Got the Grimoire, Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Raziel smiled after his little introduction, clearly expecting some kind of reaction.

“Never heard of you,” I said truthfully. “Only named angels I know are Michael and Gabriel. Discounting fictional ones of course.”

“Ah yes, you belonged to that silly little sect,” Raziel mused as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Interesting ideas you all had…”

“Please don’t go giving me a crisis of faith…” I muttered.

Perfect white teeth shone from beneath his beard as he grinned. “You can always consider me just a projection of your imagination if you’d like. A construct of the Grimoire.”

“Are you?”

“Who can say?” He gestured to the table he’d been sitting at. It was now occupied by food. “Sit and eat while we talk. I promise, it’s good.”

It was a simple meal of flatbread, cheese, and fruit. A small dish of olive oil sat nearby. I shot Raziel an amused look and held up an apple slice. “And here I was expecting figs or dates. Seem to be leaning into the Biblical theme here.”

“I considered it, but you are thinking too limitedly, of the bounty of the Promised Land of the Israelites,” Raziel said. “I chose what you might enjoy the most from the bounty of this place.”

“Then we’re in…?”

“This is a memory of humanity’s first and oldest home. The Greeks called it ‘Elysium’, the Norse knew it as ‘Valhalla’.” He smiled fondly as he looked around. “You might think of it as ‘Eden’.”

“You’re comparing pagan afterlives with something out of the book of Genesis?” I asked curiously as I ate. The ingredients were simple, but tasted real and well made.

“Humanity remembers the beauty and simplicity of it’s origins and what is death if not a return to that?” Raziel hummed thoughtfully and then bit into a ripe plum. “Or perhaps both Elysium and Valhalla do truly exist.”

I blinked. “An angel acknowledging other religions? Not what I was expecting.”

“I try to be multi-faceted.”

“Speaking of… How exactly are you a Lord of Balance? I always figured the Big Guy was more of an Order sort…”

“I can see why you might believe that,” Raziel acknowledged. “Considering the law He handed down to Moses. But free will, the potential for Chaos, is just as much a part of creation as Order. A being such as I can embody both.”

“Never thought of it that way. But cool, I guess. Assuming that’s all true and you aren’t just a figment of my imagination.”

“Assuming so, yes.”

“So why exactly did you want to speak?”

“I wanted to take the measure of the mortal in possession of my powers. You are an interesting being. So powerful, yet willing to use your powers in service, rather than your own selfish desires. Not without your own self interest of course, but still admirable, in your mortal way. But now the time for games has ended.” He stared me dead in the eye. “Grant me control of your mortal shell and allow me to end this farce, once and for all.”

I blinked as he just smiled benevolently. “You really expect me to just hand over control of my body, just like that?”

“Why not? I am of the Heavenly Host, a direct son of the Most High. You are… mortal. A fragile creature of flesh and blood that lost it’s divine connection when you fell from grace eons ago. Think of what could be accomplished for this Earth if I used your gifts to their fullest capacity.” He waved a hand and an image was conjured beside us.

I saw the world as it could be. Peaceful streets. Endbringers gone. No parahumans running around with their ridiculous fights, causing untold damage. Scion vanquished. And more than that. Replaced, by a figure of divine power that raced around the world, vanquishing would be warlords as they rose to power. No, even quicker than that. Before. Threats whisked off the street before they could even be manifested. But it was so… I looked closer, somehow peeling apart the layers of Raziel’s vision to see even further than what he intended to show me.

Everything was stifled. Peace, at the cost of freedom. And more than that… Raziel was a Lord of Balance, not just Order or Chaos. For every country kept safe and peaceful, others were left to fend for themselves. Or in some cases, outright attacked and destroyed by him, because they threatened the delicate balance of the world that now hung on him alone.

I turned a blank stare at the angel within my soul. “I might not be perfect, but my decisions are my own. If I just took a back seat, then I’m not taking responsibility for my actions and make no mistake, those would be my actions. So I’ll have to decline your offer.”

“Decline?!” Raziel stood to his full height and I realized that he towered over me. “I offer you my full aid and you turn me down?!” Thunder rippled and roiled over us and silver fire seemed to spring up around the table we sat. A pair of iridescent wings formed behind the angel. “I am Raziel, an agent of the Presence, the Source of all light and life and,” he smiled and the entire light show simmered down, “I believe I approve of you, in some small way.” He sat back down and pulled a cup of tea from the swirling aether, then took a sip.

“You… approve?” I asked, confused. “I’ve barely used my powers as a Lord of Balance. I tap into them on occasion, but fully immersed in them as I did today is a far more rare occurrence.”

“Indeed,” Raziel agreed.

“So you don’t think I should really go around ending wars like in that little image you showed me?”

“Mak,” Raziel chuckled. “Angels are powerful beings. Any single one us could cause untold damage to the mortal world. We are kept in check by the forces of Hell of course, what you could call a ‘cold war’, as an open conflict between the Heavenly Host and that of the Morningstar could sunder reality as you know it, but even if that were the case… My brothers and I only rarely intervene so directly in the affairs of humanity. Perhaps once in the past we had a more open hand, but that is not how we operate any longer. Small nudges, bits of direction, are all that we are allowed to give these days.”

“Why? If you have the power and the desire, then… why allow bad things to keep happening?”

“Because then humanity would not be truly free to make their own choices,” Raziel explained. “When you mortals first fell from grace, He could have just wiped you from the Earth and started over. But that negates choice, the ability for humanity to make their own decisions.” His tone, which had slipped into that of a lecturer, became chagrined. “But you are not here for a lesson in history or theology. I just wanted to get the measure of you and assure you that I am here for anything that you might require. I have many millenniums of experience to draw upon, do not hesitate to ask.”

“I appreciate that. Do you… approve of my actions so far?”

“It is not my place to judge,” Raziel said bluntly. “But my powers are not something to be used lightly. So far you have been… careful. Cautious, especially for a human. Your kind tend to seek and hold onto power with a fierce tenacity.”

“I can’t exactly deny that.”

“But you’ve resisted the urge to use it selfishly. Well… Too selfishly at least,” he amended. “But far better than I might have expected. I fully appreciate however, that my power should be used to their full to combat the Entities from beyond the stars.” He let out a visible shudder. “Vile creatures. It is not my place to question the Source, but… I do wonder what their purpose is at times.”

“You and me both. So you’ve encountered them before?”

“Indeed.”

“And how did you fight them?”

Raziel grimaced. “We didn’t. We just sealed them away.”

“Well… shit.”

“Language,” Raziel chided. “But yes, they are rather formidable beings. Before being locked away, I lost several brothers to them. Be careful, is what I’m saying.”

“Sure, alright…” I fought the urge to twitch as I contemplated fighting something that could go toe to toe with a DC Angel. Hopefully power-scaling was all just B.S. “Well, I can’t say it was a pleasure, as I’m just a lot more confused than anything else, but it’s good to officially meet you and remember it.”

“Likewise, my young friend. I wish you well in the struggles to come.”

Our surroundings began to glow brightly and-

***

-I awoke abruptly, the soul deep ache from my previous usage of the Vestments still present, but noticeably less painful than before. A muscle that had to be used and flexed, just not irresponsibly. I sat up and found myself still on the beach of the Boat Graveyard, Armsmaster and Lung gone, though Victoria floated above like a watchful sentinel. Once she noticed me sit up, she flew down with a brilliant grin.

“Well that was quick! How are you feeling?” She hovered with feet dangling just a hair above the sand. “Your boss said that you did that before and it took you at least an hour to get back up.”

“Lung was easier to fight,” I said while taking a moment to stand and stretch. Something in my back popped with a rather satisfying feeling of released pressure. “Or maybe I’m just stronger than I was then.”

“Scary thought,” Vicky mused. “You were already bullshit. Hell, you’ve been bullshit for most of the time I’ve known you.”

“Great power, great responsibility, you know the bit,” I waved her off.

“What?”

Oh right. No market for Spider-Man. What a damn shame.

“Just the words of a wise man. Armsmaster leave any instructions?”

“Yeah.” She gave me a rather serious nod, then cleared her throat and started doing a rather decent impersonation of Colin. “ ‘Tell Magus when he gets up that he’s needed on the Rig and PRTHQ to help treat the wounded. If he objects, inform him that Panacea is already assisting injured civilians.’ Those words exactly.”

“You are such a theater kid.”

“Thanks! I try. Anyway, I’m going to go check on Ames. See ya!” Victoria waved goodbye as she began to float back up into the sky.

“Later, GG. Thanks for keeping an eye out.”

“Someone’s got to when Crystal is too busy,” she shouted down.

After shooting me one last thumbs up, she rocketed off into the city. I rolled my shoulders to release some more tension, feeling like I’d engaged Lung in hand to hand combat rather than pelting him with spells from a distance. I mean there had been a punch or two thrown, but it wasn’t like I’d used raw physical force the way someone like Alexandria might have.

“This is Magus,” I said, tapping my earpiece. “Requesting permission to teleport on over to the Rig.”

“Hold for just a minute…” A minute of silence passed. “Confirmed, Magus,” the stressed voice I didn’t recognize replied. “Be advised, you will be subjected to a brief M/S check before being allowed further into the facility. Arrive on landing pad Alpha and await further instruction.”

“Copy.”

With a gesture and a focused effort of will, I temporarily tricked space into thinking that the landing pad and the beach were the same location before allowing reality to reassert itself. Too sunny for a shadow jump and based on current paranoia levels, me just appearing inside the base would be… troublesome.

I barely had to wait a moment before Armsmaster and a squad of PRT troopers were hustling out.

My team leader didn’t waste a moment, just scanning me briefly with his visor. “It’s him and Valefor is confirmed KIA. Dismissed, all of you. Magus, with me.”

He turned on his heel and I had to take a few quick steps to catch up and follow just behind him. “How are we looking?”

“Like a bunch of idiots,” Armsmaster growled. “Explosives all over the city, the Empire finally boiling over, then the confirmation that Valefor had Kaiser under his sway…” He glanced at me. “The Director said that you shared that little theory with her just the other day. Why didn’t you trust me with it?”

“It was just a theory, sir, and…” I hesitated. “I’m aware of some of the Empire Eighty-Eight’s civilian identities. I thought that my theory might cause a lapse in judgment on your part that could have led to some violations of the unwritten rules.”

He tensed. “You don’t trust me?”

“I do, sir, but I didn’t want to tempt you. I know that the rules can be loose at times, but it wouldn’t look good for us if we leveraged the identity of a villain and then learned that he was being Mastered. Someone would twist the truth and then it would become a big old mess.”

“Perhaps. But it should have been my call.” He stopped and turned to me, looming in his suit of armor. Then he very carefully set a gauntleted hand on my shoulder, somehow making the gesture seem genuinely friendly despite the inherent threat. “I haven’t survived and thrived as a hero for this long without showing at least some tact and discretion. I appreciate what you were trying to do, but next time, keep me in the loop. Technically you’re my direct subordinate and Piggot is my superior, you going straight to her looks like you’re going over my head.”

“I understand, sir.”

“Good.” We resumed our march through the Rig’s corridors, signs of recent battle all too clear. “You probably have some questions of your own.”

Ah good. Permission. “How bad?”

“Twenty-one troopers, a dozen agents, and four civilian support staff are dead. Miss Militia is in the infirmary with multiple gunshot wounds,” Armsmaster said grimly. “Exact casualties in the city are going to take days to sort out while search and rescue assist. You and Panacea’s assistance will be invaluable, I’m sure.”

I winced at the figures. That was… worse than I hoped, better than I feared. “And the bad guys?”

“We have forty-seven non-powered members in custody,” he replied in a neutral tone. Then just a hint of satisfaction entered in. “Twenty-three casualties among their number, most of those thanks to Militia once I gave the order to cut lose. Crusader is dead, I had no choice but to cut him down. Alabaster, is gone as far as we can tell, no regeneration. You were surprisingly merciful toward the rest,” he said with renewed neutrality. “Considering the scope of their crimes, you could have killed them and gotten away with it.”

“…Killing should never be the first option. Sometimes necessary, yes, but never the first solution. I don’t want to be the kind of hero who gets too used to ending a life. Alabaster was… an accident? A warning? I’m not sure, I was a bit power drunk at the time,” I admitted.

“And the rest? You defeated them soundly, but no further casualties.”

“Degrees of force, sir. I was tapping into the powers I used to help Eidolon drive back Ziz. It would have been overkill. Besides,” I shrugged. “Prison is a more fitting punishment. Let them watch as the city gets better without them and rejoices at their downfall.”

“Hm.” Armsmaster didn’t give away either approval or disapproval. “By the way, your paramour might be in some legal trouble.”

I frowned. “What?”

“Paramour, it means-“

“I have a good vocabulary, I meant why is she in trouble?” I asked.

“Valefor didn’t technically have a kill order,” he explained. “I considered perhaps using this as leverage to bind New Wave closer to the Protectorate,” a reassuring smile flickered across his face at my expression. “But I’ve decided that maintaining good relationships with them and sending a message to villains out there is far more important.” He paused. “Not to mention that I agree with the action itself. Valefor was by far the most dangerous cape present, sans yourself, and needed to be dealt with in some fashion. I’ll be making my case to the Director later.”

“I appreciate that. Crystal just thought she was protecting me.”

“Indeed, I’ll be sure to include that in my statement to Piggot.” I noticed a flicker of hesitation in him, but he continued. “Though we might expect some trouble. The leader of the Fallen is notorious for a reason.”

“A problem for another day.”

On that note, we arrived at the entrance to the infirmary. The head doctor of the PRT ENE, Doctor Felix, stood waiting with an already lit cigarette.

“ ‘Bout time you got here,” the grumpy old man said, with a shake of his head. “Was starting to wonder.”

“Doc,” I greeted him happily. “Good to see you.”

Armsmaster frowned and looked at the cigarette. “This isn’t a smoking zone.”

“And I don’t want my hands to shake while I try and stitch up a wound,” Doc snapped. “So either let me get my nicotine fix or hire a younger doctor.”

“Our budget did just get a boost,” Armsmaster mused. “I’ll consider it.”

“Good, then maybe I can retire in peace. What are you waiting for, boy? Come on in and start fixing people!” Doc barked at me.

I nearly saluted, but forced myself to just not quickly and step into the room behind him. I was immediately assaulted by that vague ‘hospital’ stench. That and blood of course.

“Militia is your first case,” Doc said, striding past the beds containing ordinary troopers and into a more secluded area. “She’s got the worst injuries.”

I entered the cramped, but private room, and winced at the state of my fellow hero. She was missing most of her costume, but all the sensitive bits were covered by bandages and medical dressings anyway. She was hooked up to more than a few machines that seemed like they were doing more than just monitoring, but also keeping her alive.

“They found her half buried under half a dozen Empire bastards,” Doc said to me. “They had to dogpile her to keep her from cutting them all down with a gun or worse and even then they still paid for it with their lives. She’s a tough lady, that’s for sure.”

“No shit,” I agreed.

Her hand was free, so I clasped it and began to tap into the healing magecraft I’d used before, but then-

Allow me.

Pure white light emanated from where I was gripping Miss Militia’s hand and her eyes snapped open to full alertness. Doc stepped forward and quickly began the process of unhooking her from the machines.

“Your healing get an upgrade?” Doc asked as he worked.

“Ummm… Yeah, something like that.” Can you do that all the time?

No. Raziel said sadly. But hers is a soul filled with faith. In her comrades and her country for the most part, but it was enough to count.

That’s… good. A little vague though.

Many things in life are. Now I believe you have other patients to get to.

He was right, so I went about using my more basic healing magecraft to begin the process of getting the PRT troopers back on their feet. Due to the speed at which that form of healing worked, I focused on stabilization first, making sure troopers were off of death’s doorstep before moving onto the next. Twice more, Raziel stepped in and inexplicably healed a trooper completely with just the barest effort. It was super convenient, though I reminded myself not to rely on it.

I was just getting done with the last patient when my personal phone began vibrating rather insistently. I saw that it was a local number, so I hesitantly answered once I found a curtained off area.

“Hello?”

“Good afternoon, am I speaking to uh… Makan- Makana,” a hesitant male’s voice tried and failed to pronounce my full name.

“It’s just Mak. What’s this about? I’m at work right now and things are a little crazy.”

“Yes, sir, I understand, things are rather crazy for all of us right now. I’m calling from Brockton Memorial Hospital. You’re the emergency contact listed on file for one Miss Lisa Wilbourn. If you could get down here as soon as possible-“

I didn’t hear the rest because I was too busy sprinting.
***
A/N: BumbumBUM! Dramatic ending is obviously not going to end poorly, because yours truly hates sad things/ angst. So fully revealed the nature of Mak's Lord of Balance. I toyed for a while with who/ what they would be. I actually couldn't find any actual Lords of Balance for DC, just a vague reference that Nabu (Doctor Fate) killed them all for some reason. Some contenders were Fate and Klarion as a pair, the Fallen Angel Lasciel (or more accurately, her shadow, Lash) from the Dresden Files, and some others not even worth mentioning. Then I decided, 'heck, why not make it an angel' and did a little research. Raziel fits pretty well with all his titles, though I didn't dig into his supposed personality as I don't really care.

Anyway, sorry for the super late posting. I had an event this weekend that I was helping out with, so I've been waking up before 6 a.m and then busy until the evening each day. This evening was the first properly uninterrupted chance I've had to write all weekend. Thank God it's Memorial Day tomorrow, I might actually die if I had to go to work. Hope y'all enjoy the chapter and I'll catch you later :)