The God Breaker's Ruin

by Billy Spencer

  33

  The hospital was three stories high, he walked slowly towards Janet's room. His body tensed up as he walked down the hallway, seeing people coughing or hearing others talking in the guest lobby. He saw her room and saw she was watching television. Opening the door he waved at her, pulling up one of the chairs and sitting down next to her.

  “Well look at you, finally decided to show up. How’s that girl doing?” Janet said turning off the television.

  “She will hold, girls made of stronger stuff. Heard you took quite a fall,” He said putting his hand on hers. “You need to be more careful, you could have died.”

  “Please, takes more than that to do me in. Only bruises, nothing major, they just want to keep me here a few days, make sure nothing is wrong with me. They always tell me to rest but how can I when someone comes in to take blood out of me, makes it hard to sleep well,” she said grabbing her water bottle and drinking from it. “That’s alright though, it forces to me relax and enjoy some Jerry Jackson.”

  He was anxious when he heard what happened to Janet, and how she fell. For a moment his mind went to the worst thing possible outcome. It made him wish he was there when she was in danger. But he knew he had to talk to the girl first, he needed to find out what she saw. Seeing her in a hospital gown, bruises on her body, and just wearing socks on her feet made him feel even worse, like seeing your mother at their worst. He had never seen her in a state of being vulnerable. It made him think about the time he had to see his grandma on her death bed, saying his final goodbyes. He didn’t cry, not until he got home and it hit like a ton of bricks slamming into his stomach.

  “You could have died Janet,” he said firmly holding her hand with both of his.

  “Oh don’t you worry about me kid. I had worst, just glad that girl’s okay. Now stop bringing it up, don’t you get all sad on me. Thanks for checking on her,” she said patting his hand with hers.

  “I…I can’t lose you Janet, any of you. I get afraid something is going to happen to one of ya’ll and I won’t be there to help. I mean you were there when I didn’t have my parents anymore. You were the one who let me crash on your living room couch, and you would let me cook dinner with you. I can’t lose you,” he said pressing his forehead onto her hand, feeling the wetness drip down his face.

  She took her hand and rubbed his hair. She softly grabbed his chin with her fingers. “You need to not worry about that. You are thinking about the what-ifs in life, and you are letting it hold you back. I know I have an expiration date, we all do. I ain’t worried about when I die and you shouldn’t be either. You need to focus on the now. We put ourselves in the situations we are in, all of us, and we do it knowing what dangers and consequences there may give us. But we can’t remain silent and turn a blind eye, we can’t let evil corrupt us like it does others. There’s something not right going on. My higher up wanted me to focus less on the aerion and more on the two people that died in the undercity.”

  “She said it was a god breaker,” Nick said starring into Janet’s eyes.

  “Are you sure about that?” she said getting her purse and checking her phone.

  “She didn’t understand why a god breaker killed her friend, but they did. It could have been Beta, I’m not sure, but I don’t like this at all,” Nick said rubbing his forearm.

  “That son of a bitch Briggs,” she said getting up and grabbing her clothes. “He wanted the girl. What if we found her, he could shut her up. That lazy ass bastard is hiding something from me.”

  “You think he might have known about April, that you found her?” he asked.

  “Fuck no. I don’t trust him, he’s a slime ball, and I wouldn’t let that poor girl land in his hands,” she said putting on her pants.

  Nick sent a message to officer Bran telling him to keep April safe, and to not go out into the streets at all, to lay low. “You go to Bran Janet, and I’ll go to Cameron's and let them know what’s up. I’ll send them a message warning them about the god breakers. But you need to go and protect April. The god breakers will be looking for her, and once they find her, she will die,” he said opening the door and walking out of the room with Janet in front of him.

  “You son of a bitch, you better believe I’m coming for you when I can Briggs. Don’t have my pistol, but I’m sure you have it. I’ll get it back from you. You fuck with me, my friends and family, I’ll rain heaven and hell on you,” Janet said marching down the hallway.

  34

  Veronica walked into Cameron's shop, letting the door slam behind her. She rushed towards the backroom where she saw light and Cameron with Jenni and Abigail. Jenni was on a couch laying down her body full of bruises, blood was staining her jeans. She was coughing up the blood and one eye was swollen shut. “Jesus fuck, Jenni I’m so sorry,” she said rushing to her side and kneeling. The guilt traveled through her veins, if only she stayed.

  “You should see the other guy. He tried to beat the shit out of me with the blunt of his weapon and his boots, but I bit him in the balls,” Jenni said letting out a chuckle. “Ah fuck that hurts like hell, try not to laugh Jenni you dumb bitch.”

  “I shouldn’t have left you. I should have stayed and fought,” she said. Her fangs started to grow longer as rage started to swell inside her.

  “They would have just caught you. I couldn’t let them do that, they would have done far worse to you,” Jenni said patting her on the head. She would have taken everything that they could dish out. If it meant that her old friend would be safe.

  She tried to keep her tears back, but she couldn’t, she couldn’t hold the pain she felt from seeing her friend in that state. To see Jenni still smiling even beat to hell, and even cracking jokes, she didn’t know how she could be that calm. It just made her angry at the god-breakers that did this. They always talked about peace, treating your neighbor right, but it was all lies. They were not followers of the light of God, they were just cruel, and evil humans who got a kick out of treating those they saw as inferior, and eternals like they were shit on their boots.

  “They don’t deserve peace. They can’t get away with this,” Veronica said grabbing Jenni's shoulder. She kissed her on the cheek and massaged her head.

  “You’re right on that one. The god breakers can’t be allowed to get away with this. They don’t deserve mercy,” A calming voice said from behind her. “Whatever it takes, they will pay for what they did to you.”

  She looked at him, his short dark hair and his brown coat, dirty, probably from their encounter. She wasn’t angry, he didn’t kill Jake. “I’m sorry for how I treated you. You don’t have to forgive me, but I’m sorry. I should have talked to you first,” Veronica said standing up and lowering her head, squeezing her hands into a fist. “Jenni just wanted to protect me, what would happen if it was someone else from the undercity?”

  “Nick Martinez, my fucking hero,” Jenni said blowing him a kiss. The pain was probably making her act stranger than before.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m glad Jenni is okay, can I talk to you?” Nick said. “Got a name?”

  “Veronica, my name is Veronica… and we can talk. You have taken care of my friend, it’s the least I can do,” she said kissing Jenni on the forehead once again.

  35

  They were outside in front of Cameron's shop and the moon was out, shinning the streets with its presence. “It’s nice to see a full moon out, haven’t seen them in what seemed to be ages,” Veronica said rubbing her arms, shivering.

  “Not fully vorpal I see, not yet anyway,” Nick said taking off his coat and placing it around her.

  “Not…yet…no. I can’t use my abilities, I’m not going to, not yet. When I fought you it was just my sheer rage taking control. If I did use my abilities, I would begin to change slowly. I don’t know what side I want to be on. Sorry about stabbing you. I was just so upset about Jake,” she said leaning against the window, looking at the moon. She didn’t want to say goodbye to Jake, to not see his smile anymore,
or to miss out on the good times they had. It made her tear up a bit just thinking about the loneliness his father must feel with his son gone. A father sitting at a dinner table alone, with just his thoughts. “Dammit, Jake why did you have to be so foolish.”

  “I guess that guy was the one that was killed in the undercity,” Nick said folding his arms and looking at the ground.

  Veronica nodded.

  “I think I know the god breaker that killed him. I want to say it is Beta, but I can’t figure out for sure. That’s why I need you,” Nick said taking out his cell phone and sending a text.

  “Need me? Why would you need me and not your friends?” She asked. She didn’t know what Nick was needing her to do, or why even pick her. She looked at him, he didn’t show fear or hesitation, what she saw was nothing but determination and calmness spread across his face.

  “I need you to first go inside and tell everyone what is going to happen. Then I need you to take Abigail somewhere safe. She is half vorpal and she needs to be somewhere safe. Can you take her someplace where she can stay for a while?” Nick said placing a hand on Veronica's shoulder. “Please, she is one of the few people I know and is someone who is like a sister to me. I love her and she needs to just be someplace that isn’t here.”

  She saw his concern. She knew the look all too well. It was a look she had when Domina would get hurt, or when she would see Lily cry randomly at night. “I know someplace where she can stay. I have a friend who is a Gargoyle, whose family wouldn’t mind her,” She said looking at Nick and smiling at him.

  “That makes me feel so much better. Abigail being safe is one of the few priorities that I have. She can be quiet, pretty reserved, but when she is excited about something she is a whole new person. I just need her safe for what may come,” Nick said walking away from Veronica.

  “Wait, don’t you want to tell them what you are up to? I mean… what are you up to?” she asked grabbing Nick's arm, pulling him back a bit.

  “Someone needs to find out who killed those people, who killed the aerion. I’m gonna get this bastard one way or another. They will be wanting me the most out of everyone. I got into it with Beta, he’s gonna wanna get his hands on me. I will bring my form of justice to the one that killed your friend Jake. It’s not just about humans, it’s about all of us,” Nick said turning his head slightly, pressing his hand on Veronicas.

  She let go of his arm and stood watching him leave. Just the bare black button-up collar shirt, blue jeans, and his long sword riding on his back, until he disappeared into the flashing red and blue lights.

  36

  Nick felt the cold cement as he leaned against the wall in the cell that he was in. His body felt bruised by the way the god-breakers handled him. He grabbed the locket that was around his neck and looked at the image of the woman that was in it. The locket was the only thing he was able to keep. They took his phone, Lightborne, and tossed him in the cell. It was a room, with bars around the different windows, and the only furniture he saw was a chair and desk. The rest of the room had images of angels, and God or how the god breakers saw them. “Guess this is one way to punish me for missing church. Locking up people and having them stare at all-powerful beings,” he said closing the locket.

  The door to the cell he was in swung open. A man wearing heavy armor that was white and red walked inside. He had crosses engraved on it, one on the chest area and each side of his shoulders. He held his helmet in hand. “Remember me, boy?” The man said walking towards Nick tossing his helmet to the side.

  “God breaker Beta, it’s good to see you again. How’s the pride?” Nick said smirking at him.

  Beta grabbed Nick by his shirt and punched him in the stomach, and then tossed him to the floor. “You decided to turn yourself in, all of a sudden, did you get tired of running?” Beta said cracking his knuckles. Running was natural with his upbringing, it was one of the things he was best at. He wasn’t tired of anything but people who thought they could control the world with an iron fist.

  “Heard there was a human that died in the undercity, thought maybe God's little helpers would keep me safe,” He said letting out a soft chuckle. He felt the punch that Beta gave him, it felt like bricks slamming into his stomach. He could feel his body begging him to shut up. Every time he looked at a god breaker it just made him want to go against them more, to go against what they stood for. He was okay with taking a beating. It was a special occasion.

  Beta grabbed him by the shoulders and tossed him to the other side of the room, flinging him like a bag of sand. “You think this shit is funny? You know the only reason you are alive is that the count for some fucking reason wants you alive. It’s okay I already had some fun with you, shame though, my hammer and sword could sure use some lunch, they haven’t fed in days.”

  “You fuckers are all the same, power for power's sake. You never wanted to help others, you knew it would corrupt you. The god breakers get on their high horse, standing on beams looking down on us like small bits of dirt that you can smear and try to wash away. What is so damn worth it to go against your people?” He asked getting up from the floor. He knew he didn’t have a chance to fight Beta head-on, he was tired and hurt. He didn’t have Lightborne, and there was no way he was going to use his magic. The fuck is with this guy, what’s his deal? He thought.

  “Before I was Beta, I was a driver for a shipping company that sold everything. My job was simple, it paid the bills, and I had plenty in savings. My life was passing me by, and my kids grew up. My wife started to cheat on me, friends stopped coming around, and I got lonely. Then the awakening happened and it changed the world. Imagine being forty-something years old and seeing that shit. To see the truth, the lies uncovered from years and years of your parents and family telling you what God, what Hell was. It was different, nothing like the books I read, and it pissed me off because I wasted half my life following bullshit. But I saw the almighty lord and savior that we called God. I Saw they had guards, angels, and I knew if I could become more, to shine brighter than the rest they would see me, and take me in. But they never fucking saw,” Beta said grabbing his helmet and putting it on.

  “You didn’t have to kill them, just to get back at God. You didn’t have to do that, once they find out, find what you did to that man, the vorpal will be furious,” He said leaning against a wall his eyes opening and closing.

  “The count doesn’t care, no one cares. Everyone is expendable, and what matters is the second awakening. An awakening where we make the rules, where we all can start over,” Beta said walking out the cell room.

  37

  They let Nick out into the activities area. There were other people and eternals all around the open space. He saw Gargoyles playing basketball but instead of running, they glided in the air darting towards the basket. He saw vorpals in one corner listening to music. In the middle, he saw fishmen who looked closer to humans but had gills and claws doing pull-ups. The humans he saw were all in the bleachers just talking to each other. He stood there for a long time by himself just looking at the areas and how it was a dome-like cage that had electricity going around it to keep anyone from attempting to escape.

  A football slapped him across the back of his head, knocking him onto the ground. He tasted the grass, wet, and slippery. “Shit didn’t see that coming,” He said slowly getting up and patting his jeans.

  “I apologize for that friend, didn’t mean to hit you with it,” said a large gargoyle, whose skin was purple, and hair long and jet black. The gargoyle towered over him, and wings that were large and wide, that could wrap around his body easily.

  “That’s okay man, names Nick Martinez,” he said extending his hand.

  “The name is Gabriel. It is nice to meet you, Nick. You look new here,” Gabriel said shaking Nick's hand furiously.

  “You could say that. I have only been here a day, what about you?” he said scratching his head looking at Gabriel ponder for a moment. He knew there were a lot of different types of gar
goyles, but Gabriel seemed to just be a regular one. The way he spoke was calming and very polite. It made him think of someone who could be a college professor or even a librarian.

  “Well, it’s been about a year. I got taken in by the god breakers for staying in topside territory without permission. I did it a few times and they just got tired of scared humans calling up talking about monsters watching them from the sky,” Gabriel said flapping his wings.

  “Why would you keep going back to topside when you knew that you couldn’t be there?” He asked rubbing his chin.

  “Undercity, the buildings are not as big as some of the one's topside, plus you have the moon and not just the blood moon. I always liked the topside, nature, and the kids were so nice to me,” Gabriel said grabbing the football and spinning it in his palm.

  Nick could see the joy he had on his face when talking about topside. That being in the sky surrounded by mother nature must have felt natural to Gabriel. He always took it for granted, and always saw the weather, and nature as just always there. He never thought about how other people or beings would see it as something special. It was like looking at a kid who experiences sweets or learning how to walk for the first time, it was the wonder and the magic happening on their face, and he saw that in Gabriel.

  “ATTENTION ALL OF YOU IN A LINE NOW. STAND TALL YOU WORTHLESS FUCKS,” A booming voice said. A large man wearing a white t-shirt and black jeans with boots on stormed into the middle of the area, with five or more others dressed like him following behind in an orderly fashion.

  The humans, gargoyles, and others rushed into a line many of them starring at the ground, closing their eyes. “GOD BREAKER ALISTAR, WE ARE HERE, WE LISTEN, WE OBEY,” everyone said, like a choir who was trained to for many weeks. Nick looked at Gabriel and saw him stare into the distance, his eyelids barely opened, and mouth frowning. “What’s going on?” he asked.