Creatures of God

Mixed Reverberations

Hello Everyone! Here is another turning point in the story... Another favorite chapter of mine. Enjoy!

The Protection Unit soldiers were alarmed that anyone could have slipped by them and entered the emergency room.

"How did that kid get in there?"

"What the hell's that idiot think he's doing?"

The boy stranger moved smoothly and swiftly into the treatment bay like an assassin on a secret mission.

The copper snake immediately noticed the new intruder -- quick and flighty -- as the door opened and closed before the snake could think about its escape. It kept its eyes forward as it placed the human hostage from its mouth onto the floor. Primitive snakes did not have much eyesight, but modern snakes had inherited an improved sense of contrast between light and dark. Thus, it was easy for the snake to spot Alessandro as he moved inside the bay. It curled its mouth into a smirk and slapped its tail on the floor in amusement.

But then, Alessandro held still, standing in plain sight in front of the snake, without movement. Now everything looked flat to the slithering reptile, everything looked black and white. There was no depth to its perception, and instantly the snake was unsure of the human's whereabouts. It adjusted its posture from side to side and bristled the scales along its spine. Normally, it could sense the heat radiating off a warm-blooded human, but at that moment, it couldn't detect a thing. It flickered its forked tongue, sampling the surrounding air to get a better sense of Alessandro's location.

However, the scent was different, and this startled the snake as it was unsure of what it was facing, except that it appeared to be a young human. As the foreign scent advanced, the copper serpent instinctively backed up and away from its hostages to better gain its bearings. It stretched its head high over the smaller-sized figure to slow the scent's movement and to intimidate it from a higher vantage.

Hisssssss!

Seizing the opportunity, several Human Protection officers, including Mimi, filtered into the bay in the background, their guns drawn.

The large snake was focusing on the strange-smelling human when it detected a change in the vibrations from the ground; movement from the other humans entering the room. Included in the mixed reverberations was Alessandro, who moved steadily forward, defying the monster snake.

Hisssssss-sssppp!!

Threatened, the giant snake spit venom at the clandestine human.

However, Alessandro did not attempt to move out of the way. Instead, the poisonous liquid struck him in the face.

The snake hissed and laughed as Aless wiped the excess poison from his face, the dripping venom creating a subtle outline of his figure. Now the copper serpent knew exactly where Alessandro stood in front of him.

A second set of vibrational movements diverted the snake's fascination away from the foreign scent.

To the side, the extraction of the wounded teens took place. Lucuz had already been escorted out of the bay, while Mimi and another officer put their arms under Bruno to carry him out next.

The copper snake dove in front of Mimi and the other humans, thwarting their egress.

Hisssssssssss!

Now it had some other humans with which to play, it decided.

Hisssssss-sss-sss!

The snake lunged forward again, this time splitting the human threesome into two parts; Bruno and one officer fell off to one side, while Mimi tumbled to the other.

The girl officer rolled and came to a knee, only to see the reptile eyeing each of the divided parties.

"Hey, hey!" she called out, gaining the snake's attention on herself.

The large snake slid in place, coiling itself tightly.

Mimi eyed her fellow officer and Bruno, providing them the time to escape.

The next thing she knew, the snake was charging, its mouth wide open and its sharp fangs positioned to bite. Too fast for Mimi to react, too fast for her to fire her gun. She closed her eyes and raised an arm in defense.

Suddenly, the water serpent's thrust was stopped mid-flight, as if on a short leash and unable to reach its target. A firm tug kept the menacing reptile from advancing. The snake was then pulled backward and away from Mimi and the others.

It was Alessandro, pulling the snake's tail, turning the copper beast around and regaining its ire.

Quickly, Mimi used the distraction to leave the fighting arena herself. She turned and caught a glimpse of Alessandro looking at her, making sure she had made it to safety.

Hisssssssssss! Hisssssssssss!

This time, the snake spread its muscular neck into a full-sized, cobra-like hood, giving itself additional size, while hissing at the young human.

Hisssssssssss! Hisssssssssss!

Then it happened.

Eieeeeeeerrraaahhhhkkkkk!

Alessandro let loose an un-human-like shriek. His muscles flexed and ripped, and he began to grow in size. Two gigantic black wings unfurled from behind his back, destroying his clothes and spreading out fully. He immediately began to elevate off the ground, his wings giving him a subtle lift. Soon he was up and over the snake.

Elliot, Mimi and the others gasped, watching the boy they thought they knew transform into a terrifying, winged creature.

"What is that?"

"It's Aless!"

"He can fly!"

Hisssss-ssssss!!

The snake darted forward to bite Alessandro, but the flying human moved out of the way. The deadly serpent snapped a second time but missed again, its venomous fangs dripping with a hunger to devour the human insect.

Hisssss-ssssss!! Hisssss-ssssss!!

On the opposite side, Alessandro floated in the air, flapping his wings in a fluid fashion -- one side and then the other -- biding his time with the oversized snake. The constant drifting mesmerized the serpent, calming its attention and tranquilizing the surrounding environment.

Hisssss-ssssss!!

Meanwhile, the snake attempted to bite the flying boy several more times. Slowly but surely, it tired from the soft, repetitive movements to each side of its head. The giant snake began to lose its concentration.

SSwwhhaaaccckkkkkKKKK!!!

Without warning, Alessandro struck, decapitating the snake in a single, powerful swoop, using the razor's edge of one of his wings.

The giant snake collapsed to the floor, convulsing from the decapitation. Separate from its body, the snake's head reflexively snapped and jumped from the ground, searching for a final victim until it could move no further.

"Can you believe that?"

"What just happened?"

Outside, the scientists and HP officers all stood in shock, as they watched Alessandro land and fold his scythe-like wings onto his back.

The flying warrior regressed back into the young man he was before.

None of the other humans had ever seen anything like it. They weren't sure whether to be excited or scared for their lives.

"Watch out!"

"Here he comes! Let's get out of here!"

"He's a monster!"

As Alessandro came out of the emergency bay, the crowd dispersed and took several steps back.

A couple of the younger students ran off, terrified and not wanting to see what would happen next.

Alessandro studied the uncertain crowd, each person wearing a tentative face. Then, he spotted Elliot and took a step toward the familiar face, only for two Human Protection officers to cut him off, their guns pointed.

"Wait! Wait! Don't shoot!"

Both Elliot and Mimi stepped out from the crowd, each imploring the officers not to shoot Aless.

"He won't hurt anyone!"

"He's not a danger! He's my friend!"

The young officers looked at one another for direction, unsure of what to do, monitoring for a change in the situation.

"Stand down, officers!" Mimi ordered. "Put your weapons away!"

The young centurions dropped their aim and relaxed their twitching muscles.

"No one's going to get hurt... "

"Everything is alright... "

The tense moment ended without a barrage of laser fire and loss of life.

Together, Elliot and Mimi breathed a sigh of relief. They looked at one another with wonder, and smiled.

"Hey," Elliot said to Mimi.

"Hey," Mimi acknowledged. "Right back at you."

From a distance, Alessandro watched as the two childhood friends shared the warm moment together.

From the corner of his eye, Elliot saw Alessandro watching.

"Aless? Wait, wait!"

Before either Elliot or Mimi could say anything more, Alessandro sprinted off, away from the fearful crowd.

Ta-da! Did you like that one? I hope so! Let's go chase Aless! come on!