The Fat and the Proud

Prologue: Let's make a deal

"How do you think Ezekiel is doing?" Jonah asked Michael as the two Seraphims waited for the Ophanims' arrival in front of the Council Chambers.

Michael looked at the much older, but still young-looking, Seraphim, sighing a bit. "Honestly... I have no idea, though I'm certain that he's doing his best, like he's always done!" he replied, trying to sound hopeful, though the slight furrowing of his brow gave away his true feelings on the matter. He was worried sick. Ever since Ezekiel had been sent to Earth, he hadn't heard back from him, not a single message, not a single plea for advice... nothing... what in the world was he up to?!

"I'm sure he's doing okay, he's a good Angel... he surely has potential for Redemption!" Jonah tried reassuring him, smiling a bit.

Michael briefly smiled back, but it faded away once he saw the Ophanims approach.

The Ophanims were unlike any other Angel; some might have even doubted they were Angels at all. They were three times as tall as all the other Angels and their gray skin and impassible expression made them look like statues and the golden wheels spinning around their bodies were already scanning the environment with their many eyes, while their actual eyes, if they even had any, were covered by a pair of small, golden wings sprouting from their temples.

Looks like Xobak is sitting this one out as well...

Michael thought.

The Ophanims weren't the kind to waste any time. As soon as they got to the entrance, they placed their cold hands on the big door, without bothering to greet the two lower beings. Then Michael and Jonah placed their hands on the door as well, allowing for it to open.

The Council Chambers were a simple, large, pentagon-shaped room, with a five-sided table at the center, one side for each council member, and a round, iridescent basin at the very center of it. They all calmly flew inside, sitting at their respective seats, while Zaitra, an Ophanim with the purest white hair, activated the basin to observe Earth, slowly focusing more and more on a single point: Ezekiel's location.

As they waited for the basin to do its job, Zaitra finally spoke up: "Today, we are here to observe if Seraphim Michael's reform on the Redemption System has some foundation or if it has no way of being applied. We've left a sinner Angel unattended in a mortal realm for an exact Earth year, with very simple instructions to follow... and now we're going to assess his progress".

Soon, the basin focused on Ezekiel, exposing the council to a shocking scene: not only it looked like he hadn't lost a single pound... but he looked even bigger than the last time Michael saw him- and that wasn't all, a human was with him, and they were acting so affectionately towards each other, as if they were in some kind of relationship.

Michael felt his heart sink, he couldn't believe Ezekiel had betrayed his trust like that... he didn't really expect Ezekiel to be completely back to his original form after just an Earth year, but he at least thought he would have made some progress. Instead, he'd completely given into his sins- how dare he?! After he put so much trust in him!

"I think we've seen enough" Zaitra spoke once more, snapping Michael's train of thought.

"Now you see Michael? Sinner Angels are truly irredeemable, once they are too far gone, there's no way they can ever go back to how they were before. It's shameful, truly... first you stalled Angel Ezekiel's fall for so long... and then after he's passed a point of no return, you think he has any hopes for redemption? We tried to tell you it was unachievable, but you didn't listen..." they said in a syrupy voice; it was sickeningly sweet and condescending, as if they only saw Michael as a naïve kid.

"Maidir, prepare a portal, we need to revoke Angel Ezekiel's powers..." they called out to the other Ophanim, who began to open a fissure in the air.

"NO! Please, wait! I-I can still get him to repent-" Michael shouted, getting the attention of the other Council members. "I was his mentor; surely if I personally talk to him he'll come to his senses!"

Maidir sighed, scoffing at the Seraphim's obstinacy. "You dare claim we're making a mistake? Give it up, Michael, you had promised us results, but it's clear to see redemption is impossible for sinner Angels..."

Michael was about to talk back, until he noticed Zaitra smirking for a brief moment, before floating between the Seraphim and Maidir.

"Claiming to know better than us is a grave offense, Seraphim Michael... but I'll concede this, just once... let's make a deal" Zaitra said, holding out their finger for Michael to shake.

Michael stepped back; he didn't have a good feeling about this. "What kind of deal?"

"We'll let you talk to Ezekiel, you have an Earth day to convince him to leave the human and repent, but if you fail... you'll be banished from Heaven and be stripped of your powers. If you succeed... we'll admit to our mistake and we'll implement an updated redemption system for fallen Angels, what do you say?"

Now everyone was looking at Zaitra with a shocked expression on their face.

"Z-Zaitra, I know this isn't the first time Michael has gone against our will, but maybe this is too harsh..." Maidir tried to object, only for Zaitra to silence him.

"Considering how things went last time you had a say in how to handle an insolent Seraphim, I'm not sure I can take your words into account".

Those words cut through Maidir like a knife and they shrank back onto their seat, holding their left forearm, without adding a single word. For being known as the 'kind and forgiving', Zaitra surely knew how to knock their siblings and everyone else down a peg.

"So... what do you say, Michael? Are you truly willing to stick to this lost cause till the end, or do you still have some sense in that head of yours?" Zaitra said, getting back to the matter at hand.

Anyone would have backed down by now, but Michael wasn't going to give up so easily, he knew he was right, he knew the Redemption system had potential and he also knew Ezekiel was going to listen to him. he glanced over at Jonah, who was shaking his head 'no'... of course he would, someone as spineless as him would have never fought for change if it meant he could have lost his title, but Michael wasn't afraid... and he was too prideful to step down now.

"It's a deal".

But doubts were slowly forming in Michael's mind... why would Zaitra want to banish him when he was just trying to help Angels and make an outdated system better? That just didn't feel right.