Michael takes off into the sky, sending a forceful gust of wind out from his powerful wings. Before Doss can move out of the way, the dagger that was pressed against his throat is thrown down and slices through the entire length of his right leg. He drops to one knee and frantically tries to stop the bleeding while searching the dark hazy sky for signs of another assault. He tears off his cape and wraps it around his leg as tightly as he can.
When he hears wings overhead, he picks up his flaming sword again, but his grip is slippery with sticky blood. What is he doing? Doss is an archon for God's sake. Now it's time to man up and fight like one. He wasn't programmed to sit down here on the ground and take a beating. No. With a rush of adrenaline to dull the pain and drive his bloodlust, he jumps up into the air and spreads his wings, deflecting another flying dagger with the shining blade of his sword. Flying higher up above the buildings and rising smoke, Doss spins around, looking for Michael. Where did he go? A flash of metal in the light of the fire below them alerts Doss to another incoming dagger. He dodges and goes towards where it came from. He draws one of his laser pistols and fires a few times into the darkness.
The area goes silent. Nothing moves in the night and there's no sound aside from Doss's breathing and the crackling of the fire below. "Come out, you coward! Michael! Fight out here with me like a man.
"Wish granted." Michael speeds through the air and slams into Doss, knocking his breath out of his lungs.
Doss drops his sword and tries to regain his balance with his wings, but he hasn't practiced flying with these new ones yet. When he hits the side of a building, he hits hard then falls to the middle of the road in a shower of bricks and broken glass.
Michael's combat boots hit the pavement in front of his face and a hand tightens in Doss's hair then roughly pulls back his head to look up at him. "Uriel, why are you so weak? Shouldn't the oldest be the strongest? Even Remiel was stronger than you. At least he begged me to spare his life. But even now, you remain arrogant. Any last words, Brother?"
Doss spits at him. "Go to hell."
The blade flashes in the light from the flames and Doss closes his eyes. When he isn't in agonizing pain or immediately dying, he looks up as Michael lets go of his hair. Standing in front of Doss is a long brown robe and jade wings. Zerachiel. He rolls over to the side and retrieves his sword then watches Michael twist the dagger that is buried hilt deep in Zerachiel's chest, right beside his heart. "No!"
Zerachiel is shaking and coughs, sending blood from his mouth down onto his robes and the road below his feet. His voice is weak and trembling. "Now, Doss."
* * *
Byron has just escorted the tired, hungry, and terrified citizens from the camp he found to the ship where Velex and the crew tend to them and give them something to eat. That's nine citizens, at least. He grabs a bottle of water from the ship before heading out again.
Katarina calls over his earpiece. "Base to Byron."
"Go ahead, Kat."
"Your tracker is bugging up. I can't find your location half of the time. Can you check it out right quick?"
He looks at the thin silver square on his arm. "It's fine. I have the worst luck with these things. I wonder if it has anything to do with the nanobots in my blood."
"Could be. Just make sure that you stay in sector one so we don't get any mix ups. Okay?"
"Don't worry about me. I'll stay in sector one."
"Good. I'll check on you in a bit. Nice job getting those people to the ship safely."
"Thanks." Byron walks back down the same road with shot gun in his hands. As he goes, he keeps a keen eye out for any signs of movement, friendly or otherwise, especially in the shadows. The fires dotting the rubble provide just enough light to make it creepy out here. At least in pure darkness, your mind can't play tricks on you.
When he reaches the area he was in near the refugee camp, he heads down in the opposite direction that he hasn't searched yet. It doesn't take long until he spots the flash of silver from a metal cuirass and the red and yellow skull of the IGR. Two soldiers are walking about ten feet apart. The one in the back is staying far behind the leader, probably making sure nothing comes up behind them. Byron's hands tighten around his gun. He just has one thing to make sure of before he blasts these guys. He calls in to base. "Byron to base. I have two IGR soldiers patrolling the area near the boundary between sector one and the crossover to sector four. Requesting clearance to eliminate them."
"I don't have you on my map, Byron."
"It's okay. I'm still in sector one. I just need to know that one of them isn't Doss or Velex in their uniforms. There's no one else in this sector any more, right?"
"That's right." Katarina says. "Isidore left for sector four about twenty minutes ago. I'm looking at his tracker signature in sector four right now."
"Good."
"Go ahead and take them out."
That's all he needs. He jumps out the shadows and runs up to the soldiers. The first one falls easily with one burst from Byron's shotgun. The other one takes off running and darts behind a brick wall. He calls out to Byron. "Don't kill me."
"It's too late. No one gets out of here alive."
The soldier holds up his hands. "Don't! What are you doing?"
"Bringing justice back into this city." He hits the soldier with the butt of his shot gun then shoots him right in the chest. As the man is groaning and crawling to get away, Byron holds up his hand and the flames dance around his wrist. "Die, bastard." The flames engulf the man and his screams echo against the cavern walls. Byron turns his back and lets him burn.
* * *
"On your knees."
Jarred obeys and uses all of his fortitude to calm himself. He has lived through many situations like this. Surely they won't just kill him. No. He's a hostage. As long as Isidore and the others don't leave Paradise, there is still the possibility of a deal being made.
When the pillowcase is removed from his head, he finds himself in a small enclosed cave with strings of lights lining the walls and one other man in the corner. Where's Jayce? He starts to panic as his captors cut through the duct tape binding his wrists then leave and lock the door behind them. Now he's all alone with just this guy with the large red sideburns who looks like he's been here for a while. Jarred rubs his wrists where the tape has torn his skin and walks over to the man then sits next to him. "Any idea where we are?"
The man holds out his hand to him. "Master Director Samuels."
Jarred shakes his hand. "Jarred Cunningham. Have you seen another man being brought in here?"
"Nope. Just you. Why? You lost someone?"
Jayce's frantic screaming fills the air from on the other side of the cavern wall. Jarred would know that voice anywhere. He's heard that screaming too many times in the middle of the night. "I just found him."
"That your friend?" Samuels asks.
Jarred clutches the bullet on the necklace around his neck. "Husband and partner."
"Inquisitors?"
"Mercenaries. We're a sniper team."
"What's wrong with him?" Samuels asks.
"PTSD. He's got it bad. Losing his vision didn't help."
"A blind sniper?"
Jarred nods his head. "He's a T.I.M.E. with a special program from the IGR."
"Ah. If you don't mind me asking, how did he lose his sight?"
"Ben Crowe poured acid in his eyes."
Samuels leans back against the wall and throws a rock against the door. "Damn."
"He already had issues, but I had managed to help him through so much. Now he's worse than ever."
"It's rough. You're a good man staying by his side through it."
"Jayce is all I have and I would go through hell to keep him safe and happy." Jarred slams his fist into the rough wall as he hears Jayce's screaming again. "I have to go help him. I can't just sit here and listen to them torturing him."
"There's nothing you can do. I've been in here for a week and the guards have come back once to gi
ve me a bucket of water. That's it. That door is reinforced steel with both electronic and bolted locks. It's impossible to get out of this room."
He can't help but laugh at his luck. "Figures. I talk my way out of prison eight times only to end up here after fighting for the good guys. Guess I shouldn't have told you that piece of information, you being an inquisitor and all."
"Doesn't matter now, anyway. We're both prisoners here. Rank and history have no bearing on our survival now. You look like you've seen some rough combat. You'll make it."
"If we get ransomed out and if they don't just decide to kill us for the fun of it. I'm not worried about myself. I survived being held captive by a street gang down in the under city for close to a month when I was sixteen. It's Jayce who I'm worried about. He can't deal with being tied up. It triggers all of his memories and messes with his mind."
"We'll get him out of here." Samuels says. "Okay? I'll do whatever I can to help you if you swear to do the same for me. We'll be stronger together than on our own."
"Deal."
* * *
Doss takes the chance and runs at Michael, stopping only to scoop up his sword. As the flames spring to life again, he slices at the black wings. The flames spread over Michael's body who pulls the knife from Zerachiel's chest, but the blade stays behind. He flies up in the sky and the air quickly puts out the flames.
Zerachiel crumples to the ground and lies there motionless.
"You're a failure, Uriel." Michael mocks him from above the buildings. "What's wrong? Can you not use those fancy new wings of yours?"
That's it. Doss pushes past all of the limits he has placed up around his own abilities to stifle them because he always believed that they would be too powerful. He couldn't make that mistake again and hurt someone like he did Heather. But this isn't Heather. This is a demon who has murdered innocent people and destroyed thousands of lives all for feeding his own selfish bloodlust. He holds up his sword and runs his hand along the edge of the blade. As his blood mixes with the flames, they grow and glow brighter with a white light that is nearly blinding. He shouts out into the sky. "I am God's light. I will cleanse away the sins of this world and illuminate the darkness. I am calling down judgment on your soul, Michael. You've been marked for death in the light of retribution. Kneel before the power of vengeance."
"You don't scare me. You've never been able to use that final stage of your abilities."
"That's not true at all, Michael. I just haven't hated anyone enough to ever use it. You'll be the first to see it in all its fiery glory." He throws his sword up into the sky and leaps up as his wings become fully encased in a blazing inferno of fire and light. A shockwave spreads out from him as he grasps his sword and points it at Michael. "Today you find your place in hell."
Someone shouts at them from down on the ground. "Stop! For Christ's sake, stop! Both of you, come down here immediately. As your creator, I demand that you stop or I will shut you down with my emergency kill switch."
Doss gasps and flies down to kneel at Kazimir's feet. The flames around his wings and sword die down and vanish, leaving the world a much darker place. He grits his teeth when Michael kneels down just inches to his right. He could kill him so easily right now, but Kazimir's voice breaks him out of his rage.
"What are you doing?" Kazimir asks. "Michael, I haven't had a chance to discuss you killing my android clone a few weeks ago."
"Forgive me, creator. I was only-"
"Shut up." Kazimir holds up a small black box. "Should I just press this button right now and kill off all of you archons? What good have you two done recently? Try to kill each other? That's not what I made you for. And Doss, what gives you the right to use that ability?"
"I-"
"When I first started you up, I told you that the final stage of your ability is for my use alone when I give consent. If you had used that up there, everyone in the city would have died. Is that what you want?" He looks over to where Zerachiel fell. "Zerachiel, knock it off and get over here. I'm talking to you too."
Zerachiel kneels down next to Doss. Deep red blood has soaked through his robe, but he looks just as alive as ever. "Michael stabbed me."
"I know. I watched the entire thing." Kazimir says. "Whenever my little naughty children decide to slaughter each other, I like to be there to break it up before someone destroys humanity again. I'm looking at you, Doss."
Doss rolls his eyes then cries out as Kazimir slaps him across the face. "That hurt."
"Good. It was meant to. Michael, you're going to be taken back to Himmel as a prisoner after I clip your wings so you can't escape."
"Like hell you are." Michael tries to get up, but Velex and Zach are right behind him and lock shackles around his wrists then push him to the dusty street.
Kazimir steps on Michael's head as the others shackle his ankles. "Doss, help Zerachiel get back to the lab and get him bandaged up. I want both of you to stay there until we leave for Himmel. I have way too many other things going on around here to babysit you."
When Kazimir pulls out a high powered laser from his coat pocket and begins to cut away at Michael's wings while Velex and Zach hold him down, Doss turns away. He can't watch this. Michael's tortured screams don't help.
Zerachiel takes Doss's arm. "Come on. I need to get cleaned up."
"You got stabbed in the chest."
"I only feel it if I think about it. I'm extremely focused right now."
"Are you high?" Doss asks. "You have a knife blade broken off by your heart."
"It's nothing some tea won't fix."
"Tea? What the hell? You're insane."
"Nope. Just focused. You should try it sometime." Zerachiel says with a smile.
* * *
Katarina studies the map and watches the trackers moving until she notices that one is missing. It's not Byron's this time. She gives him a call on the radio. "Base to Byron."
"Go ahead."
"Have you had any contact with Isidore recently?"
"Nope. He's down in sector four, remember? Why?" Byron asks.
"His tracker and vital signs have gone dead."
"Maybe it's a reception issue like you were having with mine."
"Can you go down there and try to find him, then?" Katarina asks. "It's been about an hour since I've heard from him or from Jarred and Jayce."
"The snipers always work silently, Kat."
"Their trackers show them still in the same building, but their vital signs aren't showing up."
"Stop freaking out." Byron says. "It's just a reception issue. These cavern walls have never been very good with stuff like this. We're using a lot more than we normally do for other things so it's to be expected."
"You're right. Hey, I'm watching you on the holographic map. What's that warehouse-looking building to your right?"
"What? There isn't any building where I'm at. Are you sure you have the right sector overlaying the tracker chart?"
She compares it to the one on the monitor and laughs. "Sorry, Byron. You're right. I had the map completely turned around. I was showing you as being in sector four."
"No, no, no. Don't tell me that, Kat. How long has it been like that?"
"I don't know. At least for the past thirty minutes from the time signatures."
"Damn it!" Byron shouts. "Kat, get Blice. I need his help."
"Why? What's wrong?"
"Do whatever you can to get Isidore's tracker back online. That is your number one priority right now. Do you understand? No more calls. You stay on here with me until I figure this out."
"What is your problem?" Katarina asks.
"If your map was turned around, then when you saw Isidore's tracker as being in sector four, he was still in sector one with me."
Katarina goes cold as the blood drains from her face. No. That's not right. It can't be right.
Byron screams at her over the radio. "You told me I was clear to engage! How could you? He's dead, Kat. I shot him twice and set him on fire.
Oh God. You even verified my target. Could you not tell that he was your father?"
She drops her coffee cup to the metal floor where it shatters. She screams and throws the hologram projector across the room.
"Answer me, damn it!"
Blice flies into the room. "What is going on? Are you okay?"
"Go help Byron find Isidore."
"What happened?" Blice asks.
Katarina falls to the floor and holds her face in her hands as she screams. She can't deal with this. It has to be a mistake. It's okay. There's no need to jump to horrible conclusions like this without evidence. If the other sensors are bugging up, then Isidore's could be just malfunctioning as well. She crawls to the radio and holds the speaker shakily in her hand and presses the button to call her father. "Base to Isidore. Come in, Isidore."
No answer.
"Dad, please answer me. We're afraid that something might have happened to you." She starts to cry as he holds it tighter to her lips. "Dad!"
* * *
An agonizing hour passes as Katarina paces around the room and checks all the maps and time signatures over and over. This can't be right. Then she remembers what Isidore had told her the last time they spoke on the radio. He was wearing an IGR uniform to blend in. The men that Byron killed were in uniform. She can't stop crying at this point as minutes tick by. When the door slides open, she wipes away her tears and looks up.
Blice flies slowly into the room.
"Did you find Isidore?" Katarina asks hopefully.
"I found him." He drops a small piece of charred and blackened metal on the table in front of Katarina.
She carefully picks it up. "What is this?"
"His microchip. That's all that was left. It's beyond repair. He's gone."
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