Paris by Robert Loggains

Paris, the city of light, it was lovely even when uninhabited, most of the time Shannon would have heard the great throng of people living and laughing and loving their hearts out in this city.
But not today, today was a reckoning.
“Hello Trinity” Shannon called to her old and dear friend, the two embraced for a moment before separating. They could both feel the melancholy in the other.
“Where is Aaron” Trinity asked, surprising to see that Shannon was alone.
“Oh he’ll be back in a few, just meeting with a few of our more interesting allies.”
“So did Sean come” Asks Shannon as she remembered her old friend.
“I tried Shannon, I begged, I pleaded, but he wouldn’t come for this, he said he couldn’t bear it.”
“I wish I could have done the same Trin, Aaron wanted to leave this all behind so badly, but we couldn’t let Ryan do it alone.”
“That’s not his name anymore Shannon and you know that.”
“You actually think I should call him that name you gave him?” Shannon laughed a bit before realizing that Trinity was dead serious.
“Come on Trin, that name is disgusting, no way am I calling him-”
“Red Death Shannon” Trinity shouted it “his name is Red Death now, he forfeited his name after what he did, he lost whatever he was so the name he had was sullied, Red Death is all that fits after that!” Trinity was seething now, remembering old betrayals and losses.
“But you came here today Trinity, you came for her” Shannon whispered it and as she did so Sarah calmed visibly.
“I did, I know, I think I’m going to Hell Shannon but he was right for all of it Shannon he was right about everything, he did it all and he is about to get what we all want more than anything.”
“I’ve been to Hell Trinity, it isn’t for people like us, it isn’t even for people like Red Death, no one can fall far enough to deserve the Pit and last time I checked God was still a pretty nice guy.”
The two stared at the group gathering, Trinity didn’t even know most of the strange allies gathered there, a blond girl, a handsome black haired boy with red eyes, and a good looking Arab man with a long curved sword…”
And standing in the center is Red Death, his arm around someone she knew all too well.
A person she had seen bleed to death.
She was talking and laughing the rest of the group, her hair dancing in the sunlight.
Juniper was alive again.
“Miracles do happen in this world Trinity, I’ve caused enough of them to know what I am talking about, Ryan did one himself, but he needs our help for the next one.”
Trinity was crying a bit as she watched the dead woman laugh and talk with her old friends.
But she knew why they were here.
“We need to bring her back Shannon, I’ve known it since I got your call, she was just a baby, she didn’t deserve what Michael did to her.”
“He’s back you know, Michael is coming with us on the mission, he got his foot in the door when Juniper returned, and we need his power to do anything now.”
“And I thought this day couldn’t get any worse Shannon” Trinity laughed a little at that, knowing just how much worse it would get.
“So are you ready Sarah” whispered Shannon, using Trinity’s true name, one she hadn’t used in a long time.
This was a day for changes, and burying old wounds.
“Yes I am, let us open the Gates of Hell and take back what we have lost.”
“Why else would we be here?”
And the two old friends joined their real family, preparing to reclaim the child of their prodigal son.