"You create and create and create!" Death snarled: "Me and my reapers can't keep up! There is just me to give orders..." He tiredly rubbed his hand over his head in a very human gesture.

"I am God, what do you want me to do?" God asked.

"I want you to make three quarters of an angel, but for its grace it will have my powers. You know I'm not good at creating things myself."

"Very well" God weaved with his hands: "What shall you call your angel of Death?"

"Azrael, and he shall live in Heaven, with the other angels. And he will have power, my power, in a lesser form, but he will not die, for he possesses my power and only I will be able to reap him. He won't be able to reap all of the creations on this earth and neither the pagan gods, who are still used as they were ages ago. And maybe I'll have time for a holiday in a few millennia."

"This is our step-brother, Azrael" Raphael spoke: "He is an Angel, but one of Death, and we will have to act like he is one of us."

Michael's eyes narrowed: "There is place for him in one of the lower garrisons."

"You misunderstand, he is equal to an Archangel. Father wants us to keep him near to our hearts, because he might be able to reap even us."

Michael stared at the small baby with ink black wings: "Who will take care of him to grow? Not me, surely, I am busy all the time."

"I'm not even getting near the abomination" Oriphiel spoke.

Gabriel hesitantly stepped forward and knelt down by the infant: "If no one will, I will."

"You have work to do, who else will send dreams of our Father to the humans?"

"Than if it is truly the will of our Father I will help him" Lucifer offered.

"You will?" Michael asked surprised: "You hate humans, even though Father said to love them as we love him."

"He's my brother, step-brother, the mud-monkeys aren't family."

"Why am I so different?! Why didn't Father make me like you?! I thought I was your brother!" Azrael cried, tears pouring down his red face: "I just wanted to play with them!"

"You are our brother" Lucifer spoke, his stance still firm: "Nothing they do or say will change that. They are merely ashamed they do not have a wingspan like you do."

"No one in Heaven has the wingspan you do" Gabriel said: "Not even Michael."

"But why do I have to be different?" Azrael asked.

"Because you're grace is different from ours" Lucifer said: "You're our step-brother because you do not just have one Father, but two."

"Two?" Azrael asked, confused.

"And I'll thank you to never forget it" a silky voice came from behind them.

The three archangels turned and looked at the person standing there.

"Death" Lucifer said, the only one who had met the person before.

"Lucifer, Gabriel... Azrael" Death smiled. Today he was a middle-aged man with dark hair and a tanned face. "You have grown up beautifully, my son."

"Father?" Azrael asked.

Death smiled: "Just a little more and you will be able to start the job I have for you."

"I get a job?" Azrael asked excitedly.

"Every archangel has his job" Death spoke: "Yours is extra special, for you're the only angel that is part of me."

"What is my job?" Azrael asked.

"You will be helping me and the reapers... with reaping" Death answered.

Azrael blanched: "I... I have to kill Father's creations? But... why? I love them!"

"I know you do" Death said: "But they deserve to move on, they deserve to get into Heaven or Hell at the end of their life."

Azrael flinched: "I don't think I can do it."

Death sighed: "It's a job, I can't force you to do it, of course. I am your Father too, I won't force you. You are my son, if you never want to leave Heaven and stay here with your step-brothers, I won't stop you. I love you, you know, I just want you to be happy. And if reaping people does not make you happy, I will not ask you to do it. I only ask you to see what it is about before you say no."

Azrael nodded uncertainly: "Yes, Father."

"Gabriel?" Azrael asked timidly. He liked Gabriel, he was one of the few of his brothers who talked to him and played with him, not like Lucifer did, of course, but close.

"Yes, little brother?" Gabriel asked.

"Could I ask you something?" Azrael asked, as he bent his head and stared at his feet.

"Of course you can, what is it?"

"I… I think I would like to become Death's angel. Is that alright?"

"It's what you were born to do, little brother" Gabriel answered the insecure angel: "You were born to help Death. No matter what you become, you will always be our little brother. Okay?"

"Yes, thank you, Gabriel" Azrael said. Then he perked up and asked: "Have you seen Lucifer? I have been looking all over for him but can't find him!"

"Oh, well, I think he's with our Father" Gabriel answered: "You'll have to wait for a little while. I wish I could stay, but I have a message to deliver, so, I'll see you later okay? And stay away from the nasty siblings, okay?"

"Yes, Gabriel" Azrael answered and made way to 'his' piece of heaven.

Of course, it wasn't his piece of heaven, but he came here often to hide from the other angels. The piece of heaven belonged to a man who used to be a trader. He used to help people whenever he could and had deserved a piece of heaven. The man honestly did not mind him coming over to chat, even with him being the Angel of Death. He was the least prejudiced man Azrael knew, and he enjoyed spending time with him when his brothers didn't have time.

"Father cannot ask me to love these foul creatures more than I do Him! I refuse! Michael, don't you see? They are flawed, they kill each other out of spite. They refuse to love our Father as we do! He created them! Why do they ignore Him so! Our Father deserves there love and devotion! I cannot believe I am the only one who is not fooled by them!"

"You will love them as you love our Father. It is His will! I will not hear of it anymore!" Michael screeched back at Lucifer, his wingspan spreading to threaten the younger angel.

"I cannot believe we are going through this again. If you don't like them, ignore them, Lucifer, and Michael, I don't you screaming at him is going to change his mind" Gabriel said, stepping in between them, trying to salvage the situation.

"You keep out of it!" Both of his brothers growled at him at once.

Gabriel winced and his wings fluttered in doubt: "Please, brothers, it is not worth this fight.

"See! Gabriel agrees with me! Those humans must die!" Lucifer shouted at Michael, gesturing wildly.

"I don't…" Gabriel started to defend himself.

"I cannot believe you encourage him, Gabriel! Get out of my sight!" Michael screamed causing Gabriel to wince once more. A moment later his wings fluttered and he disappeared.

"Now look what you did! Are those mud-monkeys coming in between our family?" Lucifer asked: "What will happen now, huh? Are those creatures worth the ripping of our family?!"

Michael scowled and opened his mouth to start another round of arguing.

"Gabriel?" Azrael asked with a soft voice: "What…? What are you doing?"

Gabriel looked up from where he was flipping through books and discarding them.

"Nothing for you to worry about, Azrael" Gabriel answered, returning to his book and then sighed, taking up another book.

"Aha" he said and read the spell quickly before putting the small book into his pocket. He turned to Azrael: "Take care of yourself while I'm gone, will you, little brother?"

"Where are you going?" Azrael asked.

"To Earth."

"You have to deliver a dream? When will you be back?" Azrael asked, stepping in front of Gabriel to block his way. He did not like the look on Gabriel's face.

"I don't know, little one. But take care of yourself, okay? Don't let the other's bully you!" Gabriel patted Azrael on his head and then left.

Azrael felt tears fell from his eyes. "I won't see him for a long time" he whispered in realization.

Azrael cautiously walked towards the other Archangels. His face was sad and he quickly gathered Lucifer's attention, who was before that arguing with Michael – this time quietly.

"What is wrong, Azrael?" Lucifer asked, ignoring the disgusted looks on his brothers.

Azrael took a deep breath and then said: "Gabriel is gone."

"Gone, what do you mean gone? Where did he go?!" Rafael quickly asked, gripping Azrael by the shoulders.

"Let him go" Lucifer said in a cold voice, and Rafael quickly did so. "Azrael, what happened to Gabriel?"

"He's gone to Earth" Azrael said: "But I knew something was up, so I kept an eye on him. His grace twisted and then he was gone."

"Azrael" Lucifer said, over the murmuring of the brothers: "Did Gabriel die?"

Azrael shifted his eyes to the side as he searched for the answer: "No" he then said: "My father did not come near his place and I was here, so there's no one else to take him."

"Why did he leave?" Michael then asked.

"He did not say" Azrael said: "He looked upset, though. I don't know what happened."

"You did this" Lucifer growled, turning on Michael: "You told him to get out of your sight! He left because of you!"

Michael sighed; "He's just being rebellious, like he's want to do. I'll go find him."

"I am going too" Lucifer said: "You are not going by yourself. I will find him and convince him to come back. He probably doesn't want to see you anyway."

Michael growled, but both their wings flared and they disappeared to go to Earth.

Azrael quickly left, not wanting to stay near his brothers any longer than he had to.

"If it isn't our little Archangel brother" a teasing voice came from behind Azrael.

Azrael quickly turned, but he was immediately grabbed by four angels, his green eyes widened as he saw another angel playing with an angel blade.

"You mean this abomination? He's not our brother" one of the angel who held him said.

"How about we find out whether he is our brother?" the angel with the blade suggested. "If we kill him with this, will he die? If he does, he's probably one of us. If he doesn't… well, we'd have to find another way" he smiled a creepy smile and stepped forward.

"No! Lucifer will…" Azrael started to say.

"He's not here, is he?" the angel with the blade said, just before he stabbed Azrael in his stomach.

Azrael gasped, his eyes widening. His wings flared and as he was let go he fell backwards.

"Well, seems he can die!" the angel pulled out the blade and cleaned it on Azrael's tunic: "Let's go."

The other angels left, and therefore did not notice Azrael's body glow white before disappearing.

Okay, I know I still have to finish Choices, but I really needed to get this first part of this story out.

I can't promise fast updates, but I will do my best.

Lady Blue Shadow