I let out an evil laugh and closed my eyes, thinking of my mother and simultaneously healing myself.
You can do so much more than you think you’re capable of.
I gathered all of my strength and pulled. The metal groaned, strained to contain me, and snapped because it was too weak. I hopped up and stole the pistol from the General’s holster. Scientist Two screamed, his eyes hadn’t been fast enough to track my movements. I shoved the metal into his mouth to quiet his screams, and then pieces of brain and shards of bone splattered the wall behind him. I liked how the red looked in contrast to the white.
The door burst open, hitting Scientist Three. It hit him with so much force, it plowed him in the opposite wall and crushed every bone in his body, instantly killing him. Blood sprayed that wall, staining it. It’s surprising how much blood is held in the human body.
I reappeared in front of Scientist One. My left hand punctured his chest, ignoring the breast plate and ribs which were supposed to protect his heart. They were no match for me. My fingers found what they were searching for and I gave a slight pull. I showed my prize to Scientist One before his eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed. My hand was stained bright red up to my forearm and my fingers grasped something that was pulsing and steaming because of the cold.
His heart.
I crushed it between my fingers and let it flop onto his carcass.
Reven stood in the doorway. Rage would be describing his face mildly. His hair was cut short again, but other than that, he looked the same. Of course. “Aimee… I thought I’d never see you again.” Next thing I know, his lips smashed against mine.
“Aw, how cute,” The general remarked, adding poisonous sarcasm to his tone.
Reven disappeared from my sight and reappeared right behind the General, ready to snap his neck. The cruel man jumped, startled.
“No, Reven. Wait.”
“Why?”
“I want to draw this out. Slowly and painfully.” I smiled, letting the cold I felt in my heart show in my eyes. I shot out the General’s kneecap. To my surprise, he didn’t scream.
Well, that’s disappointing.
“Don’t kill me.”
I heard screams and laughs down the hall and some more even farther away. I ignored them, but it seemed like the other angels were having fun. “Why shouldn’t I kill you?”
“Because I can get you out of here.”
“Well, that’s unnecessary.”
Something slipped into his hand.
“Reven! Grab it!”
He appeared at my side with a little remote. It only had a red button on it. “A self-destruct button, I assume?” Reven gave me a quick kiss on the lips and with a slight squeeze of his powerful hand, the remote turned to dust.
“You just started it.” The General laughed. “Now I’m the only one who can help you.”
“I’m really getting sick of this. May I kill him now?” Reven was annoyed.
I ignored him. “What do you mean? We’ll just heal.”
“Why do you think I chose to have a base here?”
“Where’s here?”
“We’re on the moon.” Reven whispered. “The vacuum of space would crush our lungs. We would never get a chance to heal, and even if we did, they would collapse all over again.”
“Precisely.”
“Well, why are we waiting? Get me out of here.”
“I… I can’t. Angels were made for Heaven and Earth. Certain abilities don’t work here.”
“Get the others.” I ordered him and his vanished. I grabbed the General and flung him onto the table with ease. “Explain, now.”
“We have about nine minutes to get out of here. There’s a shuttle that only I know how to operate.”
Reven, hurry, I thought to him. “Where is it? Take me to it.”
“I can’t walk, bitch.”
“Well, if you want both of your legs paralyzed, I’d be happy to help. If not, I suggest you get a move on.” He led me through a maze of passageways, limping.
The shuttle was small, but it would have to work. Reven and a few other angels, including my father, met us there. I guess the General had been exaggerating. Seeing them in one place was… Amazing. All of the beauty was hard to bear, but I was preoccupied at the moment.
I heard one of them whisper, “She’s who everyone is making a big fuss about?”
“Yes.” I snapped. “We need to hurry.” I shoved the General into the shuttle and the rest of us crammed in and I sealed the door behind us. He settled in the pilot seat and started pressing buttons. I watched him carefully. The garage-like door opened to the outside and all of the oxygen was swept outside. I heard the shuttle start, but then the lights shut off and it went silent.
“We’re all going down now.” He laughed.
It took me a few seconds to register what he had done. Rage filled me and I backhanded him so hard, he flew out of the chair and hit the side of the shuttle, leaving a dent as he crumpled into a heap. I took the seat and looked at the controls.
Father put his hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me. I shrugged him off and mimicked what the General had done. The shuttle came back to life and I pulled the throttle, lever-thing back but the shuttle didn’t move. I didn’t have much time, maybe a minute or two. I was freaking out on the inside. Technology had evolved so much since I was gone, I had no idea how to work these things.
“Aimee… Hurry.” Reven whispered. It almost sounded like a prayer.
“God damnit!” I yelled in frustration and desperation, pounding my fists on the dash. Whatever my hands had touched, I did something. I nudged the throttle and the shuttle moved.
I let go of my breath and wasted no time; the shuttle pulled up and flew away from the landing bay. I saw so many stars and a gigantic, glowing Earth. It was hard to put into words. The moon below us was rocky and gray, spotted with deep craters.
No one was making a sound. Reven stooped beside me and gave me a passionate kiss. I didn’t even care that my father was audience. I gave Reven my all and when he pulled away, his green eyes sparkled with emotion.
Out of nowhere, the shuttle was slammed forward. Chunks of debris crashed into the hull and flew past us. We were just lucky nothing had actually pierced the hull, even though we were all thrown about like rag dolls. I quickly gained back control of the ship and accelerated us towards Earth, away from the ruins of my prison and the moon.
I bit my lip as I concentrated,out of habit. “Where am I landing?”
The angels deliberated for a minute and then reached a decision. “Washington D.C.” Hope said, twirling her red hair in between her fingers. “We have some unfinished business there.”
“Has it really been thirty-seven years?”
“I’m afraid so.” Father said.
I caught Zella glaring at me. “Last time I saw you, you snapped my neck. Let me return the favor. “
“Maybe when your fate doesn’t rest in my hands, but… It would be my pleasure to shove that cocky smile up your ass again.”
Reven chuckled and my father looked amused. Zella didn’t say anything though.
I took my chance to study them. All of the angels I haven’t met yet were here; the Seraphim, the Powers, and the Cherubim along with the Dominions, the Archangels, the Virtues, and the Principalities.
The Seraphim, Ariel and Hope, looked the most inhuman. They were flawless, even more so than the other angels; their skin was perfectly smooth and poreless. Hope was the perfect image for an Irish woman; her bright red and thin hair curled into loose ringlets, the faint freckles on her creamy complexion were perfectly symmetrical and accentuated her cheekbones and her dark chocolate eyes. Ariel appeared to be Asian; her pin-straight black hair was held up by chopsticks and away from her heart-shaped face. She was taller than I am and was extremely thin. Her posture was erect and she looked like she belonged to an ancient Chinese dynasty.
The Powers, Thaddeus and Elias, looked identical. They were African, with extremely dark skin, wide noses and mouths, long legs built for running. Their hair was cut close to the scalp, as was custom, and their white teeth glowed in contrast with their skin.
The Cherubim, Raphael and Uriel, had a perpetual look of disdain rolling off of them. Raphael had hair as black as the night sky, with streaks of blue and purple, like the true black tied into a very short ponytail. His eyes were a smokey, dark green that looked like a forest and held just as many secrets. His high cheekbones emphasized his eyes but his big nose gained the most attention. He looked like he was around my height, but very muscular. Uriel had dark blonde hair that changed hues in different light, gold to bronze, and a mustache that was a few shades darker than his hair. His lips were very thin, but was it because of his mustache or the way he wore his grim expression, I didn’t know. He was a lot shorter than me but was way more muscular.
Michael, my father’s partner and the other Archangel, was extremely tall and lanky. Although he wasn’t extremely muscular, the way he walked and held himself oozed power, proving that he was a leader, a fighter. His eyes were dark, either because of his facial expression or because they were the color of a stormy ocean, and his hair the was color of the most decadent chocolate. My father, Gabriel, was the parent I had inherited my hair color and my blue eyes, when they turned blue. He was tall and perfectly muscled, like Reven, but didn’t move when it wasn’t needed. He was relaxed, usually patient and calm.
Adam, the other Dominion, looks like an Aztec warrior. His browned skin, and silky dark hair that was braided down his back proved that. He was tall, but not towering, and his muscles and tendons rippled like a jaguar when he walked. His eyes were blacker than mine, looking like you could fall into them forever. Of course, there was Reven. My love was tall, muscular, sported impossibly green eyes, and had dark hair. He was mine. Beautiful beyond words.
Zella was the first Principality, one who annoyed me very, very much. Who was I kidding? I hated her, but I couldn’t deny that she was beautiful. She had dark blonde hair and pale green eyes, her stature was slightly smaller than mine and curves. I was surprised she was here, honestly. The second Principality, Marion, had violet eyes that changed hues form the color of lavender flowers to the color of ripe plums. She had silver hair, although she didn’t look over thirty. Her features made her look unique and I admired it. She had a kind of exotic beauty.
Belle, a Virtue, looked Arabic, like the princess from one of the old Disney movies. Her hair was super long, dark, and thick; the type of hair most hairdressers would give up on. Her eyes were drastically pale compared to her skin tone; such a light blue, like a thin layer of white clouds over a blue sky. She smiled a lot and looked like one of the nicest of the angels. Cecilia was here as well, Belle’s partner. I remembered her from Ireland; the honey hair, blue eyes, and pouting lips.
Once we entered the atmosphere, the angels left. Reven did too, after I assured him that I’d be fine. I set the destination into the navigation computer so I didn’t have to pay attention to the controls anymore. After I landed, I swivelled around in my chair and looked at the General. His face was turning purple already and he was still slumped over on the ground. I took this as my chance to search him, finding a gun tucked into his belt and a tiny pill hidden under a small patch on the inside of his sleeve. Cyanide? I didn’t think governments did that anymore. It didn’t always kill the person… The end result of the survivors is horrible. He didn’t have anything else, so I slapped him awake for more questioning.
It took him a minute to regain himself. He tried to sit up but I held him down. “Who are you? You clearly know who I am, but I want to know who you are.”
“Well, that depends. People can change into a whole new person given the right reasons. I’m certainly not who I once was.”
“Where was my blood kept? In the moon base? Anywhere else?”
“No, nowhere else. It’s all gone.” He murmured. “I had more respect for you than others did. I refused to let your blood be disrespected.”
“How kind of you.” I sneered. “While keeping me captive for a few decades.” I stood up and warned him not to move as I fiddled with the controls. “I could catch you anyways. You shouldn’t bother.”
“Understood.”
“I promise to make the killing stop.” I vowed quietly.
“You can’t promise that. All you cause is death around you.”
“Is it so hard for you to imagine I can do good?”
“Maybe you could… Once.”
I shook my head as I set the shuttle to detonate and opened the airtight door. I stood above the General on my way out. “Tell me now why I shouldn’t kill you.”
“Why haven’t you already? Why are you thinking about sparing me when you kill without so much as a thought, and after all I’ve done?”
“I never enjoyed killing. I was never that much like them. I made it quick and painless, for every single person.”
I waited for him to reply, but he closed his eyes and hung his head. “You have fifteen seconds left to answer.”
At five seconds left, I walked out. I watched from a distance as he removed something from a pocket I didn’t find. He threw it at me and I caught it with my left hand. It was my cross.
Then, he yelled, “Because once upon a time, we were best friends and I loved you, so much that I had to watch you stay brain dead for thirty years and make sure no one would hurt you or take advantage of you. I watched your body heal from the day they brought you in, blackened and crispy with your skin melted off, to what you once were. As I grew older and older, you stayed the same.”
My breath caught in my throat and I began to run back to the shuttle.
I barely heard his last whispers of, “You were right. I shouldn’t have loved you, but I did and I still do.”
The shuttle exploded into flame and molten shrapnel flew out in all directions. The chaos evolved around me as I fell to my knees, clutching my cross. “Xavier… Why?” I cried, feeling completely alone.
I had just killed the only person who was always there for me, my best friend, my lover, just like I had killed my mom.
The horrific smell of singed hair and burning flesh made me gag. I did vomit once I thought it through that the repulsive smell was my Xavier.
“Why didn’t you tell me, Xavier?!” I screamed, slamming my fist onto the concrete hard enough to make fist-sized craters and resting my head on my forearms. Tears refused to come, even as I sobbed. The acrid smoke had dried out my eyes.
* * *
The sun had risen higher in the sky before I stood, a new determination set into the front of my brain. I walked through the city, not caring if anyone recognized me, straight to the White House.
Special Service guards tried to stop me, but I pushed them off. “I mean no harm. Please, just let me speak to the president.”
They still wouldn’t let me through.
“I’m trying to help! When I offer my help, take it. I’m trying to save lives.” I raised my hands in surrender. “Shoot me if I move too fast.”
They finally seemed to believe me and led me to the Oval Office. Men in black suits had surrounded me from every side and matte black, standard issue pistols pointed at me from all directions.
The president was a silver-haired woman wearing black-rimmed glasses and a business suit.
“Good to see a woman in charge.” I remarked.
“The way this is going… I won’t be much longer.” She tapped her fountain pen on the side of her desk. “What did you want to speak to me about, assuming you’re not here to kill me?”
“About a truce.”
She laughed. “As if that would ever work.”
“You want the killing to stop, don’t you? The angels won’t quit, after all, they have eternity.”
“Explain then.”
“We all know people went crazy for angel blood. I’m not sure how a human first got his or her hands on it, but I suppose it doesn't matter.That was part of the reason the war started, but the real reason is because angels want control.” I took a deep breath. “When you’re immortal, you look at things from a different point of view. Long-term, I suppose you could say, when mortals think of it in short-term.”
“Go on,” She said, interested.
“The angels realized that the Earth will die because of overpopulation and pollution. The exhaust from cars, burning fossil fuels, the various greenhouse gases…” I listed a few more.
“There’s arguments that the greenhouse effect isn’t because of pollution.”
“Yes, yes, I know. I’m not here to argue about this. They say the Earth has major climate changes naturally, I know, but would the human race survive if an ice age hit, when technology wouldn’t work anymore? Anyways, that wasn’t what I was getting at. Because of pollution, the ozone is depleting and causing more and more skin cancer, oceans dying, forests getting torn apart, et cetera. Also, natural gas and petroleum are getting hard to come by. When you run out, what will you do?”
“You've made your point, but why does that concern us if this will take hundreds of years?”
“That’s the short term point of view. If you would live until then, what would you tell your great-great-great-great-granddaughter when the oxygen on Earth runs out and she suffocates to death, clawing at her burning throat for air?”
The president stopped tapping her pen. “But why do the angels care?”
“When they were created, they were made out of God’s love for humans. It’s programmed into them, whether they like it or not. They want to unite the world… Could you imagine no more wars? No more people dying for the wants of a handful of people?”
“That sounds like a fairytale, Miss Chevalier.”
“But if it’s possible, wouldn’t it be worth a try?”
“Maybe so, but will the angels cooperate? What about the United Kingdom and China? Will this be offered to them?”
“I’ll try.”
“Trying isn’t good enough. We need something definite.”
I clenched my fists and I thought about a good reply. “Tell me, have you seen some of the countries that surrendered right away?”
“Well, no, we cut off communication--” Mrs. President said, shuffling through papers.
“Precisely. Especially in Africa, the angels have made sure people get enough food, water, and shelter. They get education and medicine. They are happy.”
I thought of A’sharia, Rabia, Madaha, Abdul, and even Rabia’s husband and I smile. They were such good people. I said I would be back… I need to see them again.
“I hope what you said is true. So, what of a truce?”
“I will personally push for it.”
“Tomorrow by 3 P.M?”
“Yes.”
“Are you leaving?”
“I don’t know where I’d go, honestly.” I shrugged.
“Well, let’s take a walk.” She glanced at the Secret Service whose guns were still pointed at me. “You guys can stay. If they wanted me dead, I’d be dead already.” She stood up and walked out of her office, me trailing behind.
We strolled outside into a garden. The sunlight was warm but the air was cool and crisp. I was only wearing a thin hospital gown and I shivered. “What month is it?”
“Today is April 27.” She watched me rub my temples as a headache started to form. “What’s wrong?”
“It feels like just yesterday I was in Africa and still twenty years-old. Now I’m fifty-seven.”
“Ah, yes. I heard about that project awhile ago. I didn’t know it was still going. The first base you were being held at was destroyed some… Twenty years ago.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Just because I’m the president doesn’t mean I know everything. Flies get lost, secrets are kept, people die.”
“It’s so odd though. I had always assumed I’m mostly human, mortality included.”
“I remember the crazy propaganda the media said about you.”
“The Demon.” I chuckled.
“So, Miss Chevalier, tell me about your life. I want to see things in your perspective.”
So, I told her.
All she said after was, “Damn, and people think their lives are hard.”
“Yeah.” I laughed nervously. “Another thing that mostly everyone doesn’t know is that I never met my father until the facility in Ireland and before that, the only other angels I had met were Reven and Zella. I had dated Reven when I was fifteen, never knowing the he was an angel. When I found out, believe me, that argument wasn’t pretty.”
“And now?”
“What can I say? He was my first love and I still love him. We’re together again.”
“Well, I really need to go talk to my advisors.” She left me alone in the garden and I was alone, listening to the echoes of her heels against cement.
I wandered the city until Reven appeared beside me.
“We need you to go to the Council meeting.”
“Who is ‘we’?”
“All of us.” He held out his hand and I took it, gripping firmly. I refused to let my emotions show. He looked down at me. “You need some actual clothes, but I like your hair like that.”
“Like what?” I looked down. “Oh.”
My hair was down to my navel. I don’t think I’ve ever let it get that long. I was still inspecting it when Reven came back with a tank top and a pair of shorts, which I put on quickly. I tried not to smile as I noticed Reven admiring my body while I slipped off the gown. We didn’t have time right now.
“Ready?”
After I put my cross on, I kissed him and murmured a, “yes,” on his lips.
What was meant to be just a peck turned into a passionate, long, and rough kiss. I pushed him away a little bit. “Reven, as much as I’d like to, we can’t have sex on this sidewalk. Besides, we have somewhere to be.”
He sighed because he knew I was right.
God help me, I thought. I had no idea how this would turn out. Most likely chaos, but this would literally decide the fate of the world. The familiar weight of of the cross resting on my cleavage was reassuring.
Reven planted another tender kiss on my lips and we left D.C together