'Attachment' AU (MATT)

part 2

"Alright, here are the rules," the angel bellowed, her voice echoing with an authority that brooked no defiance. "You will not kill anyone. You will follow my orders, and you will not harm me or Ike in any way." As she spoke, she glanced upwards, watching the clouds drift lazily across the sky, their pace mirroring the setting sun that painted the horizon in hues of orange and gold.

Ike observed the scene, uncertain of how the former warlord would react to being subjugated by a higher species. In Hell, the hierarchy was rigid and unforgiving; lower-class species served the higher-ups, including the overlords and princes. Mictlan, however, had never been a part of that subservient order. His formidable rank in the underworld had allowed him to dominate lesser gods, establishing his rule as a tyrannical autocrat, or a monarch, as some might have termed it.

Ike had encountered overlords before, but those experiences had nearly cost him his life. One particularly harrowing mission involved an overlord who had hired Ike to kill his ex-lover. The task had seemed senseless, a waste of good money, but Ike had accepted it nonetheless. Upon discovering the identity of his target, Ike found himself unable to complete the mission and barely escaped with his life from the overlord's wrath.

"Pfft, like I'll follow your commands, you faceless bird," Mictlan bellowed, crossing his arms and glaring defiantly at the angel. His words dripped with disdain, but the angel remained unmoved by his cheap insult. "You will because, last I checked, you are powerless. Without me or Ike, you can't get out of here. So the least you can do is help." She hissed, her tone as sharp as a blade. Mictlan's sneer widened as he looked the angel up and down, his eyes dark and cold. "Powerless, am I?" he rumbled, his voice a deep growl that seemed to reverberate through the very ground they stood on. "You forget yourself, angel. My power may be bound, but my will remains unbroken. And my patience for this charade is wearing thin."

The angel didn't flinch. She met his gaze with unwavering resolve, her ethereal wings catching the sunlight, casting shimmering patterns on the ground. "Your will means nothing here. This is not your domain, Mictlan. Your reign of terror ends at the gates of Hell. Here, you play by my rules." Mictlan's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening. Ike shifted uncomfortably, feeling the tension between the two celestial beings crackle in the air like static electricity. He knew the angel was right; without their cooperation, Mictlan was as trapped as he was. But knowing didn't make the situation any less dangerous.

Mictlan glared at her for a long moment, his pride warring with the cold logic of her words. Finally, he let out a harsh, reluctant sigh. "Very well, angel," he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "For now, I will play along with your little game. But do not mistake my cooperation for submission. I will not be your pawn."

"Fair enough," the angel replied, her voice steady. "Let's move. We have a long journey ahead."

The three of them set off, the angel leading the way, her wings casting long shadows on the ground. Ike walked beside Mictlan, aware of the silent, simmering rage that radiated from the former warlord. He knew this alliance was fragile, built on necessity rather than trust. But it was their only hope.

As they walked, Ike couldn't help but glance at the angel, marveling at her serene determination. He wondered what her story was, how she had come to be in this place, and what drove her to take command in such a dire situation. But he knew better than to ask. For now, all that mattered was survival. They walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, bound together by a common goal and a fragile truce. For now, it would have to be enough.