~~Young~~

Chapter Five

    With a growl and a burst of energy Gage sent the angel stumbling back. He regained his balance quickly though, and as Gage leapt towards him he pulled up a knee to catch Gage in his unprotected stomach. But Gage was just as quick and he grabbed his leg in his bladeless hand, jerking it so the angel lost his balance again, this time sending him to the tiled floor.

   “Are you finished?” he gritted though his teeth at he twisted Michael’s leg into an unhealthy position, ready to break it.

   “With you,” Michael spat and rolled so he was on his stomach.

   With one powerful pulse of his wings he not only righted himself, but sent Gage tumbling into the pews behind him. Worst still the collision sent Gage’s blade sliding along the floor and far out of his reach. He had just enough time to register this before Michael was coming at him again full tilt.

   Bracing his hands on the pew he put both feet in the air and kicked Michael square in the center of his armor. It pushed Gage and the pew back into its companions, but didn’t hurt Michael, Gage knew that, but it slowed him down. Denting the metal and sending him reeling back once again.

   “If that’s how you want to play it,” Gage growled and then threw his arms to his sides, mentally ripping his wings from his body as he grunted through the pain, shredding his shirt in the process.

   By the time Michael was on him again his wings had formed fully. He grabbed Michael’s wrist in one hand before he could strike him with the hilt of his blade. Then he reached up as he attempted a swing with his other fist but Gage stopped that one with his other hand as well.

   “I know your tricks Mike, you think you’d learnt something new in all these years.”

   “Like you aren’t just as predictable,” Michael sneered, “you think I don’t know every move in your repertoire?”

   “Nope, I’ve still got a couple up my sleeve,” he grinned and wrapped his wings around the angel.

   Like a python he squeezed so the metal of Michael’s armor began to collapse and bend. In just a moment it was so warped that he couldn’t get a breath, another moment and his body began shaking from lack of oxygen and he dropped his sword with a clatter. Not that Gage was doing much better, but at least he had a chance to suck in a breath before he started. And once he released the angel he was all good. One deep breath and he was good to go, unlike Michael…

   He gave him a minute, let him struggle out of his breastplate and discard it, but when their eyes met it was on again.

   Michael came at him like a line backer ready for the tackle, but with one flap of his wings Gage dodged his offense and took to the air so the angel plowed into the pews. There wasn’t much room up there to do anything more than hover in the cluttered space with its chandeliers and wooden angels hanging from the rafters, but it evened the score.

   Michael narrowed his eyes at Gage and retrieved his sword before taking to the air as well. But Gage dodged these blows even better than the ones on the floor, ducking behind this light fixture or that one. He used their bulbs as projectiles and fired one after the other at Michael. Again, it didn’t do much to hurt him, but it sure pissed him off. And that was good, because he didn’t fight as well when he was angry. He acted on impulse, not thought, and was exactly what Gage was counting on.

   The searing pain that was suddenly running down his back, not so much.

   He flew around just in time to miss the next lit candle hurled at him to see the priest at the bank of prayer candles.