Part 770: Strategic Objectives

January 29th, 2021. Heaven, inside the Archangel’s Assembly Chambers.

Thirty long minutes passed. Jessica Harper continued to converse with the angels, causing the expressions on their faces to oscillate between grimness and worry as she spoke. The Archangels were simultaneously quite knowledgeable about humans and yet distressingly ignorant.

If one were to ask who knew humans ‘the best’ it would likely be a tie between Uzziel and Raphael. Camael didn’t converse with them much, and Gabriel kept to himself, rarely chatting with the Lazarites, and even less frequently leaving Heaven.

Uzziel was the creator of humankind. She had a vested interest in her ‘children’ and she always talked with the Lazarites, learning how humans worked and so on.

Raphael was the brain of Heaven, and as such he sometimes communicated with humans on Earth. This was rarely done in person, and Raphael frequently used illusory decoys, liaisons inside Earth’s churches, and so on.

Over the years, Raphael almost exclusively only spoke with the current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, and other high level leaders in the other major religions. They knew of his existence, and the truth behind angelkind, but they were sworn to secrecy, enjoying the promise of immortality after death and holding a high rank among the Lazarites post-death. They had every reason to stay loyal to Raphael and pursue his interests, as it matched their own interests.

At the same time, Raphael would also, ever so occasionally, speak to the leaders of certain Orders among the humans. Not the Illuminati, who were devoted human supremacists, but a few of the other ones, such as the Knights Templar.

The problem was, Raphael and Uzziel, knowledgeable about humans though they might believe themselves to be, were extremely ignorant when it came to matters of modern human capabilities.

Weapons. Guns. Drones. Intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Vehicles. Armored tanks, land rovers. Flying machines. Underwater submarines and topside destroyers.

Warfare tactics. Guerilla warfare, suburban combat, desert skirmishes.

The angels knew very little of these things. Raphael was aware, in the abstract, that humans had grown more powerful, and he was a little leery of them, but a hundred years meant nothing to an entity who had lived for billions. In the blink of an eye, humanity had skyrocketed in their capability to deal out death and destruction, and it had happened seemingly in a single instant when he looked away then looked back.

Thus, when Jessica offered for humans to ‘help’ the Archangels, Raphael and the rest did not agree because they thought the human’s assistance would be all that helpful.

Oh, by no means.

Instead, the clever Archangel of Wisdom thought to use the humans as meatshields, living bodies that would support the Lazarites, and would allow the Archangels to fight the ‘real’ battle comfortably.

All that changed in less than thirty minutes as Jessica Harper started explaining her plans to the old man. She conjured an overhead projection of Mount Sinai and the surrounding thirty kilometers of land in any direction atop the table, giving the Archangels a bird’s eye view of the battlefield.

"In phase three, we will send in the military forces of Europe from the north. To summarize, I’ve received authorization to deploy two platoons of Finnish soldiers across this river here, and they will be flanked by a sky division from Norway raining gunfire from above to keep the demons from taking to the skies."

"At the same time, arriving from the west, Egypt’s security forces don’t want to let other countries make them look like fools, so they will be naturally working alongside the United States to send in these fifteen detachments from the northwest, the west, and the southwest in a pincer formation. This is a diagram of the tank-type you’ll be seeing them field the most heavily. It’s a fairly robust model, one I plan to overhaul and improve when I have time, but no demon below the rank of Baron will even be able to dent it, so it’s sufficient for our purposes."

Jessica drew lines with her fingers, smirking internally as the Archangel’s faces turned a slightly miserable shade of gray. Uzziel was at a loss for words, she didn’t even understand the terms Jessica was using, and Raphael was struggling mightily as he had no idea that ‘tanks’ had evolved so fast. The last time he’d seen one was during World War II, the last time the angels materially contributed to a war on Earth, and those ancient clunky rolling machines were far less threatening than their modern counterparts.

"H-hold a moment, if thou mayest…" Raphael said, massaging his tired eyelids. He felt a million years older after listening to her speak. "Is the meaning of thy words to imply the humans shalt fight the hardest battles against the demons? Even with two Trueborn, this ancient one feelest thou mayest be overestimating thy capabilities. The demons art numerous, and their Emperors outnumber thy Heroes twenty to one!"

"If Cat Mask has to fight twenty Demon Emperors at once, he’ll definitely die." Jessica acknowledged. "The same is true for the Archseer. But why would we ever do something so foolish as fighting under those conditions? And furthermore, we aren’t fighting a battle with the intention of exterminating the Demon Emperors, or even their lesser minions. That has nothing to do with our tactical strategy."

"It… doesn’t?" Raphael asked, before realizing what she meant. "Ah. Thy intentions art simply to repel the demons from Sinai and prevent them from entering Heaven."

"That won’t be possible." Jessica said, shaking her head. "We have less than a day to assemble the human military forces. This simply isn’t enough time to logistically accomplish a perfect defense of Heaven. Instead, we’re just trying to make the demons feel enough fear of the humans that they pull out before they can suffer losses extreme enough to cripple their future power."

Raphael blinked. He stared at the projection for a long minute in silence.

"If the demon leaders experience a tactical loss, it mayest undermine their minions’ morale." Raphael said thoughtfully. "Therefore, thy assault art simply… a bluff?"

"Not a bluff at all. If the humans get serious, the demons will suffer a terrible loss. Even with such limited time to prepare, we can wound them badly, and that will magnify our threat in their minds." Jessica explained. "Think of it like us giving them a taste of what we’re capable, and they will thusly realize what we’ve brought to this battle is but a tiny fraction of what we could unleash in the future. That will make them think twice before attacking Heaven again."

"Indeed…" Raphael said slowly. "Before attacking Heaven again…"

It did not escape his notice that the truth of the matter was that the humans had pulled a fast one on him. They had taken advantage of the holes in his knowledge and were going to use the coming battle as a way to showcase their strength. Any gains Heaven might obtain would thus become ‘conditional’ to their relations with humanity.

So long as Heaven and the humans were allied, the strength of humanity was the angel’s as well.

But if those relations should ever begin to cool…

Raphael did not speak aloud regarding his misgivings, but Jessica could see the wariness in his eyes. The Archangel and Lowborn silently chose not to pursue the discussion in that direction any further. Her threat was subtle enough that if he were to call it out, it would make him appear ungrateful during his time of need. A favor granted to an ally now could always be paid back later, so long as the recipient continued to live, and thus Raphael decided in that moment he would accept the human’s generosity, but he would not allow them to dangle the debt over his head.

As soon as he could, Raphael would pay back this debt to return their standing to a more neutral level.

"Verily, thou intendeth to encircle the demons." Camael said, studying the topographical map of Sinai. "But dost thou not worry this battle could cost many humans their lives?"

"If some soldiers die, that would be unfortunate, but they will revive as warriors fighting for you, our allies." Jessica said, smiling sweetly at Camael. "Reborn into undying angelic bodies, this hardly even counts as death in my eyes. We will do what we can to minimize the casualties, but converting living soldiers into Lazarites is an acceptable trade if it scares the daylights out of the demons."

"Is there any manner in which we mayest assist thee?" Gabriel asked.

"No. You Archangels are needed in Heaven." Jessica answered. "Doubtless, the Demon Emperors have some objective they are pursuing, likely cutting off the head of Raphael. Stick together and guard one another well. We humans will handle the outside assault, but it will be up to Heaven to guard its inner area. You can manage at least that much, yes?"

Raphael’s eye twitched. "Of course. We art Archangels!"

"Very well. Then that concludes our strategy meeting. I hope that a week from now we’ll all be sipping champagne over the demon’s losses."

Jessica stood up, her strategy session concluded. Having gone over the broad strokes with the Archangels, she had impressed upon them humanity’s current military strength. Even if not in the most minute detail, she had shown them the general capabilities of what her species had achieved militarily. It was up to the Archangels to heed her words and take her seriously.

Raphael and the others rose along with her. Without missing a beat, Jessica waved her hand, causing the table and chairs she had summoned to vanish into thin air, returning the chamber to its former state of emptiness.

"It was good meeting you all." Jessica said casually. "I’ll be departing now. Let’s talk again after the coming battle."

"How dids’t thou enter Heaven’s space and even manage to break inside our chambers without our noticing?" Camael asked, narrowing her eyes at the young human before her. "This question has been playing at the back of my mind since thy arrival."

"I built a device that can teleport myself and others across vast distances." Jessica replied without missing a beat. "Breaching Heaven’s dimension was a little tricky, but it turns out Raphael’s barrier strengthening attempts weren’t enough to keep me out. You’d better hope the same isn’t true for the demons, or their Warpers might sneak backdoors into Heaven after they invade."

"Indeed… we thank thee for thy timely warning." Raphael said, his mouth forming a smile that didn’t quite meet his eyes.

With a short bow, Jessica waved her hand and disappeared, leaving the Archangels behind with Catherine.

Catherine’s heart jumped when Raphael and the others turned to face her, but the barrage of questions she expected didn’t come. Instead, Raphael sighed softly and lowered his head in contrition.

"Catherine. Truly, I hath wronged thee. My shame is boundless." Raphael said quietly. "For me to accuse thee of betraying Heaven when thou woulds’t never do such a thing… I know not how such thoughts entered my mind. Perhaps I have begun to feel more stressed regarding the demon’s attack than I previously thought. If there doth be any way in which I can make it up to thee…"

"That… that isn’t necessary, Father." Catherine said, quickly bowing her head. "In the end, I did deceive you. I’m sorry. You’re so wise, you were easily able to see through my childish attempt at hiding the truth. I’m in awe of your capabilities."

"Go out and prepare for the coming battle." Raphael said, as he walked over to rest a hand on her shoulder. "We will speak of my error in the future, assuming Heaven survives the coming battle. If it does not, then… I hope thou shalt surviveth and live a good life in my absence."

Catherine’s heart felt like it was tying itself in knots. Her anxiety levels jumped at Raphael’s words, but she couldn’t bring herself to argue with him. Like this, she simply nodded her head, then turned and strode out of the meeting chambers, leaving the four Archangels alone.

A long minute passed as the four Archangels looked at one another.

"That Jessica…" Camael started to speak. "Verily, when I gazeth upon her-"

"We should inform Michael of what has transpired." Raphael interrupted, shooting a strange look at Camael. "He was not awake for these proceedings. He deserveth to know."

"Ah… alright, then. We?" Camael repeated. "Is it not thyself who usually informeth Michael of major events?"

"Long has it been since all of us hath gathered to speak to Michael." Raphael explained, his words as smooth as butter. "Since a potential dawn of doom draw neareth, we mayest all gather together one last time. Let us not risk falling without speaking to him in person."

"A sensible decision…" Camael said, shooting Raphael a strange look of her own.

To say Raphael’s sudden request was unexpected would be an understatement. Since Michael’s death 2,000 years before, only Raphael had communicated with him. Raphael wore two rings on his fingers; one was his own, and one was Michael’s.

Each of the other three Archangels also wore a ring of their own. These had been forged by Camael some time after the War In Heaven, and served as one last chance for them to save their lives if their enemies should kill them. Even if their bodies died, they could retreat into the rings and potentially survive until the end of the Eternity.

This was the case for Michael when he sacrificed himself to empower the Lazarus Tower 2,000 years before…

With this, Raphael smiled kindly, like an old man who was looking forward to meeting his beloved grandson one last time. Raphael held up his right fist, revealing his ring and Michael’s ring.

Camael held up her right fist as well and pressed the side of her pinky against Raphael’s thumb. Then Gabriel pressed his giant fist against Camael’s, and Uzziel pressed her fist into the gap between Gabriel and Raphael’s fist.

Like this, their fists formed a square. The energy within their rings transformed into a powerful burst of energy in the center, and they felt their souls being tugged toward a domain of Thought, outside time and space…

Their vision darkened, then brightened once more. All four Archangels found themselves in a liminal space filled with golden light beaming off shining candelabras. In the center of a church-like building, there was an open coffin where a winged male was laying on his back, his arms crossed atop a sword resting on his chest. A shaft of light fell from a stained glass window, resting upon his body and granting him the appearance of a hero from another reality.

Emotions swelled within the breasts of Gabriel, Camael, and Uzziel, who were finally seeing the proper visage of their brother Michael, for the first time in 2,000 years.

"Michael…" Camael said quietly.

She walked over and brushed her sleeping brother’s hair with a single finger, the motion so loving and tender it could make a grown man cry. Then she looked at Raphael.

"How do we awaken him?" Camael asked.

Raphael looked at her sternly. "We don’t."

"Huh?" Camael asked, confused.

"Heaven is no longer a place where we can speak freely." Raphael said, his tone becoming menacing. "That… that woman… ‘Jessica’. There is something deeply wrong with her."

Uzziel blinked. "Wrong? Wait… so we hath not come to awaken Michael?"

"Nay. I needed to spin a tale capable of confusing outside observers. Even now, I know not if our words art not still being intercepted. This domain is shielded by my powerful mind, and verily I shoulds’t senseth any who dare to intrude. But any level of secrecy can no longer be guaranteed, even in here. For now, tis’ the best I could come up with in so short a time."

The other three Archangels fell silent. Gabriel stroked his chin, then he nodded to himself.

"Ah. Thou art truly the wisest of us, brother. Now that I think back on our meeting with that Jessica, I remembereth the manner in which she arrived. How coulds’t she have known what we were discussing unless she were also able to spy on us?"

Camael sucked in a sharp breath. "Is this thy meaning, Raphael? The humans hath found a way to spy on Heaven? Even in our most secretive areas?"

"Indeed." Raphael said, his expression as dark as the Void. He scowled angrily as he thought about how that vixen had toyed with him from the very beginning. "Jessica and the Trueborns hath begun to turn Catherine against us. This much should be obvious for any of thee to see, but tis’ far from our biggest concern. What worries me the most is that I senseth a plot most foul to turn the Lazarites against us, with Catherine being the first stepping stone on a path to Heaven’s destruction!"

The other Archangels felt the blood drain from their faces.

"Impossible…" Uzziel said softly. "We have always treated the Lazarites well! Why woulds’t they turn against us?"

"Well? Dost thou truly believe the lives they formerly led on Earth were worse than the lives they now lead in Heaven?" Raphael scoffed. "We hath repeatedly held them back from going ‘too far’ in their building projects, experimenting with their powers, and so on. I fear that the Archseer mayeth swallowed dreams of certain key individuals within Heaven, perhaps even my own, and in this way, he mayeth uncovered the secrets of what Lazarites can truly accomplish!"

"If my conjecture doth be true, t’would mean a complete collapse of Heaven." Raphael said, his tone simmering with barely concealed rage. "The demons hath already fallen from the position of angelkind’s greatest enemy. Now, it appeareth the humans art in contention."

"If… the humans art such a threat…" Gabriel said gingerly, "…then why doth we not reject their offer?"

"Because we CANNOT!" Raphael roared, as she slammed his fist against the side of Michael’s coffin. The other Archangels jumped slightly. They couldn’t remember the last time they’d seen their eldest brother so angry. "These Trueborn are not to be taken lightly. Especially not that Cat Mask! Camael, thou knoweth more regarding the tapestry of time than any of the rest of us. What doth it mean when a human possesses the power to travel back in time an unlimited number of times?!"

Camael squeezed her eyes shut. She pressed her fingers against her forehead and fruitlessly attempted to massage an incoming headache.

"Such a power… goes against Akasha." Camael said with a grimace. "It shoulds’t not exist. Ever since the Great Shattering, I hath lost my ability to peer into the future. The way of Fate hath turneth as opaque as the walls in this cathedral."

"Hath thou ever been able to peer beyond the veil of Fate?" Raphael asked his sister pointedly.

"Indeed… well… nay…" Camael said, opening her eyes to frown deeply. "I… in the past, I was able… but no, I was… never able to see beyond… hmm? Strange. Why hath I never thought of this conundrum before? Surely, verily, I recalleth a time when I coulds’t peer into the future to determine… but nay, that hath never actually happened at all? Why doth two memories intermingle within my mind?"

A long silence followed. Raphael stared at the ground, his face contorted into an expression of rage.

"Because… Cat Mask." Raphael spat. "Verily, that human hath caused the Great Shattering. This ancient one remembers… thou prophesied t’would come one day… but it did not ‘come’… it hath always ‘been.’"

Question marks popped up over Uzziel’s head. "Hmm? Thou art saying the Great Shattering was destined to someday arrive, yet t’was always here? Brother, thy words make no sense!"

"I am equally mystified." Gabriel chimed in.

"Heh heh heh…" Raphael gurgled in his throat. "Cat Mask. This human frightens me. He went against Akasha’s way and somehow shattered the universe. I know not how he did it, only that he was responsible. If he hath truly witnessed an infinite number of futures, then he musteth observed our many reactions to the coming war. Doubtless, Jessica’s words were perfectly tailored to get us to do as Cat Mask wished."

The more Raphael spoke, the graver the other Archangel’s expressions became.

"Heaven is no longer safe." Camael muttered. "Our enemy doth be a time traveler who knows precisely what events shalt come to pass. We art being outmaneuvered at every turn…"

"If… if that is true… then what can we do?" Uzziel asked, nibbling her nails worriedly.

"I was taken by surprise." Raphael muttered. "I lack the time needed to contemplate the greater ramifications of today’s visit. I must attend to the battle against the demons first, then the rest of these issues afterward."

Uzziel looked at Michael’s sleeping body. She glanced at Raphael. "Brother, dost thou intendeth not to awaken Michael? I know thy words were but a deception upon whoever is observing us, but they did make sense to me…"

"Perhaps Michael mayeth possess insights that could assist us in our time of need?" Gabriel added. It seemed he wished to speak to Michael again as well.

But Raphael held up a palm to silence them.

"Nay. We mustn’t awaken Michael needlessly. He, and all the rest of us, must recuperate within our rings for a long period before we can permanently reawaken. Every instance when I hath awakened him temporarily in the past, I hath also delayed his return. Tis’ better to allow him to sleep as much as possible, restoring his soul’s energy over time. When he rises naturally, he shalt be capable of conversing with all of us at will."

"Oh… I see." Uzziel said, deflating a little. Michael had always been her second favorite sibling, after Samael. Not being able to talk to him for thousands of years had deeply saddened her, just as the death of Samael had. But she didn’t have any good arguments to rebuke her eldest brother. She certainly didn’t want to accidentally harm Michael just to soothe her own pangs of longing.

Raphael managed to calm himself down and cool his anger, but still, rage simmered below the surface.

"Catherine can no longer be trusted." Raphael said gloomily. "All those years spent training her hath gone to waste. She was to become a Valkyrie in the vein of her predecessor, but now we cannot make her a figurehead for the Lazarites, knowing she hath become a mole in our midst."

"Perhaps we can find a replacement?" Gabriel suggested.

"None who are similarly worthy exist, and training a new Lazarite shalt prove troublesome." Raphael muttered. "The revelation that Catherine was Joan’s sister would have made her appear divinely mandated for the position, but no other Lazarites possess similar clout. The ones who mayest are all former world leaders, with excessive political baggage that would drag them down in the eyes of their peers."

"Such matters needs’t wait until later." Camael said dismissively. "Let us focus on the coming battle. Brother, I fear that the demons mayeth a different objective beyond simply killing thee."

Raphael fell silent. His face changed expressions several times. It seemed he was harboring similar thoughts.

"The Lazarus Tower…" Raphael muttered.

"Aye." Camael said. "We hath kept the secret of Valac’s Lantern to ourselves all these years. Never hath we spoken of its existence to anyone, not even King Zeus. All along, we believed the demons had not learned of the truth behind the Lazarus Tower."

"Outwardly, we hath already declared that the Tower alloweth the Lazarites to reform from deceased humans." Uzziel said. "Tis’ not unthinkable to me that the demons hath realized destroying the Tower shalt cripple our future military strength."

"This is indeed the most likely possibility." Raphael grumbled. "If the demons doth not truly wish to kill one or more of the Archangels, then destroying the Tower shalt be their next most likely tactic."

"Assuming the demons dids’t learn of the Lantern, woulds’t stealing it bring them any benefit?" Camael questioned.

"Unlikely. We tied Michael’s power to the Lantern. That is how we were able to revive humans as Lazarites." Raphael replied. "Thus, the demons cannot use it to create their own ‘Lazarites’. The Lantern shalt grant them no tactical advantage. Destroying it is the only way in which they mayeth benefit."

"Then we needeth reinforce the defenses around the Lazarus Tower." Camael concluded. "This is a matter the Titans can assist us with. They art more than powerful enough to assist, and no ground army shalt be able to push past an enraged Titan King. Zeus alone is ten times the warrior he was during the Ancient Era, to say nothing of his progeny."

Raphael thought of Heaven’s layout. The Lazarus Tower was extremely conspicuous. It was positioned in one of the centermost areas, far from the Sinai portal, but close enough that a wall of determined Demon Emperors might be able to rush it down and destroy it. It was hundreds of meters tall, and could be seen from nearly anywhere in Heaven. A glowing gem atop the tower served as a beacon, similar to the North Star when looking up at Earth’s night sky.

In truth, destroying the Tower wouldn’t accomplish anything. Camael had built the Tower, and she could rebuild it again. The issue was the Lantern itself. If the demons knew of the Lantern’s existence, then they could destroy it, and that would permanently end the rebirth cycle of Lazarites.

Raphael would be quite annoyed if the Tower were destroyed, but within a year or two, Camael would have rebuilt it, and the flow of Lazarites would continue. It was protecting the Lantern that was his top priority… as well as hiding its existence.

"Why not simply remove the Lantern?" Gabriel questioned. "One of us could carry it a while."

"The Lantern’s aura hath been suppressed by the formations Camael placed in its storage chamber, deep below the Tower." Raphael said, shaking his head. "If we were to extract it, every demon Grunt within a thousand kilometers woulds’t sense its presence, along with the lesser Angels, and the Titans to boot. After Michael empowered the Lantern, its might hath grown considerably."

"If we remove the Lantern, the formations will break down." Camael added. "In the end, I woulds’t need to rebuild the Tower from scratch all over again, the same as if the demons destroyed the Tower."

"Better to suffer a short setback than to risk losing everything." Gabriel said.

Once again, all four Archangels fell silent. A war raged inside Raphael’s mind.

He couldn’t think of any methods the demons would use to steal the Lantern and turn it into their own demon-Lazarite resurrection machine. The Lantern’s other uses were not great in his eyes, and certainly not worth starting a war over.

Thus, destroying the Lantern, destroying the Tower, or killing one or more Archangels seemed the most obvious goal of this demon attack. Everything had started when the demons learned of the two Trueborn, so this attack must be borne of desperation, lacking in prep time.

Raphael could remove the Lantern and take it somewhere else. If he did, the Titans would sense its presence, and many questions would be asked. Troublesome questions…

The Archangel of Wisdom had no idea if the humans knew of the Lantern. Given the Archseer’s ability to ‘eat dreams’, perhaps he had learned of the Lantern at some point? Perhaps Cat Mask had uncovered its existence in a future timeline?

But then again, maybe Jessica had lied to the Archangels, and the stated powers of both Trueborn were lies! Maybe there was no time traveler and there was no Dream Eater. If so, then Raphael would be making a terrible mistake if he started assuming all his secrets had been spilled!

This left him at a crossroads. He had to make a decision, and that decision had ramifications so dire it nearly took his breath away.

"We… must gamble." Raphael eventually concluded. "Leave the Lantern in place. Guard the Tower. Pray our enemies believe the Tower itself is the source of the Lazarites, pray that destroying the Tower is their goal. If so, then the Lantern shalt remain hidden underground, the Titans will not learn of it, and we can rebuild at a future date."

"Gambling is not thy usual way of doing things." Camael observed, giving her eldest brother a side-glance of disapproval. "I am fine with rebuilding the Tower from scratch. T’would be safer to extract the Lantern."

"Doing so would guarantee our enemies and allies learn of its existence." Raphael said, holding up his palm. "I shalt not brook any further discussion on the matter. The Lantern is one of Heaven’s greatest secrets. We must not simply assume all our enemies hath become mind-reading, future-predicting monstrosities."

"I… disagree with thy decision." Camael said, closing her eyes and looking away. "But I shalt abide by it."

"As shalt I." Gabriel said with a nod.

"And I as well." Uzziel concluded.

Like this, the Archangels reached a consensus. Raphael instructed them to keep all sensitive discussions limited to ring-dialogues between one another.

Then, he broke the spell and returned them to reality.

War was coming.

Raphael was far less certain now of what the outcome would be than he was earlier that morning…