“You don’t have to…like me. But I am going to protect you anyway I can.”
Both of us start shouting at each other.
“QUIET !” Marcus shouts. The room falls silent immediately.
We were too deep in our argument to notice Rio had entered the room.
“Rio, what is it?” Marcus asks.
“They know the Triplex is inside Emmy.”
“Who knows?”
“Everyone.”
**************************
Everything happens in slow motion. I look out of the bay windows and see a slew of Demons in the air, surrounding the house. They encircle the ground floor all the way up to the roof. The house is now at the center of a giant twister-like swirl of Demons.
On the street below us, there is a motorcade of black SUVs that pull up to the front of the building. The car doors open and an army of Runners and Pawns with guns, make their way up the stairs.
Suddenly, cracks spread across the living room ceiling. Someone or something has landed on the roof. Just then, I spot the most beautiful birds making their way past the stream of Demons. They are twice the size of bald eagles and made entirely of flames.
There’s a peaceful glow that emanates from the awe-inspiring creatures. I can’t take my eyes of their fiery wings. There’s a beam of red light shining from their eyes, bringing with it a beauty too powerful to ignore. I could spend eternity looking at them. Suddenly they open their mouths. I await a magic, a wonder like none I have seen before. I reach out for it.
“Emmy, no!” Marcus tackles me to the ground. Just as we hit the floor the birds spew out a river of fire. The Guardian’s home explodes into a massive ball of red and blue flames. Everyone and everything is catapulted into the sky.
The streets are littered with body parts and debris. The block where the house used to stand has been all but decimated. Marcus and I land several yards away. There’s a dull pain traveling along the left side of my body and my head landed on the pavement causing a massive migraine.
“Emmy!” he calls, as he tries to stand up.
“I’m okay. Where are the others?”
“We’re good!” Ameana says, as she heads over to us along with the rest of the team.
“Jay, you have to get Emmy out. I don’t have a Port on me.”
“Can’t,” Jay replies. That’s when we realize one of his wings has been badly injured.
“Jay, are your wings…?” Marcus asks.
“No, I’ll survive but for now, I can’t Glide. Let alone fly.”
“It’s not a good idea to take to the air anyway, too many Fire Swans.”
I look up in the sky and find the flaming birds still hovering above us.
“Miku—”
“I can’t sing, Marcus. There are too many Pawns here. They would all die.”
From the corner of my eye, I spot Rage headed directly for us. The team spots him before I can even open my mouth. Rio quickly raises his shield a mere second before Rage sends a fireball our way. We can hear Rage laughing as New York City burns down.
“Give us the human!” he shouts, as he attacks Rio’s shield again.
“We have to move. The shield won’t hold up!” Miku says.
“We can take to the sky long enough to escape to another country. We can regroup there,” Jay says.
“No, they will follow and we can’t let them harm anymore humans,” Marcus orders.
“We need to do something, I’m fading,” Rio says between clenched teeth. As soon as he says that, Rage doubles his efforts by adding the Fire Swan’s blaze to his own. Together, the sea of fire is too much for Rio; his shield is down.
The instant that happens we are swarmed by Demons, Pawns, Runners and Akons. It would be nothing for the Angels to take out the Runners, but having Pawns in the mix slows things down. Since Pawns still have a soul, killing them is forbidden.
Ameana and Rio tackle Demons to the left of me while Miku sings softly to a group of Runners. Marcus takes on the remaining Akons while trying to shield me from them. I have never seen a battle on this large a scale. Lucy has emptied hell and sent an army after me. All around Demons are getting their wings ripped off, Guardians struggle to gain control, and New York City burns.
“We’ll hold them back. You make a run for it,” Marcus instructs me.
I open my mouth to protest.
“No arguments. Go to the Sage. They won’t attack you there. Run and don’t look back,”
Suddenly, I hear Rio cry out. I look over and a Demon has plunged a metal rod right into his chest.
“Damn it Emmy, RUN!” Marcus screams.
I take off down the street, my heart feeling like it’s going burst out of my chest with every step I take. I force myself to keep going although I desperately want to check on Rio and the rest of the others.