The Spec-Fic SmackDown 2024

Mother knows

"What is that offending creature in your arms?" Lucy wrinkled her nose like a stinky sock had been placed under it.

"Don't judge it," Michael paused, trying and failing to hide the raccoon from his sister's judgemental blue eyes. "Every one of Father's creations is beautiful."

"Yada. Yada. Yada." The voluptuous redhead rolled her eyes, "Of course, you would think that. Father's pet." Crossing her arms over her chest, she pet the metal monstrosity squatting beside her.

The look gracing his sister's face not a second ago took to him. "What is that abomination?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

Lucy shook her head. "I thought it was a sin to judge, brother."

"No, it isn't." Michael stood up straighter. His long, blond hair fell in soft curls over his shoulders. "Moreover, it's not one of our father's creations."

"Are you certain?" Lucy asked, crouching next to her pet. The metal contraption wagged its tail; its once-hollowed sockets now sporting two golf ball-sized ebony spheres fixed the archangel with a cold stare.

"Do I look stupid to you?" The blond narrowed his eyes.

"Well...ummm."

Michael left an exasperated sigh and set the raccoon free. "Go, little one. Take shelter in the woods."

"As if there are any left." Lucy snorted.

Michael crossed his arms over his chest. "Thanks to you."

The woman's mouth fell open. "Take that back. Now!"

"Why should I?" Michael approached his sister unafraid.

"Humans did this to themselves. Father gave them free will, remember?"

"But you did everything possible to make them lose their way, did you not?" The archangel waited for his sister's retort, but it never came. "Lu, this time you truly have bitten off more than you can chew," he added, squatting down on the patch of grass that remained untainted by time and patting the place next to him.

Weariness filled cerulean eyes. "I am sorry for fucking up, bro. I didn't think it would go this far." Taking her place next to her brother, Lucy gestured to her pet to stay. "I don't know what to do. I can't sway them... the monsters, I mean. Reason means nothing to most. And those who are willing to listen are few and far apart."

The archangel scooted closer to his sister and took her in his embrace. "We will fix this, Lu. We have to."

All pretense left the woman's person. She clung to her brother. Melting in his arms, tears rolled down her fair cheeks. "Father is furious, isn't he? Are you here to reprimand me on his behalf? He has already banished me to hell, what more can he do to punish me?"

"He doesn't know. At least, not yet." Michael whispered in his sister's ear, reluctantly letting his arms fall away from her. "He has been busy experimenting with a new idea. Gabriel is making sure he doesn't turn his eyes on Earth. Gab isn't sure how long he can keep it up. We need to do damage control. We need to do it now."

"I know. But I am afraid the worst is yet to come."

"I don't understand. What-"

"Humans have found their way to Que1101."

The archangel left a shuddering breath. "What? How... why?"

"How it happened is the least of our concerns, brother. What I fear most is that they might be there to invade it."

Michael was at a loss for words. Within seconds, his day had gone from bad to horrendous. What was he to do now!? Que1101 was one of only four planets beaming with life... life that his eccentric father had created. Unlike Earth which had been plagued with darkness to its very core, Que1101 was pure. Untainted, like the patch of grass the siblings were sitting on. "How can you be sure?"