The Metatronic Chronicles: A Minor Inconvenience

The massive old church looked little different at night than it did during the day. The windows were still dark, the brick still dirty and the grounds still smelled of rotting rice and lilacs. But even to the owls there still seemed to be an air of anticipation, a feeling that something out of the ordinary was going to happen that night.

The cold evening air was normal for a Wisconsin October night, crisp and dry, leaves fluttering slightly in the breeze until a sudden wind kicked up, sending them loose from their branches and whirling up into the night sky. As they flew away, a pair of dark forms came spiraling out of the sky and in for a violent landing behind the sanctuary entrance, throwing up more leaves, dirt and stones as they did so. The two angels had arrived.

“Maybe the door’s unlocked,” Daniel telepathed to his brother as they drew close to the old building. “Father O’Casey used to leave the sanctuary entrance open all the time. Maybe Father Thomas does too.”

“Try it!” Michael’s deeper voice answered as he pressed up against the outer wall, looking for anything unusual in the building’s infrastructure. It was completely dead, which was not normal. Even the newest buildings had some sort of energy to them, whether it was inherent in the construction materials or introduced later by the activities of the occupants. St. Mary’s, despite it’s century of service, was lifeless. “This building has been killed,” he said to his brother. “Something has drained it of all its life force.”

Daniel found the sanctuary door and tried it, with no luck. “It’s locked. Father Thomas isn’t as trusting, I guess. How can we get in?”

“Walk through the wall!” Michael demonstrated by dissolving his body completely through the thick brick and mortar walls. “Just will yourself through and it will happen.”

“The hell you say?” Daniel watched Michael fade through the wall, and then through sheer force of will, he made himself do the same.

He stepped through and after an interesting panoramic view of St. Mary’s outside and inside walls including the cellular structure, he nearly fell through the inner wall, reappearing next to Michael. “That was incredible! I want to do that again!”

“You’ll have your chance.” Michael scanned the sanctuary and sacristy. There was nothing. “Do you feel ill?”

“No, but maybe the angel isn’t affected.” Daniel dropped back into human form for a moment, but immediately changed back when the familiar pains began almost immediately. “Experiment over,” he said with some embarrassment. “I still have the problem.”

“Well we can’t have you wanting to bend over and puke every time you go to church can we?” Michael wandered out into the empty nave.

It was after midnight and the only light burning was a “ghost light”, a small reading lamp on the pulpit left burning for safety reasons. With a thought, Michael put the light out and his own angelic eyes brought the structure out of the darkness into brilliant illumination.

’Wow, I can see in the dark pretty good,” he heard Daniel say.

Michael’s gaze fell on the empty altar and noticed a small glow on the spot where the Holy Eucharist usually stood during Mass. “What’s this?”

He stepped up to take a closer look. The glow was coming from within the altar stone, in this case a granite slab that Michael knew usually contained relics of religious importance, such bone fragments from a saint. Whether these relics were indeed from the old religious icons was debatable, but something else was in that altar.

“Daniel!” He motioned to his brother. “Come look at this!”

His brother arrived instantly and peered over his shoulder to see what had caught his interest. “Holy shit! Is that what’s making me sick?”

“Maybe. Step back, I’m going to try to get it out.”

Daniel moved away as he utilized the power he had used to enter the building. His hand slowly sank into the stone and after groping around a bit, he managed to get hold of something, but it squirmed a little and he dropped it.

“I hope that wasn’t a saint’s finger bone wiggling around in there,” he complained, and then tried again. This time he managed to keep his grip on it.

It felt warm and soft, not at all like a gray basketball such as they had seen at Mass that morning. Slowly, Michael pulled it out through the stone. What emerged in his hand seemed to be a softly glowing little pink egg. “Now that’s interesting!” he exclaimed. “It’s an angelic soul!”

“A what?” Daniel echoed. “A soul? What would a soul be doing in a one hundred and ten year old altar with some ancient ground up saints in it?”

“Waiting for us, I imagine.” Michael answered, further confusing Daniel. He had seen many of these before, but he could not recall exactly where. “This little fellow needs a home. He was drawn to the church because we were there, but must have been attracted by something on the altar. He’s looking for us! One of us must be a father.”

He glanced at Daniel, who immediately backed even further away. “Don’t look at me. I use condoms and Mrs. Blankenship is dead. Why would an angelic soul make me sick?”

“You’re right, it wouldn’t.” Michael gasped slightly as the little bit of energy entered his body and disappeared from view. “It’s me,” he finally whispered, his surprise evident. “I have a child somewhere.”

Daniel felt a bit safer now that the little energy egg had entered his brother and came close again. “So what happens to it? How does it get into the child?”

“I’m not sure,” Michael replied, rubbing the sudden warm sensation that was now traveling downward through him. He could guess where it would make itself at home. “Anyway, that’s for later. What is important is that we find out what is making you sick now.”

Daniel’s gaze was wandering around the church when he spotted something up in a far corner of the ceiling. “Maybe it’s that thing up there.”

Michael followed his gaze and saw the slightly glowing gray energy ball they had seen before. It was hovering in a dark corner of the ceiling above the choir loft, as far from the two angels it could get without leaving the building.

Spreading their wings, they both floated upward to get a closer look. As they did so, it zipped away from the corner and went to rest in another one on the other side of the nave.

“Quick isn’t it?” Michael commented in surprise. “Let’s split up and see if we can corral it.”

Daniel nodded and the two separated and went toward it again. But it was fast and managed to get between them to go to ground somewhere below.

“Get it!” Daniel shouted as they flew after it, and then had to dodge it once again as it headed upward and then into the sacristy. As fast as they were, the two angels, so fresh to their abilities, were no matches for its speed.

After a few more false tries, Michael grew tired of the game and with a single thought, sent the thing down to the floor and held it there magically until they could alight. Before their eyes, it began to change shape, elongating and growing until took a humanoid form and then began to writhe and snarl while it continued to change.

Daniel watched, his eyes wide in shock as what seemed to be a demon forming right in front of him. “What the hell is it?”

The thing on the floor kept growing and changing until Daniel realized that it was becoming very much like them in stature. As the grayness faded into more lifelike tones, it raised its head and glared at Michael. “You sonofabitch!” the new being growled in a deep male voice. “Let me go!”

“Screw you, Asmodeus!” Michael returned coolly. “What are you doing in this church?”

“I could ask you the same!” Asmodeus now was no longer demon-like but was now a fully formed angry angel. Michael released him and he sprang to his feet, dark red curls cascading down his back between giant wings that seemed to be on fire.

Daniel’s mouth was still hanging open in shock and Asmodeus tenderly closed it for him. “Close the flycatcher, Daniel!” He smiled sweetly, and then glared at Michael again. “What did you do to me?”

“Huh? I didn’t do shit to you! We found you in the church hanging around here in the shape of a gray glob of crap, drawing the energy from the marrow of the building!” Michael did a quick scan of the structure and found signs of life stirring in it. Without the encapsulated angel bouncing around inside trying to survive, it was becoming normal again. “I pinned you down and drew you out!”

Asmodeus glanced back over at Daniel, who was still dumbstruck. “What’s wrong with him? He’s usually got his sword at my neck by now.”

Michael didn’t want to tell Asmodeus, one of the most powerful angels of all, that he and Daniel had just emerged from their last human existence and were hardly fit even to be called angels yet. But Daniel told Asmodeus for him. “Who…who…are you?”

Asmodeus regarded him with ice-cold green eyes for a moment before turned back to Michael. “He doesn’t know anything does he? Has he just emerged from human? Are you trying to keep that from me?”

“You…or something…was making him sick!” Michael growled. “Yes, we both just emerged from human but he’s closer to it than I am. The angel Daniel is not quite in residence there yet and I am harboring both the human and angel simultaneously.”

“Yet he has command of an angelic body?” Asmodeus smiled slightly. “Interesting.”

“How did you come to be here, Asmodeus?” Michael asked. “Why in our church?”

“Your church? You’re religious?” Asmodeus seemed surprised, and then shook his head. “I don’t remember. I was minding my own business at work, and then suddenly I was reduced to an energy ball and apparently deposited in this place. I’ve been here ever since, probably in waiting for you two.”

Michael realized that Asmodeus had brought the soul. “You brought it! You brought an angelic soul and it must be one hell of a powerful angel because it trapped you here without even breaking a sweat!”

“Why would it trap me here…?” Asmodeus started to ask, then realized the answer. Michael looked directly at him and both said the name: “Metatron.”

“Who’s Metatron?” Daniel finally found his voice, cracking and stunned as it was.

“Apparently, Metatron, the creator of all the angels, heaven, hell, all the universes and this planet earth…” Michael sighed. “Is going to be my son.”

Asmodeus noted activity outside. “Did someone call the police?”

Daniel shook himself out of his initial shock and took on a new cause for alarm. “I forgot we had broken in! We were speaking vocally—someone must have heard us!”

“Then I would say it’s time for us to leave, wouldn’t you?” Asmodeus smiled at Daniel and the next thing the young angel saw was a street sign near their home. Asmodeus had taken all three out of the building and two miles away instantaneously. Their home was just across the street and a light was on in the kitchen.

“Somebody woke up,” Michael said as he tried to clear his head from the quick trip. The angel Michael had given over control to him again, just in time to take any parental punishment. “If it’s mom, she would have checked on us and we will be in deep shit right now. We’re supposed to be grounded.”

“But not your father?” Asmodeus asked, his voice hinting at an unknown joke.

“Dad would just go back to bed. He’s a little more accepting of our…uh…eccentricities than mom is.”

Asmodeus seemed to digest this for a moment then smiled as he started toward the house. “Perhaps I should meet your parents!”

“NO!” Both boys cried out but it was too late. Asmodeus suddenly took wing and headed toward the house, and unable to stop him, Michael and Daniel just watched in horror as he entered the back door. They stood there, frozen to the spot until a few minutes later James emerged and waved at them to come in, then disappeared back into the kitchen again.

Michael glanced at Daniel. “Maybe he didn’t really go in,” he telepathed to his brother.

“Then how would Dad know we were out here? It’s dark—there’s no streetlights, he can’t see us from the window!” Daniel shot back. “Something is up.”

Slowly they approached the house.

Daniel reached the door first and looked inside. “Holy shit!” He breathed. “Look at that!”

Michael came up quickly behind him and saw a sight that he would never dream of seeing in a million years. His father was dressed in an old robe, sitting at the massive kitchen table drinking coffee and apparently visiting quite amiably with a nearly naked angel of the Lord. In fact, the two seemed to know each other quite well since James was laughing at some tale Asmodeus was relating about their adventure that night. When he saw them peering in, he again waved his hand. “Come in, boys.”

Taking a last glance at his brother, Daniel opened the door and slipped in, trying to hide the fact that he was nearly a foot taller, a hundred pounds heavier and was heavily winged by hunching down a bit and holding his wings tightly to his back. Michael just walked proudly in, unashamed of what he had become.

James looked at them for a moment, his face showing his pride in what they had become. “Amazing. You were right, Asmodeus. They developed beautifully, but how? We weren’t expecting this so soon.”

“I’m not sure—they haven’t told me yet. But it was due soon anyway, within a year or two. Normally we try to wait until at least age 19 or 20 before metamorphosis but something apparently sped things up.” Asmodeus gave them a questioning look. “So boys, how did it happen? And you need not bother talking your lie over telepathically. I can hear you that way too.”

“Uh…um…” Daniel gave his brother a quick look for support but Michael shook his head. “We were murdered.”

“I knew it!” James slapped the table for emphasis. “It was that Blankenship woman, wasn’t it? I told you to leave them alone!” He turned back toward Asmodeus. “She’s married to a damn gangster that I’ve wanted to kill for years. Daniel’s been screwing her—I could smell it on him for weeks and I knew it would come to this.”

Neither boy could believe what they were hearing. “So…um…dad,” Michael ventured. “How do you and Asmodeus know each other?”

Asmodeus gave him a strange look. “Your memory IS full of holes, Michael. I’m surprised your angel knew me at the church if that’s the case. “ He rose from the table and went over to the two younger angels. He touched Michael’s forehead gently. “This one is almost fully integrated, but not quite. It must have been the shock. He has memory gaps and not much magic.”

Daniel tried to duck away from his touch but found himself oddly held immobile as Asmodeus did the same to him. The older angel smiled slightly as he scanned the younger. “Well this is not unexpected but I think you had hoped for a smoother transition, James. We have two distinct beings here. The angelic one is holding itself back a bit and the teenager is in control. There is no magic, no awareness of anything other than his normal daily life here.”

“Can you fix it?” James asked.

Asmodeus looked directly into Daniel’s eyes. “Let me talk to the angel Daniel.”

Instantly a warm wave of pleasure swept over the youngest Wilder and he sighed, as a huge burden of emotions seemed to melt away. A new presence settled over him like a comfortable old sweater and he felt instantly better than he had all day. There was no sign of the earlier illness nor did he have any of the other aches, itches, strains or other maladies associated with living in a human body. A whole stream of new thoughts came flooding in but it didn’t confuse him. Instead, everything became much clearer, much more succinct and who he was became known to him. “Hello, Asmodeus,” the angel Daniel smiled viciously at him. “Get your hands off me.”

“Ah! There he is!” Asmodeus smiled warily, backing off a bit from an angel who had historically tried to kill him many times. “Daniel, why are you holding back from full integration with this youngster?”

Ignoring the question, Daniel’s blue eyes scanned the room, settling finally on James. “Hello.”

“Hello,” James returned, his own gaze riveted on the immense being that until a moment ago had been his oldest son.

Daniel turned to look at Michael, who had returned at the same time. “Hello brother,” he said briefly, his eyes cold blue holes of rage.

Michael was intrigued by the sudden appearance of the angel Daniel. He smiled back at him. “Hello back!” He said pleasantly. “It’s good to see you, brother. So how is it going inhabiting the testicles of a seventeen year old human?”

He had to move quickly as Daniel took a sudden swing at him, but Asmodeus quickly immobilized him magically.

“Now we see why Daniel has not fully integrated with the youngster,” Asmodeus commented. “It seems that we have a few issues to iron out.”

Daniel shook off the immobilization magic quickly and drew a long glittering broadsword from nothingness but made no further move toward Michael or Asmodeus.

“You know what my issues are!” He growled. “I do not want to be here. I never wanted to be here. I will never ever want to be here in the future. I am an angel, not a potato eye to plant and grow anywhere Metatron chooses.”

Asmodeus turned toward James for a moment. “This was Daniel’s first cycle through the birth/rebirth thing and he’s not taking it well,” he commented to James. He turned back to the enraged angel. “So may I ask, why you helped him at all when he was dying? You came forward enough to cause him to transition to angelhood. Why not finish the job? Or let him die?“

Daniel glanced at Michael, who only looked back curiously, and then slowly answered. “I am not without affection for the boy. I simply do not want to be him.”

“Afraid you’ll lose that killer instinct?” Michael suddenly teased. “And have to go back to school?”

Daniel closed his eyes, fighting the urge to strike Michael down dead. “And to not have to have you for a brother, Michael.”

“Now that’s interesting,” James suddenly said. “As humans they are inseparable, almost like twins. They do everything together, school, dates, and homework, working with me. And I don’t force them—they choose to be together. Yet as full angels, that’s not the case, is it?”

A sudden noise got their attention and Mary appeared at the doorway to the kitchen. “You’re talking too loud,” she yawned. “What’s going on?”

Michael’s heart went up into his throat. Could their mother see what was really happening in the kitchen and who her visitors were?

The question was answered very quickly as Mary rubbed her eyes and looked around. “Asmodeus,” she finally said. “What are you doing here?” Then she finally noticed Daniel and Michael. “Oh my…we weren’t expecting this for awhile.”

“Hello, my sweet Mary,” Asmodeus returned with affection.

“Did everyone know but us?” Michael’s teenage side re-emerged and nearly shouted. “Who else knows?”

“No one,” James answered quickly. “This was a project that was started by Asmodeus and myself. It was an assignment from Metatron.” He glanced over at Asmodeus. “This personality switching back and forth is going to be confusing for awhile.”

“They’ll eventually integrate almost seamlessly,” Asmodeus answered, ignoring the angry teenager. “It will grow less confusing in a matter of days. Eventually they will blend completely.”

“Metatron? Again Metatron?” Michael felt himself growing angrier while Daniel observed his rage with surprised admiration. “Was all this a lie for our whole lives? Was no one going to tell us that…that…” He gave Daniel a questioning look, then looked back at his dad. “That what? What happened? Who are you?”

James took a deep breath. “Boys, in our ancestral home, I am called Jariel. I am an angel, like you. But unlike you, I have volunteered to take human form and live my life here as completely human as possible all the while knowing who I really am. I met your mother, fell in love, got married, and had kids, just like normal humans do, except my kids inherited something from me that can’t be suppressed. When Mary became pregnant, Asmodeus came to us.”

“I kept house for a while, did the cooking, gossiped with the girls,” Asmodeus quipped. “All the normal things.”

“He didn’t do that at all!” Mary interjected. “He was a lazy slob who left feathers everywhere and riled up the cows on my dad’s farm so badly that they stopped giving milk for weeks. We nearly had to toss him out!”

“But we didn’t,” James continued. “Asmodeus was carrying you two with him, both on assignment from Metatron. I think yours was a punishment, Daniel. Michael I’m not sure about you but I have an idea.”

“I was being punished for insubordination,” Daniel confirmed, his voice dry with irony. “I disobeyed a direct order.”

“From whom?” Michael asked but was distracted when his mother took his hand and led him away from Daniel.

“I don’t want you so close to him,” Mary told him as she placed him behind James. “He’s going to lash out at something.”

As if in confirmation, Daniel suddenly gave the table one quick slam with the side of his fist, and with a groan, the table shook, then suddenly disintegrated into a pile of wood dust. “I disobeyed Metatron’s order to not kill you, my brother!”

The dust that had been the table suddenly flew up and reassembled itself into the original structure. Asmodeus stood up and faced Daniel directly. “Let’s not be rude, Daniel. In fact, I think I’ve had enough of you, so you can go back to where you were. Bring the boy back.”

Daniel suddenly yelped in pain and shook his hand. “Dammit! Why did he do that? He damn near broke my hand!”

James ignored his outburst. “Asmodeus, what can we do? We can’t leave them split like this. Daniel is going to have to accept the fact that he is joined with a human and that’s all there is to it.”

“For now, leave them alone,” Asmodeus said. “I have work to do back home but when I return, I will take up this problem again. Just be patient, Jariel. You’ve waited this long. You can wait a few days more.”

James glanced over at his smarting son’s hand. “But can Daniel take waiting any longer?” He wondered to himself.

It had been long night in the Wilder household. A lot of questions had been asked, much discussion made and more history related. By the time it wound down, it was nearly 6AM and time to get ready for school. But no one was tired except Mary, who was dragging herself around the kitchen trying to prepare breakfast. When Michael and Daniel entered the kitchen at the same time, both wore dark brooding expressions.

“We wanted to tell you,” she mentioned as she made the coffee. “But would you have believed us? Your father told me the night we were married but I didn’t believe him. I thought I had married a nut! He had to show me and I nearly fainted. I still didn’t believe it but over the years, as you boys developed and it became apparent how amazing you were going to be, I finally came to accept that maybe this thing would come to pass and my sons would be beautiful, strong, intelligent young men who just also happened to be angels.”

Michael glanced at Daniel, who shrugged. “We believe you, mom. It’s still just such a shock that you both knew and we didn’t. We thought we were normal.”

“You are normal, but normal for who you are. Don’t worry about being human or being angel, or whatever. Just be you and let everything else take care of itself.” Mary gave them both a quick kiss. “Now, what do you want for breakfast?”

“I’m not really hungry,” Michael answered and Daniel nodded in agreement. “I guess just some coffee and we’re off to school.”

“You’ll be hungry later,” Mary nodded. “I’ll have something appropriate for supper. Do you want lunch money?”

Both boys again shook their heads and moments later they took off for their morning classes. “I guess this blows college to hell,” Daniel commented as they walked away.