Death Angel

Chapter 29: Sword-Arm

It took me more than a few moments for the gravity of the new situation to sink in. I re-assessed the enormity of the task that lay before us.

I found it difficult to find the words, something that was unusual for the normally loquacious Vanessa Hunter.

“D, what are you saying?” I finally managed to ask in a weak voice, a certain tugging feeling in my heart, bubbling to the surface at that moment. Incessant. Like a bittersweet memory that pushes itself forward when an old song is played. I found myself taken aback by the honesty of it. Was this pain I felt?

“Never you mind, cherie,” said Death. “It’s not like I haven’t been in a situation like this before.” His form shimmered, the dark outlines turning hazy and vapory once more, the dark wisps clutching at the edges of reality and unreality. For such beings were we, hovering on the fringes of waking and dreaming, the natural and the supernatural. Death’s form changed slowly, turning once more into the man I first met the day I fell to my death. His handsome dark eyes looked into mine and he smiled that smile of smiles, same as he always did.

“How much time do you have?” I asked. 

“Plenty of time, cherie,” Death smiled at me confidently, and I couldn’t help but realize there was nothing more disarming to me in that moment than that smile. I felt powerless in this situation. I knew there was little I could do to help him. 

Death placed his hand on my shoulder. “Be ease, Vanessa. There is more than enough fight in me to right the situation and put the world in order.”

“Are you really dying?” My voice broke. I didn’t know why I felt so sad at this time. I wasn’t normally so emotional. Part of me felt angry at myself for being so vulnerable.

“Who knows? Who cares?” came Death’s ever nonchalant response. “Be that as it may, we are quickly running out of options. As you have so carefully explained, we must do things in a particular order, and we must do these things exceedingly well.” Death transformed again into his true form, the beautiful and suave features once again giving way to enormity of his hooded manifestation.The massive hands were gripping the enormous scythe once more, and there was hardly a hint of the weakness just a few moments before, nor of the grave wounds he had suffered from the dreaded blade Katsujinken.

I nodded. “Are you sure you can go on?”

“Never fear cherie, we can do this, you and I. First the Void, steady the building and then you and I go all out.”

“Speaking of which,” I said, “I think I’ve got an idea.”

“You don’t say? Well, pray tell what might that be?”

“My father is after the Van Dyke power isn’t he? Well, let’s give it to him.”

“Vanessa, cherie, that is an incredibly risky proposition,” Death began.

“Time isn’t exactly on our hands,” I replied, shrugging. “You’re in the worst shape I’ve ever seen you in, and I don’t think you’ll be able to hold out for much longer.”

“But fail in this, and you’ll drain your powers and open yourself up to the very thing you don’t want to.”

I nodded. “D, I understand completely what’s at stake here.”

“Do you really?” Death pressed. “Fail in this Vanessa, and you fail not only the residents of the building but the very world you are trying to protect. One minor blunder, and you and could face the wrath of beings we don’t ever want to trifle with.”

“I’ll take my chances,” I said. “Are you ready?”

“Why, that’s just the thing,” said Death, “I’m always ready.”