Chapter Text
This wasn't real.
This couldn't be real!
This wasn't Gabriel's signature written at the bottom of a demonic contract and Satan wasn't standing in front of her now, gloating over his victory.
"Careful, dear. You'll crumple it." The Devil didn't stop grinning when he snatched the contract away. "But yes, Heaven now legally belongs to me! Now, I understand you're in shock, so I was thinking—"
"If you think we're all just going to bow to you—"
Satan regarded the Metatron with much disdain. "Know your place, human! I wasn't even speaking to you!"
Uriel's gaze briefly flicked towards the crowd of frightened and appalled angels—her angels. They were her priority now. Gabriel would simply have to answer for his betrayal later.
Satan's condescension didn't do much to unnerve the Metatron, which only seemed to irritate the demon king more than anything. He turned to Uriel again. "Be grateful I'm giving you a chance to surrender peacefully at all. Of course, we could always do this the hard way." He rested a hand atop Nithael's head as the smaller demon grinned.
Several angels began to back away then, and perhaps with good reason. If what she'd heard was true, then Nithael was the reason Michael had been turned human in the first place. It took all of Uriel's willpower to not attack her then and there. "Intimidate us all you like!" said the light angel at last. "We're not surrendering!"
This was apparently enough to renew a new sense of confidence in the other angels, who nodded in agreement while a few stepped forward. Even despite the strange circumstances, the two demons were still outnumbered.
Yet neither Satan nor Nithael seemed particularly fazed by this.
Even if he has won, Uriel thought, he must realize this is only temporary. Besides, what about the Final Battle? Didn't that need to happen before the fate of the universe was decided first?
Satan took a few steps forward, this time cupping Uriel's hand between his, but she quickly pulled away. "At least let me speak with Mother first," he said kindly, as though he hadn't just threatened the entire Heavenly Host just now. The audacity of this creature to refer to the Almighty so informally!
Uriel hadn't noticed the Metatron had summoned his sword until he spoke again. "Over my dead body!" he snapped. The Voice of God had always been protective of the Almighty, but it was only now did his conviction finally leave Uriel impressed.
The same couldn't be said for the demons, who glanced at each other in plain amusement. "Alright," Satan said with a shrug. Before Uriel knew it, a burst of energy had shot out of the Fallen angel's hand and sent the Metatron flying across the hall, causing her co-workers to shriek as Sandalphon rushed to his brother's side.
Uriel joined him, her mind going through every simple and advanced healing miracle she knew, but she froze when she saw a pool of blood beside the Voice of God's head. Red blood—a stark reminder of his Earthly origins. She didn't need to turn her head to know how uncomfortable this made the other angels, but she did when a shadow loomed over them.
"Pathetic!" Satan sneered.
Uriel glared at him, hating him more than ever now as she stood between him and the two former prophets, sword in hand. But he didn't try to attack again. Rather, he returned his attention to the audience. "This is who the Almighty has chosen to be Her Voice? A weakling of a human?" He spat out the species' name with such venom.
Uriel wished she could be shocked at the uncertainty on her co-workers' faces, but the truth was, the mortal-born angels had never been completely accepted by them, even after centuries of service to Heaven. She felt guilty thinking about it, what with Sandalphon being one of her closest and dearest friends. But why was Satan bringing this up now? What game was he playing at?
"What's your point?" Sandalphon demanded as he helped the now healed Metatron to his feet.
The Devil feigned innocence, eyes round. "Just seems strange to me. Why, not only is the one most closest to God a mortal, but he also had a close friendship with the Watchers as well. Isn't that right, Enoch?"
The Metatron growled and took a step forward, but was held back by Sandalphon. "Don't give him the satisfaction," Uriel heard her friend whisper to him.
"How can we possibly trust someone so flawed?"
We? Uriel scoffed, relief flowing in. She really did have nothing to worry about! The others would see right through this! Hopefully.
"Why, if I were in charge—"
"But you aren't, are you?" Uriel challenged. "You gave up that right when you tried to overthrow God and kill us all!" That was the tragic part about all this, how the once great Lucifer Morningstar could have been an even greater leader had it not been for his envy and pride. "You're not Her favorite anymore and it's your own fault!"
She knew she struck a nerve, but then Satan let out a laugh. "True. I've never denied that, Uriel, and I'm not going to start now."
Right...
"But are you so much better?" he continued. "What about Raphael? Or Gabriel?" His eyes suddenly brightened. "What about Michael?"
Nithael apparently shared her leader's glee as the angels behind her all shared disturbed and furious glances. Clearly they had yet to forgive Michael for her own sins. "My master has a point, Uriel," she said, speaking for the first time since her arrival. "Why, had it not been for Gabriel, your sister would've gone straight to Purgatory or Hell!"
Uriel highly doubted that. Michael had a temper on her, certainly, but she wasn't evil! But at least now she understood why Gabriel sold them out. "I never said we were perfect!"
"But aren't you angels?" Satan said, raising an eyebrow. "And you most of all, little sister, should be setting an example, if our other siblings can't. Or will you simply relinquish power to Michael after she returns?"
Her co-workers stared at her expectantly and Uriel started to feel irritated all over again, mostly at herself for waiting this long to tell them. "The Archangel Michael is already to be demoted upon her Ascension to Heaven," she said calmly, hoping she wasn't making a mistake by revealing so much to the Enemy. "Until she can earn back her position as seraph, she will work as an Angel and—" She cut herself off when she saw the blaze of fury in Phaleg's eyes. Hadn't they been against Aziraphale?
"And what of the army?" asked the head virtue, Tarshish.
"What about the army?" Michael could—would—still lead them into battle, regardless of rank! But now wasn't the time to discuss this, not with a couple of demons here. Turning back to Satan, she said, "I suggest you leave now or I will give you both a reminder of today before driving you out!"
But once again, Satan didn't even look terrified in the slightest. "Right. So anyway, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted!" He sent a pointed glare the Metatron's way. "I know this whole exchange in leadership thing is going to be very confusing for many of you, so out of generosity, why don't we just share it?"
Uriel had to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing. He didn't actually expect anyone to believe this, did he? And even if there was a kernel of truth to his words, it was clear she'd simply be little more than a puppet. Easier to control. "You have some nerve! Of course that will never happen!"
Satan frowned. "Shame. I was really hoping we could—"
Uriel didn't let him finish before swinging her sword at him. To Hell with prophecy! He should've been killed a long time ago!
But the Devil didn't so much as make a sound, because somehow, he'd manage to block the attack. But that wasn't what had left Uriel so shocked. It was the weapon.
No!
Somehow, Satan had managed to get a hold of a flaming sword! Uriel suddenly felt sick, but she still held onto her own weapon tightly. Was this Raziel's? Of course the Devil would taunt them in such a way!
"Like my new weapon?" he said with a smirk, a mocking glint in his eyes. "Oh, but I've no quarrel with you, Uriel." As though to demonstrate, the sword was soon gone from his hands, but only after stepping away from her. Knowing him, however, he likely just wanted to make sure the other angels got a good look at what he'd obtained than actually being afraid of her, as he turned to Nithael just before it disappeared. "Come, Nithael. Clearly my sister needs time to think."
Uriel almost called for the order to capture them, but what good would that do? Heaven needed to be away from their influence, not close to it! And if the other demons really were still alive, then they would no doubt want revenge.
They couldn't go to war now. Not when Heaven was still so divided. But that didn't mean she would just give Satan what he wanted, either.
"As I've said," came the demon king's voice, snapping Uriel out of her thoughts, "I'm feeling generous today, so I will wait until tomorrow for your answer. And for your sake, little sister, it better be the right one!"