers surpass me in every aspect,” Michael said with a smile, finishing his apple and helping them carry the mangoes. “Seriously, I want to see all my brothers shine brighter than me, and I’m more than sure they will.”
After that, they spent the rest of the day eating and chatting. Finally, Adam and Lilith shared a yawn, so they went to lie down in the shade of a tree. Michael followed them and sat between them, and both humans hugged him and snuggled up to him, Lilith a little more than Adam, all while Michael used his six wings to cover them and give them some shelter.
When both humans finally fell asleep, Michael simply appeared standing in front of them. There was no movement, no portal, they didn't see how he moved. It was as if he had always been standing there.
He began to walk, and a portal opened in front of him. Carefully, Michael stepped through the portal.
And the screen went dark.
“What a… fascinating power,” Alastor was amazed to witness Michael's brief display of power. It was as if reality itself had obeyed a single being and allowed him to move without moving.
Okay, sorry for not being present.
Again, golden letters began to appear on the screen.
I'm still busy, so I can't answer questions. Yes, I will bring those you requested, but I still need a little more time to finish my pending matters. The next screening will take place in a few hours. I've modified the lounge so there are more things besides food and drinks. I've also added an arcade and karaoke. Enjoy.