Wings and Tears: Part Nine

 

            The white winged angels had gathered in the church. They had felt Luc’s death and they, like Michael, now knew the lies that God had placed in their minds. A few colored winged angels were there as well, gathered with their spouses and friends, curious and scared. The doors of the church slammed open.

            Everyone turned to find Michael, soaked and covered in blood. In his arms he clutched Luc’s limp body. The angels parted to allow him to stalk slowly towards the altar made for God. Slowly and carefully he knelt down and placed Luc’s body on the smooth gray stone ground. His hand graced Luc’s cold cheek and he held back tears as he turned to the painted statues and the lighted candles. He stood there for a moment, his fist flexing. His body was tense and shaking. Finally he yelled in anger and quickly moved to throw the objects on the altar to the ground. Statues of God shattered on the ground. Candle wax snuffed out flames and splattered on the ground. The candles broke into pieces. Michael yelled again and threw the blood red covering cloth on the ground as well. Then he turned back to Luc’s body, knelt by it, and carefully picked it up.

            He turned and placed Satan’s body on an altar of God. Then he looked at the face of his dead husband, stroked the dead flesh with his fingertips, and leaned forward to kiss the strained forehead. He looked back at his shocked followers. “Call the other angels to this place.” He said softly, and when no one moved he screamed, “NOW!” his voice echoed off the walls and a group of angels quickly moved to gather their remaining comrades. Michael turned back to the altar and picked up the hand of his husband, clutched it next to his face. He let his angry and grieving tears fall. Then the church was filled and he turned back to the calm faces of his fellow angels.

            “You all felt the death of Lucifer, the Son of the Morning.” He motioned to the dead body lying on the altar behind him. “You all felt the power as his essence entered you. You all know how strong he was. You have all also heard the stories of his blood-lust during the only war we angels have ever fought. Well…they were all lies. Every last one of them were LIES!” He screamed in anger, and stomped his foot. He let his voice’s echo disappear before he spoke again. “God gave us those lies. He manipulated our minds to fashion his vision for humans!” He said ‘humans’ like it was a cruse word. He started pacing.

            “Let me explain something to you, for those who did not live before the war, and let me sum up for those of you who did.” He paused and sighed. “Luc and I were the very first male angels created by God.” There was quiet uproar among the crowd. ‘This was a secret’, said the white winged angels. Michael let them calm down before he began again. “The first female he made has past away, and now her daughter has followed her. We were a trio of short and where God and the Christ child came from we did not know, but They Loved us and we Loved Them. Everyday Christ would share His Father’s secrets with us and everyday the Lord would take us up into Himself and I would see His Love so clearly, but when we were alone…when He would leave us, Luc and I loved each other. Then He created other angels and He created them in surplus. Thousands of immortal angels all lived together, all Loved by Him. And we were happy.” He smiled from the memories. “It took a long time for Him to finally allow Luc and me to be married. He always said that we had eternity to spend together, we didn’t need the marriage, but we couldn’t be really together without it…” Michael paused, how many secrets should he share? Was he over his own shame to say such a thing? “But…we were married…and the war came. And so many of us were killed. I wasn’t strong enough to love Luc past that. He never did anything wrong…now that I remember correctly…he never did anything wrong. God was just angry with him. Many of you don’t know this, but the night before God presented His Plan, Lucifer and He had an…argument.” He paused again, bit his lower lip. His shame was too much to explain that night. He looked up at them; his eyes scanned their shocked faces. “Here is what I think. I think that God got tired of us. We were not entertaining enough for Him. I think He plotted that entire War. I think he made Luc a scapegoat so we wouldn’t hate Him for being bored of us. I think that He created the entire conflict and placed Luc and I at the center for show…and to prove a stupid point! I think he used us all to create a world for His humans. I think that He is the enemy that we should have fought. All those memories, all the reasons we hate Luc, and all of them were just a game for mortals.”

            “Wait!” stood a golden winged angel, “You’re asking us to mutiny against God!”

            There was a pause, “Yes, yes I am.” The idea was horrific, and the angels in the room reacted as such. The uproar that started after that statement was deafening. Mostly it was the colored winged angels that cried out in disgust.

            “I’LL STAND WITH YOU!” yelled a voice. Michael looked up and saw that it was Duo’s father. The shout had calmed down the rest of the room. “Michael, I’ll stand with you! I’ll carry the torch to burn down His house!” The angels looked at him in shock. “I lost my best friends in that War! I lost some angels that were really important to me! I refuse to step back just when I learn that the entire War was just an amusement! I thought He loved us! I really did. But when you love someone, you don’t fool them like He did, you don’t!” He had walked up beside Michael. “I’ll stand with you! I’ll fight with you.”

            “But your son is one of them!”

            “My son is dead.”

            There was silence.

            “Who else will stand with him?!” Duo’s father demanded. They watched quietly as every white winged angel slowly stood. Then, by watching them and sensing their emotions of hatred and betrayal, the colored winged angels stood as well. Only a few remained sitting. Michael pressed his lips together and went back to the corpse lying on the altar. Then he quickly pulled out the black deadly blade.

 

~~

 

            Fires burned in the streets of the angelic world, bodies were consumed within them and Michael remained with the corpse of his dead husband. Duo’s father walked slowly up to him. “We need his body.”

            Michael shook his head.

            “Michael…” Duo’s father began.

            “I need a group of about ten angels. I need to take them to Earth and I need to perform a task. I want you to make sure that no one will come to burn this body. I have a day until the decay starts. Give me a day. After that day, I will be the one to light the pyre.” The other angel nodded.

            “Very well, General.” Then the angel bowed.

 

~~

 

            Doors burst open. Michael looked up the center stairs of the mansion. “The bedrooms are up there. Remember: five adults, Solo, and a little girl.” The team of angels nodded and quickly moved up the stairs. Michael meandered into the common sitting room and waited. He heard screams and feet running. Then the door of the room opened and angels pushed themselves into the room, dragging along humans.

            Quatre was kicking and screaming. “HANNA!!!” His daughter was being carried harshly behind him, squealing that the angels were holding her too tight. Trowa was slumped, unresponsive. Heero looked beaten; blood came from the corner of his mouth. Duo had a bruise forming on his cheek. Wufei’s eyes were glazed; a small cut was bleeding from his head. Solo was simply being dragged by his arm. They all looked scared and shaken. The angels let go of them roughly. Hanna was literally thrown to the ground. She quickly scampered up to run to her Daddy’s arms. Quatre covered his daughter as best he could. She was crying from her fear. Trowa sat on the couch, staring distantly. Wufei was still held by two angels and Heero, Duo and Solo stood, glaring at Michael.

            “What in the fuck is going on?!” demanded Duo.

            Michael chose to ignore the question, looked at Quatre. “What did they tell him?” he asked quietly, gesturing towards Trowa.

            Quatre looked up at Michael, tears in his bright blue eyes, “They said… ‘Live in the Past.’” Michael smiled and looked back at the angels.

            “Brilliant,” he said coldly.

            The angels smiled ruthlessly. “Thought you would like it,” said one.

            “These angels are the ones who found it easy to kill in the War. I knew they would be suited for this job.” Michael told the humans. Quatre looked up at him in horror, and then noticed the mantle behind him. Right by his head was the rose, the white one that would bloom forever. It had wilted. Quatre grasped his daughter tighter. Michael smiled; it wasn’t the charming smile that Solo adored. It was evil and callous.

            He stopped leaning on the mantle, stood, and walked to Wufei. He touched two of his fingers to the cut on the back of Wufei’s head. The cut healed and Wufei’s eyes focused.

            “Wha--? Michael?” he asked dimly.

            Michael placed a hand under his chin, lifted his head a bit. “We can do this two ways. The first way is the easy way. You simply drink something I give you. Simple enough, right?” his voice was soft, but malevolent. “The other way…well is harder for you.” He squeezed the hand that held Wufei’s chin and pulled Wufei closer to him, “I’ll put you in a room where thousand years will pass in one second, and the things I will do to you…the things they will do to you,” he looked at the group of angels he had brought with him, “Will be nothing compared to what Lorelei did to you.” Wufei’s eyes were terrified. To prove his point he forced a kiss on Wufei. When he broke it off Wufei was gasping for breath, hyperventilating. Michael held out his hand and golden goblet, filled with sliver liquid, materialized in his fingers, he handed it to one of the angels holding Wufei. “We need the blood of an innocent child,” he said calmly and turned to look at Quatre and Hanna.

            Two of the angels moved behind Quatre and picked him up by his shoulders. He struggled against them as they pulled him away from his daughter. Duo and Heero went to help him, but other angels moved quickly to hold them.       

            “Hanna!” Quatre screamed and cried. Michael went over to the girl, who was crying at the spot where her Daddy had left her. “Hanna!” Michael slowly drew out a small blade from his pocket. “God! NO! Michael please DON’T!!!! TROWA HELP ME!!!!” Quatre screamed struggling against the strong arms of the angels. Trowa just sat in the sofa, staring into space. His body began rocking and he hugged himself. “TROWA!” Quatre yelled pleading with his husband to save their daughter, or at least try, while he himself fought against the angels holding him. A wet pop went out through the room and Quatre screamed out in pain as his right shoulder was dislocated.

            Michael raised Hanna’s arm and used the blade to cut a line into her small hand. She looked at the blood dripping from her hand and screamed and screamed. The sound that escaped her was high-pitched and sickening. Michael caught some of her blood in a small vial, which he produced from his robe, and stood to leave her screaming and sobbing on the floor. The angels dropped Quatre and he quickly moved to his daughter, his right arm useless. He glanced at his husband. Trowa was still just sitting there, shaking, rocking and holding himself tightly. Duo and Heero were dropped as well and they went to aid the small girl. Michael went to Wufei and the angels at his side. He took the goblet, poured Hanna’s blood in it. The sliver turned black. He handed the drink to Wufei’s lips.

            “Wufei don’t!” warned Duo, standing to help his friend before an angel knocked him down again. Wufei’s black eyes looked, petrified, at Michael and then he accepted the drink, swallowed every last drop. The drink burned its way down his throat.

            “Good.” Michael said and nodded at the angels holding Wufei. Wufei hunched over and gagged in pain. The angels disappeared with him.

            Michael turned to Solo. “Choose. Now!”

            Solo looked at Michael, shocked and disgusted. He went to bend down by Hanna. He reached out. “Hanna, Hanna, my love, please look at me.” Solo told her, his voice calming to every human but Trowa. Hanna continued sobbing, but looked at the young angel. Solo took her hand from Quatre and kissed the cut. It closed and left a bit of her blood on his lips. Then he reached out to touch Quatre’s shoulder, the joint healed.

            “Traitor.” Michael accused, and then he and the other angels were gone.

            Quatre quickly held his daughter. “It’s alright Hanna, it’s alright.” She clung to him and he softly started to hum her lullaby. Solo touched Heero’s lip and his father’s cheek. All of the wounds given to them by the angels were healed.      

            “What about Trowa?” Quatre asked. They all looked at their comrade. He was still moving back and forth, shivering, and his arms were wrapped tightly around himself.

            “Papa?” asked Hanna.

            “I…I haven’t learned how to heal emotional damage.” Solo said.

            There was an exasperated sigh that seemed to go through the room. Hanna wiggled herself from Quatre’s arms and went to Trowa. “Papa?” she asked again and reach out to touch his knee.

            “NO!” Trowa yelled and recoiled from her hand, then he stayed in a miserable tight ball. Quatre went to his daughter and pulled her away from her Papa.

            “Hanna,” he said cautiously, looking at Trowa. Then he kneeled to look his daughter in the eye. “Love, we are going to have a type of party. Everyone is going to sleep in this room. Remember the furniture becomes beds?” Hanna nodded. “Well, honey, I need you to do a very important thing. I need you to go back upstairs with Uncle Duo, Uncle Heero and Solo and get everything you need to sleep down here. Understand?” Hanna looked at Heero and Duo and Solo, sized them up and then turned back to Quatre. She nodded. “Ok, I also need you to pick things for Papa and me too, ok?” Hanna nodded again. “And help them too?” She looked back at the three other humans, then back to her father. She nodded again.

            “Come on Hanna.” Solo held out his hand for her to take. She rushed up to him to take it.

            “Let her bring whatever she wants to, understand?” Quatre told Duo.

            Duo nodded slightly, “Yeah. Kat--” He looked back at Trowa.

            “Uncle Duo!?”

            “I’m coming Hanna.” They left the room. Quatre closed the door after them, sighed and turned to look at his husband. Trowa was still a little ball, moaning. Quatre stood and regarded Trowa a little, his fists clenched. Then his face became an angry scowl. He rushed to Trowa, pushed him out of the fetal position. Trowa screamed again, but Quatre just had to show a little force to get him to surrender. Quatre held his arms to the back of the couch and looked Trowa in the eyes. His own eyes were evil and lustful.

            “What the hell is wrong with you?!” Quatre demanded, his voice matched his eyes.

            “I…I…” Trowa stuttered out barely.

            “You…you are chicken shit!” Quatre mocked.

            “I’m sorry.” Trowa whimpered out.

            “Bull shit!” Quatre yelled. Trowa winced. “Now listen very carefully, kid.” Quatre lowered his voice. “I’m gonna do somethin’ to ya, got it. You ain’t gonna fight me. ‘Cause you see kid…you’re nothing but what we make you. Nothing but what War make you, y’hear?!” Quatre yelled again. Trowa nodded miserably, tears came to his eyes. “Don’t cry you little boy! Be a man! Aw…the little baby is in pain?” he taunted. “Now, baby, bend over!” he ordered.

            “God, Quatre, please stop!” Trowa pleaded.

            Quatre automatically melted back into his loving self. Trowa clutched onto him and they held each other.

            “I’m sorry,” they both said at the same time. “Jinks.”

            Quatre smiled at looked up at his husband. “I’m sorry Trowa, but I didn’t know what else to do. You…you…” his eyes filled with tears. Trowa put a hand to Quatre’s pale face.

            “I didn’t even move to save our daughter.”

            Hanna entered the room again; in her arms were her pillow, blankets and several stuffed unicorns. “Papa!” she screamed and jumped onto the couch by her fathers.

            “Hanna,” Trowa hugged his daughter tightly. “Hanna, my sweet, I’m so sorry!” Trowa was crying.

            “It’s ok Papa!” Hanna said, “We’re gonna sleep in here tonight!”

            “I know, sweetheart.”

            Duo, Solo and Heero entered the room, each carrying a variety of things, bedding, animals for Hanna and even a picture Hanna insisted they bring down.

 

~~

 

            When Michael returned home, Wufei hunched over and screaming. Michael ordered the angels to bring him to the church and drop him. They left him on the church’s floor and Michael watched him writhe. Then he calmed down and closed his eyes. For a few minutes he laid on the ground clutching his stomach. Then he quickly stood and looked at Michael. His eyes were completely white, every speck of black was gone.

            He titled his head little to the left. “What do you want?” He asked. His voice was all the voices that Wufei would have in a lifetime. It was the mixture of the high-pitched voice of an infant, the squeaky voice of a boy before puberty, the voice of an adult, of an old man, all the voices Wufei would, and have, had. All these voices were one voice now and Wufei was speaking with it.

            “What can you do for him?” Michael asked and walked to the body that still lay on the altar.

 

~~

 

            “What’s gonna happen to Wuffie?” Hanna asked. They had set up the two sofas into beds. Trowa, Hanna, and Quatre were laying in one. (1)

            “I don’t know Sweetie. Let’s get some sleep tonight, ok? I think everyone is really sleepy.” Quatre said. He and Trowa were holding hands across their daughter. Hanna yawned.

            Solo’s eyes were closed. Duo looked at him and brushed some red hair from his face. He eyes snapped open and he grabbed his stomach, his body contorted in pain.

            “Solo?” Duo asked. Solo rolled onto his stomach.

            “Oh God,” Solo whispered in pain, “Oh God.”

            “Solo?” Heero asked, sitting up to look at Duo’s son. Solo groaned then screamed.

            “What happening to Solo?!” screamed Hanna.

            “I don’t know,” answered Trowa, as both he and Quatre hugged her.

            “Solo!” Duo yelled and placed his hand on his son’s back. He had to quickly move his hand away because Solo’s red wings tore themselves out of Solo’s back and through his night shirt. They shoved the blanket aside and Solo screamed as they escaped him. His breathing was harsh after they were fully exposed. He stayed in his crouched position a moment longer before collapsing on the bed.

            “Solo?” Duo asked again. “What happened?”

            Solo didn’t answer right away, he closed his eyes and his wings hid themselves back inside his back. “It’s…Lucifer…”

 

~~

 

            Michael stood slowly, leaning a pew of the church. He heard Luc gasp. He took a moment to reorient himself. Then he rushed past the Spirit in Wufei’s body to the altar where his husband lay.

            Luc’s green eyes were opened and confused. “Mi..Michael?” he asked.