Trouble's Always Watching Volume 1: Volume 1 (The Trouble Series)

by Courtney Smith

  Some angels shook their heads, and others turned their backs to everyone else as they coped with recent events. They walked as though their beliefs were shattered like glass. Medius glanced down at the adolescent, standing before him and actually smiled within himself with his thoughts: This human has just defeated a company of angels (something a group of well-trained humans cannot ordinarily do), and I can detect no arrogance, haughtiness, or pride developing within him. Fornax actually moved in Trouble’s direction, and the teenager clenched his fists and stood upon the balls of his foot before the angel knelt in front of him with a smile and open arms.

  “I have never met a human quite like you. I have to admit I was mildly discouraged because what…I mean whom…I initially thought was a mere human has defeated me, but I did not realize you were no ordinary human. Many of the angels, both fallen and obedient, do not actually have much respect for humans outside of the Almighty. The Almighty has given us as angels a decree to protect, guide, and inform humanity.

  Many of the angels look upon all of the vile aspects of humanity, and it is very easy to judge humanity from afar. We do not have many of the same infirmities or inadequacies many humans possess although angels tend to be very passionate. I never thought I would meet a human who was capable of defeating one of us, especially without an overbearing sense of self-worth. I have to admit you are one of the most amazing humans I have met. I am not speaking for anyone but myself. I would be honored if you were to be my friend.”

  Fornax extinguished the flames throughout his body and extended his large, glistening hand toward the teenager. The supernatural being had an appearance of a golden statue with an extremely shiny surface without the flames surrounding his body. Trouble's eyes bulged as he extended his trembling hand toward him. Medius’ stoic expression held some intrigue as he gazed at Fornax in amazement. This was the first time he had ever known his heavenly brother to even acknowledge humans with any type of consideration or respect.

  The adolescent looked toward Medius as if asking for permission to speak. Medius nodded in approval and extended his hand as if yielding the floor in a meeting. Trouble looked upon the tall, heavenly being and responded.

  “I won’t lie to ya. I been very bad growing up, an' it took uh painful experience an' uh trip tah Hell along wit' a secon' chance ta change my attitude. I still have faults dat I have tuh work on in my character. I c'n make uh much stronger, conscious effort tah watch my behavior dan I did 'fore goin' tah Hell. I c'n see why you or da ot'er angels have uh strong dislike fo' people. I have seen senseless violence and murder of people by people, includin' my own family.

  We're vile, an' da Almighty keeps givin' us mercy an' high regard despite how unworthy we are. I know dat I ain't perfect, but I try tuh g't uh little better each day, but I’m still workin' on it. I ask ya ta consider dat we as people have weaknesses angels simply don’t possess. I know it doesn’t completely justify much o' da wicked things dat we do, but dat should provide some reason why we do da things dat we do.”

  “I already know, but I am amazed when one of you is able to demonstrate humility and discipline beyond what we as angels have come to expect of you. The Almighty already knows angels have contentions with humanity, but we dare not mention it in His presence. We are supposed to carry out our orders or duties without question. We all have concerns; however, it is not our job to question the Almighty’s regard towards humanity although many of us do in secrecy, anyway.

  It is not that He does not already know because He knows everything, literally. It is disrespectful for us to address it to Him. I know we have put you through a very difficult task, and you have managed to successfully endure and overcome it. I cannot speak for anyone else, but you have earned my respect,” replied Fornax as he nodded his head in recognition of the triumphant warrior.

  Hydros removed the group from the crown of his head, sat them on the ground, reduced his size to that of the other angels, and approached Trouble to speak,

  “I was very sure that I was going to defeat a human who was not completely grown with ease, but you have proven yourself to be a very formidable adversary. I have to admit the prospect of having a human defeating me was not the most pleasant experience considering angels are supposed to be much more powerful and intelligent than humanity, no offense intended. I have to admit, when Fornax was attacking me, that I had not expected you to come to my aid after the difficulty I had given you. I did not expect Fornax to offer his friendship to you after you helped me defeat him. I am also amazed at your humility. You have done something very few if any humans have managed to do without any type of arrogance. You have earned my respect as well.”

  Vinda’s arms were folded as swirling winds were increasing throughout his body. Glacia’s developed pointed icicles covering his body upon hearing Hydros’ voice. Choquer turned his back to Hydros as sparks illuminated his whole body. Diamus remained nonplused as Hydros’ voice reverberated throughout the group. Hydros stared around as he saw his brethren ignoring him. He suddenly directed his glance toward Fornax.

  “I have never understood why you were upset with me for so many years, and even now, you seem to hold a fierce grudge against me. I am at a loss to understand it.” Fornax developed small, bright, white flames upon his body as he stood upon his feet with his amber fists burning, brightly. He approached the aqueous angel within three feet of his space with his eyes locked onto Hydros’ eyes as he spoke.

  “I have toiled with you for centuries, and you have never worked with the other angels or cooperated with me. It has always been about inflicting the most devastation and receiving glory for the victories over our opponents, [Fornax raises his right fist angrily] even at the cost of compromising the welfare of your brethren to achieve your goals and please the Almighty instead of cooperating with us. I intentionally attacked you during the time we were training Trouble for the purpose of showing you what it is like to have someone who is supposed to be an ally in the same cause betray you either with their actions or their inability to communicate with you.

  It was not difficult for me to convince some of the other angels to join me in attacking you because they have experienced the same betrayal and inconvenience of being your ally. I meant what I said to Trouble about his character despite him assisting you in my defeat and in the defeat of our angelic brothers. I am actually pleased you were able to work with someone whether it was against me or not. You manage to inflict more damage to your allies than you do to our adversaries in every instance we are engaged in battle against our enemies. You harm and injure so many of our angelic brethren; sometimes, I think you have joined the Dark Forces of the fallen!”

  Ripples of small waves rose in the surface of the Hydros’ aqueous body. Hydros immediately raised his fist in anger and struck Fornax for his accusation, and the opposing, fiery angel had flames surging throughout his body with lit eyes and returned the blow with equally passionate rage. Fornax had his bow poised to shoot Hydros, and Hydros’ glowing blue eyes had tidal waves ready to crush Fornax. A large wave of light neutralized their attacks sending the two adversaries hundreds of feet in opposite directions within seconds. They both knelt before Medius in submission after returning. All of the angels and Trouble directed their attention to Medius. The calm yet indignant angel stepped forward to address the whole group:

  “I should be the one who is upset because you have questioned my judgment in choosing to bestow the human with power, and you actually planned to usurp my authority by defeating him and bringing him before me in a gross display to undermine my position. It was not my decision to choose him to vanquish certain enemies. The Almighty decided to do this some time ago, so you may take it up with Him if there is a problem.

  I am the one who decided to give him power. I will say even if he had lost his battle against you, which obviously was not the case, it still does not justify your intent to move against me!

  I should be the one attacking each of you and scheming to crush each of yo
u in a merciless battle as though you were aligned with the Dark One! Hydros, Fornax was definitely out of order in his attack against you, but he has a very valid reason for being angry with you. You have done things to disable your allies during the training session against Trouble. This training simulation was intended for you as much as it was for him. Choquer was weakened by your failure to communicate with him to prepare himself for your next attack on more than one occasion, and then Trouble noticed your drive to achieve victory to the extent you were willing to sacrifice the unity and security of your brethren. You are not the only one who deserves rebuking for your actions.

  [He turned toward Vinda] Your ambition for victory has caused Glacia to fall by the use of your powers against him instead of your enemy at that time!” shouted Medius, angrily. “Angels are supposedly known for following order which involves unity and single-minded action, thought, and oneness. You and Hydros have acted as anything except this, and you have the audacity to question my judgment. Some of you are still upset by the fact that a skinny, naked adolescent with a cloth wrapped around his head has defeated you. I really hope you all have learned from this experience and adjusted your behavior, accordingly!”

  The angels bowed their heads and knelt in acknowledgement of Medius’ point. Fornax and Hydros looked upon each other with solemn expressions upon their faces. Medius casually walked over toward Trouble and asked, “Are you ready for the next part of your training?” Trouble flipped out of the way and dashed, remembering what happened the last time he was asked a similar question, and he replied, “Yes.”

  Medius laughed, knowing why the agile adolescent responded the way he did before answering the question. The authoritative angel dropped his smile as he addressed his followers, again.

  “You all are also going to participate in the next portion of Trouble’s training. It will not be necessary for any of you to attack him or each other. All of you know your specialties; therefore, each of you will train him according to your most valuable asset in combat.”

  The adolescent looked at the group of angels in agreement, and Fornax immediately stepped forward and instructed, “Follow me.” Trouble entered a pitch-black corridor with an ebony floor that was illuminated by the fiery angel. Corinthian columns encompassed them as they walked through the beige surroundings. He looked up at his guide with wide eyes as he followed him. The young man stopped immediately upon seeing his newly acquired friend ceasing any further movement. They entered a coliseum that was hundreds of times larger than any stadium on earth.

  The black sky became crimson after Fornax amber flames soared thirty feet above them and ignited it. Fornax turned around to address the trainee: “This is the point where we will begin your training. I will teach you archery. The ancient tribes and civilizations of earth have not trained in the art nearly as long as we have. I am an expert and one of the best archers among Heaven’s host. I can show you how to shoot as well as the angels.”

  “I am ready!” expressed Trouble with a smile as he held clenched fists an inch from his face with slightly bent legs that were shoulder-width apart. Fornax knelt on his knee and tapped Trouble on the forehead with his glowing finger, lightly. Then, he casually stood up and spoke, “You have the skills that I possess with the bow and arrow.”

  The bewildered teenager looked up at the angel with one eyebrow raised and said, “I thought dat ya were gonna train me an' show me how ya use da bow and arrow! You jus' nicked my forehead, an’ it wasn’t even uh good nick!”

  “You might want to try to test out your new abilities before you make hasty judgments,” advised Fornax, courteously.

  The young man looked up and started to ask, “What am I gonna to tes’ it out w—.” The observant student interrupted himself when the flaming angel quickly presented a bow to him. The zealous warrior looked upon the weapon with his eyes and mouth open. His eyes slowly followed the numerous lines of the weapon’s craftsmanship. Fornax tapped him on the shoulder and politely reminded him, “This is the part where you test the weapon and your skills.”

  Trouble smirked mildly before glancing at the weapon. The juvenile grasped the instrument very slowly and pulled back on the string. His mind had one question: “Where are the arrows?”

  “Just pull back on the bow.”

  The fourteen-year old did as he was instructed, and a fiery blast erupted from the weapon like a geyser. A fiery hundred-foot mushroom cloud formed in a distance hundreds of feet away from where he had initially released the shot. The adolescent’s eyes bulged, and his mouth fell open as he gazed at the erupting inferno. The nearly speechless recipient of the bow turned to look at its original owner and spoke.

  “I do not intend to sound ungrateful, but I do not think I will need a weapon this powerful.”

  “If you are going to fight supernatural forces, you are going to need every form of assistance you can possibly get. As your great grandfather said, ‘you have a very dangerous task ahead of you.’ You are amazing for a human, but I am going to be honest with you. You are going to face an opponent who has many years of experience and training that exceeds the existence of your world’s beginning. He is not just a supernatural force. I am not trying to make you fearful. I am your friend, so I am giving you ample warning and consideration.

  He is powerful; he is second only to one angel whose name I dare not mention but refer to as the Dark One. You have your work cut out for you, and you are going to need every form of help you can get, so I suggest you discard any humility or pride that may prevent you from accepting any assistance being offered to you. I have already told you angels are very passionate beings. Our weapons’ operations correspond to our feelings. You do not have to worry about releasing too much power at once.

  The amount of power the weapon exudes is based upon the emotional state of the being firing it. Indignation can release tremendous amounts of power, whereas, tranquility will tend to release a small amount of energy. If you master its use, you will release an amount of energy small enough to light a candle or a stick of incense. You will also be able to release large amounts of energy in such a controlled manner; you will be able to cause land to tremble with enough power to shake the entire earth, but please practice with every opportunity you have.

  I am going to bestow you with another provision. It will be a provision that eliminates all fear of anything with the exception of the Almighty; however, you will still need to use discretion. I am giving you the provision of everlasting courage. Any being you face will still be dangerous as if you were scared; therefore, you need to know when to flee when the situation warrants it. I will visit you periodically to offer guidance and assistance. Anyway, I have other matters demanding my attention. Farewell, Trouble.”

  The angel waved at him with a curt smile before fading into the darkness illuminated by him mere seconds ago. The elated adolescent thought of the kinship with the supernatural being, the progress he had made since his resurrection and the inception of his powers. The reminiscent recipient’s thoughts were interrupted by the appearance of another being. He did not have any type of power illuminating the room, but his extremely solid and clear body magnified the very dim light that was currently present. Diamus stepped toward the teenager and shoved his forehead in a very indifferent manner as if he were handling garbage.

  He picked up the scabbard, touched it, and tossed it toward Trouble until it slid past the adolescent’s feet. Diamus’ clear, sparkling pupils stared down at the adolescent whose head was tilted upward:

  “The power you have been given is the skill of swordsmanship. You are capable of using any earthly or angelic sword, including the standard issued Union Saber that was given to you by your great grandfather. There have been some changes made to it.

  I am sure you have noticed how seemingly solid and invincible my surface seems along with the spears that I have hurled at you. Anyway, the sword has been reconstructed in its original form, and I have fashioned it to have a clear appearance like myself. Ho
wever, the greatest difference is the sword is as dense and virtually invulnerable as I am. I have done the same to your father’s ax and a few of the other items within the wrapping that you carry with you. The sword and the rest of your weapons are so sharp; they can split atoms and molecules.”

  The angel disappeared upon uttering his last syllable. I may miss a few angels, but he’s not one of them. The offended recipient knelt beside the sword to pick it up and examine it. He noticed the inscription made by the brave soldier giving it to his great grandfather was still present in the saber. The curious adolescent began to wonder about the next angel to appear until he heard the crackling of electricity.

  Trouble immediately withdrew the question upon hearing the lightning. Electrical sparks and thunder proceeded to travel throughout the coliseum at nearly unimaginable speeds. A large being with sparks covering his body like a costume approached the trainee. The adolescent remembered his last experience with Diamus and looked wearily at the being of electricity until he clarified his position,

  “Boy! I have no desire to touch you either!” The bitter angel moved over toward the blade, knelt beside it, and touched it with his finger. Then, he looked up and explained his action.

  “Your sword has been given the power to release and absorb electrical discharges of all kinds, including lightning.” The warrior looked up and replied, “Thank you.” Choquer held a stoic expression as he waved his hand and disappeared. I'm not gonna let dese rude bein's affect me. I gonna keep my head level. He remembered what Fornax had told him about how the angels regard humans. These angels actin’ mo’ like devils than anything else, but I’s gone keep my c’mposure. The room developed a sudden chill, and it did not take Trouble long to conclude that the next angel he was about to see was Glacia. The fifteen-foot figure hovered toward him and paused. He looked upon Trouble with a stoic expression and a raised eyebrow.