Big Brothers is Back part 3

from /hhg/ - Hazbin Hotel General #381
part 1: https://pastebin.com/LwRxTRNH
part 2: https://pastebin.com/7yHcR14j
Big Brothers is Back - de-conditioning part 1: https://pastebin.com/mW1E0BCD
Big Brothers is Back - de-conditioning part 2: https://pastebin.com/T8gpjxCJ
Dictator charlie dealing with her inner demons part 1: https://pastebin.com/eKiaizwB
Dictator charlie dealing with her inner demons part 2: https://pastebin.com/y2Zrm8e7
part 4: https://pastebin.com/uHK1m26T
DC timeline Octavia: https://pastebin.com/tmxYDp4t
DC what if part 1: https://pastebin.com/pErwRZ58
Timeline shenanigans happens: https://pastebin.com/C1jgFV52
----------------------
>both of you marched down the hallway in perfect unison, and in near-perfect silence
>it kind of reminded you of the inside of a jet bridge, except it had a heavy feel to it: the walls were clearly made of stainless steel, and instead of a cheap floor carpet, the ground was covered with black granite
>only the lights looked similar, but they were so bright and so far up, it felt like you were walking under a row of mini Suns
>you've only seen it once before, when you, Charlie, and the Van Eldritch siblings snuck around the building, while your parents were having a meeting

>you wondered about them a lot, though, not frequently
>if you could hazard a guess, you'd say that just one member of the family was as strong as Abbadon or God Himself, and yet, when your sister took power, they went into hiding
>you only found this out whilst you were visiting Stolas and Octavia, and the latter offered a spot of training, disguised as "request of a display of your dexterity in combat"
>the time you've spent in the broken mess that is Purgatory had given you ample training in combat, but that was more hasty and desperate than practiced and strengthening
>you accepted her offer, and began weekly training with her and her own, personal guard: an impette named Millie
>at first, she treated you with cold, feigned reverence, but that soon changed when you revealed that you've brought Moxxie along
>time was thus spent with combat, both magical and physical, and talking, between you and Octavia, whilst the two imps slowly rebuilt what you've eventually realized to be (to your internal horror) a marriage
>you were no expert in matters of the mind, but it seemed to be working: the imp was gradually de-conditioned from whatever the fuck your sister had put him through
>he still wouldn't make casual conversations, and answered tersely, but you could tell that some of his stoicism wasn't conditional anymore, but a conscious effort
-
>you've let Millie in on your plan regarding him, and she earnestly agreed to help, willing to be patient
>you didn't expect her to trust your word, and even mentioned so, to which she replied that she could tell you were being sincere
>how, you didn't ask - you were just glad you weren't alone in this
>you also noted that he had a mildly negative response to the older imp, Blitz, though Millie assured you that this was normal

>for the time being, Moxxie's physical conditioning came in handy: with the clear wedge between you and your sister, you didn't want to aggravate the situation by showing up with a visibly freer-minded servant
>especially not since you became aware of just how fragile the entire regime could be

>during one of your meetings, Charlie's former rival, Helsa, was brought up
>"They went into hiding, into the space between dimensions." she explained "The Outer Realms..."
"Why?"
>but you already knew the answer
>there was no way the Eldritchs were going to bend their knee to your sister, and would've likely never approved of such a rigid, distinctly human-like system
>still, you wondered why they didn't stand up to her
>"They're biding their time." Octavia replied
>this wasn't a hypothesis, she said as if it was well-known fact
>"Waiting for the world as we know it to end, to claim the realm after the Rapture and the Final Battle. It had always been their plan - everything else was for their own leisure and comfort."


>that last bit stuck with you, and you thought about it often - even now, when you should've been mentally preparing for the meeting

>the four of you grew up together - you and Seviathan were the 'big brothers', whilst Charlie and Helsa were your 'little sisters'
>you had tons of fun as kids, secluded from the world as you were
>it all changed, though, when your parents decided to reveal the outer world - Hell, as you know it - to you...
>...during the yearly Extermination
-
>you still remembered the horror you've all felt - as children, your powers were wild and untamed, and you all treated that as natural, not worthy of mentioning
>that changed that day, as the horror you've all felt, at the sight of indiscriminate, brutal slaughter - a literal genocide, before your eyes - changed into something else, for all of you
>for you and Sev, it was cold, if somewhat guilty resignation - as children, you all wanted to play heroes, which included saving others (usually your parents, from the older, now mythical kings of Hell, resigned to demonic fairy tales from common memory)
>now, you realized, rather painfully, that you WON'T be able to save others
>not everyone
>this hurt you more, but you've accepted it faster - and later in life, when you learned about the utopian dreams of humanity, and how those eventually failed, bending over themselves to twist reality fruitlessly, you felt your acceptance justified - though, the ghost of the old pain ran through you then as well
>seems like it wasn't just your sister who was "blessed" with sympathy in the family
>for Sev, it didn't hurt as much, you could tell - but it took him WAY longer to accept it
>he was always a stubborn kid, and you sometimes wondered if these two little facts were what led to his rather tragic relationship with Charlie in high school
>as the initial horror passed, you could feel Helsa's emotions shut down - she immediately began to calculate and rationalize
>she was, arguably, the smartest among you
>not the most creative (that would be your sister), but definitely a smart cookie
>it was only later in high school that you've learned just how smart she was - having learned the logic of emotions, and taken it to masterclass -, and how much did it cost her
>growing up, she was always a shallow bitch - but a lovable one
>behind the facade, you could always tell there was a girl who wanted to be loved
>you gave it to her the best you could
-
>she used you
>but never without your consent
>for all the love you gave, she desperately tried to give some back
>however, as her and Charlie became rivals, even you realized how futile this was - she spent so much time scheming and calculating, that she had forgotten how to love

>you wanted to hug her, on that day, when you all bared witness to the grisly work of the Exterminators
>you hugged Charlie instead
>and Sev did nothing

>even as his own relationship with Charlie broke down, you and Sev remained friends, and tried to salvage your sisters' relationship
>it didn't work, and it was revealed just how badly Charlie and Sev's romance had gone, you put your foot down
>you felt betrayed, by both siblings
>the four of you drifted apart

>though all of you stood opposed to "God" or "Good" (the name of the concept itself always striking you as a clear indication of bias), none of you were bad people from the get-go
>in that aspect, humans were right
>children were innocent
>were

>Sev went from a stubborn, but gallant kid to a stubborn, abusive bastard
>Helsa, from a smart little kid to a scheming, shallow bitch
>you, from a loving, if mischievous little tyke to a neglectful, aloof prick
>and Charlie...

>...dear God, Charlie...


>as you marched down the hallway in unison, you thought about what you were doing
>Charlie marched on her own
>and you just kept lock step with her, so that the sound of your feet would echo
>you did it for fun, basically
>...what she was doing with dedication
>you were humoring her

>if there was ever a moment in your life that described your relationship, this was it

>"I've noticed you've given him firearms."
"Wha--?"
>smooth
>you were roused from your thoughts by Charlie's sudden observation
>pay attention, anon!
>you're headed for a meeting that can determine the future of Hell!

>"Your imp bodyguard." she explained "Overwatch Commander Number 1789"

"Moxxie."
>"What?"
"His name is Moxxie."
>"Oh."
-
>she considered your answer
>"Is that the name you've given him?" she asked
>the levity in her voice
>as if you were discussing a pet!
"That's his NAME."
>you said, firmly
"Or at least, what it USED to be..."
>"...before you made him into Overwatch Commander 1789!" you added, mentally
>you didn't want to argue right now, but you weren't going to let up on this

>"I... See..." she replied, carefully
>she usually didn't tip-toe around you, so you became alert
>"Why a firearm, though?" she asked, changing the subject
>you suppressed a sigh
"He used to be a marksman. I figured it would be better to utilize his strengths."
>she hummed at that
>"And, to help with his... De-education, I suppose..."

>for a moment, you panicked
>but soon enough, you realized: she had obviously been observing your visits to Octavia
>the younger noble heir had been a mutual friend of yours, and no doubt her sacrifice had put her in Charlie's good graces

"Yes."
>you said, simply
>there was no more to discuss on the matter


"Anything I should know in advance?"
>she glanced towards you, stopping
>you stopped as well
>she got all huffy
>"We've already discussed this!" she said, indignantly

>for a moment, you saw the past
>a younger Charlie asking a younger you to take her seriously
>you laughed then

>you weren't laughing now
"I need a reminder."
>you said, simply
>she stared at you, before shaking her head with a smirk

>now, she was the one laughing

>"They typically send just one delegate. Typically a medium-to-high level angel, though, never an archangel."
>you nodded, and she continued
>"They'll try to play it off like a friendly discussion: ask how we are, how things are going, et cetera... Usually, I just list bring up a list of executions, some production quotas we've reached, and the like. That shuts them up, and we then get to point: they offer "help", I refuse. They offer an "audience" with the "High Council", I refuse..."
-
>you were beginning to notice a pattern
>"You need to be wise to their tricks." she went on "Remember: these are the people who sent the Exterminators to kill us. That killed our parents..."
>she swallowed, though you didn't hear her voice waver
>"...To them, we are scum. It's only now, that we've proven ourselves to be capable and dangerous, have they began to listen. But that didn't change anything!"
>something told you that it did
>"I asked for an audience with God Himself, and they, naturally, refused."
>what did you expect to happen?
>"Nor would they offer any answers regarding the Exterminators or the yearly purges."
>OK, that was suspicious
>"So, until we can get some credible information from them, we'll remain cold and strong, like granite."
>more like concrete
>"The only thing that can keep them at bay is the threat of war..."
>...no, the only thing that keeps them at bay is Abbadon
>the rest of you would be wiped out of existence at a moments notice
>the way she both over-, and undersold Heaven made you more and more concerned
>"So, to sum it up: we go through the formalities, cut their bullshit short, make our demands, listen to theirs, threaten with war until they back down from the ones which we don't agree with, sign a written agreement, and they'll be out of our hair." she explained "Shouldn't take longer than an hour--..."

>she cut off, and stared ahead
>slowly, her expression went from a look of shock to a frown, then a disdainful scowl

>"Oh... It's HER."
"Who?"

>you stared ahead
>and had to double take at what you saw

>ahead of you was the entrance to the meeting room - a cylindrical room, half of it decorated with Heaven's signature white, blue and gold, and the other with Hell's colors
>or at least, it did in the past - your mother showed you a picture of it, when you've asked
>nowadays, "your" half of the room was just black, with three, vertically hanging flags (also black) displaying the regime's insignia in red
-
>spartan, even when compared to the minimalist décor of Heaven
>but what struck you now is the figure sitting across the large table
>for a moment, you thought someone put a mirror there, and the distance was distorting it
>but as you drew nearer, you realized it wasn't a trick: across the table sat an angel that looked hauntingly similar to your sister
>"They call her "Solagne"..." Charlie explained, saying her name like it was the name of a particularly disgusting disease "She's been here a couple of times. As you can see, Heaven decided to mock our parents by making a copy of me. Don't let her looks deceive you, though."
>and she glared ahead
>"She's an Exterminator."

>that caught you by surprise
>but, as you two drew nearer, the differences became clear
>for once, even from afar, you could tell that she was taller than Charlie, and had a more muscular frame, visible through the soft-shouldered grey suit coat she was wearing - definitely a womens' suit, unlike your sister's unisex greatcoat, which had simple shoulder marks that sharpened her silhouette
>the cyan blue shirt visible underneath was striking, as were the white trousers
>you couldn't see what she was wearing on her feet, but something told you they weren't high heels, or anything that would offer significant elevation
>her hair was shockingly black, almost absorbing the light around it, though, it did reflect it at a few points, reminding you of a sparse section of the starry sky of the mortal plane
>this also highlighted just how pale she was - even when compared to you, Charlie, or your father, her complexion appeared almost bleached
>this again, contrasted the natural shadows around her eyes
>in a way, she resembled a panda
>though, strikingly different from your sister, she had no black tip on her nose, nor rosy cheeks, which only made her seem paler, still
-
>none of you quite knew where she had gotten that patch of rough, dark skin there, as not even you had it, and you were her twin
>no-one in the family, and none of your mom's previous lovers had it, nor the small, but distinct snout that it gave her
>not that any of you ever minded, she still looked cute as a button with it

>at a glance, you could tell that this "Solagne" had that protrusion as well
>against the darkness surrounding them, her eyes stood out, much like her skin against her hair: her pupils were a shocking electric blue, which lit up as you approached her

>the light in her eyes made you realize that she was staring at you - obviously, she had never seen you before, and now studied you with... Curiosity? Apprehension?
>it was difficult to tell

>you stopped by the table, and took seat
>there was only one seat on her side, and two on yours - she SHOULD have been expecting two people
>she clearly didn't expect you, though
>suddenly aware that you were seated, she sat down as well, clasping her hands for prayer

>"Sit kyrie eleison super animae damnatorum. Amen." she said, with reverence
>her voice was also similar, but a few octaves lower than Charlie's
>it also still had the warmth that your sister's now lacked, whilst also lacking the certainty that she always had
>speaking of whom, she raised her hand, and so did you, both showing a Roman salute
>"Recipit lucem ac tenebras."
"The lucens in tenebris dominatur."

>you looked at each other, realizing you said two different phrases
>you weren't aware that she had changed the greeting, and she sat, with lips tightly sealed, probably realizing she neglected to tell you
>Solagne looked between the two of you, puzzled, and opened her mouth to speak
>"Ave."
"Ave."
>you both said, hastily, to cover your error
>it seemed to have worked, as the former exterminator's eyes lit up with wonder
>"I didn't know there was a second part to your greeting!"
-
>"There wasn't." you were about to say, but Charlie spoke up first:
>"It's usually reserved for Him." she said, leaving no question as to who she meant by the pronoun "For a while, we've been expecting Higher Powers to arrive, but they've consistently failed."
>you let her go on her spiel, but still kept staring at her - what was she on about
>"All you have to offer us now is yet another disappointment."

>hearing this, Solagne slumped back in her seat a bit
>still staring at Charlie, you turned back to her - she really was going all out on the girl
>and yet, she wouldn't yield

>"Who are you?" she asked, looking at you
>your sister frowned
>"That's none of your--!"
"I'm the Queen's brother."
>you said, and introduced yourself
>Charlie just stared at you, indignantly, but you just shot her a look that said "I could've just said "I'm Charlie's brother.", now shut up."
>Solagne, on the other hand, appeared overjoyed

>"I've never met you before!" she said, before stopping to ponder "I knew she had a sibling, but I never saw you before!"
>"He had only recently returned." Charlie explained "After spending CONSIDERABLE amount of time trying to re-open the Purgatory that HEAVEN shuttered before the repenting Sinners..." she added, with a smirk in her voice
>the implications of what she said were easily understood - the former exterminator slumped back again

>there was something, that bothered you, in all of this
>you couldn't quite put your finger on it - something at the back of your mind, that you desperately tried to figure out...

>"Pleasantries aside..." Charlie went on "Let's get to the point."
>"...Right." Solagne agreed "Your demands."
>the Queen nodded
>"Execution of the entire Exterminator fleet, and those who were involved in their conception, creation and deployment."
>the black haired girl blinked
>"...A-All of them?"
>your sister leaned forward, narrowing her eyes
>"All. Of. Them."
-
>you looked at her again, fully aware of what that meant
>she really DID hate her, then
>speechless you could only frown at her as she sat back down, whilst Solagne remained silent, digesting her words

>finally...
>"I-I'm afraid that's impossible..." she began
>the Queen merely glowered at her
>"N-Not the destruction of the...! Exterminators..." she continued "Most of them have been... Scrapped... Only a few remain as strategic defense!"
>"And we both know that the best defense is offense." your sister replied "The Exterminators weren't designed for defense. They were made to destroy. To kill, to maim, to expunge."
>with each word, Solagne flinched
>"...It's in their very name." Charlie added "Why would HEAVEN, with all its divine resources, rely on a rump force of machines, designed SPECIFICALLY for the eradication of Hell's residents in mass, swarming sting attacks, for defense?"
>"W-We don't have the mortal souls to fight for us?"
>"Neither do we." Charlie replied, simply, before standing up "All the damned souls that wind up here are kept in minimal-expense housing, reviewing the sins that landed them here, before they are executed at a given date."
>and she glanced towards you
>"Condemned to the Abyss."

>it took a lot of concentrated effort to remain calm, whilst she had began to pace

>"As you should know, following the Accords, both parties agreed to never utilize it's sinner, pardon, HUMAN stock."
>Solagne winced at that last word - as did you, nearly
>"How you solve your defense is none of our concern. If the issue is low numbers, again, that's on you - you have the Creator himself on your side, so increasing the number of troops is entirely upon you."
>she stopped and turned on her heels, facing the two of you
>"And EVEN IF the use of human souls was allowed, it's not OUR fault that your numbers remain low."
>and she closed her eyes
-
>"According to Rule 13, subsection b: "Neither side are permitted to continue their influence upon the mortal realm," she droned "Whatever influence they may have already left, that has permanently become a part of human society and culture, may remain as-is."

>it was easy to see how this benefited Hell - your influence upon the mortal realm was always stronger than Heaven's, even to surprise of many demons
>however, most had come to believe that this was simply an issue that arose from elitism

>your sister smiled
>no, smirked
>and boy, was it an ugly smirk
>rarely have you seen so much condescension behind one - with the handy exception of Katie Killjoy's (not that she was smirking all too much these days)

>"It's not our fault..." she began, venomously "That your efforts at "recruitment" have backfired. After all..."
>and she looked to the side with mock sadness, while doing a bit of mock finger-counting
>"It wasn't our fault that every act done in the name of Good or the name of GOD..."
>again, the emphasis made the ex-exterminator flinch
>"...every great scheme and grand project, every fight and war, every crusade, every revolution became nothing more than an ABATTOIR of Sin..."

>this was also true - humanity had a tendency to do the worst, with the best of intentions - and not even the name of God Himself could escape this foul twist of fate
>however, you considered: even now, millions from across the world wound up down here...
>...and it seemed that Heaven still suffered from low numbers...

"And this also begs the question..."

>both of them looked at you - you haven't spoken in a while

"...Why did Heaven shut down Purgatory?"
>you asked
"I know it had to do with humanity's World Wars, when the distinction between righteous and wrong became muddled, but still! Everyone can tell how horribly that backfired!"
>and you motioned vaguely towards the air, indicating the predicament of the two sides
-
"I've been there."
>you went on
"It's not in a good shape, but it can still be repaired! It may require some effort from both sides, but--!"
>"Out of the question!"
>"Out of the question."

>you stared, wide-eyed, at the two women
>both also shot a surprised look at each other, before Charlie turned away with disdain, and Solagne turned towards you with a guilty look

"But why?!"

>"They've made their bed, now, they can lie in it!" your sister responded, with a huff
>for her, it was all reduced to a big game of tit-for-tat
>childish

>And that was when it hit you...
>...this entire thing, this dictatorship?
>No matter the maturity and care it took to make it succeed, and no matter the extraordinary effort it required to keep going...

>...this was still just a petulant child's stubborn response

>in all honesty, it reminded you of your father's rebellion, when your mother first told about it - even then, it struck you as something childish
>something that...
>...Charlie...
>...would...
>...do
>...


>a horrible thought manifested within your mind, but outwardly, you remained stoic
>this allowed Solagne to speak up:
>"While I cannot speak for everyone in Heaven..."
>"Funny that, considering that's your job!" your sister responded, mordantly, but a frown from you cut her short
>"...but it is, by the Accords themselves, that we're not allowed to "exchange" human souls." the Heaven-sent explained "I believe it was to prevent bartering for souls more suited for combat between the two sides."
"But there's no point to this, since neither of us can USE human souls!"
>you exclaimed, and Solagne nodded
>"We've been hoping to amend this rule." she replied "For a long while."
>and then, for the first time, she frowned - and at Charlie, to boot!
>"However, all our previous efforts towards the matter have been thwarted."
>the Queen just scoffed
-
>"And why would we allow that?" she asked "If one rule is changed, all the others could be! Before long, the entirety of the Accords would be rendered null and void! THEN, you could attack us at any time!"
>"We'd never do that!" Solagne retorted, with indignation "It has been told in the Scriptures, that the Final Battle would be announced with--!"
>"With Uncle Gabriel's Horn solo, blah-blah-blah! I know how it goes!" Charlie spanned back "But who's to say WHEN you'd decide to do so! And, again, why should I care?!"
>"Because you wanted to redeem Sinners in the first place?"

>both you and Charlie froze up
>you didn't expect that
>how did she know?

"How did you...?"
>"It's never been a secret before Heaven." Solagne replied, with an ounce of pride in her voice "They were all eagerly awaiting what would become of your Hotel, and despaired when they saw what you've become!"

>though momentarily startled at that, your sister just scoffed again
>"Well, if they cared so MUCH, they've could've helped with it! But it doesn't matter..." and she shot a look of utter disdain towards her counterpart "I've grown out of such childish fantasies!"


"...What the HELL HAPPENED TO YOU?!"

>both of them jumped, and looked at you in shock
>you slammed your fist down on the table with enough force to split the wood in half
>it hurt like a motherfucker, but you didn't care!
>this has gone on for too long!

"..."Childish fantasies"...?!"
>you asked
"Are you fucking serious?! What, because you acting like am bad "Big Brother" rip-off isn't? Turning all of Hell's cities into a socialist housing estate ISN'T?! TORTURING PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO DIE ANYWAY ISN'T?!"

>you stopped, gasping for breath
>you felt like screaming
>crying
>laughing
>instead, you just swallowed air
-
"You took over, and turned Hell, with all it's chaos, into a fucking FIVE-YEAR-OLD'S version of it! Everything has been remade to make it easier for YOU to control it! And you don't care about ANYONE but yourself, and those who could still muster some care for you! It's SICKENING to watch!"
>you spat
"For all the effort you've put in, and all the power you've acquired, you're still nothing more than a STUBBORN, SPOILED BRAT! When things didn't go your way, you threw a TANTRUM, and now, that you have a chance to get what you've ACTUALLY wanted, you're so deep in your own BULLSHIT that you just refuse to see it as an option!"

>you could see the anger on her face, but you didn't care anymore

"You threw away EVERYTHING, and now, you're too much of a PETULANT CHILD to pick it up again!"

>"..."option"?!" she asked, quietly, before letting it rip "I DID EVERYTHING TO GET THEM REDEEMED! EVERYTHING! I BENT OVER BACKWARDS JUST TO GET THESE GOOD-FOR-NOTHING SACKS OF SHIT TO THE PEARLY GATES!"
>she gasped for breath
>neither of you had the air - all has been pushed out by rage

>"Ah-And what does Heaven do, for all my efforts?" she asked sarcastically, before shooting a death glare at Solagne

>"...They KILL our PARENTS!"


>"I ONLY KILLED HE--!"


>you turned, and stared, wide-eyed, at the exterminator
>she had her hands clasped upon her mouth, and stared back at the two of you, eyes as wide as saucers
>was it regret in her eyes, or guilt?
>you didn't care
>a dark cloud descended upon you

"W̸̨ ̶̧h̶͟͠ ̕͡͝a͟ ͢͜͢t̸̡́͜"

>Solagne shuddered
>beside you, Charlie let loose a dark, crazed laugh
>"I... KNEW IT!" she shrieked "I... Always... Knew it..."
>you looked at the blackhead, who could only shake her head

"S̢̧o̶͞la͞g̸͞ņ̵e.͢..͝"

>you began causing her to stare back at you, frozen
>you mustered some calmness back into your voice

"Wha̶t̕.̢.. Did you do?"
-
>for a while she just stared ahead
>then, squeezing her eyes shut, her entire body tensing up, she nodded, and lowered her hands:


>"I was... Sent out on special, solo missions..." she began "Not the same time as the other exterminators, but after the main purge... I was there to... Gather intel..."
>she opened her eyes
>"I knew about you... All of you... Lucifer, Charlie, the Van Eldritchs, Vaggie, Angel Dust... You..."

>she paused

>"...And Lilith."


>there was a long silence
>you motioned her to continue, the very act startling her

>"One night... A-After the purge..." she began, with a shaky voice "I was flying over Pentagram... I saw... A woman... On a balcony..."


>you recalled, how your mother would sometimes wait for your sister's signal to mark the end of the purge
>waiting for the fireworks


>"Suddenly, the sensors of my mask flashed, indicating her to be a high-priority target! I... Didn't think... No!"
>she stopped, shaking her head
>"I... DID... Think!" she declared, through serious, conscious effort "I thought that if I... Took her down... They'd be proud of me... That she would--..."

>but she cut off again, and fell silent
>you both stared at her, emptily


>"When... She saw me..." she continued, after a while "She... Didn't run... Or defend herself... She..."
>she choked, before continuing, her voice grated
>"She... Opened her arms... As if she..."
>she swallowed
>"...Expect a hug..."

>it hurt
>god, it hurt

>"I... Stabbed her... With-With my spear... She... Stopped... Smiling... A-And..."

>no
>you didn't want to hear any of it
>no more
>but you did

>"She reached up, and... Took of my mask... And I saw... How... Beautiful... She was..."
>she choked back another sob, and steadied her breath
>"She... Caressed my face, and... Just stared at me, surprised..."


>you didn't know what to say
>think
>or feel
>just emptiness
>and a deep, gnawing pain, that slowly turned the darkness within you RED
-
>"I flew away." she continued, like a woman possessed, her long, black wings - larger than you've seen on any exterminator - manifesting behind her "I flew far away. I wanted to die. Oh, how much I wanted to die. To not exist. To never have been conceived."

>"You SHOULD have died." your sister added, dark and hollow
>you almost nodded
>almost

>"A-Afterwards..." the exterminator went on "All exterminations were called off. Permanently. God's orders...
>she took a deep breath
>"There was an investigation... And then..."

>and suddenly, her expression calmed and her voice smoothened out
>she turned and stared, right at Queen Charlotte, who's mad smile froze upon her face
>"And then..." she repeated, calmly

>"Lucifer died."


>silence
>those last two words hung in the air, impregnating the sudden, deafening silence with a weight that you were very afraid would crush you
>slowly, you turned towards your sister, who's smile had just began to fade
>she just... slumped, as if all strength had left her
>with another deep breath, Solagne continued

>"I was the one who killed your mother, Lilith, Queen of Hell... But..."
>and she allowed herself a small, nasty smirk
>"Everyone in Heaven knows just HOW Queen Charlotte rose to power."


>you didn't need more confirmation
>you wanted to end this, ALL of this, RIGHT NOW
>everything, everything in your life, every achievement and mistake, every step forward and back, everything you've learned, here, from your parents, in school, and finally, in Purgatory, had just come to ahead

>the pulsing, reddish darkness within you was pushed out by a burning light
>was it the Will of God? Your father's legacy as the "Lightbringer?"
>you didn't care
>you've seen the Abyss
>you held it's gaze

>you knew what to do


"You mentioned that our demands were impossible."
>your voice roused Charlotte from her stupor, and had the exterminator's eyes upon you
--
"You explained why Heaven won't destroy it's remaining exterminators."
>you went on
"But what about the others? Why can't you get rid of those who designed them? And those who conceived them?"

>Solagne bowed her head
>"Those involved with the creation of my siblings... The other exterminators... Were all high-ranking members of Heaven's hierarchy. Removing them from their position would only throw the Council into chaos and anarchy..."

>as always, it came down to politics

>"As for the one who conceived it..."
>she paused, closing her eyes, and muttering to herself something that you couldn't make out
>she then looked up, determined
>"The one who created the Exterminators... The Taskmaster, second only God, and on par with Archangel Michael in rank, has been cast down from Heaven, into the deepest pits of Hell for her hubris."

"But who WAS she?!"

>she swallowed, and uttered a small prayer
>then...

>"My birthmother, Archangel Adina!"


>Charlotte looked up, shocked
>you merely nodded, having expected that

"I've visited Abbadon."
>you said
>both Charlotte and Solagne shuddered at the name

"He told me that our parents have "returned to God." And knowing mom and dad, this wasn't in the limp-wristed sense that humans talk about it!"

>you stood up straight

"Messenger of Heaven!"
>you addressed her
"Here's my offer: we shall allow you a visit to your mother, and with her, grant you audience with Satan himself!"
>she stared at you, shocked
"And in return..."

>but you faltered
>for all your sudden zeal, it still felt too much, and you were beset by doubt
>but you pushed it aside

"And in return..."
>you repeated, on a calmer tone

"We demand a visit to our parents in Heaven, and an audience with God!"