Chapter Text
Deep within the temperate rainforest of Central Oregon, amidst the towering redwoods and the vast untamed wilderness, rests the rustic lumber town of Gravity Falls.
A seemingly sleepy little town in the middle of nowhere, where nothing interesting ever seemed to happen, and there was even less to do, especially now, during the most torrential downpour in the wettest April that the state had seen in about 30 years, give or take.
And yet, despite the dense, muggy, overall dreary atmosphere, and the increased risk of hydroplaning, one old man was out there, hauling scrap metal and assorted bits and kibble, as well as literal alien alloy and adhesive back to his house in the woods to add to what one could call, to a certain degree, a passion project of his.
This individual, Stanley Caryn Pines, known to the public as Stanford Pines or, while on the job, Mr. Mystery, had been toiling away in his basement tirelessly for nearly 30 years, reconstructing a machine with the potential to destroy the entire universe in one fell swoop. He wants to right the wrongs of a past mistake, atone for a vast multitude of sins, and reunite with his long-lost twin brother.
“I don’t care about the risks. It’ll all be worth it when I get that portal up and running, and bring you back from wherever the hell the other side of that thing is.”
He pep-talked himself, keeping his end goal in his mind. He exhaled deeply, unpleasant memories surfacing, before swallowing them back down, refocusing his attention on the road ahead, both metaphorically and literally.
“Just know I’m doing all of this for you, Sixer. I hope this’ll all be worth it when-OH MY GOD WHAT’S THAT?!”
Stan abruptly found his thoughts being derailed by a gargantuan pillar of light slamming into the ground ahead of him. He furiously slammed his foot onto the brake, his tires screeching like a bat as they dug frantically into the asphalt, trying to bring the vehicle to a stop.
When the red and white El Diablo finally did so, its lone occupant and owner found himself sharply and repeatedly gasping to recover his shattered nerves at the near-death experience he had just been through.
Looking to his right, just out the window, Stan immediately found himself shaken again when he laid his eyes on the body of a pale, white-haired woman lying on the ground, unconscious but seemingly uninjured.
He didn’t remember hitting this person, but then again, he'd hit a lot of people in his time, and they’d all started to blur together after a while.
Yet for some reason, his conscience was telling him that there was more to this particular case than met the eye.
“Hey. Are you okay, ma’am?” He asked her.
Upon receiving no response aside from a pained groan, he immediately fished out his phone and got 911 on the line.
“Don’t worry! You’re gonna be okay, miss!”
Stan assured his latest run, completely unaware of how she would change his life in more than a couple of ways.
To better understand, we’ll need to go back just a couple of days prior- an otherwise cosmically unremarkable day, but to those in the know, it is known as…
—Extermination Day—
Hell. The Inferno. The Pit. Hades.Tartarus. Gehenna. Sheol. H-E Double Hockey Sticks. The Bad Place.
It’s known by many names, but whatever you call it, the point is that it’s real and bursting at the seams, population-wise.
To circumvent this little problem- and to prevent any potential uprisings- Heaven has a rather effective solution: annual cullings of the demonic population that they call “Exterminations,” designed to keep the Sinners in their place.
Right now, the ones in charge of leading the Angelic Legions; first man Adam and his second in command Lute were in the middle of a yearly ritual between them: seeing which of them could slaughter more of those disgusting damned monstrosities in the least amount of time, and in the most creative ways; a way to make the one day of the year they both looked forward to the most a little bit more fun than it already was.
“Oh, FUCK!!! I am so fucking HARD right now!” Adam shouted as they rested on the roof of an abandoned apartment building, catching their breath before heading back out.
“Did you see the looks on the fucking faces of those last few cunts before you skewered them like a fucking kebab?!” “They were all like ‘AAHHH!’ and then they were like ‘Bleh!’”
“Fucking awesome, Danger Tits!”
“I saw them, sir.” Lute replied stoically, “I always do enjoy it when they-”
But before she could finish her thought, the angelic lieutenant saw one of the many soldiers under their command (unlike her commander and best friend, she could never keep track of all of them. But if her memory was correct, which it always was, because angels didn’t make mistakes; her name was Vaggie) chasing a small cannibal child into an alleyway.
But for some reason, instead of going in for the kill, she hesitated, and then she let the little bastard go!
If she thought she could just show mercy to one of those monsters and get away with it, well, then she had another thing coming!
“That traitorous bitch!” Lute screeched with a venom laced with undertones of self-righteous fury as she leaped off the roof they were standing on and dove down towards the dissenter.
And before she even had time to react, she felt the sharp sting of an angelic sword slash her eye out! She fell to the ground, clutching her face in pain as Lute stabbed the now dislodged eyeball, before placing her foot atop Vaggie’s head.
“Sinful FILTH like you has no place in Heaven!”
She spitefully spat out, before proceeding to tear off her wings and take the halo she was no longer worthy of, before departing with Adam to continue in their divinely ordained duty.
Order had been restored.
And it always would be.
—Heaven—
Lute touched down just outside the Pearly Gates, still high on the adrenaline she always felt after an extermination, before it faded into ecstasy as she removed her helmet, revealing the pale yet stunning visage hidden underneath.
“Whoo! Haha!” She hollered, before quickly regaining her composure and silently nodding to St. Peter.
Immediately understanding her inflection, the famous golden gates slowly and dramatically parted to let her and her compatriot in.
Heaven was, for all intents and purposes, the opposite of Hell in every way. It was cleaner, brighter, and all around a much more pleasant place to spend eternity.
The sun sparkled radiantly above the perfectly pristine, haloed skyline, the streets below being literally paved with gold. The air that blew through was somewhere between a cool summer breeze and an air conditioner set just right in terms of temperature.
They had the best and brightest, the politest of the bunch, and everyone was hot!
Lute honestly couldn’t ask for a better home, and she wouldn’t want to anyway, considering it was the only one she’d ever known, having been born up here, and having only known perfection and bliss.
A symphony of joyousness echoed across the realm, but as she and Adam walked through the streets towards her favorite ice cream shop, she felt a small, strange twinge flicker in her chest.
It was an unfamiliar weight, like a dark cloud in an otherwise sunny sky.
Knowing it was probably nothing, she tried to brush it aside, but the sensation lingered, nagging at her insides.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the two arrived at their destination: Lylla’s Crèmery, one of the most popular ice cream shops in all of Heaven, and her and Vaggie’s favorite hangout spot back when they were in the academy together. Hoping that some of it would take her mind off how she was feeling, she pushed the door to the parlor open and walked up to the counter.
“Hey, Lylla.” She casually greeted the small otter cherub who ran the place, who cheerfully returned the gesture.
“Hey, Lute. Adam.” Lylla nodded her head towards the first man, who shot back a finger gun in return.
She then returned her attention to her most frequent customer. “The usual, Lute?”
She asked the Exorcist, who hesitated for a moment.
“Uh…Not today, Lylla.” She finally sputtered out. After a brief moment of consideration, she finally made her decision.
For some reason, she wasn’t feeling up for her usual rocky road/peanut butter cup smothered in hot caramel with just a dollop of whipped cream (she had a sweet tooth, sue her), so instead she just got a small scoop of vanilla with marshmallow creme to g.;
Not as good in her opinion, but she didn’t want to pass up the post-purge bowl of literal heavenly decadence she looked forward to every year altogether, and it would consulate her craving for now.
As they left the store, Adam felt his brow furrow as he noticed the flicker of discontent shadowing Lute’s features. Instead of spooning the creamy treat into her mouth, she was merely poking at it with her spoon
“Hey, uhh, Lute? What’s eating you, cause you sure as hell ain’t eating that ice cream!” He joked, while he was mostly sincerely trying to get to the bottom of his lieutenant’s uncharacteristic melancholy.
“Honestly, I’m not entirely sure, sir. I mean, going down there and exterminating all those demons is fun and all, and we’re doing it for a noble cause. I mean, I’m always up to defend Heaven, but after what happened with Vaggie, I’ve had this nagging feeling in my gut. That's what I did, was…well, for some reason, I just don’t feel right all of a sudden!” Lute sputtered out that last string of words, still disgusted that she was even remotely considering the possibility that she could be wrong.
“Uh, Lute?”
Lute found Adam suddenly placing his hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eyes, and giving her a few words she needed to hear:
“Listen, Lute. “I wouldn’t worry. You’re probably stressed from overexerting yourself during training all the time. You know what? We both deserve to rest. Just be careful out here, alright?
You remember the Seraphim’s one rule?”
“Yes, of course I do. ‘No one but the Exorcists can know about the Exterminations.’”
“Good. And as long as no one somehow heard us, we should be in the clear. Now, come on, Danger Tits! Whaddya say we hit the showers and then we can spend the rest of the day GodFlix and chilling? How about that?”
Lute sighed and conceded to her friend’s point. His empathetic words were enough to take her mind off the cold stone in her stomach, even if it only ended up being a temporary solution. “Yeah, that sounds like a good plan,” Lute responded, her face flushing gold,
And you’re right, sir. I’m probably just being paranoid.”
“Of course I’m right, bitch! I’m fucking Adam, remember? Now come on before all the hot water gets used up!”
———
Unfortunately, she was NOT just being paranoid.
Someone on the promenade-more specifically, a female spider-like Winner sitting at a table not far from where they were standing- had overheard their little conversation.
“I have to find Emily. She’ll know what to do!” She quietly murmured, shaken by what she had heard.
—————
-The Next Morning-
The soft, heavenly light of morning streamed through the small window in her private room in the Exorcist's barracks, casting warm, glowing shadows across the plush carpeted floor.
The gentle rays caressed the sky-blue walls, mingling with the crisp white and gold accents, creating a serene haven that was both inviting and sacred.
Framed motivational posters, each one a silent champion reminding her of her academy days, urged her to stay focused, with a small cross just above the bed; its presence was a solemn reminder of her duty.
A well-worn bedspread lay atop the mattress, the room’s lone occupant finally laying still after a full night of tossing about, the weight on her mind having not once let up, while the nightstand cradled a blue table lamp with a crisp white shade, it’s light long unused, a vibrant potted plant perked up the corner, its presence a small rebellion against the somber ambience and a small alarm clock stood sentinel, poised to signal the start of another demanding day of training.
At the other end, a sturdy wooden desk bore the scars of countless late-night vigils, supporting a sleek gaming computer- a gift from Adam- that gleamed with potential, yet remained untouched (because her schedule didn’t allow time for something so frivolous.)
The closet door lay just creaked open, revealing a row of identical long-sleeved grey minidresses, uniform, each one a reminder of the life she had been created for.
Leaning against the wall, her sword stood silently, waiting for the moment it could once again smite the Sinners down with fiery vengeance.
In an instant, the part of the day that Lute dreaded more than the rest occurred as the panels on the clock flipped down, and with it, the cacophonic blaring of the alarm blasted in her ears, jolting her out of her slumber.
“Ugh…” she groaned as she sat up, unfurling her wings and smacking her lips.
Despite looking absolutely perfect, with nary any bed head or crusty eyes (she was an angel) on the inside, it was a different story. To put it simply, despite living in Heaven, Lute was ironically not a morning person.
So, after pulling herself out of bed and taking a shower to further wake herself up, Lute made herself a mug of coffee and grabbed a protein bar on her way out to meet Adam on the promenade.
——————-
It was relatively early, the sun had not come up over the horizon yet, before even most Winners were up, but such was the life of an Exorcist; early to bed, and early to rise.
Lute spotted her superior in the center of the main plaza, sipping on a cup of boba tea, and fully alert. Not that it surprised her. Unlike her, Adam had always been the morning type, in no small part due to his ever-present bloodlust.
“So, did it work?”
“Did what work?”
Adam sighed exasperatedly, then clarified his statement.
“Did our little night off help you with your little… ‘issue’?”
She didn’t have an immediate response to give.
“Uh-huh.” Adam nodded apprehensively.
“But you said…”
“I know what I said, but we’ve got a lot of work to do before the next Extermination, and only a year in which to do it!”
Before the duo could start to make their way back to the barracks’ drill hall to get started for the day, though, they immediately found themselves teleported to a small office coated in pinks and purples, overlooking the angelic city.
And right before them, staring both of them down with fire in her eyes, was the Head Seraphim, Sera, who, alongside her sister, and Seraphim-in-training Emily, took direct orders from Him on High Himself, and led Heaven in His stead whilst He was off dealing with important matters.
Sera was a stern woman as it happened, but right now, she did NOT look happy. Not. One. Bit. At. All.
And both Adam and Lute knew that when Sera was pissed, that meant they were both in BIG trouble.
“H-hey, Sera. What seems to be the problem?”
Adam laughed nervously, sweat trickling down his neck at his superior’s stern gaze, dreading whatever she was about to say.
Next to him, while much more outwardly composed, Lute was internally an anxious mess, probably more so than her commander, for she had at least an inkling of an idea of what this was all about.
The answer was given in the form of the younger of the two Seraphim emerging from her sister’s shadow, eyeing the two of them worriedly, like everything she had ever known about them had been completely shattered irreparably.
“U-uncle Adam? Is this true?” She whimpered almost inaudibly.
“The problem is that for ‘some’ reason, Emily here came to me asking about a certain…” Sera groaned exasperatedly before uttering the next word, “…event long before I planned to share that information with her.”
“Now, both of you had better have a very good explanation as to why this is.” The higher angel demanded.
Adam briefly looked to be in contemplation, before bluntly blurting out:
“Uhh…NOPE! Nope. No clue at all as to what you’re talking about.”
Lute facepalmed at his stupidity, while Sera glowered harder at him.
“Adam, don’t lie to me. You should know I know more than anyone when you’re trying to hide something, seeing as how I had a hand in your creation.”
“I’m not lying,” Adam stated as his mask started glitching abruptly, then stopping just as fast as it had begun.
“Look, if you just come clean, the consequences won’t be as severe.”
“Your Highness, forgive me, but Emily has existed for almost a thousand years now. I’m just saying that you couldn’t have kept that information from her forever.”
“Look, I don’t know if you realize this, but Em was told by…I believe it was Molly Marciano; she overheard the two of you discussing these very private matters out in the middle of the square. Let’s just say that you’re both very lucky that she was the only one who heard it, but it’s still a headache for me to keep her quiet, and it’s a heavy burden for her to have to live with that sort of knowledge.”
“Look, Sera, I can assure you, on both of our behalves, that this sort of thing won’t happen again.”
“That’s right.” Lute backed him up, nervousness tainting her tone
“It had better not...” Sera started, “because you know what would happen if word of this got out to the masses, they would start to question our authority, which would lead to dissension, which would inevitably lead to “
Before Sera could finish the thought, they heard a concerning clamoring and turned their collective attention towards the window, only to be faced with what could only be described as an uproar on a level which hadn’t been experienced since…the Incident.
And leading the mob, an incredulous expression of disbelief painted across her face, was Adelaide LeBeau, identifiable by the pink cotton candy like curls of hair, two tiny antlers poking out, and the smooth, matured dark brown tone of her skin giving off an aura of wisdom that contrasted sharply to the close to broken faith that could be distinctly sensed even from the height they were at.
Despite wishing that she were still dreaming, Lute could unmistakably hear the cacophonous symphony of outraged cries from concerned angels of all sorts demanding answers far down below:
“Why didn’t we know about this?!”
“Aren’t they already paying for their sins by being in Hell?!
“Why make the wretched suffer just to kill them again?!”
At the front of the vast, almost infinite crowd, alongside her surrogate mother figure, Molly Marciano could be easily spotted, sharing Adelaide’s expression of absolute worry and devastation, her large eyes brimming with tears.
“I have family down there!” She heartbrokenly/wrenchingly cried out, the pain in her voice evident. “My brother Anthony should’ve been here by now! How do I know that yah haven’t killed ‘im?!”
Back up top, Adam and Lute turned towards Sera, the former exasperatedly gesturing to her to deal with the problem, and set the status quo back on track.
“Well, what the fuck are we waiting for?”
Adam demanded lividly, to which Emily covered her ears in response to his use of such indelicate language.
To both his and Lute’s shock, though, Sera was unable to come up with a definitive answer or plan of action, merely staying silent and staring out at nothing as the very foundations on which Heaven rested were shaken, and its perfect image quickly found itself cracking as unease and apprehension spread like wildfire across the realm.
But before anyone could do anything, a blinding white light manifested, its newfound presence reverberating an unmistakable aura, befitting of the one being in all of creation it could belong to.
Upon bearing witness to such awesome majesty, everyone within the vicinity, from the smallest cherub to even the High Seraphim herself, found themselves immediately and respectfully silenced.
The light began to die down, and the figure being enveloped was revealed.
But instead of the white-robed, long-haired appearance most Winners would expect Him to sport, or even something a little more unorthodox but still semi-plausible like, say, a tall, sharply dressed, slender figure with four disembodied eyes orbiting his head, the collective population of Heaven was met with… an anthropomorphic axolotl wearing a mahogany bathrobe.
“Uhh…what the fuck is happening right now?” Lute bewilderedly whispered to Adam.
“I don’t know!” He hissed back, just as, if not more confused
“Yeah, we probably should have seen this coming…” the Axolotl groused awkwardly under its breath, before resuming to address its audience.
“Heh…Ok, I can see the reason for your confusion.” It continued majestically, while at the same time humbly. “If you thought I’d be God, let me explain.”
Despite the unorthodoxy of the amphibious entity they faced, he commanded the same sort of presence to be expected of a deity. As such, the heavenly populace stayed silent and paid attention to their explanation.
“As most of you are well aware, in the beginning, God and the Angels were all that was, until they brought the universe into existence over seven days.” The Axolotl narrated, “But what they don’t tell you in Sunday school is that after that seven-day period was complete, God decided to take a little…” the Axolotl briefly hesitated as they struggled to find the right word. “vacation, before He began His watch over creation.”
Down on the promenade, the crowd emitted a low, soft buzz as they whispered amongst one another, processing the barrage of new information as best as they could.
“But let’s just say that His perception of time is markedly different than that of mortal souls, and his time away from their kingdom frankly went on far longer than it probably should have.” “But just because Him on High isn’t within the physical boundaries of the universe, that doesn’t mean that He isn’t still in tune with the happenings within it.”
Hearing this, the Exorcist’s lieutenant anxiously swallowed a gulp of moist air down her rapidly drying throat, sensing where this speech was headed.
“So, when a sudden disturbance in the sanctity of this realm was detected, He knew it was finally time to return.”
As they finished their tale, Adam had a few choice words on the matter:
“Well, if this is such a big fucking deal, why couldn’t the Big G take care of this Himself instead of sending a giant talking newt?!”
At this borderline blasphemous verbal affront, while the Axolotl appeared to be unaffected, the crowd produced a discernible gasp, shocked that their collective ancestor would use such sacrilegious words. A breath was anxiously drawn in as the oversized salamander turned toward their offender and addressed him with a certain level of contempt:
“Well, ‘Adam’, when a few of our other colleagues decided to draw straws to settle who to send,”
“…well, you’re looking at the loser. Literally. We were playing Pictionary. Competitive Pictionary.”
“Okay…” Sera hummed confusedly, “Honestly, I’m not sure why you brought up that specific detail, but no matter.”
She smoothed her hair out before hovering above the vast congregation of concerned souls, addressing them in her natural, authoritative yet dignified tone, a solution to the current turbulence having been formed in her mind.
“Attention heavenly subjects: I know that you are all deeply disturbed by the recent revelations that we have been keeping from you for so long.” “But, as the de facto Head of Heaven in Him on High’s absence, it is my solemn vow that we will right this grave transgression.”
She gestured to the large clock tower on the opposite side of the square, Winners, Cherubs, and Heaven-born alike following the graceful motion.
“So, I hereby formally decree that at exactly 3:00, on the toll, a trial shall be held to determine whether or not the yearly Exterminations are morally or even ethically justified, and this trial will also determine the future of the aforementioned event. This trial shall be broadcast live to all of Heaven.”
Sera’s proclamation sent a wave of panic down the back of the First Man’s female companion at the prospect of losing the very cornerstone of her existence, one of two reasons for her creation. Without the exterminations, she wouldn’t have a purpose, no higher calling. Her breathing suddenly hitched as she doubled over, the world around her growing louder and her vision growing distorted and slightly spotty as her fear overtook her and she spiraled into darkness.
—————————————
*Lute?*
Despite the almost unbearable ringing in her ears, she still managed to make out the sound of Adam calling out her name in concern.
*Lute, wake up, you dumb bitch!*
Well, as much concern as a guy like him could muster.
Lute came to in her bed back in the barracks, Adam lording over her, an unamused expression adorning his LED mask.
“Well, I gotta say, ‘Lieutenant’, you sure fucked up, didn’t you?”
“What are you saying, sir?”
“I’m saying that if you hadn’t mutilated Vaggie, we wouldn’t be in this mess right now! Because of you, the Exterminations are at risk of getting shut down, leaving you and all your sisters out of a job, and me with nothing to do for the rest of eternity!”
“Oh, so I’m the bad guy for following protocol? For doing what you told us to do when we step out of line?!”
“Pretty much, yes!”
Lute took a breath and put her hands up to stop the argument in its tracks.
“You know what, Adam? I’m not gonna argue with you right now. I mean, we’re literally best friends! And last I checked, friends don’t blame their problems on friends. They take accountability for their actions. And I’m willing to be the bigger person here and admit that yes, this is my fault. So, let’s just get this thing out of the way, and then things can go back to the way they always were. Deal?”
Adam stopped for a second to consider Lute’s words for a moment.”
“Mmm…fine. Deal.” Adam whined before switching back to serious mode and telling her point-blank:
“But I swear, if you screw up the rest of my afterlife, you’re dead to me, Lute.”
Lute’s eyes widened in shock. Her whole body froze where she stood. To her, it felt like all of Heaven had gone just as still as she had. The only thing she could see was Adam’s scowling face. It was a look that she’d only ever seen him give to the demons of Hell… and now he was giving it to her.
Her thoughts were hazy. Her vision had gone blurry. It wasn’t until she felt something warm and wet sliding down her face that she realized it was tears. She was crying. The Exorcist was now feeling something she’d never felt before.
Devastated.
“What?” She sputtered, clearly hurt by what she was being told.
“You heard me! Dead. To. Me.” Adam emphasized slowly. And don’t think I can’t just have you replaced. Because I can, and if this goes bad, I will.”
Lute just stared at him, gobsmacked/dumbfounded, clearly upset by her superior’s words.
“See ya in court!” He spat with sarcastic venom before heading out the door and leaving her alone with only her thoughts for company.
She just stood there in silence for some time. Then her legs just started moving, she didn’t even know where she was going. It wasn’t until she felt the sun on her face that she realized she was outside. The Angel stood atop the Exorcist building, watching as the sun set over Heaven.
With nothing else on her mind… she started to sing.
So much pressure, why so loud?
If you don't like my sound, you can turn it down
I gotta roll
And I walk it alone
Lute walked along and stumbled upon a mural depicting Adam surrounded by other Exorcists. She ran her hand over it it as she walked along.
Uphill battle, I look good when I climb
I'm ferocious precocious
I get braggadocios, I'm not gonna stop
I like the view from the top
She flew a few feet off the ground and that hand came to rest on Adam’s face.
You talk that
Blah blah that la la, that rah rah sh
And I'm so done, I'm so over it
Sometimes I mess up, I eff up, I hit and miss
But I'm okay, I'm cool with it
She turned away and looked at the floor and she descended and walked away.
I still fall on my face sometimes and I
Can't color inside the lines 'cause
I'm perfectly incomplete
I'm still working on my masterpiece and I
I wanna hang with the greatest gotta
Way to go, but it's worth the wait, no
You haven't seen the best of me
I'm still working on my masterpiece and I
Oh, oh, oh, ah, oh, oh, oh, ah
The scenery began to change and now she was back in the streets of Hell, sword in hand as she walked along, swiping at demons left and right.
Those who mind, don't matter
Those who matter, don't mind
If you don't catch what I'm throwing then I leave you behind
I'm gone need a flash
And I am leaving like that
Adam came to her side and elbowed her shoulder with a laugh as he began to praise her. She couldn’t actually hear what he was saying since this was a musical number, but it made her blush all the same.
You talk that
Blah blah that rah rah, that la la sh
Go with the punches, and take the hits
Sometimes I mess up, I eff up, I hit and miss
But it's okay, I'm cool with this
He then flew off into the sky and Lute came up right behind him. He came to a stop at one point and started firing his Holy Light at buildings. She smiled at first. But then the blast came towards her and she had to duck away.
She didn’t hear what he said with that grin of his, but she knew it was “Whoa, didn’t even know you were there!”
I still fall on my face sometimes and I
Can't color inside the lines 'cause
I'm perfectly incomplete
I'm still working on my masterpiece and I
I wanna hang with the greatest gotta
Way to go, but it's worth the wait, no
You haven't seen the best of me
I'm still working on my masterpiece and I
Oh, oh, oh, ah, oh, oh, oh, ah
And now she was back in Heaven. Technically she’d never left, but semantics. The sun had set, leaving the stars as the only light in the sky.
Lute fell to her knees and hugged herself, eyes watering.
I still fall on my face sometimes and I
Can't color inside the lines 'cause
I'm perfectly incomplete
I'm still working on my masterpiece
Masterpiece, masterpiece
She looked back up at the mural and furiously wiped away the tears before they could come.
I still fall on my face sometimes and I
Can't color inside the lines 'cause
I'm perfectly incomplete
I'm still working on my masterpiece and I
I wanna hang with the greatest gotta
Way to go, but it's worth the wait, no
You haven't seen the best of me
I'm still working on my masterpiece
With her song finished, Lute turned away and flew back to her barracks to get ready for tomorrow.
But what she didn’t know were two Seraphim perched on a high rise not too far away. And they had seen all of it.
Emily watched as she flew away, her face filled with conflict. Her feelings about Lute were… mixed. But after that…
“Wow. That was a lot more than I ever expected to learn about her.”
Oh yeah, they weren't alone.
“Yeah,” she sighed.
Sera meanwhile had been silently looking down in contemplation. “Abel, has your father ever talked about him and Lute?”
The First Shepherd winced. “Ooh~. Not in the way that I think we all know she wants.”
“I see. Abel, Emily, I have an idea, but I want your thoughts first.”
She then told them her plan, making their eyes widen. The two were silent for a few minutes as they processed it.
“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Abel mused.
“Do you think it would work?” Emily asked him.
“…It worked for Cain.”
Her pensive look was replaced by sympathy and she moved over to comfort her friend, standing at his side and holding his shoulders.
“Do you miss him?”
“Always.”
“…Do you want to talk about it?”
Abel sighed. “I know that I can be a lot sometimes. When it happened, I kept going on and on about something. I don’t remember what it was about. The next thing I knew, he swung a rock at my head.
“I fell to the ground, got dizzy, and kept feeling colder. I couldn’t make anything out except for Cain’s voice because he was so loud. I don’t… I don’t think he knew what was happening. He just kept screaming my name. He was so scared, Emily.”
Sera frowned and looked away. She remembered that day vividly. The First Death. She’d sensed it immediately and flew down from Heaven right away. Her shock and horror was only equated by Cain’s own.
“That was the last thing I heard as everything turned black. And then I was here.”
Emily leaned her head on his shoulder. He patted her arm in appreciation.
“Are you going to come to the trial tomorrow?”
I’m not very big on confrontation,” he chuckled sheepishly. “Also… I think I’d rather remember my dad at his best–which is still not great–but it’s better.”
“And Seth?”
“He’s decided to do mass all day. I think it’s for him as much as it’s for other Winners.”
“Alright,” she nodded. “It’s getting late, I should get to bed. Heaven has a long day tomorrow.”
“Want me to fly you home?”
“I’d like that.”
Sera smiled as she watched them go. She then flew to her own home and went to bed. Though sleep would not come
___________________________________
Sera stood before two massive golden doors. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Now more composed, she gently pushed them open and walked in. Like the doors, the entire chamber was golden with several floors surrounding an open area. On the opposite side of the room were perches meant for a judge and other figures presiding over a trial much like the one they were about to have.
But that trial would not be here. No, she was here for something else.
Or rather, someone else.
The Seraphim flapped her wings and soared above, flying over and behind the judge’s seat. She went higher and higher until she reached a large window. On the other side was a platform overlooking all of Heaven. The angel couldn’t help but smile at the beautiful array of colors as far as the eye could see. Then she turned and found who she was looking for.
Sitting near the edge was a beautiful, golden phoenix-like angel. She was twice Sera’s height, had six wings, long golden and white hair that flowed without a breeze, long black eyelashes, and a halo like the sun. Everything down to her smile radiated light, warmth, and nurture.
She… was the Speaker of God.
And she was not alone, for while she sat near the edge, another angel was resting on her lap. He was a Winner, from what Sera could tell, and his face was buried in her stomach while he shed tears.
“…and I died before my wife and daughter, and have no other family up here, but I don’t want them to die yet, I want them to live full lives, but now I’m all alone, so I do want them here and-and…”
“Breath, my child. Breath.” the speaker said compassionately, gently holding him and petting his head while she continued to smile at him. “Everything will be okay. You come here a soul who lived his life well. You will find many more like you.”
“But I want her,” he cried. “Her and my little girl. Does that make me selfish?”
“No. You are allowed to want the presence of the ones you love. You are allowed to miss them and want to be with them. Do you have faith that they will arrive here?”
“With everything,” he spoke without hesitation.
“Then trust in that. Trust that one day she will be in your arms again.”
“But that could be decades. It should be decades. I… I’m alone.”
“Oh, my child,” she cradled his face, making him look up at her. “You will never be alone. All of Heaven is here for you.”
She pressed their foreheads together, and he wept, holding onto her tightly. As time passed, his tears died down, and the Winner sat there, relaxing into her warm embrace. Eventually, he pulled back and began to hover in the air.
“Can we have another meeting next week?” he asked as he wiped his face.
“Of course,” she nodded. “I am always here to listen.”
The Winner flew off, feeling better than he was before. Now alone, the Speaker turned to Sera with a bright smile.
“Sera. Good morning, young one.”
“Speaker,” the Seraphim respectfully bowed, though there was nervousness in it. “I see you have helped another soul. What brought on his sorrow?”
“He passed away three months ago, while his wife and daughter still live. Today is her tenth birthday.”
“I see,” she bowed her head. “You have always been the wisest among us.”
“I simply remember what Father taught me and share that wisdom with those who need it,” she smiled in the Winner’s direction and turned to Sera. “Now, what counsel do you need, my child?”
“Have you… have you heard what I have done?” Sera’s voice wavered.
The Speaker’s smile instantly fell, her expression becoming sad.
“I have. The news brings me great sorrow." The phoenix walked up to Sera and placed her arms on her shoulders. “Speak.”
“I thought that the Exterminations were what was needed to protect our people. But now… I don’t know anymore. Him On High sending this Axolotl-”
“The Axolotl is here?” She tilted her head, making Sera blink.
“You know him?”
“He is… a very old friend,” she smiled with a faraway look. “Was he sent here because he lost Pictionary?”
“Um… yes,” Sera blinked, and the Speaker let out a melodious laugh.
“He was never good at pictionary.”
“Right~,” Sera drawled out. “I take it you trust his wisdom.”
“He’s older than even I am. He was born before the first sound that broke the great silence. I trust him with my life.”
“This is a lot to take in,” she admitted. “The trial over the fate of the Exterminations is in a few hours, I’m going to be presiding over it with the Axolotl, and I don’t know what to do,” Sera held her temple in frustration. “I allowed the Exterminations in the first place, and I don’t know this Axolotl. I need someone I know and trust to stand with me there.” She looked up to face her. “I need you.”
The Speaker looked down at her in thought. The silence lasted for a bit before she finally gave her answer.
“Very well. I will stand with you and the Axolotl. Besides, it has been far too long since I have seen his frilly face.”
——Heavenly Court——
3:00 pm rolled around, and as stated, the Heavenly Court was abuzz with anxiety over how to proceed with the upcoming case. The various juries, made up mainly of the newer generations of Dominions and Principalities were talking amongst themselves, on pins and needles as the rest of the court made their way to their seats, eyes on Sera and Emily, the Seven Virtues, the Archangels, and serving as the judge, the Axolotl. While an actual judge was something which they hadn’t really needed since forever, seeing as how this particular case was a pretty big deal, they’d decided they’d have the anthropomorphic amphibian oversee this trial, as the designated representative of Him on High Himself.
“What up, baby?!” Adam sang as he flew in, seemingly oblivious to the hard, cold stares of judgement he was receiving from the various members of the court, or the embarrassed look on his former lieutenant’s face, who was already present, and dreading what was about to happen; she didn’t know what would happen, but a gut feeling was telling her it wasn’t going to be good.
“Ugh…” Lute exasperatedly groaned at Adam’s immaturity. “Adam, can you please try to take this seriously?!”
“Why should I? I’ll be fine. In case you’ve forgotten already, Lute,” Adam sneered, “You're the one who committed the more serious crime here, so even if I receive some form of punishment-and let's face it, if I have any say in this, and I will- will-you will. I'll be fine!”
“And what makes you think that, ‘O great and mighty First Man’?” She mocked him, sarcastically affecting a high-class cadence for that last bit.
“Hey, you said it, bitch. Not me.”
“Enough!” The Axolotl boomed from the judicial bench, inducing a moment of silence, before they continued to address the court. “Now, then. Sera, if you would…”
But before he could continue, a bright light suddenly shone from above. It then died down to reveal the Speaker soaring above. Everyone’s eyes widened at the beautiful sight. Some were in awe, two were in nervousness, and one was with something the others couldn’t recognize.
“Speaker?” the Axolotl blinked.
“Hello, Ax. It has been a long time,” she smiled at him.
“Indeed it has,” he smiled back.
The two stared at each other for quite a while. Every eye in the courtroom flickered between the two, trying to figure out what the Hell was going on there. Then the Speaker landed right beside him, and the salamander turned to the Seraphim.
“As I was saying. Sera?”
“Of course, Axolotl.” She responded, “We are gathered here today to determine whether or not the ‘Exterminations’ are justified, and by extension, the verdict will determine whether or not they are to continue.”
“Uh, objection!” Adam interjected rather rudely, “In case all of you have forgotten, the whole reason we started them was to prevent infernal uprisings! I mean, have you seen how powerful some of the sinners can get?! THAT’S what we’re trying to protect you from!”
Hearing this, the crowd murmured amongst themselves, both at the First Man’s foul language and reasoning that he (seemingly) had a point.
The Axolotl raised a flap of skin sardonically, deciding to ignore him and get things underway.
“Very well, Mr. Adam.” His voice echoed. “Call the first witness!”
From the shadows stepped a maskless Exorcist, the anxious expression adorning her face bared for all to see, which betrayed the fact that she was from one of the younger batches, just starting at the academy. She had purple hair that was tied back into a braided ponytail, and her hazel brown eyes were brimming with palpable confusion and uncertainty. She and her sisters had witnessed the announcement of the trial earlier in the day, but she didn’t think that she, of all angels, would be called in to give a testimony.
The young trainee made her way to the witness box and sat down.
She didn’t know what to make of the Axolotl, but his gentle smile and warm demeanor eased her anxiety. The Speaker’s warm presence was also quite calming. It was like seeing two parents ready to listen.
“It’s okay, young one.” He told her, allowing her to let her guard down more than she ever had been allowed to before. “Be not afraid, as you angels say.” He chuckled, and the Speaker giggled. “Please, tell us your name.”
“Uh, A-Areola, sir. But I prefer Ari, if that’s okay.”
“Very well, Ari.” The Axolotl obliged her request. “What can you tell us about your experiences as an Exorcist?”
Ari looked anxiously at her future commanders, Adam glaring daggers at her, a sneer plastered on his face that screamed, ‘Don’t screw this up!’ Ari winced from the fear of the First Man’s wrath.
She knew that this trial would decide whether her future was still to pass, her whole purpose and reason for creation, but a little voice in the back of her mind reminded her of the Ninth Commandment, how lying was unholy, and she decided not to ignore her conscience, not to betray her inherent nature.
So, she sucked in a deep breath and let it out; the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. The long, hard training sessions, the early curfews, the even earlier risings, and how they barely got any free time, and the punishments they received if they ever stepped out of line, even for a moment. With each yarn she spun for the court, the more horrified they got.
Whispers amongst the juries even compared it to hellish tortures that had only been heard about but never seen.
And the entire time, Ari felt conflicted about her confession, and what would result from her contribution to this trial.
She just hoped she wouldn’t be punished for this.
As all they could do right now was sit and observe,
“You know what? I’m gonna fuckin’ kill her for this!”
“Sir, think about how that would look.”
“No, you listen, and listen good, Lute-”
“Is something wrong, Adam?” Sera asked, sharply cutting him off.
“No,” he said, lying between his teeth, “We’re all good here!” he looked between the lieutenant and the trainee, bitterness starting to fester, whispering under his breath through gritted teeth, “Just gonna kill the fuckin’ traitor when this gets out…”
“Do you have a response to these claims, my children?” the Speaker asked the pair as Ari made her way to sit among the audience.
“Yes, Speaker,” he nodded in a rare show of respect. “Lute, show them the profiles on the prime targets.”
“Yes, sir.” Lute walked to the center where the scrying orb stood. “With respect to the members of this court, you do not understand the threat we face. The sheer power that some of these filthy monsters have! If we are to stop them from threatening Heaven, then we must train to do so. It is grueling and unorthodox for Angels, I admit, but it is necessary.”
“And you have proof to justify this necessity?” Sera raised a brow.
“Yes, your Highness.”
“Heavenly people, behold Exhibits A-K. The Overlords,” Adam announced and snapped his fingers. The scrying orb then glowed and began to show various images of imposing Sinners down below.
“Exhibit A: Zestial. Oldest known Sinner, probably died in the 1500s. The shit he can do includes making crap out of thin air, energy blasts, turning into a spider, or a creepy shadow that can teleport. He seems to know a lot of shit, and other Sinners are afraid to go near him. Makes him more dangerous.”
“Exhibit B is a known associate of his,” Lute added in.
“Yes, Carmilla… Well, fuck,” he grinned upon seeing her picture. “Those are some fuckin’ long legs.”
Everyone just stared at him. Even the Speaker tilted her head in confusion. Sera and the Axolotl found themselves pinching the bridges of their noses.
“Are… are you checking her out right now?!” Emily shouted incredulously
“Can you fucking blame me? Look at those legs!”
“This is the scion of humanity?” the guppy questioned flatly. Sera could only hum disapprovingly.
Seeing how this wasn’t going anywhere good, Lute sighed and continued for him.
“Exhibit B: Carmilla Carmine. She is the top weapons dealer in Hell. Drone footage indicates that she has developed weapons superior to ours.”
This brought about murmurs from the court. Adam grinned again, taking this as a turn in his favor. The two began to list more of the Overlords. It was quite dramatic, actually.
“Exhibit C: Rosie of Cannibal Town…”
“Exhibit D: Zeezi…”
“Exhibit E: Maestro…”
“Exhibits F and G: Prick and Hatchet…”
“Exhibits H, I, and J: Vox, Velvette, and Valentino.”
“Commonly known as the Vees…”
“And the most bloodthirsty of them all…” Adam brought up the last one.
“Exhibit K: Alastor, the Radio Demon,” Lute finished.
The image of the red-clad demon with deer horns sent a shiver down everyone’s spine. They didn’t know which terrified them more, the monstrous shadow or the smile.
“From what our intelligence has recovered, he is the most powerful Sinner in Hell. He even wiped out a majority of the Overlords back in the 1930s.”
“I’d never even heard of the guy until I read about him for this case, but man, is he one sick and twisted son of a bitch,” Adam admitted. “And it gets worse. We had to look into old files to figure out who he was in life, and we’ve determined that he was the Bayou Butcher. A serial killer that murdered and ate people.” Then he turned to the audience, singling Adelaide out in his sight. “And his name was Alastair Lebeau.”
The group gasped and turned to face the woman who bore the same name. She could only look on in open-mouthed horror and sorrow at the sight of him.
Of her son.
“Oh, Al. What did you do?”
Molly hugged her friend, rubbing her arms in comfort.
“Heavenly people, what more do you need to see? Lute summed it up best: they are filthy monsters who do not deserve our pity or mercy.”
The audience and members of the court began to whisper among themselves, now feeling a sense of doubt settle over them. Emily exchanged a worried glance with Sera, who frowned sadly.
This supposed defense was immediately thrown out the window with the echo of a hearty laugh dripping with sarcasm, courtesy of the Axolotl.
“Oh, really? Then why don’t we ask…” he snapped his digits dramatically, causing the ornate white and gold door to be thrust open, and the first witness to be called in. Through the doors came a woman of absolutely stunning proportions and appearance, hair like spun gold. She gave off an air of regality that could not be denied, and no ambiguity as to her identity.
Despite this, Emily couldn’t believe it. Sure, she’d heard all the stories and legends surrounding the Royal Family of Hell, but she never thought she’d actually see one of them in person.
The Seraphim of Joy looked to her older sister, trying to gauge if she was really there.
Sera merely looked at her.
“I’ll tell you why she's here after.”
“Your ex-wife!” They finished dramatically.
“What? You brought her in?!” Adam shouted indignantly as Lilith stood in the doorway, unresponsive to her ex’s whiny tirade.
“Well, as Hell’s Ambassador, she has more than happily agreed to provide a testimony.”
“Of course, Axy,” she laughed, “ Anything to humiliate a sociopathic narcissist,” the Queen of Hell said calmly, taking a sip of wine from the chalice in her hand, before she dissipated it with a wave of her other hand.
“It’s good to see you, too, Adam,” she snarked as she took her spot at the witness box.
Adam responded by flipping Lilith off with both hands while sticking out his tongue childishly before he realized something:
“Wait, hold up! You two know each other?!”
“We’re getting off the subject.” Sera reprimanded, “Let us continue.”
Watching the unfold, Lute was confused, but not for the reasons you’d expect. She leaned in next to Adam and asked:
“What’s a ‘sociopathic narcissist’?” Lute whispered to Adam, her confusion clear enough that she had to ask despite the current strain on their friendship.
“It’s nothing.” He hissed, barely tolerating Lute’s question, much less her presence, only not lashing out due to Sera’s stern, omniscient hawklike gaze being fixed on them.
Meanwhile, Lilith rose gracefully from her seat and faced the judge.
“If I may speak, Your Honor,” Lilith addressed
“You may,” The Axolotl permitted.
“Thank you,” she turned towards the court. “Now, while I do Adam’s argument, while the Overlords have given rise to a great deal of suffering within Hell, I must make it abundantly clear that this small group of Sinners is, overall, the exception in terms of power and influence, not the norm. The majority are, if anything, at their mercy. And that’s not even getting into the Ars Goetia and the Seven Deadly Sins, of which my beloved Lucifer is a part.” She couldn’t help but blush profusely, mentioning her former husband, but Lilith quickly composed herself before continuing:
“Now, putting my personal biases aside, the point is if we wanted to mount a full-scale invasion, we would have attempted it by now.”
When the Queen of Hell finished her testimony, the younger Dominions once more whispered amongst themselves, admitting that it held a bit of water.
“Yeah, she’s got a point,” Emily mused, “Why haven’t they invaded us yet?”
“Are you all fucking kidding me?” Adam said, disappointed, “You’re going to take the word of a piece of shit who is not only a demon, but also a woman? You’re just going to let her corrupt our younger ranks with her wiles?!” he gestured to his honorary niece, who looked away, her hurt reflecting in her big innocent eyes, and gripping her shoulder anxiously.
Lilith anticipated he’d go that route and had a fallback in place accordingly. She smiled wryly, and then… a dramatic fingersnap that reverberated throughout the courtroom and out into the angelic city.
Floating in the center of the room, a large transparent orb with the consistency of water manifested, and within it, a montage began to play.
One depicting countless demons, both sinner and hellborn alike, being oppressed, manipulated, and lied to by the Overlords, a group of higher-ranking sinners who managed to make a name for themselves in the Pride Ring.
From cannibalism to sexual assault, love potions, arms dealing, hypnosis, and mass manipulation through technology, the full laundry list of crimes and businesses these demons dealt in was on full display, yet despite that, it also showed them mainly keeping to themselves, which further accentuated the argument being made.
“Wait, go back! What was that next to Carmila Carmine?” Emily cut in. Lilith rewinded to the image in question and stopped to show the inside of Carmine’s factory. There she was standing in the center, but the Seraphim’s focus was on what the worker behind her held in their tongues.
“Is that Angelic Steel?”
Everyone turned to the General from the Garden, who now seemed to be sweating under his mask.
“Uh, well, you see-uh…”
“Some of our soldiers tend to… leave their weapons behind in the bodies of the Sinners. As a warning,” Lute explained reluctantly.
“Excuse me?” Sera was glaring now. “You’re soldiers were given the strongest material in creation, and they just left it there for Sinners like Carmila Carmine to take?!”
“Uh…” Adam tugged on his collar for some air. Lute herself couldn’t ignore the cold feeling in the back of her head.
“You caused one of the very threats you are claiming to protect the Winners from! How do I know that you are not the real threat to Heaven?!”
“We are protecting them!” Lute lashed out. “Everything we have done has been to protect them! For Heaven! Every one of its souls matters to us! Where is the proof that this isn’t true?! Where is the smoking gun?!”
Suddenly, the doors to the courtroom flew open, and a trio of cherubs flew into the room, one resembling a human toddler in orange overalls, and a pair of lambs, a purple male and a yellow female. They were panting and wheezing desperately, the male one looking a tad more beat up than his companions, with his wool matted and slightly cut.
“Stop everything!” The toddler cherub shouted in a Southern drawl. “We have a smoking gun!”
Lute facepalmed almost immediately.
The court gasped in shock, and after being urged to step inside, the trio of cherubs made their way to the front, where they awaited their next orders.
Emily got out of her seat and flew down to them
“Cletus,” she addressed the now-named cherub, nervous about what this could be about, but keeping a steady, empathic face for the sake of her employees, “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Well,” Cletus began, “Collin, Keenie, and I were doing a routine inspection of the Exorcist’s barracks, making sure everything was in order, standard stuff like that.”
“Yeah,” the yellow lamb, Keenie, added, “we were almost finished when we went into Lieutenant Lute’s quarters. It all looked to be in order, but as we were turning to leave, Collin noticed something off about her sword.”
Hearing this, Lute’s mind began to set off warning bells that this wasn’t going to end well as the purple sheep, Collin, pulled out her sword from behind his back, struggling with it due to it being taller than he was, before he slammed it down onto the table, the holy blade still stained with Vaggie’s golden blood for all of Heaven to see.
Lute immediately turned paler as Adam said:
“Oof! That’s rough for you!”
“Adam, this is not the time,” Sera said sternly. Adam’s disrespectful, immature behavior was finally starting to wear thin after nearly 10,000 years.
“Yeesh, sor-ry, bitch! Just coping with the loss of one of my top girls in my own way here!”
Sera bowed her head in a mix of remorse and embarrassment, muttering a silent prayer for the unfairly fallen soldier, while the rest of the courtroom whispered amongst themselves now that such unmistakable proof of guilt was laid before them.
“Seraphim, the defense would like to request a brief recess?” Lute went.
“I’ll allow it. 5 minutes,” Sera said sternly.
The pair of Exorcists left the courtroom to an office on the side. Once the door was closed behind them, Lute then turned on the First Man and exploded.
“What the fuck was that?!”
“What?”
“You completely threw me under the bus back there! That just makes us look more guilty. Now the entire defense is in jeopardy!"
“Me?! You’re the one who didn’t clean her sword!”
Lute opened her mouth to counter and then closed it.
“Shit, you’re right.”
“Relax, bitch. We can still win this,” Adam smirked.
“What’s the plan, sir?” she stood at attention.
“We go for the throat. So, you took down Vaggie and the blonde hussie made her speech. We still proved that the Overlords are bad news. All we have to do is get the ringleaders to focus on that.”
“The Radio Demon’s mother,” she realized.
“And the spider girl. We get them to consent to the Exterminations and we’ll be back to slicing those fuckers up.”
“But sir… They’re Winners,” she frowned.
“Yeah, well I’m the Winner! You got that, bitch?”
“…Yes, sir,” she turned to leave but was halted by him grabbing her arm. His grip wasn’t tight and she could break away easily, but the intense glare Adam gave made her freeze.
“Do not fuck this for me.”
She shakily nodded and they returned to the courtroom.
“The defense would like to call Adelaide LeBeau and Molly Marciano to the stand,” Lute announced. The audience whispered among themselves and the two Winners looked to each other before coming to sit in the witness chairs.
“Miss Marciano, you were the first one to learn about the Exterminations, is that correct?” Lute began.
“Yeah,” she glared at her. “I overheard the two of ya talkin’ about it yesterday.”
“That was a private conversation. What you shared for all of Heaven was a state secret. Knowing or not, you committed a heinous crime by sharing it.”
“Big talk coming from the gal that turned on one of her own.”
“Objection! Perjury against the Defense,” Adam cut in.
“Sustained. Please refrain from such statements at this time,” Sera said before narrowing her eyes. “That goes for you too, Lute. Explain where you are going with this.”
“I’m getting there, Seraphim.” Lute turned back to Molly. “The law exists for a good reason like any other rule. The Exterminations were kept a secret for Heaven’s benefit. By telling everyone, you have disrupted the security we have built. You have made afterlife in Heaven hard when it wasn’t before. That makes me very confused, given your background.”
“My background?” she tilted her head to the left, confused.
“Is it true that you come from a mob family?”
The Marciano started rubbing the back of her neck and looked away. “Well… yeah.”
“You and your mother are the only ones who made it up here.” Lute’s expression shifted. Her frowning face was replaced by a softer one, but no less firm. “The rest of your family blew their shots, but you didn’t. That is something I respect.”
“I… I appreciate that,” she nodded. Then her brows furrowed. “What are you trying to say?”
“That I’m confused. Your family hurt a lot of people, and you wanted nothing to do with that.”
Adam grinned, seeing the angle she’d chosen. “Exactly, babe. Why would you stoop to that level to save those fuckers?”
Molly was silent. Then her eyes grew misty. “…My brother Anthony can’t deserve this. He was always sweet to me. He loved me! He cared about people! He’s the same as me!”
“He is not the same,” Lute said plainly. “He blew his shot and you didn’t.”
“That’s how it is, babe. You’re up here, and he’s down there,” Adam said, way too relaxed for her liking.
“He’s still a part of who I am,” she gripped her skirt tightly. She stared at the floor, not wanting to see his face any longer.
“Oh, then is your fucked up dad a part of you too?” Adam smirked. “Or what about your uncles? That other brother you haven’t mentioned? Does that mean you’re like them?”
Lute put on her helmet, not wanting Adam to see the discomfort on her face.
“Stop,” Molly said through gritted teeth. “I’m not like them.”
“Your dad hit you, right?”
“That’s not-” Adelaide tried to explain for her friend.
“And your uncles let him? Joined him? Same for your brother? Well, you have a son down on Earth. Does that mean you hit him too?”
“I’M NOT LIKE THEM!” Molly screamed, slamming her fists down on the stand, cracking the wood with her spider strength.
The sound echoed across the chamber. The audience stared in shock. Emily reached out a hand, wanting to comfort her. The Speaker covered her mouth. The Axolotl's face fell. Sera looked like she’d been gutted.
Adam just grinned at her. “Then your brother’s not like you.”
Molly’s eyes widened in horror as what just happened hit her. “Wait, that’s not-”
“No further questions, your honors.” Adam just walked over to Adelaide. Lute bowed her head and with a moment’s hesitation followed.
“I’ve got this one,” he whispered to her before turning to the Cajun woman. “Mrs. LeBeau, you rallied the crowd yesterday to protest the Exterminations, yes?”
“I did,” she nodded, glaring cold daggers at the man. Lute was pretty sure that if looks could kill, Adam would be dead, Angel or not.
“Now why would you do a fucked up thing like that?”
“Because my son is down there. I thought you of all people would understand that.”
“What? You mean Cain? Pfft! I haven’t cared about that guy in 10,000 years. Fuck, he killed his own brother,” he waved it off. “Plus, he might not even be down there. We don’t know what the Big Man agreed to, but there’s a chance he’s still on Earth, we honestly don’t know.”
Sera and Emily looked at each other and shrugged. It was true, they had no idea if Cain was dead or not.
“What about the rest of them? They’re your descendants,” Adelaide argued.
“I don’t know them!” Adam laughed. “I lived for 900 years. You think I was able to keep track by then? Abel’s a major pussy, and not the good kind, so there’s that.”
He completely missed Emily’s glare.
“Seth? Absolutely love the guy! His wife? She’s great. My grandkids? Fuck yeah! But after the fifteenth great-grandkid I couldn;t even remember their names. I swear I had nightmares where I was babysitting them but one ran off and I didn’t know their name and couldn’t ask,” he massaged his forehead through his helmet.
“…That last part was less unreasonable than I expected.” Then she tilted her head. “Then why aren’t they here to support you?”
Adam’s mask glitched for a moment as his grin crumbled.
“Pfft! They’ve got better shit to do than watch me win something when they know I will.” Then he shook his head. “So no. I don’t care about the people down there. Frankly, neither should you.” He then plopped a large file on the stand. “Your son’s file. It has the names and dates of everyone he killed.” He snapped his fingers and copies appeared before the judges as well. “You should read this too.”
The woman took a long time to read through the file. She looked at every name. Every face. Every way they were eaten. When she finally finished, her face was ashen.
“I will admit. This has shaken me. To know that my boy did all this… it’s horrifying.”
“And after learning everything he’s done, everyone he’s killed, do you still think he deserves mercy?” Adam asked with a small grin.
This is it. We’ve got her.
“…Yes.”
“Uh… what?” the First Man blinked. Lute just stared in shock.
“Yes,” she spoke with fierce determination and struck the ground with her cane. The clang echoed across the courtroom like a hammer’s sound. “When you love something, you love something forever. I don’t care what he’s done. I am his mother. He’s still my son. He’s still my Al. And I’ll always love him.”
The Axolotl, Speaker, and Emily smiled in fond pride. Sera stared before looking down at her hands.
“Uh,” Adam looked to Molly, who glared at him with crossed arms.
“You already have my answer, asshole.”
The first man glared at his lieutenant, who bristled at the action.
“Sir, we can still-”
“I believe we have seen all we need, my children,” the Speaker stated.
“Wait! Oh come on! They’re obviously biased!” Adam argued.
“You’re not wrong,” she hummed. “But that doesn’t make what they say any less true.”
The four members of the judiciary looked to each other, though Sera was hesitant. They turned to face her and after a moment she nodded.
“In the face of such insurmountable evidence…” the Axolotl began.
“Here it comes…” they both said, one anticipating the verdict, the other dreading it.
“We find the offending parties…guilty.”
“Haha! Fuck Yes! Suck it, Lute!” Adam shouted victoriously, flashing a pair of birds into her face, which she ignored. He stopped when he realized no one was laughing alongside him. In fact, they seemed to be against him, as if they didn’t know who he was, which he found hard to believe, and so he didn’t.
“Hey! What’s the big fucking deal? Where’s all the fanfare for the impending fall from grace?”Adam asked Sera and the Axolotl in disbelief, “This traitor,” he jabbed his thumb toward his former lieutenant, “is getting what she deserves, and I’m the only one celebrating?!”
The giant guppyish deity didn’t immediately respond, merely eyeing him and Lute before he chuckled heartily, a smug look in his eyes.
He clicked his tongue disappointedly, and the words that it exuded next would shatter the First Man’s psyche. (Or at least what was left of it after the death of Abel.)
“I’m afraid you didn’t hear me right, Adam.”
“W-what? What’re you talking about?” He questioned incredulously. As the first man, he was the peak example of male human performance, and as such, he didn’t hear things wrong.
“The jury said ‘offending parties.’” The Axolotl restated, “As in plural.”
“So?”
“Well…you’re not entirely innocent here.”
“Wait…what are you implying here?” he asked, before the realization hit him like a freight train. “W-what?! He-You can’t do that to me! I’m fucking Adam! I’m the fucking man! I literally started everything on Earth! None of the souls here would be here if it weren’t for me! Sera, back me up here!”
“I’m sorry, Adam, but I’m afraid that the Axolotl is right. I’ve been enabling your self-destructive behavior for far, far too long.”
You couldn’t see it, but underneath the mask, Adam had tears steaming down his face, pinching his eyes shut as tightly as he could to desperately try to wake himself up from what he thought had to be a bad dream.
From her post, Sera rose, shedding her humanoid visage, and in its place emerged a being of pure light, eyes and wings, all wrapped up in a vaguely cygnean form.
The accused box faded away into golden, radiant particles, and the instant it did, ethereal chains of golden energy emerged from the floor, shackling themselves to the wrists and necks of the guilty, and dragging them to the ground to face their punishment.
“Sera, please, w-we’re old friends.” Adam choked, desperately begging for mercy, only to receive none.
Lute, on the other hand, had been reduced to shouting and screaming as she struggled in vain to free herself.
“Sera, you can’t do this to us! YOU WON’T!”
“I’m sorry, Lute,” Sera intoned remorsefully, her voice taking on a much lower octave, reverberating so powerfully that the entire realm could feel it, “but it’s out of our hands.”
“Don’t you see? Don’t any of you see?! You’re defending a traitor! A sinner! A monster amongst us! I was doing us a service! That cunt got what she deserved!”
“You are the sinners here. By refusing to confess to your wrongdoings, neither of you is any better than the demons you claim to protect us from. As of now, the Exorcists and the Exterminations are no more.”
A ring of circles descended from the ceiling, unfurling and rotating the former friends and soldiers, gaining momentum and generating heat as they writhed in pain, unable to stop it. Not since Lucifer and Lilith themselves had this punishment been issued, and it was about to hurt just as much now as it did back then.
“I now take from you your power!”
Adam’s helmet flew off his face, cutting it, before coming to a halt in front of Sera, after which it dissolved into a pile of dust.
Sera’s multitude of eyes glowed with a power few other beings in the entirety of creation possessed, much less had witnessed. Even just a fleeting glimpse of it was enough to cause one’s sanity to crumble as Adam’s mask had just done. The only reason Lute was still sane was due to her divine status, which wouldn’t matter for too much longer.
By now, the pain she was experiencing was dwindling, but only because it was becoming too much to properly feel. Her wings ignited, light devouring feather and form alike as she let out an intense scream of pure, unadulterated agony.
Finally, as the pain reached its zenith, Sera roared:
“In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, by the will of Him on High Himself,”
***
“I CAST YOU OUT!!!”
The last thing Lute saw was the look on Emily’s face-not anger. Not disappointment.
Just heartbreak.
****
As the glowing portal in the floor sealed itself and the rings rose back into their place, the light receded, and the screaming stopped. Marble flowed back into its place as if nothing had been torn open beneath the feet of Heaven. The rings rose, clicking back into their ancient alignments. The chamber seemed to exhale as reality reasserted itself. Heat bled away. The air steadied.
And at the center of it all, the High Seraphim trembled.
The terrible radiance peeled away from her, wings folding inward, eyes dimming, until she was once again something that resembled a woman. Her breath came slow and measured, as though she were holding herself together one deliberate inhale at a time.
She did not look at the floor.
Not yet.
“I cast you out,” she whispered again, more to herself than to anyone else, and sounding close to tears.
Silence answered her.
Even as the Dominions and the Virtues left, she remained, wading in regret.
Then, water rippled despite there being no water to.
The Axolotl floated down, hovering into view, their frilled head cresting slightly as he studied the sealed floor with an expression not quite anger…more disappointment.
“Well,” he said mildly, “that was dramatic.”
Emily flinched.
Sera stiffened. “You asked for judgment.”
“I asked for truth,” the Axolotl replied. “Judgment is just the part everyone is good at.”
Sera turned, their eyes finally meeting. “They refused to confess.”
“Yes.”
“They glorified cruelty.”
“Also, yes.”
“They would have continued.”
“Almost certainly.”
Sera waited.
The Axolotl’s frills dimmed a shade. “And yet…you’re shaking.”
Sera looked down at her hands. At the invisible blood they were soaked in. Her knuckles had been clenched so tightly that they had gone white.
“I remember who they were,” she said quietly.
Emily sucked in a breath.
Before the Axolotl could respond, warmth flooded the chamber.
Not light. Not power.
Warmth.
The air shifted as the Speaker descended, golden wings unfurling like dawn breaking over the horizon. She touched down beside Sera without ceremony, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“You did not enjoy that.” she said softly. “Did you, my child?”
Sera laughed–brittle, humorless. “Is that a sin now?”
The Speaker said nothing for a moment.
Then, she laughed.
“No.” she replied, almost thoughtfully. “It means that you are still listening.”
The Axolotl angled his head. “She’s hoping the fall fixes what Heaven broke.”
Sera’s breath hitched.
“I’m hoping,” she said, “that suffering does what obedience never did.”
The Speaker’s hand tightened just a little on her shoulder.
“Adam loved once,” Sera continued, voice unsteady now. “Before worship taught him entitlement. Before grief curdled into rage. And Lute…” her voice caught, regret once again pooling in her throat. “She was made to be kind. She wanted to help people. I watched it be trained out of her.”
Emily stared up at her sister, having had a realization.
“I was modeled after her,” she whispered.
Sera closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
The Axolotl was quiet for a long moment.
Then:
“Intent does not erase impact.”
“I know.”
“Authority does not absolve guilt.”
“I know.”
“You let this go on for four years.”
Sera opened her eyes. “I know.”
The Axolotl drifted closer, gaze unblinking.
“Then say it.”
The chamber held its breath.
Then…a sigh.
“I…don’t know what to do.” she said, before she began to sing:
“I thought I was righteously leading our people, but now–
Her voice faltered, a breath hitching.
—I’m faced with the truth. What kind of leader can’t tell good from evil?”
“All those poor souls…
How many could have been saved?
How could I trust in a justice so cruel and depraved?”
The Speaker looked towards the Axolotl, solemnity in her eyes, before she joined Sera in the song, holding the Seraphim’s face in her hands:
“One seeks an answer
That one cannot grant her
You’re looking for light
Only you can ignite.”
She directed her to the light above for reference before turning her back to the scrying orb.
The Axolotl sang next:
“Every transgression must
Serve as a lesson
Yesterday you drew sorrow”
Both he and the Speaker joined together as one:
“What will you do tomorrow?”
Sera briefly hesitated as their surroundings changed to that of a war-torn Hell, carnage and fallen Sinners all around.
“I feel no wiser than when I commanded the slaughter
Of those sons and daughters.”
“You can’t hide,” The Speaker sang melodiously.
“How can I be sure that I don’t repeat
More massacre based on mistaken conceit?” (Look inside) The Axolotl belted in a smooth, operatic baritone.
“If I stand down and leave us exposed
Would that be blind to the threat that Hell may pose?!”
The scene shifted back into the golden chambers they had been before, the Speaker now floating majestically above the Seraphim, belting out euphoniously:
“You can’t know
Though time flows on
So you must bear the cross
Bestowed upon you!”
Sera, now with tears in her eyes, now sang alongside her superior as the song began to reach a climax, anguish all but consuming her:
“Take pity, I pray
Give me a sign!
What’s your guidance?
Please show me the way~!”
“You speak of choices,
Made by other voices,” the Axolotl sang
“You can only atone–
(Tell me how to atone!)
–Once you speak with your own.”
Suddenly, a thought came to her that never had before:
“If souls from damnation
Can earn their salvation
And find their forgiveness on high”
She breathed out.
“How do I…?” she murmured.
As the song ended and the music faded, the Speaker smiled–sadly, proudly, both at once.
“There,” she said, “that is the beginning.”
The Axolotl nodded agreeingly. “Which brings us to consequences.”
Sera straightened. “I will accept whatever is necessary.”
“Good,” he said. “Because Heaven does not need another martyr. It needs someone willing to learn.”
Emily frowned. “Learn what?”
“What it’s like,” the Axolotl replied. “To live under the system you designed.”
He turned back to Sera.
“Heaven already maintains an embassy in Hell,” he said. “You know this.”
“...Yes.”
“And it is currently…” he continued. “Understaffed.”
Sera’s eyes widened ever so slightly.
“You want me to–”
“Live there,” the Axolotl finished for her. “Not rule. Not judge. Listen. Among the people your policies affected.”
Emily’s wings rustled anxiously. “She can’t just leave–”
“She can,” the Speaker said gently, “and she must.”
Sera swallowed. “And Emily?”
The Speaker smiled at the younger Seraphim. “She will not be alone.”
The Axolotl placed a webbed hand on Sera’s shoulder. “Think of it as service.” he explained. “Think of it as penance. Or think of it as the universe gently shoving you toward becoming better.”
Sera laughed softly. “You’re terrible at being ominous.”
He shrugged. “Eh. I lose Pictionary a lot.”
The Speaker giggled. “What was it you tried to draw that made Littlepot throw his cane at the wall?”
“It was a tree,” he sighed and the Speaker was full blown laughing now.
“He was so frustrated with you for failing to draw that. His love for plants knows no bounds.”
Sera took a slow, steadying breath.
“Very well,” she said, “I accept.”
The Axolotl’s frills glowed faintly.
“Good,” he said. “Then maybe this won’t be another tragedy.”
————————-
Lute’s mind slipped in and out of consciousness as her body tumbled down the unending rainbow-colored tunnel of light towards the mortal realm, being thrown against its shimmering sides the entire way down.
Her body slammed into the asphalt road in a brutal, bone-jarring impact, the force rattling through her entire skeleton as raindrops battered her already beaten-up frame with the same force as point-blank bullets. A tremor of life, thin and almost spent, lingered in her veins, a stubborn ember of what she once was kept alight by something that refused to let go.
Darkness pressed in again, swallowing the edges of her vision.
In the void that existed between conscious and not, she heard a gruff, raspy yet well-meaning sounding voice that assured her:
“You’re gonna be okay, miss!”
Then, movement- not her own, slower and more methodical - dragging, lifting, the sense of being shifted somewhere else as distant sirens wailed through the emptiness of the world beyond.
————