Yue

 You can't repent unless you know how you've erred. You can't adjust your behaviour unless you know how you're supposed to behave. Heck, you wanted to become mortal anyway; you'd have needed what the Fruit gave you if you were going to become a human man."

"I know! That's-. Why! I…"

"What do you want?"

"I could accept my own damnation if I knew what I'd done that was so wrong! But I do not believe that I can accept not knowing!" He takes a moment to calm down. "What will you do?"

"I'm not.. sure. I don't suppose that angels have some convenient vulnerability I don't know about, do they? Other than coming apart at the psychological seams when their god stops making sense."

"We are vulnerable to kaahuite. And we are far from all-powerful. The Lord God has given each of us authority over certain spheres, but outside of those we are quite vulnerable."

"And when you're killed?"

"We return to Heaven and are shaped anew."

"You don't die die."

"We don't live live. We are celestial functionaries. That is all we have."

"Does that ever not happen?"

"Fallen… Like myself, would go to Hell. Otherwise, no."

"So even if I beat Mister Excalibris in a fight, he'd be right back."

"Yes-." He freezes. "No. If he broke faith with the Almighty, he would fall. But I struggle to see how such a thing could happen."

"How about if he killed someone not aiding me?"

Zauriel shakes his head. "I want to say 'yes', but… As things stand…"

"He'd need to directly and bluntly defy your god and that's not going to happen."

"He may be operating under other restrictions. He would not be so foolish as to announce them if he were."

"How dangerous is he?"

"Under normal circumstances, he is a fearsome warrior aided by theurgical magic. Now, under direct orders from the Mind of God, his magic is much expanded. He was the one who..." He looks away. "Burned me."

"So: very powerful, no real weaknesses and even if I could beat him he'd be right back."

"A dismal but accurate summary."

"How about the net? Is there a way to bypass it?"

"One who was superior in the Celestial Hierarchy would be able to overrule the Archangel of War. But that would mean going against the Mind of God, and none of us would do-." His eyes dip. "I mean to say, none of them would do that."

"Hell is still accessible?"

"Yes, but the Archangel of War will not hesitate to pursue you there if need be."

"Does Hell have other exits?"

"To other worlds, you mean?" I nod. "Yes, but those will be sealed as well."

"And the parts of Labyrinth which are outside of Creation?"

He frowns. "Those.. could not be blocked, though I imagine that they will be guarded by lesser means."

"Okay. I'm getting-."

"Wonder Woman to Orange Lantern."

I glance at my ring, then take a deep breath.

"Answer."