15 Chapter 15 - Silas

There was no easy way to stay standing in the presence White Angel at the height of her wrath. I had heard once that bears in the country could become enraged in defense of their cubs, and I almost saw that same animal instinct to defend in the hero's eyes. I might have been able to explain the situation for once without fighting, but the Sol City's guardian angel didn't seem to want to hear it.

I barely rolled out of the way as she launched off the ground in a bounding leap that covered the remaining distance between us. Her mobility was unbelievable thanks to her wings. She simply needed to turn to face me before a single beat of her wings launched her at breakneck speeds towards me. So far, I had dodged more than a few lunges from her, but I could tell she would catch me eventually.

When she charged again, I put up a shield perpendicular to the ground. I waited for her to slam into the energy wall like a pigeon smacking into a window.

White Angel had other plans. She was charging straight for the wall. Only moments before she would be stopped, she swung her legs underneath her and into the ground. I thought the rest of her would follow, but as her momentum halted, she kicked off again. Her legs kicked up and over the wall of energy, practically using her own body as a pole vault. Finally, her torso came around again and her wings pushed backwards.

I only had a fraction of a second to be stunned before her hand was slamming into my chest with the entire force of the dive. I felt my back hit the pavement and a sharp clang bounced around the empty space.

"Ow." That was all I could really muster in that moment. It wasn't witty, brave, or even taunting. Just ow. I suppose it was kind of a groaned ow, if that doesn't make it more pathetic.

"Need to stop fighting," I managed to wheeze out, "Hannah. Hospital." I wasn't sure if it was the lack of air or the shock from the amazing move that had just been pulled on me that made it impossible to form a complete sentence.

"Yes, because of what you have done, villain."

"My first thought," I said as my air came back, "Is 'Who talks like that? Is that where Flare gets her hero persona from?'" Watching the annoyance spread across her face was rather satisfying. Word of advice, if there is ever a chance to annoy someone in a dangerous or otherwise hostile situation, take it. The anger makes them focused on what you are saying, not what you are doing.

"The second thought was that I didn't mean for this to happen. I only wanted to keep her from following me." With that, I flicked my wrist and a small sphere of energy punched the high Evolved right in the side, knocking her off of me.

"Just like I am not trying to fight you with deadly force, I wasn't aiming to actually hurt her." White Angel hesitated to charge again as I rolled to my feet, finally listening. It would be difficult to explain what was going on here, but I would have to try.

"She was on a hunt for Void Star, I'm sure you were aware." She nodded to confirm my suspicion that she had somehow gotten her crusade sanctioned by their organization. "She encountered some technology possessed by these men here." I gestured to the clearly dead men. I was never quite sure how it was that Rolan Drike killed most of his victims.

"It was a technology I had seen before, one that should be in anyone's hands, right or wrong. It was supplied to them by Void Star, and I have not taken Hannah there to the hospital yet because he made an appearance to deal with these two."

Angel seemed to relax a few degrees, but she was still on her guard.

"I'm not the villain here. I have never been a villain."

"I am not sure how," she finally responded, "But you believe what you say to be true. I can be sure of that. Still, even a villain can believe himself a hero."

"There isn't any time for us to keep fighting, you see that, right? Aren't you supposed to be the moral compass of this city?" We often identified High Solis as the icon and leader of Sol City, but we all knew that her inner circle influenced most of her decisions. Where was that sense of right and wrong when it came to basics?

"You will have to answer for the things you have done against this city, Basic," White Angel noted, "But today I will take care of my daughter first. I suspect I shall hear the whole story soon enough from my daughters."

"I will make sure of it." I wasn't sure how, but she knew that I was working with Emma. Unlike either of the Railon sisters, their mother didn't seem interested in talking unless it was needed, or maybe that was her persona as White Angel. People always seemed different when they were in costume, and I know I was no exception.

I stood and watched as White Angel picked up the limp form of her own daughter and took to the air. I wondered for a few seconds if she would be okay, but between her mother's speed and my knowledge of the capabilities of the nearest hospital, I figured things would be alright for Metallette.

That left me with two dead basics and an abandoned warehouse lair. The same doors that Hannah had exited only minutes ago stood between me and the mysteries of the group that had shot Kaity. I could almost feel the damage to my bracer and back, painfully aware that I was a crippled fighter right now. I gripped the two handles as tight as I could, feeling the pressure against my palms and fingers. This was the answer to the past.

I let go and turned to go home. That was the answers to the past, but I knew who held the answers to the future. That was a future for me and the basics, compliant or revolutionary. I wasn't after these basic gangs, or even Void Star himself.

My answers were with High Solis.