False Gods

It hadn’t taken him more than a minute from reading Erin’s text until he arrived in Southside, knowing that whatever she’d sensed, it could very likely be connected to their blood. And with several of his family members missing, he hoped to God that he wasn't going to show up too late. The winds grew stronger as he levitated into the sky, flying across Southside to scan the buildings below him until he heard screams in the distance. He turned towards the location, landing in front of a motel that looked haunted from the outside. The rain poured down on him as he focused his hearing on the door the noises came from. He then walked straight for the room. A large crack of thunder rumbled the moment he kicked the door in, seeing two demons beating up his daughter. They quickly turned their heads to him, one of them begging for him to spare him while the other came towards him with a knife. Michael grabbed his wrist in the air, turning it over so it would break, making him drop the knife to the floor. He then shocked him with electricity until his screaming stopped and he passed out. The other guy had his back against the wall as Michael walked towards him. He grabbed him by his throat and raised him up against the wall until he passed out as well. He then moved his gaze to who he believed to be his daughter, Eliana. He’d sensed that she was fallen, but seeing her wings, taken and bloody in the corner of a filthy motel room. Words couldn’t describe the wrath he felt towards the person who had done this. He looked back at her with a conflicted expression, taking in a deep breath as a thousand thoughts passed his mind and a painful emotion grew inside of him. “I’m so sorry, Eliana,” he said, feeling like he'd failed her more than anything. He then untied her before he embraced her tightly. “I did everything I could to find you, but… they were using spells to redirect my tracking and I… I had no idea what to do,” he said, exhaling as he closed his eyes and let a tear run down his cheek. There was no point in trying to explain anything because nothing he said could possibly make this right. “Who did this to you?” he then asked, loosening his grip of her so he could look into her eyes.

This whole time he’d chased after Samael and his demons, not leaving much of a consideration to whether Maelle could be behind some of the abductions. Were they working together to avenge him? Or was it simply the perfect timing to move forward with her own agenda? He couldn't know but he was determined to find out. Michael looked into her eyes as she asked him what she could do, but there wasn't many options left. It was too late to redeem herself. There was no coming back from this. And even if he could return her to Heaven, it would be against God’s will and it would be unfair to other fallen angels. Of him to save her just because she was his daughter when everyone else didn’t get that chance. “You can help me stop her,” he replied, thinking that if anyone, Eliana had the motives to want this. And the sooner they could stop her, the more angels they could save. He shook his head at her next sentence. “No, don’t for a second believe a word she says… that’s what she does. She tries to get inside of your head,” he said, hoping that she hadn't already manipulated her mind. He then got up to walk over to the bed to take off the sheet. “You know how family is there for each other, well... I wasn’t there for her. I took her wings, just like she took yours. That is why she’d say that,” he explained as he kneeled by her wings to wrap them in the sheet, so they’d be easier to travel with. All angels knew the story of the first fallen angel and that Michael had been the one to carry out the sentence. But he was only following orders. God worked in mysterious ways and there was nothing neither Lucifer nor Michael could have done about it. Not unless they wanted to join her. “Did she say anything else?” he asked as he got up to his feet and looked at her.

“That depends,” he replied. He doubted that talking would do much to convince her, and quite frankly he didn’t trust her to stop, no matter what he offered to the table. For that reason, the more likely scenario was to send her into another dimension. That way, she couldn’t hurt any more angels. “First... we need to find her,” he said, getting the feeling that she wasn’t that far. He looked towards the windows as she asked him how she’d know whether she'd been in her head. But it was hard to know for certain. “There might be remnants… holes in your memory or thoughts that are opposing each other, leaving you dazed,” he explained, looking at her with a careful gaze as he wondered if she had mind-controlled her. It would only make sense if she’d been captured by her for all this time. Michael didn’t know what he’d expected her to answer, but it wasn't that. He'd never thought his children would doubt that about him. Although, he was certain that it wasn’t the first angel Maelle had tried to convince of it. He wanted to deny it and say he’d never do such a thing. But he couldn’t assure her of this. “God wouldn't ask that of me,” he replied. After all, he had never asked this of him in the past. Not even when he’d fathered a demon hybrid. And despite the many people God had doomed when they didn’t fit into his perfect image, he didn’t want to believe that his children would ever be at the end of that. “As I said, you can’t trust a word she says… she's only trying to make you hate me and join her. The Morningstars are selfish above all,” he said, walking towards her. Then stopping as he considered her request. “My forgiveness won’t grant resolution,” he answered. It wasn’t going to change anything. It wouldn’t end any of her problems and it certainly wouldn’t stop Maelle. “Is there something you aren't telling me?” he asked as he looked at her, wondering if she asked forgiveness for something she'd done whilst being captured.

He assumed she’d asked how he’d find her. “A scry or localization spell, most likely… and if that doesn’t work, blood sorcery, or an interrogation of her fallen angels,” he replied, letting her know that he’d be willing to go down the road of dark magic or abduction, if that was the only way to find Maelle. “Unless… you happen to know where she resides?” he asked, wondering if Maelle had told her something in her attempt to make Eliana join her side. Because, she'd surely tried that.
He considered her question about what she should do now. She could work as a spy for him – get closer to Maelle and provide him with all the information he needed to take her down. Or he could take her somewhere safe. A place where she’d no longer be involved in this ordeal. “You come home with me,” he replied. After all, he only wanted her to do good in this life. Her being fallen complicated that, but he still had hope for her. And what kind of father would he not be for denying her a second chance? He stepped closer to her, raising his brow as she mentioned Zachary. Had she taken him as well? Had she tortured him for all this time, hiding him for some sick plan of revenge? Who knew… but it sure as Hell wasn’t going to pretty when he discovered the truth. “Does she have Zachary?” he wanted to know. She then told him that she couldn’t tell him something right now. “It’s okay,” he said, knowing that she’d start remembering things in due time. He glanced at the bodies on the floor as she asked if they were dead, shrugging as he didn’t care much for taking the life of demons. After all, they’d beaten her up moments before. If anything, they had it coming.