Chapter 11: An angel's descent

[Taylor's POV]

Waking up in my boyfriend's arms, the thought still made me giddy because I had one, cuddling against his neck, was going to be something I cherished forever. On its own I'd probably still enjoy it, but the buzz of our Bond constantly let out a small thrum of Safety, Warmth, and Affection that I drank in like it was my favorite drink. Surprisingly, I was the first one up, Phoenix usually woke up earlier then I did, a fact that annoyed him something fierce, but he happily bragged that seeing my sleeping face was worth it.

I got flustered at that, but now that we were a couple, I could withhold kisses, so I now had leverage against him. (Plus, when we get further... Yeah... I'm holding the high ground now. Poor poor goof.)

Thoughts of bribing/blackmailing my boyfriend aside, I raised my head, looking at him. His hair was splayed out under him, and I had to admit that maybe he was onto something when he said he wanted to grow his hair back out. It was hard to picture him with his old hairstyle, but I liked what I was seeing so far, so I wasn't going to object... Unless it looked bad, then I would. (Though, a pony tail could probably fix it... He did say he's tried it and a man bun before...) Humming, I ran my fingers through his forest green hair.

It was... Relaxing, doing this. I didn't know why, but we both liked it when either of us ran their fingers through our hair. It was a weird thing, but it was ours.

A few minutes after I started doing it, I felt my boyfriend's thoughts pick up, which meant he was waking up. Looking at his face, I watched his eyes slowly open, and locked onto mine. The Affection, Desire, and Love I felt was something I couldn't see myself living without. "Morning goof." The sleepy smile I got made my heart race.

Seeing him move forward a bit, I met him halfway, our lips coming together in one of our most recent but important rituals of the day. We didn't hold it for long, , and eventually broke apart after a few seconds. "Morning Mi Reina." That still made me shiver, using another language to give me a nickname had to be chea...- Adorable girlfriend is adorable.

I paused, looking at the Smug but still tired face beneath me, and narrowed my eyes at him. "It's too early for you to be this smug."

He grinned at me, a hand tracing down my spine made me shiver as he pulsed with Smug Satisfaction. "Never too early to make my girlfriend squirm though." His lips nibbled on my neck, and I figured out we were going to be getting out of bed a little later then expected. I'll make sure of it.

I moaned feeling his teeth gently sink into my skin, and started grinding against his cock when I felt it grow beneath me. Feeling him groan into my neck, I grinned. |Two can play at this game goof.| His Desire and Lust told me all I needed to know.

After... Alot, of heavy petting and making out, we eventually got out of bed and started our day. I was pretty sure we were still riding the high of being a couple, because I couldn't see myself grinding against my boyfriend, while we shared a bed first thing in the morning, before getting said boyfriend. I was even surprised when I had the thought about waking him up with a handjob.

It was a passing thought, and one I waved off as too soon, but the fact I thought about doing it at all still surprised me. [Just letting you know, the day I wake up to that, is the day we see how much I can mark your body with my lips and teeth.] I almost choked on my toothbrush. The image he sent of his lips on my neck, slowly going down to my nipples, and even further, made my body burn with a fire I was going to have to get used too.

Shaking that off, I mentally huffed at my Amused boyfriend. |You're going to be the death of me.|

He snorted. [Funny, I've had that thought multiple times over the months.] I rolled my eyes at the smartass, and made my way to the shower. [And this is where I go for a run.] Snorting, I heard the familiar sound of him transforming go off, and a loud roar/bark.

Stepping into the shower, I knew he left after hearing the front door open and close, the sounds of heavy paws and claws gone. I still found it funny he had a form called Wildmutt who wasn't even a dog in the first place. (It's funnier that it doesn't like dogs either.) Smiling at that thought, I started my shower, and just took my time to relax.

When I was done and dressed, I made breakfast and called my goof back home. It took a bit, the 'Vulpimancer' was a strange form to talk too considering its mental voice sounded like an animal with a heavy accent... And it also 'Turns off my brain', so I had to restart it by reminding him that yes, I was here, and no, eating raw deer wasn't a good idea even if the form he was in could handle it. [That only happened twice!]

Looking towards the door as it opened, seeing metal shift and ripple like water was always cool, I raised a brow at my grinning boyfriend. "That's two times too many you goof."

Rolling his eyes, made his way over and joined me for breakfast. After a quick kiss, which I knew we both wanted more of, we started eating. "Whatever." Didn't seem like a 'Whatever' thing to me. [So, we sticking with the schedule, or we changing things up now that we're together together?] Chewing on my eggs, I thought that was a good question. [Of course it was, it was mine.]

Huffing at that, I took time to think how this could affect us... And wasn't exactly sure how it would. We were already fiercely protective of each other, and while an argument could be made that it was the Bond's fault, our change in relationship status would obviously increase that protectiveness. So... We would probably go overboard on anyone that really hurt one of us...

Thinking about who could possibly hurt us, I mentally made a note to wait a few days before patrolling around E88 territory. With the amount of Capes at their disposal, and the fact we were both still getting used to fighting together, I couldn't put it passed one of the Nazi capes getting in a lucky shot and hurting either of us enough to overcome our suites... A pulse of Protective Anger rumbled from our Bond, and I met the eyes of my boyfriend. He was frowning, eyes narrowed as he probably thou...- "If a Nazi makes you bleed I'm turning them into kindling."

I blinked, took a second to process a fact that I already knew, Phoenix would easily kill, especially if it was for me, and nodded... Ignoring the Warmth the thought of someone caring that much about me caused. (Note to self, maybe wait a week or two before we patrol E88 territory.) The Protective Anger receded, and was replaced by Mischievous Amusement. A second later, I saw his perspective of our date, and what I did to the Nazis and Merchants.

While I took that in, he whispered in my mind. [Note to self, keep Taylor away from the poor Nazis and druggies, who knows what horrors she'll unleash upon them.]

My cheeks burned at that, and I shook my head. |Actually, we should deal with the Merchants now.| Feeling his Interest, I went on. |Without Skidmark, Squealer or Mush, they're down to one Cape. This is the best time to find and get rid of their last Cape, and cripple if not destroy the Merchants.|

My boyfriend hummed, and scratched his chin while he ate. I felt the minor Annoyance that he usually felt whenever he remembered he didn't have his beard, then listened to his thoughts. Well, it makes sense. Without any of their heavy hitters, the druggies will self destruct. Though the issue ends up being what the Nazis and Asians do. The Tin Man will probably try to push in and claim the territory, but the Rage Dragon and his Suicide Bomber are closer, plus the idiots in spandex are there too... Mhm... Worst comes to worst and we somehow end up in a three way free for all, I'll just go alien. After all, annoying problems require overwhelming firepower for their solutions. I choked on my food at that thought, and met the Amused gaze of my boyfriend. [You'll be choking on something else someday.]

Thousands of insects chittered and buzzed to attention as my boyfriend leapt from the table, cackling as he ran with his bowl of food in hand. (He's going to be the death of me.)

"LOVE YOU TOO!" I burned at that. Stupid fucking boyfriend.

We were patrolling Merchant territory when it happened. The VI had sent us an alert that made me freeze.

It was still monitoring the PRT official channels, and found an important message that it relayed to us.

'Simurgh to make landfall in 45 minutes. Location : Canberra Australia.'(Endbringer Sirens are fannon.)

Seeing it, Phoenix and I stared at each other. I knew this was going to be something he had an issue with. I wanted to go, I HAD to go. With my bugs I'd be perfect for Search and Rescue, the lives I could save by just being there convinced me I should do it. But as I thought about that, I felt his Disapproval, Annoyance, Anger, and even Fear .He wasn't even thinking anything, just focused entirely on me with an intensity I could feel through the visor.

I knew he wasn't scared for himself, his Apathy extended to himself too, and I knew he wouldn't mind death, it was something we talked about after all... He was scared for me, and that made Guilt swirl in my gut.

I wanted to go. Needed to go.

But if I went, Phoenix would follow to ensure I didn't die. He couldn't give a shit about anyone else because I was all that mattered to him.

If Phoenix went, he would reveal himself as both Anubis and Sun Wukong, because I know I'd BEG him to help me save everyone we can, despite the fact he wouldn't care who lived or died.

If I went, we would be thrust into the limelight. My range had grown to just under half a mile, so that would give me a higher Master rating at the end of it, while his capabilities would be out there for all to see... "We're still going, aren't we." I shuddered at the monotone voice of my boyfriend. It wasn't a question either. He knew I wasn't going to change my mind, despite our talks, or more BECAUSE of our talks, I understood I had to be a Hero. Someone had to help the world be a better place, and I wanted to do it.

But hearing my boyfriend sound so... Dead, wasn't something I liked. Feeling the chill of Apathy growing through his side of our Bond worried me, made me question if trying to fulfill my dream was worth feeling this.

I shuddered, but did my best to nod. "We're... We're going."

I had to help.

I had to be better.

There was silence, the world around us didn't exist.

I thought I was fine with and gotten used to the calm that silence brought...

I hated this silence.

The constant thrum of Warmth and Affection I'd felt from my boyfriend was there, I could FEEL it, but it was being covered by a sea of Apathy and Indifference. I hated it hated it hatedithatedithatedi...- "Okay." His voice broke me out of the spiral, and I noticed he was hugging me. I didn't notice when he got cl...- "I'm sorry..." The monotone was gone, the normal Warmth back as he held and gently rubbed my back. I knew he meant it, because I felt it.

But I could still feel the Apathy and Indifference, receding, not entirely gone, but smothered beneath the Affection, Appreciation, Worry and Love he felt for me. But I knew it was still there.

And it scared me. I wrapped my arms around him, and just breathed. |We're... We're talking about that later... When we get home.| For a second, I was worried he'd say no. Worried he'd brush it off and say 'Later.'

[Okay. When we get home.] And like that, I stopped worrying. I knew he was being honest. We couldn't lie over the Bond, and that made the unnoticed tension bleed out of me.

After a few minutes, we let go of each other, I was reluctant but we had to make our way to the meeting point so Strider could take us to the fight. Though I still kept my mental eyes on his emotions. The way he switched so quickly terrified me, and made me think about what he felt when I did it.

If he felt even a fraction of what I did, then we were going to have to talk about alot more then I thought.

[Phoenix's POV]

Looking at all the Heroes/Villains/Rogues, I frowned behind my helmet. I didn't want to be here, I'd rather be back home in bed with Taylor, but here we were, gathered around a bunch of people that'd probably be dead in a half hour.

What was worse was that I hadn't started making any Anti Endbringer weapons, I thought I'd have time instead of being dragged into one of these things. (Should've expected this to happen.) Given what I knew about my Taylor, I really should've. I knew of the angel bitch's appearance here, it was mentioned a few times in fics I'd read, but I didn't care since it was in Australia and not Brockton Bay. I'd had ideas prepping for Leviathan, the one I thought I had a 50/50 shot at beating. Hell, I was pretty sure I could solo Behemoth thanks to aliens like NRG or Chromastone.

The Simurgh on the other hand?

I doubted I could outsmart the psycho bitch with Grey Matter or Brainstorm, I couldn't get close to her because she could probably mess with the Ultimatrix, and her Master effect would most likely drive me into a rage where I turned wherever we were into a barren wasteland, if not outright wiping it off the map. My options were limited, and I had to hope nothing forced me to get too close. I didn't want to test if Taylor could shake me out of a Simurgh driven madness. (Speaking of my girlfriend.)

Looking towards the front of the Search and Rescue group, my eyes locked onto her form. We were far enough away to keep our thoughts from spilling out to each other, so my monologue was being kept to myself. Though we could still feel each others emotions, so I wasn't surprised when she turned to look at me, Worry radiating off of her. I was probably letting my Annoyance and Displeasure out. I sighed. [It's... Not, fine... But not now.]

We were about to be in a situation where mistakes got us killed, so I couldn't make her any more worried then she already was by expanding on that. I'd already felt bad for how scared I'd made her after I started to shut off. Listening to her thoughts while we made our way to the meeting point hadn't helped.

|Okay...| She turned back, and I sighed. I could tell she wanted to make her way over to me and apologize or try to help me feel better, but I needed some time to myself to get through my Annoyance and Anger at being roped into an Endbringer fight early...

The wave of Concern and Sorrow made me take a breath, and slowly breath out. (Later. Just... Later.)

I'd been happy, Taylor becoming my girlfriend had temporarily distracted me from the fact we were in a death world where shit could go from bad to worse to even more worse. I couldn't remember the last time I looked forward to what would happy the next day, or the day after that. I'd had that now with Taylor, wondered how I could tease her tomorrow, what I could do to surprise her, when we'd take time to just relax and kiss or just lay around.

The Simurgh appearing, Taylor understanding that I'd obviously go with her to a war zone yet still going through with it, and making me shut down for a bit, brought that crashing down. I wasn't in control, and I wasn't fully prepared.

But yet here I was, not ready but still going to fight because my girlfriend thought she was a certain Hero of Justice... I paused and had a thought. (Shit, she's going to see more corpses.) We hadn't talked too much about the skinheads she found, and given her reactions to me shooting out Ub3r's knee, as well as what some of her bugs did to the idiots that interrupted our date, she was not going to be in a good place. (... Later.) Shaking the thought away, I zoned back in, and started moving with the rest of my group.

Standing by my girlfriends' side, neither of us said anything, though we didn't need too. [When it starts, you're going to shunt the negative shit into the Swarm. Promise me that Mi Reina.]

Looking over to me, she stared, and I stared back. |I promise.| I let out a breath at that, thankful she wasn't going to argue. We both knew she wasn't going to be good after this, but we couldn't afford to breakdown in the field. |We also can't afford to avoid our issues by thinking about them 'Later.'|

I grunted at that. [I know. But again, we don't have time for that.] She didn't like the answer, but knew I was right.

Sure, I didn't like this, not at fucking all, but I'd already promised to talk about my hangups when we got back home. Right now we had to focus on the fight, and my girlfri...- The ground shook, and the first wave of 'Downs' started coming... And the first 'Diseased.'

The first one of those made Taylor freeze with Fear, but like I told her too, she shunted those off to the Swarm and began her search. It was a testament to how useful an ability like 'Insect Control' was that she found and mentally marked where a few of the victims were after only a few moments.

With them marked though, it was my turn to act.

The fibers on my left arm writhed and moved back, the Ultimatrix seeing the light of day as I popped the dial. Without even looking at the hologram I pushed it back down, the familiar flash and power washing over me. I ignored the sudden shouts going off, the sounds of 'Anubis : Lost', from the armbands, and just let the world wash away as my visor came down.

Getting into stance, I took a breath, then I moved, a single minded focus to find and get the bodies over to the med tents.

The less people died, the less Taylor's guilt would be.

We could talk/argue/fight, over this whole thing later.

[Taylor's POV]

It'd been 10 minutes since the 'Fight' started, and I understood something... (I shouldn't have brought us here.)

~Torrent : Down C4. Divorea : Down C4. Prolo : Deceased C3. Valen : Down C3. Mad Hatter : Deceased C3.~

On and on the band went on, and I started wishing for my boyfriend's Apathy. As much as I hated thinking it, hearing the constant 'Deceased', made it harder and harder for me to shunt my emotions away before it became too much. Phoenix on the other hand, heard the names ring out, and I knew he just thought about it as background noise whenever he came back and waited for more to fall and for me to point them out. [If you want to leave, just tell me, I'll take us home.]

Looking down at my boyfriend, curled around me, still in the form of XLR8 with his visor down and his tail lazily swaying in the air, I wanted to say yes. Wanted to tell him to take me home and just lay together on the couch, our beds, just to be anywhere but here...

But I couldn't. |No... No... I can hold on.| Funneling my Uncertainty, Worry and Fear into my Swarm, I managed to smile, even though we both knew it wasn't real. |I've found a few more by the way.| My boyfriend groaned as I marked them in his HUD, which still worked because of the form he was in, the voice of said form making it sound like the death rattle of a car. Now that's just rude.

I rolled my eyes, and watched as he got up. [Back in a flash.] And before I could blink, he was gone, the blue and black trail left behind by his speed dissipating in moments. (Still cool.) I loved seeing him in action, and adored alot of, if not all of his forms, but I had my favorites.

Big Chill was an obvious one, it was the first one I'd seen, and he was a giant moth creature that could apparently eat the plasma of the sun... If that wasn't awesome, I didn't know what was.

Then there was Wildmutt... Big 'Not Dog.' Nuff said... I idly marked a few more... Bodies, I found, and smiled at the thought of running my hands through his fur. It was sort of rough, but still fun to do.

Terraspin was cool too, a big turtle with wind powers was just amusing to be honest.

While I was thinking of my boyfriend, I almost missed what the bands said.

'Almost', because thanks to my Multitasking, I didn't miss a thing.

~The Simurgh has begun moving towards Search and Rescue! Get out of there!~

My eyes widened, and I watched as the Movers that were still here, spring into action. People that needed it were being picked up and moved, and I got up to move with them, my suit made it so I didn't need help, when I saw it through the feed of my bugs.

The Simurgh had picked up four buildings and started spinning them like the barrel of a mini-gun.

My bugs caught sight of the buildings spinning as fast as drills before they were launched towards the building I was still in faster then I could see.

While they were coming, I knew that this was it. Phoenix was out getting wounded or dead Capes, the buildings were coming faster then my suit could make me, even in Speed Mode... And suddenly my mind cleared as I came to a single conclusion.

This was it, I was going to die.

Time slowed down, my thoughts crawled to a halt, and my mind rolled through the last two months. I remembered the day it all started, the day I'd Triggered... Then about what happened the day after.

The day I met my boyfriend.

The week in isolation, the only person I was able to talk too being the voice in my head that listened as I vented, and gave nonsensical advice, but also some genuine bits of wisdom.

Then when I was released, and the PRT tried to give me their spiel, and dad had... (Oh... I haven't thought of dad in a while...) It felt like I was dropped into a bath of cold water. Ever since Phoenix got me out, I hadn't thought about my father at all...

I felt sick.

I abandoned the man that helped raise me.

Abandoned the man that lost his wife and was still grieving.

Abandoned the man that had to see me lay in a hospital bed after nearly being killed at school.

I abandoned my dad... And hadn't felt like thinking about him for over two months.

And now I was going to die and leave him alone in the world...

That thought made my already slow perception of time grind to a halt as my mind recognized he wouldn't be the only one.

Phoenix had literally no one.

This wasn't his world.

He didn't have a single connection to anyone here aside from me.

He didn't even want to come here, but I decided we were going to go anyway. I even knew, even if it was subconsciously, that he wouldn't argue. He'd told me that he'd gotten used to things just happening and him not caring enough to do anything to maybe stop it or get out of it. It was why he adjusted to being in my world so quickly in the first place.

He just couldn't care less.

And because of that, because he knew I wasn't going to change my mind, I was going to die a pointless death and leave him alone...

The progress we'd both made was going to be pointless now.

He was going to revert to the shell of a person he was before, a husk filled with Apathy and Sloth, while I was going to be dead...

And it was going to be my fault.

I was never going to be able to make it up to dad. Never going to hug him and tell him I was sorry for leaving him with just a note. Never going to be by his side anymore...

I was never going to live the rest of my life with Phoenix. Never going to have more dates or movie nights. Never going to wake up in his arms and feel like everything was right in the world.

Never going to be able to tell him I loved him...

|I'm sorry.|

Time started to speed back up, and I closed my eyes.

This was it.

I fucked up, and lost everything.

The sound of an ear splitting BOOM went off, and Concern, Dread and FEAR crashed into me. [TAYLOR!]

[Phoenix's POV] (Should I cut out this part and have it be another chapter, or keep it here?)

I didn't notice what was going on, I'd been idly keeping my eye on the winged whore as I ran and brought bodies/corpses back to the med tents. I'd seen Panacea, but hadn't said anything to her. Now wasn't the time to get chummy with the Healer.

It was while I was bringing back some idiot that lost his arm and was bleeding out that I heard the message from said idiot's band.

~The Simurgh has begun moving towards Search and Rescue! Get out of there!~

I stopped in place, head whipping towards the bitch. My eyes widened seeing the buildings the Endbringer picked up and began spinning...

My heart dropped seeing them be shot forwards like they were fired from a railgun.

I instinctively knew where they were going, instinctively calculated their paths and identified where they'd land...

I saw them fly, and the world lost meaning as I dropped the soon to be corpse as I ran.

I was on the other side of the city. I could run cross the world in minutes.

I thought faster then humans could process. It felt like my mind was lagging behind.

I could break the sound barrier without breaking a sweat. It felt like I was too sl...- |I'm sorry.|

Nothing else mattered.

I pushed myself farther then any Kineceleran should. My legs protesting as My Other Half needed me, and I would burn Heaven and salt the Earth if it meant I'd never need to be alone again. [TAYLOR!]

I crashed through the wall, not caring about how my current species wasn't durable enough to completely ignoring the pain that would cause me, and ran towards my frozen Other Half, disregarding anyone else in the room.

She would not die.

I refused to allow the possibility.

I RAN, grabbed her in my arms, and took off back through the way I came, and continued to run, the world nothing more then a blur as my mind raced faster then any super computer.

She would be fine.

She had to be fine.

Any other possibility was not going to be considered less I lose the already frayed leash I had on my emotions.

When I stopped running, I recognized we were no longer in Australia. (When did I...)

We were in front of our home, the hidden door having already opened at some point, it wasn't supposed to do that but I wasn't going to question it. Shaking the thought away, I made my way to my room and set Taylor on the bed. I felt a sense of deja vu at that, but it didn't matter.

Disengaging her armor, I looked at the unconscious form of my girlfriend, my visor was telling me she was healthy, but the g-forces, and the shock of what she'd nearly gone through had rendered her unconscious. She looked peaceful, but the way she passively radiated Fear told me all I needed to know... 'I'm sorry.' My tail thrashed at that, my pulse quickening enough for me to not notice the dull aches coming from my feet and chest.

Taylor had sounded so... Hollow, as if she accepted her death... And I Hated it.

All it would take was for me to have been just a few seconds slower, for me to have not heard the warning from the corpses' band, for me to have not cared enough to pay attention to my surroundings...

And I would've lost Taylor.

My girlfriend would've died and I'd have probably gone insane.

I would've been alone again.

My claws tensed and closed as my tail slammed against the rug.

It had been at the one time I wasn't by her side as we...- My entire body tensed as my mind raced. I had been on the other side of the city, not patched into Dragon's system, and had only known to check where she was aiming because of what I'd heard. I'd recognized that I was probably a blind spot since Contessa hadn't shown up before me, but I hadn't thought about a crucial fact.

(Does that extend to Taylor?) I didn't know... And my mind jumped to the first conclusion I came up with. It didn't matter if it was right or wrong, it was what I believed.

The Simurgh had targeted Taylor.

The Endbringer had tried to steal the sole thing I cared for in this world.

It tried to take my Other Half from me.

I went still.

Then I RAN.

I didn't hear the small whimper that came from her, my name coming out in a whisper.

It didn't take long for me to get back to the fight. Only a minute or so... But it was enough for me to think and 'Calm' down.

I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to tear the bitch apart and drop a meteor on her corpse for good measure. The issue with that was that I'd probably cause a worldwide extinction event if I dropped a meteor on it, it didn't help that I not only had the ability to do so, but was still tempted too anyways. (All I'd need to do is got Jetray and fly into space, find a good space rock, and push it forwards with Astrodactyl. I'd probably have to make a harness of Star Energy, but it could be done.)

Now, I didn't know if it'd kill the Endbringer, not unless I paid the bitch in kind and used Gravattack to hit her with a meteor shot with the force of a railgun, but then that'd destroy the world, and Taylor would die, so that was out.

There was also the issue of what happened if I killed it. I'd never known what happened after an Endbringer died, none of the fics I'd read ever got to that point, but I remembered a time travel fic where Taylor had returned to the past without her Powers, and remembered the mention of other Endbringer's being 'Activated' when one of them died.

I had no idea if that was Canon or just another 'If it CAN go wrong, it WILL go Wrong because this is Worm' thing, but I wasn't going to test it.

I also idly thought about killing Eidolon, it was his fault they existed anyway, I was pretty sure of it given the fact it was mentioned so much, but like the Endbringer Sirens, it could just be fannon... I would keep an open mind about it though, killing someone in their sleep was a simple affair really.

That aside, I also knew what I was GOING to do.

I was burning with Anger and Hatred, and I had an alien that would allow me to let it all out.

Looking up at the Endbringer, I watched as it was bombarded with lasers and explosions. The smoke was cleared when it flexed its wings, rubble and some smaller buildings rising to the sky as metal and other electronics gathered above its head.

I watched as it started firing the rubble and buildings, and twitched when I heard something melodic start in the back of my mind. Wrath burned through me, but I added it to the rest of my Anger as I reached for the dial. The 'Angel' was going to burn, and nothing was going to stop me.

The flash of green light went off, the earth beneath my feet sizzled and melted as fire radiated from my being. I let my Anger and Wrath fuel my flames, the air distorting as I breathed out a puff of orange fire. I ignored the shouts of surprise and fear that went off in the background, and stared at the false angel.

Our eyes met.

The melody in the back of my mind grew louder as the fires erupting around me began burning higher and brighter.

And as a sea of rubble, bodies, and even buildings flew towards me, I grinned...

And I twisted the dial.