Angel among Heroes

Chapter 18: Shotguns and crystals

They say as teens we learn valuable lessons about life, but to be honest I never payed attention. As an adult you use those skills to combat day to day life, but no amount of attention spent could have prepared me for this. The littered streets, the pillaged storefronts, screams and cries of civilians as the forces of evil spread like a plauge. My eyes wide in fear, sadness, and remorse. If only I had been honest form the beginning, could all of this had been prevented?

"Alright team listen up," Jason said cracking his knuckles as he stared at the streets. "I know our numbers are thin as is, especially with Artemis and her sister being gone to look for some of the others. So this is how we will do this. Angel, Wally, Raven, and Harlee will get off at the roof top over there." His fingers pointing to a large warehouse nearby, lingering for a moment. 

"As for the rest of," Harlee chimed in. Her makeup made to look as if she had been crying pink and blue eyeliner, her pigtails swinging with the minor turbulence of smoke and bombs. "While we infiltrate the warzone and get the civilians to safety, the rest of you will split into two smaller groups. Conner, M'gann, and Danny will go to the building we believe the others are being held captive. The others will go back to the facility holding Flash and Bats, then we reconvene tomorrow at dawn. We will then move to stage two of the mission, but for now. Good luck!" She giggled, her boy dropping out of the bioship with a large smile. 

Feeling the ground disappear beneath me, I screamed. The warehouse roof growing larger as I fell closer. My magic instinctively flinging purple feathered wings from my back, the air from my lungs being caught by the sudden change of speed. My fings flapping hard to keep me airborne, I let them disappear in time to roll on the roof. My feet slipping as I rolled into a slide, my eyes growing wide as I saw the ground. The thirty foot drop being one thing if I was prepared, but not like this. 

"I gotcha babe!" Wally said, both of our bodies falling to the ground. My hands pushing out as he held onto me, magic pulsing from my hands cushioning the fall. With a crazed laugh, Wally sat up. My legs laying on either side of his waist. "Well, when I was thinking the mission would be fun I didn't have this in mind." His eyebrows wiggling slightly, the voices of Harlee and Raven coming into my ears. 

"Are you guys okay!?" Harlee asked, an unsurpised glint in her eyes. Pushing Wally back to the ground, I groaned. 

"Yeah," I said taking in the surroundings. "We're fine, we'll start searching buildings on the other west side. You guys take east," I said to them, my finger pressing the earbud in my ears. It had no purpose truly, but it felt right. 

"Just remember, if you run into any trouble we're right here," Raven said. Her own eyes seeming interested in something on the east side of the destruction path. Something tellingme she as eager to find Jack. Her and Danny unable to seem completely like themselves without him. Maybe I should ask them about the whole trio dating idea. 

Setting off on foot, I called my magic back. Only leaving enough to defend myself in an emergency, the buildings around us only carrying the settling rubble and flick of fames with them. My eyes scanning for any signs of life, I felt hopeless against it all. 

"Hey babe, look at this?" Wally said peeking his head from around a corner, my feet carrying me in his direction. An arrow pinned message on a a brick wall catching my attention, the red tip telling me Roy was alive. Good. Knowing him he had already cleared this area, probably before the damage started even. 

"Alright, let's keep moving. Let the others know Roy is here and alive, there's something I want to check first," I said. My eyes falling on a pawn shop, a small sign having also caught my eye. The fine print stating;

We accept all trinkets, blades, and medical weapons. Buy, sell, or trade!! You want it, we got it. 

Walking through the busted green doors, I coughed a bit as the smoke and dust hit my sinuses. My hand covering my mouth and nose as I continued walking through, the shop floor littered with glass, broken weapons, money, and even some blood. A few of the racks being busted and mishaped, I could tell there had been some kind of fight here. My feet continuing onward, my hands summoned one of the daggers from my forearms. A small shiver ran through me as my friends Otis and Ollie whispered to me, the two being the cutest otters I had ever seen. Their coming to me in a dream being a first.