Work Text:
A Small Apocalypse
By Kor
All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of its creator and whatever production company produced it in a moment of desperation. No copyright infringement is intended, and no profit will be made from it. Lord only knows how any profit could be made from the original, but since there are actually two seasons, someone must watch it. (Nat the beta here, who survived one episode.)
Alex stifled a groan. He schooled his features not to show the soul eating boredom to which he had succumbed. Standing guard was boring at the best of times. Standing guard under the bright sun of the desert as a delegation from another city was paraded around the City to listen to political gibberish that no one except those in power cared about was beyond boring.
The sweat dripped off him in continuous annoying streams. Every lick of the salty fluid was like a blazing kiss to the stripes on his back. Fuck, those hurt. It wasn’t the first time Alex had been disciplined in such a manner. Being a soldier in Archangel’s corps meant he, just like all the others, was often at the wrong end of the whip. But being whipped by the Archangel himself was a novel experience; one he was in no hurry to repeat.
The memory made him angry again. He just had to put up with it for another day or two. He would be free soon. Free of everyone trying to rule his life. He would be out of the City and would disappear into the desert. No one was going to tell him how to live his life.
The delegation moved on and Alex followed them like he was expected. He couldn’t afford more trouble. He definitely could not afford another encounter with Michael. Every time the Archangel looked at him Alex felt like Michael was reading him down to the deepest parts of his mind.
“Soldier.” The voice broke into his thoughts, startling him. “The Archangel wants to see you.”
“Why?” The word was out of his mouth before he could think them through.
“I just gave you an order, soldier,” the sergeant growled, getting into Alex’s face. “Move it, now!”
Alex couldn’t help the scowl that hardened his features, neither could he help the frustrated growl. He was going to get his ass handed to him again, but it seemed less important in the face of having to deal with the Archangel.
“Come,” the cold, calm voice came from behind him. Alex jerked around and was held captive in the Archangel’s dark eyes.
He hadn’t heard the Archangel appear behind him; he hadn’t even seen the enormous black wings disappear into thin air. How long had the Archangel been standing there, he wondered briefly before the deceptively delicate hand closed over his arm in a vice like grip.
He wanted to be angry, but the anger had frozen in his heart with the command held in those unreadable eyes. They were like the black pits of eternity and unending wisdom reaching into his soul. The Archangel made everyone uneasy. Alex used to believe that it was the fact that he was an angel, the same kind as their enemy. But now he knew differently. It was the sense of bottomless power that ran through the creature standing before him. His delicate, almost vulnerable features were nothing but a lie. Inhuman strength and power ran through him like the relentless crash of waves on a distant shore or the horrible winds of prairie tornados.
Alex had no choice but to follow their commander. Michael let go of Alex’s arm, allowing him the dignity of walking rather than being dragged.
“You’ve learned nothing from our last talk,” the Archangel said, once the doors slid closed after them as they entered Michael’s office.
Alex kept silent. If he talked, he would say something entirely stupid. Michael walked slowly to his desk and pulled out the upper drawer. The braided whip that appeared in his hand should not have surprised Alex, but the jolt of anxiety was sudden and jarring, all the same.
“Against the wall,” the same passionless voice commanded.
“Can I at least know why?” Alex asked venomously.
Michael tilted his head slightly, as if studying him for several long seconds. Alex thought the sun must have had been too hot because he thought he saw a ghost of a smile on the Archangel’s lips.
“Against the wall,” Michael repeated, clearly deciding that Alex’s question didn’t warrant an answer.
The first blow was a shock, even though Alex had braced himself for it. He was determined not to show any weakness to this creature. The second and the third came in rapid succession and the grunt Alex let out on the first one turned into keening. There was no one to stop the beating this time and as it went on Alex realized how lucky he’d been the first time. He also understood why the Archangel rarely took his men’s discipline into his own hands. Under the onslaught of the searing, painful blows Alex’s feverish mind wildly wondered if the Archangel had any idea about the limits of human endurance. He screamed in agony. His knees gave way and he would have collapsed, but the Archangel’s body was pressing him into the wall, reigniting the fire on his back.
“Take the thoughts of leaving this City out of your head,” the eerily calm voice whispered into his ear. “You have a duty here. Evading your duties will not be accepted.”
“Fuck you,” Alex managed in a cracked voice. Everything hurt. His vocal cords hurt with the same flame as his back.
“Defiant one.” Absurdly, there was gentleness in that voice. Alex heard the waft of the opening wings and with the corner of his eyes he could see the tips of the black wings engulfing them.
The power that burst out together with the wings was blinding in its intensity. Alex keened, the pain in his body and mind intensifying tenfold. The Archangel’s arms around him were the only thing keeping him upright.
“I’m not a merciful creature.” Alex wasn’t sure if the words he heard were through his ears or if they were spoken directly into his mind. “I’m the commander of a heavenly host that led God’s most fearsome weapon into battles for longer than you can imagine. I ask for absolute obedience to duty. You will obey my command.”
There was nothing left inside of him. Not one ounce of power. He just wanted to be left alone. He had no power to cry out when the Archangel tore at his clothes and possessed his body like he had done with his mind seconds ago. Michael’s organ was hot and huge inside of him, pushing every last vestige of resistance into retreat. Alex was nothing but a puppet in his hands. He wasn’t sure how long it went on. The next conscious thought he mastered was when he was curled on the floor at the Archangel’s feet. The wings fluttered violently once before disappearing.
“Stand up,” came the cold command. “Forget about that girl, she’s unimportant,” he continued serenely as if he hadn’t just raped one of his soldiers. “You have a destiny to follow. She has no place in it.”
“That’s why you raped me?” Alex demanded bitterly.
Michael smiled softly. A real smile that Alex couldn’t remember ever seeing. The Archangel came to kneel before Alex.
“You humans are fascinating. You are broken. I’ve just torn you into thousand pieces. You know my power, and you know you have no hope against me, yet you keep on fighting.” He cocked his head to one side. “That is why you are the God’s greatest creation.” He kept looking at Alex for several seconds longer. “You cannot take more punishment. Do not ask for it.”
Alex wanted to argue that he hadn’t asked for the first part of it either, but he kept his mouth shut, or maybe he simply couldn’t master the strength to speak up.
“You are my soldier, Alex,” the Archangel informed him in his usual cold tone. “Your body and soul belong under my command. You have a destiny that you cannot escape. And I’ll be there to lead you whether you want it or not. Now cease this childish resistance.” The gentle touch to Alex’s cheek startled him and he recoiled from it. The fingers turned punishing in an instant, grabbing him by his jaw. “There is no free will in the heavenly host and you’ve just been enlisted into it. Do not ever deny my touch, whether in punishment or in comfort.” The tone was soft, yet unbendable, sending shivers down Alex’s spine.
In a flash the black wings engulfed him and reality shifted rapidly. Alex was deposited into a soft bed.
“Sleep, soldier,” came the command that pushed him into the blackness of the sleep.