Chapter Text
"Gabriel… I do not wish to cause you panic…"
Gabriel tilted his head up at Raphael's approach, responding with a confused hum. Raphael blinked in return, not entirely sure how to approach the subject. How does one tell their sibling that they have a very large mechanical apparatus attached to their back?
"Raphael, I don't see anything amiss. What has happened? What summons your fear?" He's using what humans called a customer service voice, and while Raphael doesn't doubt his brother's love for his siblings, he very clearly would rather be fucking off with whatever else than talking. But Raphael can't just not address the elephant in the room, considering it's literally on Gabriel.
"You see, brother, you, ah…" Raphael winces, glancing over Gabriel's shoulder at the yellow optic staring unblinkingly back at him. A shudder runs up his spine. The little robotic bastard taunts him with a crude gesture with one of its four arms, and he scowls under his helmet. "You have a little… something, hanging off you. A very, ah, blue something."
Raphael hadn't taken a second look at Gabriel when he'd entered the library, but the sight of eight orange wing panels in the place of the typical golden wings of pure Light had simply demanded his attention when he'd looked over to his severed brother.
Gabriel's… penchant towards mortals had not been a surprise before their extinction; he was God's Will, and certainly he loved all of God's creations just as He did. This new interest in machines, however, is rather… unexpected.
As much as Raphael would blame it on the effects of Gabriel's severance from the Father's Light, he must admit that his brother has always been an odd one, spending double the time he did in Heaven among mortals instead. He vividly remembers constantly calling him back from whatever mortal endeavor he's started chasing to resume his lessons with the Powers.
"Oh?" Gabriel straightened, dislodging the machine slightly. The beep it makes is grating on Raphael's ears, primitive and electronic, but he stops himself from commenting in favor of watching this new interaction. He watched his brother reach an arm back and pat around, feeling up to the machine's head and patting with surprising gentleness. Jealousy flickers in Raphael's gut. Gabriel hasn't ever met any of his siblings with the same soft touch.
"So I do. I was certain you'd met V1 before? They've been here with me many times, not to mention its presence at our monthly dinners."
"No, no," Raphael shook his head, a little shocked. No anger? Not even a sign of irritation? He didn't realize Gabriel was this whipped for the object. "I've met it. I simply… are you not…?" He waves his hand in the machine's general direction.
Gabriel, clearly not understanding Raphael's very valid confusion whatsoever, sighs. "You know, Raphael, I was once the Will of God. I'm not all violence, dear brother."
"I have never doubted such! I only- you've never- you've never once let anything so close. Not even me! It was only a… surprise." Raphael sends the little robot a semi-murderous glare which it of course cannot see. Damn this stupid mask and damn his gay ass brother. Actually, that won't work, he's already been damned. Fuck!
"…nevermind. Carry on, brother. Good day, machine." He grates out the last part. The prick in question chirrups and clicks at him in response, and if he were any more insane he'd think it was laughing at him.
Raphael turns and tucks his books under his arm, and nearly shatters a passing Providence with the heavy door when he throws it open and storms away.