Angel of Death

Shawn

"Mom?"

The woman started to turn around. The other woman grabbed her hand, stopping her. "It's not yet time", she said.

"I can't, Nascar", she said.

Nascar. The name rang a bell. Of course! She was the most famous draconian scientist. Not only for her brilliance but for her extremities. She'd singlehandedly caused a genocide amongst the draconians. She was rumored to be crazy and seeing her here, the rumor was proven true.

She turned around.

It was her. My mother, Eva. It took me only a few seconds to make a few leaps in logic.

"You're Atlas?"

She smiled. "You've grown into a man Shawn." I ran and hugged her. She was here, alive.

She pulled away from me.

"Now's not the time. Something really bad is going to happen", Nascar said.

"She's right", Eva said. "I was planning to reveal myself to you later but not like this."

"How do you two know each other?"

Before either of them could respond, there was a small explosion coming from somewhere in the house. Everyone woke up and rushed to the backyard. James was lying on the ground, gasping for breath.

"James, what happened?" Eva said rushing towards him.

"It's Lisa. She's run away. And she tried to kill me".

"Why?" I asked.

"She's a mole", Thalia said.

 

Mira-neth heard a knock on her door. "Who is it?" she asked. There was no  response. She reached for a sword and walked slowly towards the door. She knew this day would come. Someone had somehow evaded her guards and come to kill her.

She opened the door. A man stood there covered in blood. He was shaking. "Mira-neth", the man began. Most people used an honorific before her name. But considering the circumstances, Mira fully understood.

"He..he said he's coming for you", the man said. His face was contorted in pain.

"Who?"

"The angel of death", the man said. Mira could hear a loud frequency sound coming from within the man. She moved backwards and then the man exploded, his blood and organs flying everywhere. Blood and parts of a lung fell on Mira. She brushed them off.

The Angel of death was coming here. The same man who killed her father. He had sent a warning message. He'd killed her father just a few years before. Now, he was coming to finish the job.

 

Bishop. He wanted to see me, alone. He said he had some information on Lisa. He'd better have something good. Otherwise…

I met him in the study. "Now, tell me what you have for me".

He drew his sword. "What are you doing?"

"Testing you, he said.

"You're not really part of Atlas's crew are you? Who sent you?"

He held out his sword, an invitation to battle. I smiled. "Okay but if I win you have to tell me everything you know".

He nodded. "I like striking deals. You can say it's a bit of a hobby of mine".

We clashed, every strike from our swords causing sparks. We both withdrew. Then I rushed at him. He leapt into the air. I spun around and swung. He parried my sword in mid-air and run against the wall, landing behind me.

I turned around, but his sword sliced my cheek. "You're weak'', 'Bishop' said. I struck again. His sword bypassed mine and dug into my flesh. I moved backwards and swung away. He effortlessly blocked my strokes.

Focus, Shawn. Focus. Don't let what's happened distract you. If it does, you will die.

I closed my eyes. Flames ignited and engulfed my blade. Embers also ignited beneath my feet. I charged at him. He was pushed backwards. I used the fire as a boost.

He tried to stop the charge but he just kept moving backwards. We broke through the door. The fire started to spread. The flames started to creep up the walls.

"I hate using flames", I said. "They are so uncontrollable. Just like my anger. I don't care who you are. Or who sent you. I'm just going to kill you. Only a few people who've seen my flames have survived. That's why I'm called the Angel of Death".

We had come to the Elkin kingdom to save Jason. Now we had both Jason and Lisa missing. And I had just found out my mother had hidden from me all these years. I had no more time to waste. I was mad, and this guy was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Shawn!" I stopped with my flaming sword inches away from his face. I didn't take my eyes off him.

 "What?!"

"You can't kill him", Thalia said. "We need to interrogate him."

I laughed. "Does he look like he's going to talk? Besides, we don't have time-"

"-But he's one of our best leads. And don't forget the reason we came here. Jason".

"So? What's your point?"

"We have to split up. Some of us will be following leads on Lisa, the others will help to rescue Jason. So don't incinerate him".

The flames died down. I calmed down. "Fine, take him", I said.

"Fools". The word echoed and before we realized a black mist engulfed Bishop. When it cleared his face was frozen, contorted in horror.

I turned to Thalia. "Did you know? About my mom?" The surprise and happiness was suddenly replaced by anger. Anger that she hadn't told me she was alive. That she'd left me on my own for so many years.

"I … I did", she confessed.

"When?"

"When I officially joined", she said.     

I nodded. I wasn't going to ask any  more questions. We had two people to find.

 

Normal humans don't have power. But ever since our families died seven years ago, the four of us have been forced to accept the fact that we aren't normal. I can personally say that Lisa, Thalia and I have abilities. For Jason, it's simply inference.

Thalia's was the first to develop. Even before that day, she had unnatural strength for a woman. And she doesn't work out. Also, sometimes her touch could make someone pass out.

Lisa's ability awakened when she was in danger. It left her a bit unhinged. I should have noticed sooner. But I thought it was simply the fact that she'd gone from one traumatic experience to another.

My story isn't one I like to think about. Because everything about my ability speaks of failure and tragedy. Every time a new ability appeared it was because of death. It was part of the reason I took up the name. People kept dying around me, whether I wanted it to happen or not.

6 years ago

John cut through the woods. The beasts were gathering, the way they usually did when they felt threatened. John and his crew followed them into the trees. He saw them merge and form one giant Zombie-like Draconian. At about fifteen feet tall intimidating couldn't quite describe it. Especially when it had fur, teeth and claws. It was basically a giant cat but with rotting flesh.

John was carefully planning how to take down the animal. From the way the animals had become one, John could tell it was one of Nascar's creations. Normal draconian didn't merge. But he at least knew one thing. Someone was in charge. That meant aiming for the head. Cut it off and the body dies.

He'd been assigned this job by a client. And they needed it to pay the bills. The humans were a weak race, so they solicited protection from rangers like himself and Atlas. These beasts had murdered innocent people. It was time to take out the trash.

His trained eyes sized up his prey. He took out his sword. He wasn't like Atlas. He was full human. He didn't know what James was but he wasn't like him either. He didn't have abilities. What he did have were some powerful weapons he'd stolen. It was shaped like a claymore. Designed like giant scissors. So it was two blades with one beneath the other.

John hopped unto a branch. Almost without warning the monster turned around and slammed its fist into the tree. John heard a snap and he leapt. The monster reached out to strike. John spun around in mid-air and cut right through its fist.

He flung one of his swords and it landed deep with another tree. A string was attached to the handle of both swords. John maneuvered his way behind the monster's neck. The string wrapped around its neck. It had higher tensile strength than steel. It was being garroted.

The monster started to thrash around.  That's when John realized the tradeoff. If he had hesitated and cut the nerves before aiming for the head, he could prevented it from smashing some of his men to a bloody pulp. The screams rang in his ears.

Then a brilliant flame lit up from beneath and he leapt away from the monster. Someone brushed past him and decapitated the beast.

When the boy landed he could see the resemblance. The person he'd come to despise. He could see her resemblance in him. He was Eva's son, Shawn.

 

"Who are you?" Shawn asked.

"I'm one of Atlas's critics", John said.

"Oh yeah. You're John. Apparently you and Atlas had a falling out. What happened?"

"It's not for me to say", John said.

Shawn nodded.

"So who are you?" John asked.

"My name is Samuel", Shawn said. He wasn't about to give up his name. He wouldn't until he was sure he could trust this guy, and then some.

John clapped his hands together. "Okay, let's pretend for now, that's your real name".

Shawn seemed mildly impressed that John could tell he was lying. He turned around and started to walk away.

"Why don't you stay a bit? I could teach you a thing or two", John said.

Shawn hesitated. "Okay. I will take you up on your offer".

 

Shawn moved through the bushes. It was night. He could barely see a thing. He'd trained in the dark with John many other times. This was different. John's training had gradually grown more and more extreme. He frequently talked about unleashing the killer within.

And now he'd kidnapped Felicia and Smith, two of his own. He was using them as hostages to lure Shawn in. Something else was going on. This had to be about more than training. Somehow, some time ago, bad blood had come between them. Though Shawn couldn't think of what it was. At least not anything serious enough to wager a colleague's life on.

He burst through the bushes and saw a few yards in front of him, a derelict cowshed. John was waiting with the two tied to the shed.

"I see you came", John said grinning.

"John, stop this. This is crazy. I understand, I'm willing to do anything. Really I am. So let them go. After all, see how far I've come within the past few days".

John nodded. "Yes but you're not at your best. You could still improve if you get rid of what's holding you back. And we will get rid of it tonight. This is your last lesson with me. Your last lesson is to kill me."