Naught and the Circle

Chapter 23 - Perhaps the King will come

I

"Somebody grab him!" Strawberries yelled.

Manara snapped to it and followed the soldiers into the crater. Shelby coughed as they dragged him out by his shoulders.

"He did it." Shelby laughed. "He did it..."

"Never do that again!" Strawberries cried.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied.

Manara looked down at the blackened corpse that had been Cassiel. It lay contorted on the ground.

Strawberries cried over the body. "That asshole killed him." She wiped the snot off her nose with her sleeve. "Why would the Lord send him here just to die?"

"God does not..." Cassiel's eyes opened. His blue eyes hidden behind a charred face. His lips cracked as he struggled to speak. "God does not change the winds."

His limbs twisted back into place.

"Jesus!" Shelby fell back. "You got burned to a crisp! You oughta be dead!"

"We angels..." He slowly rose to his feet. "... are a bit harder to dispose of."

"Tell that to the other guy." Manara looked into the crater. "Shelby just wrecked your buddy."

Cassiel's eyes widened. "Zakariel?" He exclaimed. "He is gone?"

"Hopefully." Shelby replied. "Gavin sacrificed himself."

"Where the fuck did he come from?" Manara asked.

"Lot's of compartments on helicopter." Mishkin said, standing behind them. "Especially for Brixton ghosts."

"How does he know?" Shelby asked. "How do you know he's fro—"

"—Give us a hand here." Ritter interrupted. She and Atlas sat next to the lifeless body of Warwick. They had covered his face with a rag. Manara cursed whatever all-powerful maker would lead him to such a fate. The archangel's sword hung immobile above them as blood dripped from its blade.

"He was an honorable man," Atlas said.

"He was... my friend," Ritter said.

"What a fucking waste." Manara muttered.

Warwick had been there for them, protected them through the dark hours. Ritter began to cry. Manara forced it down in a dark corner of herself. Mission first, always the mission first.

"He fought to save the city." Ritter announced. "He gave his life for us. He's a hero."

"Tell that to his kids." Manara said.

"He had kids?"

"You didn't know?"

"—Soldiers!" Atlas interrupted. "Round up everything! Tend to the casualties! RTB in ten mikes!"

Manara grabbed Warwick's rifle and removed the magazine. Behind her, dust began swirling in the wind as the helos revved up. Soon they would leave this smoking crater. The circle where they had defended humanity. Soon they would return to H-City like heroes.
Like goddamn heroes.

II

The crowd at Thera Square greeted them with roaring applause. First the military youth handed out flowers, then the officials from Council Hall held boring speeches. Every step of the way, Strawberries noticed Price overseeing it all from his place on the second floor. He remained like a statue; neither lauding nor condemning them. His Major Oberst loyally at his side.