"Alfred provided every kind of supply, but apart from a bath Gabriel hasn't touched a thing," Bruce explained.
"She won't even eat?" Fang Yuan was puzzled.
He had sent Gabriel over many days ago.
"Correct." Bruce nodded. "Alfred keeps asking me about her, worried something might happen."
"Huh? Alfred cares that much about her?"
Bruce fought back a grin as he looked at Fang Yuan. "I told Alfred she's a woman whose heart you broke."
"!!!"
Fang Yuan's eyes went round. "How can you slander me out of thin air!"
"You attacked her faith—doesn't that count as hurting her feelings?" Bruce retorted righteously.
Fang Yuan scowled; even Batman could play word games now—who knew he'd learned that.
In truth the rumor didn't affect Fang Yuan; he kept plenty of fish in his pond, one extra lie made no difference.
It was just that Gabriel wore the Ancient One's face, and Fang Yuan couldn't get excited looking at it.
Felt a bit like disrespecting the master while riding the mount.
Fang Yuan and Bruce walked up to Gabriel; she didn't stir.
"Still haven't accepted your new identity?"
Fang Yuan opened with a punchable line.
"Daddy doesn't want you anymore!"
Gabriel whipped her head around, furious. "If only you couldn't speak—you'd at least match your looks!"
Fang Yuan shrugged it off. "I'll take that as a compliment on my handsomeness."
"So many days have passed—have you admitted your mistake yet?" he asked.
Gabriel's expression was grave. "My actions truly violated the Father's teachings, yet I still don't believe humanity deserves God's favor."
"So you're jealous and fighting for His affection," Fang Yuan summed up.
Gabriel glared. "Are humans worthy? You revel in murder, deceit, betrayal, plunder—why should confession earn forgiveness?"
Fang Yuan pointed straight at Bruce. "Ask him—he's the local."
I'm an out-of-towner; the pot doesn't stick to me.
Batman naturally felt ambushed, yet not surprised.
Standard Fang Yuan move.
"Correct. Criminals don't need confession—only punishment," Bruce replied.
Gabriel hadn't expected Bruce to agree with her.
"Are you a believer?" Gabriel asked.
"No." Bruce shook his head calmly. "I'm a criminal—one who specializes in stopping other criminals."
"Uh…" Gabriel was baffled. "Aren't you afraid of going to Hell?"
"I've already lived through scenes far worse than Hell." Batman wouldn't be scared by Hell. "As long as I can protect those I care for, I'll use any means necessary."
If needed, Batman would even visit Hell to negotiate terms with Satan.
Seeing Bruce and Gabriel chat smoothly, Fang Yuan cheerfully told her, "See? Your understanding of humanity is still skin-deep."
"Since God handed you to me, I must make you properly recognize your mistake."
"You mean I'm too one-sided and humans have hidden virtues?" Gabriel wasn't interested. "I already know."
She listed them one by one. "Resilience? Tenacity? Indomitability? Hope? That's what you're going to say, right?"
Gabriel hadn't chosen to trigger the apocalypse because she underestimated humanity.
She knew humanity too well; only in calamity do their better qualities bloom.
Fang Yuan waved her off.
He had zero interest lecturing her on the human race; he'd contracted Gabriel for one thing—rewards.
Helping God educate her was just an excuse; Fang Yuan had no time for divine family drama.
That would cost extra.
So Fang Yuan took a different tack: "You still think God made you human so you could understand them?"
"You still don't see your real mistake," he said, feigning heartbreak. "No wonder God dumped you on me."
Only now did Gabriel show real emotion; Fang Yuan kept invoking God, and claiming an archangel misunderstood Him was a grave accusation.
"My real mistake?" she asked urgently. "What is it?"
If she could correct it she might return to Heaven, so Gabriel was desperate.
"You're disobedient!" Fang Yuan declared.
"Dis…obedient?" Gabriel frowned hard.
"What does God require of Angels?" Fang Yuan pressed.
"Mercy, charity, kindness…" Gabriel rattled off, but her voice lost strength.
She'd broken almost all of them by teaming with Mammon.
"Those are mistakes, sure, but God's fundamental rule for Angels is obedience—follow His will," Fang Yuan began lecturing.
"God acts with purpose; Angels simply obey."
"Yet you, Gabriel, questioned His plan for humanity out of selfish desire and tried to meddle—far worse than any killing. It's a matter of principle!"
Gabriel panicked, shaking her head and hands. "No! I never questioned the Father!"
Fang Yuan kept invoking God, crushing Gabriel's reason, forcing her to follow his lead.
"Whether you did or not, that's how it looks. If every Angel acted so willfully, how could Heaven function?" he scolded.
Then he tilted his head, softening. "Fortunately God is merciful and hasn't given up on you, so He sent me to teach you properly."
Gabriel clutched at this lifeline. "W-what should I do?"
"Your sin was disobedience, so God sent you here to learn how to obey. From now on you do whatever I say; when God thinks you qualify, He'll summon you back," Fang Yuan revealed his endgame.
"All right!" Gabriel swore an oath. "From now on I'll obey!"
The only equation in Gabriel's mind now—
Obedience = Return to Heaven!
Bruce had enjoyed watching Fang Yuan lecture the Angel, but now he couldn't laugh.
He looked at the conned Gabriel, then at the self-satisfied "savior" Fang Yuan.
"Hold on… is this right?"
Bruce would bet Joker's green hair dye that God hadn't handed Gabriel to Fang Yuan for this reason.
But seeing Fang Yuan beam, Gabriel comply, and God voice no objection, he stayed silent.
Still, he resolved that Robin must never trust Fang Yuan's words.
No—must never believe them at all!
You will get 90 chapter ahead for this fanfiction.
patreon.com /AZofficial