Pursuit of the Zodiacs (81 page)

“AAARRGGHH!”

The distant cry of the former Pope at times would trump the heavy rain pouring onto Rome’s blood-marked streets. In the far distance, through the blinding downpour, Adam saw a torn Aries hovering by with two of her replicas trailing behind her. In flight and at high speeds, her replicas held the Pope by his legs, trying to keep up with Aries. Set ablaze and tortured by her fire, the Pope dangled helplessly while yearning for death. She combed the city in search of a worthy location to extend the torture without interruptions, but the city swarmed with Mosqidou warcraft.

“Aries!” Adam cried out to her, but she did not hear him through the relentless pounding rain. In an instant, he scurried off, but Aries and her Replicas were
unparalleled by Mortal legs. Adam called for his Supernatural Carpet, but there was no sign of it anywhere.

“Goliath, follow him,” Abdeen shouted. Abdeen sat down, grimacing in pain.

“Abdeen, you’ve been injured,” Daniel said as Abdeen analyzed his newly found wound.

As instructed, Goliath pursued Adam down the street. “It must have happened before or during my skirmish with Oseem. These damn Devils.” He continued inspecting the wound.

Daniel continued, “It’s a deep cut, but you’ll be alright if you don’t strain yourself any further. Come, let’s get you some help.”

Daniel flagged down a patrolling Mosqidou craft. He knelt over Abdeen to shield him from the windblast as the craft landed. A ramp dropped, and two medics ran to their aid. The severe rain stopped, and a burdened Abdeen spoke, “Judging by all the blood shed in the past few days, a year’s worth of rain would bring forth a great service to this city.”

Daniel said, “You are right, Brother. But it will take more than rain to cleanse this city of its Devils.”

Daniel stayed by Abdeen, who did not want to be sidelined from the campaign. As the medics placed him on their immobilization equipment, Daniel said, “My Brother, you’ve done great works, memorable for decades to come. Enough works that your name will be honored even after our transition to the End of Time. God will commend you further on your services. Farewell, Brother, and I will meet you on the other side.”

As the medics carried Abdeen onboard the craft, Daniel saw the exhaustion on his face, a look uncommon. In the end, they were all tired. No one wanted to admit it.

The craft departed. Soon after, Regal entered the scene with a special armored vehicle, battered and stained with Demon blood. “Get in!” Regal shouted as the passenger side of the vehicle opened up. Daniel was hesitant to get in. Regal continued, “She’s lost, and the heat she bares will surely kill them all! If you want to save your comrades, you must all put on my special custom suits that can withstand even the surface of the Sun.”

Daniel replied, “How do you know what’s going on? And, if so, why isn’t the Pope already dead?”

Regal answered, but kept motioning Daniel to get in. “I have cameras throughout this city. How else am I to know what’s going on here half the time? As far as the Pope still being alive goes, she knows he’s a Vampeer and that he has healing capabilities that work, even if he’s on fire. She is only using Level 1, one of many stages of her power. She’s just keeping him alive long enough for him to beg for death. She will torture him some more in retribution for her Son. However, if your friends continue this Pursuit without my special vestments, they will be better off diving head-first into volcanic acid.”

Daniel replied, “How do you know these suits will work?”

Regal answered, getting more frustrated. “Pursuer, let’s just say you’re not the first Supernatural being I’ve come across. I’ve been serving God for some time. I’ve met many brave entities engaged in similar campaigns.”

Daniel entered the vehicle. “Understood. We need to move faster.”

Regal yelled, “We would’ve been there already if you had gotten in sooner, Pursuer!”

Adam and Goliath reunited with Timius, Irisan, Simeon and their frontrunner and Master Archangel, Natenal. They encountered Raphael and over a thousand Mosqidou soldiers posted outside a tunnel. A force field with temperatures equivalent to the surface of the Sun blocked the tunnel. Judging by the half-incinerated Mosqidou craft, one crew failed in their Pursuit of the Zodiac. It served as a warning of just how dangerous the current circumstances had become. They heard the Pope’s cries echoing through the tunnel.

“Aries, she’s in there, but it is almost impossible to enter,” Goliath forewarned.

Adam paced back and forth, trying to devise a plan to safely enter the tunnel.

Regal and Daniel pulled up to a checkpoint in their special armored vehicle. They approached Sentries and other special vehicles dispatched from Mosqidou warcraft. They followed protocol and identified themselves. After being cleared, the Sentries directed them towards the tunnel.

“Regal, Daniel, may God be praised. You’ve made it through this night,” Natenal said as they embraced.

Daniel replied, “Yes. By the blood of God, we made it through this perilous night.”

Regal added, “Yes, Brother, it is good to see you are alive and well.” He paused and pointed to Adam, still pacing back and forth in front of the entrance. “If our friend there is to pass safely through that tunnel, he must put on my Special Suit.”

Regal went to the vehicle’s trunk and pulled out seven custom suits, designed and built to withstand severe temperatures. “It will be like oven gloves, but I should warn you: don’t be idle and press your luck. The longer you are in there, the more your lives will be in jeopardy. Just do what you have to do, and get out of there fast.”

Adam overheard the conversation, walked up towards the hood of Regal’s special armored vehicle and suited up.

“Are you sure about this, Pursuers?” Raphael asked as the rest of The Pursuers joined Adam.

“Yes, we must end this,” Natenal confirmed.

Adam asked, “Where’s Abdeen? Is he alright?”

Daniel answered, “Yes. He suffered a severe injury, so I sent him home for medical attention and rest. His duties are no longer needed here, and he sends his regards.”

Adam remarked, “I owe him my life. I’m sorry I didn’t get to say farewell.”

Daniel replied, “You will see him again in due time to relay the message yourself, as long as you don’t get yourself killed, Brother.”

Daniel joked, but it didn’t get more serious than this, as all of them entered the tunnel, one by one. Regal’s Special Suits were extraordinary and operated as anticipated. They successfully breached Aries force field.

However, just as the Special Suits secured them from the heat, The Pursuers couldn’t do anything to penetrate them. Therefore, gifts were surrendered in order for them not to meet Aries’ fire.

Goliath couldn’t grow into his signature enormous size, Irisan couldn’t use her healing abilities, or deliver poison and Natenal couldn’t uncover his face of God.

The group saw two enlarged shadows of Aries replicas reflecting menacingly off the walls. Natenal said, “Our breach through the force field must have triggered an alarm of some sort. Brace yourselves, Pursuers.”

Adam said, “Aries please! It’s me, Adam! Call off your replicas!”

With his face concealed, it did not help his situation. Aries ignored his cry. Without their gifts, Adam knew in time, death would break its silence. He warned the others, “Pursuers, get yourselves out of here! I will keep them occupied.”

“It is too late for that. Her replicas must be destroyed if we are to fully gain the Zodiac’s attention,” Natenal countered.

So they engaged. With no weapons, their only option was hand-to-hand combat. Since the replicas could not inflict any damage upon them due to their Special Suits, they joined them in hand-to-hand combat.

Natenal’s accomplished training enabled him to catch one of the replicas punches, while using her own arm to turn her around and break her neck.

The replicas willed death before they would allow The Pursuers to bring harm to their Creator. In desperation, they tried tearing and ripping the Special Suits from their bodies.

Goliath broke the back of one of the replicas and threw it against the tunnel wall, but the other two succeeded in removing Simeon’s helmet.

“Nooo!” Irisan cried as Simeon’s head instantly incinerated before their eyes.

As anticipated, death broke its silence amongst The Pursuers. Adam freed himself and ran to save his remaining friends. One of the replicas pursued him, but Goliath intercepted. He knocked the replica into the wall of the tunnel so hard that the impact produced a hole.

From the outside, Raphael and his team noticed fire seeping out the side of the tunnel. The pressure from the heat caused the hole to increase in size by the minute. They lay in wait for someone to exit. “Prepare to engage,” he ordered.

Angered by the gruesome death of their fellow Pursuer, they moved cautiously, knowing they were at a complete disadvantage due to the confines of their gifts.

The deadly temperatures declined courtesy of that growing hole.

The remaining replicas paused and motioned The Pursuers to pass.

“What’s going on here?” a puzzled Goliath asked.

Natenal speculated, “Adam must have shared words with the Zodiac.”

Goliath replied, “No! They’ve killed Simeon. I demand vengeance!”

Natenal ordered, “No, Goliath. It is finished. Simeon is on his way home. We cannot jeopardize the rest of the group.”

An enraged Goliath clutched his fists and walked towards Simeon’s dead corpse.

She awoke from unconsciousness to more misfortune. A sheet covered Virgo’s head. Special chains that disabled her gifts fastened to her wrists.

“What the Hell is going on here! Where am I?” Virgo called out.

Bishop replied, “Sleep well, Zodiac? I assure you, you are safe. We covered your face for safety purposes. Even a god such as myself can only withstand your beauty for so long. Once one has fallen victim to the flesh, as my faithful servant Luther learned, their days are numbered.”

“Release me at once. I am not an animal!” Virgo ordered.

“You will be released in due time. For now, relax. I have some news that might strike of some importance to you,” Bishop replied.

Virgo responded, “It doesn’t matter to me. Take it up with Lucifer when he finds out where I am.”

Bishop said, “It’s quite ironic you should mention him. Taurus is dead, and so is your Dark Lord. All of the Master Archs are dead. It is over, Zodiac. It would be in your best interest to join me too.”

Virgo said, “Lies! I don’t believe it! Lies, all of it!”

Bishop motioned for one of his soldiers to uncover her head. She was surrounded by Giants during her confinement onboard the craft of a god. Bishop watched her from his throne. There were Demons and Archangels working side by side one another undertaking ship protocols. Downstairs, more Archangels operated a giant mainframe navigating the special craft to Bishop’s fortress. Up ahead, viewable through the craft’s interface, was Bishop’s Super Earth as they passed armed Satellites. Again, Bishop motioned to one of his soldiers who carried over a
veil-covered glass vase and held it in front of Virgo. The soldier pulled the veil from the vase to reveal Lucifer’s head inside it.

Virgo’s eyes widened, and then squinted. She moved in for a more up-close inspection of the vessel. In the flesh, even in death, Lucifer’s calcified vile grin stood without question. In fear of her telekinetic abilities, an unmasked Zodiac unsettled Bishop’s men who began clutching their weapons.

“It’s alright, lower your weapons. Let her grasp the authenticity of my power.”

The servant held the vase closer to her. After a full examination, she wept.

Bishop said, “What’s the matter? Did you really think he was capable of defeating a being of my caliber? You are just as much a fool as he was. I’ve had as many spies in his kingdom as I did in God’s … maybe more. He had so many betrayers, he was hardly even a match due to all the techniques I had at my disposal.”

Virgo replied, “Your credit goes to traitors. You’re nothing more than a coward!”

Bishop said, “Everyone who decided to join me was influenced by knowing, or coming to terms with, the reality of who will eventually rule this Galaxy. Their aid simply brought it ahead of schedule. I have a special guest who has also taken the liberty of aiding me in victory, and who is responsible for the invention of those very chains that deny you of your power.”