The Angel to your Devil

Chess Pieces

December 31st

Gabriel sat in his chambers, lost in thought. He had been contemplating the events that had led up to this moment for hours, unable to shake the feeling that he was just a pawn in God's game. He was moved and manipulated at will, along with his fellow angels and the demons they were meant to battle against. They were all chess pieces, being maneuvered around the board by a puppet master.

He sighed heavily, feeling a sense of futility wash over him. Was there any way to break free from this endless cycle of war and destruction? Or were they all just destined to play their roles, with no hope of ever changing the outcome?

As the new year approached, Gabriel knew that it meant the Purge was coming. It was a time of great chaos, where demons were allowed to run wild and angels were given free reign to attack them without consequence. Gabriel had always struggled with this time of year, as it seemed to go against everything he believed in.

He knew he had a duty to fulfill, as much as he hated it. He transformed into his Purge form, his gold-and-white armor fading into a dark gray. He discarded his blindfold, feeling the rush of power that came with his Purge form.

Gabriel flew down to the human realm, ready to carry out his mission. He came across a group of demons, but he couldn't bring himself to attack. He felt a surge of guilt and sadness as he looked upon their faces, seeing the fear and desperation there.

He broke away from the group, disobeying orders as he flew off to the Happy Hotel. It was run by Charlie, the daughter of Lucifer, and staffed by a motley crew of demons. Angel Dust was a spider demon and dancer for the hotel, Alastor was a deer overlord who spread the word on his radio podcast, Vaggie was a mother demon who acted as the protector of the Hotel, Niffty was a creation of Alastor's who acted as the cleaner, and Husk was a cranky cat-bat who tended bar.

Gabriel landed outside the hotel, transforming back into his regular form so as not to seem like a threat. He walked inside, feeling a sense of relief as he saw the familiar faces of his demon friends.

"Gabriel! What brings you here?" Charlie asked with a smile.

"I needed to get away from the chaos," Gabriel admitted. "I couldn't bear to attack those demons, knowing that they were just as much pawns in God's game as we are."

Charlie nodded sympathetically. "I understand. But what are you going to do now?"

Gabriel hesitated, unsure of his next move. But then he caught sight of Samuel, sitting at the bar with Husk. He felt a rush of warmth in his chest, realizing that he had missed him more than he cared to admit.

He made his way over to Samuel, sitting down next to him with a small smile. "Hello," he said softly.

Samuel turned to him, surprise written all over his face. "Gabriel? What are you doing here?"

"I needed to get away," Gabriel repeated, reaching out to take Samuel's hand. "But more than that, I needed to see you."

They sat in silence for a few moments, just enjoying each other's presence. Gabriel knew that they still had a lot of work to do on their relationship, but for now, he was content just to be with Samuel.

As the Purge raged on outside, they sat together at the Happy Hotel, two chess pieces that had broken free from their predetermined paths, if only for a little while.

Over the next few hours, Gabriel spent time getting to know the other workers at the Happy Hotel.