Chapter Text
just put whatever have it b like "we aint got no stories yet come back later gang"
listen there gonna be stories just not let
there is now ONE STORY
Chapter 2: The Fire Is Gone
Chapter by mistydoesthings
Summary:
basically like uhmmm gabriel boutta die his 24 hours almost up but then he stumble upon even more dying v1 😮
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
THE END /// CLIMAX
30 MINUTES REMAIN
Gabriel silently walked through the corridors of Hell, his feet practically gliding across the stone floor. The angel walked with light, careful steps, his casual actions as gentle as ever, even more so now as he knew his end was approaching.
When The Father’s holy light was first ripped from his being, Gabriel felt, for once, fear. Fear of death, of an end he never truly admitted could come. He had never been scared of pain, of struggle, or loss, but now that he had felt all three, he could only imagine what death would bring. He felt raw, genuine fear. That, and a new burning hatred for the machine that had caused his fall from grace.
But now, as he aimlessly wandered through Hell, Gabriel felt a serene calm wash over him. He had come to reluctantly accept his fate, deciding there was no use in hatred if he’s to die in only a couple minutes regardless.
His many eyes scanned around the new room he entered, taking in the new but similar surroundings. He had been taking his time, going at a leisurely pace. Gabriel found there was no need to rush, simply wanting to enjoy his last moments alive. Perhaps he’d find himself more fruitful in that endeavor… anywhere else, but for some reason, he wished to stay here in Hell.
Now that Hell was, to his knowledge, almost entirely eradicated, everything was much more peaceful. Quieter. No more screams of the damned, enemies attacking from every which way, just the crackling of hellfire (which was also soon to burn out) off in the distance. It was almost… pleasant, Gabriel wanted to say, though that felt wrong to say about this wretched place– for obvious reasons.
Then all of a sudden, he stopped, something catching his eye. Well, one of them.
Slumped against a pillar, fans whirring slowly, slower, yet slower, lay a familiar blue machine. Its optic light was dim, the yellow glow just barely staying on for just a few seconds at a time. The sight was… well, Gabriel wasn’t sure what to think. The once mighty, blood-fueled machine, having beaten him multiple times – now barely keeping its systems running, looking like it’d crash or simply die at any moment… It was pathetic, really.
“...Machine?” Gabriel tested, his voice not degrading, not angry, not even arrogant. It was… gentler, a tone he had never used toward the machine before. He watched it sit up, head quickly turning toward him. He studied the thing for a moment, and it mirrored, the two staring at each other in an uncomfortable silence.
It twitched, its optic flickering. Gabriel didn’t flinch, though his wings flared slightly in response. The machine’s “wings” did the same, almost a playful imitation, despite the circumstances. Then, without even realizing, Gabriel chuckled gently.
“You look pathetic.” He finally spoke, a hint of that pride coming back, though his tone wasn’t fully unkind. He towered over the machine as he came closer, staring it down, the thing unmoving under his gaze. He crossed his arms, head tilting to the side curiously. How did this even happen?
“You’re telling me you managed to best me, twice, and yet you still end up like this? All on the same day, no less. Mere hours later!” Gabriel scoffed, standing up straight. He didn’t know why he ever taunted the machine, or why he still chose to, but he did. To be honest, he wasn’t sure if the thing could even register the meaning of his words, or if it even cared. Nonetheless, he decided he’d continue. Might as well.
It just shifted on the ground slightly, struggling to hold its head up to face him.
Gabriel would laugh again if the sight weren’t so pitiful– though... it’s not like he was really doing that much better. He felt himself growing tired, mind occasionally hazing. Not like he just needed some sleep, just… there was an exhaustion, deep within his being, getting heavier each second.
… With a sigh, he sat down next to it, leaning back against the same pillar.
“I can’t believe this,” the angel began, staring up at nothing. “there’s… there’s no way–” He turned to look down at it, almost in disbelief of what was right next to him. He couldn’t understand, couldn’t grasp any of it, how was the machine…? He’d fought it twice, seen how fast it was, how powerful it could be. With its guns and fists alone, it had exterminated all of Hell, from the weakest husks to the most superior of machines– to even technically causing Gabriel’s own soon to come demise. So just how, how, was this possible? For it to be sitting on the ground, dying?
But then, it hit him. Of course, the answer was painfully obvious.
“... Fuel. That’s the problem, is it not? You’re running off the last drops of blood you have left. ” He muttered, looking down at the machine. He was surprised to get a silent nod in return. He let out a low hum.
“... It seems we both die tonight, machine.”
THE END /// CLIMAX
24 MINUTES REMAIN
Gabriel took a minute, quietly processing his own words, coming to terms with the reality they both faced: death. Of course, he had been thinking about it ever since the light was taken from him, but now, as it neared so close, as the machine next to him would soon meet its own end, he felt… pensive. A calm, quiet sadness washed over him, his muscles relaxing for the first time in forever.
“I’d… offer you some of my blood, but I doubt it’ll do much but just delay the inevitable. With the rest of Hell all gone, there’s nowhere else to go. Not in time for you. You–”
He blinked, pausing abruptly at a noise from the machine. It gave a weak, glitchy beep, optic light entirely off. More mechanical chimes came from it, none of which Gabriel knew the meaning of, but it certainly didn’t sound good. It was shutting off– dying.
Without a second of hesitation, the angel quickly stood, unsheathing one of his swords, Splendor. He brought it to his hand, cupping the blade, and pulled down swiftly, slicing his palm without even a wince. He crouched down and held his hand above the machine’s head, letting the blood flow down to it. As soon as the crimson met the metal, the beeping quieted, and the machine’s optic light slowly turned back on. Gabriel let out a shallow breath, swallowing thickly. He watched the blood run down its head, a line of it dripping right down its optic. The blue machine stared right back, heating up just slightly, trying to process it was even alive right now, systems running as fast as they still could.
It was so close to death. So, so close.
… And that scared it. Horrified it.
V1 gathered itself and buzzed quietly, tilting its head up into Gabriel’s palm, desperate for fuel, blood, his blood. If it weren’t for the angel, its savior, it would’ve died. That was something V1 realized it… feared. It didn’t want to die– not at all.
So unfortunate to be realizing this right on death’s doorstep.
Gabriel didn’t move, didn’t falter. If anything, he almost rubbed his hand into its head, making sure it got every drop it needed. He smeared it with his blood, wings dropping slightly as he inhaled shakily.
“... It’s impolite to doze off while someone is talking to you.” He joked sadly.
V1 didn’t respond, wouldn’t if it even could, just made sure it was as close to him as possible. When Gabriel finally moved, trying to sit beside it again, it quickly tugged on his arms, keeping him down. It didn’t want to be so far from his touch again, his blood. Him.
Gabriel scoffed, but didn’t move. He wrapped his arms around the machine, holding it as he moved both of them so he was sat against the pillar again, the machine lying on him, the two facing each other. He stared down at it, bleeding hand now pressed to the side of its face, as if cupping its cheek. He watched it practically nuzzle into his hand, like a dog begging for affection, though he knew that was likely far from the case. He could see its desperation to stay online, its fear of shutting off forever.
Part of him felt… genuine sympathy for the thing, perhaps even compassion. It was stupid, of course, to pity a machine of war, but despite it all he did. Seeing it so afraid of dying, almost like an animal– it did something to his heart. He couldn’t help but want to comfort it. And so, he did.
“... Be not afraid.” He began, his thumb gently wiping across its blue chassis, feeling the cold metal under his touch. It was hard, artificial, but still it comforted him, eased him in a way he didn't know how. He almost liked it.
He wondered if the machine felt the same way with his touch.
“... Although our end is soon, you will not suffer. There will be no pain, no discomfort. There is no need for fear. It’ll be like… rest, I imagine. I’m sure you’ve been in some sort of sleep mode at least once before,” He paused, wiping away that line of blood on its optic. “so this may not be too different. It will be calm. Peaceful.”
“This is the one thing you cannot fight, so don’t, for there is no need anymore. Rest. And I’ll be here with you the entire time.”
...
V1 stared up at the angel, its internals already beginning to slow down, relax. It thought over his words, one repeating over and over in its mechanical mind. Rest. It… It wasn’t sure it knew how, let alone if it even could. But as it gently clung to Gabriel, head rested against his chest, hearing his heart beat slowly beneath his armor and clothing… it felt almost soothed. Like even when it does die, it’ll be… okay. Because it knew it'd be safe. Alright.
Because Gabriel was here.
This was nice, in a way. Two completely different beings, brought together by the fear of death. It calmed Gabriel to know that he wouldn’t leave this plane alone, even if it was just this… machine. This object, this… thing, with him. He’d scold himself for this, for holding this thing so dearly, so tenderly in his arms. But here he was, clinging to the last bit of life he could find, artificial or not, and he was unwilling to let it go.
Part of him wondered, almost hoped that the machine was enjoying this. As much as either of them could, at least. It was still scary, of course, but being in each other's arms like this made the whole thing a little more bearable.
Gabriel held it tighter, bringing it closer to his chest, his wings wrapping around the two gently. The embrace was soft, intimate, everything he was certain the machine had never gotten to experience before. He was happy to give it this small sliver of care, affection, even if they couldn’t hold it for much longer.
He was even happier when the machine adjusted its hold, pressing itself against him, like it never wanted to be apart.
THE END /// CLIMAX
5 MINUTES REMAIN
Gabriel was finding difficulty in keeping his eyes open. His body ached for sleep, rest, but he forced himself awake, wanting to say goodbye to the machine in his arms first. He could tell it was struggling itself, its optic light flickering off for the final time a bit ago. He knew, they had very little time left.
“Machine… V1,” Gabriel corrected himself, speaking the machine’s name for the first and last time, “... thank you. Thank you for… for this.” He squeezed it gently.
“For everything. You’ve shown me what it’s like to struggle, to lose, and now… to die. Everything I always believed I’d never face. Thank you. You’ve opened my eyes to so much, shown me the errors of this world and its ways– all without even meaning to, I’m sure.” He laughed softly, the last he’d ever have. He felt himself growing weaker each moment, his muscles feeling sluggish.
“And moreso, thank you for… being here. Letting me hold you. Although we may not be the closest, I deeply appreciate this. You, dear machine, I… truly.” Gabriel spoke softly, looking down at the other with a gentle gaze. He watched it nod weakly, the sight aching his heart. He knew it needed rest just as much as he did.
“...Sleep well now, machine. The war is over. The fight is done.”
“The fire is gone.”
After Gabriel spoke those words, there was a long but comfortable silence. Nothing coming from either of the two, apart from the faint sounds of V1’s systems shutting down, one by one, and Gabriel’s slowing breaths, growing farther and farther apart.
The angel felt like he was dreaming, reality growing hazier by the second. He was losing himself, his mind only holding on to the strong fondness he felt for this thing in his arms. As his vision grew blurry, there was a white noise playing in his head, drowning out everything else. But for a moment, through the static, he heard V1’s alarms and beeps play one final time, its mechanical whirring slowly fading away.
He used the last of his energy to hold it tighter. He was still there, if only barely.
Gabriel let his eyes droop shut, a small smile gracing his face as he finally dozed off.
THE END.
Notes:
bro i got too lazy to keep working on this if theres any typos or if it dont make sense am cry 🥀 i aint good at writing i didnt rlly know what would be in characternbut yeah am practicing 🫡 let know how can imporve ty gangsters
mistydoesthings on Chapter 1 Wed 27 Aug 2025 08:30AM UTC
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