That which does not kill me...

When last we left our heroes, Guriel got reassigned. Ben's response to that is to go on a bender, while Guriel goes out and relandscapes a park.

The next morning, Razas tells Ben that there's a third verse to the prophecy, which makes Ben grumpy. Ben takes Steven to the park, where he has a talk with Raph -- and Ray, who has a message from Guriel.

Ben goes out for groceries and ends up getting ambushed again. In the meantime, Razas gets a visit from Simon. And then Lucifer shows up. How is this Razas's life?

And Ben decides that, since Steven is getting bigger and bigger, a rabbit-breeding operation might not go amiss.

Ben and Raz go out drinking, and run into Simon, who pushes him to tell Ben what Lucifer's plans are. And the night ends in disaster when Ben beats the absolute shit out of a guy who (probably) deserves it, but (probably) didn't deserve to be put in the hospital.

And Ben really thinks that Lucifer should put the crack pipe down, because there's no way he's going to go Fluffy the Angel Slayer for the Other Side, you know?

Ben wakes up hungover and cranky, hacks into Hell's website, and poses as Raz. Which backfires spectacularly when one of Raz's brothers decides to play a practical joke and sends them a venomous spider the size of a Pekingese. Raz makes him a list of magical items to obtain, and he goes out after them, only to run afoul of Simon again, who drugs him and hands him over to the tender mercies of Will's Pack. Which Simon then taunts Guri about.

And Ben wakes up in Gerard Wynter's basement, chained to the wall, and discovers that he's the newest (and unwillingest) member of Wynter's Pack. Razas is worried when he doesn't come home, and disguises it badly while Simon taunts him.

Will is a bit cranky about the whole situation, but at least Ben finally eats after three days. Simon gives Guri a little more insight into his motivations.

Raz gets a bit broody about redemption, and then Simon decides that it'll be a good idea to steal the grimoire and give it to Wynter. Razas and Giborel, Ben's new Guardian, have a long-ranging conversation while Ben's in an involuntarily-drug-induced sleep.

Guri wonders if he's being tested, and both Simon and Dad pay him a visit. Ben, in the meantime, doesn't particularly want to spend the full moon with his new Pack, but at least he wins a dominance fight and isn't the "Omega Pup" anymore. Giborel is beginning to realize what an "interesting" assignment this is. And Ben thinks he lives in "interesting times" and is unamused. Especially when he finds out that their demon prophet is a Fallen Seraph. But then Raz draws the protective circle on his chest that should stop demons from killing him, so Ben thinks all's right in his world, or as right as it can get at this point. Which, you know, it's not, actually.

Guri gets some time off and comes by for a visit, which goes about as well as it always does. Raph visits Ben in a dream about the gate and gives what comfort he can.

Will and Ben go on a field trip to Father Leo's church, where Will tells him he needs to fight smarter, not harder. Gib sees a light at the end of the tunnel and wonders if it's an oncoming train. He has a conversation with Michael that gives him a little more insight as to why Ben would trust a demon.

Wynter finally lets Ben go home, making it plain that he still considers Ben "his." And then Ben finds out that the sigil on his chest won't actually protect his life from demons. And, so, naturally, he confronts Raz about it. Which actually goes better than expected. Raz gives him a new sigil, and Ben verifies with Simon and Bel that it actually does what it's supposed to.

He makes a new friend (Siobhan) when he's locked in a cage with her. She finds him in a coffeeshop contemplating his new chest sigil. And then she's down because her demon boyfriend has to go into hiding. But then he's back and they're getting married and his wings have grown in! Ben falls afoul of some misguided Hunters, and Fran gets him cleaned up. And a demon comes after him, and Bel helps him out.

Siobhan has wings, and she asks him to look for Fran, whose shop has burnt down. Ben asserts that missing-persons cases are the worst, but tells Lester and Ghost that he'll do his best to find her.

Raz helps Ben clean house, and they enlist Simon's aid in getting a message to the Asylum. They also banish Nybbas, so maybe Ben can get some actual sleep. Ben talks to Guri, who tells him where he dropped Fran off, and also tells him more details about Jaf. Ben gets Siobhan in touch with Fran. He sees her later and she catches him up on the news, which is as good as can be expected.

Raz talks to Dad, with a little prodding from Jaf and a whole lot of WTF from Simon. And Janni comes home to find they've added a Hellhound to their household.

Siobhan has a birthday party, and Ben garners a new case. And Raph is excited that Dad's doing a new thing, but Simon's not as happy, and tries to get drunk, with minimal success. He gets to talk to Raz, finally, and decides he's happy for him. Gib and Guri are pretty pleased too, but Ben is a little freaked that both the grimoire and the sigil on his chest are glowing. But Raz finally comes home and tells Ben what he did. There is much rejoicing.

Ben gets stuck in elevators with Siobhan and Lester, and vows to take the stairs from here on out.

Simon gets a pet snake and shows him off to Guri. Ben meets Grace, a servant of Dad's. Simon gets think-y about traitors, which leads to Lucifer telling him to kill Guriel within two weeks, or else.

The Asylum brings the gate to LA, and Ben gets Fran to pray. He and Guri go to face off with it, and have a fine old time. Meanwhile, Simon admires Raz's new feathers, until Sahaquiel crash-lands in Ben's apartment and tells them that a spiritual gate has to fall before the physical one does. Simon goes haring up the hillside to tell them... well. Everything.

And then he repents. Which knocks down that spiritual gate.

After that, Ben and Guri kick down the physical gate. Guri nearly dies, but Simon pours out his newfound Grace and saves him. There is much rejoicing. Ben and Guri get Orders, and that's the end of the Prophecy Arc.

Gib is concerned that things are too quiet. Simon runs into Uriel, who tells him he needs to talk to Michael. Raz is encouraging, Liwya is bitter, Belial is mocking, and Julie is out of her timeframe. The conversation with Michael goes... fairly horribly, but at least Simon still has his head at the end of it. He's a little disgruntled about his reception, all told, but gets some insight from Gabriel and a hug from Guri, while Belial is enigmatic and Julie is sympathetic. And he works on his Purpose by telling Rob how much Dad loves him.

Ben takes Steven to the park and doesn't end up bleeding for once. Simon goes to the mall to spread some joy and runs into Sariel. And he drags Raz along too, which ends in disaster when he forgets that this is the mall that Namtar hangs out in and Raz nearly gets his wing cut off. He talks to Ithuriel about killing and armies. Simon and Mammon both think that Belial's plot against Lucifer is a dumb idea. And Simon helps Liwya pick out a dress. Ben runs into a talking angelic guinea pig and tells Fritz about it. He also tells Luke the truth about Santa.

And then it all goes to shit in a spectacular fashion. Morrigan and Lucifer take Simon and have their brand of fun with him, tearing the wings from his back to make an example of him for the other anahim. Meanwhile, Raz realizes something is terribly wrong, and Sariel joins him in a fruitless search. Belial taunts Raz. Ben comes home for lunch to find Raz frantic, and they conduct their own hunt. Belial grabs Simon from where Morrigan's minions dumped him on a pile of garbage in an alleyway. Ben detects Belial's scent near a literal puddle of Simon's blood and hares off to confront him.

Belial drops Simon off on Ben's front porch, where Liwya finds him and tends him until Raz appears to take over. Ben comes back from his battle with Belial, battered and bloody, in the midst of Raz and Raph tending Simon's wounds. He can't stay because the smell of Simon's blood is sending him into Rage Overdrive, so he hits his favorite bar, only to find that Morrigan has gotten there ahead of him. He manages to escape her intact.

Ben rants that the Fallen are a bunch of assholes. Guriel tells him that Iona is going to be a haven for them until this all shakes out. Jaf is looking into wards, which Simon tells him will be fruitless against Lu and Morrigan. Simon goes to the park and talks to Sariel about it, and is ordered to Iona by Gabriel. He lets Robin know that he'll be incognito for awhile.

Gib gets Orders from Michael, and talks to Seth about what's going on as the plot moves to a new community. Simon's out and about on Iona, continuing his healing process, talking to his more welcoming brothers, and greeting new arrivals. Another talk with Uriel goes fairly horribly for Simon, but Jaf makes him feel better.

Janni makes pie, among other things. Ben and Guri arrive on Iona. Simon watches Guri fly. Gib reports to Michael, and so does Simon.

Ben has a talk with Gabriel. Raz flies for the first time in forever, much to Simon's delight. And then the battle happens, and it goes... well. About as well as can be expected. Simon is upset about all the death. And thus ends the "Lucifer Rising" arc.

This is the prophecy that Ben is laboring under in the Main Arc right now. He's thrilled, naturally.

The Hound resurrected, rampant,
Who serves before the seat of Judgment,
When the time comes, in the rising
And the falling of the sword,
Then he will bring ruin before the gate,
And Hell shall tremble.

In the parting of ways,
At the crossed roads,
The balance shifts,
The eyes open,
The lion roars,
And the gates fall.

The Hound resurrected, rampant,
When the time comes, in the parting ways
The wayward are drawn home.
The blade falls, the gate falls,
The eyes close, the shifting balance settles,
And what is written, is written.