Daystar

by Darcy Town

  Gabriel sat back. Paimon eyed him; made sure he stayed in place. Gabriel watched him intently, curiously. Paimon fiddled with the controls. “You erased your fucking memories. Why did you do that?”

  “Do what?”

  Paimon made fists and punched the console. The machine bucked.

  Gabriel looked concerned. “Do not damage it.”

  Paimon examined the controls in detail. “Why not?”

  Gabriel frowned. “I will have to fix it.”

  “You like fixing things.”

  “How do you know this?”

  Paimon hit Gabriel in the face with the butt of his shotgun. “You’re designed based on me! I know everything about you!” He stared at his brother. “But I would have never guessed you’d erase your memories.” Paimon put a foot through something fragile, the machine groaned.

  Gabriel scrabbled forward to look at the damage Paimon had delivered to his machine. “Are you one of the Fallen?”

  “How did you become this fucking stupid?” Paimon shoved a bomb into the console and set it off. The force sent them spinning. The machine shuddered. Paimon grinned. “Of course I’m Fallen! You know, I was wondering how difficult it would be to see you, but you’re not really you anymore are you?” Paimon shook his head. “It’s a shame, Gabriel. You were smart, brilliant once.”

  Gabriel held his head, his memories fragmented. He never thought on the past for this reason, things did not make sense. The story never added up, parts were missing. Gabriel looked at Paimon his voice was shaky. “What is your name?”

  Paimon stood on the surface of the machine and bowed. “I am the Archangel Paimon. Shall I spell that out?”

  Gabriel shuddered as images surfaced. He looked away. “No. Go away.”

  Paimon adjusted his jetpack. “No, I have to destroy this thing.”

  “Destroy it?” Gabriel shook his head violently. “No! This is mine!”

  Paimon smirked. “Tough luck.”

  Gabriel lunged for him. “Get away from it! You are a liar! A Fallen always lies!”

  Paimon grinned and punched Gabriel in the head. He wrenched Gabriel’s arm and spoke into his ear, “Well yes, I am a consummate liar, but not about this.” He laughed. “You know I’m right, I can see it in your eyes.”

  Gabriel elbowed him in the stomach. “No!”

  Paimon kicked him. “Big baby!”

  Gabriel bit his arm.

  Paimon punched him in the head. “Fight like an adult!”

  Chains wrapped around Gabriel’s neck and hauled him backwards. Furcas threw his arms around Gabriel. “Hello, old friend.”

  Gabriel looked up at Furcas. “You…you I remember clearly.”

  “Oh good. Let’s catch up.” Furcas dove for the atmosphere. He called back at Paimon, “That’s twice now, Paimon. Get your job taken care of.” Furcas entered the atmosphere with Gabriel and plummeted.

  Gabriel did not wear a pendant. He dropped into the physical realm as soon as they passed through the shield; the sensation was one of pressure, burning, nausea. He held his head, unable to fight off Furcas.

  Furcas aimed them at the ground. “You make this too easy.”

  Gabriel coughed up blood. He looked at the approaching planet with blurry eyes. He smelled ozone, water, earth. Memories played like a bad dream behind his swollen eyelids. He pressed his palms into his eyes. He did not want to see or remember. “Stop this!”

  Furcas frowned. “Why?”

  Gabriel kicked at Furcas. “Get your memories out of my head!”

  “Those aren’t my memories.”

  “I have never been here!”

  “Yes you have. You and your brother—”

  “I have no brother!” Gabriel blasted him with green and gold fire, lighting up the night sky. The heat knocked Furcas back, but he held on to Gabriel by the chains that still wrapped around his neck. Gabriel grabbed a chain and pulled Furcas in. “I have no brother! Take it back!”

  Furcas put his feet on Gabriel’s chest and pushed. “It’s the truth!”

  “No!”

  Furcas hands blistered from the heat, the chain seared his skin. Sharp pain erupted from his side, making him gasp. He looked down to see a knife in his side, under his ribs.

  “Hello, Furcas.” Barachiel smiled and pulled the blade along his side.

  Furcas head butted him and knocked his hand aside. He let Gabriel go with both of his weapons. Gabriel screamed and flew blindly for space.

  Furcas blasted backwards expecting to heal, but the wound did not close. Blood poured down his side. He clutched the wound. “What is this?”

  Barachiel grinned and looked at the shining blade in his hand. “We forged these from the throne after we saw how effective the spear was.”

  Furcas bared his teeth. “Fuck off.”

  Barachiel tossed the glowing knife from hand to hand. “I can add a few scars of my own. Michael has, Uriel has, I would like to as well.”

  Furcas kept space between them. “You’re all fucking sick.”

  Barachiel shrugged. “Perhaps.”

  Shapes flickered in of the corner of his eye. Furcas turned to fly. Golden limbs wrapped around his wrists, arms, and legs. Hands covered his mouth, his stomach. Guardian angels swarmed around him. Furcas bit and screamed, but they kept him in place. He called wind, rain, stabbing ice, but the angels held on.

  Barachiel shoved through the mix and drove his blade into Furcas’ stomach. He grabbed Furcas’ chin and forced his head up. “You do not get to have what you want, Furcas.”

  Furcas spit blood in his face. “Fuck you!”

  Barachiel pulled the blade across and down. “I gave you a chance, Furcas, to be happy, to have simple desires, simple wants. But you had to seek too much.”

  Barachiel stabbed him in the chest and wedged the blade between his ribs. “When you seek too much you can only lose it all.” He leaned in and twisted the blade slowly. “You see, I do not have to understand it, to know how to take it away. So say goodbye to Paimon and to Bean, she would have been adorable.”

  Furcas bucked. “No!”

  ***

  Apple looked up as the red light from the machine shut off. She bit into her gauntlet and tore it off. Her engagement ring, fashioned from starlight and gold, erupted into light. The light shined as a beacon across the ice. The City Guard turned, the Fallen saw, they cheered.

  Apple covered her hand, lest the angels use the light against them. She patted Berith’s back. “Soon!” He rumbled and barreled into shockers with vicious glee. He lost a sword in the press of bodies.

  Apple unsheathed another and handed it to him. She kept her eyes on the battle from her vantage point.

  ***

  Dahlia and Lucifer caught the flash of gold light. Dahlia smiled briefly and resumed her circling attack on Michael.

  Lucifer danced around her. He brought his bat across the face of an angel.

  Belial weaved her deadly blades near the crater’s edge. She aided in Lucifer’s attack on the angels that dropped on Dahlia.

  A body hit the crater and sent up a fountain of ooze. Lucifer and Belial looked over on impulse. Their eyes met over the corpse. Furcas was near unrecognizable, limbs missing, his face carved up, and his hair shorn off. The body sank underneath the ooze and slipped out of sight. Lucifer erupted into flame. “Barachiel!”

  ***

  Andy skidded to a stop amongst the dead and dying humans. He rallied the undead and pointed them towards the crater. “Aid them!” He jumped into the air and scanned the battle. He saw Furcas fall into the crater. Andy’s heart skipped a beat. “Helion!”

  Helion wheeled in the sky. “Yes?”

  “Get Furcas out of that crater!”

  Helion dove. Whitney’s screams parted the angels before him. Helion hovered over the crater and stuck his hands into the ooze. There was nothing to find.

  Whitney let go of him and dropped down into the muck. She shoved her fists into the material. “He’s not there!”
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  Helion pumped his wings casting the liquid aside. “He has to be here! We saw him fall!”

  “He’s not! There is nothing here! But maybe…” Whitney took a breath and dove in. Ooze covered over her head and settled.

  Helion swiped at the muck. “Whitney!”

  She did not surface.

  Helion shoved his hands in the material and came up with nothing. He closed his wings and dropped into the muck, but it did not give her up. There was no end to the viscous fluid. He scratched at the surface. “No! Come back! Whitney!” His black eye pulsed. “Whitney, you are not gone!”

  The blackness from his eye spread into his face. The surface of the hellish ooze bubbled. A pale limb appeared. Helion grabbed the hand. He pumped his wings and pulled.

  Belial grabbed his wrist and hauled him out of the crater. The pair hit the ice. Whitney came out of the mess coughing and gagging.

  Belial helped them to their feet. Helion picked Whitney up and took to the air. Her black eyes saw nothing. Her breaths were shallow. Helion held her and flew for the Lilliam medics. “What happened?”

  Whitney trembled. “I went to Hell.”

  ***

  Uriel rejoined the battle in the air. He sang a melody of his own creation. He had not felt this happy in ages. He had enjoyed hurting Andy, though he wished he had been able to give him more things to think on, more details to agonize over. Uriel grinned and swept across in the sky.

  He spotted Andy leaping into the air, scanning the ground, being helpful. Andy was always helpful. Uriel hated him, despised everything about him. He had more plans for hurting him, the thought almost as alluring as having Belial again. Uriel smirked and headed in his direction. He pulled out a small blade of white light.

  Uriel’s eyes caught on a flash of blonde. He looked down and was ensnared. Belial raced around the crater near Lucifer. All other thoughts fled. He had to have her. Uriel dropped down.

  Belial fought at Lucifer’s side. The pair cut down angels in a deadly dance. Uriel caught Belial by her hair and wrenched, lifting her off her feet.

  Lucifer snarled and dove at him.

  Dahlia screamed.

  Lucifer turned and pulled Dahlia back as Michael’s spear sliced open her cheek.

  Uriel pumped his wings and hauled Belial into the air.

  Belial twisted and kicked Uriel in the face. Her bare hands scratched at his gauntleted ones. Uriel grabbed her throat and pulled her to him. He grinned. “Bel—”

  Two winged bodies smashed into the pair, splitting them apart. Archangel Jegudiel hit Uriel, sending the two spiraling away into the sky.

  Selaphiel grabbed Belial and slammed her into the ground. He covered her body with his and spoke to the sky, “You need to watch where you are going, Belial.” He looked down at her. “I suggest you stay by Andy, he always had the sharper reflexes.” Selaphiel jumped off her and leapt into the sky to collect his brother before Uriel beat him to death.

  Belial stared at the fleeing Archangel, unsure of what to think. She shook herself and ran back to the crater. Blood coated Dahlia’s face; the wound Michael’s spear gave would not heal. She tired, her movements slowed. Belial charged into the ooze and stood by Dahlia, sending waves of her own at Michael. Lucifer resumed his attack on the angelic force around them.

  ***

  Paimon flew around Gabriel’s machine. He hummed and threw bombs at the controls. He had shut off the light, but he had not quite destroyed it. He whirled around and tossed another handful of grenades. The bombs rattled across its surface and exploded. The machine dipped in the sky. Paimon grinned.

  Gabriel shot up through the atmosphere; he flew past Paimon into deep space. Paimon watched his brother go by, the Archangel on fire and screaming gibberish. Furcas’ weapons hung around his neck like an obscene piece of jewelry.

  Paimon shrugged and threw another bomb at the machine. He flew backwards and gauged his progress. What had once been beautiful and well crafted was now mangled and losing altitude. Right on target in his opinion.

  Paimon looked towards Earth, wondering what took Furcas so long to come back. Flashes of gold and white caught his eye. A maelstrom of power brewed in the clouds below. Paimon flew closer to look; an Archangel flew out of the mess straight towards him. Paimon backpedaled.

  Barachiel stormed into space. He saw Paimon and smiled.

  Paimon frowned. “What the fuck do you—”

  Barachiel threw something at him. Paimon caught it on reflex. It was sticky, bloody, and metal. He choked back vomit at the sight of Furcas’ arm.

  Paimon forced his gaze to Barachiel’s body. Blood coated the smiling Archangel in a red, clotting sheen. Paimon locked his limbs to keep from shaking. “What have you done?”

  Barachiel laughed. “I thought you might like something to remember him by. I know I do.”

  The blood drained out of Paimon’s face. “What have you done!”

  Barachiel flipped something back and forth in his hands, brought it to his nose, and inhaled.

  Paimon’s breath caught in his throat. He shot over in a burst of speed. He snatched the braid from Barachiel. He lifted the hair up to his face; it was soaked in blood. He knew it was Furcas’ he had no doubt. He wailed through clenched teeth.

  Barachiel laughed at Paimon’s reaction. “No witty retort? No boasting? Paimon, what has happened—”

  Paimon slammed into Barachiel and wrapped his hands around his neck. “What. Did. You. Do?” He used the last of his fuel to cross the shield. He sent them in a steep dive towards the planet. “What did you do to him? If you hurt him badly I swear to—”

  “Hurt him? Paimon, I killed him.”

  Through the skin-to-skin contact, Paimon could sense the truth of Barachiel’s words, but he couldn’t accept it. He shook his head. “No. He’s been hurt badly before, he’ll survive it. He’ll survive!”

  Barachiel smiled, not even attempting to fight back. “I checked, after I cut out his heart and tore through his throat. He did not complain as much as I thought he would when I sliced apart his face. He was more of a stoic than I had imagined a boy could be.”

  Paimon slammed his fist into Barachiel’s face. “Fucker!”

  Barachiel grabbed Paimon’s hands. “He called for you and screamed your name in vain, Paimon. You were not there for him when he needed you, just like I said. He died alone.”

  “Shut up!” Wind whipped around them as they fell. “You’re a lying piece of shit! You could never have defeated him, never! He is stronger than you are! Smarter than you! He is better than you are! He is everything you aren’t!” Paimon blinked back tears. “Furcas is clever, he tricked you! He fooled you!”

  “No, he did not, Paimon. His corpse is to the ground by now.” Barachiel met his gaze. “Do you want to know what he cried about while I cut him?”

  “Shut up! You are a liar!”

  Barachiel whispered, “He cried for Bean.”

  “Bean?”

  “Your daughter, is that not sweet?” Barachiel smiled. “She would have been something special.”

  “Would have?!” Paimon roared.

  ***

  Uriel shook off Jegudiel. He threw the sickened, delirious Archangel towards Selaphiel. He pointed his blade at the brothers. “Your brother touches me again and I will kill him, maddened or not.” Uriel looked back towards the ground, but Belial had knotted close into the crater with Dahlia and Lucifer. He growled.

  Andy leapt through the air. He jumped onto Uriel’s back and smashed the morning star into his head. “You are back for more?”

  Uriel twisted, looking up. “Andrealphus! Good, I wanted to continue our talk.”

  “I don’t!” Andy kicked Uriel in the back of the head, sending him into the ground. He landed on Uriel. They hit the ice and skidded along the surface.

  Uriel knocked Andy off and stabbed him in the leg with a short dagger. “Stay and talk, Andrealphus! You love to talk!”

  “Fuck!” Andy hissed and darted away. He held
his leg; the wound did not heal. His hand came away covered in blood. Andy looked at Uriel’s weapon; it glowed like the spear.

  “Yes, you see.” Uriel watched his eyes. “We were given new weapons. He gave them to us before this battle.”

  Andy limped along the ground. He moved further away from the crater, hoping to draw the Archangel away. “Toys, nothing more. We have been injured before.”

  “Oh these will do more than injure I think.” Uriel pulled out a second blade and lunged.

  Andy dove and kicked Uriel. Uriel slashed at him slicing open his foot. Andy hit the ground and rolled away, his blood streaked the snow. He sucked in air. “It doesn’t matter.”

  Uriel paused. “What does not matter?”

  “What you do to me, here.”

  “Oh I think it matters to you, Andrealphus.” Uriel dove and swiped at him, scoring his hand.

  Andy limped. “You cannot break me like you have broken others.”

  Uriel smirked. “Doubtful.”

  Berith plowed into Uriel, knocking him back. He grinned. “Baby brother, I have missed you!”

  Uriel flipped to his feet and glared at both Fallen. He saw Apple on Berith’s back. “Ah, a present!”

  Andy looked to Berith. “Those blades, they pierce and do not heal. They are as the spear is!”

  Berith nodded. “Noted.” He stepped between Andy and Uriel.

  Andy backed away, heading for Belial. He could no longer run, but he could move fast enough to cut off an attack on her. He clenched his teeth; he could at least do that for her.

  Belial flipped over his head and landed behind him with her swords drawn. She glanced over her shoulder. “Go back to Dahlia, you’re hurt.”

  Andy turned and reached for her. “I am not letting you fight Uriel!”

  “Not letting me?” Belial smirked. “This is my fight.” She planted a foot in his chest, sending him towards the crater. She turned and faced Uriel as he charged Berith.

  Andy landed at the lip of the crater. Lucifer helped him to his feet. “I need your help.”

  Andy nodded and held his morning star like a bat. He concentrated and ignored the pain from his cuts. The two circled the crater. He leapt over Dahlia’s head and smashed the morning star into a pair of diving angels.