Armed and Ready -Dominion FF ON HOLD

Chapter 8

I saw the world through the eyes of a maniac. The man who claimed to be my father.

He sat upon a throne of swords, a smile plastered to his face. Several angels gathered around him admirably, as though Gabriel was indeed their God. He didn't acknowledge their presence. Only one angel mattered here; and that was Michael.

Michael leaned hesitantly against the far wall. His hands were trapped in metallic chains, as was his throat and legs. He was stripped of his weapons and coat, which was replaced with a large device that rendered his angelic powers useless. Angels surrounded him securely, refusing him neither space or privacy. His thin shirt remained drenched in his own blood. The wound continued to fester on his side, sending waves of intolerable irritation across his insides. He refused to admit he was in pain. Vulnerability was always his weakness.

Gabriel stared at his brother tentatively for another moment, then stood from his throne. The angels reacted almost instantly, moving aside or hiding away to allow their king a path to the other archangel. Michael looked over his brother in disgust. Gabriel chuckled bitterly. "Oh Michael. Sweet, innocent Michael." He teased. Michael didn't respond. He only stared down at his brother venomously. I wanted to help him, to reach out and protect him; but I was only the audience. And the show had just begun.

"Don't look at me like that, Michael. It is rude to stare." Gabriel retorted cheerily.

"Keep Katherine out of this. I can sense her presence, Gabriel. She doesn't desevre to see this." Michael pleaded. "She's innocent."

This made Gabriel sneer. "Innocence was never her best feature, wasn't it Michael." He grinned over at Michael, who in return glared at the ground painfully. "You do remember her, don't you, brother?" 

"Gabriel enough! She does not need to hear your side of this story." Michael snapped protectively. 

"Oh, but she does." Gabriel replied spitefully as he pushed Michael against the wall, his arm tightening over his brothers throat. Michael flinched. "Where shall we begin, brother? When she was born? Her childhood?" Gabriel asked. "Or should we skipped to the more juicier times? Like how you allowed her to fall from heaven."

Michael looked away from the archangel hurtfully. Gabriel's grip on Michael's neck loosened as he leaned closer to his brother. A notorious smile grew upon his face. "You were the one who helped her find the edges of heaven. You were the one who accepted her plea for freedom. You, my brother, let my daughter fall and forever be wiped of her grace."

At this, Michael attacked. He crashed his head solidly against Gabriel's before the chains forced him to retreat. Gabriel stumbled backwards, giving his brother a look of pure enjoyment. He reached to his forehead, which was now smeared with fresh blood. The angels pounced at Michael. Gabriel raised his hand sternly. The angels froze restlessly. "Let us be alone." Gabriel ordered. "Now!"

Without a moments hesitation, the angels fled, flying and scurrying messily from Gabriel's domain. Then the silence thickened. It was only Gabriel and Michael now. And me.