Trouble choked and writhed as water filled his nose and mouth. The tremendous pressure felt like it was crushing him. He made contact with the bottom as the other currents held him in place. Focus on nothin'...focus on nothin...focus on nothin. You fought 'the good fight'. Dese 're angels! Ya never gone win, anyway! Trouble quieted his mind, relaxed his muscles, and felt his body floating upward, slowly.
Thoughts began to manifest themselves to the unconscious young man: We can show him he was wrong when we deliver the human before his feet. I do not know how his judgment could be so unsound. How does he expect a mere human to be capable of defeating us? How did he place such an excessive amount of faith in a mere mortal?
Trouble slowly allowed his consciousness to linger between alertness and sleep. The angels did not notice. The teenager was near the water’s surface when he saw Glacia’s arm near him. He broke through the surrounding ice like a missile and plunged his sword into Glacia’s severed arm to the angels’ surprise. The angels’ deceitful adversary began freezing the water surrounding him and immediately climbed on top of the frozen surfaces he created.
The deeper he plunged the severed limb: The greater water froze. The sneaky adolescent ran with the arm along his side until he created enough land to fight upon. Patches of ice shook and trembled without disintegrating to Hydros' dismay and futile attempts. Fornax dove toward the adolescent with boulder-sized fireballs, but Trouble countered the attack by freezing the rising steam from melting ice and created a much thicker wall between himself and his rivals. Vinda charged the walls with torrential winds surrounding him, but the resourceful combatant froze the current before it reached him.
An arrowhead grazed the adolescent's cheek before multiple spears rained upon him from the angel's direction. They tore through the ice until it resembled Swiss cheese without striking their target. Glacia flew toward Trouble as a crippled bird. The frozen patches trembled like land during an earthquake. I might as well paint uh bulls eye on my back if I don't hurry! He launched himself into the air and narrowly missed being struck by the frozen angel. Glacia and Vinda’s torrential wind became a spiraling ice sculpture with a wave of Glacia's arm.
Flames streaked through the ice like torpedoes and burnt their target's left sandal off of his foot before he cleared them. Seven tuh one! This ain't no fun! I gotta thank o' somethin'...Wait! I can't thank too much, or they gone know my plan 'cause they c'n read minds!! The warrior charged through the patches before a clear, solid fist erupted from the ice patch and partially struck his face. He felt his cheekbone being shattered along with half of his face as the blow carried him thirty-three yards across the ice. I would go to the water, but the angels would only attempt to ambush me there. Immense, throbbing pain permeated the teenager’s face, but it was still mild compared to his suffering in Hell.
He ignored the pain because the consequences would be more devastating if he were to cease his fight against the heavenly beings. Fifty-foot waves crashed against the icy patches, but Trouble froze them to become more solid than the patches. He dove in the water mere seconds before flames bursts across the patches and melted them, instantly. The adolescent felt the water almost become boiling with Fornax's continued attacks. Massive currents pushed Trouble toward the bottom before flames ripped through the water and left a gap between Trouble and the other currents.
Trouble immediately froze the surrounding water with the severed angel’s arm. Luckily, a an icy tunnel was formed beneath the frozen patches that he could crawl through. Clear, sharp, and impenetrable spears started going through the ice, but he avoided the spears like a mongoose avoiding the fatal strikes of a cobra. He knew the angels would only attempt to ambush him if he had surfaced, immediately. The target removed his overalls and filled them with ice.
Fornax, Diamus, Vinda, and Glacia flew around the area like hornets preparing to swarm upon their quarry. The watchful charge ripped off a piece of cloth from his overalls and wrapped it around his head to stabilize his jaw and keep it still. A few of his teeth fell out of his mouth with some blood he vomited as he adjusted the cloth. He remembered how quickly he healed after the bear attacked him, but he wondered if the healing would have the same effect for this type of wound. Trouble removed his overalls, filled them with ice, and tossed them into the air.
The angels suddenly saw the ice break with a familiar shape coming through the surface. The roaring flames, winds, ice particles, and diamond spears vaporized the target only to find shards of blue denim falling instead of burning, brown flesh; charred, black fragments of bone; or scattered sprinkles of blood.
However, a truck-sized block of ice struck Fornax by the time the angels realized it was a decoy. I’m glad I got my strength back! Ordinarily, Fornax would have melted it with his immense heat, but it hit him before he saw it coming. The tenacious, powerful, young man hoisted another vehicle-sized frozen cube above his head, slightly bent his knees, and propelled it toward Fornax as though it were a missile. The fiery being flew backwards twenty feet before the flames surrounding him died. The golden figure trembled to stand before collapsing upon the ice like a fallen soldier. Clear, broom-length spears fell upon Trouble while he maneuvered through them similarly to a snake through grass.
The spears were nearly removing organs with each pass. The involuntary conscript looked into the air to see Vinda increasing the strength of the wind traveling in the same direction as Diamus’ spears. Trouble quickly bent his knees slightly, plunged his fingers through the ice he stood upon, and hoisted another vehicle-sized chunk of the ice above his head like an umbrella as a means of temporary protection. This ice won’t protect me forever, but it is good fo’ right now. The adolescent saw a small puddle with his reflection. He glanced at his wounds inflicted by the shards that were thrown by Diamus, earlier, and he saw they have completely healed.
The trainee also noticed quick recovery from the blow inflicted from Diamus although he still had a pounding headache, pulsating pain, cramping, and bloody vomiting. Do my 'bilities change 'cause I's a spirit now 'nstead o' da flesh? He looked behind him to see Vinda hovering after him upon two, tornado sized gusts of wind as he was being chased by the very solid figure. The young antagonist looked up at Diamus and taunted, telepathically,
“I bet ya can’t come down here an' fight me, one on one!”
The angel rushed toward the instigator with his spear poised. The heavenly being’s instigator dove into the water with Diamus pursuing in a massive splash. The sneaky juvenile doubled back, jumped out of the angelic lake, and waved Glacia’s severed arm through the water just as Diamus prepared to surface. He looked near the edge to see the frozen angel’s vindictive expression staring up at him through the icy water. He quickly removed the spear upon realizing three angels were attacking him.
Hydros’ attempted to shake the icy patches, but they were too large to have tremendous impact. The watery giant trembled and sent more waves toward his opponent. The combatant planted his feet on the shaking surface with his knees bent and spear poised for Glacia and Vinda. Suddenly, the patches were pelted with icy spears. These aren't near as solid as Diamus' spears. He spun the spear like the propellers of a helicopter and smashed all of Glacia's projectiles. Vinda sent freezing blasts toward the patches, but vapors only remained where he hoped to strike Trouble. Glacia and Vinda lined up behind one another and spun like a tornado. The currents lifted Trouble off of the ground before he could brace anything. Frozen spears flew towards him like bullets.
Trouble managed to block most of them, but a few ripped open some muscles upon his thighs and arms. The elongated icicles plunged through the surface of the suspended human’s skin. His abdomen felt like a million needles puncturing it. He knew it was only a matter of time before the other angels freed themselves from their temporary predicaments with supernatural indignation fueling their vengeance. The timely warrior was also aware he would not last much longer if he was still an airborne target.
Trouble froze the gust of wind
suspending him in the air; he found himself falling above the water until he nearly touched it. He froze another part of the surface to Hydros’ disappointment. The angel of ice appeared behind him without a warning, snatched the sword out of his hand, and smashed the blade between his massive hands. Glacia also managed to recover his arm and prevented another attack from being made against him with it. Vinda interrupted Glacia’s amusement when he attempted to attack the trainee, and he accidentally struck his heavenly brother with gusts of wind strong enough to tear mountains.
The lithe opponent, however, had used the spear he obtained from Diamus to drive into the ice, grip it, kneel beside it, and crouch into a ball for protection, so he would not be carried away or destroyed by the wind.
Trouble avoided the torrential blast because the wind was not low enough to strike the prone, young man the first time; however, a glowing, indigo streak ripped through Glacia’s shoulder before his left arm flew behind him like debris with his legs, right arm, and head following his torso. The fierce wind immediately ceased as Vindi quietly gasped upon seeing his angelic brother’s body scattered upon the icy patches. The angelic being trembled and stood completely still while the trainee dashed toward remaining body parts with Diamus spear grazing each one before the dying wind pushed them, away. Trouble knew he succeeded in reclaiming Glacia’s power when the tip of Diamus spear radiated with an indigo light.
I'm glad I don't have to fight Fornax, Diamus, and Hydros, but this battle is far from over! Vinda flew toward the human with furrowed brows, glowing blue eyes, and horizontal tornados spinning toward the Louisiana native; however, the angel’s opponent swung the spear in the direction of his enemy, freezing, and shattering the wind. The conscript resembled a ricocheting bullet as he slid across the ice upon his back with frozen spheres smashing the ground like meteors. He jumped to his feet with the same momentum and ran toward the edge of the water, knowing Vinda was following him. The angel resembled an eagle as he dove toward his teenage prey before seeing his opponent splash a ten-foot wave of water upon him. Vinda paused before laughing,
“Do you honestly think giving me a shower is going to harm or stop--?”
Trouble pushed the angel into the water with lightning speed and froze it before he could react.
“No, but coverin' ya wit' water will freeze ya fasta.” He looked into the water to see frozen hatred of the angel glaring up at him. Trouble paused with his eyes toggling in multiple directions. It is way too quiet! Somethin's wrong! The adolescent leapt twenty feet into the air in a summersault to see he narrowly missed being crushed by Glacia's foot. Trouble swung his spear, resulting in Glacia's other flailing limb through the air. The angel shot through the sky, leaving his enemy, alone. The adolescent suddenly heard small crackling and saw small, cadmium sparks appearing randomly throughout the area. There goes my break.
“I would not be thinking about breaks if I were you because I am going to kill you!” How reassuring. Apparently, this is Choquer, but why did he wait so long to attack me.
“I like to know what my targets are capable of before I attack them and observe their movements.”
Trouble cleared his mind, so the angel did not obtain any more information about his strategies before he implemented them. Large bolts of lightning quickly struck different points around the frozen platform where he stood. He barely avoided the rods as one nearly singed his right arm. The lone warrior glanced at his chest to see partial healing from wounds left by Glacia and Vinda. His ear canals filled with complete silence after he turned his head.
Trouble pricked his ears, slowly toggled his eyes, and clutched the spear in the hand. A very slight trembling on the icy patch he stood upon vibrated out of sync with the way the others were trembling. He jumped within thousandths of before a massive, lightning bolt completely disintegrated the body of ice. Trouble kept his mind completely clear and quiet with his eyes upon the water.
How am I supposed to fight an enemy that I cannot see?
Trouble suddenly remembered to keep his mind quiet when he heard sinister chuckling. All of the floating masses of ice began to tremble violently as a large current of water revealed its presence. The wave rushed toward the teenager with blinding speed. Most people would think of running away from the large mass of water, but he ran toward the wave instead. He froze the wave’s center with the broken angel’s power before it could completely crash on top of him.
A pair of glowing eyes formed from whirlpools that slightly nudged the frozen platforms. However, he noticed something completely remarkable about the titanic angel’s attack. Trouble saw a large, electrical surge in the shape of a trembling and struggling man when the surrounding droplets touched it. He smiled without thinking too hard. The body of water began to shake and converge into one massive wave capable of flooding a city. It suddenly had the appearance of a giant whirlpool.
The massive body assumed a large, human shape with the large, ice patches Trouble made earlier falling upon the ground like comets. The adolescent dodged knowing he had another enemy hovering ominously over him as a black, funnel cloud looming above an unsuspecting town filled with trailers. Hydros' icy-blue eyes stared down at Trouble from hundreds of feet like an eagle ready to swoop upon a worm. He visualized a way to defeat the two angels and quickly dissipated the thought, so the angels did not have time to perceive it. He partially covered the tip of the spear with his hand.
A ball of ice appeared in his hand upon opening it. He hurled several balls of ice at the wave in seconds. The splashes from the water disrupted the electrical field surrounding a human shape. Gotcha! The clear figure with sparks forming around it raised its hands, and the whole ground was covered with a blanket of electrical currents. However, Trouble leapt into the air before they reached him.
“I have seen the type of tactics you have used against my brethren. If you cannot come up with anything better to defeat me, I really hope you are ready to die,” conveyed Choquer.
Trouble's eyes became crimson as he focused on the Titan and kept his senses quiet for Choquer attacks. The watchful warrior suddenly noticed a large shadow coming toward him before noticing Hydros' fist descending like a crashing plane. The artful evader moved like a torpedo as he eluded Hydros’ assaults with the agility of a cat. Crashing tidal waves surged from Hydros' hand every time he missed the juvenile. However, Trouble knew he had to leap and listen for Choquer before landing on the ground. Hydros will do anythan' tuh get tuh me includin' hurtin' his own kind! Dat might work fo' me!!!
The angel’s prey had his ears pricked and his spear poised while his body narrowly missed the watery billows of the angelic titan. Hydros attempted to lower his foot upon Trouble with all of his weight within the stomp. I can't outrun 'im: he too big, but I can out maneuver him til... The adolescent warrior ceased his thoughts to prevent his angelic opponents from intercepting them. He saw Hydros’ large, watery fist rushing toward him with the power of a tsunami, but the adolescent leaped upward and avoided the devastating blow followed by rushing water.
Trouble heard the crackling of electricity above his head rushing toward him. The uncanny warrior propelled himself away one split second before rushing water completely inundated the area, destroying electricity crackling throughout the body of water before subsiding. Large, amber sparks coursed throughout Hydros before slowly disappearing. Choquer was officially out of the picture, but the trainee knew he could not throw confetti yet because of who towered over him.
He drew in a quick, deep breath before his eyes bulged and nearly choked. His hands trembled, knees shook, and teeth chattered: Fornax had his large, flaming bow aimed in the human’s direction. Diamus brandished a sword larger than himself with blinding speed. Glacia swung an elongated spear with a solid edge like a helicopter's rotary blades. Vinda swung a clear, heavy mace in his right hand until it appeared invisible with a spiked, metallic ball and chain spinning with the same speed.
Trouble stole a hurried glance into the angels' eyes and saw
unbridled hell and vengeance ready to consume him. Fornax’s flames leapt thirty feet high from his body as though he came from the pits of Hell. Diamus had a stoic appearance on his face. Vinda formed tunneling winds like tornadoes surrounding his body as a newborn baby wrapped in a blanket with a facial expression of determination. Glacia had walls of ice moving around him like ribbons, which bent, shaped, and conformed to his very thoughts. Dis might be uh good day tah die!
Trouble drew in a deep breath and clenched the spear he obtained from Diamus. How's I supposed tuh fight dem? Fornax'll burn me into atoms if I g't too close!! Glacia c'n freeze an' shatter my body at thuh same time. Vinda would blow me away like paper wit' winds tearin' my body in diff'rent directions! Each one o' dem could crush me by demselves, but dey workin' wit' each other with weapons.
The lone fighter paused as he notice his opponents were completely still with their gazes upon him, but it would not be long before they began what would be their unavoidable, furious onslaught. Torpedo-sized, flaming arrows flew toward Trouble like missiles, and he avoided them to see a large, spiked ball nearly grazing his skin as it passed him and plunged through the crystalline floor like a fishing lure into water. His body spiraled through the air like a plane losing control as a mace passed beneath him and a large, clear blade grazed his nose in its attempt to cut into him with the power of an exploding star behind it. Despite his ability to dodge the dangerous and fatal weapons, he knew this was not going to last, forever. Nevertheless, he still had a secret advantage to rely upon. Fiery pools resembling lakes exploded beneath Trouble’s feet as Fornax fired numerous arrows at him while Glacia attempted to drive his spear through him like a skewer.
Trouble's Always Watching Volume 1: Volume 1 (The Trouble Series) Page 26