SUNNYVALE

(101) THE FINAL COUNTDOWN HAS BEGUN

Christen, Crystal, Jessie and Jill were sitting in a circle, with Ingrid staring at them one by one, at the end of her strengths. 

"There was this bright light during the fight in Sunnyvale, and then everything got turned upside down - I saw Nichelle and Steph die before my eyes, and I manage to escape before the rest of God's army closed in on the town and completely destroyed it. I got lost above the surface of the Earth, and suddenly I realised the dimension we knew about disappeared - and with it, Mapi, my best friend. I have been tracked down ever since, forced to move every day, because I am a traitor of God, I am a disgrace for my kind, as we are created to serve one person and it usually is unmovable. So I hid.

Then, your friend Sam reached out for me, explaining the whole situation to me : and when I understood that I lost Julie again, and this time maybe forever, I also got that my life had a new purpose - I cannot serve a God that kills her own people, the children of her creation, only for egoistic purposes. So I have found a new master, as my life does not have any meaning if I am not a servant - it is my destiny.

Sam then orchestrated my venue here, trying to guide me as best as she could, so that I could forge the path for someone else, for someone way more powerful that might be the only person who might as well change the course of things in any reality - the Master of Hell herself, who has found in herself, with the help of the loves of her life, the power to travel through realities as she is half of the ultimate power..."

While Ingrid catches her breath, Christen immediately breathes out:

"... and the other half is God's daughter, and when she and Satan's daughter reunite, they will be the only living force able to destroy the Goddess and everything she stands for."

Ingrid nods.

"Exactly, and the Lord of the Underworld has reached her destination earlier today."

"Wait" Crystal whispers, in shock, "it means that Abby's here?"

"Yes, she is" the angel confirms, before staring around the room, "but adjusting to Earth after being in the Underworld for so long can take a minute, so we might as well give her some time. In the meantime, we have more pressing things to deal with."

Jill nonchalantly and ironically raises her hand, with a defiant look inside her eyes - obviously just to annoy Ingrid even more - then talking before anyone else tell her to:

"Just for the newbie here - what are the most pressing things to handle right now, uh?"

But Jessie, who had understood immediately what Ingrid meant, just buried her head in between her hands, taking a deep breath under the other's suspicious look.

Even Jill stops smiling when Jessie answers:

"If we know about Abby and Shelina's fatal powers combinations, then she knows about it too..."

"... and she will get rid of Shelina if we don't act right now." Crystal completes, on edge.

"We gotta take a final trip to Heaven, even if we don't make it out of there alive..." Jessie then finishes.

"Then we need to find the other anomalies if we want to stand a chance against the army of angels that will be waiting for us here..." someone says behind them.

When they all turn around and see Abby, Christen and Crystal immediately run to her, holding her so tight that she is unable to breathe for a few seconds.

But they knew that, the three of them together, plus their new allies, they actually stood a chance... if it wasn't for Kelley.

***

Rosella takes a deep breath.

"This is out of the question" the British girl says with confidence, setting her jaw. 

The brunette was just astonished by what she just heard: in front of her, one of Satan's daughters and another anomaly (Mallory Pugh) were standing, visibly threatening. The three girls were in front of Melas College's main building's entrance, and while Rosella was feeling the pressure on her shoulders even more, Kelley and Mallory seemed abnormally calm.

Rolling her eyes, Kelley just states:

"Look, Ayane, it would be a shame if something happened to that Swedish girlfriend of yours, right...? What's her name again..."

"Magda" Mallory says, a smirk on her lips.

"Magda, that's right... She's so pretty, it would be such a shame..."

"I swear to God, if you touch her-" Rosella starts, feeling herself burn from the inside (maybe even literally).

"There won't be a God much longer" Kelley interrupts her, annoyed, "so just stop trying to be a hero and just walk with us."

Rosella nods - she couldn't risk Magda's life, she just couldn't. 

"So, how do we go to Heaven?"  

Kelley smirks.

"You know, Christen and her little group of stupid friends naively believe that Jessie Fleming is the only creature born from the alliance of an angel and a demon - but she isn't the only one: our little friend Mallory there is too, and she has chosen the right side."

Just as those words left Kelley's mouth, huge red wings that were as cutting as broken glass come out of Mallory's body, as her eyes too become red. Laughing in contentement, Kelley openly makes fun of Rosella's terrified reaction. 

Setting her jaw, the brunette nonetheless asks:

"Before we go up, I need to know: you'll kill God and her heir, fine - and then what?"

Kelley smirks. 

"Oh, you're such an idiot, Ayane: there is only one thing greater and stronger than love in this world - power. I will take over God's throne, and then I will kill Shelina Zadorsky and absorb her powers, before going to Hell and killing my little sister - then, I will be invincible."

"But you're alone" Rosella reacts, frowning.

Kelley is taken off guards by this remark, as Mallory stares at her, confused.

"What?" 

"You're all alone... nobody cares about you, nobody loves you... you don't have allies, except for a girl you barely just met" Rosella says, knowingly pushing Kelley over the edge. As the brunette starts getting angry, and continues: "God's daughter and Satan's heir are both loved and surrounded - sometimes you cannot fight this with only power."

"We will see..." Kelley smirks, confident, "but for now, we must go."

Mallory grabs both girls next to her, before flying them straight to Heaven, where the final act is about to happen...