Unholy Alliance

Chapter 2: Striking Out

Purgatory. Friday, November 9, 2007.

Zachariah nodded in approval as he heard Thanatos's report. A rocky outcrop in Purgatory had become their traditional meeting spot. Zachariah liked the ambiance of the murky landscape. It hinted at the Apocalypse that would surely come with only a little assistance on their part.

Never had he been so pleased with his alliance. Really, it was quite a surprise that no other angel had conceived of the power they could wield by forming a partnership with Greek immortals.

The breakthrough came when Zachariah realized that he could provide the ruling council with irrefutable evidence by placing his targets in realities corresponding to what their lives should have been like in this world. The council would appreciate that he'd simply reinstated what had already been pre-ordained.

Thanatos was an expert in alternate worlds with a database that covered millions of possibilities. So when Zachariah supplied him with the details of what would make a suitable destination, Thanatos readily produced the appropriate coordinates. The reality that currently existed on Earth was a mistake. Soon Heaven would understand that too.

Once the council members gave their assent, the Apocalypse would cause Earth to be reborn. The natural order would be restored. God would be grateful to have Lucifer returned to the fold. As Lucifer's lieutenant, Zachariah would assume archangel status. The other angels would quickly fall in line with the fait accompli. Lucifer already realized his selection of Sam Winchester to be his vessel was unwise. He'd readily agreed to pick someone else once he returned to Earth.

A lesser being would have given up after the debacle caused by the vengeful spirit Lafitte. Zachariah had been forced to use all his silver-tongued eloquence to convince Naomi he wasn't involved.

That shouldn't have been necessary. The lesson learned from that fiasco was that the witch Gemma was unreliable. Her usefulness in controlling vampires turned out to be nil. She'd lied about knowing where the vampire blood-prince Jeremy Sangford was located, and she didn't realize he and Crowley were close friends. That experience served to make Zachariah more determined than ever to not rely on others.

He turned to Thanatos. "Any problem with embedding the men in their new worlds?"

"None," Thanatos said. His tousled red hair stood straight up on top of his head, giving him a demonic air. He had a malicious streak that Lucifer would find charming. "I altered their memories so they don't realize their realities had changed. Why did you pick those particular worlds?"

"The men are following their destinies," Zachariah explained. "I need to convince Heaven's elite that the present situation on Earth shouldn't exist. After a careful analysis of the players, I determined that the key trigger was a trip to St. Louis made by Peter Burke in 2003. If he hadn't taken it, he wouldn't have persuaded Neal Caffrey to join the FBI. They wouldn't have encountered the Winchesters, and Caffrey wouldn't have met Hagen. His friendship with Crowley's vessel was a major factor in Crowley's transformation from a reliable crossroads demon into a wild card."

"Maia would have remained a dutiful sister to Astrena if she hadn't fallen in love with Sam," Thanatos said thoughtfully. "Once she began abstaining from blood, her memories started to return. She allied herself with Crowley and the Winchesters. If they hadn't interfered, I would have been able to exact my revenge on Astrena." He turned to Zachariah. "I wish you'd removed Maia as well."

"No need since I have the Winchesters."

Thanatos and his sister Astrena had been at loggerheads since the Roman Empire. When their father Erebus banished Astrena to the stars, Thanatos didn't shed any tears. Luckily for Zachariah, Erebus also punished Thanatos for meddling in the upperworld. Once Thanatos was restricted to Oblivion, Zachariah had the needed leverage to recruit his assistance.