Death Angel

Chapter 25: Science versus The Supernatural

The familiar rush of power coursed through me once more as I released my scythe. At this point, I realized the situation was difficult to contain. On the one hand, I had far too many innocents present on the field. Board members aside, there were also the real innocents to worry about. People who had come to do their jobs for the day who weren’t here to care about how Hunter Robotics' stock price did.

These were the people who came in to do their jobs so they could support their loved ones. Those who had to work hard for others. Not the people who ran the organizations with agendas of their own. But the ordinary heroes. The father who had four mouths to feed who was struggling to make the mortgage and was forced to decide between that and his son’s football jersey that he wanted more than anything else for his birthday. Or the single mother who worked a second shift at the nearby bookstore so she could make ends meet for her four year old with special needs. Those were the people that I wanted to protect more than anything else.

‘Collateral Damage’ is the word most often used in a business setting to describe a situation where shit hits the fan and the stench has gotten so bad that the department of health has to be called in. In other words, a situation that can’t be contained.

Acts of God. Storms, earthquakes and other such calamities. The very things that an army of pencil pushers and number crunchers spend hours predicting but can never get right.

I preferred to act on instinct when such things happened, largely because, well logic has gone out the door anyway. My instinct told me that this was a situation that required action. My father was too far gone. And no matter how I looked back on the past, my memories couldn’t be trusted. They were far too flawed to be based on anything in reality.

I felt the weight of the scythe I held in my hand. There was a certain heft to it now; something that didn’t come easily. I had experience now. And I had the powers of the Van Dyke Chosen. Would such things be enough for me to take down the superior technology that my father had built? There was only one way to find out.

I moved, as quickly as I could, hoping that the element of surprise would aid me. Part of me regretted announcing my intent to attack, but no one can really plan these things perfectly, and I just had to go with things as they happened.

I swung the scythe as swiftly as I could, invoking the Nether Void at the same time in such a tiny space. I knew Death would be able to sense it the moment I activated it. Still, it wasn’t as though I could rely on Death to get involved at the right time. But I could certainly clue him in and hope that he had the sense to do what was right.

Trust no one Vanessa. Rely on yourself and focus on the outcome you want.

Surprisingly, Donovan didn’t bother to block the scythe. He stood there, unmoving. My blade cut him diagonally, bisecting him from shoulder to hip. But Donovan continued to just stare at me and smile.

I watched in horror as the ants raced around Donovan Hunter’s body, reconstructing it, rapidly repairing the damage I had inflicted.

Donovan Hunter laughed. “As you can see, dear Vanessa, such things cannot harm me. My nanomachines have made me immortal and invulnerable.”

Part of me was expecting the difference in power of course. After all, my father had years of experience, and he certainly had the technological advantage. But this level of sophistication was truly incredible.

“The nanomachines are self-repairing, too, you know,” said Donovan. “If a machine dies, a new one sprouts in its place, the other nanomachines take the dead machine and reconstruct a new one using the remnants of the one that died.” Donovan moved toward me rapidly, racing around the room at incredible speed; taunting me.

I should not have been surprised, that despite all the latent abilities I had at my disposal, Donovan Hunter still found a way to school me. He moved in quickly, before I could even react, and took my scythe in his hand in the same manner Azazel had done, and played with it like a child would a toy, grabbing the blade with his fingers, and examining it closely.

He chuckled. “This is it, Vanessa? This is the extent of your so-called power? Perhaps I was mistaken about your potential after all.”

“Starnos Dis Varten Nos Tardis,” I said, unleashing a volley of magic that I had hoped would have the intended effect. A bright flash of light filled the room, and Donovan Hunter barely dodged the impact of the powerful blast I created. I didn’t have time to think. I only prayed my recklessness didn’t damage the building structure too much.  “My scythe might not be able to harm you, but the Van Dyke magic certainly can. Why else would you dodge that blast?”

Donovan Hunter’s laughter filled the room. “How very wonderful, Vanessa. You’ve never failed to impress me, even back then, as a child. You always exceeded my expectations no matter how lofty they were.”

“All I wanted was for you to love me,” I said simply.

“You know the secrets of the Grimoire,” said Donovan. “Tell me Vanessa, how exactly did you happen to come by that knowledge?”

“You’re going to have to pry that one off my dead hands,” I said.

“You conveniently forget, daughter of mine, that you’re already dead,” said Donovan. “Very well, then. It’s time you realized that everything is futile.”

I detected a movement out of the corner of my eye, but it was too late. My reaction was far too slow. My father had moved into my blind spot and before I knew it his hands were at my throat. The pressure was too great and his strength was overpowering. The difference in power was too great. Even the demon Azazel could not have moved at such a blinding speed.

Just when I thought I was about to pass out, I felt my father’s grip loosen. I crumpled to the floor, my vision blurry for several seconds. As I steadied myself, I spied something that made me realize why my father had let go.

It was Death. He had let himself into the room and was now staring intensely at my father. I don’t quite think I’ve ever seen him angry before, but in that moment, I could very easily tell that was the case.

“Ah, Death finally reveals himself to me,” said Donovan.

“Be careful, mortal. Powerful technology you might possess, but in the end, mortal you still are.”

Donovan laughed heartily at that, a powerful, booming laugh that exuded confidence and power. “Let’s see you prove your point.”

“I would like to participate as well.” I recognized Rina’s voice immediately. She entered the room, walking slowly and confidently. She was carrying that dreadful sword again.

Katsujinken.

The life giving blade. The blade was black, curved in an arc. The sunlight glinted off the edge, giving it a far more sinister appearance in the light of day than when I saw it last under the cover of night. The sword that can cut souls without a color. A sword that could harm agents of Death. The very sword that had nearly taken my life.

“Let me show you a neat trick as well,” she said laughing. I watched in horror as her elegant black suit dissolved into millions of swarming ants in a flurry of activity. The ants moved at great speed, reconstructing themselves around Rina’s body. When everything was done, she was wearing a smooth, black jumpsuit with a hardened outer shell; the nanomachines forming an impenetrable exoskeleton around her body.

“A nanosuit,” I said.

“Indeed,” said Rina smiling. “Let’s see how Death and his apprentice fares against the power of man’s intelligence. What you see before you is the pinnacle of human achievement. Fear our wrath, agents of Death. For today we end the vicious cycle of life and death. Today, man becomes immortal.”

There was a sudden surge of energy around us. The ferocity of the surge took me by surprise, and I was flung from where I stood. I had the presence of mind to grab onto one of the walls. Had I not stopped myself, I might have been sent careening dangerously past the glass windows of the Hunter Robotics Building.

I knew what that surge of energy was of course, but I hadn’t quite seen it in this form.

“You know, you could’ve warned me before you did that,” I said, smiling at Death, who had now unleashed his true form, arrayed in his full glory.

His massive, manifested form took up so much space. Where Donovan had previously been the most imposing figure in the room, he had suddenly been displaced. Death stepped forward, his black robes trailing the floor as he released his massive scythe. The purple hands were enormous, perhaps even more so than I remembered them to be. Death’s massive scythe made Katsujinken look like a child’s toy in comparison.

“Forgive me, Vanessa. I am a little angry at this mortal.” Death turned to me with his hooded visage and I was glad I could not see the skull behind it. I have never seen Death this angry before. His eyes glowed bright red in broad daylight.

I braced myself for the inevitable battle. Both parties had laid their cards outright. This was not going to be a simple skirmish. I was already glad I unleashed the Nether Void, and that Death unleashed his powerful Void on top of mine. I looked behind me at everyone, standing comfortably outside the glass windows of the board room, frozen in time. Unmoving and unseeing. It certainly wouldn’t do to have them witness the otherwordly battle that was about to ensue.

I hear a loud laugh in the room. I realized it was my father’s.

“What could possibly be so funny? I asked.

“Why, we keep raising the stakes my dear,” he said. “But this turn of events couldn’t possibly have gone better for me. Not only do I have the bearer of the secrets of the Grimoire before me, but I also have the opportunity to destroy the being that holds man back from becoming what he was meant to be,” said Donovan.

“Man was never meant to be immortal in his current state,” said Death. “The moment Adam and Eve took the first bite, man was never the same after that. Man was never meant to find paradise on earth.” There was a somber way in which Death had uttered those words that made me tremble.

There was a loud crash, and I was hurled several feet again. I realized it was the sound of glass shattering all around us. Donovan had unleashed a powerful wave of force that rippled throughout the building. The shockwave surged throughout, causing the building to rock violently. I saw cracks on the surface of the smooth, marble boardroom walls.

This is very bad.

I saw the ants race around Donovan Hunter’s body once more. They were forming something else. Something intimidating. It looked as though a massive suit of armor was being built around Donovan. A black breastplate and thick armor now covered every part of my father’s body. He sported wings now too, a massive wingspan that was easily twenty feet for each wing. His face was covered with a sophisticated helmet that made his appearance even more intimidating. It looked like a demon knight clad in black armor had come to face us.

“The windows have been blown all around the building. All that remains is the structure. You’d better hope your Nether Void lasts for a while,” chuckled Donovan. “Lose control for just the slightest bit and the people on this building all come flying out from the sheer force of physics. How long can both of you hold out in the heat of battle, I wonder? Ten minutes? Fifteen minutes? I guess only time will tell.”

“You son of a bitch,” I said. “To think that you would knowingly endanger the life of everyone in this building to play your selfish little game.”

“Now, now, Vanessa, let’s not get carried away.” Death’s calm voice was soothing, comforting in this trying time. Death spread his arms wide as if to welcome the air that now blew fiercely from all around us. “Ah yes, this is such a great day.”  He looked at me, his red eyes burning intensely, as he turned his attention to the two opponents we now faced.

“Well, then everyone, shall we dance?”

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