FOR ONCE, AXEL'S INSTINCTS KICK IN.

He only narrowly dodges the bullet, as it whizzes past his ear- just as both Bea and Corban draw their guns.

Two sharp bangs ring out in the air, and two bullets- one from each of their weapons, lodge themselves into each leg making Gale let out a grunt as his knees give away.

"You?" Bea hisses lowly, her eyes dark and furious, "Are you fucking serious Reynolds?"

Gale only lets out a pained groan in response, eyeing the pool of blood that was slowly starting to surround him. "For fucks sake-"

"Y'know, it makes a lot of sense, actually," Corban murmurs lowly, his gun still drawn, "How convenient was it, that you seemed to disappear every time something went wrong, hmm?"

Stella's eyes narrow in on him, with a steely glare.

She blamed herself for looking at the wrong signs this whole time... for looking at someone innocent like Winston- and conjuring and speculating signs that were never there.

It was obvious, so painfully obvious- yet she had chosen to overlook every obvious sign- choosing to go with signs she thought were there.

But the one conclusion that she had chosen to see in Winston, made its presence known in her mind-

-the only way a traitor could get around with little assistance, was if they had an inconspicuous network across the entire unit.

And Gale did have an inconspicuous network across the unit- all at his fingertips.

As a top clearance computer analyst, he had a network of all data in the unit at his fingertips- data that he could use to plan behind their backs, data that he could use to frame others, data that he could use to cover his tracks- so much data that he could use for his conniving needs.

He had been doing it all right under their noses.

And Corban was right-

Gale never had a solid alibi every time something went wrong.

Everything that did go wrong, could actually trace back to him in a remarkably simple manner.

The day they were attacked at Axel's spot.

Gale had said he was sleeping that morning. Was he, really?

He had been furious when he was told that he'd have to work with someone else.

If you're trying to hide something, why wouldn't you be?

The computer signal that was planted at a gang warehouse, that nearly got them killed. The anonymous tip that was sent to Blackwood.

Piece of cake for a computer analyst, wasn't it?

He disappeared when they were almost caught and came back later claiming to have been attacked.

He could've planned for all of them to get killed by Blackwood's men- something easily dismissible as a freak accident and returned as a sole supposedly distraught survivor.

Admittedly, that plan didn't work- and he had tried to blame the whole thing on Elijah.

Suspicious indeed that he had never found a signal that he planted there on his own, wasn't it?

All the files about the case had disappeared.

Again, how hard was that for a computer analyst? What's to say he didn't delete all traces of it right in front of them, under the pretense of looking for footprints?

And of course, the red eyes.

Gale went rigid every time it was mentioned.

She had made all those connections in her mind in exactly four seconds, and as her eyes slowly turn to meet a pair of gleaming crimson ones- judging by the self satisfied smirk on his face, she knows Lucien can see the realization dawn on hers.

The humans, however, seemed too busy in their glare-off to realize the four-second understanding she had just come to.

"Clearly, you weren't smart enough to figure it out in time," Gale sneers, his eyes cold as they lift to meet Corban's, "you've still lost- you know that, don't you?"

"You didn't win," Bea scoffs, her eyes narrowing into slits, "We're taking you," she glances at Lucien for a moment, before looking back at him, "and your friend into custody."

Lucien lets out a snort at that, as he leans back into the wall- simply watching the scene as if it were amusing.

"Take me into custody?" he repeats mockingly, a snide smirk on his lips, "I would love to see how that pans out."

"You better have a good explanation for whatever the fuck you've been up to," Corban snaps at Gale, though his wary eyes flicker towards Lucien for a moment, "because you're going to be spending the rest of your pathetic life in prison, anyway."

Though Gale was trying to conceal it, it was evident that he was in pain. His expression was tight, and every part of his body was tense- but he still manages a bitter smile.

"It isn't me that's pathetic," he says lowly, "it's the law enforcement that's pathetic. Law enforcement put my brother in a psych ward because he loved a girl, and law enforcement put my father in prison because he got involved with the wrong people. Law enforcement fucked them over, and I was going to do just the same-"

"-because my loyalty to my family," he smiles- even though it's unmistakeably painful for him, "precedes everything. Blood is thicker than-"

BANG!

He falls backward with a thump, blood pouring out of the bullet wound in between his eyes- silencing what were supposed to be his last words.

All their eyes flicker to Axel whose gun is pointed straight at the body that was now motionless on the ground, surrounded by scarlet.

"I did say," he murmurs, his tone almost sinister, "that I'd put a bullet through his skull, didn't I?"

The swirls of grey in his eyes had darkened like a storm ready to roar, and as he lifts them to meet Lucien's across the room, even the angel's expression momentarily falters at the anger on his face.

"Dear me," Lucien says, recovering in a second- blatant amusement flitting across his chiseled features, "Furious, are you? Almost startled me for a moment."

There's a twitch in Axel's cheek, as he moves to lift his gun- but a firm voice stops him.

"Axel," Corban says, his voice hard, "Stand down. That is an order."

Axel's hand seems to have a mind of its own, however. Though he raises the gun until it's pointed straight at Lucien, his finger never pulls the trigger.

Because he listens to the order.

This...man in front of them, had just said he was the angel of wars. No angel at that position would be lacking strength. Shooting at him, would not be wise.

All their weapons were now pointed straight at Lucien, who seemed completely nonchalant about the ordeal- only raising an eyebrow at all of them.

"Sir," Corban says to Lucien, through gritted teeth, "I'm going to need you to put your hands in the air-"

"My hands in the air?" Lucien bites his lip as if to contain an amused smile from breaking out, as Corban clenches his jaw in annoyance, "Alright."

Stella narrows her eyes at him. What was he playing at?

It's quiet as he slowly lifts both arms into the air. So quiet, that each of them can hear each other's breathing- as they watch him cautiously in tense silence.

Just as both his hands lift above his head, he pauses- making everybody in the room tense further.

And then, he flicks his wrist.

The weapons in their hands drop.

All their eyes widen in alarm, but as Axel moves to reach down to pick it up- his instincts kicking in again, almost immediately- his body doesn't move.

What the-?

He frowns at his arms- one that is by his side, and one still lifted in the air from where he was holding the gun- as he tries to move them again, but they're immobile.

No matter how hard Axel grits his teeth, and wills the muscles in his arms, torso, and legs to move- they don't.

"Guys," he hears Bea say shakily from behind him, "I-I don't know what's happening, but I can't-I can't move-"

"What the fuck?" he hears Corban mutter angrily, "What's happening?"

His neck, fortunately, seemed mobile enough to allow him to turn to look at both of them - judging by the panicked expression on Bea's face and the furious expression on Corban's - he figured they were having the same problem.

"What did you do to them?"

His head turned back to where Stella was standing in front of all of them, her figure radiating equal amounts of anger and fury.

The ripple of energy that thrummed through the air when she spoke, seemed stronger than the last two- and he was sure, that her figure was glowing a tad bit brighter than it usually did.

"Angel of wars, Stella," he reminds her smugly, "I can control weapons and the instinct to fight in all creatures, with my mind. You seem to be forgetting an awful lot about what I am capable of, hmm?"

Stella only twirls the dagger in her hand- as the angel gold in her eyes gleam brightly- past the grey and green- as another burst of energy moves across the room- making Lucien falter in his stance.

"It seems-" she says softly, as she grips the hilt, the muscles in her arm tensing,

"-that you've forgotten an awful lot about what I'm capable of, too."

Faster than light, the dagger embeds itself into the wall above where he was standing.

A single golden lock of hair from Lucien's head falls to the ground slowly- right next to his feet- from where it had sliced through the air- and through his hair.

He blinks at it, his expression blank- before his eyes slowly lift to meet hers.

"Next time-" Stella's grip on her second dagger tightens, as she points it at him,

"-it won't be your hair that gets cut off."

The amusement in his countenance seems to be missing, now- and though his face was unreadable- there was a certain darkness brewing behind the calm, blank exterior.

"You will release the humans," she says to him, the blade of her weapon glinting threateningly under the faint glow she was giving out, "and you will return with me to confess your crimes."

He only looks at her, his head tilting to the side- before his lips thin into an unpleasant look.

"I will do no such thing," he jeers, "Step out of my way, Stella- or I will be forced to fight you. I have the upper hand," he gestures to the poisoned blade tucked away in his belt, "remember that?"

It makes her hesitate, but she doesn't show it.

It was worrying that the blade coated in Aethra- was deadly poison to her, and her alone.

Just as stars at birth collapse and crumble, then grow into spectacular balls of light- when her wings were born from the light of a thousand stars, and the stardust from across the universe's brightest galaxies formed her- it didn't all begin without ruin.

Because as the angel of the stars, she was quite literally born the way a star was born.

And just the way a star collapses upon itself before it shines, the very destruction that led to her birth- created something that could ruin her- and scattered it across the universe.

That's why they called it, Aethra. It quite literally translated to bright sky- and just the way she was born from light, her death could be in the hands of it too.

A part of Stella already had a terrible feeling about how this was going to go- and it wasn't in her favor.

It made her regret her timing.

It made her regret never telling Axel that she was considering it. That she was considering abandoning heavenly residence, allowing herself to age with him, here, on his planet.

It made her regret never seeing the obvious signs in Gale and Lucien so that they'd never have to end up here- at this very confrontation.

And mostly, it made her regret never telling Axel why the green in her eyes was almost completely displaced by grey.

If only, she had done something about it all, in time.

Funny how she could harness time, but she had still been too late, wasn't it?

But better late, than never. It was for the greater good.

So, she took a deep breath, meeting Lucien's unfamiliar red eyes- never once letting the fear, regret, or hesitation slip - as she held her head high.

"Then maybe," she says firmly, her dagger firm and ready in her hand, "You will be forced to fight me."

She wasn't stupid. She knew she didn't have the upper hand, and she knew that she might be fighting a losing battle.

But she would be damned if she didn't go down putting up a good fight.

Lucien's eyebrows raise by a millimeter, his red eyes flashing- but he makes no move to reach for the poisoned dagger in his belt.

With his eyes still on her, however, he reaches for the blade that was rooted in the wall right above him and pulls it out in one swift motion.

"Very well," he says patronizingly, twirling it before grasping its hilt, "Do not say I did not warn you."

And then, he allows his wings to unfurl.

The feathers were glowing white like snow, but they were streaked with blood - with one streak, for every battle or war that was waged the planet he had descended on.

Her own wings unfurl from behind her, golden and gleaming- while she worked to conceal the small flare of victory in her chest, that was threatening to allow a smile to slip.

Because that, was what she had wanted.

Two angels had revealed their wings on earth, which meant two bursts of gamma rays were on their way to the heavens.

A single burst of light was a big enough alert there, but two?

Rain would know something was wrong. Her brother was incredibly smart that way.

Though her link with the other angels back in heaven had waned due to her descent, she could almost feel his concern stirring in the back of her mind- and she just knew that he wouldn't rest.

He'd descend, and he'd bring help along soon-and then Lucien would no longer have the upper hand.

So, till her brother arrived, she'd have to hold up against him- and pray to all the stars that he didn't wield the poisoned blade.

Surprisingly, Lucien lunges for her first.

She dodges it easily- despite the element of surprise.

Relentless, he fakes to one side, and lunges for the other- but she manages to dodge that too, her wings lowering- ducking underneath his arm, and driving her elbow into his back, while the back of her foot meets his shin- making him stumble.

And when he turns around to look at her, his eyes slightly wide in surprise- this time, it's Stella that smirks at him darkly.

Because if there was one good thing that came from their centuries of friendship, it was that Lucien was the one that had trained her.

It was obvious that the angel of wars would always have spontaneous plans and tricks up his sleeve- to trick and deceive the enemy into his demise.

But Lucien had made the mistake of teaching her every trick in the book while underestimating her strength and ability.

Stella was created to be smarter, stronger, and faster than the angels that came before her- despite lacking the experience.

So, he might have had the upper hand in a weapon, she had the upper hand in combat- because she knew had come to work out exactly how his mind functioned and could anticipate his every move.

She only allows herself to pause for a second, to watch the realization set in his expression- before she grits her teeth, swinging her arm and letting her dagger slash through the side of his arm, as it draws blood.

He hisses, straightening and dodging her blade- as he lunges for her wing with his weapon. Her face scrunches when the tip of the dagger grazes her wings, but other than that, she shows no sign of pain.

The humans in the room, could only watch the two angels battle- like two different shades of light- dancing and going at one another, all while struggling to make their limbs function.

"Axel," Bea hisses, when Lucien's fist meets Stella's side for a moment and she winces, "Axel, we have to help her-"

"I know," Axel grits out, but every bone and muscle refuses to budge- screaming in protest.

He could tell that the force on them was starting to weaken as they fought, however.

More of Lucien's mind was starting to focus on the battle, which meant the part of his mind rendering them immobile was starting to weaken- especially under the strain of their struggling.

His fingertips were beginning to twitch. He could slowly feel his palm regain its senses- and even the force on his arm was beginning to give in to the struggle.

Lucien winces as Stella's elbow meets his torso, and as her blade slashes through his side again- despite the blood that drips from the cut, he grabs her wrist twisting it behind her back.

A sharp pain jolts up her entire arm- but Stella only grits her teeth, kicking a leg back with all the force she can muster, while switching the blade to her other hand and letting it slice through the skin on his wrist again.

Lucien was by no means a bad fighter, either. Even though she had managed to decipher the patterns in his movements- every strike that he did manage to land on her, had lingered as a throbbing ache.

His grip on her loosens in the wake of her knife, as she whirls around, her fist raised to strike at him again- but he dodges her advances, backing up aiming for her legs.

Before he could, however, she darts out of the way, trying to slash at his other arm - but her dagger only meets the one in his hand, sending it flying out of his grasp, as it clatters with a metallic clang at a short distance away from them.

And in that single moment of surprise, where Lucien's eyes flit to the weapon that he had just been disarmed of- she shoves him, pushing every last fiber of energy into her palm- hard enough to make him stumble backward.

Everyone in the room pauses at the loud thud, to stare at Lucien who falls on his back.

Stella lets out a breath, her stance still wary.

Slowly, she moves to stand over him- the tip of her blade still pointed towards him.

"Come on," she sneers, harshly nudging his rib with her foot, "Get up, and fight- traitor."

Wide red eyes stare back at her, as a bead of sweat trickles down her forehead- but he makes no move to stand back up.

"I said," she repeats slowly through gritted teeth, kicking him harder, "Get up."

The hardness in his eyes seemed to have faded.

Though they were cruel crimson, looking back up at her, they seemed almost yielding- almost vulnerable.

Staring back at her, was the face of the angel that she had always called her best friend- someone who had given her time and companionship, someone who had been by her side at difficult times, someone who she had trusted.

And just for a single moment, Stella