Angel among Heroes

Chapter 16: Ravens and Crows

After the world returned to normal, I felt a shift underneath me. The groan of another person could be heard beneath me, and they were breathing unevenly as I regained my senses. Danny's weak smile could be seen as he disappeared into the ground, his form reappearing a few steps away as if nothing had happened. The pair of us shared an awkward smile, Raven coughing to clear the air. 

"Alright, Max," Raven said, looking around. "It seems we made it, but now we have to find Constantine and get him out. Based on his aura, I'd say he's somewhere around there." She said, pointing towards what looked like an abandoned town, her fingers marking some tower in the center of it all. 

"Alright, let's go," I said, my feet moving first. 

"WAIT!" Danny called out, my feet stopping where the ground cut off. 

"Max, this isn't like the real world. This place is not only inside of you, but your subconscious runs it. You have to be careful because you can and will attack yourself if you're not careful." Raven said, the three of us joining hands as they pulled us toward the skies. The blues and purples of our surroundings make everything seem at peace. 

My eyes scanned the area as we flew. I couldn't help but feel we were missing something. A sudden red ball of energy smashed into us, the other two landings somewhere far off. My own body jetted through the ceiling of a nearby building. The old wood was covered in dust and worn as time passed, and the building was seemingly abandoned. Why was it here? 

"Raven!?"I called out, "Danny!?" 

With no response, I dusted myself off and did the logical thing. I headed towards the tower, the sounds of a storm gathering, keeping me grounded. My eyes searched out to find the source, and I noticed a swirl of red mist. The dark magic. Its smoke wilted away at everything it touched, and the decay became almost sickening as I could feel it eating away at my magic. The visuals only add to the effect. 

Going down the winding paths, broken homes, and abandoned city streets, I noticed one thing in particular that stood out. Wherever I was, the dark magic followed. ALmost as if it was watching me, studying me. My mind grew weary of everything, and I barely noticed the sound of footsteps behind me as I turned the corner.

Quickly activating my magic, my subconscious summoned the climbing picks. My arm reached around whatever was following me, its form crashing to the ground as I held the other weapon. A bright flash of green light caused me to hesitate. 

"A-Angel? But how, what are you doing here?" A familiar voice asked. Bits of white could be seen amongst the slapped and stained trenchcoat. The grizzled face of Constantine came into my vision when both of our magicks faded. 

"We came for you," I said. My eyes looked around, catching Raven and Danny flying in the distance. 

"We?" He asked, "You're not alone?"

"Of course, he's not alone, John, but when are magic users ever truly alone?" Danny exclaimed, a smile on his face. The sounds of magic consuming magic could be heard, puffs of scarlet magic draining the light blues and purples. Leaving behind a decayed empty husk of whatever it had drained. 

"So John, attempting the help him from the inside? Smart, though the past three months would have been easier if at least someone had known." Raven said, John's eyes growing wide before settling, 

"So it's happened, has it? Well, guess there's a lot of explaining to do." He sighed, the emo twins nodding at him in return. A dirty handkerchief is being used to wipe the sweat from his face. 

"Well, let's get you out of here then. A lot is going on out there, and we need your help," I said, looking at the others before leaning down at him. 

"Wait, Angel, there's something I need to tell you!" He said as I turned to walk, a large red explosion throwing me back into him. The other two moved to protect us as the smoke cleared.