In Vega, Michael looks down at the city as it burns. Gabriel soars down and knocks him into a building below, and then draws his sword. Michael realizes that Gabriel unleashes the Darkness from the Amphora, and that the Darkness is inside of him. Gabriel says that Julian merely lifted the veil from his eyes, and now he realizes who the true enemy is. He throws a sword at Michael, who catches it, and then draws his other blade and promises to kill Michael and everything he loves. He swings and Michael avoids the attacks without drawing his own weapon. Gabriel finally knocks him down, and Michael draws his blades as he stands up. The two archangels attack each other.
Inside of Riesen Tower, Alex helps a shell-shocked Noma through the city, and says that he needs her with him as they get to Claire. Noma braces herself and tells Alex that they need to get going.
Claire wakes up and finds Arika next to her. There is a dead guard nearby, and Arika says that she doesn't know how she got there. When she woke up, she finds herself holding a gun to her head. Claire realizes that Arika was under the same spell. Arika explains that she saw her worst nightmare: Claire and Rose treating her like an eight-ball. Claire says that she had a dream of what she really wanted, and goes to find Alex. Arika asks if Claire trusts her, and Claire figures that she doesn't have a choice.
William makes his way through the alleyways and finds a woman preparing to shoot herself. He stops her and she asks what he saw, and William tells her that he saw the truth... and Vega must die. When the woman says that she can't go on, William says that she won't have to. As he walks away, the woman kills herself.
David walks to the control room and finds the corpses inside. One soldier is still alive and wonders if David is real. The former Consul says that whatever happened is over, and what matters is that they survived. David offers the soldier a drink and removes the noose from his neck. The comm officer, Jerry, explains that he came to the control room to man his post, and David warns that their time together is limited as he checks the monitors.
Alex and Noma enter the penthouse and find Claire and Arika. They all hear Julian's army advancing on Vega's east wall. Noma figures that they'll be there in less than an hour, and Alex and Noma go to man the wall and find survivors. Claire and Arika will go to the control room and activate the wall cannons. As Alex prepares to go, Claire tells him that she saw their daughter Willow and their future together that might have been. Noma says that they have to move, and Alex reluctantly leaves with her.
Michael and Gabriel fight, and Michael begs his brother to stop. Gabriel insists that Michael has betrayed him repeatedly, and continues his attack. He doesn't believe Michael's explanation that he went to protect the markings.
Arika tells Claire that she's going home, and says that Claire is strong enough to do what she needs to. Claire insists that they have to stop the eight-balls or both their cities will be destroyed. She asks Arika not to leave, but refuses to stop her. Arika apologizes and leaves.
Christmas Day 2016, Jasper, TX
Michael, Gabriel, and Noma sit in a bar and discuss God's disappearance. Gabriel figures that humans drove God off, and Michael figures that he feels lift out. His brother says that God gave him a gift as well, and shows Michael the Seventh Seal of the apocalypse. Gabriel suggests that they crack the seal and start a war, pitting humans against angels. He figures that when the last human is dead, God will return. Michael says that Raphael's prophecies foretell the Chosen One, but Gabriel doesn't believe the prophecies and prepares to open the Seal. Before Michael can stop him, Gabriel breaks the seal and the Apocalypse War begins. An angel possesses the bartender and more people in Jasper... and throughout the world.
Now
Gabriel and Michael smash through a wall and Michael reminds his brother that he started the War. He believes the Seal was a test, one that Gabriel failed, but Gabriel insists that eradicating humanity is the only way to bring God back. They fight and Gabriel finally disarms Michael.
The eight-balls charge toward Vega, and Alex and Noma find humans near the wall. Alex asks them to fight with him to defend the city, and they agree to help kill angels. He hands out guns and sends them to the wall. Noma tells Alex that if they're going to die fighting, she's glad to go down next to the man she loves.
William enters the penthouse and calls to Claire. He gets no answer, and finds the sculpture of the Chosen One.
In the control room, David offers a toast to their impending deaths. Claire pounds on the locked door and says that she needs to get in to turn the cannons online. David isn't impressed and Claire reminds him that if the eight-balls succeed then Vega dies. After a moment, David opens the door and Claire reboots the system. When David says that he's glad they've come to an understanding, Claire puts her gun to his head and says that he's a murderer who killed her baby. David says that two of his children were killed in the first day of the War, and he poured his life into Vega and made it his child. When he left William out in the desert, he destroyed the last piece of hope in himself. David says that he's sorry for everything he's done and kneels before Claire. After a moment, Claire lowers the gun and says that he's not worth killing... and sees the eight-balls on the monitors outside the Luxor. She points out that there's a tunnel that leads straight into Vega.
The eight-balls pour into the tunnel.
Gabriel says that everything he did was to keep their family whole and keep Michael at his side. He kicks him to the floor.
Christmas Day 2016, Jasper, TX
Michael prepares to leave, telling Gabriel that he's going to find the Chosen One. Gabriel insists that there is no such human, but Michael sends Noma to find the Chosen One. When Michael prepares to fight the lesser angels, Gabriel grabs him and says that they were meant to be together. Michael says that the Chosen One is there only hope now, shoves, Gabriel away, and runs off.
Now
Claire tries to bring the system up without success, and they order Jerry to do it. As he goes to work, Claire goes to tell Alex what is happening. David assures her that she can trust him. Once Claire leaves, David warns Jerry that getting the cannons online is their only hope.
Arika goes to the cells to find Daria. Another of her women, Dr. Sarah Ely, is there. She explains that Daria ran out screaming, and Arika tells Sarah that they're going home.
Claire finds Alex and tells him about the tunnel. When she insists on going with them, Noma and Alex try to stop her. Claire points out that eight-balls at their walls and they need all the guns they can get. After Alex goes, Noma tells Claire that she needs to know Claire will do anything to make sure Alex is safe. Claire agrees, and they head out.
Jerry finally gets the wall cannons on-line, and David takes over half of the controls.
Gabriel beats Michael and smashes him through a wall, and says that after Michael left the bar, he made it a war and Gabriel received the blame for starting the War. Michael says that the first archangel to choose humanity started the war broke their family.
Christmas Day 2016, Jasper, TX
Noma returns to the bar and tells Gabriel that she sent Michael in the wrong direction. Gabriel insists that it's the only way to bring God back and tells Noma to take him to the child. Once he's dead, he's sure that Michael will come back to him.
Now
Jerry and David cheer as they pick off the eight-balls. William comes in and shoots Jerry dead.
Alex and the others enter the tunnel from the Vega side.
Arika leads Sarah out and they pass a crying girl. After a moment, Arika goes back and the girl begs her to stay. Sarah says that the girl is Vega's problem and they have to leave, but Arika tells her subject to take the girl to the helicopter while she stays behind.
Michael tells Gabriel that their brother Lucifer is still alive.
The eight-balls reach the gate in the tunnel and start to break through. Alex and the others take up position.
Michael explains about Mallory and how Lucifer talks to them, pretending to be God. He says that Alex has a new marking, and Gabriel drags him off and demands more information.
William tells his father that he thought he was Chosen One, but Alex is and stole everything from him. He says that in the Darkness, he was stripped of his illusions and realized that he's not worthy. David says that it was the Darkness, but William says that he can still fight evil even though he's just a man.
Alex tells Claire that he plans to leave Vega with her, just as they always planned. Noma listens as Claire says that they can still do it.
David says that William needs help, but William tells him that there's too much sin in Vega for him to cleanse... so everyone must die. He doesn't believe David when he says that he shouldn’t have left William in the desert. William says that it's too late and opens the gates, and David grabs a pipe and hits him... too late.
The gate opens and the eight-balls charge in. Alex and his forces open fire.
Gabriel reminds Michael that they annihilated Lucifer on God's command. Michael says that he survived and now Lucifer wants Alex. He warns Gabriel that Lucifer will remember what they did to him, and that he was the most powerful of them.
David tries to close the gates without success. William knocks him away and smashes the console with the pipe. Crying, David hugs his son... and then shoots him, begging his forgiveness. He says that always loved him, and a dying William says that he didn't.
Michael says that they have to face Lucifer together, but Gabriel says that he can't dare believe him. He flies off to Mallory, taking Michael with him.
The defense force runs out of ammo, and Alex calmly steps forward to face the eight-balls.
Written by Gadfly on Sep 25, 2015