Angels Among Us - Bonus Chapter
Sitting on the cliffs above La Jolla Cove, the Archangel Michael gazed up at the sky and marveled at its beauty. The wondrous variety of colors designed by God, had always been one of his favorite creations. Far out to sea the sky was a deep blue, fading to several shades of purple before turning into a deep red. The red turned to orange above the smoldering California coast before becoming a bright yellow towards the distant sun. Michael allowed himself to feel the warmth of the sun shining on his back, the comfort enveloped him.
His eyes lowered to the ocean below and the large fleet of warships floating off the coast. Hundreds of smaller vessels slowly approaching the beach dotted the turbulent sea between the shore and the armada. The sky was suddenly filled with the roar of fighter jets, launched from both land and sea. Michael watched the fiery explosions above, as pilots randomly blew each other from the air. Although extremely experienced in the art of warfare, Michael didn’t approve of the needless waist of life, one of God’s most precious gifts.
His eyes dropped to the fortified beach and the soldiers running back and forth, trying to prepare for the imminent assault. Michael’s eyes were more like a hawk than a human, and even at this distance he could see the names of each of the men below sewn into the breast pocket of their uniforms. He could see the worry and fear in their eyes as they frantically dug foxholes and piled sand bags in front of them. With his excellent vision he could even see the beads of sweat rolling down the cheeks of soldiers, as they labored in their various tasks.
The first wave of transport ships reached the beach and as the ramps lowered, soldiers flooded out and onto the sand. Chased by a Russian MIG, an American fighter jet flying low along the beach headed straight for Michael and the cliffs where he was perched. Soldiers from the beach below fired up at the MIG, as the two jets passed by. Just before hitting the cliffs the American fighter pulled up, but it was too late for the MIG. Before being able to eject, the Russian pilot crashed into the side of the cliffs in a huge ball of fire.
The flames from the explosion engulfed Michael and although he could feel the heat, the fire itself could not harm him. Michael spotted the transport that he’d been waiting for and from his mouth blew a burst of wind into the ocean below. The powerful gust of air hit the water, causing large waves to ripple out from its epicenter. Several waves crashed into the side of the transport that Yuri and his men were onboard, raising the vessel up and then bringing it down hard. Even at this distance, Michael could see Yuri stumble and fall to the floor of the transport, just as the large metal door dropped open and bullets swarmed in.
At the far end of the beach Michael saw two fallen angels walking along the sandy shoreline. Sunlight reflected off the breastplates of their golden armor. He instantly recognized the angels as Rahab whose name means violence and Abaddon whose name means to destroy. Michael remembered both of the angels from the days of old when Lucifer rebelled against God, although they went by different names then. Both Abaddon and Rahab had joined in the rebellion, along with one third of all the angels in Heaven. Michael commanded the remaining two thirds of the angels and the two factions had been at war with one another ever since.
Of course the soldiers couldn’t see any of the angels, but they were always there none the less. As Michael watched, Rahab tripped a soldier and then pushed another one on top of a grenade. Abaddon was also causing havoc and killing soldiers indiscriminately, laughing at the pain and suffering they were causing. American, Russian, Chinese, it didn’t matter which side the soldier was on, the fallen angels simply enjoyed killing and they’d had plenty of practice over the last six thousand years. After watching them toy with one of the soldiers by holding him immobile while bullets riddled his body, Michael had seen enough. Even at this distance, he could see the fear and confusion in the man’s eyes, as he struggled to free himself from the invisible force that held him.
Standing up from the rocky cliffs where he sat, Michael stepped off the ledge in one fluid motion and floated towards the beach below. He landed softly on the sand and headed straight for Abaddon and Rahab, paying no attention to the bullets, grenades and shrapnel flying through the air. The white suit which Michael wore glowed vibrantly, covering his body in a dazzling bluish-white light. Any stray bullets that came in contact with the light either passed through him harmlessly or instantly melted away into nothing, depending on his needs.
Michael approached the transport with Yuri and his men, who were pinned down by machine gun fire. He noticed an armored vehicle was ablaze just a short distance away, but too far for Yuri and his men to reach without being caught out in the open. Michael looked at the armored vehicle and it immediately began to move. It stopped just a few feet from the pinned down soldiers. As he walked in front of the distressed solders, he stretched out his wings and blocked any incoming bullets. Yuri and another soldier immediately sprinted towards the burning, armored vehicle and took cover behind it. The rest of his men were not so lucky.
Michael continued to walk towards the two falling angels as an air-to-ground bomb smashed into the transport, killing the remainder of Yuri’s men. He felt bad for them, but they weren’t part of his mission. Suddenly an American Marine screamed, “Grenade!” and then leapt from his foxhole. Michael recognized the soldier as Jesse Morgan, who was part of his mission. Realizing that Jesse had not gotten far enough away from the grenade to avoid shrapnel from the detonation, Michael quickly materialized between Jesse and the foxhole. He wrapped his wings and arms around the young Marine, absorbing the blast from the explosion like a shield.
Without hesitation, Michael turned and continued across the beach towards Rahab and Abaddon. He was about fifty yards away when both of the fallen angels looked up in unison and saw him approaching. No one had to tell them who he was, every angel knew Michael the archangel. They immediately forgot about the soldiers and the fun they were having and directed all of their attention towards Michael.
Michael stopped walking abruptly and softly asked, “Why are you here?” Although he was still a good ten or fifteen yards away, the angels could hear his words loud and clear. His voice was sweet and smooth like the sound of water flowing in a babbling brook. Rahab and Abaddon knew all too well that the sound was misleading. They’d seen firsthand the power that God had bestowed upon Michael, and he wasn’t to be underestimated.
“What are you doing here?” asked Rahab, answering Michael’s question with another question.
“Are you alone?” added Abaddon, looking around as if he expected to be ambushed at any minute. Although the fallen angels outnumber Michael two to one, they were still afraid of him and rightly so.
“I’m alone,” replied Michael, in the same velvety voice.
“That’s too bad,” said an unidentified voice from behind him.
Michael recognized the voice immediately. “Hello Beelzebub, it’s been a long time.” He turned around to face the fallen angel who’d materialized out of thin air.
“Too long,” agreed Beelzebub.
The last time Michael had seen Beelzebub face to face was on the battlefield during the rebellion led by Lucifer. His face looked just as Michael remembered, but now he was covered from head to toe in a shiny, black, tar-like substance that dripped from his body when he moved. “I see you haven’t changed,” observed Michael, undaunted by the appearance of yet another fallen angel.
“Nor you,” pointed out Beelzebub. Rahab and Abaddon seemed content to remain quiet and let these old adversaries do all the talking. “Why has He sent you here?”
“I have my orders,” replied Michael, “and they don’t include you. Please stay out of this and do not force my hand.”
“No thanks,” hissed Beelzebub, “I prefer the freedom to do as I please, when I please, without consequence, and I don’t want to stay out of this.”
“There’s always a consequence,” said Michael. “Or have you forgotten the result of your actions?”
“Heaven will be ours once again,” said Beelzebub, “Lucifer has promised it.”
“Like he promised you ultimate power?” asked Michael, glancing down in disgust at the tar-like substance covering Beelzebub’s body, which couldn’t possibly be a choice.
“I don’t mind my new look,” lied Beelzebub, “and I do have power!”
“The ability to rule over legions of mindless demons is not power,” said Michael. “God loves you. You’ve hurt our Father and the separation you feel cannot be changed. You claim to have power, but you can’t change anything that matters.”
“Yet you’re here following His orders and doing His biding, what kind of power is that?”
“Of course I do as God commands,” replied Michael. “He created me and loves me. I’ll always be grateful for His love and guidance. He knows what is best.”
“I make my own future,” spat Beelzebub, “and create my own destiny!”
“My how similar you sound to Lucifer,” observed Michael. “Will you never learn the lesson of what comes from pride?”
Michael knew that Beelzebub didn’t care and was trying to think of something smart to say, but before he could respond, Seere, yet another of Lucifer’s fallen angels, appeared in the sky riding a winged horse. He soared down to the beach; landing on the sand to Michael’s left. Seere was a powerfully built angel wearing only a pair of sandy brown pants. He had a bow slung over his shoulder and a quiver of arrows strapped to his back. The same black tar that covered Beelzebub was dripping off of the arrow heads. As he dismounted his winged horse, the muscles on his chest and arms bulged beneath his glimmering skin.
“I thought you might like some help Beelzebub,” he bellowed, in a deep rumbling voice.
“The more the merrier,” grinned Beelzebub, hoping to frighten Michael, but the archangel couldn’t be frightened.
Just a few yards from shore, the surface of the ocean suddenly began to bubble in three separate spots. The bubbles grew larger and more turbulent, as though the earth below had broken open and something was surfacing from beneath. After a few seconds, three distinct heads appeared from beneath the foamy water. As they rose from the depths below, Michael recognized each of the fallen angels.
Forneus was the first to emerge. In ancient times, Forneus had enjoyed appearing as a sea monster, killing sailors and destroying ships. His body was covered in green, slimy scales that caused all forms of projectiles to bounce off harmlessly. Forneus held no weapon, but didn’t need one. He had a long tail, like a scorpion with a stinger on the end, and sharp claws that were longer than his fingers.
Kunopegos was the next to surface. Much like Forneus, Kunopegos had also spent his time attacking and sinking ships at sea. His body resembled that of a seahorse as he emerged from the water. When the water had reached Kunopegos’ waist it suddenly began to twirl around violently, creating a small whirlpool. When the twirling finally stopped, Kunopegos had legs where the body of a seahorse had previously been. In his hand he held a long spear made of coral.
The last fallen angel to appear was Vepar, holding a triton gripped tightly in his hand. Vepar had the body of a mermaid, but as he emerged from the water the fins that formed his trunk transformed into legs. His hair was blonde and his skin was aqua marine.
“Seven to one,” sneered Beelzebub, feeling more confident in the odds, “care to surrender?”
“You know better than to ask,” said Michael, the same calm smile on his face. “But if you leave now, I promise not to kill you.”
“Kill us?” repeated Seere before the group broke into thundering laughter. Without delay, Seere withdrew the bow from his shoulder and loaded an arrow. Behind Michael, Rahab and Abaddon withdrew their swords in preparation for battle, their laughter subsiding.
“You may have God on your side,” hissed Beelzebub, “but even He can’t help you against the seven of us!”
“Have you truly become so deceived by Lucifer’s lies,” asked Michael, “that you’ve forgotten the limitless power of the Almighty? One man could destroy a million if it were God’s will.”
“And are you willing to take that chance?” asked Beelzebub. “Hoping that it’s God’s will that you should triumph?”
“I’m merely a servant of the Lord,” replied Michael, “and whatever He commands, shall be so.”
“Then I’m afraid that today He’s commanded your death,” grinned Beelzebub, as he reached for a black sword concealed beneath the tar-like substance.
“God’s will be done,” replied Michael.
All seven of the fallen angels attacked at once, as if on cue. Two swords suddenly sprang from out of the sleeves of Michael’s glowing suit. The swords were ablaze with fire, leaving a trail of flames as Michael swung them to bear on his enemies. He brought the sword in his left hand up, deflecting an arrow shot from Seere’s bow while the sword in his right hand clashed with Beelzebub’s. Using both swords with deadly accuracy, Michael’s hands became a blur of motion. He brought one of the swords up and over his head, deflecting the swords of Rahab and Abaddon without even looking.
The fallen angels were quick, but not quick enough. By the time Forneus, Kunopegos and Vepar had reached the fight, Seere had already unloaded half of the arrows in his quiver. He pulled arrows, loaded them and fired faster than a soldier could unload the magazine of an automatic weapon. Seere’s hands were a blur of motion, as Michael deflected one arrow after another. Although a couple of the arrows made it passed the deadly accuracy of Michael’s sword, they burned up upon coming in contact with his glowing suit. Seere was frustrated and began to fire the arrows faster and faster, hoping that one would strike its target. As Seere continued to fire rapidly, the quiver of arrows replenished itself, providing him with an unlimited supply.
Michael turned his back to Seere, relying on his wings to protect him from the onslaught of arrows, giving his full attention to the other fallen angels, who’d effectively surrounded him on all four sides. The clash of swords, a spear and a triton, echoed along the beach.
Forneus charged towards Michael with his jagged claws outstretched. But before he could dig his claws into the archangel, Michael slashed through the green scales protecting Forneus and saw blood spew from his stomach, he gasped in surprise and recoiled. Shooting Michael an evil, envious stare before returning to the ocean refuge he now called home.
Michael quickly ducked under the spear of Kunopegos and drove a sword into Rahab’s chest. The blaze from the sword engulfed Rahab’s body, as a choked scream escaped from his lips. In the blink of an eye, Rahab disappeared into a fiery explosion. One down, six to go.
Michael glanced up in time to see the tail of Forneus coming straight for him. Bending down on one knee he swung both of his swords together above his head, slicing off the stinger on the tip of the tail a split second before it penetrated his chest. Forneus screamed in pain and withdrew towards the sea, his injured tail tucked between his legs and bleeding black slime. Before Michael could stand, Vepar plunged his triton deep into the archangel’s thigh. Vepar withdrew the triton and was about to strike again when Michael opened his mouth and let out a deafening roar.
The ground shook as Vepar dropped the triton on the sandy beach and covered his ears. Michael took advantage of the moment and blew a gust of wind from his mouth, sending Vepar high into the air. The fallen angel landed in the sea with a large splash about a mile away from the shore. The triton lying on the beach suddenly sank into the ground, disappearing beneath the sand.
Michael turned to face Beelzebub, “Three down, four to go,” he said with a kind smile. “Please just leave? I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Kill him!” ordered Beelzebub, and the remaining four angels attacked in unison.
Kunopegos charged with his spear held low, while Seere continued to fire his arrows at a mind boggling speed. At the same time, Abaddon flanked Michael and attacked with his sword held high. Moving quickly, Michael grabbed the tip of the spear in Kunopegos’s hand and guided the blade into the sand at his feet. With the strength of a dozen men, Michael lifted Kunopegos’s body into the air and flung him over his shoulder. The fallen angel soared through the air, crashing into Seere just as he was about to let go of another arrow.
Abaddon immediately swung his sword down on Michael from behind, clipping the archangel’s wing. Without hesitation Michael deflected the next blow with one of his swords, while plunging the other one deep into Abaddon’s throat. The fallen angel’s eyes widened as Michael twisted the blade, severing Abaddon’s head from his shoulders. Before his head hit the sand Abaddon’s body, head included, de-materialized, and in an instant the fallen angel was gone. Michael turned to face the remaining three.
Kunopegos regained his footing, but instead of charging Michael with his spear, he hurled it through the air like a lightning bolt. The swords in Michael’s hands began to spin in circles like the propellers of a helicopter, spinning so fast that they chopped the spear to bits before it reached its destination. Michael turned to face Beelzebub’s sword, as Kunopegos jumped on him from behind.
Kunopegos clung to Michael’s back, as the archangel and Beelzebub stood fighting toe to toe. Kunopegos had no weapon with which to hurt Michael and was more of a nuisance than anything else. The black sludge from Beelzebub’s body flung about with each swing of the fallen angel’s sword. Whenever the tar-like substance came in contact with the ground it bubbled up, and then like acid sank into the earth. Several of the drops landed on Michael’s arm, only to be burned away by the translucent glow radiating from his suit.
Kunopegos was not so fortunate. A few of the black drops landed on his flesh, burning through to the bone beneath. He screamed and released his grip on Michael’s shoulders. Momentarily caught off guard, Kunopegos was shocked to see that Michael had turned to face him. He was sure that the archangel would plunge one of his fiery swords through him. But instead, Michael grabbed Kunopegos and held him between himself and Seere, using him as a body shield.
Expecting to feel the hot blade from Michael’s sword, Kunopegos was surprised to instead feel the cold steal of a dozen arrows slice into his back. Michael tossed the fallen angel to the side and hurled one of his swords at Seere. Surprised and caught off guard, Seere raised his arm to protect his chest. The sword cut through his large bicep, lodging itself securely in his shoulder. His bow dropped from his hand, as he tried in vain to remove the sword impaled in his shoulder.
Michael turned to face Beelzebub and Kunopegos but Kunopegos was gone. All that remained was a trail of blood leading back into the depths of the sea from which the fallen angel had emerged. The smug smile vanished from Beelzebub’s face, as he realized that he’d lost the battle. Seere, who’d finally managed to remove the sword from his powerful shoulder, crawled onto the back of his winged horse and flew away, but not before casting a glare of hatred towards Michael.
“And then there was one,” said Michael, lifting his sword towards Beelzebub.
“This isn’t over yet!” shouted Beelzebub before disappearing into a puff of dark smoke. All that remained where he’d been standing was a puddle of black sludge.
Michael glanced down at his thigh and watched as the wound healed itself from within. He touched his wing and that too was healed. He looked up at the sky and nodded with a smile, knowing that God had healed him.
“Thank you Lord!” prayed Michael gratefully.
Although he’d won the battle he felt no delight. Killing angels was not something that he enjoyed, but they’d made their decision and forced his hand. They’d have to live with the consequences of their actions.
Remembering his mission, Michael turned around and began scanning the soldiers on the battlefield. After a moment his eyes locked on Jesse Morgan. The Marine was fighting in hand-to-hand combat with one of the hybrid soldiers designed by the Communist Muslim Coalition. In the twinkle of an eye, Michael appeared beside the soldiers. The hybrid lifted Jesse off the ground and began to squeeze. It was only a matter of time before he snapped Jesse’s spine.
Michael looked at the grenades strapped to the hybrids chest and moved one back and forth. Sunlight glinted off the metallic surface and caught Jesse’s attention. Michael could tell by the look in Jesse’s eye that the Marine understood. Now if he could just break free from the hybrids powerful grasp. “His nose is vulnerable,” Michael softly whispered into Jesse’s ear.
The Marine’s eyes widened signifying that the message had been received. Jesse bit down hard on the hybrids nose and blood gushed into his mouth. The hybrid threw Jesse away from him and Michael watched, as the super-soldier exploded into a thousand pieces. Expecting to see relief on Jesse’s face, Michael was surprised to see fear instead. He turned around to see what the Marine was looking at.
Across the beach were a dozen more super-soldiers, marching towards Jesse in tight formation. Jesse had barely been able to survive the encounter with one hybrid, giving Michael doubts about the Marine’s ability to fight off a dozen more. An air-to-ground bomb was launched from an American fighter above giving Michael an idea. He looked up at the missile and guided it straight into the middle of the tightly grouped super-soldiers. The explosion sent sand and severed limbs high into the air, showering Jesse in a cascade of debris. Michael of course was untouched by fragments from the wreckage.
Jesse stood up and looked around the beach, realizing that he was the last American standing. Thousands of enemy troops had flooded onto the beach and were headed in his direction. Michael could almost see the Marine’s brain working, as he weighed his options. “Hide and live to fight another day,” whispered Michael.
Jesse appeared to agree with the angel’s suggestion, because he immediately dove into a nearby foxhole and frantically began to cover himself with sand and bodies of fallen comrades. Michael contributed to the effort by spreading out his wings and covering the hole that Jesse was hiding in. Russian and Chinese soldiers marched passed with their weapons held ready, looking for anyone to shoot. But thanks to the invisible shield provided by Michael’s wings, Jesse couldn’t be seen.
Michael’s work was done, at least for the moment. Before he vanished into the wind, the archangel left a brown, paper wrapped package on the ground by Jesse’s foxhole.
His eyes lowered to the ocean below and the large fleet of warships floating off the coast. Hundreds of smaller vessels slowly approaching the beach dotted the turbulent sea between the shore and the armada. The sky was suddenly filled with the roar of fighter jets, launched from both land and sea. Michael watched the fiery explosions above, as pilots randomly blew each other from the air. Although extremely experienced in the art of warfare, Michael didn’t approve of the needless waist of life, one of God’s most precious gifts.
His eyes dropped to the fortified beach and the soldiers running back and forth, trying to prepare for the imminent assault. Michael’s eyes were more like a hawk than a human, and even at this distance he could see the names of each of the men below sewn into the breast pocket of their uniforms. He could see the worry and fear in their eyes as they frantically dug foxholes and piled sand bags in front of them. With his excellent vision he could even see the beads of sweat rolling down the cheeks of soldiers, as they labored in their various tasks.
The first wave of transport ships reached the beach and as the ramps lowered, soldiers flooded out and onto the sand. Chased by a Russian MIG, an American fighter jet flying low along the beach headed straight for Michael and the cliffs where he was perched. Soldiers from the beach below fired up at the MIG, as the two jets passed by. Just before hitting the cliffs the American fighter pulled up, but it was too late for the MIG. Before being able to eject, the Russian pilot crashed into the side of the cliffs in a huge ball of fire.
The flames from the explosion engulfed Michael and although he could feel the heat, the fire itself could not harm him. Michael spotted the transport that he’d been waiting for and from his mouth blew a burst of wind into the ocean below. The powerful gust of air hit the water, causing large waves to ripple out from its epicenter. Several waves crashed into the side of the transport that Yuri and his men were onboard, raising the vessel up and then bringing it down hard. Even at this distance, Michael could see Yuri stumble and fall to the floor of the transport, just as the large metal door dropped open and bullets swarmed in.
At the far end of the beach Michael saw two fallen angels walking along the sandy shoreline. Sunlight reflected off the breastplates of their golden armor. He instantly recognized the angels as Rahab whose name means violence and Abaddon whose name means to destroy. Michael remembered both of the angels from the days of old when Lucifer rebelled against God, although they went by different names then. Both Abaddon and Rahab had joined in the rebellion, along with one third of all the angels in Heaven. Michael commanded the remaining two thirds of the angels and the two factions had been at war with one another ever since.
Of course the soldiers couldn’t see any of the angels, but they were always there none the less. As Michael watched, Rahab tripped a soldier and then pushed another one on top of a grenade. Abaddon was also causing havoc and killing soldiers indiscriminately, laughing at the pain and suffering they were causing. American, Russian, Chinese, it didn’t matter which side the soldier was on, the fallen angels simply enjoyed killing and they’d had plenty of practice over the last six thousand years. After watching them toy with one of the soldiers by holding him immobile while bullets riddled his body, Michael had seen enough. Even at this distance, he could see the fear and confusion in the man’s eyes, as he struggled to free himself from the invisible force that held him.
Standing up from the rocky cliffs where he sat, Michael stepped off the ledge in one fluid motion and floated towards the beach below. He landed softly on the sand and headed straight for Abaddon and Rahab, paying no attention to the bullets, grenades and shrapnel flying through the air. The white suit which Michael wore glowed vibrantly, covering his body in a dazzling bluish-white light. Any stray bullets that came in contact with the light either passed through him harmlessly or instantly melted away into nothing, depending on his needs.
Michael approached the transport with Yuri and his men, who were pinned down by machine gun fire. He noticed an armored vehicle was ablaze just a short distance away, but too far for Yuri and his men to reach without being caught out in the open. Michael looked at the armored vehicle and it immediately began to move. It stopped just a few feet from the pinned down soldiers. As he walked in front of the distressed solders, he stretched out his wings and blocked any incoming bullets. Yuri and another soldier immediately sprinted towards the burning, armored vehicle and took cover behind it. The rest of his men were not so lucky.
Michael continued to walk towards the two falling angels as an air-to-ground bomb smashed into the transport, killing the remainder of Yuri’s men. He felt bad for them, but they weren’t part of his mission. Suddenly an American Marine screamed, “Grenade!” and then leapt from his foxhole. Michael recognized the soldier as Jesse Morgan, who was part of his mission. Realizing that Jesse had not gotten far enough away from the grenade to avoid shrapnel from the detonation, Michael quickly materialized between Jesse and the foxhole. He wrapped his wings and arms around the young Marine, absorbing the blast from the explosion like a shield.
Without hesitation, Michael turned and continued across the beach towards Rahab and Abaddon. He was about fifty yards away when both of the fallen angels looked up in unison and saw him approaching. No one had to tell them who he was, every angel knew Michael the archangel. They immediately forgot about the soldiers and the fun they were having and directed all of their attention towards Michael.
Michael stopped walking abruptly and softly asked, “Why are you here?” Although he was still a good ten or fifteen yards away, the angels could hear his words loud and clear. His voice was sweet and smooth like the sound of water flowing in a babbling brook. Rahab and Abaddon knew all too well that the sound was misleading. They’d seen firsthand the power that God had bestowed upon Michael, and he wasn’t to be underestimated.
“What are you doing here?” asked Rahab, answering Michael’s question with another question.
“Are you alone?” added Abaddon, looking around as if he expected to be ambushed at any minute. Although the fallen angels outnumber Michael two to one, they were still afraid of him and rightly so.
“I’m alone,” replied Michael, in the same velvety voice.
“That’s too bad,” said an unidentified voice from behind him.
Michael recognized the voice immediately. “Hello Beelzebub, it’s been a long time.” He turned around to face the fallen angel who’d materialized out of thin air.
“Too long,” agreed Beelzebub.
The last time Michael had seen Beelzebub face to face was on the battlefield during the rebellion led by Lucifer. His face looked just as Michael remembered, but now he was covered from head to toe in a shiny, black, tar-like substance that dripped from his body when he moved. “I see you haven’t changed,” observed Michael, undaunted by the appearance of yet another fallen angel.
“Nor you,” pointed out Beelzebub. Rahab and Abaddon seemed content to remain quiet and let these old adversaries do all the talking. “Why has He sent you here?”
“I have my orders,” replied Michael, “and they don’t include you. Please stay out of this and do not force my hand.”
“No thanks,” hissed Beelzebub, “I prefer the freedom to do as I please, when I please, without consequence, and I don’t want to stay out of this.”
“There’s always a consequence,” said Michael. “Or have you forgotten the result of your actions?”
“Heaven will be ours once again,” said Beelzebub, “Lucifer has promised it.”
“Like he promised you ultimate power?” asked Michael, glancing down in disgust at the tar-like substance covering Beelzebub’s body, which couldn’t possibly be a choice.
“I don’t mind my new look,” lied Beelzebub, “and I do have power!”
“The ability to rule over legions of mindless demons is not power,” said Michael. “God loves you. You’ve hurt our Father and the separation you feel cannot be changed. You claim to have power, but you can’t change anything that matters.”
“Yet you’re here following His orders and doing His biding, what kind of power is that?”
“Of course I do as God commands,” replied Michael. “He created me and loves me. I’ll always be grateful for His love and guidance. He knows what is best.”
“I make my own future,” spat Beelzebub, “and create my own destiny!”
“My how similar you sound to Lucifer,” observed Michael. “Will you never learn the lesson of what comes from pride?”
Michael knew that Beelzebub didn’t care and was trying to think of something smart to say, but before he could respond, Seere, yet another of Lucifer’s fallen angels, appeared in the sky riding a winged horse. He soared down to the beach; landing on the sand to Michael’s left. Seere was a powerfully built angel wearing only a pair of sandy brown pants. He had a bow slung over his shoulder and a quiver of arrows strapped to his back. The same black tar that covered Beelzebub was dripping off of the arrow heads. As he dismounted his winged horse, the muscles on his chest and arms bulged beneath his glimmering skin.
“I thought you might like some help Beelzebub,” he bellowed, in a deep rumbling voice.
“The more the merrier,” grinned Beelzebub, hoping to frighten Michael, but the archangel couldn’t be frightened.
Just a few yards from shore, the surface of the ocean suddenly began to bubble in three separate spots. The bubbles grew larger and more turbulent, as though the earth below had broken open and something was surfacing from beneath. After a few seconds, three distinct heads appeared from beneath the foamy water. As they rose from the depths below, Michael recognized each of the fallen angels.
Forneus was the first to emerge. In ancient times, Forneus had enjoyed appearing as a sea monster, killing sailors and destroying ships. His body was covered in green, slimy scales that caused all forms of projectiles to bounce off harmlessly. Forneus held no weapon, but didn’t need one. He had a long tail, like a scorpion with a stinger on the end, and sharp claws that were longer than his fingers.
Kunopegos was the next to surface. Much like Forneus, Kunopegos had also spent his time attacking and sinking ships at sea. His body resembled that of a seahorse as he emerged from the water. When the water had reached Kunopegos’ waist it suddenly began to twirl around violently, creating a small whirlpool. When the twirling finally stopped, Kunopegos had legs where the body of a seahorse had previously been. In his hand he held a long spear made of coral.
The last fallen angel to appear was Vepar, holding a triton gripped tightly in his hand. Vepar had the body of a mermaid, but as he emerged from the water the fins that formed his trunk transformed into legs. His hair was blonde and his skin was aqua marine.
“Seven to one,” sneered Beelzebub, feeling more confident in the odds, “care to surrender?”
“You know better than to ask,” said Michael, the same calm smile on his face. “But if you leave now, I promise not to kill you.”
“Kill us?” repeated Seere before the group broke into thundering laughter. Without delay, Seere withdrew the bow from his shoulder and loaded an arrow. Behind Michael, Rahab and Abaddon withdrew their swords in preparation for battle, their laughter subsiding.
“You may have God on your side,” hissed Beelzebub, “but even He can’t help you against the seven of us!”
“Have you truly become so deceived by Lucifer’s lies,” asked Michael, “that you’ve forgotten the limitless power of the Almighty? One man could destroy a million if it were God’s will.”
“And are you willing to take that chance?” asked Beelzebub. “Hoping that it’s God’s will that you should triumph?”
“I’m merely a servant of the Lord,” replied Michael, “and whatever He commands, shall be so.”
“Then I’m afraid that today He’s commanded your death,” grinned Beelzebub, as he reached for a black sword concealed beneath the tar-like substance.
“God’s will be done,” replied Michael.
All seven of the fallen angels attacked at once, as if on cue. Two swords suddenly sprang from out of the sleeves of Michael’s glowing suit. The swords were ablaze with fire, leaving a trail of flames as Michael swung them to bear on his enemies. He brought the sword in his left hand up, deflecting an arrow shot from Seere’s bow while the sword in his right hand clashed with Beelzebub’s. Using both swords with deadly accuracy, Michael’s hands became a blur of motion. He brought one of the swords up and over his head, deflecting the swords of Rahab and Abaddon without even looking.
The fallen angels were quick, but not quick enough. By the time Forneus, Kunopegos and Vepar had reached the fight, Seere had already unloaded half of the arrows in his quiver. He pulled arrows, loaded them and fired faster than a soldier could unload the magazine of an automatic weapon. Seere’s hands were a blur of motion, as Michael deflected one arrow after another. Although a couple of the arrows made it passed the deadly accuracy of Michael’s sword, they burned up upon coming in contact with his glowing suit. Seere was frustrated and began to fire the arrows faster and faster, hoping that one would strike its target. As Seere continued to fire rapidly, the quiver of arrows replenished itself, providing him with an unlimited supply.
Michael turned his back to Seere, relying on his wings to protect him from the onslaught of arrows, giving his full attention to the other fallen angels, who’d effectively surrounded him on all four sides. The clash of swords, a spear and a triton, echoed along the beach.
Forneus charged towards Michael with his jagged claws outstretched. But before he could dig his claws into the archangel, Michael slashed through the green scales protecting Forneus and saw blood spew from his stomach, he gasped in surprise and recoiled. Shooting Michael an evil, envious stare before returning to the ocean refuge he now called home.
Michael quickly ducked under the spear of Kunopegos and drove a sword into Rahab’s chest. The blaze from the sword engulfed Rahab’s body, as a choked scream escaped from his lips. In the blink of an eye, Rahab disappeared into a fiery explosion. One down, six to go.
Michael glanced up in time to see the tail of Forneus coming straight for him. Bending down on one knee he swung both of his swords together above his head, slicing off the stinger on the tip of the tail a split second before it penetrated his chest. Forneus screamed in pain and withdrew towards the sea, his injured tail tucked between his legs and bleeding black slime. Before Michael could stand, Vepar plunged his triton deep into the archangel’s thigh. Vepar withdrew the triton and was about to strike again when Michael opened his mouth and let out a deafening roar.
The ground shook as Vepar dropped the triton on the sandy beach and covered his ears. Michael took advantage of the moment and blew a gust of wind from his mouth, sending Vepar high into the air. The fallen angel landed in the sea with a large splash about a mile away from the shore. The triton lying on the beach suddenly sank into the ground, disappearing beneath the sand.
Michael turned to face Beelzebub, “Three down, four to go,” he said with a kind smile. “Please just leave? I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Kill him!” ordered Beelzebub, and the remaining four angels attacked in unison.
Kunopegos charged with his spear held low, while Seere continued to fire his arrows at a mind boggling speed. At the same time, Abaddon flanked Michael and attacked with his sword held high. Moving quickly, Michael grabbed the tip of the spear in Kunopegos’s hand and guided the blade into the sand at his feet. With the strength of a dozen men, Michael lifted Kunopegos’s body into the air and flung him over his shoulder. The fallen angel soared through the air, crashing into Seere just as he was about to let go of another arrow.
Abaddon immediately swung his sword down on Michael from behind, clipping the archangel’s wing. Without hesitation Michael deflected the next blow with one of his swords, while plunging the other one deep into Abaddon’s throat. The fallen angel’s eyes widened as Michael twisted the blade, severing Abaddon’s head from his shoulders. Before his head hit the sand Abaddon’s body, head included, de-materialized, and in an instant the fallen angel was gone. Michael turned to face the remaining three.
Kunopegos regained his footing, but instead of charging Michael with his spear, he hurled it through the air like a lightning bolt. The swords in Michael’s hands began to spin in circles like the propellers of a helicopter, spinning so fast that they chopped the spear to bits before it reached its destination. Michael turned to face Beelzebub’s sword, as Kunopegos jumped on him from behind.
Kunopegos clung to Michael’s back, as the archangel and Beelzebub stood fighting toe to toe. Kunopegos had no weapon with which to hurt Michael and was more of a nuisance than anything else. The black sludge from Beelzebub’s body flung about with each swing of the fallen angel’s sword. Whenever the tar-like substance came in contact with the ground it bubbled up, and then like acid sank into the earth. Several of the drops landed on Michael’s arm, only to be burned away by the translucent glow radiating from his suit.
Kunopegos was not so fortunate. A few of the black drops landed on his flesh, burning through to the bone beneath. He screamed and released his grip on Michael’s shoulders. Momentarily caught off guard, Kunopegos was shocked to see that Michael had turned to face him. He was sure that the archangel would plunge one of his fiery swords through him. But instead, Michael grabbed Kunopegos and held him between himself and Seere, using him as a body shield.
Expecting to feel the hot blade from Michael’s sword, Kunopegos was surprised to instead feel the cold steal of a dozen arrows slice into his back. Michael tossed the fallen angel to the side and hurled one of his swords at Seere. Surprised and caught off guard, Seere raised his arm to protect his chest. The sword cut through his large bicep, lodging itself securely in his shoulder. His bow dropped from his hand, as he tried in vain to remove the sword impaled in his shoulder.
Michael turned to face Beelzebub and Kunopegos but Kunopegos was gone. All that remained was a trail of blood leading back into the depths of the sea from which the fallen angel had emerged. The smug smile vanished from Beelzebub’s face, as he realized that he’d lost the battle. Seere, who’d finally managed to remove the sword from his powerful shoulder, crawled onto the back of his winged horse and flew away, but not before casting a glare of hatred towards Michael.
“And then there was one,” said Michael, lifting his sword towards Beelzebub.
“This isn’t over yet!” shouted Beelzebub before disappearing into a puff of dark smoke. All that remained where he’d been standing was a puddle of black sludge.
Michael glanced down at his thigh and watched as the wound healed itself from within. He touched his wing and that too was healed. He looked up at the sky and nodded with a smile, knowing that God had healed him.
“Thank you Lord!” prayed Michael gratefully.
Although he’d won the battle he felt no delight. Killing angels was not something that he enjoyed, but they’d made their decision and forced his hand. They’d have to live with the consequences of their actions.
Remembering his mission, Michael turned around and began scanning the soldiers on the battlefield. After a moment his eyes locked on Jesse Morgan. The Marine was fighting in hand-to-hand combat with one of the hybrid soldiers designed by the Communist Muslim Coalition. In the twinkle of an eye, Michael appeared beside the soldiers. The hybrid lifted Jesse off the ground and began to squeeze. It was only a matter of time before he snapped Jesse’s spine.
Michael looked at the grenades strapped to the hybrids chest and moved one back and forth. Sunlight glinted off the metallic surface and caught Jesse’s attention. Michael could tell by the look in Jesse’s eye that the Marine understood. Now if he could just break free from the hybrids powerful grasp. “His nose is vulnerable,” Michael softly whispered into Jesse’s ear.
The Marine’s eyes widened signifying that the message had been received. Jesse bit down hard on the hybrids nose and blood gushed into his mouth. The hybrid threw Jesse away from him and Michael watched, as the super-soldier exploded into a thousand pieces. Expecting to see relief on Jesse’s face, Michael was surprised to see fear instead. He turned around to see what the Marine was looking at.
Across the beach were a dozen more super-soldiers, marching towards Jesse in tight formation. Jesse had barely been able to survive the encounter with one hybrid, giving Michael doubts about the Marine’s ability to fight off a dozen more. An air-to-ground bomb was launched from an American fighter above giving Michael an idea. He looked up at the missile and guided it straight into the middle of the tightly grouped super-soldiers. The explosion sent sand and severed limbs high into the air, showering Jesse in a cascade of debris. Michael of course was untouched by fragments from the wreckage.
Jesse stood up and looked around the beach, realizing that he was the last American standing. Thousands of enemy troops had flooded onto the beach and were headed in his direction. Michael could almost see the Marine’s brain working, as he weighed his options. “Hide and live to fight another day,” whispered Michael.
Jesse appeared to agree with the angel’s suggestion, because he immediately dove into a nearby foxhole and frantically began to cover himself with sand and bodies of fallen comrades. Michael contributed to the effort by spreading out his wings and covering the hole that Jesse was hiding in. Russian and Chinese soldiers marched passed with their weapons held ready, looking for anyone to shoot. But thanks to the invisible shield provided by Michael’s wings, Jesse couldn’t be seen.
Michael’s work was done, at least for the moment. Before he vanished into the wind, the archangel left a brown, paper wrapped package on the ground by Jesse’s foxhole.
