Hellbound Second Advent

by Decoyar Brown

  The cab to Connecticut took two hours. Peter tried to make conversation to pass the time.

  When they reached the estate, Peter thanked the cab driver for his patience and paid him. The driver did not want to take the money, but Peter insisted. The man was grateful that Peter drove with him and wanted to accompany him inside the mansion. He was tired and waved good-bye.

  Peter needed a good night’s sleep. He hoped Gedulah would be sleeping. He yawned, opened the front door, and tried to sense who else was in his house. Peter counted three individuals plus his brother. Everyone was chatting in the dining room.

  “You finally made it,” Gedulah said with a smile. “Everyone, this is the man I’ve been bragging about for the past nine hours. My brother is the fifth child of Sephirot, Gevurah, but he prefers to be called Peter.”

  Peter waved and smiled.

  Everyone stood, and Gedulah walked over to stand by Peter. “Peter, I would like you to meet Zack, Dawn, and Claudius.”

  Peter put his sword and pistol in the corner and walked over to Claudius.

  They both glared at each other for a moment.

  Peter reached out his right hand. “You’re that kid who killed Minosa. Nice to meet you.”

  Claudius looked up at Peter and his glare was intense. He took Peter’s hand to shake it.

  “Come on, bro,” Gedulah said. “You can do better than that. That’s your son. Give him a hug.”

  Peter frowned and raised his hands awkwardly. He moved in and wrapped his arms around Claudius.

  “My son. My son, I finally found you.” Peter closed his eyes and hugged him tightly.

  Claudius hugged him and began to cry.

  “Aw. Look at you two.” Gedulah walked over and patted them on the back. “You two finally meet. Now you can catch up on old times. Claudius kept pushing me to tell him about you, but I told him I believed it was your job. Before you do that, I’d like you to meet someone.” Gedulah dragged Peter to the other side of the room. “This is Zack. He is the fifth of the Naraka Knights. We got off on the wrong foot, but I think we’re good now. Right, Zack?”

  Zack nodded, smiled at Gedulah, and reached out his hand.

  Peter shook it. “One of the knights? Why is he here?”

  “Zack wants to join us in our quest to stop the Order of Darkness and Gabilon. He ran away and was living on the streets of Brooklyn for almost a year. I’ve been tracking him, but Zack is not the type of kid” He looked over at Zack and grinned, “—man—to stay in one place.”

  “How interesting. Why did you run away from the Order, Zack?” Peter asked.

  “That’s a long story for another time, but I can tell you all the information you need to know about the knights.”

  Peter nodded and looked behind Claudius at the young lady Gedulah had introduced earlier.

  Claudius saw the intrigued look on his dad’s face. He called Dawn over to him. “Father, I would like you to meet my girlfriend, Dawn McCarthy.”

  Peter reached out for a handshake.

  Gedulah smiled.

  “You … look like someone … I’ve met before …” Peter said. He tried to remember where he knew her from. He continued to hold her hand while he gathered his thoughts.

  “I’m sorry, but I’ve never met you before. I’ve only seen you on television and in the newspaper.”

  Peter said, “Where are you from, miss—”

  “All right, all right,” Gedulah interrupted “I give up. She resembles one of your wives from the nineteenth century. I’m not going to say who.” He shook his head and hissed.

  Peter looked back in Dawn’s direction and said, “Iris? You must be a descendant of Iris.”

  “Yes, you remember!” Gedulah shouted. “That’s Iris’s great-great-granddaughter.”

  “Yes, that’s right. My great-great-grandmother’s name was Iris. I can’t believe you knew her.” Dawn smiled.

  “Not to change the subject, but what can you tell me about my mother, father?” Claudius said. “Where am I from?”

  “I met your mother when I was living in Egypt. I think the year was 1910, and you were born two years later. I loved your mom very much. She was a special woman. She was my seventh wife.”

  “Seventh wife?” Zack asked. “How many wives did you have?

  Peter began counting on his fingers. “About twelve. I’ve lived for over twenty centuries on earth and fathered many children. Because they were born from mortal women, I outlived most of them. So far, Claudius is the only one of my children who lived to this century. The longest any of my children lived was two centuries. That is why you look sixteen, you age slower than a normal person.”

  Claudius gasped from amazement. “What happened to my mother? And why don’t I remember you—or her?”

  Peter said, “Your mother is … your mother was killed, Claudius.”

  “What! She was killed? By who?”

  “It was my fault she got killed. It was my carelessness that got you abducted—”

  “No it wasn’t,” Gedulah said. “Your father served the lord of the underworld, Lucifer, because the Almighty stripped him of his angelic powers and rank in heaven—”

  “Wait. Just wait. You’re throwing too much at me,” Claudius said. “Why did God strip you of your angelic powers and rank?”

  “I was one of those angels who was banished from heaven for falling in love with mortal women. The Hebrew name, Nephilim, was the name given to our children and Wantons was what they called us. I was angry with the Almighty for banishing me to earth. Out of anger, I set upon a quest to conquer the earth and rule it with the aid of Ablis. Centuries later, I met your mother, we wed, and you were born. In the fifteenth century, the Hellgates opened. There were centuries of darkness and carnage after that. Many innocent people lost their lives, and your mother was one of them. When I came back to Aswan, Egypt, to look for you and your mother, you were both presumed dead. I lost all hope and blamed myself. Since then, I’ve changed my ways and been on a quest to conquer evil.”

  “When the sons of God came unto the daughters of men, and they bear children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.” Claudius mumbled.

  Peter said, “Yes. That was Genesis 6:4–5 from the KJV. I was one of the fallen.”

  “Your father was not all bad. He had good in his heart and helped a lot of people—even when he was serving Lucifer.”

  “If he’s one of the fallen, why are you here helping him? I know he’s your brother, but how is he a child of Sephirot?” Zack asked.

  “Peter was one of the ten guardians of heaven. We are the children of Sephirot. The Kabbalah refer to us as the ten attributes or emanations. I’m his twin brother. In heaven, I sat next to him. My other name is Chesed, the sixth child of Sephirot.”

  Zack said. “I’ve heard Garrison speak of that before. You are the original guardian of earth—the one who banished the Hellbounds and closed the Hellgates.”

  “Yes.” Gedulah smiled and clapped his hands delightfully. “And I thought Peter was the only one they knew of. I thought he was the famous one. I’m honored that they know of my valiant acts.”

  Claudius said, “But that doesn’t explain me not knowing about my past or my family. How come I don’t remember you or my mother?”

  Peter leaned back in the chair. “To be honest, I don’t know why. When I went back to Aswan, the Hellbounds destroyed the village we lived in. I looked everywhere but I did not find you. You were presumed dead.” He sounded somber.

  Claudius’ look was sorrowful. “Somehow I made it to America. The farthest my memory goes back is to when I was an orphan. Everything before that is cloudy.”

  Gedulah asked, “Garrison did not have anything that can help with your past?”

  Claudius shook his head. “I’ve heard from Nathan, the leader of the Naraka Knights, that my adopted father knew about me and my abilities. That was why he came for me at the orphanage. He said something about a plan involving me and t
he knights.” He reached into his wallet to find the picture he had of him and his family. “I have this but I don’t remember these people.”

  Peter took the picture. He gasped after he saw who they were. He walked over to his brother and handed the picture to him.

  “What is it? Do you know who they are?” Claudius walked over to them.

  Peter’s look was despair. “Yes, he’s one of my children. My son and his family. They died years ago.”

  “What? Is that me or not?”

  Gedulah looked at the picture keenly. “I don’t believe that’s you, but the resemblance is uncanny. How did you get this picture?”

  Claudius took the picture and walked back to sit by Dawn. “I honestly don’t know.” He sat with his face in his hand after he put the picture away.

  Gedulah sat beside Claudius and rested his elbows on the table. “Don’t worry about it too much. We will help you find out where you’ve been soon enough.”

  Peter patted Claudius on the back. “Son, I will try my best to help you.”

  Claudius raised his head and hope was in his eyes.

  Dawn held his hand for comfort and he smiled at her.

  “So, Peter how was your trip to Jerusalem? What do you think about the Kabbilist knights?”

  “There the most interesting set of Nephilims I’ve ever met. They are very honorable, strong, and respectful.”

  “Did they show you their sword skills?”

  “Yes.” Peter chuckled. “I had the privilege of sparring with one of them.”

  Gedulah smiled too. “Which one did you fight against?”

  “I believe his name was Torah. He was a strong kid. He wields a sword very well, but the one who got my interest was named Samson.”

  Gedulah said, “Really? Why is that?”

  “When Torah and I were sparring, a girl named Aliyah ran into the battle area. Samson stopped our swords with his bare hands. I’d never seen anything like that before.”

  The angel said, “Samson? Was he a brawny kid with short curly hair and a kind face?”

  “Yes, that’s the one.”

  “He’s a Palestinian. I’ve heard that his ancestry traces back to Delilah.”

  “Delilah? The woman who betrayed the Judge, Samson?”

  “Yes. It was never listed in the Bible, but Samson and Delilah had children before she betrayed him.”

  “Oh, Samson is a descendant of Samson and Delilah?”

  “Yes. That explains his strength.” Gedulah chuckled. “He was the one I sparred against.”

  Peter said, “He defeated you, didn’t he?”

  Gedulah shook his head. “What? You think I lost? When did you ever hear of me losing in a fight?”

  Claudius said, “I’ve seen Uncle Gedulah fight before—and he was marvelous.”

  “Thank you, Claudius,” Gedulah said. He clapped then pointed at his nephew. “The kid knocked the nail right on its head.”

  “Father, why are you slaying the demons if you were once on the same side?” Claudius asked.

  “God shunned me from my post, but he didn’t take all my abilities away. He was even kind enough to let me keep my sword. I joined Ablis out of spite and anger, and he rewarded me with the pistol for my service. Deep in my heart, I knew I was wrong for turning against the Almighty. I still had good within me and wanted to walk that path. I wish to return home to my brothers and sisters one day.”

  Zack said, “Really? After your past crimes as an executioner, you still want God to forgive you?”

  Peter said, “Our Father will forgive us for all our sins the day he sends his Son to pass judgment on this world. That’s what I strongly believe. I believe that I’ve done good things to prove to the Almighty that I’ve repented for my sins.”

  Zack snickered, “You’ve been saving people for centuries from the demons when the Hellgates opened and became a hero and a symbol of hope for them. He doesn’t reward us if we only do things to please others and him. He only rewards us on acts we do from our hearts—or so I’ve heard.”

  Peter glared at Zack in anger. No one had ever spoken to him or said anything like that before.

  Dawn said, “In my eyes, Mr. Slayer, you’re a hero. You risked your life to save those women from the explosion and hundreds of people from that monster in Times Square.”

  Claudius smiled and said, “Me too, Father. I’ve heard about your heroic feats, and it made me want to be like you. You were very brave to take on that monstrous demon and the two knights on your own. I’m proud to know that you’re my father.”

  Peter grinned. “Thank you both.”

  Gedulah smiled too.

  Peter said, “Since we are on the subject of the knights, Zack, what can you tell us about the Order?”

  Zack sat forward with his elbows on the table. “In all, there are five of us. Our armor was made from a substance from hell and has an insufficient amount of energy. We can fight for days without eating and resting while wearing the suit. There is a rumor stating that the knights cannot be killed once the suit is activated and the bond between the host and the antibiosis is strong once the knight fully understands it.”

  Peter said, “Only five? I’ve heard from one of my sources that there are about five thousand of you guys.”

  “The Tesla 1 antibiosis has the ability to replicate himself—”

  Peter said, “That must be the one I fought in Times Square. He can shoot white energy from his hands also. Ninoplasm, right?”

  “Yes, and if we are all present, we can copy that ability.”

  Gedulah said, “Wow! You guys can copy another Naraka Knight’s ability?”

  “Yes—but only within a hundred-foot radius.”

  Peter said, “We can use that to our advantage. Zack, what are the antibiosis abilities of you and the others?”

  “Stygain 5 gives me the ability to fly and other abilities I’m still learning to master. Betta 4, which is Talia’s, lets her control demon leaches, reptiles, and rodents that she creates. Xano 3 is Wong. He can create an arsenal of weapons—guns, swords, you name it. Zero 2 is Michael’s. I’ve never seen him use it, but I’ve heard that his is the second strongest.”

  Claudius said, “Michael and I are close friends. We’ve been friends since before he joined the Order. I’m sure I can talk him into joining us.”

  Gedulah said, “That would be a good advantage for us. The more alliances we have, the better.”

  Zack said, “Yeah, you guys are close, but Michael is very loyal. He will not betray Garrison as easy as you think. I don’t think he will just join us that easily.”

  Claudius said, “Five thousand is a lot of enemies to fight. If we can separate Nathan from the others, we will have the advantage. His armor is the most threatening. I say we go after him and take him out first.”

  Zack said, “He’s right. That’s our first priority, but I don’t think it will be easy. He’s strong.”

  Claudius chuckled, “He’s not that tough. We fought on several occasions, and I overpowered him each time. If I had known better, I would’ve taken his weapon during our last encounter.” He raised the Glove of Xerox to his face and smiled with content.

  Gedulah said, “How do you like the glove I gave you? Are you getting the hang of it yet?”

  Claudius extended his fingers and said, “Yeah, I’m starting to. But each time I use it, it gets tighter and harder to remove. It also seems to be changing as the days go by. The metal pieces on my fingers were not on it till today.”

  “The Glove of Xerox reacts to the person’s feelings. It is similar to the antibiosis. The more you use it, the stronger you both shall become. It will continue to change its appearance whenever your abilities grow. Speaking of similarity, Zack, I have something to tell you.”

  Zack sat forward, “What is it?”

  “The antibiosis is linked to you. It aids your thoughts and has influence over your actions.”

  “Yeah, I know that. So what?”

  “Well, did yo
u know that it cannot live without a host? It would be bonded to you… maybe for the rest of your life?”

  Zack shrugged. “I’m cool with that. It saved my life on numerous occasions. I don’t mind.”

  Gedulah leaned back and folded his hands. “In our first encounter, you mentioned that you needed it to stay alive. What did you mean?”

  Zack looked around to see everyone was looking at him and it made him nervous. His palms began to sweat. “I have arthritis. Whenever I put the suit on, it suppresses it. I also have a brain tumor. I believe the suit is protecting me.”

  Gedulah said, “Zack, I’m sad to say, but you don’t have a tumor.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I scanned your body the night I separated you two, and you don’t have any trace of sickness in your body. As a matter of fact, the arthritis is not there either.”

  Zack squinted and said, “Are you certain? Are you sure about that?”

  “Yes. It seems that the antibiosis wants you to be dependable. It creates the pain throughout your body so that you depend on it—and it reminds you of its existence and trust. It was even nice enough to heal your arthritis. It still needs you and will protect you. It thinks you’re the perfect host for it.”

  Zack stood up in anger. He refused to believe what he heard. He then headed upstairs.

  Gedulah said, “Zack, I didn’t mean to—”

  Peter interrupted, “Let him go. He needs to cool off. A few hours of sleep will calm him down. Besides, it’s a good thing that he’s not dying. I don’t think he will think much about it when he wakes up.”

  “You’re probably right. Maybe I should’ve talked to him privately. You should get some rest. I’m going to the city to check on things.”

  Peter yawned, “Okay. I’ve not had any sleep since the encounter with Father Davis. You know I need the rest.”