Baby for You I'll Take This Fall

Jack watched quietly as Allegra cut her hand and started drawing an elaborate image on the ground with her blood, the blood of the Uncorrupted, of the archangels. He knew nothing was more potent. And now he knew it was the key to everything, the key to call the archangels, the key to go down in hell and return unscathed.

“This is a bad idea,” Charles said. “Allegra, I must implore you to see reason.”

“I have seen reason, Charles,” she ignored him. “And I have seen that this is the only way.” She finished the drawing, which Jack now realized was an angelic symbol, and stood up, dusting herself off. “Are you going to help me willingly or am I going to have to force you?”

“Very well, Allegra,” Charles said. He stepped up next to her. “I will help you because of our bond. I will only help you because of what we had.”

“And I will never forget it,” she said quietly, taking his hand. She looked at Jack and Mimi. “Stay where you are.” She looked at Charles, and nodded.

She closed her eyes, and together they chanted the call. “Exorior angelus nos dico vos iam elatum opus of Deus.”

For a moment, nothing happened. Jack hadn’t even realized he was holding his breath. A bright light filled the room, and for a moment, it was all Jack could see. He had to raise his arm in front of his face to shield his eyes. But then in a moment, it was gone. Instead, they were in the glom, but in the design Allegra had drawn now stood a man. Immediately, Jack knew it was Raphael. It was the aura around him, radiating his persona off of him. Jack resisted the urge to kneel before him. Charles and Allegra had shed their human forms and now stood before him and Mimi, glorious and beautiful. He and Mimi too had become more than human, but they could not compare to the sight before them. They were in the midst of three archangels, three near supreme beings. As strong as they were, they could not compare.

“Raphael,” Gabrielle stepped forward, her arms outstretched for an embrace. “It has been too long.”

“Eons,” Raphael agreed. He nodded at Michael. “Brother, it is good to see you again as well.”

“I am sure,” Michael said curtly.

“What is the meaning of this, Gabrielle?” Raphael asked, looking toward Jack and Mimi, but ignoring them. “Why have you called me down? You know this is against the rules.”

“I know, Raphael,” she said. “But I had no choice. Lucifer, he has taken my daughter.”

“Ah yes, I was told about your half human child,” he said. “Almost an abomination.”

“An abomination?” she gasped.

“You may be on earth, Gabrielle, but you are more than human. To breed with them, it is a high offense.”

“And our Father agrees with this?” she asked coldly.

“Our Father,” Raphael paused, looking slightly uncomfortable, “has more pressing matters to tend to.”

“In other words, that is only your opinion but you want us to think all of heaven agrees with you,” Michael rolled his eyes.

“Careful, brother,” Raphael said. “You would be wise to remember that you are not the most powerful anymore. You lost that power when you followed the traitors in their fall.”

“I followed her!” he pointed at Gabrielle. “I would rather spend all of eternity with my eyes being gouged out than follow them.”

“You did not want to spend an eternity alone,” Raphael corrected.

“And how is that a bad thing?” Michael asked, angry. “How is following love a bad thing?”

“Whatever your reasons are, I will not argue on this anymore,” Raphael held his hand up. He looked at Gabrielle. “If Lucifer took your daughter, why is it me that you have summoned?”

“We need you to send us down there, and help us return,” Gabrielle explained. “We can no longer pass through worlds with no consequence.”

“Yes, your wings have been clipped, but why is it that you think I will help you? Who are you to me now, just a traitor? And to help the abomination return? Why would I help?”

Gabrielle looked unabashed. “I know you feel slighted but my fall, Raphael. But we are still family. We are still children of our Father, just as the humans are. Lucifer always thought our Father loved them more, and it was true, Raphael. He did. He loved them so much more. Tell me, if we are all creations of the Lord, His children, how can my daughter be an abomination? If He always loved them more, then why would he frown upon our union? You know children are most precious. She is innocent in all of this. Whatever I did, it is not her fault. You would condemn her to a life in hell with our tantrum prone brother because you feel I betrayed you?”

Raphael’s eyes wavered for a moment. “Very well,” he said quietly. “I will help you.” He closed his eyes and held out his hands. Muttering a few words Jack could not hear, another bright light filled their surroundings. When it disappeared, there was a sword in his hands. “Take this.” He handed it to Gabrielle. “It will carry those who touch it to the Underworld and back safely.”

“Thank you, Raphael,” she said.

He nodded his head and looked at Michael. “You will never be inferior to us, brother.”

Michael just grunted. “You can go now.” He smudged the blood design with his foot and Raphael disappeared in another bright light. “Peace, brother,” he whispered right before the light was gone.

The scene changed and once again they were in the hotel room and out of the gloom. Allegra looked around at each of them. “Are you ready?” She held the sword forward.

Jack was the first to step forward and touch the sword, though Mimi was only half a step behind him. Charles sighed in resignation and touched it as well. “I hope you know what you’re doing,” he said to both Allegra and Jack.

Jack knew he would do anything to save Schuyler and if risking eternal damnation if something went wrong was what he had to do, then so be it. Allegra too seemed to be thinking the same think. “I do,” they said together. Allegra closed her eyes and Jack heard a humming in his ears. He closed his eyes tightly as the room was fillied with the bright light again. When the humming was gone, he opened them and looked around. He had not been here for centuries upon centuries, but he still knew where he was. The darkness was full of despair, shut away from the light and warmth of the Almighty forever. They were in Hell.