CounterPoint

by Daniel Rafferty

  Ariel was having great difficulty processing what he was actually seeing. This human had just taken the Behemoth head on, and was now in the process of controlling it. Whilst he wanted to stop her, to understand what she was doing he also knew she was helping the situation. He didn’t want to see this beast set lose for another second, and Mary Bassett was helping him in that aim. Too many humans had already died this night. He had no idea what was happening here and he still couldn’t move. Trying to signal the other angels in the contingent, he could spot they could also not move even though they were in mid-flight. He had caught a glimpse of the thousands of people now along the riverside watching. The true scale of what was happening here had not even crossed Ariel’s mind. They would have to consider some kind of mass purge of memory to ensure humankind did not recollect these events. He watched as Mary stopped still.

  Mary had never been more focused in her life. Every fibre of her being knew this creature could not be allowed to live. She didn’t blame it though. It was only acting on instinct, the same as any animal. She blamed those who created it, those who released it. Clenching her small wrinkled fists as tightly as she could, Mary closed her eyes and concentrated harder than ever before. She began thinking about killing the creature. She thought of a fire starting inside it, of its organ’s compacting together and then exploding out. She slowly opened her eyes to see it immersed in pain. Its eyes now staring into hers, and for that one moment she experienced genuine pity for what it was enduring. A connection was made; she understood it was only doing what it was told. It was like the rest of us, caught up between colossal self-righteous forces intent on rearranging this world for their own benefit. Pushing on, she squeezed her fists tighter as jets of white light ripped through the creature’s skin from deep within. Its cries of immense pain wounded Mary more emotionally than she thought but she soldiered on. A dozen of these thick, sharp jets of light had now ripped through and without notice the creature let out its last roar of thunder before exploding from the inside out. A white glint appeared before Mary shielding her from the debris of the fallen creature. The resulting bang shook all the buildings for miles. Further explosions as a result could be seen and heard in all directions. Plumes of red and white punctured up into the air, intensified by the ground shaking death of the Behemoth. Whatever glass was left in the already war torn city shattered like ice, through the air in every direction from buildings both big and small. There was a deadly silence before an eruption of cheers filled the air. Those brave enough to watch the deadly spectacle unfold had joy overtake them momentarily.

  “Madame,” said Ariel. Whatever holding him to the spot had now dissipated, “you will need to provide us with your family’s location and come with us,” he said, walking up to Mary. She looked visibly drained, her hair a seemingly more intense shade of white than before.

  “Goodbye Ariel,” said Mary, before vanishing before Ariel just as she had appeared.

  “Damn it!” shouted Ariel.

  “I see this is no longer needed,” said Lana, who had just appeared. She poured the oil out onto the smouldering ground. London resembled something out of an apocalyptic horror film.

  “Lana,” said Ariel, through barely concealed gritted teeth, “how the Hell was she able to do that, what is going on? She isn’t a human.”

  “She is Ariel,” said Pravuil, emerging from a cloud of smoke. “That’s what makes this all the more unusual. We have a human, and possibly a family, with the abilities only rewarded to extremely powerful entities of creation such as archangels.”

  “I think that’s being conservative, sir; even an archangel would have a great deal of difficulty defeating such a beast. It would take Michael all his might to even try!” added Lana.

  They stood in a circle under the ruins of London, the bright red smoky sky, sirens and explosions around them. A single large tree stood beside them slowly burning. It was oddly illustrative, dying a slow death.

  Pravuil simply nodded in agreement.

  “I need to consult further sources. I shall be back. Ariel,” he turned to the highly agitated looking angel. “Heaven wants the Bassett family, but as they’ve proven today, not only are they useful but they are also on the side of humanity as you seem to be. Unfortunately I just don’t know who else is now. I am aware of your doubts regarding Michael and others within the hierarchy. Be under no doubt when I say your doubts are warranted. For their own safety, we need to secure the Bassett family from angels and demons until I can fully ascertain what is going on. Here is their location. Don’t worry any longer about this fire. The damage is done. Heaven has already dispatched the appropriate specialists to extinguish it. You are needed elsewhere. Get to it.”

  Pravuil handed Ariel a small credit card sized piece of red parchment. He instructed Ariel to contact him once they had them in a secure location. Lana agreed to go back to work as to not arouse suspicion of her repeated absence. Lana and Pravuil both left, leaving Ariel and Amber to decide upon the logistics and tactics of their next move.

  Chapter 17

  “Mummy!” shouted Catherine, launching forward putting her arms around Mary who had appeared, as promised, in the front passenger seat once more.

  “I’m okay, dear,” replied Mary, holding Catherine’s hand for support.

  “What happened, Gran?” said David, who could tell she was totally drained, mentally and physically. He had never seen her eyes look so tired.

  She flashed him a genuine smile. “Let’s just say I was involved in a little pest control. I’ll definitely be sending them the bill,” she replied, but couldn’t put the effort into making it a joke.

  “What do you mean, Gran...?” Claire was cut off as white flashes surrounded the jeep in the darkness of night. They could now make out about six men in suits. One particularly large man stood directly in front of the car bonnet. He was bald with a serious, almost menacing look on his face. Every piece of his clothing was black, like an executioner. Clicking his fingers, all the glass in the car vanished: the windscreen, windows, everything.

  “Just to make it easier for us to communicate,” said Uriel sarcastically. This was the high ranking General of Heaven and one of Michael’s most malicious employees.

  “Can I help you son?” said Mary in a stern, deep voice. She knew she couldn’t fend off this many after what she had just managed with the Behemoth.

  “We’re here to escort your family to a secure location. I would recommend you do not try and resist as such a futile move will end very badly for all of you. I should also point out that I am not bound by the same regulations as my colleague Ariel and will do whatever is needed. Either way, you are coming with us. I’d hate to have to remove one or multiple limbs to persuade you of this, so let’s just keep it simple,” said Uriel. He definitely spoke like a military general, short and terse. Signalling his troops, they each placed a hand on the jeep and it vanished. Uriel stood there alone for a moment, surveying the vicinity, just to make sure they were not being watched. It all seemed fine. That was easy enough, why Ariel had such difficulty with them he will never know.

  “What now?” said Amber, hovering high above with Ariel as they watched the jeep vanish in angelic fashion just as they arrived.

  Ariel said nothing; he just continued to stare straight downwards at where the car was meant to be. Damn, he thought. They always seemed to be one step behind, always reacting to what was happening.

  Chapter 18

  Ariel decided that he had to return to Headquarters for vital information and resources. The introduction of Uriel made this an even more complicated situation than before. Uriel was an old general, one with immense standing among the rank and file as being second only to Michael in strategic planning and assault. His reputation was usually enough to quell any disgruntled echoes spreading through the angelic hierarchy. Dispatched only by Michael directly, the sight of Uriel on the battlefield was always noticed. Ariel knew the chances of winning against him on a one to one battle were unl
ikely. He would have to strategically out plan Heaven’s greatest strategist. For that, he needed information on where he may have taken them and access to weapons.

  Strolling through the same corridors as he had for thousands of years, they now felt different to him. Everywhere he looked, he saw an establishment that had a lot to hide, a lot to be shameful of. He knew he wasn’t innocent either. You weren’t considered one of Heaven’s greatest administrators without having to do some questionable things throughout your career. Indeed, his department had been the centre point for many colourful operations. He also wasn’t sure if he trusted Pravuil, who had been away from the scene for such a long period of time. Was that a good or bad sign? When Ariel had questioned him about this before they parted ways, Pravuil had given him a few answers to the one question. He said that his job was to follow God but he would not stipulate where God currently was or when or if a return was imminent. Pravuil was more concerned with fixing the problems on Earth and ensuring that they followed the scribed word of God. Apparently Radweriel, God’s scribe and representative in Heaven, could no longer be trusted and had fallen from grace. This would represent a serious deviation from the natural order of things. It could either mean that Michael was acting on misinformation or that they were in it together. Regardless, his main priority now was to meet Amber who apparently had some ground breaking news for him.

  “Sir,” rushed Amber across the room to him. She was already waiting in his office. “I have major news.”

  “Okay, okay,” he said reassuringly. She seemed to exude a curious mix of anger, worry and nervous excitement. She had met up with other deputy directors when they arrived back at Headquarters, to see if there was anything new to report.

  “Sir, Michael is getting ready to launch an attack on all religious leaders who do not fall under the eye of Rome. He intends to unleash the full armies of Heaven to engage in conflict with those from other religions.”

  “What?” said Ariel shell shocked. He raced to the world map and instantly pink coloured dots appeared – six in total. This represented the locations of any Gods residing on the planet. Michael was truly planning to turn this world into a battleground once more. Ariel knew Michael was not concerned with human leaders but actual Gods that were immense in stature and power. These Gods also had millions of followers around the world. Kali, a Hindu Goddess, protected her followers fiercely. Ganesh, another God with immense intellectual abilities would certainly be able to measure up to the strategists of Heaven. Pagan Gods from times past which had settled on Earth from distant worlds still roamed the planet. Angels decided long ago that these ‘optional extras’ were not interfering with their administration of the planet. Gabriel believed that since Michael created the Jesus Christ phenomena the human experiment was already contaminated. Michael argued that part of the experiment would always have to analyse human beliefs. Unfortunately for angels, these Gods had gathered huge numbers of followers over the centuries. They were not involved in the administration of the planet in any way, but they wouldn’t stand by and watch angels tear it apart either.

  “This will lead to realisation,” he finally said, leaning back in his chair as he succumbed to some of his worst feelings of dread. Realisation was the term no angel wanted to hear. It had long been understood that humanity was not, and perhaps never would be, ready to understand the complexities of their planet and their unique place in existence. That angels existed, that fate was predetermined, that death was actually a living being as was God. That there were different Gods who also inhabited this world. It would throw the planet into chaos. Ariel had often wondered why almost every God in creation along with Death and The Three Sisters of Fate had always taken such an interest in this one world.

  “Amber, I think we need to consider Pravuil an ally,” he said, deciding to move on from what Amber had told him. At the moment they needed to find this family, Pravuil had placed priority on them and he seemed to be the only one not acting in self-interest, as far as they knew. Ariel knew the other Gods could look after themselves. Securing that family may help change the course Heaven has set itself upon.

  “What do you need me to do?” replied Amber in steely determination. She was determined to help in any way she could. Ariel was still her boss and she served God ultimately. To her, it was a simple decision between right and wrong.

  “We’ve no way to warn the other Gods. They might already suspect. We need to prioritise the Bassett’s. First, I’m authorising you to go to the armouries and get as many weapons as you can. Blades, swords, divine water, everything you can think off,” he said as he scribbled a note down on a piece of headed parchment paper, signing it at the bottom. “Get everything else you need and have it all ready to go at a moment’s notice. Meet me back here in an hour.”

  Walking down to the lower layers of the compound, she tried to gather her thoughts before she reached the armouries. These huge caverns deep underground were tightly controlled by the authorities of Heaven and housed all but the most powerful of its weapons. Angelic blades were issued to all angelic beings on assignment while swords were issued only to those going into direct combat situations, such as special operatives. Considering the situation spreading across the globe, Amber knew her request for more weapons should be considered normal. Her department would be key in holding off the demon risings until the general armies were ready. The huge double doors to the reception area of the armouries were pure steel, with thirty inch thick hinges holding them tightly. An array of special protection and incantations provided an extra layer of shielding over the entrance. Only angelic creations could enter this domain.

  The reception room itself was expansive and circular in shape, illuminated by a piercing white ceiling which stood in stark contrast to the contemporary black leather seating that lined the rim of the room. In the middle stood a large black marble circular desk with a tall, stick thin stern looking woman standing behind it. Hair in a tight knitted bun, complimented with thick black frame glasses and an acerbic attitude she really was the perfect image of the armoury department; known throughout the angelic hierarchy as the least friendly, least humorous department.

  “Name, please,” asked Mortisha, not looking up to see Amber.

  “Amber.”

  “Department please.”

  “Special Operations, same as last week, and the week before and so forth,” Amber couldn’t help trying to wind the staff up, though each and every time she just received odd stares as if she was a lunatic in a mental asylum.

  “Request, please,”

  Amber handed her the parchment from Ariel and watched as Mortisha’s lip curled up in disgust.

  “Not very well presented is it?” she said, frowning at the hurried scrawl she was presented with.

  “Unlike yourselves, we actually have a department to run that involves saving lives and protecting the experiment. And in case you haven’t noticed it’s almost war-like upstairs. So could I have less of the attitude and much more vigour? We need those weapons and we need them now,” barked Amber. The complacent attitude she was presented with, the sheer arrogance that dripped off every word spoken was just enough for her. She didn’t have time to play these silly departmental games anymore. The clock was ticking.

  “I can provide you with everything except divine water; you need special clearance for that.”

  Thinking fast, Amber immediately had a reply waiting. “Listen to me,” she growled, thumping her fist on the desk, “our department and my boss have direct orders from Michael himself to complete a mission of critical importance. We have been authorised to use whatever resources necessary to ensure its success. Now if you don’t provide me with what I need, I’ll have my boss contact Michael and tell him that Mortisha,” she emphasised the name even more so now, “is in effect telling Michael that she can’t provide us with the tools we need to get the job done!” Finishing in a screech, she had to remind herself to calm and breathe before she went overboard and was committed.
r />   “If you wait here I’ll have the required resources brought up to reception directly.”

  “Many thanks.”

  Amber stood and watched as Mortisha scurried off through the only other door in the room apart from the entrance. She beamed with pride, relishing the rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. But suddenly, the violent shaking of the ground threw her off balance. Something was terribly wrong.

  Ariel was gathering last minute supplies from his office before leaving for what he knew would be the last time. This office had many memories for him, and had been the centre of some of the greatest events in human history. Greatest tragedies and scandals was probably a better description Ariel thought. A single piece of white parchment lay in the middle of his now empty desk. He had packed everything of importance and anything else had been destroyed. The parchment detailed his reasons for leaving, though he was sure his name would be tarnished in a very short period of time, his endless list of achievements forgotten. A slight rumble through the floor of his office flushed his nerves. Dark red lights began flashing in his room and the long corridor outside his office door coupled with a loud penetrating alarm noise. This was the emergency alarm; it had never been activated before. It meant an incursion had occurred in the complex. The clear glass panes in the two doors to his office caught his immediate attention as they swished open.

  “Release,” he barked at his desk, with the top of it splitting in two and coming apart wide enough to reveal a huge six foot angelic staff with a large light blue diamond encrusted at the top. Clicking his fingers, a long black overcoat appeared on him. Arming himself he waved his hand across the gigantic map and it changed to show a layout of the building. Flashing red dots swarmed the entrance to the complex and were spreading onto every floor with veracity. White dots highlighted angels coming out of their offices and board rooms to counter the threat but Ariel estimated they were outnumbered six to one. They had to gain control of the situation quickly. While the armoires and sensitive areas of the complex would automatically be sealed off with protective invisible barriers, these were not impenetrable. They always thought it would be impossible for demons to enter the complex, and it should have been. Something had seriously gone wrong here. Six red dots were shooting down the corridor towards his office. Swinging into action, adrenaline pumping, he swung through the air landing right behind the main doors of his office. Knowing they would open automatically sensing his presence, he withdrew a blade from his overcoat and flung it towards the six speeding down the corridor at him. The blade sliced through the three of them at their mid-rift, splashing blood across the white marble walls. The blade immediately rebounded back into his hands. The other three demons stopped; clearly they were new recruits and didn’t have experience dealing with angels.