How is it you go about defining Good and Evil? (CW)

He hit the cold surface of the asphalt, feeling the paralyzing poison invade his system, and as he looked up, he saw a pair of boots get closer to him. He’d been fighting the demons for a while, but despite the exhaustion and dizziness that he felt from the substance, or magic, or whatever it was, he hadn't considered the option to flee. He got up to his feet to continue the fight, when another demon joined and used mental manipulation to confuse him, eventually resulting in one of them grabbing him from behind to give him a final dose of the poison. He felt himself losing consciousness as they dragged him away, the last thing he saw being a demon walk in front of him with a smirk on his expression.

He slowly woke up to the feeling of diabolical darkness and unholiness. It was a suffocating feeling, reminding him of what it was like to be in Hell. And although his own aura counteracted it, he still felt extremely uncomfortable in it. He opened his eyes to the sight of Samael, and as he said his first words, he just stared him dead in the eye. Michael could only assume that he’d taken every precaution possible, but he still pushed his wrists against the chains in an attempt to break them. As he failed at this, due to the supernatural power they’d been enforced with, he took a moment to look around the room. Trying to see what else he’d done to prevent him from using his abilities, in hopes of finding any weak spots. He still felt rather tired from what they’d given him to get him unconscious, but he knew it was only a matter of minutes before he'd be at full strength. They hadn't done much damage to him besides that. He lowered his gaze to his clothes, seeing that they'd taken off his jacket and tie and that there was a slit in his shirt where one of the demons had cut him. He then straightened his head to look at Samael again. He wasn’t wrong. Of course, he had been looking for him. But it wasn’t like he didn’t have a million other things that needed his attention. And it was impossible for Heaven to deal with it all at the same time. However, he clearly should have prioritized finding Samael faster. Seeing that he might have been able to prevent this situation. “I am sure you are aware of my interest in banishing you from Earth… But finding you has not been my focus, you see… I thought that maybe you’d come to your senses. That you’d stop abducting my family. People who have done nothing to wrong you, and prevent the massive war that’s about to break out… Because it will. You've already infuriated every Heavenly angel by trapping me like this. So tell me, why do you think it will be worth it?” Michael spoke with a surprisingly calm tone despite his position. He wasn’t afraid of Samael nor the tools in this room. He'd been tormented by evil countless times, and he'd take him hurting him over his family any day. Besides, even if he was scared, he'd try his best to mask it and not give Samael the satisfaction of seeing it.

His parents were probably the reason why he’d gotten that way. But that wasn’t the sole reason that he, or Heaven, sent him to that dimension. Michael knew that it wouldn't change anything to explain this to him. But for the sake of dragging out time, he decided to respond. “Me, Heaven, we gave you a fighting chance… but you kept corrupting the humans, just like your father and mother… and when we saw a vision of the destruction you'd create, I couldn’t take any chances. I had to protect the humans and angels. You are not innocent like my children. So no, it’s not the same, and it’s not irony… it's plain evil,” he said, doubting that Samael would ever understand… having never known love, purity, or goodness in the way that most people had. Nor the same sense of empathy and righteousness. More so, he'd carry the feeling of being unwanted by Heaven and God.

A smirk formed on his lips as he said he wanted this war. Because if there was something Michael had prepared for since the creation of demons; it was to command a war against them. And ever since Samael came back, since he and Maelle had gone after the angels and his family, all he’d wanted was to put an end to it. His latest preparations had been to create a new addition to his army. A new type of warrior angel. And although Samael might be looking forward to seeing the fallen angels fight against the angels, his main target would always be the demons. Perhaps, if all went well, he could get some of the fallen angels on his side and have them work as double agents for him.

Michael’s facial expression hadn’t strayed from its stoicism and anger until the moment where a familiar face entered the room. His daughter. One who he had been certain was deceased. She’d been missing for longer than anyone else, and he had heard from sources that she had died. So, his eyes widened in surprise and the worries rushed over him, having found many of his siblings or children completely broken, and he knew that her case would be no different from theirs. If anything, it would be worse. “Gen?” he said in a moment of disbelief. She looked at him in a way that he both recognized very well, and not at all. But he could sense her familiar aura, and that she hadn’t fallen yet. It sparked a slight hope of it not being too late to save her. “Leave her out of it,” he said as he moved his gaze from Genesis to Samael. He knew that he wanted him to suffer and that he’d figured out the worst ways to do just that, but he prayed to his Father that he’d spare her. That he’d for once just hurt him and leave his family alone. “No, don’t,” he said as she kneeled and let her wings out. It pained him to see her like that - broken with a body full of scars and tears streaming down her face. “It’s not too late, just come to me.. I’ll help you, I promise,” he begged her, wanting nothing more than for her to get away from Samael, and perhaps he could use any power he had to send her to Heaven, to save her from the darkness she’d been stuck in for all this time.

“For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own detriment by exposing him to public ridicule. For when the ground soaks up rain that often falls on it and continues producing vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated, it receives a blessing from God. However, if it continues to produce thorns and thistles, it is worthless and in danger of being cursed, and in the end, will be burned… So, I beg you. Do not do this, but have faith in God, and you will be saved… But put your faith in Samael, and your chance of salvation will be lost forever.” He looked at his daughter the whole time, reciting the bible in hopes of it distracting and causing discomfort to Samael, so that maybe she’d get away from him in time.

But unfortunately, she didn’t move, and neither did Samael. The sound of her wings getting cut shattered his heart, and he lowered his gaze for a moment as he felt overwhelming guilt and sadness from witnessing this. But when he looked up again, he just glared at Samael with the same expression he’d had when he’d first awoken. “You are pathetic, hurting someone defenseless and weak… Brainwashing them to follow your wicked ways. For a guy who hates his father, you sure are a lot like him,” he said, not because of the burning wrath he felt, but because he wished to provoke him. To turn his attention to him rather than his daughter.

The quotes of the holy scriptures did nothing but cause a small irritation in Samael, much to Michael's disappointment. He didn’t even necessarily care much for the human-written holy books, as the laws in Heaven was what truly mattered, but since it did weaken demons, he used them quite often. Michael frowned subtly as Samael stated that he showed them the truth because the only truth in his world was God's truth. And that was definitely not to turn to evil, demonic ways. “My Father also knew that your birth would cause the apocalypse to arrive. Still, he seemed to regret that part, delaying it as much as he could by putting you into that dimension.” Michael lowered his chin as much as the chain around his neck would allow, looking intently at Samael. He then felt his hand on his chest and the darkness that followed, coursing through his veins like some ill-omened disease. He closed his eyes at the cold and merciless feeling, breathing in slowly as he felt the draining feeling of his corruption. He opened his eyes again the moment he mentioned Clarissa. Confusion grazing his expression. Michael didn't know how he knew about that. Even God hadn’t known until she was with the child. But then again, he supposed a crow of his could have heard the rumor or seen the evidence and shared it with him. “I did my penance for defying God back then. But regardless, you ought to know that Clarissa is one of the most kindhearted beings on Earth. I’ve never doubted the purpose of us meeting. Even if it was wrong of me to fall in love with her,” he said, not thinking it made much of a difference since he already knew of their secret marriage.

Michael moved his gaze from Samael to two demons entering the room. One of them took Genesis out of the room while the other one neared them. Stating that a certain someone had arrived. And all he had to do was lower his gaze to the white feathers in his hand to know exactly who the person was. “No.” He looked from the feather to Samael’s face, the corruption making him feel incredibly nauseous, but his face hardly expressed this. He was used to torture, and not wanting to reveal even the slightest of weakness, could he help it. Even if Samael very well knew how much it pained him to hurt his family. “Leave him out of this. Believe me. He’s nothing like the Lucifer of this Earth,” he tried, shifting between his eyes, although he couldn’t quite help the cold feel of disgust once he placed his hand on his cheek. Fortunately, it was short-lived as he quickly left the room, leaving him alone with nothing but the white wings of his daughter on the floor. A sore reminder of his failure to save her.

He closed his eyes at the sound of his brother’s agonizing scream, trying his hardest to focus on anything but that and instead on how he was supposed to get out of there. How he could save him. He looked around the room for an escape route. Of course, did they stay away long enough, he would get stronger and be able to teleport out. At least unless they'd somehow warded against it. But he didn’t think that was going to be likely. Samael had probably planned for this for a long time. He’d just hoped it wouldn’t have involved Lucifer. After all, he had nothing to do with the punishment he’d given Samael. Nor any actions that the Lucifer from this world had done. He didn’t deserve this the slightest. He couldn’t really tell how much time had gone by before they returned to the room. His mind had been racing to figure out a plan, as well as patiently waiting for the chains to get weaker because they wouldn't be able to hold him forever. Michael’s eyes widened as he noticed that Lucifer's wings were out, wondering how they’d managed to force them to grow out. Which could as well just be that they’d threatened to torture him if he didn’t.

“Let him go. He has no part in anything that's happened against you or this world.” He knew that it was a long-short to ask this. But in all truth, he had no idea why he’d wanted to torture him for so long. Because it was by no means the father he’d known, and so he should have no need to harm him in those ways. But then again, not much that Samael did, made much sense to him. How he’d not gotten as much as a scratch, but he’d simply decided to take out his anger on the people around him. It was pathetic. Michael's gaze was focused on Lucifer, hoping that he’d at least have the strength to retract his wings now that they were free, but he looked awfully drained.
Once he was nailed to the wall beside him and everyone had left, he turned his head to look at him. “I’ll get us out of here. And if not me then only you.” It wasn't even a question to Michael. He felt responsible for him being here in the first place, hence also for him getting out. He moved his gaze ahead of him and opened the palm of his hand to try to see if he could use any of his abilities. To at least create electricity from his fingertips, and it was almost there. He could feel the tingling sensation. But it wasn't enough. “How did it look out there?” he asked him, glancing at the door. If he had seen more of the layout of this place that would help. Because then he might not have to smash down any walls that would just lead them into another room rather than the freedom outside. “And no matter what he does, don’t worry about me. I don't think he's going to kill me. You on the other hand... I don’t know, but ever since Lucifer disappeared. The one of this world. I’ve had a bad feeling about his involvement.” He knew the angels had nothing to do with it, nor did any of his allies. So, there was at least a tiny chance that Samael knew more than him regarding it.