Baby for You I'll Take This Fall

It was not like the glom. It was dark and cold, full of despair. Jack knew he had been here eons ago, before the Fall, before the gateways to the realms were closed to each other, but standing here now, he could not remember ever feeling so cold. He looked at Mimi and saw her face was guarded and emotionless, but he knew she felt the same. This was a place of death.

There were standing in a small room. It was empty, and there were no doors.

“Is this a trick?” Mimi asked.

Neither Allegra nor Charles answered, both looking around calculating. Allegra stepped forward, eyes closed and breathed, “Lucifer.”

There was a bright light, and Schuyler appeared, chained to the wall. Her head lay bowed down in exhaustion. Jack ran to her, lifting her face to look at him. Her bright blue eyes gazed into his, but they held a resigned defeat. She closed her eyes and a tear strayed from her eye. “You’re not real,” she told herself, turning her head. “Stop playing with me. He’s not coming. He can’t. You’re not him.”

Jack was baffled, knowing she had probably seen visions of him, imagined him there before. He was horrified to think how much she must have been through to do that. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against her cheek. It is really me. You should know that I would have done everything to come to you, to save you. And I have. I love you, and I’m here to bring you back.

She opened her eyes again and looked at him, hope surging through her expression. “Jack? It’s really you.”

He smiled and kissed her deeply. “It is me.”

“Hate to break up this little love fest,” Mimi’s annoyed tone broke through their private moment. “But we still have to free her, and get the hell out of here.”

Jack moved to the side, still holding her in his arms, so that they could see her as well. Allegra moved forward, Charles half a step behind her. “My daughter,” her green eyes warm though guarded. “I will seek your revenge.”

“Mother,” she closed her eyes as Allegra leaned down to kiss her forehead.

“How heart wretchedly adorable this is,” another voice came into play. They all turned to the source and saw Lucifer now standing in the room. The Morningstar was bright and beautiful, and a menacing smile played on his lips. “Ah, Allegra, you have awoken. How wonderful. Now it’s like a family reunion. You, Michael, and myself, we glorious beings finally together again.”

“I would not compare us if I were you, brother,” Charles took a step forward, anger seething through him. “It is your fault we are here, just as it was your fault before.”

“Michael, please,” Allegra calmingly put her hand on her twin.

Lucifer laughed at this. “I offered you the chance to show how great we truly were, brother. I only wished to show our great Father how much more grand we are than those petty fallible humans. They are not worthy of his love. And to think he put us below them. You did not follow me though, brother.” He eyes turned to Allegra. A cold chuckle erupted from his lips. “You followed her, and she turned her back on you.”

“They are worthy,” Allegra said. “You have not lived among them as we have. You knew them in a selfish time, an early time, when they were still children. They have learned much as we did after we were created. They do not deserve what you have done, brother. Now release my daughter. She has done nothing to you.”

Lucifer laughed now, his eyes flashing to Schuyler. “I must admit, Allegra, your daughter is more like you than I would have imagined. And yes, Abaddon, she has been through hell and – well she’s not going back so she’s been through hell. Quite honorably, I should add. You should be proud, Allegra.”

“I will be prouder when I drive my sword through your heart if you do not release her,” Allegra threatened. Jack had never heard anything more deadly, and he had stood before Lucifer.

But Lucifer just laughed. “Well now, isn’t this interesting? No, Allegra, I will not return her to you just yet. And you should think twice before attacking me. See, we are not alone here, and the demons here follow me. They will not betray me as you did.”

“You betrayed us,” Michael said angrily. “You fed on your own kind! The abomination, Lucifer. You killed our own. You had to be stopped.”

“Yes, well, I needed power. I needed to show our Almighty Father just how glorious I could be.”

“You damned us all when your blood turned silver,” Allegra said. “Release. Her.”

He laughed. “You will accomplish nothing this way.”

“We defeated you then, and we will defeat you now,” Michael withdrew his own sword and pointed it at Lucifer.

“Come on, brother, I do not wish to fight you,” the Morningstar said. “I merely meant that I propose a deal before I propose her.”

They all waited silently. Jack had kept his mouth shut this whole time, and only now did he realize that it was out of fear that he had done so. Fear, not for himself, but for Schuyler. Even now, he silently looked at his love, and his heart yearned to hold her safely in his arms again.

“I have two prisoners here actually,” he said. “And I will give one of them back to you. You can decide which one.” He snapped his fingers and Kingsley appeared on all fours, coughing up blood.

“Kingsley!” Mimi cried, rushing forward. She fell to her knees in front of him, her arms around him, tears in her eyes. “Let him go!”

Jack was baffled. She loved him. His twin, the twin that had chased him around the world to seek revenge for abandoning her, loved another. He and Schuyler exchanged a glance as the Morningstar laughed darkly. “Ah and here is where the fun comes in. Will Abaddon get his love back, or will Azrael?”

He looked between them as Jack and Mimi met eyes. This was it. This was the plan. One of them would die right now. One of them would have to kill the other to save the one they loved. Abaddon without Azrael or vice versa would be weakened. The powerful force, only second to the Uncorrupted and Lucifer himself would be no more.

“Calm, Abaddon, Azrael,” Allegra said coolly, her gaze on Lucifer. “You will not get away with this.”

“Ah, but I already have, glorious Gabriel,” he said. “Look at Azrael now. She is ready to attack Abaddon. She will not heed your warning. She loves him.”

Allegra looked at Mimi now, her eyes blazing. He was right. She looked ready to pounce. “If you strike him, I will cut you down.”

Mimi growled but calmed down. Her eyes remained on Jack however, her gaze deadly. Allegra looked at Lucifer again. “Lucifer, brother, please, give me my daughter. I will do anything. But do not make this a competition. Do not destroy everything we have built here. Do not destroy her.”

Jack was watching Mimi. He knew he shouldn’t have been surprised that Mimi was prepared to finish their battle. But he was surprised that it was over Kingsley now. He turned his gaze to Lucifer to wait for his verdict.

“Oh they do not have to fight,” he laughed darkly. “By all means, Allegra, try to quell them into a peaceful discussion. Whatever way you proceed, you have one hour to decide. After that, if you still cannot choose, I will kill them both.” He disappeared then, leaving the four angels alone with Schuyler and Kingsley.

The four looked at each other, but none among them knew what to do.