Lucifer: The story behind the angel

Chapter 14

Lucifer and Lilith have just learnt how to transmit souls into crystals.

"It's because the soul is tainted, therefore heavy with the blood of the innocent." A familiar voice sounds behind us. Lilith jerks away from me and retreats to the other side of the cave. The brilliant white light accompanying my younger brother dissipates. "Gabriel. Welcome to the jungle." I coo at him, as if we were old friends.
  "I haven't come to chat, Samael. I've come to take that." He gestures to the crystal, now on the ground after being dropped by Lilith. I lean down to pick it up. "Well, sorry. You can't have it."
  He closes his eyes, then his opalescent light calms down around him, and he looks human, like me, but still has his oversized, white wings folded up behind him. I stare at him in awe.
  "Neat trick huh? It's a new advancement. I really wish you would've stuck around up there brother."
  I harden my gaze. I was done with feeling sad over them. The only family I had ever known viciously tore out my heart, and one of them comes and attempts to guilt trip me. "Get out." I say, without the slightest hint of feeling. A moment of sadness crosses his face, then he straightens, like the soldier he was created to be. 
  "If you do not surrender Cain's soul, I'll have no choice but to take it by force." He says, unsheathing the large sword at his side, and dropping it to the side, seeing I don't have a weapon of my own.
  "Did Father teach you to fight fair?" I ask, mocking him. He nods once. "Yes. Along with many other things that you'll never know." I'm aware of the fire behind my eyes, but I'm trying to keep him from knowing he was succeeding in making me angry. "That's too bad."
  We both put our fists up, ready to brawl. I wasn't sure how it would pan out, because we both have angelic stamina, and strength, but it was definitely worth a shot. Out of the side of my vision, Lilith runs across to the entrance to the cave, and leaves. Taking advantage of the distraction, Gabriel takes the first punch. I both hear and feel the snap of my cheekbone as it disconnects. I jerk back, but gather myself. Silver and gold ichor runs from the wound. I look at my brother. He looks anything but triumphant, sad even. I throw a heartless punch in his direction, and it connects with his temple. He leans down and shouts out. I heard the crackling of his skull. He reaches out to grab my leg, and jerks it upward, making me fall over. I kick him in his stomach when he advances closer to me, and he gasps. I stand up quickly and grab around his throat, to start punching him in the side. I could hear his groans and his ribs breaking under the pressure. I wanted desperately to stop, but I just couldn't. He punches me in the knee, hard, and it twists the wrong direction. I fall over and he stands over me, leaning down in pain.
"Samael. Stop. Please." He mutters out. "I don't want to hurt you."
  "Then you should have left sooner." I say as I sweep my leg under his, to make him fall. He grabs the crystal next to him and we both stand up abruptly. He glares down at the crystal while healing himself. I do the same. My wings flick open and closed quickly.
  "Gabriel, why do you need Cain's soul so badly?" I ask, genuinely curious.
  "Because Father has commanded me to." I hold my breath as I bend my knee back into socket. "Why you? You're young." He rolls his shoulder blades back and his wings respond by flapping once erratically. "Shut it. I was fourth. Not that young." He was still staring wide-eyed at the crystal.
  "Thanks for this." I don't try to catch him when he walks away, to the entrance of the cavern and flies away.

Lilith walks back in after he's gone.
"Well that went terribly." She says, referring to the loss of Cain's soul. I slip the green crystal from my pocket. "Man. He's going to be more than pissed when he realizes I switched the crystal on him." She looks at Cain's crystal, astonished. Then starts laughing. I found myself not being able to contain my own laughter after a moment.