Bab 102: High Heaven III
Irwin shuddered at the angel's words. Sweat poured through his pores like rainwater. Fire burned in his nerves as his lungs contracted so much that he thought he may be having a panic attack.
The presence of the angel, although overbearing as it ever was, now became much more dreadful and fraught with danger. It was as if the world was turning against him.
It seems that he was having a panic attack.
Who wouldn't when a fact of life that one so wholly believed to be true turned out to be false? It felt as if the sky had never been blue, but rather a shade of green, and as if the world was not only flat but also built atop a giant walking turtle, carried by four elephants.
Still, he focused on the effects of not having Chuck on this universe. There surely many repercussions, more so during the height of the war of Heaven and Hell.
The first thing that came to his mind was that Sam and Dean would no longer have a valuable ally that could gather information about the ongoings of the world. If he remembered it correctly, it was Chuck that allowed Sam and Dean to look for Micheal's Spear and, thus, gaining the knowledge that Dean was Micheal's vessel.
Second was that, without him, Lilith would be able to seduce Sam with her demon blood. Or is it the fact that Chuck existed that Lilith could find their location? Chuck wanted a front-row seat at a drama and action packed show, so he must have sicced Lilith at Dean and Sam to find out what they will do to avoid her.
'No, focus, Irwin. Neither of these reasons could disrupt the plot of the show. I could just tell the Winchester's their entire purpose of existence or just have Lilith not be fucking born by not activating the Devil's Gate in Wyoming.'
Irwin calmed himself and could not help but silently chuckle that his first response to a severe derailment of the known plot was to hyperventilate and nearly kill himself by trying not to breathe.
His fists unclenched itself, adopting the same emotion as that of his mind. He gazed up and saw that Zachariah was still speaking–no, conversing–with someone. He must have been using Angel Radio, Irin thought.
"My lord, fear not, for I have a solution to our problems?" He said, bowing down in deference.
Zachariah gazed at him with an inquisitive brow. "Really? A heathen like you can help me?"
"Yes, my lord. A Coven under my command will raid the island and destroy the den of evil. Our only problem is the shield surrounding the island and that they may release Barchiel upon us." He suggested.
Zachariah chuckled, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "Well, ain't that a peach? Let's, uh, what's the human word–Oh, here we go…"
Zachariah disappeared before Irwin's eyes and, before the latter knew it, the angel had his hand around Irwin's neck and had pressed him against the wall.
"Let's cut the bullshit, witch." Zachariah grinned, showing rows of white teeth. "How is it that you could use Enochian sigils and yet possess a complete and powerful soul?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" A grin appeared on Irwin's face.
Zachariah's hand glowed white and seared Irwin's neck; the smell of burnt flesh pervading the room.
"Spicy, aren't we?" Zachariah clicked his tongue, clearly amused. "I don't really care about that fool, if he was stupid enough to get captured. He won't make a difference, anyway. But what have you got so worked up?"
Irwin groaned, straining lightly against the angel's grip. "I want Dagon dead and if you help me… I'll tell you where Gabriel is!"
His hand gripped the wall tightly, dividing his concentration easily partly in thanks to his Enhanced Physique.
Zachariah's eyes widened, an unusual act for a vessel of a higher being. "H–"
"C'mon, man. We all know your boss's been riding up your ass since Lucifer's gonna rise soon. Don't you want another powerhouse on your side 'cause Lucifer ain't just gonna sit down while Micheal does his shit." Irwin erupted in laughter as his modified Angel Banishing Sigil was partly completed.
Zachariah scoffed at his audacity, his grip growing tighter. "You dare speak to me–"
"Why don't we chill for a while," Irwin interrupted, finishing his sigil in time.
Zachariah was late to realize the blazing red illumination coming from Irwin's hand, but the moment he did, the light overtook his body.
The angel was gone, banished from the room and, most probably, from the mountain. Irwin knew that it wouldn't take long before Zachariah would come back and he would be more pissed off than before.
"Fucking arrogant pricks." He muttered, caressing his burnt neck that will soon heal within an hour. "Alright, calm down. Prophet's out and Gabriel's been placed. I think I only need more incentive… should I throw in the Winchesters? You know what, yeah. A favor to convince Dean to be Micheal's vessel ought to be fair. It's not like that's gonna happen since I'll probably be strong enough by then."
He tidied up a bit, acquiring a chair from the closet to the left, and waited for Zachariah to appear once more. It took a while for the angel to appear once more, but once it did, it did so with more force than his previous entrance.
Lightning hurtled across the room as it tried to strike Irwin's form. Fortunately for him, lightning was considered a physical attack, thus allowing him to mitigate the damage by enveloping himself with his Energy Shield.
A voice bellowed from within the storm of lightning as Zachariah appeared, disheveled and dirtied from being thrown across Earth like a meteor.
"YOU INSUFFERABLE MAGGOT!"
As the voice boomed into existence, so did a wave of ethereal energy that sent Irwin flying across the room. His back crashed against the smooth granite wall, widening the webbed cracks and deepening the indentation amidst the sea of flickering defensive sigils.
Although disoriented from the wave and ears popping from the crackling electricity, Irwin could still sense Zachariah growing closer and, in a bid for self-preservation, enacted his plan.
"Dean Winchester."
The name halted Zachariah's feet. The swirling Grace that willed forth the terrifying lightning disappeared as fast as it had appeared.
"What–"
"Don't ask why I know that name or how I came to possess the next bit of information. Just know that once he is ready." For the first since their encounter, Irwin gazed at Zachariah's eyes. "I will persuade him to consent."
Irwin could feel a disgusting, archaic power scanning his body and left himself open to be probed, for he knew Zachariah would see that he was telling nothing but the truth.
"Tell me why I should not–"
Irwin interrupted with the answer to the angel's question. "Because even Micheal wouldn't like the answer to that question. After all, there are only three people besides me who can currently converse with Him."
Zachariah's eyes shuddered under the assumption of his words. The shadowy tendrils that formed a silhouette of his iridescent wings trembled under the consequences of his actions as it receded back into its domain.
Irwin knew that, although He had not shown himself to his children for eons, His words still rang true to each and everyone of them. Even Lucifer.
This was his gamble when he planned to talk with the Host of Heaven. A gamble he won.
After a moment of contemplation, Zachariah gazed back at Irwin in a brand-new outlook. "What is it you want?"
"A quid pro quo. I tell you where Gabriel is and you destroy the shield and other large-scale defenses on the island. I will vow–using whatever heavenly oath you want or artifact–to do my best to persuade Dean Winchester to agree to be Micheal's vessel against the fight with Lucifer in exchange for a one-time deal of lending me a Garrison of Angels to fight against Dagon and, more importantly, keeping our deal a secret, even from Micheal."
Zachariah scoffed. "Don't you think that's a bit–"
"Unfair? Not really, but I don't care." Noticing how skeptical Zachariah looked even after all the God hubbub, Irwin gritted his teeth and said, "One-Time offer, Zachariah. I'll give you a hint on where to find a Hand of God."
Zachariah appeared surprised that Irwin knew of a powerful weapon as he replied, "What? How do you–"
Irwin shook his finger. "One-time offer. Once I'm gone, it's off the table."
"Deal." Zachariah agreed to his terms, sweat unnaturally forming upon his vessel's temple.
Irwin broke an inward sigh of relief once he heard the angel's words, but his exterior expression did not change as he nodded solemnly. "Good," He said. "Gabriel's using the identity of Loki, a trickster god. He's somewhere In the Midwest, I don't know the exact location. Just have your angels read the newspaper for jackasses who got what they deserve."
"I don't know what any of that means, but alright." Zachariah nodded. "What of the Hand Of–"
"After the raid." Irwin said, eyeing the angel critically. "Have your Angel Garrison appear on this mountain the day before and tell them to follow my every command. I may be mortal, but even I can kill an angel when I'm pissed."
"Do not worry. I will put my personal Garrison in charge of this. Lend me your hand to secure the deal." Zachariah held out his hand, which Irwin took.
A searing pain, not unlike that of the pain lingering within his neck, assaulted Irwin's outstretched wrist as a branding appeared on the surface, clearing away his sweat and blood.
"The branding will identify you as an ally and someone of greater respect than them." He said, but Irwin knew that there was another effect of the branding.
■■
Marks: Zachariah's Essence
■■
If his guess was correct, Zachariah could track him down, even if he was to leave Earth or use any non-detection spells like the one Castiel engraved upon the Winchester's bones.
But Irwin knew better than to complain, as he could always remove it with the help of his sub-system. This way, Zachariah would be reassured about this shady deal.
"Good luck with your endeavors," Zachariah said, "You'll need it."
The angel flapped his wings and left the room without so much as a noise, as if he was never been here in the first place. The only thing that remained of his presence was the branding on Irwin's wrist.
Irwin grinned. "Let's kill a fucking demon."
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As usual, no chapter tomorrow.
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Power 
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