Hello, brother.

Brother, What Have You Done?

Michael tensed. He knew that voice. He could be locked in the depths of Hell and he'd still remember that silky smooth voice.

Getting up slowly, he turned to face the man who had spoken to him.

"Lucifer."

The Devil smiled, that taunting smirk that always made his eyes light up with mischief. "I'm disappointed, Michael. I haven't seen you in awhile - I was expecting a more enthusiastic welcome than the look you're giving me now."

Michael didn't respond.

Lucifer just laughed. "Oh, dear. Well. You're angry with me, aren't you? I can see it in your eyes. What did I do? How have I offended the mighty Archangel Michael?"

"You know damn well how." Michael practically snarled through his gritted teeth.

"Now, now, brother. There is no need to use such harsh words -"

"Harsh? Harsh?" Michael exploded. He had had enough. "YOU BETRAY HEAVEN, YOU BETRAY FATHER, AND YOU BETRAY ME! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO SAY? DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, I DON'T CARE? I LOVED YOU, LUCIFER!"

Lucifer, to his credit, didn't even flinch. "And you're telling me that you don't any more?" He said calmly.

"I -" Michael hesitated, suddenly feeling bad for losing himself like that. "No. I loved you, Lucifer. I loved you more than anyone, anything. I... I still do. But why did you do this? Didn't you think about how Father would feel? How I would feel?"

"I don't want to talk about Him. I did, however, think about you. You were all that was running through my head at the time. Father asked us to love those flawed creatures more than Him, more than each other. To serve them. They would have made us slaves, Michael. Who was to say they wouldn't take complete control? Is that the life you would want for yourself? For Raphael and Gabriel? I certainly don't."

"You did this for... Because of... Me?"

"I would have thought that Gabriel would side with me, to be honest." Lucifer mused as he rather openly avoided the question. "He always had my habit of Raising Cain, didn't he? Always had the same mischievous spark."

"I can't just ignore what you've done, Lucifer."

"On the contrary, brother dearest, you could."

"Wha -"

"Run away with me, Michael."