Perdition

Tick Tock  goes your clock.  Tick Tick Tick  The lives of the people around you are draining away, ever faster.  Tick Tock  This is not the path that fate had etched out for them.  Tick  This is another of their wasted timelines.  Tock  No one is invincible.  Untouchable.  Tick  Not even me.  Tock  Watch your back, my child.  Tick  Because you never know who plans to stab it.  Tock

June 8, 2011 
  
        The midnight toll of a massive clock tower rang out between the shadowed buildings of the city, stirring the night air with a few moments of life before the world settled back down into silence.  Clouds covered the sky above like a thick gray smear of icing across the galaxies, blotting out the sparkling stars and turning the glow of the moon into a milky, pastel imperfection.  The wind swept down the streets in a hushed whisper, pushing a handful of fallen leaves along ahead of it.  Each of the city’s towering buildings was draped in the blue undertones of night, casting an almost surreal aura across the dark and empty shopfronts.  There were no lights currently warming the windows of homes or apartments, no one wandering the sidewalks, and not a single exhaust-spitting vehicle or transportation device of any sort was caught roaming down the street.  Thus, the city sat in humble silence, free of the harsh signs of human life apart from the buildings themselves and appearing to be lost in a peaceful slumber amongst the shadowed countryside that surrounded it on all sides.  No living creature stirred.
        Such uninterrupted serenity should have been soothing; a welcoming embrace that made all the worries of the world retreat into the dark like exorcised demons.  In reality, the placidity was nothing short of abnormal; the silence coming across not as peace but as nature’s desperate attempt to inform the city’s citizens of the encroaching havoc.  Yet, false security had made the land’s inhabitants lethargic and slow to catch on to the first signs of peril.  Unfortunately for them, their disillusioned perception of a world of light and truth was about to be cast into darkness and exposed.
        Instantaneously, the clouds opened up and released a downpour of freezing rain that viciously pelted the empty streets.  Seconds later the belly of the beast was lit up with a bright flash, its thunderclap lost beneath another of the clock tower’s tolls.  As the white-blue light disappeared, the time keeper’s face was cast back into darkness, concealing the hands that were steadily accelerating.  Only momentarily though, for the elements above were already clashing once again, reigniting the world beneath like a sulfur flare.
        An hour had yet to pass but still the storm’s wrath was disrupted by the sound of two steady chimes traveling out through the city; a misguided announcement of a time that, unbeknownst to the mighty clock which watched over its beloved city, was inaccurate.  Indoors, the readings on the electronic faces of watches and radios began rapidly changing, dialing up and down or flashing in random series of numbers over and over again as the mechanisms within them reacted to the disturbance building in the atmosphere outside.  Alarm tones went off and cell phones chirped with reminders that were two months away at the same time that they warned of events that had happened three years ago.  The iron guardian that sat in the tower above the city had begun to cry out in a constant peal, his steady and unending knells bouncing between the buildings in a pathetic proclamation of his approaching demise.
        Any pretense of peace had been shattered and replaced with chaos’ intonation but still not a soul wandered out onto the street to investigate or so much as flicked on a light in their apartment.  It was almost as if everyone had been locked away in preparation for the coming storm, evacuated due to a forewarning of the arrival of two unwelcome guests and the disaster that would follow in their wake.
        As if on cue, a bolt of lightning struck the clock tower, announcing the entrance of the creatures that had brought this insanity down on the city with an explosion of sparks.  A tremendous boom rang out from the bell as the bolt struck a fissure down its side, sending it crashing to the floor.  The face of the clock was completely demolished, splintered beyond recognition with both of its hands falling down towards the ground. Radios, alarm clocks, microwaves, and stove tops which had all begun to misread the time earlier now began to smoke and crackle beneath their protective screens. The circuits were frying themselves as their numbers changed so rapidly that they caught fire and practically exploded, sending shards of glass all over the place.  Even wrist watches, abandoned on bedside tables and in drawers, came to a halt, the gears inside having melted themselves after turning the arms so quickly.  This phenomenon started on the east side of town, proceeding down several streets as it followed the intruders in a twisting path towards Main Street.
        As the dark of night settled back into place between each explosive display, an arsenal of flashing lights appeared on the distant horizon.  The flickering red and blue seemed to be traveling at a rather speedy clip despite the raging storm, closing half the distance from the city to the hillside in only a matter of seconds.  Wailing sirens finally managed to be heard over the wind, marking the steady approach of the caravan as it gave chase.  The blacked out vehicles moved like a pack of wild dogs, running straight over anything that happened to be in their path whether that be underbrush or small animals as they roared their way off-road and over open terrain.
       Illuminated by another fiery streak that darted across the sky, the fugitives in the streets below froze for a moment, hesitating as the leader of the two tried to decide which street to take next.  They were larger than their companion, tall and obviously broad shouldered, even with their body mostly hidden beneath the oddly designed, feathery black shawl that was draped around him.  It was long enough that some of the sleek feathers dragged on the ground as he walked but, as it extended towards the earth, they were less packed and the mud stained Levi jeans that he wore, accompanied with a heavy pair of work boots, could be seen between them.  One of his arms had found a place where it could push past the thick layer of clothing, exposing the black inscriptions that painted his skin from finger tip to shoulder while he held onto his company’s wrist as if to keep from risking an accidental separation.  His neck was tattooed with larger characters that matched the ones on his arm, the size difference making them easier to recognize as being Hebrew in origin.  He had a very strong jawline, nose as straight as an arrow, and high cheekbones beneath warm, olive toned skin.  The hair atop his head was as dark as a raven’s wings, long strands curling up at the nape of his neck and around his temples due to the fact that there had been no recent trims or attempts to tame it.  His eyes were as green as Irish clovers, set beneath sharp eyebrows that were currently raised in mild panic as he stared up at the street signs above him.
        Judging by the soft jawline, prominent cheekbones, and the massive amount of chesnut curls that fell down the back of the smaller figure at his side, it was safe to assume that his companion was a young woman.  The shape of her body was hidden entirely by a similar shawl to the one the male had but her’s was a bright, yellow-gold that almost seemed to glitter beneath each flash of lightening.  Not to mention it wasn’t quite as sleek and sharp looking, its feathers large with softer edges.  The arm that was extended out, hanging loosely in her guide’s grip, looked frail in comparison to the male’s. Then again, nearly everything about her appeared small when she was next to him.  In reality she was close to six feet tall; still, he outmatched her in height by at least half a foot.  A big pair of sunglasses was pushed up onto her nose, hiding her eyes despite the surrounding darkness.  Her jaw, the faint curve of her nose sloping down from a soft brow, full, pale pink lips over light bronze skin and the overall shape of her face made her very attractive, even beneath the shades.  As it was, with them on she looked like a Hollywood celebrity trying to inconspicuously hide her face from the paparazzi.
        Unfortunately, it wasn’t a bunch of lunatics with cameras that were chasing her and if there had once been an alluring light to her features it was long since gone now.  Her lively glow had faded; she was run down and worked to the bone with her curly hair nothing short of a tangled mess that clung to the sides of her face and neck and lay draped over her shoulders like limp, wet strings.  Her face was dirtied with smudged stains of mud and grime, streaks of the filth smeared in an arc across her forehead where she’d brushed hair away. She was breathing heavily through her nose from all of the running, trying to calm her heart rate so that she would be ready when they set off again; which she wished would be never.  Not that she had a choice in that matter.  Nevertheless, it took a trained eye to spot the fatigue in her posture, partly due to the thick shawl of feathers cocooned around her in a warm embrace that concealed most of her secondary movements.  Beneath it, the miniscule slump of her shoulders and the slight hunch of exhaustion in her back were only noticeable if one was to search for them, especially since she had trained herself to always try and keep a proper posture no matter how terrible she was feeling.  It was a tradition of her heritage to hide that kind of thing and she was a strong believer in carrying on her ancestor’s legacies.  To the letter. 
    With a heavy breath, the female turned her eyes down to stare at the asphalt beneath her feet in silence, preferring to trace the cracks in the cement rather than looking at the dark mouths of the alleys that met her glances.  She felt like there were at least several pairs of eyes staring at her from beneath the pathways’ obstructive awnings of shadow, boring holes through her being as their owners lay in wait with front row seats to watch her approaching ruin.
        It came as no surprise that her partner chose one of these taunting alleys as their escape route. He yanked her forward by the wrist while she longed for nothing more than to stand in the middle of the street beneath the merciless downpour, waiting for her fate to fall down upon her with as little bias or concern as the icy raindrops that flooded and washed away the tiny ant hills that had been built in the cracks of the sidewalk.  However, she would not resist her friend; not that there was any sense in attempting that feat anyways.  She felt too drained to lift her own head, let alone run, but he was a great motivator; especially since his tugging was not something that could be ignored or easily escaped from.  This much was obvious as he quite literally dragged her down the street several yards before she managed to get her feet back beneath her.  She didn’t have the strength to fight him, nor the privilege to argue against what she knew must be done in order to carry out the will of destiny.  This was the way it had to happen, so it was time to suck it up and just do whatever it took to fulfill her duties. 
        All of the fear, anger, and whatever depression or self pity that she might have been feeling in regards to her current situation were tucked away in some deep crevice of her being; never to be revealed to anyone, and if possible, not even herself.  Her face was a blank slate and nobody would hear a single complaint escape her lips so long as it was not a necessary evil that simply must be done in order to keep things on the right track.  There wasn’t the slightest hint of a twist in her lips or wrinkle in her brow, and the wide sunglasses perched on her nose only added to the nonchalant appearance she gave off while dashing through the rain.  Some would say that the chestnut-haired girl just didn’t understand the depth and desperate nature of her situation, but anyone that knew the truth would say that maybe… just maybe, she understood it all too well.
        The two renegades tore past the shop fronts and into the alley just as the first vehicle of the caravan jerked its way out of the grass and onto the city’s outermost streets, tires squealing as clumps of dirt and mud were flung about the asphalt.  Sirens screamed, echoing down the streets and causing the girl’s heart to jump in her throat as the sound filled her ears.  The seconds were ticking down now.  It would all be over soon.
        An escape ladder clung to the side of a brick apartment building like an ugly leech, it’s rusty metal twisted like a boneless limb as it hung from the roof top.  The thing looked like it could fall apart at any moment, sending the escapees tumbling through the air to slam into the concrete below, breaking only God knows what against the harsh, unforgiving pavement.  Needless to say, it wasn’t a very appealing escape route but it got them off the streets and closer to the irritated sky, which in that moment split in half with a jagged line of glowing energy; the shriek of tearing metal punctuating the air as another of the city’s buildings was struck.  The girl’s black haired companion pulled her to the ladder insistently before picking her up by the waist and setting her on the rusty steps above him, ensuring that she had a steady foothold before removing his hands.  She clung there, motionless, for a moment; looking down at him through sad eyes, hidden behind tinted plastic, before beginning to scale the paint chipped configuration.  The female moved with a surprising level of agility and speed, hauling herself all the way up the side of the building quickly without having to rest once despite her already tired muscles.  Her ears caught the sound of her guardian following her, his weight making each foot fall cause a resonating clang to pass through the metal abomination; the screws holding it in place against the wall creaking loudly in their death throes.  Pausing at the roof’s edge, the girl squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and then pulled herself up and over.
        As if on cue, the moment she was back on her feet, flood lights burst to life from all sides, zeroed in on her position.  The sudden change in her environment caused momentary blindness and her ears began to pound with the sound of her own heartbeat.  She didn’t scream or shout, or so much as flinch in surprise; standing stoically beneath the burning beacons that made her drenched chestnut curls glow like a halo around her head.  Tilting her chin up indignantly, she stood there, seemingly without a care in the world; as if she was the only one that wanted to be on those rooftops that night.    
        Thanks to the heavy shades placed on her face, her eyes were able to adjust quickly to the change in her surroundings and the lights didn’t burn near as much as they would have; making it possible, if she squinted ever so slightly, to see the silhouettes of the people on the surrounding buildings, stationed at the massive spotlights like sentries.  Each one of them had a shoulder fired weapon trained on her, the red laser sights dotting her feathery clothing with a promised threat.  They all looked nervous, even despite the obvious upper hand that they had on her; crouched behind sandbags that had been strategically placed on the rooftops and staring at her through heavy pieces of eyewear as if she were dangerous.  Her expression remained serene, even as she turned her head, ever so slightly, to peer over her shoulder.  There were people lined across the tops of the buildings across the alleyway behind her as well, completing the circular ambush.  She didn’t know how they knew precisely where to set up their ambush, but it didn’t matter since she’d known it would be here before the day had even begun.    
        Running towards the very people that would destroy her in order to take whatever power she had and keep it for themselves wasn’t a comforting feeling, but it was something that she simply had to do.  Just one of the many necessary evils that she was going to have to go through during her life in order to protect this world. 
    The very world that hated her so much that its inhabitants were now aiming rifles at her chest and ordering her to succumb to their will; when all she’d ever done was give each and every one of them, as individuals, a fighting chance at a happy life. 
    Still, despite the betrayal, she loved this place and everything that lived on it as any decent guardian would.  A mother does not hate her child simply because they make mistakes; nor would she hold a grudge against these people for treating her so poorly just because they didn’t understand her and that made them afraid.  It was in their nature to respond to fear with violence and displays of power, it would be unreasonable of her to retaliate against them for such behavior as this. 
    The fate of her beloved galaxy depended on her to do what was required in order to make each and every piece fall just as it should throughout time.  That is why she was here, giving them what they desired.  That is why she had willingly run straight into this without informing her companion or trying to find any other way.  He would have never agreed if she’d told him and she wasn’t allowed to guide his hand towards or away from the galaxy’s will.  It was fate’s intention that she arrived here this night and it always would be.  Everything was coming together just as it should; there was only one last piece to put into place.  
        “Adnachiel!”    
        Her head turned, instinctively responding to the sound of her name as her personal guardian lurched up onto the rooftop behind her.  Without even glancing around at their ambushers, he strode towards her.  His feathery shawl shifted on his shoulders as he moved to wrap his arms around her, meaning to use himself as a human shield in order to protect her from the people around them.  With a pained sound, she stepped away from him and the red dots that decorated her chest and back followed.  Looking confused, he stepped forward and she once again put distance between them; her face finally twisting with emotion as she retreated slowly towards the edge of the building.    
        The surrounding rooftops came alive with the demanding roars of the figures that were perched atop them, ordering her to stop moving, but she paid them no mind.  Each slow and deliberate step took her further away from her guardian and closer to the front of the apartment building’s roof.  Closer to the drop that led to the cruel, unforgiving concrete of the main street below.  She promptly continued to take unhesitating strides, daring them to take the shot that she knew they wouldn’t.  Not yet at least.  Even so, her ambushers continued to shout; their voices rising in panic as they threatened her with each progressive movement she made, begged her to not force their hand, and then pleaded with her to not take that last step.  Their voices were nothing but an annoyance in the background, like the buzzing of a little bee flying around her head, her focus never shifting away from her friend. 
    His green eyes were squinted, locked on the red dots that painted a picture across her chest before looking down at himself and then at the surrounding people.  Confusion and then fury tainted his features, making him take on the appearance of a cornered dog.  They didn’t care about him, they only wanted the one thing he loved on this Earth and they were here to take it from him.  He turned back to her and she lowered her gaze, happy to have the sunglasses now that they hid her sorrow from sight.  Taking a decisive step up onto the ledge of the roof, she hesitated there before lifting her chin towards him again.  “Brother… Forgive me.”  
        The sound of a weapon going off reached her ears, lips twitching in response while her eyes flicked towards the sound.  She spotted the projectile just before it would have made impact, her eyelashes lowering slightly.  In response, the massive net, that some panicking human had had the audacity to shoot at her, seemingly ceased its forward motion, frozen in time beneath her glowering gaze.  The raindrops ceased to fall, hanging in the air like glistening diamonds under the light of the beacons and one flickering streak of lightening had become a still motion picture of its prior self in the cloudy sky above.  Everything was motionless and silent, even the hearts of the figures on the opposing rooftops had ceased to beat.
        Whether it had been panic or something else that had made the world around her slow to a dead stop, it didn’t matter; the world was so quiet and peaceful now that the urgency of her situation seemed to fade, giving her time to think in the form of a split moment that had been stretched into eternity.  These people, who were so ready to snatch her up and drag her off to some forsaken corner of the world where they could forget about her existence, were they really worth dying for?  Was she really about to sacrifice herself to this group so that they could cut and carve at her until they realized she had no secrets for them to keep?  So that they could then throw her away when she was left as little more than an empty vessel?  Even a mother could only take so much abuse from their child.  Would she be able to bear the burden of the atrocities they were going to force upon her and still be able to come out of it with the same love for this world as she had started with?  For a moment, she had to consider these things; after all, when you were a Keeper every decision in life was always Elysium or Perdition.  She knew that this was her time of trials and tribulations; that these would be the tests that decided whether she fell from glory or shone through the darkness.  Regardless, the idea of backing out was still right there and as tempting as a cool glass of ice tea after spending days burning up in a cruel desert.  How had she been so sure of this fate only seconds ago and now feel so conflicted?  The mind was a funny thing, betraying you with fears that made you disgusted with yourself for so much as thinking of them.  They meant that cowardice had found a safe haven inside of you and had made its home there like a parasite that rotted the soul. 
    Swallowing her doubt and once again accepting that this was how it had to be, she eyed the thick coils of netting and the heavy lead balls that adorned the tail ends of each thick strand of heather rope.  There were about five of them in all, their sole purpose being to entangle with each other after the contraption made contact with its victim, helplessly trapping them in its fancy knotwork.  Glancing over her shoulder at the sheer drop behind her, she cleansed her mind of her fears and inhaled deeply.
        Too soon, time picked up where it had left off and she found herself being knocked off her feet and flung backwards through the air by the heavy net that enveloped her entire body in a constricting embrace.  The lead configurations were very effective in securing the rope’s binds, just as they were designed to do, looping around each other like one necklace chain tangling itself with another.  Before her body had even gone a foot through the air she was disgustingly ensnared; the scratchy binds twining her ankles together and securing her arms to her sides.  Tilting her head back as much as the heather pressing against her would allow, she raised her eyes to the sky while she fell and allowed the rain to beat down on her face.  A faint, melancholy smile crept across her face.  In that moment, falling, she felt more at peace than she had in a long time.  The wind swept through her wet hair, the feathers around her fluttering slightly as she plummeted.  Everything was calm again and she closed her eyes against the stinging wind and smarting strands of chestnut hair, breathing in deeply and savoring the taste of the humid air on her tongue as if it might be her last breath.
        The light from the floodlights that shone down over the edge of the building onto her face was interrupted, broken apart by a large shadow that was suddenly being cast upon her.  She raised her gaze again, smile disappearing as she spotted what had caused the disturbance. 
    Leaping off the roof after her, was her guardian.  His body turning into a straight, aerodynamic line as he tried to fall faster than she was in order to catch up but it was obvious to him that she’d already fallen too far.  Even still, his fingers reached for her, clawing at the air as if they could separate the massive distance that had been placed between them.  A snarl marred his beautiful face and the shawl around his shoulders was ripped away by the wind, shooting out behind him with a sound similar to a parachute opening.
        In the end, it hadn’t been a shawl at all.
        Massive black wings sprouted from the bare-chested male’s back,  fully extending in a flicker of movement and glinting beautifully in the light as if they were opalescent.  From tip to tip, they were, at a minimum, six times longer than he was tall, easily carrying his body through the air.  Feathers fluttered after him, flipping and twirling on peaceful little currents as the wings curled back up by his shoulders, tensing for a moment before thrusting out with all of his might and propelling him forward.  This gave him enough momentum to close most of the distance, the fingers of one hand reaching out and looping through the front of the net.  Pulling himself down through the air, he managed to get his arms under her in an awkward bridal style carry and pulled her close to his chest for protection.  Their descent came to a near abrupt halt, his wings having lurched back out to their full expanse in order to catch an upward air current and stop their fall but it was a little too late. Her guardian straightened his back and put his feet out just in time to have them hit the ground and catch the force of the fall.  It was a jarring impact, even for Adnachiel, and she could see his face twist with pain before his legs gave out from underneath him and he fell to his knees, still holding her to his chest.
    The humans were shouting on the rooftops above, rushing to the ledges with weapons in hand, ready to shoot at anything that hoped to steal their catch. 
    That ‘anything’ being her beloved guardian. 
    His green eyes flickered over his shoulder for a moment before he spread out his beautiful raven wings above them like a protective curtain.  The shots rang out, muzzle flashes appearing from all across the buildings overhead.  Not a single bullet made it past the sleek black feathers which acted as a bullet resistant barrier between the humans and the two renegades below.  Silent, he lowered his charge to the ground and began to pry at the stubborn ropes that had become so helplessly constricted around her.  She watched him for a moment, a deep sadness twisting at her heart and making her body ache from head to toe as she swallowed the painful lump that had formed inside her throat.  “Mícheál…”
    “It’s going to be okay.  I’ll get you out of here.”
    “No, brother.  I am so sorry but you are mistaken.”
    His hands slowed before finally ceasing their desperate tugs against her binds, eyes raising to her face as he tried to register the meaning behind her words.  “But… I don’t understand.  The humans are not meant to get their hands on a —”
    “Mícheál, you know what I am, what I am capable of.  Do you really think that if this was not destined to happen that I would have allowed it to?”  She watched his expression as the truth finally began to dawn on him and the look of utter betrayal that crossed his features crushed her heart.  “This is not the path that fate has etched for you.” she breathed, tears welling up in her eyes from behind the shades that had miraculously managed to stay somewhat on her nose throughout the fall.
    “What will come of you?” he asked, voice hoarse in his throat.  Despite everything, he remained crouched over her protectively; putting his duty as her guardian over his own feelings on the situation at hand.  His eyes glistened above her, tears threatening to leak free no matter how hard he tried to make his face stern and emotionless.  She hadn’t imagined how bad it would hurt, when the time came, to see her loyal companion aching the way he was.
    “Stop.  Do not worry for me, for what fate has planned cannot be changed by my hand nor yours.  To cast your heart into turmoil over such a thing does no one any good.  Put your mind and heart at ease, my friend.  Your time here is not over either.”  To know what would befall her most loyal companion in response to the things that were about to happen nearly broke the girl’s will right then and there, but she held tight to her resolve.  Everything had a purpose and theirs was so much greater than anyone could ever imagine.  With the fate of the galaxies in her hands, it was no time to be selfish.  His hand cupped her cheek, pressing a cord of the scratchy rope against her face lightly and he closed his eyes, tucking his chin against his chest with a pained exhale of breath.
    At that moment, the outline of his wings became illuminated with the beam of head lights and tires squealed to a stop on the asphalt.  Mícheál tensed above her, his lips drawing back from bared teeth as he opened his eyes and turned a glare on the first vehicle that had appeared on the left side of the street.  Another appeared to their right, turning broadside to make it harder to pass, and then two more appeared behind each of the first responders.  Humans launched themselves out of the large SUVs, dressed in black suits and donning dark, protective eyewear with their handguns already drawn.  They positioned themselves behind the open doors of their vehicles, taking a steady aim at the black winged creature that crouched in the street before them.  The fire from above stopped raining down on the male angel’s wings and the sirens were cut short, leaving the city to sit quietly beneath the rumble of the storm and the patter of rain against concrete.
    Mícheál scowled, his wings curling in against his back as he pushed off the ground and stood tall, lifting his chin defiantly at the humans while they stared down their sights at him.  Adnachiel had begun to squirm at his feet, the ropes pressing harder into her as she tried to work her wrists free of their grip.  Her movement only managed to tighten the binds and press more of her weight down on her back, making her flinch and go still once more.  Watching her beloved guardian, she bit hard onto her lower lip and waited for the last ‘worldly’ possession she had left to be cruelly torn from her grasp.
    And so it was at that moment that her raven-winged friend took his first and only step towards the surrounding horde of humans.
    She didn’t even hear the gun go off.  The only thing her mind was capable of registering was the gruesome sight of seeing Mícheál’s chest explode in a shower of blood that spattered her and the pavement around him in a wide arc.  He staggered, a football sized hole decorating his torso, and slowly looked down at himself, scarlet painting his lips and dripping down his chin in a long stream.  One of his hands came up, touching the raw space where tattooed skin had once been before its devastating encounter with the shotgun blast, then his legs turned into jelly beneath him and he collapsed to the ground.
     Adnachiel found there was nothing she wanted to do more than to scream his name out to the Heavens for their Father to hear.  He should know what he’d just allowed to happen and he should care but she knew good and well that Mícheál was just another pawn on his chess board; there with the sole purpose of being sacrificed for a greater cause, a bigger picture, that was all he was good for.  It wasn’t something that made her bitter, she’d grown up her entire life knowing this was the way things were; nevertheless, the unwarranted losses that her brethren experienced in response to each move the Father made stung.  Knowing that He did not feel their pain, she longed to cry for her brother, to call out for him and weep in sorrow, to let him know that he was not alone and his suffering was mutual but no tears came and no sound escaped her.  She had to make Him proud by being strong in this time of crisis.  It was her duty.  Falling apart now would be inappropriate.  Clenching her teeth against the heartache, she turned onto her side, twisting in the ropes and, using the little bit of freedom that her feet had, pushed herself across the ground over to her brother’s side.  He was gasping for breath, his damaged lungs making hissing sounds as the air that he inhaled escaped through the holes in his chest.  Wriggling her elbows and hips as she moved, she managed to get curled up against him, her forehead resting against his ebony hair as she stared into his pained, blood stained face.  “Shhh… It is okay, my brother.  You are going home now.  This was all just a bad dream.”  The light in his eyes was beginning to dim, slowly glassing over but before she could say anything more to comfort her dying friend, she was being yanked away.
    Now the angel found it in herself to scream, straining towards Mícheál with all the strength that she could muster.  Struggling wildly against the hands that had latched onto her arms and knotted themselves in her hair, her heels scraped against the ground as she violently squirmed and fought to get back to his side.  She just wanted to be with him in his last few moments of life, that was all that she asked and he deserved that much from her.  She cried out again and watched in misery as his eyes flickered, searching for her through the disorienting pain.  With a final wail of sorrow, she could do nothing but observe the results of her treachery while two more of her attackers picked his limp body up by the arms, his head hanging lifelessly.  A thick trail of scarlet painted the pavement as they dragged him to one of their vehicles, his blood smearing beneath his feathered wings as if someone had stroked it once with a giant, bristled paintbrush.
    If she really wanted to, she could escape… she could go to his aid and finish him off before the humans could have their way with his weakened body, but that wasn’t how things were supposed to happen.  She had no choice but to give him up now and pray that he didn’t live long enough to experience the cruelty of a human being’s curious nature. 
    Her guts wrenched into knots, heart tightening in her chest as she was dragged harshly down the street.  They released her near the back of one of their vehicles, leaving her to fall flat against the ground with a wince.  The tangles of rope had twisted to the point that her body was forced to contort; her legs were wrapped around each other, back hunched over with one arm pinned behind her, the other glued to her side at a twisted angle.  Her head had to turn and lower towards her chest as the binds pulled down against her neck and dug into her left cheek.  Wriggling in discomfort, it was only a matter of seconds before someone’s shoe was pressing down onto her to keep her still.  The last thing she saw before her world was consumed in black was the face of a petite wristwatch, the Russian symbols inside that proclaimed the brand obscurred by the blur of the tiny metal hands that were rotating at the speed of light.