Radicle (Terminal trilogy #2, can stand alone)

37: The boy, lost

 And then- well, Michael had a thing for entrances, but even more he had a thing for showing up at wholly expected times. So he was there suddenly, on the streets of Pride with his brothers, waiting. For me? Supposedly.

"How did you know I'd be here?" I asked, going with the presumption.

"You were either going to come or go at some point today."

"Speaking of 'some point today'..." Uriel said, faking a yawn.

None of the brothers really looked happy to see me, Michael included, though it could be supposed the non-Michael siblings were honestly mad. How long had they been waiting? There was little way they couldn't have heard the battle outside when they first arrived to take the elevator down.

"Of course." Michael said, waving the conversation's subject away with his hand. Despite his typical grin, I had grown used to his facial expressions, and could tell something was wrong. "But I assure you, we need Michael C here to get anything done."

Did Michael just call me Michael? Well, yes, he obviously had- but it was such a weird thing I had to question if I had slipped into a dream.

"Why." Gabriel asked, or really, stated with a heavy sigh.

"He knows these demons. He'll keep us alive."

"He killed us last time we were here, Michael." Gabriel said again. "You're wasting time."

"Uh, well, you know-" Raphael said, glancing between his two older brothers nervously. "Five people."

"Five people." Gabriel about spat.

Michael took my hand and the group started walking, but I still had a feeling I was dreaming.

Michael than turned to his brothers and held up a hand. "Wait here." He said.

"No." Gabriel said immediately, but he stood still and the other two brothers stood behind him.

Michael led me ahead of him, holding my hand in the air like it was a waltz. When we were at the other end of the street, he leaned in close and whispered in my ear.

"My children are all dying." I looked up at his face and saw he was still smiling. "It's time I surrendered."

I felt something stir in my chest, like my heart had turned. But I shook the feeling off with practiced ease. "I have to go."

"No you don't."

"Yes, I do."

"I'll ask for you, then. Tell the demons I won't speak without you. You'll return to me eventually."

"I really need to go. Please, kill me now or else I will wait for death to seek me herself."

"I'm not going to kill you right now, and you're not going to let yourself die. Just come with me." His nails were digging into my arm.

"I don't care about anything anymore."

"Except Heaven. Except me. Because you know I wouldn't allow for anything else."

"I-I really have to go." I looked away from his gaze. "You need to give Heaven up."

"See! You still care about its fate... at least in some form." He ran a hand down my cheek, letting his fingers linger on what I was sure was my blushing face.

"You two have been having your moment for a lot longer than a moment needs to last!" Uriel called from the other side of the street.

"Yeah! Uh, I don't necessarily need to see the end result of this intimate moment. E-ever." Raphael looked back and forth between his two brothers for a sign of approval, but no one seemed particularly amused.