Chapter 25: Reminisce

His patience was dwindling.

Standing just outside the open French doors on the veranda, Michael felt the crisp breeze coming off the mountain range in the distance. It called to him, making him want to jump off the ledge and soar through the cloudless sky, taking in the scenery below. He wanted to know how large New Delphi actually was and had expressed this to his brother in previous hours of discussion, but Raphael had made it clear that revealing himself as an angel was out of the question at the moment. Azrael and his brother had been living as humans, staying hidden in plain sight. The timing was not right, though the people of New Delphi would find out soon enough, Raphael assured him.

Michael understood the need for it. The distrust in the settlement was palpable. His hands were clasped behind his back as he watched a bird soar by. The distrust reminded him of Vega. How could humans ever accomplish anything with such a disdain for one another? He wondered if perhaps his crusade to save them was all for naught. In the end, the humans seemed to be bent on their own destruction.

Another bird flew by and the archangel itched to stretch his wings. He worried for Alex, wondering if he had chosen wrongly by coming to New Delphi. Perhaps he should have made his way to Gabriel's aerie. Or perhaps return to Vega. His lip twitched at the ridiculous idea. The Archangel Corps would shoot him out of the sky.

Off in the distance, a group of soldiers marched down the street. Several people quickly scattered, disappearing into nearby buildings, as if to avoid them altogether. Michael tilted his head just a little, observing their behavior. What had Raphael done to instill such fear?

He turned back to the office behind him and watched his brother who stood by his desk with his arms folded. He was staring down at a map while rubbing his chin. Raphael looked more like a rebel fighter or mercenary than a soldier. Definitely less angelic. So different than the last time that Michael had seen him. The way he moved and acted reminded Michael of how much they had all had to adapt to being on this plane of existence. The edge that was now in his brother was something Michael had always had, but now Raphael had it too and used it as a shield.

It made Michael feel melancholic, wistful for the old times. Before they descended. He walked back inside, walking over to the desk and glancing at the map. Michael wondered if Raphael had succeeded in tracking some of the Camp's movements. The markings looked as if they were in a pattern. Dealing with Alex and the Vega politics had been all consuming, and consequently hadn't left much time for keeping pace with that whole faction. He knew that the others were doing what they could and he had to hope that things were going well.

"It needs to end, Michael." Raphael sighed as he stared at the map.

"I know."

Raphael pointed at the hatch marks on the west coast. "They move constantly, but this is their current pattern."

"The Camp?"

Raphael nodded. "Once Vega joins and Helena can be convinced to do the same, we just need the Camp to join the fold."

Michael studied his brother. "Join the fold?"

"They need to unite and be at peace, brother. Before Gabriel poisons them all. Or more probable, before they destroy themselves."

"So you'll force them to join New Delphi? As an alliance?" Michael asked tentatively, trying to suss out what his brother was getting at. It wasn't a terrible idea to unite the human race again, instead of having them disjointed all over the western seaboard.

"Not force. I don't think I'll have to force anyone to join. It will happen. It is already underway." He gave him a small knowing smile, which then faded as he thought about it more. "A united community, brother. Perhaps if they can bring peace among themselves, we can show Father that Gabriel's actions didn't destroy everything," Raphael said quietly, more to himself.

Michael sighed. If only Father would show Himself. The unknown was destroying his brethren. "I would like to believe that as well. However, I'm not quite sure that it will do much of anything."

Raphael looked at him in alarm. "You don't believe Father will return?"

Michael hesitated. He wasn't sure of anything anymore. "I think perhaps the Chosen One will have more impact. I…I don't know if what we do will bring Him back… I don't know…"

Raphael's mouth opened as if to retort and then he reset his resolve and uncrossed his arms, staring back down at the map. "If Gabriel gets his way, then He will never return. Destroying Father's creations would surely drive him further away. Despite their own predilections to destroy themselves."

Michael turned away, walking back to the French doors and studying the sky outside once again. "How did you bring peace to New Delphi?" He glanced back at his brother who shifted his feet, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "By a forceful hand? Did Azrael have something to do with it?"

Raphael sat down in his chair, again hand to his chin as he considered Michael's question. "New Delphi was not a pleasant place for any living being. There were no rules except to live and die by a weapon. There was no true peace here. The humans fractured off into various groups led by their most intimidating cutthroats. It was with great difficulty to bring them into any semblance of unified order."

"Hence…Oracle Corps. And Azrael at the forefront," Michael stated.

"It could not be helped, brother," Raphael responded nonchalantly.

"Utilizing Azrael as a weapon?" Michael said with disdain.

"She did so willingly. She still does."

Michael didn't like it, but he knew he spoke the truth. "You have changed as much as Gabriel has."

Raphael smacked the desk next to him with a resounding BANG. "AND YOU? So busy with the Chosen One. And yet no progress!"

A lesser angel might have jumped from the onslaught of sound, but Michael was unfazed as usual. He stared out of the window again. A momentary pause as he mulled over his next words. "Do you believe the child had descendants? A line of people that now live in these settlements?" he wondered aloud, changing the subject. "Does our blood now flow in the veins of these humans? Perhaps Gabriel is killing his own kin without his knowledge."

"The child?" Raphael stilled at the question.

Glancing over his shoulder, he tried to gauge his brother's reaction. "Perhaps he would see no difference."

Raphael stood up. He looked stricken. "It is improbable. That such blood continues to run through their veins! I was the last to do such a thing."

"You were not." Michael shifted.

"I was the last!" Raphael exclaimed. "Father was clear that such unions were not to occur."

"The Morning Star was not likely to listen to him, don't you agree?" Michael said quietly, turning to face him.

"The Morning Star?" Raphael said surprised.

"There are those who do not bend to the will of their creator."

"That would mean…"

Michael nodded and sat down in one of the oversized chairs. "It was a gamble. My taking him as a child. Saving him from destruction."

Raphael stared at him. Michael thought that he already knew such information, but it appeared that his brother had been in the dark all these years. Perhaps revealing that now was pointless. "There is no guarantee that he follows in his father's path."

"The child should have been destroyed." Raphael swallowed, his expression hardening. "Instead, he is in the middle of a tug of war between angels and probably the reason why Father left in THE FIRST PLACE!"

Michael watched as Raphael clenched and unclenched his fists, taking a moment to regain control. And then, as if suddenly the energy was spent, he slouched back into his chair and rubbed his eyes. The archangel looked more and more human. That strange alien unblinking, unwavering gaze that Michael still maintained was lost in Raphael. Even the way he moved, it was as if he never had wings. "He is the key to all things, Raphael. That scripture is from Father and was meant for Alex."

"How do you know? Did He tell you? Before He left us all to rot on this plane? Before He let our Home slowly fall into shambles? Slowly disappearing as the moments pass us by?" Raphael sounded like he was spitting out the words. "Did you know that we would become this? That I would become this angry…violent…tyrant?"

Michael stood, pacing closer to his brother. "You are no tyrant and your emotions…they are yours. Perhaps dormant all those years before, but they are still yours. Alex…he is good. The purpose of what covers his body and what flows through his veins…that we shall see. But at the core of that man, there is good, despite his lineage."

"And you've trusted your life in his hands? In that child's hands!" Raphael asked with a frenetic underlying current. "You've entrusted all of our lives…"

"He is the Chosen One."

"And you've made it so." Raphael stared up at the tall angel. "Was it you that chose? Or was it Father? How did you find him in the chaos that was raining down on the world?"

Michael's eyes narrowed. "You know the answer to that question. It was Father that chose. It was the last mission I was given. And you know that – you were there."

Mollified, Raphael remained silent, steepling his fingers and resting them against his chin. "The Chosen One needs to join the fold."

Michael stood at ease, hands clasped behind his back. "That is no longer our choice, but his alone."

"And you have no sway with him?" Raphael raised an eyebrow. "He has been in your care for all these years."

"That 'sway' was…broken." Michael remained emotionless as he responded. "We will do what we must to take care of our brother's wayward actions and let the Chosen One make his own path."

Raphael studied him for a moment and then fluidly stood up. "Well…" pausing, only to take a moment to look around his desk. "So it is. The plan must go on." He focused back on the map once more, pointing something out to Michael and moving on as if their conversation bore no significance.

But Michael knew better. He followed along with the same pretense, standing across from him with his hands clasped behind his back. But something was happening behind those royal-blue eyes, something larger. Raphael was scheming and it was unlike him. New Delphi had pulled his brother deep into its underbelly and it would not let go.