Espial

by Nikita Francois

  “Let’s head back into the lobby. Sato’s army should be here within a few minutes. We can leave the ATS on,” recommended Div.

  “Why?” I asked, unsure that was a good idea.

  “In the event we’re not on the winning side of the fight, those left can have a chance of survival if they make into here. Los Angeles has orders to shut the system down if no one has come through by sunset.”

  “Alright,” I replied. “Let’s go.”

  We made our way up through the tunnel, with Luke holding onto Sacra. Back in the lobby, we found Rider, the ATS military, and the samurai angels facing the main door. The red orbs hovered just above our heads. Glinda waved her hand at the elevators and all but one fully came back down, sealing the tunnel entries shut. The last one slowly descended, leaving a small space through which one could slide through. “Just in case,” she winked.

  “Quiet,” said Rider.

  We stood motionless and looked at the main door. After a few seconds, we could here distant sounds from behind it. Growling and gnawing were heard, along with rocks being moved.

  “They’re in the main passageways,” said Rider, pulling out his sword. To my right, Glinda pulled out eight knives from her bosom, each blade resting in the webbing between her fingers. The handles of the blades were covered in pink jewels, lined up along her fingertips. Her dark eyes slowly turned hot pink. Sacra unsheathed her sword, her blue aura brightening. The tips of her short, spiky hair glinted and turned dark blue. Div removed the belt holding her sword, tossing it onto the floor, causing it to slide and rest near the remaining tunnel opening. From her back, she pulled out two pairs of sais, passing the gold pair I had practiced with to me. As I reached for them, her finger nails grew several inches and turned emerald green before my eyes. The defense room door opened and angels quietly filed out, making their way through the tunnel Glinda had left open. Ace appeared and stood alongside Rider. He was holding a red bow, however I could not see any arrows. His crimson wings turned maroon as he lifted his bow and took aim towards the door, pulling the string back.

  We could now hear the demons immediately outside of the ARC’s main door. Loud bangs rang out as they pounded against it. Everything was shaking. Luke followed the defense department angels into the tunnel, giving me a long look before he jumped down. I saw Alex walk up towards Rider, his brown wings shimmering. From his pants pockets he removed several white-feathered darts. He turned to give me a comforting smile. I noticed that his eyes were now silver. General Matthews flapped his wings three times slowly. His army then took battle stances. Some held spears, others axes and swords. Two colossal battle axes appeared in Matthews’ hands, silver and shaped like wings. He spun them around several times and rested them with a loud clank onto the ground. His entire army gave off a soft white glow as their auras dimmed to prepare for battle.

  “Ace,” spoke Rider calmly. “On my command, trigger the door panel. Everyone get ready.”

  Ace pointed his bow toward the panel next to the ARC door. I wondered why he wasn’t getting any arrows ready. My breath hastened as the demons’ pounding sent a massive crack down the center of the door.

  “Steady,” warned Rider.

  The pounding continued and several more cracks appeared. They would invade at any moment.

  “Steady...”

  One final pound was heard and another massive crack was made in the door.

  “Ace NOW!” shouted Rider.

  Ace released the string of his bow. Midflight, I could see a red arrow magically appear and hit the panel next to the door. The door blasted apart, smoke and gravel pouring in. It was only a few moments after the dust settled that the robotic demons came flooding in.

  CHAPTER 19

  General Matthews took flight swinging his battle axes, demolishing the first line of attacks pouring through. The first five rows of his army took flight as well, fifty winged soldiers heading straight to the doorway and impaling the demons attempting to fly through. These demons were light gray in color and bald, with shiny metallic wings. Rider stuck his arm out, motioning for us to stay put. Screams of agony filled the lobby as demons were struck or impaled. They were a small group and it didn’t take long for Matthews and his first lines of defense to destroy them all. Moans and screeches pierced the air as some of them lay wounded, dying slowly on the ground. Suddenly, another onslaught of attacks burst through the entryway, this time by larger non-robotic demons. Their wings matched the girth of those in our army. They were all dark gray and had menacingly long yellow talons. They possessed human-like faces, yet had beaks for noses. They swooped in and began plucking up soldiers who tried their best to fight them off, yet could not release themselves from the demons’ grips. The demons flew them high to the ceiling and began dismembering them. I felt my stomach churn as I watched them begin to laugh and lick the blood dripping from the soldiers’ body parts, while others threw spears that impaled the soldiers against the wall or floor. No additional demons were entering the room, yet it was clear that the soldiers would not be able to last much longer.

  Matthews’ final five lines of defense took flight and began fighting them off. These soldiers were slightly more powerful than the first, relaying significantly more damage on the demons they were attacking. As they battled above us, ten four-legged winged beasts strode through the doorway. Growling and snapping, their teeth were so large, they could not fully close their mouths. They resembled images I had seen of tigers in size and shape, yet had slick black bodies and black featherless wings. They flew up and circled us. The skeletal angels all smiled mischievously at one another, and then flew up to attack these new beasts. Whimpers and screams flooded the hall as beasts fell to the ground, fatally wounded by the skeletal angels. Our angels were merciless. Some of the beasts that fell to the ground were still able to stand. Our skeletal samurai angels jumped onto their backs, riding them around the room cackling until they reached down and decapitated them. Some twisted their necks while others ripped apart their jawbones. We watched as the soldiers and skeletal angels continued to battle all around us.

  I immediately began to feel strange. Something was off. I looked up in time to see Sato’s two advisors walk through the doorway. The redheads’ hairs were on fire and their eyes shone bright red. In black pant suits, their wings opened up behind them, red and hairless. They had no fingers; red talons replaced them. Where lips should be were holes, filled with thin pointed teeth.

  “Where is Soleil Arch?” they hissed in unison, voices echoing throughout the lobby. As they said this, four large robotic demons, crawling on their hands and knees, entered behind them. I recognized one of them to be Levi Boz. Rider stepped forward, brandishing his sword.

  “You are not welcome here, Wrath and Fury,” he declared.

  The redheads tilted their heads back and laughed.

  “Bold to call us by name,” they taunted. They then took flight towards us. Rider lifted up and swung at the one on the right. She caught his sword with her left talons and pulled him close to her. Opening her hole wide to take a bite, Rider yanked his sword back, cutting off three of her talons. She screeched and dove down toward Wrath. She waved her hand and the talons began regenerating. Glinda stepped forward and swiftly began dislodging her knives from her right hand. She did so with skill and precision as she flew toward the four larger demons, striking all of them in the chest. The demons reared back and flew towards her. She kept flying towards them, removing more blades from her bosom. She met them head on and stabbed them each with unmatched speed. The demons fell to the ground and began removing the blades. Wrath flew toward her. Glinda spun around in the air and dove back down towards us, Wrath pursuing her closely. In the middle of the air, I saw six of Ace’s invisible arrows appear, chasing Wrath from behind. She stopped midflight, turned and snatched the arrows from the air right before they struck. Glinda landed in front of me, while Ace took off with Rider in pursuit of Wrath.

  Sacra left my side, making her way towards Fury
, who had finished regenerating her talons. Div and Glinda were the only ones who stood at my side. Sacra swung both her sword and its scabbard as she and Fury began dueling, with Fury using her talons. The four demonic robots took flight simultaneously and came in my direction. Alex came out of nowhere, dispensing his white darts into their faces. He caught one of them in its eye. That one fell to the ground, howling in pain and clutching its face. Alex continued shooting the darts from his hands at the demons, who tried using their wings to deflect them. Ace’s arrows soon appeared as well and the both of them focused their attacks on the demons, following them around the room. I turned and saw Rider fighting Wrath alone. She was whipping her flaming hair in an attempt to strangle him. He avoided each of her attempts, finally catching her hair with his sword, chopping it in half. She screamed and lunged towards him with her talons. He flew around the lobby, making his way towards Sacra and Fury. He landed softly next to Sacra, who looked at him and nodded.

  Rider and Sacra stood back to back, weapons drawn. Wrath and Fury circled them, cackling. All the while, soldiers and skeletal angels continued fighting around us. Wrath suddenly stopped moving. Fury walked over and stood facing her. The flames shooting from their hair met and fused together. Light surrounded them and they began taking steps closer toward each other. When I thought they couldn’t step any further, Fury took on more step, this time into Wrath’s body. A single flame devoured them momentarily, and then dissipated. Standing in their place was one large woman with red hair. Twenty feet tall and broad, she looked exactly like a larger version of the redheads. She bent her head back and released a column of flames from her mouth. The fire struck the ceiling, setting it ablaze. She then looked down at Sacra and Rider. Rider spread his wings to take off in the opposite direction. Sacra turned to do the same, yet the demon woman reached down and picked her up by her talons. Sacra gave a blood-curdling scream as the talons pierced through her limbs and parts of her wings.

  “Sacra nooooo!” I screamed, stepping forward.

  Div held me back. “Stay here!” she commanded and took flight. Glinda lifted off in a flash, right behind her. Rider changed directions and followed the demon woman, who was now swiftly scaling one of the elevator shafts. Sacra continued crying and screaming in pain. I looked around to find Alex. He and Ace were still battling two remaining robotic demons. I took a deep breath. I used the strongest wing strength I could muster and catapulted myself upward. I flew up and followed the demon holding Sacra. It had already burst through elevator shaft. With dread, I knew exactly where it was headed. I flew through the hole it made in the shaft and found myself in the rooftop café. Glinda was flying circles around the demon, dispensing blade after blade from her fingers. Rider was fighting her from the front, while Div tried attacking her from behind. The demon was extraordinarily fast. It blocked each of Rider’s attacks, and then blocked Div’s. All of Glinda’s knives were knocked to the ground by the demons wings. I spotted Sacra curled up on the ground by one of the rectangular tables, trembling and moaning. I ran over to her and knelt at her side.

  “Hold on Sacra,” I said, patting her head. “We’ll get you out of here.”

  She opened her eyes briefly to look at me and gave a slight nod. She then closed them and whimpered. Her breathing was severely labored and her arms and legs had gaping holes from where the demon had clutched her. Her blue wings were crumpled and dripping with blood, forming a pool beneath her. Her aura was a faint light blue, her spiky hair now a dull gray color. I pulled the cloth off of the nearby table and covered her gently. I turned in time to see the demon whack both Div and Glinda with its wings, sending both flying to the opposite side of the café. Both landed with a thud onto the ground.

  I flew up and joined Rider, sais in my hands. Just as I tried to impale her back, she turned with her mouth open wide to take a bite out of me. I stopped midflight and doubled back. I dove down between its legs as it inhaled and spewed a string of fire after me. The fire engulfed the entire café, causing the café’s glass enclosure to shatter. I glanced over at Sacra, whose aura was diminishing. Rider swung his sword at the demon’s right ankle. It stumbled while screeching at him, a black liquid oozing out from the wound. While it stumbled, I flew behind it and gave its wings several slashes and stabs with my sais. It howled louder, turning to catch me. In doing so, one of its wings knocked me out of the air, causing me to crash to the ground. It reached down toward Rider, who quickly flew away from its claws. Rider flew toward me, as smoke from the fire began clouding my eyesight. Glinda and Div came over as well. The demon stumbled near Sacra. Noticing her, it bent down and picked her up. I shot up, flying towards it to pull Sacra out of its grasp when it knocked me with its wings, again sending me to the ground. Div and Glinda helped me get my bearing when I looked up and saw the most horrific sight I had ever witnessed. The demon tilted its head back, holding Sacra over its mouth with both hands. It then squeezed her body, causing her blood to squirt out into its mouth. Sacra gave one final shriek and then fell silent. The demon continued squeezing her and we could hear Sacra’s bones breaking. It laughed as blood poured into its mouth. The demon then plucked a feather from Sacra’s wings. It tossed her body to the side of the café, where it caught fire. Sacra’s sword was flung into the air and landed next to us. Glinda quickly grabbed it. The demon then began picking its teeth with the feather, looking at us while still laughing.

  “The demon is too strong in its larger state. We must leave NOW!” shouted Rider, pulling me towards the entry.

  “But Sacra…” I started, as we ran.

  “Unfortunately, is gone. There’s nothing we can do,” said Rider solemnly.

  Glinda cried silently on my right while Div guided me on my left as we flew hastily to the elevator shaft. We all dove down, landing back in the lobby. The building shook violently, followed by a loud cry. The demon dove down the shaft, breathing fire the entire way. The entire lobby was now engulfed in flames. Alex and Ace were fighting one final robotic demon, Levi Boz. The skeletal angels battled alongside the soldiers who remained.

  “To the ATS!” shouted Rider as he headed toward the tunnel that Glinda had left unsealed.

  Alex and Ace flew over, leaving Levi and diving down into the tunnel. General Matthews pointed his battle axes towards the destroyed elevator shaft. His soldiers disappeared in the middle of their fights. I could tell by a light breeze passing across my face that they were flying up to the rooftop. He followed them up as well.

  “Go!” commanded Div, pushing me and Glinda closer toward the tunnel entry. Tears still running down her face, Glinda dove below. The female demon had made its way to the center of the lobby, swaying its head side to side as it blew more fire throughout the hall. Rider’s head popped up above the tunnel entry.

  “Hurry!” he said. I slid through, yet moved to the side for Div to dive down first. She grabbed her sword that lay by the entryway and dove straight down. I hovered next to Rider inside the shaft.

  “Dissapatae!” yelled Rider.

  The red orbs that floated in the room began to glow brightly. Then one by one, they began to explode. Hundreds of blasts filled the lobby as it began to collapse on itself. The female demon screamed and began crawling through the ARC’s main doorway. The skeletal samurais disappeared into thin air. Rider pushed me down and waved his hand for the elevator to fully descend, sealing the tunnel. We dove toward the bunkers as the explosions continued above us. We ran to the ATS room and Rider sealed the wobbling wall behind us. We all stood in silence as we listened to the ARC crumble. Rider joined Div, who stood at the hologram desk, preparing the room for detonation after we transported to Los Angeles. Looking closer, I could see tears falling silently down Div’s face. Glinda sat on the floor near the large pod, quietly crying into her hair. Alex and Ace removed all papers from the desk’s drawers and began tucking them into their pockets. Without a word, I walked over and sat next to Glinda. I placed my arm around her and she leaned into me, still sobbing into her hai
r.

  “Everyone into the large pod,” said Rider almost inaudibly.

  We all slowly rose and stood in the pod, except for Div. Once we were all in, she initiated the countdown sequence and flew over to stand with us. Still holding Glinda, I took one final look at the ATS. I had spent only a few days in the ARC, yet it had already begun to feel like home. Sacra. Tears began to trickle down my face.

  “Three. Two. One.” We all illuminated and in an instant vanished from the ARC for good.

  CHAPTER 20

  Everyone sat quietly for dinner. Glinda had collapsed onto the floor upon arriving in Los Angeles, so she was resting in the room we shared. Rider was off briefing Stella, head of L.A.’s defense department. Alex and Div sat next to me, and Ace sat across from us next to my mother and Celeste. As delicious as the food looked and smelled, no one seemed to have much of an appetite. I pushed my food around the plate, taking only three bites. Div just sat and stared at hers. Ace and Alex chewed quietly. Alex did not make eye contact with anyone.

  “I’m so sorry about Sacra,” said my mother, breaking the silence.

  Div stood abruptly, knocking the table. She left for her private room.

  “I’m sorry,” said my mother, looking down and shaking her head.

  “No one knew her better than Div and Glinda,” I said. “The three of them were practically sisters.”

  “I wish there was something we could have done!” blurted Ace, slamming his fist onto the table, his aura darkening. “This didn’t have to happen!” He stood and left as well.

  Alex reached over and rubbed my arm. “We all did the best we could.”

  “Did we?” I asked, tears forming. “I stood there half the time, not knowing what to do.”