Fate's Vinculum

Chapter 6.

Fate visibly started. "Did something happen to Lucifer, Time?"

"I'm afraid so," the man replied, wiping the snot from his nose.

Fate removed a handkerchief from his robes and placed it in Time's shriveled hand. Time thanked him, blew his nose, and then continued.

"What exactly though I couldn't say. But what I felt..." Time's eyes drifted to the direction of the Time Frames. "Something snapped in his head. It's more than he has a few screws loose—the screws are entirely missing."

Time looked at them all. "There's been something wrong with Lucifer for a while now. He's never been able to get over his Expulsion. But this..." Time shook his head. "He is ten times more dangerous now."

"Great," Sera exclaimed, sarcastically chipper.

"How so?" Rosalyn asked Time gently.

Sera responded. "If what Time is saying is true—"

"It is," Time cut in.

"—then we have no way of knowing what Lucifer will do next. We can't plan for anything. He's a loose cannon.

"When Lucifer attacked Heaven on Christmas it was clearly a preconceived plan. He gathered a demonic army and attacked on a day when we would all be distracted. But..."

Sera looked at the Time Frame, falling into silence.

"He didn't have to destroy Los Angeles!" Time erupted, breaking down crying again. Rosalyn knelt next to him, stroking his bald head. "There was no rhyme or reason to it; it was just another day!"

"A very insignificant, boring day," Fate added.

The group waited for Time to cry it out. When he was reduced to sniffles, and then nothing, everyone looked at each other. Sera had grown very quiet, rubbing his chin over and over. Fate had gone back to wringing his hands.

"So what do we do?" Rosalyn asked. When no one answered, she continued. "Has anyone alerted God yet?"

Sera flat out laughed at her.

"I was serious," Rosalyn replied quietly. "He should know."

"Do you think He cares?" Sera suddenly shouted at her. The female angel was clearly taken aback.

"Do you want to know where God was during the Christmas War? Sitting on His throne, watching as parts of Heaven burned." Sera tisked and glared off to the side. "If I were Him, I would have snapped Lucifer's neck eons ago and been done with it."

Rosalyn gasped. "Sera! That's His son!"

"No." Sera pointed at her angrily. Fate stared between the two, like a child caught in the middle of two parents fighting. "Jesus is His son. Lucifer is an abomination. And I am so sick of this whiny sob story God forever pulls—this 'Woe is me, the first thing I created was a fuck up, I'm worthless, I expelled him from Heaven in a fit of rage, I'm a terrible Father, I'll never get over the loss' bullshit—"

Rosalyn slapped Sera across the face, hard enough to leave an angry red hand print. Sera gawked at her in shock. Now she pointed an angry finger at Sera.

"You have gone too far Seraphin. Show some respect for your Creator."

"Show some respect?" Sera screamed at her. "What about His respect for the billions of people He created? He needs to start taking care of the world again! He can't just be a depressed heap sitting on His throne for all of eternity. He's God—He needs to take responsibility for His actions!"

Sera was livid. "I literally haven't slept in years because someone has to take care of Heaven and make sure everything runs smoothly. Why do you think my house is so over-ridden with books and crap?"

Rosalyn opened her mouth to point out he had slept today but Sera cut her off.

"Have you seen the state Earth is in? Sin is running rampant; most people's prayers are going unanswered. Disease, hatred, racism, sexism, wars, human trafficking, and cartels are multiplying like mice! Catholicism has turned into a corrupt, bad joke. And where is God through all of this, hmm?"

Rosalyn crossed her arms and pursed her lips, looking at Sera with barely held contempt.

"Let me show you something Rosalyn, because I have thought long and hard about everything I'm talking about. And I've done this before."

Sera outspread his arms and began shouting at the would-be the sky. "God! It's me, Seraphin. Your Archangel Primus? I think You're doing a bad job. I think You need to retire. I think You need to get Your big head out of Your rear."

"Sera, stop!" Rosalyn begged.

Sera looked at her, his arms still outstretched. "Why? I haven't been smote. I haven't burst into flames. Hell, my wings haven't even turned black and I haven't Fallen. You want to know why?"

Sera's face contorted into rage and he screamed. "Because He's not listening! He doesn't care anymore!"

"Enough!" Fate shouted in a commanding voice. They both were startled into silence, looking surprised at Fate. "While that was an amusing show of ignorance, that is more than enough."

"I just wanted to prove that—"

Fate threw an arm out towards Sera. An invisible force shot from Fate's hand, slamming into Sera's body. With a surprised shout the angel became airborne before slamming into the ground a good ten feet away. After a moment Sera sat up, looking bewildered.

"Unless you have something constructive that will further the development of this conversation, Seraphin," Fate spoke angrily, taking a menacing step towards where he had flung Sera to, "you really should stay on your arse and keep your mouth shut."

Rosalyn scurried back. The shift from a mild-mannered deity to a fierce, commanding one had frightened her.

"We get it," Fate continued. "You are upset because a majority of God's and Heaven's responsibilities have been thrust onto your shoulders without your permission or want."

Fate took another step forward and glared. "Need I remind you how you were once a gladiator, staring down the wrong end of a sword, suddenly realizing the mistake you had made? Shall I remind you of your own mistakes, and how literally no one is infallible to them?"

He took another step. "Furthermore, you do not deal directly with God like I do. Do not stand here and try to pretend you understand His motivations, or even claim you know what He does with His days. I can assure you it involves much more than being a depressed heap on a throne."

With a final glare, Fate then turned to Rosalyn and Time. He smiled at them, disposition mercurially turning back to pleasant. "So. What shall we do?"