Fate's Vinculum

Chapter 7.

"We have to catch him off guard..." Time muttered. "What if we....no no, no no no."

"What?" Fate inquired.

"No, it's silly."

"If it is, we will let you know."

"What if we sent humans after him?"

Everyone stared at him.

Time got to his feet. "He wouldn't expect that. In every other instance in which Lucifer has tried to interfere, it's taken an entire angelic army to quell him. Half the time it doesn't work anyway—he just slinks away somewhere and we end up battling Hellspawn."

"I don't think—" Rosalyn said, "—I mean, no offense, but I don't think humans would be capable of handling Lucifer."

"We could help them. Fortify their minds." Father Time looked excitedly between everyone. "Humans think outside of the box; angels are pretty autonomous in their actions. Maybe improvising would throw him off guard."

"They wouldn't even make a dent," Sera muttered, his voice echoing down to them. "Did you miss the part where I told you he killed Michael? Did I mention he beheaded him? With his hands?" Sera got on his feet, walking back towards the group. "Just—ripped his head clean off?"

"So then we will use some non-humans too," Fate agreed excitedly. "No, Sera, I really think that Time is onto something here."

"Okay. And who would pick said-humans?"

"I would. I know every single person; I know their true heart. I know who would be even remotely up to the task."

Rosalyn grinned. "I like this."

"We need a contingency plan." Sera stood directly in front of Fate, squaring off his shoulders and narrowing his eyes. "I want her."

"No. She would kill Lucifer."

"Exactly."

"Out of the question. Absolutely out of the question."

"Why? I am sick of playing this tango with Lucifer. He goes into hiding for a while and then rears his ugly head again. And every time it gets worse, and worse, and worse. I feel like this time he's—" Sera paused. He wasn't being melodramatic. "He's trying to start Armageddon."

When Fate didn't respond, Sera continued. "I won't let that happen."

"It is bound to happen sometime."

"I'm not letting that happen. Not after everything we've all been through so far. It's too soon."

"It has been literally millions of—"

"No! It's too early. I don't care that the Time Frames are fucked right now. I don't care that because of whatever Lucifer has done Armageddon doesn't have a set date anymore because of, well, that," he gestured to the repeating images of L.A. burning. "I will do everything in my power to stop Armageddon from happening now!"

A sigh escaped Fate's mouth. "God said Lucifer cannot and will not ever be outright killed. You know this. It is part of His Plan. She would kill him."

"I don't care," Sera insisted stubbornly.

"Who would kill him?" Rosalyn finally asked.

"Angelus Supreme," Fate and Sera said simultaneously, not bothering to look at her.

"Who?"

"She's not ripe yet," Fate continued, ignoring Rosalyn. "It's only been nine years this cycle."

"Ripe?" Rosalyn quipped. "Like a fruit?"

"I want to bring her along," Sera insisted angrily.

"Who?" Rosalyn repeated.