The Gathering

XV: New 'Friends'

Crack!

The sound of lightning caused Jonah to fall right off the sofa he had been soundly sleeping on. His heart pounded in his throat... 'Sera!' he thought, 'She's back!' Jonah looked at the digital clock on Marion's desk "9:00" on the dot.

Jonah leapt to his feet as fast as he could. It had to be Sera, hunting him, eager for revenge. Or, it could be his mysterious 'friends'. Both must be angelic, because both needed the ninth hour's planetary assistance to traverse far distances. He decided to get a closer look...

As Jonah approached the door leading back out into the main storeroom, left slightly ajar, an unfamiliar noise – not dissimilar from the thunderclap of moments ago – rang through his eardrums.

Bang!

A pause...

Bang!

Bang!

"What the fuck are you?" Jonah could hear Marion yell. His heart sank, he peered out of the crack between the door and the wall.

A large, imposing man stood before Marion. He was dressed in unmistakably angelic armor, shining brilliant bronze. His robes were gray, matching his longer hair. His face was proper and stern. His tanned skin bore the scars of battles' long past. Jonah remembered this face... Barachiel. As' father.

Bang!

This time Jonah saw the source of the ear-shattering blast. A muzzle flash of bright yellow light sparked forth from the revolver Marion was wielding. A shower of particles shattered against Barachiel's armor, leaving it untouched, pristine. Jonah could see the look of horror on Marion's face as he realized that his weapon was ineffective against... whatever was standing before him. "Detain him." Barachiel ordered, monotone, as if the gunshots hadn't even phased him. Two other angels – cadets – moved to apprehend Marion, Jonah recognized one of them as Muriel.

Jonah couldn't wait for his 'friends'. For all he knew, they had led him into a trap, right to Barachiel. He had to get out, fast! Jonah inhaled quietly, trying to rein in his racing heart. He scanned the small backroom that Barachiel hadn't discovered yet. A small desk with an old computer monitor was in the corner, the sofa was opposite to it. Next to the sofa was a window! Jonah quietly and quickly scampered over to it and, with effort, pried it open. Jonah crawled out from the window just in time.

"He's in that room." Barachiel pointed to the back room, Jonah stood outside the window, hidden. As the door opened, his stomach lurched and his eyes began to water; on the floor in front of Barachiel was Marion... dead. A lifeless husk discarded on the floor. 'That's how he found out where I was...' The male cadet opened the door wide and swept it with his gaze.

"He's not here, sir!" he reported. Jonah was trying to remain as still and as silent as he could, his emotions trying their best to hinder his efforts. He peered into the window slightly to make sure the cadet was gone, trying his best to avoid catching the dead stare of Marion as well. Jonah began to creep around to the front of the building... he had to warn Margaret, tell her to get away from Barachiel.

"Marion!" Jonah's heart sank again, he saw Margaret running from her truck into the store. "Shit!" she yelled, seeing his body... Jonah had to act. 'Where the fuck are you?' he thought, feeling betrayed once more. He stood up... in plain view of Muriel.

"There he is!" She announced, Barachiel turned his head, Jonah and him locked eyes. His gaze was menacing and brutal... he knew this already from how As had described it.

"Don't hurt her!" Jonah commanded. He tried his best to restrain his willpower coupled with anger, he didn't want a lightning bolt crashing into the gas station. Barachiel grabbed Margaret by the hair, lifting her off her feet. She grunted in pain.