by J Moon
Gabe looked to his right, “Jose, how about you drive?”
“I don’t know how to drive!” she shouted back.
But the archangel wasted no time in taking his hands off the wheel, and ducking down towards the dash. With a scream, Josephine quickly took the steering wheel.
“Okay let’s see if I can figure this out,” Gabe murmured.
Another roar rumbled from behind them. Nia rolled down the window and looked behind. The ape was now chasing the others in the Humvee. She looked back ahead, “Gabe hurry up its behind the Humvee.”
“Just give me a minute!” He said as he continued to fidget with the dashboard.
Nia looked back out the window. The ape slapped the butt of the Humvee sending it crashing into a tree trunk. “Oh my God!” Nia shouted. With a roar, the ape climbed on top of the Humvee. “Gabe hurry the fuck up!”
“Got it!” Gabe yelled as he popped back up, and took control of the wheel.
Another screen appeared on the dashboard, it was the firing system. Doors parted on the roof of The Ark and out came a massive gun, which Gabe pointed, and began to shoot at the ape.
As the first bullet that landed, the beast lulled over to its left in an angry snarl. It roared, hopped off the Humvee and came charging behind them. Gabe flooded the gas again, as the ape followed behind. He stormed a few yards before he shattered through the gates of the factory lot.
“You need to go ahead, and shoot that missile. “Nia said as she watched in terror, her father’s head still in her lap while she looked behind.
The archangel had both hands gripping the wheel. “I’m trying to get a shot.” He kept firing the gun but the bullets did nothing but made the ape more pissed off.
As he zoomed across the lot, the archangel threw the steering wheel all the way to the right, causing the car to spin around to face the Ape directly. Once Gabe was finally able to find a shot, he pressed fire, the missile soared and detonated dead center of the ape’s head.
“Thank you God!” Josephine shouted.
With his chest heaving, Gabe silenced the engines of The Ark. He turned to Josephine. “You two can go check on the others back there or stay here. Either way I’m going in alone.”
“I’ll come with you.” Nia declared, then she turned to Josephine. “Will you stay with my father?” Josephine nodded.
“No, you can’t. I don’t want you to get hurt. I got you and the staff, the mission is almost over.”
“Well since the mission is over and Legion is dead then I shall be fine right? Besides, I know where the prisoners are.”
Gabe thought for a moment, then said, “Come on.” He got out quickly and ran towards the factory doors. Suddenly the pain from hellfire overcame him, and he crumbled to the ground.
“Gabe!” Nia shouted as she ran over.
“I’m fine.” He kneeled. “I just have to see this through.”
Nia examined the slash wound on his back. “Hellfire, you’ve been poisoned again.”
Major Rhodes came walking into the lot with the others following behind.
Gabe called out to him, “We’re heading in soldier!”
Nia’s sides ached as she ran alongside the archangel, but she was too exhilarated to care. Inside the factory was quiet and it took Nia no time at all. Surprisingly the League cyborgs were nowhere to be found. It didn’t take them long to locate the rest of the hostages who were overjoyed to see them.
Gabe cast his gaze to Major Rhodes, “Make sure you get these people to safety.”
Major Rhodes nodded along as he ushered the men out of the cells.
The archangel looked over to Nia, and noted the intense sadness on her face. He went over and rubbed her shoulder. “Don’t worry your father is going to be fine. It’s over and I’m going to see you both get home safely.”
Nia shook her head. “It’s not him. I mean I am worried about him, but-”
“What is it?” Gabe asked, cutting her off inadvertently.
She turned to him with full hazel eyes. “Rahlo. Did you see him?”
Gabe nodded solemnly, “I saw him.”
Nia buried herself in the archangel’s chest. “He didn’t deserve to die like that.”
“There, there I know. But look,” he said as he looked her into the eyes. “Look at all the people we did manage to save today. Think of how many more would’ve died had Legion won. You did a good job today. A very good job. It’s not over. Come on!” Gabe released her hands and started in the opposite direction.
“Where are you going?” Nia asked.
“We have to make sure the League is down for. We can’t allow them the ability to rebuild again.
“Why don’t we just blow the building when we leave?”
“We can’t because they are a part of a network.”
Nia thought of the room below her cell. “I think I know where their mainframe is, follow me.”
Somehow with luck, she led him below to the group of monitors. “Here it is.”
“Perfect,” Gabe responded as he went to the computers and began typing.
“What are you going to do?”
“I want to see how they’re making these cyborgs and make sure this info never falls into the wrong hands.” He said and then he became still as he felt danger come near.
Low, rumbling laughter filled the room, and then a deep sigh echoed that conjured chills in their bellies.
“Hello, old sport.”
Chapter Forty-Six
Every hair on the archangel’s body stood up as Legion’s voice flooded the room with terror. He spun all around looking for the demon.
Over in the far corner of the room, a slain striker cyborg twitched as the demonic spirits that made Legion entered its shell. It sat up, eyes red and full of purpose, and rose out of its tomb.
“Gabriel, your time has come,” Legion said as he rounded the corner. “You didn’t think you could get rid of us so easily did you?” He said with a sinister slur. Red eyes illuminated all around the archangel and Nia, Legion was bringing the League back online.
Gabe huffed. “Really, what do you want? This is all madness even for a son of chaos.”
“The League will bring order to the chaos,” Legion started. “Soon they will be no chaos, and no war between angels and demons that will destroy us all. Can’t you see archangel? This is what’s best for your precious mortals. They fight, they destroy, the kill in the honor of their beliefs. They are worse than us and will lead to the doom of this planet. But if upgraded and integrated into the League, they will know order, they will know purpose, and they will never know pain. I’ve seen it in your eyes archangel. You have felt rage and sadness. Won’t you allow them the mercy to deliver them from this?”
“Yes, I have felt those things,” Gabe spat back. “But I’ve also seen love, joy, and compassion from them. If you take away their humanity then you also destroy dreams, imagination, kindness, and everything mankind is capable of. I won’t let you do it!”
“You have no choice in the matter!” Legion growled.
Without warning a metal hand seized Nia by her ankle and yanked. A bolt of pain shot up her leg, she glanced down and saw it was a grunt. “Gabe!” she shouted.
Several grunts stormed into the room, and blocked the exits. Nia searched for Gabe, but he was already leaping, Lucy in his hand. Before he could strike Legion, he too was snatched and held, Lucy falling at his side.
The demon had one hand behind his back. It was the final trick up his sleeve, and his last resort if all else fails. Legion retrieved his right hand to pull out pure hellfire. He whirled his hands infusing it with his own demonic spirits, making the fire grow bigger. “If I go back down to the pits of hell. The last thing I do is to make sure you never walk this plane again, archangel.”
Gabriel stood in disbelief, as he watched his death grow before his eyes. As he laid trapped in the arms of the League, apart of him wondered what was waiting for him on the other side. With a smile on his face, Leg
ion drew back the ball of fire and launched. Gabe closed his eyes, almost expecting the heat of the fire, and hoping death would come soon and quick.
Out of nowhere he and the grunts that held him were knocked down to the floor.
Gabriel opened his eyes to see Uriel. She stood before him chest heaving, smoke wafting from her right, she fell limp into his hands. She had pushed him out of the way and saved him. Uriel laid in the crook of Gabe’s arm and looked up at him, touching his face.
“You came back. Why?” Gabe asked with Uriel clutched into his hands, holding her last breath.
“He came to me,” she whispered.
Gabe pulled her closer. “He came to you? Who?”
“Our father,” she answered. The smile widened on her face. “The Creator spoke to me. He is still out there. He hasn’t abandoned us.”
Gabe looked at her like she was mad. “He told me to save you….because you are the one. He selected you out of all of his children.” She looked down, and held a shuddering breath. Uriel reached into her pocket, grabbed something and placed it into Gabe’s hands. “Take it.”
Gabe looked down at what she held in her hands. His eyes grew large at the smooth black stone with angelic script etched in gold on it. “The black rune. No.”
“Take it and Get out! Get out while you still can. It’s coming.”
“What’s coming?” Gabe asked and to his horror Uriel’s eyes glazed over. He shook her, “Uriel tell me what’s coming?” He said with his voice full of panic, and disbelief. Again he called her name, and shook her body to no response.
Right in his arms, she disintegrated into ash. The silence that followed was gut-wrenchingly terrible, as he watched Uriel’s remains blow away. Paralyzed, for a moment he could only stare and gape.
The archangel scoured Legion whose lips curled into a wolfish grin, and a burning rage came over him. The emotion was consuming, fiery, and wrong but somehow it fueled him. He extended his right arm to his side, and his gleaming blade filled his fist.
Gabe was on his feet in a snap, as a renewed fury rolled through him. A war cry filled his chest and he released it like sudden thunder. On both sides, the grunts rose to attack him, but in a blur of motion, he spun and took both heads clean off their sockets. He turned towards the striker holding Nia, and skewered its helmet with Lucy.
His eyes glowed silver while his blade arm trembled with the unspent desire to take off Legion’s wicked head. Gabe leapt over the rail to attack the demon. Legion sent pulses of blades from his palm, but the archangel dodged each blade.
Gabe spun and slammed his fist into Legion’s ribcage, instantly shattering it. The demon reeled from the blow, his sword flailing uselessly into the air as the archangel drove at him, gripping him by the neck. With a loud resounding yell, Gabe jabbed his sword up Legion’s gut. The demon stumbled backward. Gabe kicked him to the ground. Again he brought his sword down hard.
Legion threw back his head as he laughed. “You think this is over?”
Gabe stood over the demon silent.
Sparks flew out all over Legion’s armor as he cackled. “We cannot be stopped, for we are many. We are an infinite hive. Go ahead and destroy this shell. We will just find another host. The next time we will be stronger.”
As Legion spoke, remnants of the League began to enclose them. Nia looked over to see grunts, strikers, and enforcers rise from their tombs.
Gabe’s eyes glittered with fury.
“We need to put them down for good,” Nia said.
Then it came to Gabe. Something Nia said earlier. Suddenly Gabe smacked his cheek. “Oh of course! I should’ve done this from the start!”
It seemed that several thoughts struck him at once. The strongest being that quiet moment on the battlefield earlier. That moment that he got to saw for himself that these men were still there in those cold cyber bodies. Then he thought quite surely he needed to release them, that hidden part of their brains was still active, but it had to be hidden behind some firewall or intelligent code that kept them in line with the rest of the League. If he could break that code, and give back control to one cyborg, then it pass on to the rest.
Nia didn’t follow his train of thought, “What is it Gabe?”
A smile swept across his face as he dashed to the mainframe console. “Ms. Carter, you are a very sharp girl indeed.”
Nia followed behind him, still at a loss, “What?”
“Something you said earlier.” He spoke as he took out his smartwatch and began programming like crazy. “The League is a hive mind. A network. What can bring down a network?”
“A virus!” they said together in unison.
Nia shook him, “But can you do that?”
Gabe nodded, “Oh, yes honey. We can do anything as long we put our minds to it, now come on.” Gabe dashed over to the control panel, and typed with fury to access the control settings of the League’s network. “I’m creating this virus with a smartwatch and I’m going to upload it to the League’s mainframe. From I can see there is a code programed into each cyborg that acts as an emotional inhibitor and is keeping the conscience of the victims from being active.”
“No!” Legion shouted from the floor. “My League attack!” He ordered, and suddenly glass began to shatter as more the cyborgs tried desperately to free themselves and stop their extinction.
Nia looked around as grunts entered the room, and marched towards them. “Gabe hurry it up bruh.”
Gabe scanned the monitor with his smartwatch. Then he began typing to encode the virus on the mainframe. When he was done, he turned to Nia. “Let’s hope this works,” Gabe said, shooting Nia a purposeful look.
“Do it!” Nia commanded.
Gabe pressed enter and all of the cyborgs stopped in their tracks, hands fell limply to sides, and their heads lolled forward.
“Where am I? What is this?” a grunt cried out in the corner.
Suddenly several others echoed the same sentiments. The shock of waking up in bodies made of metal and army, swept through the room and the entire League network. This incredible shock short circuited all of the cyborgs and one by one, they exploded around the factory.
As the cyborgs disintegrated into ash there was another bursting flash of light in the sky. Josephine and the others got out of the cars and shielded their eyes as they looked up.
Slowly the dark fabric of night began to sew itself back together. Then the sky filled with a bright blinding light, and they saw them, the angels sitting on magnificent steeds. Some looked human while others had many changing faces. Some were small orbs of light. Together the Heavenly host descended to repair the damage done to Harlem.
One by one from the ashes of slain cyborgs, rose trapped souls who floated into the air, and ascended into heaven. Amidst the blur from all of the swirling spirits, one walked towards them.
Nia gasped,“Rahlo.”
“Nia,” he said with a smile.
Nia broke into tears. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you.”
“It’s okay. For some strange reason I know it had to be this way.” He said with his brown eyes beaming with joy. “At least I won’t have to worry about going hungry ever again.”
Nia chuckled. Gabe rubbed her shoulder and pulled her closer.
“Rahlo,” a sweet voice called from the distance.
Rahlo turned his shoulder. “Ma?”
“Come home Rahlo.”
Rahlo faced them. “ Well, I have to go now. Nia and Gabe it was nice meeting you.”
“It was nice meeting you too, Rahlo.” Gabe said. “Go now young king, go rest in peace, and struggle no more.”
Nia sobbed again as Rahlo floated away. Gabe wrapped her in his arms. For a moment, there was a beautiful silence. Gabe looked around the room as if he expected another cyborg to lunge out at them from the shadows, but there was nothing, only he and Nia.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Nia was emotionally shattered, and completely exhausted as they walked outside with the
freed men, yet a sense of relief washed over her as she watched the blinding lights left behind by the Heavenly host fade away.
Together they had done it.
She helped the archangel save the world and more importantly, somehow she saved herself. Nothing will be the same.
For so long since her mother’s death, she couldn’t see her life outside of Brooklyn, J&K, and the same ole same ole. She looks over to the archangel who was by her side, shoulders relaxed, all nonchalant, but so proud.
Gabe wrapped his arm around her, “Aww what did I say, Ms. Carter? You truly are sharp as a tack. You are awesome, beautiful and brilliant. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”
Nia beamed over to the archangel, “I doubt it.”
Gabe chuckled. “No, really.” He acknowledged she was much better at this human touchy feely stuff than him. More importantly right now, she could lie far more convincingly. The archangel looked at the girl. “But true, and honest I had to take the risk, Nia. Once I might’ve done it with less conscience.”
But Gabe was serious. He took her hands in his. “Meeting you has made me better.” Gabriel’s smile faded and, just for a moment, he looked incredibly sad.
And just like that Nia realized her adventure was coming to an end. “Gabe you’ve opened my eyes so much. I realize now that there is a whole world out there waiting for me. I have a lot to give.”
“Ah, don’t give em too much hell,” he murmured.
Together they laughed as they walked towards The Ark with everyone waiting for them. Nia spotted her father, who surprisingly was on his feet. Just as she ran over to him, she froze in mid-step along with all the others.
Gabe looked around to see what was going on, then he looked up to the sky to see silver stallions thundering down from the sky which parted like water, their wings razor sharp at each feathered edge, nostrils snorting blue-white fire, gleaming hooves treading the air like water. Silver Audis filled the lot and angels dressed in grey suits hopped out, all slamming the door at the same time.