Genesis: Rough Draft Edition (Angel Protocol, Book 1)

Chapter 15: Charlie III

Chapter 15: Hazmat Leak

I traded blows with the creepy thin man. He was black, darker than me, with evil brown eyes. Eyes that scream murder with each blow. His halo was the same color as his jumpsuit, green. He fought with two single-bladed axes. I was the physically strongest of the two of us, but he was fast. Too fast. If I let him continue with this speed, I would be dead.

"I take it she's your girlfriend?" I said running towards the stairs to create space. Trying to distract him with taunts, but he was silent, focused. I made it up to halfway up and turned to block another of his strikes. I noticed pink arrows flying overhead from the second floor. Followed by Shawn pole vaulting over someone. They weren't fighters, but I had to hope that the angels inside of us kept them alive long enough for Bruce and I to get there.

One of the axes made contact with my arm. I stifled my scream, but my anger rose. I called on my power and the creepy thin man was dragged back down the steps like he was on a slide. I bought myself some time and used my power to accelerate past him. I delivered a slash to his midsection. He doubled over groaning in pain. He turned to look at me as I went for another charge. I aimed for his neck, but I directed myself back as he released some kind of energy.

The air smelled like a pool and was getting stronger. My head felt dizzy and I started to stagger. I realized that he must have changed the air to chlorine and I was breathing it in. I moved the path beneath me to push me as far away as I could. Then I saw around him was a field that extended a couple of feet away from him. He must be able to change the properties of the air within the field or his field was the chlorine. I could only smell trace amounts of it now that I moved from the field. I bet it was the first since I did escape from it. If it was a force field he would have been able to keep me entrapped.

He extended his arm toward me with two fingers pointed in my direction. Two bubbles from the field at me. I lifted my daggers without thinking about the two projectiles. I moved my arms to the side in one swift motion. Both of the bubbles changed their direction and flew into the walls. The impact started melting the walls.

"Acid," he said. His voice was husky and cold. The field disappeared and he held up one of his axes. "My ability allows me to create a chlorine field. When the field mixes with water it creates acid. You were fortunate enough to move away when you did. It would seem that we are at an impasse. Your abilities prevent me from getting to you. Even with my own power."

"So, you're saying you give up?" I kept watching my surroundings. I didn't trust him. He didn't talk during our fight until now and I doubted it was to give me a compliment. I hoped he wasn't able to extend or project his field. The fact he could shoot bubbles made me paranoid that he could project his field. If he could I wanted to make sure I used my power to avoid it.

He stood there and a memory flashed before my eyes. I was in the body of someone else as they fought somebody. I landed and beneath the body was an image of a ring that was green. When the ring moved, so did I.

The man fighting me looked like Bruce and attacked with a battle-ax, but he was too slow as the ring moved my body all around without moving. Another ring appeared under Bruce and moved him around enough for me to deliver a kick to his head.

"You and your damn paths!" he screamed in Arabic accent.

"All is fair in war" I laughed."My paths allow me to control the movement of anything. Acceleration, deceleration, flight. I can even manipulate doors. No path is blocked."

"Stop bragging, your power isn't omnipotent."

"I didn't say it was."

The vision stopped and the creepy thin man was still staring at me. The visions were getting longer and more detailed. I think the angel inside of me is trying to communicate with me using them. What did he want me to learn from that? Manipulate doors.

The creepy thin man pointed a finger in Bruce's direction and in the split second I understood. He was afraid to attack me, but if he distracts me by attacking my friend, it would leave me open. He shot a force bubble and I used my power to change the direction. By the time I redirected that shot I could see several others heading towards me. I didn't have enough time to redirect them all. I redirected the first two projectiles, but the other ones were seconds away. Then the words of my vision screamed in my head.

I lifted my arms up to the ceiling like I was raising the dead. The floor itself rose to form a door in front of me. The chlorine blast hit it and I could hear the acid eating away at the floor material. However, the back of the door started glowing green and instinctively I went through it. I emerged behind the creepy thin man. I went for his neck with my daggers using my paths to accelerate again. He turned when he realized I was behind him, but he was too late. I slashed his neck and used my path to go in reverse to slash him again followed by stabbing him with my other dagger. This was life or death and I didn't think twice about dispatching him, Almost as if the angel inside of me suppressed my normal caring outlook.

The creepy thin man doubled over and then fell to his knees screaming. Blood oozing from his neck. He looked up at me and tried to speak, but his wounds transformed his words into grunts and groans. I'm sure he was cursing at me. With his one free hand bracing his body on the ground, he manages to create his force field around his body. He tried to expand it, but it faded away. The groans started to soften as he collapsed on the floor. His body burst in green light and faded away. I killed him. I killed an angel.

I looked on as Bruce summoned a crescent moon projectile from his sword and decapitated the large woman. Her body also bursting in light and faded was way before her head could even touch the ground. Bruce looked at me, panting heavily, and looked upstairs.

"We have to go !" I yelled. I used my paths to move him to me and then motioned us up the stairs. My heart pounded as we made it up a flight of stairs. Weapons ready as we both yelled "Lisa!"