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In Charlie’s eyes, Heaven was incredible. She might only be here on business, but that didn’t stop her from being able to do a little sightseeing at the same time. And the people were so welcoming ! She was bound to find people here who would listen and approve of her idea !
As the seraphim, Sera and Emily, led the two girls through the streets of Heaven, they were startled by a bright flash of light manifesting before them. The glow briefly blinded the two Hell dwellers, but it quickly dissipated as a shape materialized before them.
“Well, well ! I see our visitors from Hell have arrived.” A male voice said.
Charlie looked up as she watched a new angel land before them. Well, not a simple angel. He had six wings just like her father and the seraphim had. So definitely not an ordinary angel.
She observed the newcomer with curiosity. He was a tall, slender man, though shorter than Sera. His skin was slightly matte, his eyes dark, and his short, wavy brown hair tipped with gold. Two thick tufts on his head formed brown deer ears with golden tips. He also sported elegant white stag antlers, curved into a circle above his head like a second halo. His main halo was strikingly black, but with three long, golden points at the front and an aura of the same color. His immense wings, dyed jet black, blended into pure white at their tips.
The man was otherwise very elegant. He wore a white frock coat with dark red lapels and black trim along the collar and tails, black trousers, and white boots with black tips. Under his frock coat, he wore a white shirt and a dark red waistcoat, adorned with a small flower pinned to the right side. A red chrysanthemum, if Charlie had guessed correctly. And as accessories, he wore a large, dark red bow tie adorned with a gold eye-shaped button and white gloves with gold fingers. He also carried a black cane with a long, pointed, gold handle that almost resembled a blade.
The archangel gave them a charming smile, revealing straight white teeth, but with slightly longer canines.
"I must say that your visit must be the most exciting thing that has happened up here in a long time !" he continued as he approached, his cane clicking softly on the tiled floor of Heaven.
Although confused, Charlie smiled politely at him. Vaggie stiffened further. Emily just waved at him to welcome him. And Sera just looked surprised.
"Azrael ? What are you doing here ?"
The angel turned to the leader of the seraphim, keeping his smile.
"Well, I live here, my dear Sera. Oh, I know that with all the work I have on Earth, I am not often present and it is easy to forget... But I still visit from time to time." He replied lightly.
“Well, your visit is indeed unexpected…” Sera began cautiously. “But it’s nice to see you again, Azrael.”
“A pleasure to see you again, too, dear Sera… Emily.”
He gave each of them a slight bow before turning to Charlie and Vaggie.
“I suppose you’re Charlie Morningstar. Nice to make your acquaintance.” He greeted her politely, shaking her hand. “I’m Azrael, one of the oldest angels of these places.”
With his name, Charlie finally realized.
“Oh…Right, you are the Angel of Death.” She smiled, shaking his hand as well. Her father did talk to her about some of the others archangels.
“My reputation precedes me, I see. How’s this dear Lucifer down there ? I haven’t seen him since… well, his fall !”
Charlie chuckled and rubbed her head awkwardly, unsure how to answer this question. But Azrael didn’t wait for an answer anyway, and instead walked over to Vaggie, greeting her in turn with a handshake. The latter tried as best she could to hide her nervousness behind an awkward smile. Whether the angel of death noticed or not, he didn’t comment.
“I heard about your visit and this little meeting you called, so I thought I could at least greet you before we meet there.” He said, letting go of Vaggie, before turning to the seraphim.
“You...plan on attending the meeting ?” Sera asked in surprise.
“Of course. I am quite interested in hearing about this famous project of redeeming the sinners. After all, all paths between the planes of the afterlife and the living world are my domain, as you well know. To hear about a possible path between Heaven and Hell is quite interesting.” Azrael replied simply, innocently examining his nails. “I assumed that would not be a problem. The meeting is not forbidden to archangels, is it Sera ?”
Sera didn’t answer right away. Azrael was technically right. The meeting was open to the archangels, although none had indicated their participation because it was not their responsibility. Azrael was one of the elders, he was her equal, even her superior. And he was one of the few in the know about the exterminations. The archangels had all had to agree for it to be fully accepted. She had neither reason nor right to exclude him from this meeting, even if he cared almost nothing about Heaven’s affairs. And that was probably the reason why Sera felt wary.
Of all the archangels of Heaven, Azrael was by far the most unpredictable. His particular work meant that he could go to the world of the living as well as Heaven or Hell. And that set him apart from the other elders, not to mention his tendency to invest very little in all the affairs of Heaven. That was why it was a little strange, even suspicious, that he would be interested in the project of the princess of Hell.
“Of course not. You’re welcome to join us if you wish, Azrael,” she finally replied. “In fact, we may use your advice.”
The archangel nodded in return, looking a little too enthusiastic (but that was quite common for him, each time something interested him).
“Wonderful !” He turned to Charlie and leaned toward her, folding his hands behind him. “I look forward to hearing more about this redemption project.”
“Really ?” Charlie asked hopefully.
Azrael hummed in agreement, absently playing with his cane. His attention remained on Charlie, however, as they resumed walking, deliberately letting the seraphim distance them so they could talk more quietly.
“You know, princess, my work leads me to meet all sorts of sinful or holy souls. And I know very well that Hell certainly contains the vilest souls to have walked the Earth, just as some who went down there for a single big mistake that earned them a ticket of no return there… But also that Heaven certainly contains the purest souls, but also some who tend to take salvation for granted a little too quickly…”
He shrugged as if none of this affected him (or it didn’t affect him anymore), while Charlie found herself thoughtful. She missed the brief glance the angel of death threw at the leader of the Exorcists passing in the street with his lieutenant, as proof of his words...
“But anyway, this idea of redemption may seem totally impossible, but it is a challenge that I find very interesting… And perhaps not as hopeless as one might think.” The archangel continued with a smirk.
Charlie's eyes lit up with hope at the archangel's words. If someone as influential as an archangel believed in her plan, she could surely convince heaven!
"So, do you really believe it?"
"The real question, princess, is: will they believe it?"
He pointed with his cane at the seraphim who had stopped to wait for them. He leaned toward the young woman with an almost conspiratorial air.
"Because it's them you're going to have to convince. And for that, believe me, you're going to need something strong."
Charlie deflated slightly at the challenge, but his gaze grew more determined. Azrael’s slight smile widened to reveal his white teeth again.
“Any advice ? Be confident. Make them doubt. And remind them of the reason for your cause in the first place. And maybe you’ll have a chance…”
With that, the angel of death twirled his cane (which seemed very familiar to Charlie for a brief moment), and spread his wings.
“I guess I’ll see you in a few hours, my dears.” He greeted Charlie and Vaggie one last time, before flying away and disappearing into the glints of light.
********
The meeting hadn’t ended as Charlie had hoped. But exactly as Azrael had suspected.
He knew Sera well enough to know that she would have a hard time being convinced without irrefutable proof. And she would certainly not want to admit to the entire court that she had perhaps made a drastic decision that could have been avoided. Nevertheless, this meeting had still had one positive consequence: the revelation of the Extermination had shaken the court of Paradise. Azrael had rather planned for Charlie herself to mention it out loud during the court, as he had cleverly suggested to her, but that fool Adam had confessed everything in her place. What a shame that his talented army of Exorcists had been placed under the command of such an idiot…
Now, tempers were flaring in the court of Heaven, and he had no doubt that soon, all of Heaven would learn about the Exterminations. There would be tensions, people would be divided according to whether they were for or against this slaughter, and the unwavering faith in the Rightness of Heaven would be called into question. A real chaos.
Oh, this is will be so much fun...
He was so looking forward to this. Heaven was finally going to be entertaining in eons !
Unfortunately, he was not going to be able to enjoy the spectacle. At least, not for now. He had another role to play.
Azrael left the courtyard shortly after Charlie and Vaggie were sent back to Hell. Things were bound to be tense between them now that Vaggie’s little secret had been revealed. It hadn’t taken him long to recognize a former Exorcist, but hadn’t said anything. It wasn’t his secret to tell, and he was curious to see how long little Vaggie would keep it from her girlfriend…
When Emily asked him about his knowledge of the Exterminations, he didn't lie. He had never been formally involved in them, he had simply signed his agreement because everyone else had already done so, and he didn't care much about it at the time. However, he had never been for the principle. These people had already had their deaths, why give them a 2nd definitive death? For the "overpopulation" problem ? Oddly enough, Heaven didn't think that this problem existed among them. Sure, there were many sinners, probably more than there were winners, but in his eyes, there was not much difference. They were all stuck in their "eternal resting place" forever, period. They all lived, they all died, and their soul will know eternal peace or eternal hell, depending on what they deserve. They have all already been judged, why sinners should recieve another punishement ? That was nonsense for the Angel of Death.
Ah, poor Emily… A true little angel, but too naive even for a place like Heaven. She reminded him a lot of the princess of Hell. No wonder she had defended her ideas.
Azrael went to his quarters, with a slight pang of pity for Emily for having discovered this harsh truth. And he was definitely going to ignore this feeling of guilt, like a chain around his neck, that he felt every time the consequences of the Extermination were spoken of…
Technically, the Angel of Death could leave Heaven through the Pearly Gates and take the paths from there, but the shortcuts he had created from his quarters afforded him some privacy. And it kept Sera, Adam, and all the other Archangels from knowing where he was going.
He opened the passage to the Pride Ring quickly, with practiced habit. Taking a breath, the archangel concentrated and let his disguise return. His wings and halo disappeared, his skin turned grayish, his eyes red, his hair straight, his teeth yellow and sharp… His color palette changed, white and gold being replaced by black and red… His impeccable jacket was now torn, his antlers smaller and completely black, and his usual smile grew larger and more menacing on his face, revealing his teeth sharpened like a sinner’s…
The disguise had become almost a second skin at this point, and he was sure that many people in Heaven would be concerned about it, if they knew.
But Azrael didn’t care. He liked the freedom it gave him.
So the Angel of Death left his quarters in Heaven, and the Radio Demon returned to his room at the Hazbin Hotel, ready to hear Charlie’s side of the events of the meeting with Heaven…