“So what’s the plan then coach?” asked Adam.
Sean explained to them that he would teach them everything he knew and also everything Andrew’s father had taught him. Due to the importance of his mission Sean had to ‘disappear’ from the face of the earth, as people would still be looking for the ancient relic he possessed. During this time of isolation, he was mentored by Anthony. Teaching him everything he could Sean learned how to defend himself against demonic attacks physically, mentally and spiritually. He learnt about dark magic, witchcraft and prayer, the origins of the Nephilim, Angels, Demons and many otherworldly beasts and beings. The most important thing taught to him, however, was his faith in God, for without it he couldn’t undergo such a task.
“So what has this whole thing have to do with me?” asked Andrew.
Sean stood up and handed him a small folded up piece of paper from his pocket. It opened up to reveal a picture of Sean standing next to his father, who had a tiny baby in his arms. Andrew’s eyes began to tear up.
“Once your father had taught me everything I needed to know he left me and ascended back to Heaven. I didn’t hear from him for years. Then one evening while I was praying he came to me again, but this time it was different. Your father had committed one of the worst sins possible for an angel. He fell in love.”
Andrew wiped the tears from his cheeks and handed the picture back to Sean, who refused to accept it.
“I made a promise to your father that day. I swore I’d watch over you and your mother until my last breath.”
“But why?” stammered Andrew. “Where was he when I needed him?”
Sean placed his hand on his shoulder. “Your father had a plan he needed to fulfil. He had to leave you to give you a chance at life.”
Andrew looked on confused and Coach Steven’s could see it was a lot for the young man to take in. He reassured him that through time he would understand everything.
“With that being said gentleman, would you kindly like to follow me please.” Sean led them out of the room and towards the laboratory. He explained to them that if they were going to keep in contact indefinitely, they would need a cybernetic Nano-chip implanted into their brains and hands. Jaime and Josh didn’t like the idea of being probed but Adam was all for it. “We’re gonna be like friggin cyborgs man,” he yelled ecstatically. Andrew assured them the method was harmless, pointing to his own hand with an ironic look on his face. Sean explained the procedure would enable him to track and communicate with the 4 boys at all times and it also gave them security access to the entire base. Once that was done, he took them back into the library.
“So now that I have your undivided attention. Your first lesson; what is A Nephilim.” Everyone looked at Andrew with anticipation as the lights dimmed again and a screen emerged from the wall. The monitor began to flash digital imagery and text across it, giving detailed info on the subject. Sean pointed to the screen according to the information he was teaching.
“Basically, a Nephilim is a half human/half angel hybrid.” He explained. “The earliest of this breed can be found way back in the bible in the times of Noah. The most noticeable characteristics of these mixed offspring were they were bigger in stature and size, often referred to as giants” He proceeded to show them references of bible scriptures pertaining to the subject. “They were exceptionally stronger and faster than any normal human being. This brings me to our next point.”
With a wave of his hand, Sean moved the images aside and a new set replaced them.
“God sent the great flood to exterminate this corrupted bloodline. Some however still managed to avoid this fate. What we learn from this though is that God doesn’t take too kindly to ‘other worldly interbreeding’. This unfavourable comment made Andrew feel slightly nervous.
“So where does this leave you A.R?”
All eyes were on Andrew now as Sean’s word became ominous.
“You…are a first of your kind son.” A small relief fell over Andrew.
“What makes me so different then coach?”
“There are a number of issues that make your circumstances unique. Number one; when you were a child your father and I put a seal on you.”
Jaime looked on puzzled, “What’s a seal?”
“It’s a special type of incantation used to lock or keep dark magic and demonic spirits away. This would account for you not experiencing any major changes as a child that a normal Nephilim would. We placed the seal upon you to be broken on your 18th birthday.”
“Which would explain the crazy shit that’s been happening lately,” interrupted Josh.
“Secondly,” continued Sean, “Your father wasn’t a fallen angel when he conceived you with your mother. Which means the spirit you inherited from him isn’t a tainted one.”
“So how do you explain the incident in the restaurant? I’m pretty sure breaking someone’s leg and throwing them through a glass window isn’t exactly the best example of an untainted spirit.” Replied Andrew sarcastically.
“Once the seal had broken on your 18th birthday, your body began to experience a mass collective of changes which should have happened partially throughout your childhood. This has lead to your body’s spirit being corrupted by the immense and overpowering angelic spirit you also host. This is why I had to keep an eye on you A.R. To help you control your powers. Without order, your spirit will fall into chaos. You will lose your soul and become what is known as a Dark Nephilim,” explained Sean.
“Well we can’t let that happen,” proclaimed Josh.
“And it won’t. Which brings me to my next point?” Sean swiped the images away again and brought forth some photos and video playback files of Andrew.
First he played the footage from the American football game. Josh looked on with a smile, reminiscing the great final and how it played out. “Ahh, this is my favourite part.” He paused as Andrew threw the incredible long ball through the air. “Boom,” he shouted as he re-enacted the game-winning catch. Sean stopped the clip then loaded another.
Andrew appeared on the screen, lifting up Jaime’s car. Everyone laughed as they recounted the night of the party, but this was quickly reduced to silence as Sean’s expression was clear that he didn’t find Andrew’s antics entertaining. Scratching his forehead, Andrew tried to avoid eye contact with Coach as he could feel the disappointment of his stare burning into him. Then to the surprise of the entire group, Mr. Stevens uploaded footage of their meeting in the park. Jaime jumped out of his seat, “Wait a minute, how did you get this?”
Andrew gestured him to calm down into his seat. Leaning over to his friend he encouraged him, “There’s no point being surprised by this, he does this type of shit all the time, you’ll get used to it.” Jaime sat back, slightly annoyed by the invasion of privacy. The last piece of footage was of the fight that took place in the restaurant. Coach had filmed it all from his table. No one had seen this footage apart from Sean. The savagery shown from Andrew shocked his friends as a hush fell on the room.
“Damn. You really messed him up man!” shouted Josh.
Sean kept the 4 videos on the screen. “Now from what we can see here Andrew your strength, stamina, dexterity and speed have increased exponentially. So far we can gather that you can easily severely injure another human being, you can throw up to 250 yards and lift just over 2 tons.
You seem to also be exhibiting some sort of empathetic telepathy and your rage is an issue of concern. All these signs would have me believe your body is beginning to be overwhelmed by the changes it is experiencing. My role is to train you on how to control your powers and keep your emotion in check. Your father instructed me that as long as your human spirit and soul are in balance with the angelic spirit inside you, they can co-exist. This was your father's plan, Andrew. To give you a choice.”
The lighting in the room brightened up again.
“So now you know my history and what we are dealing with right now in regards to Andrew’s condition.” Proclaimed Sean. �
��The next step we take is your availability. Follow me please.” Mr. Stevens exited the meeting room and went into his private office. He emerged with 4 envelopes in his hand. Handing one to each of the boys, Sean explained that the slips of paper contained an alibi with which they would give to their parents or next of kin. These would serve as a reason for their inevitable absence within the coming months. Sean dismissed the 3 boys but asked Andrew to stay behind for a word. Andrew told his friends he would meet up with them later then rejoined Sean in the office.
“What’s up coach?”
Sean gestured for him to sit down. “So, Andy tell me what you remember of your father.” Sitting in his chair, Andrew forced himself to think back to when he was a child. His face showed the struggle of vague memories but he had enough recollection to remember important things about his father.
“I remember when I was a kid, he used to always pick me up and pretend I was flying. I always remembered telling myself that I wanted to be as big and as strong as him when I was older.” Sean smiled as he could tell by the way Andrew described his father that the young man had looked up to him greatly.
“Well, I promised you I’d tell you about your father. And so I shall.” Pausing for a moment, Sean contemplated on where to begin. “Your father was a good man Andrew. He was loyal, strong and most of all patient. When I met your father, I was only 23. I was young, confident; some may even say I was brash.” He laughed, “I probably was looking back now. Then my life changed. I thank God I met your father when I did. Your father taught me about faith, and it’s been my greatest weapon ever since.”
“When I met him the first time, he was a Nephilim hunter. Remember what I said earlier about God not taking too kindly to the idea of angels and humans breeding,” Andrew nodded, “Well he has a whole unit dedicated to hunting them. Unlike you Andy, most Nephilim take on the devilish traits of their fathers at an early age and make a full demonic change by the time they hit 18. This is why God perceives them as abominations.
During the time I spent with your father, he taught me a lot about how to combat supernatural enemies, especially Nephilim. Remember in the restaurant when I grabbed the pressure point by your shoulder?” Andrew took a few seconds to think back, “I don’t really recall much from that night coach but I do remember waking up in the hospital bed and my shoulder was ridiculously sore.”
Coach laughed. “Well, you remember the trap we sprung on the demons in the church yesterday?” Andrew quickly recollected, “The burning chandelier?” Sean nodded, “The same substance I used on those creatures, I used on you. It’s an old ancient recipe used to make anointing oil that your father taught me. Very effective, as you know. I accompanied your father on a few missions, hunting Nephilim and demons alike. He always used to sing whenever we travelled, he loved jazz music.” Andrew laughed, “Yeah I know, he’d always be blaring at the top of his lungs every morning. Was like having my own personal alarm clock.” They both shared a laugh of the fond memories. “After about 5 years under his tutelage, your father left me. During that time, there was no Nephilim to hunt and demon activity had somewhat ceased so your father was reassigned to guardian angel duties.” Andrew laughed, “My father was a guardian angel?!” Sean nodded, “Yes he was. A less glamorous role for a warrior such as your father but everyone on this earth must have one assigned to them at some point. It just so happens that the person he was allocated to was your mother.”
“And that would explain me.” Said Andrew. Sean smiled, “Indeed, it would. But you came at a cost A.R. Your father knew that having you would be against the will of God and for that he would be punished and you would be hunted.
So he put in motion a plan to give you and your mother a life, even if it sacrificed his own.”
Andrew became more and more enthralled by his father’s past. He wanted to know as much as possible.
“So what happened to my dad?” Sean scratched his chin. “If I’m totally honest, I don’t know. He came to me 3 more times after we parted ways; the first was when he told me he was to marry. It was a shock to me, as angels aren’t supposed to do that. Ever. It’s unheard of. But the way your father spoke of your mother to me, showed me his love for her was unparalleled. He was willing to do anything for her. The second time he came to me was when you were 1 years old. The picture I gave to you was from that encounter. He made me promise that day to look after you and Emelia if anything should happen to him. Our last encounter came when you were 6 years old. He told me he was going away for good. He gave me strict instructions and helped me build this place before he left. That was the final time I saw him.”
Andrew clutched onto the thought of his father. “I always thought he passed away because of war. I remember a soldier turning up at our house and telling my mum the bad news. Was that all a lie then? This just doesn’t add up.”
Sean patted him on the shoulder, “Son, maybe you shouldn’t try to make sense of it all so soon. Give it time. I’m sure things will become clearer as you learn more.” Andrew scratched his forehead and reluctantly relinquished his mental investigation. Deep down he wanted answers but his mind couldn’t handle it at the moment. He stood up and made his way to the office door. As he was about to leave Coach gave him some parting advice.
“Andy, do you ever pray?” he asked. With a half-hearted expression on his face, Andrew answered, “Yeah now and again, why coach?” Walking around the table, Sean approached him and held the office door open. “Pray more Andrew. It will strengthen you greatly.” They shook hands and Andrew left to meet with his friends.
Whilst driving en route Andrew gave some thought to the words given to him by Coach Stevens. He stopped at a red light and took the waiting time to heed the advice. Slightly bowing his head in reverence, he began to pray a short prayer. Asking God for guidance and to watch over him in the coming days ahead was his first request. Secondly, he prayed for wisdom and understanding. And thirdly he asked for answers. Answers to the mystery of his father. The lights began to switch colour and as he reached the end of his prayer, the lights turned green. He promptly concluded with amen and sped off to meet the boys.
CHAPTER 11
Nearly a year had passed by since the boys had begun their training. Every day was a new challenge for them. Their minds and bodies had become accustomed to the rigorously strict regime Coach Stevens had set up. They trained for 5 days a week collectively, with the exception of an extra day for Andrew to train on his ‘special’ abilities.
It consisted of a 6 am wake-up call for breakfast. This was then followed by a gruelling session of physical training which incorporated a blend of cardio and weights with combat and warfare training. A break was taken for lunch, something the boys looked forward to fervently every time. But this rest wasn’t the end of their day as they would have to undertake hours of research, learning new things from spirituality, dark arts and religion to medicine and science. Josh and Andrew favoured the more physical aspect of training whilst Adam preferred all things mental. Jaime took it all in his stride though and was somewhat of a balance that held the 4 friends together. The one thing they all enjoyed, however, was the gadgets and technology they got to experiment with. Josh referred to them as ‘toys’. This ranged from state of the art weaponry to technological wonders of innovation. Sean had a vast inventory but also created and altered equipment to further his cause. He taught the boys everything he possibly could.
On the weekend Josh, Jaime and Adam would take time to rest whilst Andrew worked on his angelic powers. This consisted of testing his physical limits, such as strength, durability and speed but at a superhuman level. They also tested how he engaged this power and the lengths to which he could use it before fatigue kicked in. Not forgetting his mental and telepathic abilities, Andrews mind and empathic gifts were also tested. Sean knew that the emotional state of Andrews mind kept his human soul and angelic spirit in balance.
To end every day, coach would have the 4 of them join him in a prayer and discussio
n session, something they found uneasy to do at first. Andrew and Jaime had grown up in the church so it was relatively easy for them to interact with coach but Josh and Adam found it more difficult. All 4 boys found it hard to open up however, discussing their fears and deep inner thoughts proved tough. Sean would always tell them that faith and prayer were there strongest weapons. But being adolescent boys, it was hard for them to focus on such a simple task. Still, over time, they would become accustomed to it and sooner rather than later would realise how effective both factors could be.
“Everyone up! UP UP UP! Breakfast will be ready at six hundred hours sharp, do not make me come back in here,” shouted Sean as he bolted into the boys sleeping quarters. The instant commotion startled Andrew out of his sleep, leaving him temporarily dazed and confused. “Arrrgh, I swear, I still can’t get used to these boot camp wake up calls man,” he said still half asleep.
The rest of the group began to stir. Josh let off a big yawn and laughed, “Still not a morning person aye A.R” Andrew threw his pillow at him. They all exited their beds and proceeded to the kitchen. Moving sluggishly to begin with they made their way across the base. As they neared the kitchen, the aromatic scent of breakfast cooking slowly aroused their senses, invigorating and filling them with a zest for the day ahead.
Amongst all of Sean’s multiple skills set, he was also a very well renowned chef, with a superb talent for flavour but also keeping his dishes healthy.
Each Morning he cooked up a nutritious meal, packed with protein and energy that had the boys vitalised for the work out ahead. It also helped him to keep their attention at the table so that he could deliberate the tasks for the day.
“So before you sit down to eat can you please read through the reports that I’ve placed on your seats,” commanded Sean. Every Sunday Coach Stevens would leave them a report based on the results from their last week of training. It detailed information such as personal bests, exam and test results and also a critical analysis from Sean pointing out key factors for improvement. Each one of the boys read through their report as Sean laid down plates in front of them.
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