The Queen's Shadow

Ticking

~~~Apollos

It's only been two weeks since the last mission, the queen has given us mandatory leave. Despite my insistence on checking out other locations, she has let me know that there is no need. Stating they've already been cleaned out so why bother? What she doesn't know is that I know more, every place I want to check out can be cross-referenced. We have one right in our very ranks that has yet to be rooted out, he's my first target.

Right now though I have to relax, I have to prepare myself. Those blood cocktails do a lot, I can feel my limiters being pushed. I can feel myself getting stronger every day but there is also a downside. My nightmares are becoming more visceral and I can't talk to anybody about it. What am I going to tell them? (Hey I've been taking blood cocktails in order to get stronger. Can you help me deal with my personal problems?) That is a fool's choice, no matter how much I trust them, would they even accept me? I find myself wanting more power that's all I want. I know it shouldn't be all I want, I know I should do more.

I see how Lilith can kill everyone with just a flick of her wrist, yet she didn't unleash that power to save my wife. I know she couldn't do anything, or at least I tell myself that. I see how strong she is yet she could do nothing to stop those men. She wasn't there, she was never there. I found myself getting angry, I found myself wanting to destroy everything. I stopped myself before I went any further, and I tried and meditate. I take myself back to my white void, and I try to compose myself.

It was then that I found myself in front of my two automaton knights. I look at them both and I see that they are still the same. I was hoping someone was invading my brain, but the issue was personal. 'What are you doing here?' I turn to hear Zamiel's poisonous voice. "I should be asking you that, you're in my personal space." I feel myself already in a bad mood, but I prepared myself for battle. 'You only come here when you're trying to train, and that was earlier today.' She gestured her hand to the fridge, "Well today I would like to come back for seconds."

She smiled and said 'And a hostile attitude to match, I'll humor you for once. Today I'll show you 30% of my power if that makes sense to your fragile human mind.' I felt a grin on my face, I don't know why it was so satisfying. "So that means I can use everything I have on you, that means I can attempt to kill you." It was then that she cut me six times but she was in front of me. 'So you should stop talking and start fighting.'

I unleashed the brunt of all of my power, I was not ashamed to use my time-stopping ability. No more laws of humanity no more worried about being discovered in this place at least I was someone important. I stabbed myself in the chest so that my limit breaker would take complete control. All I have to do is kill her, failing that all I have to do is touch her. We'll see how strong she is.

Just one punch to the stomach from her gave me three broken ribs. I returned the favor by gifting her with a downward cleave, she caught it with her two fingers. 'I am lying, 30% and you would be dead. I'm only using 10%' She flicked me in the face and I was sent flying. I felt my face regenerating as she was beside me and said 'You're not doing anything that the lowest spec of your species wouldn't do.' I rose and punched her. I missed, but I brought my hand around to put her in a headlock. She dodged kicked my leg from under me and said, 'Oh, you think you're special? You think your story is special?' She was behind me as she whispered in my ear 'It's not.' Why are her words getting under my skin?

"What are you, a tool of God?" She started laughing hysterically, and I could tell it was a real laugh, not that fake one she used. 'If I'm a tool, then you're less than a tool? So you are a speck, aren't you?' I made a mistake trying to play word games with someone older than me. 'A speck being wielded by a tool and you don't even have access to power. Did you come here to talk or fight me Apollos Morten or should I say, Gabriel Roberts, the man who couldn't even protect his wife?' I closed in, it was time for her to shut up.