Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"What a bleak landscape." The man says, the green tinted eyes slots in his Beak shaped mask glimmering in the faint sunlight.

The landscape ahead is bleak, the grass only slightly green, the trees dead, dying or barely holding onto life.

"Yet. The sky still holds hope. Those beautiful stars."

"Oh. So. Beautiful."

Sunlight spills into the room as the sound if someone opening the curtains comes from the window.

"Get up dear, it's getting late." Lucifer says, gently poking him in the cheek.

"Alright I'm up, I'm up." Taker says, swatting away her hand.

-

"So, how was it?" Taker asks.

"I got in of course! Who wouldn't take me?" Azazel says, her voice full of pride for herself.

"You right. What college wouldn't want you?"

-

"Well, I guess this is it then." Taker says, looking at the grave of his best friend.

"Oh come on, it was just a skeleton." Malina says with exasperation.

"He was the best skeleton. Though."

-

"A gym? You sure they'll have heavy enough weights?"

"They should, and if not then I'll just have to add more reps, right justice?" Judgement says.

"Course! A lack of weights won't stop us!"

-

"Our daughter did pretty well, you know?"

"Yeah, I knew she'd like baseball, just like her pops."

Taker says, looking out as the small figure smacks the baseball full force, sending flying before making a full sprint.

-

"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Lucifer looks at him with concern in her eyes, the fireplace illuminating her skin.
"Are you sure? You looked pretty out of it." She asks.

"Really, I'm fine."

"If you say so, now do you want anything special for dinner? I was thinking since it's the thirty third anniversary of us all soon we should take it easy." She asks, rocking in her arm chair.

"Good idea, I'll think of something we can make together. Now make sure to tell Azazel it's happening though. You know how she is with these things."

"Hah, yeah. She is forgetful."

Lucifer slowly stands up, stretching her arms out.

"Your lucky you know, most humans don't have the luxury of living as long as we do."

"Yeah, well I've got you to blame for that."

Lucifer chuckles before walking towards the kitchen door. Grabbing her purse along the way.

"True, now make sure you get some rest. I'll be a while so you have plenty of time."

Taker closes his eyes, taking in the heat of the fire. The sound of Lucifer's footsteps fading. Nothing but the crackle and occasionally spurt of the burning logs filling the silence.

"Your little smile. It's all that I remember."

Chapter Text

"Your sweet little eyes."
"Your little smile."
"It's all I remember."

---

The sound of birds chirping comes from all around, the heat of the sun baring down on your skin.

"So your saying there's a... Relic? Or was it artifact?" You ask.

"Artifact, Justice told me about it so I did some digging. Found out the battle it was lost in happened in this forest." Judgement says, pointing a compass around.

"I'm assuming we'll find it with that compass?"

"It has a strong magnetic field, the compass should point to it if we're close enough." She replies, starting down the trodden dirt path.

Judgement didn't say much about what the artifact actually was. Something about a powerful weapon that could unlock a gateway or something? You can't quite remember.

You don't really mind the lack of info much though. Judgement enjoys artifact hunts so it's a good opportunity to bond.

"AHA! I got a reading!"

Or not, considering she's already found it.

---

"Are you sure we should keep the big guy in the dark about this Luci? Feels pretty wrong considering how chill he is with our shenanigans already." Justice asks, a rare moment of doubt in her voice.

"We don't have a choice, this could give us the advantage we need to finish what we started. If we tell him it'll unnecessarily complicate things." You respond, doubt would get all of us no where.

"And if one of those... Things, are in the other side?"

"Then we'll have to deal with the consequences, there's no gain without risk."

"If you say so." Justice dryly responds.

The architecture of the gateway is quite majestic to say the least, great stone pillar all arching to the centre, with great carvings of the history of the Sovereign's on them. And a huge magic circle on the floor of the entire thing, simple yet well made, even by today's standards.

"All we need is that artifact and a few materials. Make sure pandemonica requests them shortly."

"Will do." Justice says, walking back to the portal they used to get here.

Peace and quiet at last, Justice is good hearted. But not quiet.

The dull thud of your boots in stone echoes as you approach one of the pillars, the carving Infront of you dulled so much it's nearly unrecognisable.

"God, could've made the lettering clearer. I can't read any of this."

---

"Wait up! Your going too fast!" You shout, struggling to clamber through the dense shrubbery.

"Oh come now, if a few bushes stop you then your not worthy to see this great artifact!" Judgement responds, the sound of her desperately running around ahead deafening.

"I WISH I'D BEEN THERE"

The deafening roar in your mind suddenly overwhelms your senses, throwing you down to your knees in pain. Pain so great you can't even cry out, can't even shout for help.

Just you and your thoughts, like old times.

Maybe, just maybe If you'd been there it would've gone differently. Maybe she would still be alive if you weren't such a dead beat dumbass who can't even arri-

"Hello? Taker? You there?" The sound of judgements voice breaks your train of thought.

Well, guess wallowing in your own pity will have to wait. For now you have clean up your sweat and help move this artifact. Like usual.

Chapter Text

"Now I suffer the curse."
"Now I'll die."

Maybe you should just take the easy route, it would certainly be better than fighting a crap ton of reborn.

"Easy or hard route, Catherine?" You ask

Catherine, your long time companion since you awoken in purgatory, quite the character in all honesty.

"Easy. We're too close to take risks now." She responds, sitting down by the crackling fire. Smoke billowing into the dark, starry sky.

"Right." You respond dully.

The gateway, the two of you have been searching for it for one or two years, give or take a few months. Structures like these are few and far between, and usually guarded by some sort of guardian. Though you can ideally sneak by without much trouble.

"Any... Ideas recently? On what you'll do when we're back home?" Catherine asks, roasting a piece of meat over the fire from the spit.

"No. Other than the obvious."

"Judas?"

"Judas."

An awkward silence settles, Catherine probably took afraid to mention more about him, and you. Well. You just don't care much for socialising.

"Maybe... You could stay with me? Earth has changed alot since you've last been there, you'll need some help." Catherine says hesitantly.

"I'll give it some thought while I sleep."

At that Catherine sighs in relief, a weight off her shoulders.

"That's good enough for me. Speaking of rest you should sleep, we should reach the gate tomorrow and there's a chance you'll have to clash the guardian."

"Right. You set up a summon or two for watch, then get yourself some rest too." You say, standing up from your log seat, and going over to the pile of rubble where you'll sit.

You all but fall into it, the hard rock pieces clanging against the sparse metal of your armour. Your cloak a blanket, the ruins your mattress and pillow. A true wanderers bed.

"Your choice in sleeping spots concerns me sometimes." Catherine says, before resting at a clump of dirt. It would be far more comfortable than rubble, which is why you left it for her. If she slept on rubble you'd never hear the end of it.

"I'll stay up a while. I don't think I'm tired enough to sleep yet." She adds, idly looking at the stars.

"Got it." You respond, closing your eyes. And falling into your final rest. Before freedom.

Chapter Text

Finally writing the Encore for the Prologue, been taking a long break to try and avoid writers block. So far so good too.

The encore will hopefully be way longer. Shouldn't take too long either considering I'm a fast writer.

Real short update, I know. But it's just important enough to warrant an update.

Chapter Text

"Gefalner. Power of Extermination."

"Heed my call, and forevermore be reawakened."

"As the Distorted who seeks redemption."

"The angel whom has broken wings."

"That are yet still with him."

---

The air is clouded by fog, so much so that it's hard to see anything more than ten feet away from you.

Apparently, this is purgatory. A usually foggy grey landscape of infinity. From what Lucifer told you atleast, not that it's saying much considering she lied about the relic being used for combat.

Lucifer stands at the center of the gateway's magic circle, apparently jotting down notes. Justice is sat on a rock, as she has been since you all got here. Keeping watch with judgement. Whom stands by her side.

"So, this is... Purgatory? I expected it to be more menacing than fog." You say, glancing at the few ruined pillars, walls and shrines through the fog.

"It was never made to be menacing. It's shine for the people who did neither great good. Or great bad." Lucifer says. Taking a deep breathe.

"Though, it is surprisingly nice when you know your not stuck here."

"I can see that. What I don't though is why you wanted to come here in the first place. And why bring me? I already went and got that artifact with judgement. And I'll get a crap ton of shit from the girls when they realize I'm gone." You ask.

"I'll explain in due time dear. When we're not in the middle of the focal point for anything in a few thousand mile radius." Lucifer says, sliding her notebook into her breast pocket.

"Well. We might aswe-"

"Someone's here, two people." Justice says, standing up stiffly.

In an infinite realm? How the hell would anyone find them in that.

"And what are they? How far are they?" Judgement says, sliding her gauntlets on before fiddling to get the straps done.

"I don't know. One's reborn and the other... An angel? But they have human energy. I can't tell fully."

A reborn and something that has both human and angelic energy? How could this get worse?

"And the distance is the troubling thing. There right on top of us. But as you all can see. No one's here."

Well. That's how.
"What do we do?"

The air is so thick with tension you could cut it with a knife. Everyone is trying in vain to locate these supposed beings.

"Are you sure your judg-"

*Boom*
Debris fly everywhere as judgement barely blocks a whole pillar thrown her way from the fog.

"South side, get off your asses and do something." Lucifer says as she hurls a car sized fireball in the general direction of the attacker.

Judgement quickly springs into action, leaping through the air and into the fog. The clanging sound of steel on steel echoing through the ruins.

Justice continues sitting, deep in thought.

"Are you not gonna help her?" You ask, sliding behind the rock she sits on.

"I trust she can handle it. And there's only one of them over there. And I definitely felt two auras in our presence." She says.

"So your just going to sit here examine auras?"

"Pretty much." Justice says, a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Perks of judgement eyes Taker."

*Whoosh*

Justice throws you backwards with one hand right before a chunk of steel pierces the air right where you were.

"You got a reading yet justice?!" Judgement's laboured shout echoes.

"Yeah, it's a distorted." Justice says.

"This is serious judgement dear. We're in the middle of a fight."

"I'm being serious. Whoever is waiting in the fog is a distorted. What judgement is fighting is just the reborn."

"God... Right. We're leaving." Lucifer says, turning back to the circle.

"Without taking them with us?" Justice asks.

"What? Are you crazy?"

"Why would I ever go without taking them?"